#unsure when you'll be seeing a new story from me now that this is done

[leavesdriftinginthewind]

I'm two weeks late to sharing it here because I hadn't gotten to make a mood board for it 'til yesterday (although I did post to AO3 on the correct day), but the final chapter of paper rings is live!

Chapter 4: The Proposal

Chapter Summary: After spending the afternoon wandering the streets of Jericho and reminiscing about the early days of their relationship, the time comes for Tyler to lead Wednesday into the cemetery and pop the question.

I can't believe my first multichapter is out in the world in its entirety! It was short and sweet but I LOVED getting to write this story and I hope anyone who has read it or will read it in the future enjoyed it, too <3

[giannaln4]

Sorry Won't Fix This

lando norris x fem reader

summary: Lando makes the biggest mistake of his life, bigger than any apology, and you both hoped there was a way to fix it. Unfortunately, you both wished it at different times. (5.5k words)

warnings: angst, cheating, mentions of sex, manipulation, mede up characters, use of Y/N

a/n: I FINALLY WROTE MORE ANGST! This is a long one and I held nothing back. I really did try to make it as hurtful and dramatic as possible and ngl I was inspired by 'Don't worry darling' for a tiny part of this (you'll know when you read it) but anyway, this one does NOT have a happy ending so please let me know what you think!

Check out the original request here!

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You had a terrible feeling, but you were too scared to look into it, terrified you would be right. 

Truth is, you started feeling like that just a few weeks ago, when you went back to Lando’s apartment to surprise him with lunch and found an empty room and the bed unmade from somebody sleeping on it. Any other day that would’ve been completely normal, but you had stayed with him the night before and made the bed as soon as you both got up to get ready for your separate plans for the day, leaving a perfectly made bed to come back to. 

Before that day, you would’ve never in a million years thought that Lando would cheat on you. He had always been so loving and caring, even before you started dating, and once you officially became a thing, he would constantly remind you how much he loved you, and on special days he was the most romantic person ever, and you always thought that you would spend the rest of your life with him, but now... you didn’t want to think about it, but you couldn’t bury the thought of him with someone else after it crossed your mind briefly while looking at the messy bed.

Later that night you asked him about it, trying hard not to sound like you were accusing him of something, but his excuse just made you feel worse, your suspicions growing.

“What do you mean?” He asked as he inspected his bed, unsure of what was wrong with it. 

“Well, you know, I made the bed this morning before we left, remember?”

“Oh, uh- yeah, I came back to- to take a nap,” he stuttered, not even looking at you. 

But it kept happening, a few more times.

Things started to change after that; he cancelled the plans you made for when he came back home, he suddenly was too busy every day and your presence might be a distraction for all the things he had to get done for the next race, he was so tired at night he didn’t have the energy for anything, and he even asked you to go back to sleep in your own apartment, claiming he just needed to sleep on his own to be comfortable, even though you were used to sleeping together.

Long story short, he was distant; he was never around anymore, and even when he was, you felt like you were missing him. He was just... different, and you were beating herself up wondering what had changed.

He, on the other hand, didn’t miss you, seeing he didn’t make an effort anymore and he could go days without answering a text or returning a call, ​​and it was not because you took a long time to reply; you would always respond in a heartbeat if it was him. If it weren’t for all the times you visited him at his apartment when a news outlet brought up that he was back in Monaco to make sure he was doing okay, you wouldn’t talk to each other at all.

But today you were feeling hopeful. It was your anniversary, and you had a date night planned — a date he didn’t cancel, so you took the entire afternoon to do your nails, your hair, and pick a beautiful dress to wear, his favourite dress. Your makeup took a while, but you still managed to be ready on time for the wonderful night you had ahead, so you made your way to him, your palms sweating when you knocked on the door.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?” Was the first thing he asked, wiping her smile off of her face.

“I thought we would go out tonight,” you replied, looking down at your hands to hide your clear disappointment.

“Oh- I guess I forgot to tell you but I remembered I have an important meeting tomorrow morning, so I’m not gonna make it." The door was barely open, and he was standing where the crack was, blocking his apartment as he held the door with a strong grip.

“Okay,” your voice was so faint you barely heard it yourself. “Do you need anything? I could stay here for a couple of hours.”

“No, don’t worry about it. I think it’s better if you leave.”

Tears pricked your eyes, swallowing the small lump forming in your throat. “Why?”

“Well, I’m busy with a few things. You know, I have a really early day tomorrow, and you can’t really help me with a McLaren meeting, can you?”

You shook your head slowly “I guess I’m leaving then.”

The tears you had been holding started to fall as soon as you turned around; you could feel your mascara clumping on your eyelashes and forming black streaks down your cheeks, ruining the contour and highlight you applied in hopes of impressing your boyfriend. You ran back to your car and let it all out once you closed the door. You really thought things would be different tonight, but you were wrong.

You started driving to your best friend’s house, desperate to vent about how terrible your relationship was going since you had been keeping a secret from everyone; the last thing you needed was the media to get in the middle of this. 

“Oh my god, Y/N. Are you okay?” Mia asked you when she saw the mascara tears.

You shook your head as you stepped inside, small whimpers leaving your lips as you tried to stop the crying.

“What happened?” She took your hand and guided you to the couch.

“Lando.” 

“What about Lando?”

“I think he’s cheating on me." You had never said that out loud, and saying it broke your heart even more. “I wish I was crazy, but the signs... I know he is.”

“I’m not trying to defend him or anything, but what makes you think that?”

“Everything, Mia. He has been acting so... distant. Ever since-” You stopped yourself. You never told anyone your relationship with Lando wasn’t doing so well, making up excuses to cover his. You just wanted to hold on to everyone else’s idea of you two, thinking you were the perfect couple.

“What? Have you guys been fighting?”

You took a deep breath before saying, “Remember the last time I stayed over at his apartment?” She nodded in response, “Well, later that day I went back to surprise him with lunch, but he wasn’t there and the bed was a complete mess, and you know I always make the bed when I wake up. He said he went back to take a nap, but he was supposed to be with Carlos all morning, and it didn’t make sense he had time to come back, take a nap, and then leave again, so I asked Carlos, and they didn’t meet at all that day. Is that insane?”

"No, Y/N, of course not.” Mia didn’t know what to say; she wanted to comfort you but she didn’t know how. “And he’s been acting weird since then?”

You nodded, wiping your tears away. “Yeah, he’s been pushing me away since that day. Telling me he doesn’t have time because he’s so busy with the season, which I understand, but not even answering a couple of texts? And cancelling every date we had planned?”

“Is that what happened today? I thought it was your anniversary.”

“It is.” You were nibbling on your lip profusely, looking up so tears would stop falling. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

“Have you told him how you feel?” You shook your head again; you hated confrontation, and you were hoping you didn’t have to do that. “I think you should go talk to him.”

“Right now?”

“If not now, then when? You say you’ve been feeling like something’s off for a while, but you haven’t said anything to him.”

“I don’t know Mia-”

“If he is cheating on you then you need to break up with him, you don’t deserve to be in that situation, and you deserve to know the truth.”

You inhaled as you considered what Mia just said. She was right, but to be completely honest, you weren’t ready yet. “I really want to know, but I can't.”

“Why not?”

“Because what if he is?” Tears started rolling down your face again, Mia hugging you tight as soon as it happened. “I love him, and... I just want things to go back to normal.”

“I know you do, but believe me, it’s better if you know.”

You stayed there for a while, but ultimately decided to go talk to him, but you needed to put yourself back together before confronting him. Mia helped you to wash your face and fix your hair, comforting you and offering to stay with you once the two of you were done talking. You accepted; you didn’t want to be alone, and Anne, your flatmate, had been going out of town a lot recently, so your apartment was empty, and you knew it’d be a long night.

Once you felt better and ready to talk to him, Mia drove you to his place as you repeated in your head everything you wanted to tell him. You knocked loudly and didn’t stop until he opened. He looked annoyed, and you stormed inside as soon as he opened the door.

“What are you doing?”

“We need to talk.”

“About what?” 

You blinked at him twice. Did he not think you needed to talk? “About us, Lando. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Okay, now you were mad. “Lando, you have been ignoring me for days, and I understand if you’re busy, but it doesn’t explain you pushing me away at all times.”

“I’m sorry if you feel that way.”

There was a moment of silence, both of you staring at each other as you tried to remember the questions you were supposed to ask, but none of them seemed to make sense now that you were standing in front of him “That’s all you’re gonna say?”

“What do you want me to say?” 

“How about you tell me exactly what’s going on?”

You were both raising your voices, but Lando especially. “I told you already, I’ve been busy with the season-”

“I could’ve stayed here with you or gone with you to races if that meant spending more time together, like we have done before.”

“But why would you want to do that?”

“To keep you company, maybe?” 

“But all you do is stand around while I do my job.”

“Lando, do you know how many weeks I’ve spent away from home just so we can be together? And you don’t even care anymore, you didn’t even care to say thank you.”

“I never asked you to come,” he mumbled.

You scoffed before shaking your head. “I wanted to, you know I worry about you when you stress yourself out about a race, you tend to overwork yourself-”

“I. Never. Asked. You. To. Come." He interrupted you, his tone punctuated with each word. “I would’ve been fine without you, I don’t need you in my hair at all times." His eyes hardened, his mouth opening to speak again. “Don’t you have better things to do?”

“I just- I’m your girlfriend, I guess I thought you liked to be with me.”

“I do, but you don’t have to be so clingy all the time.”

You didn’t say anything, hoping you heard it wrong or that he’d apologise, but he didn't. “What?”

“You know, we do everything together and-”

“No, we used to do things together, not everything." You corrected him.

He took a deep breath, as if he was done dealing with you. “Right. Look, I’m tired, we can talk tomorrow.”

You nodded, holding back the tears as you walked towards the door. “Happy anniversary,” you said before slamming it closed and running back to Mia’s car.

Lando sat on his couch with his head between his hands for a moment. How could he forget? He took a deep breath as he got up, looking for a ribbon and a gift he bought for you who knows how long ago.

He made his way to Mia’s flat; he assumed you would be there, and your car parked outside confirmed his suspicions, so he knocked on the door a couple of times before saying, “Baby, I’m sorry. I was caught up in all the things I have to do before leaving, and I didn’t realise what day it was." But he got no response. “Y/N please, I know you’re here. Will you please talk to me?”

“Go away, Lando.” Mia was the one to yell, making Lando realise he would not be able to fix it, not tonight anyway. 

“Okay, I’m leaving this here. I- I love you.”

You called in sick for your job the next day, your sore eyes and pounding headache being the only things you could think about. Well, that and Lando.

You were staring at the gift he bought for your one-year anniversary — what you were supposed to celebrate the day before. It was beautiful, and you couldn’t believe he remembered you mentioning it on one of your first dates ever, but it was the letter inside that broke your heart. It looked... unfinished, like he didn’t even care enough to give it a proper ending, so you were wondering how long ago he stopped working on it.

The days after that were rough, long nights of wondering what you could have possibly done wrong, but even then you didn’t talk to him. He tried to, a couple of times, but you needed a little bit of time.

A couple of weeks went by, and you found yourself alone at your apartment, catching up on the work you missed for calling in sick so many times.

It was your birthday, and Mia insisted a million times you go out and celebrate, clear your head, and forget about Lando once in for all, but somehow it felt wrong; you had made plans with Lando a few months back to bring your family to a race so they could finally meet him, but obviously that wasn’t happening anymore, so what was the point of celebrating? You just needed to focus and get things done anyway.

You were thankful that Mia had been for you through it all; you really were, but sometimes crying alone did more for you than having someone tell you ‘everything's gonna be okay.' You were tired of hearing that.

Hours later, you found yourself with a cup of coffee to finally catch up on the last project. It wasn’t really that much of a workload, and you didn’t need to stay up all night to do that, but you were going to anyway. Perhaps you just wanted to be productive, or maybe that was you trying to occupy your mind from the possibility of your boyfriend cheating on you.

You looked at the clock; it was 11:30 PM. You sighed, typing away whatever you were supposed to on your laptop, your eyes sore from staring at it for too long, when a text message interrupted you.

Unknown [Attachment: 1 photo]

Unknown: I heard they have been at it for a while.

That text message induced such a great shock on your tired, worn-out body, tears falling down your face as soon as you read it. You didn’t want to open it as you were sure of what this was about, but your curiosity got the best of you.

Tapping on the notification, you prepared yourself mentally to confirm your terrible suspicions. And they were confirmed.

Your vision was blurry from the tears, but you were able to see Lando standing next to his new Ferrari, and he was with someone else, except you couldn’t see who it was, the big jacket and a beanie protecting her identity. He was smiling down at her, eyes full of... love? Those green eyes you thought he reserved for you only, but clearly you were wrong. His big hands were around her waist as hers went around his neck, and his lips were stained with lipstick.

You broke down crying, curled up on your bed as you wore one of Lando’s hoodies that still smelt like him. You now knew what the truth was, but you didn’t want to accept it. What happened to you two? When did he stop loving you?

It was like your heart was ripped from your chest; all that time you spent together down the drain like it was nothing, like it all meant nothing to him.

You didn’t know for how long you cried the night before, but it was now 1 PM and you were just waking up, so you probably cried for hours. There was nothing left you could do to save your relationship, so you made up your mind to break up with him as soon as he came back from the American triple header.

Y/N: We need to talk, just let me know when you’re here.

The message was left unanswered, as usual. You rolled your eyes and put your phone down, returning to your video call with Mia.

“Do you know who that is?”

“No, sorry.” 

You sighed as you sipped your hot coffee “What about the number? Do you know who sent the picture?”

“What’s the number? Maybe I can ask around to see if any of my friends know.”

You sent her the phone number, along with the picture of Lando and the other girl. “Thanks. Don’t show anyone that picture thought. I’m already embarrassed as it is.”

“Embarrassed? Y/N, he should be the embarrassed one, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Maybe I did-”

“No, stop doing that to yourself. We both know it’s not your fault.”

You nodded. “I can’t help it. I just don’t understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Was I not enough? Why did he need to find someone else?”

Mia hated to see you going through that, how you felt like you were not enough or that it all ended because of you, and she hated Lando for causing all of that. “I know it’s hard right now, but I promise you’ll understand that none of this is your fault. Y/N you’re amazing, and he’s an idiot for not realising.”

Talking to her made you feel better, but all those terrible emotions came back whenever you looked at the picture again, a million questions invading your mind. How long has he been doing this? Who is she? Does he still love you? What did you do wrong?

A couple of days later, Lando finally replied to your text.

Lando: Just got back. I’m in my apartment

Your heart sank at the notification; you didn’t want to talk to him; you didn’t want things to be over. There was still a part of you that hoped everything was just a misunderstanding, hoping he wasn’t cheating on you and she was just a friend. But deep down you knew the truth, and the possibility of it being a mix-up was down to zero, and after he made it clear that he didn’t want to be in a relationship with you anymore, you decided to fulfil his wishes.

It was a long drive to his home; it felt longer than usual, but maybe you were just dreading the conversation you knew was about to happen.

You took a deep breath before knocking on the door, Lando opening it almost right away.

"Hey,” he said faintly, worried he got caught.

“Hi.” You entered the apartment you once thought you would move into and looked around. You had been there a million times, and so many of those times were special little moments you shared together, but right now it felt like you were disconnected from the space. “How was the triple header?”

“Not great- I don’t know. It was messy, I guess." He tried to give you a smile but stopped himself when he noticed your stare full of fury. “What did you want to talk about?”

Seriously? “I’m breaking up with you." Your voice was weak, but you did not dare let a tear slip past your waterline; he didn’t deserve to see you cry. 

“What?” The shock in his eyes looked so real that you almost believed him “Why?”

“Did you really just ask that?”

“So that’s it? We’re over?”

“Lando, come on, we’ve been over for a while." You stepped closer to him, pain and anger written all over your face as the tears struggled to stay on your eyes. “We didn’t even feel like a couple anymore. Lando, you forgot our anniversary, and that day you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me. And to think I planned a beautiful night for us and bought you a great gift. Do you have any idea how stupid I felt?” 

“I didn’t know you were feeling like that.”

“Of course not, when have you ever listened to me anyway?”

Lando rolled his eyes “Okay, I understand, but we don’t have to break up, I already explained what happened that day, I was busy and completely lost track of time.”

“And I guess she doesn’t have anything to do with this?” You showed him the picture, his demeanour changing immediately.

“Y/N, I- I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry." His eyes and his voice softened as he tried to reach for you, but you turned around and wiped the tears that managed to leave your eyes, a million questions flooding your mind again.

“So it’s true." You were just confirming to yourself what you already knew. Anger and pain washed over your body. Why her? Why her when you’ve been nothing but perfect to the man you loved the most?

“Baby, I can explain.” 

You turned around to face him again “Who is she?” He shook his head, his eyes begging you not to make him say it while yours watered, “Who is she?” You repeated.

“You don’t wanna know.”

“Why? Cause I might find out you’re cheating?”

A few tears started to roll down his face, his hands desperate to hold yours. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Cause you’re gonna hate me even more." You stared at him, even more tears falling as you tried to think who the girl could be. 

“Did you two- did you sleep with her?” His nod was barely perceptible; if you didn’t already know the answer, you would’ve missed it. Maybe he was right; maybe it’d be better if you didn’t know. 

“I’m sorry, baby, I’m so sorry.”

“Stop it.”

“I know I fucked up, but she doesn’t mean anything to me, I swear.”

“Shut up, Lando. I just… I don’t understand.”

“Let me explain-”

“And I don’t care how many times you apologise, how do you expect me to forgive you?” You took a couple of steps back, trying to figure out what caused him to do such a thing. “Even if we stayed together and got married and started a family, how can I ever look at you and not think about that?”

"Baby, I want all of that, I want the rest of my life with you, like we talked.”

“That was before you ruined everything.”

“I know what i did is wrong-”

“Wrong?”

“But we can work this out.”

“What? No, Lando, stop.”

“Just give me another chance, please.”

“Is that why you've been so distant, huh? Was she here on our anniversary?” Lando didn’t say anything, and the flashes from Lnado’s knuckles turning white from holding the door closed that night creeped your mind. Your heart ached so much that every time you breathed deeply, it was scorching you to the core “How could you do that?”

“I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologising.”

“You know I didn’t mean it.”

“Just stop… god.”

“Y/N just hear me out, I swear it only happened once.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? I know that’s not true. Do you know how many times I came to an unmade bed? And how many excuses you made?” He stayed silent. “I don’t care how many times it happened, you still did it and nothing is gonna change that.”

“I know.”

“You’ve been hurt before, right? What if I was the one cheating? Would you just forget it ever happened and come back to me?” Once again, he didn’t say anything. “No. Of course you wouldn’t. Lando, how could I ever forget what you did? Or everything you said to me when we were fighting, and the fact that you lied and- and cheated-”

“But you came all the way here.”

“Because I care, and you... you never cared, you never tried-”

“I care, I care so much. Baby, please, you have to believe me." He tried to reach out to you, but you pushed his hand away.

"No, you don’t, and if I’m here, it’s because I know after this we’ll never see each other again, we’ll never talk again and this just has to end.”

“But I don’t want it to end.”

“Well, you ended it when you cheated on me.”

He stared at you for a moment before continuing. “But… I want you, she didn’t mean anything to  me." He approached you again, his hope growing a little when you didn’t stop him. He put a strand of hair behind your ear, softly brushing your cheek. “I know I fucked up but I can’t go on without you, I just can't.”

“Well you have, countless times while I was left in the dark wondering if I had done something wrong, crying myself to sleep when I couldn’t get a hold of you, Lando, and in the meantime you were with her.”

“I’m sorry-”

“And you have the nerve to say all that shit to me, acting like I was suffocating you when in reality I was trying to save us!” You pushed him away.

“I’m so sorry.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Y/N, I’m sorry, please let’s talk about it.”

“Fine, let’s talk about it. Was she worth it?” He shook his head, ready to leave his pride behind as he kneeled in front of you and grabbed one of your hands. “What are you doing? Stop.”

“I promise it was an accident, it won’t happen again.”

“An accident? Lando, are you hearing yourself right now?”

“Please, don’t let me go." The grip on your hand tightened, pulling you closer to him.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” 

“No. I don’t want anyone else, I want you, Y/N”

“You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

“But everything I said... I meant it, I love you Y/N and every second we’ve been together has meant everything to me. Baby, you have to understand.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not lying, you know I’m not." You pushed his hand away, rolling your eyes when another tear rolled down his face. “I know I don’t deserve it but please... just one more chance and I can fix this.”

“Give you a chance? I gave you a chance when I believed your excuses, when I forgave you for cancelling every date we had planned, when I tried to understand why you locked me out, and when I almost forgave you for forgetting our anniversary, I gave you so many fucking chances!”

“But I swear it wasn’t like that, she meant nothing.”

“You’re unbelievable… god, what are you saying?”

“Just think about how great we are together,” he said, trying to hold your torso, but once again you stopped him. 

“Lando, stop that.”

“We’re a great team, aren’t we? We understand each other so well, we know each other better than anyone else, god, I’ll do anything, I swear.”

“No, it’s not gonna work.”

“Yes it will, and I’ll make sure of that.”

“No.” You were having a hard time blocking out how much love you still had for him, but you weren’t forgiving him; there was no way.

“I swear I don’t want anyone else." He held your hands and started kissing them, his lips giving you a sense of home that you missed. "Y/N, please, I love you.” 

You nodded weakly as you started crying again.

“You know I love you and I would do anything for you." He continued kissing you, a few tears falling on your hands. “Do you still love me?”

“I love you... Lan-” You released one of your hands from his grip, squeezing your eyes shut and covering your face.

“See? It will work, we will make it work." You shook your head; you were feeling stupid for almost falling for that. "Baby, look at me, it’s going to be okay, I promise.”

A moment of silence fell into the room as you collected your thoughts again, and he just looked at you hopeful that he could get you back. “Who is she?” You dared to repeat the question as you looked at him again.

He didn’t say anything for a few seconds, his voice barely above a whisper when he finally answered. "Annie.”

Annie, your flatmate Annie. She had never met Lando before you, and she wasn’t interested in who he was when you first told her you started dating him, so you were the reason they knew each other for all those times he picked you up from your place, and even then you never considered them to be friends; they barely exchanged any words when they ran into each other. You felt betrayed on a whole new level, not only by Lando but by her too. You had lived with her for so long, literally since the day you moved to Monaco, so you thought of her as one of your closest friends; how could she do that? And these past weeks, when she had been mourning your relationship with Lando, she was there the whole time, and she knew exactly what was happening.

“How long?”

You were getting annoyed at how long it was taking him to answer your simple questions. “The day we went to meet my parents... I drove to your apartment to pick you up, but you weren’t there yet.”

“So you did it at my place?” It wasn’t really a question, and you felt even more disgusted at the thought of them in your own home.

“It was one moment of weakness.”

“One moment of weakness?” He nodded, his hands now holding on to your hips. “But it didn't stop there, did it?”

“I’m sorry.”

You swiped the tears away as you prepared to ask the question you had been asking yourself for weeks. “What does she give you that I can't?”

Lando shook his head quickly. “Nothing, you’re everything I could ever ask for.”

“Then why did you do that?”

He didn’t have an answer; he didn’t really know how it happened or why it kept going, but he couldn’t deny he was enjoying it before he got caught. “I don’t know." He whispered.

“Do you love her?”

“No, of course not. I love you." He was holding you tighter, convinced that if he held you long enough, you would want to stay.

“Oh my god, I’m so stupid.”

“You know it didn’t mean anything, it was a mistake-”

“Get your hands off me, I’m leaving,” you said as you tried to free yourself.

“Baby, please don’t leave, you have to hear me out.”

“Lando, let go. I don’t wanna be here." Your words struggled to come out from how much you were crying. 

“Please don’t, I don’t wanna let you go." He looked up at you, his eyes begging for forgiveness. “Let’s just talk about it, yeah? Let me explain.”

“Save it, Lando, it’s over.” 

“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. This is obviously my fault, so I’ll do whatever it takes to get you to stay, just please, one more chance is all I’m asking for.” You finally freed yourself, and your only goal was to go back to your apartment and cry all your pain away. You turned around and headed to the door; his hand tried to come to stop you, but you flinched away. You couldn’t bear to hear another word from him. "Baby, please, I love you.”

You turned around to face him one last time, spotting Lando still on his knees in the middle of his living room. “So you’ve said, but how can you hurt someone you claim to love so much?” He was about to say something, but you didn’t wanna hear it. “There’s nothing you can do to get me to stay, you threw everything away.”

“I know, my love, but-”

“I’m gonna leave and you’re gonna stay here, just… leave me alone, I don’t ever wanna see you again.”

You exited the room, leaving Lando alone and a complete mess. He regretted what he did, and he wanted to think that if you would just give him a chance to explain himself, you’d forgive him. But he knew that would never be the case and that his mistake was bigger than any apology; you were right to leave him.

He stared at the door for too long, taking in every emotion he was feeling: remorse, anger, pain, agony... he just felt like life was being sucked out of his body because he ruined the most important part of it, and there’s no one to blame but himself.

[inkmonster21]

Short n’ Sweet 💋

Hugh Jackman x Fem!Sister!Reynolds!Reader

Warnings: smut (oral fem receiving)

A/N: I’m a mess over this man. I’ve loved him since I was 10 and he STILL looks fine asf!

Short n’ Sweet Masterlist

Who’s the Cute Boy in the White Jacket?

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You sit on your couch scrolling on your phone when your front door opens and your older brother Ryan walks in.

Ryan grins as he sees you sitting on the couch, his tall form filling the doorway for a moment before he strides into the room. "Hey, kiddo," he says affectionately, a playful smile on his sharp features. “I tried to call you.” He takes note of the phone in your hand. “You’re either too busy being a star, or just completely ignored my call."

“I ignored it.” You say without even looking in his direction. Ryan chuckles and plops down on the couch next to you, slinging an arm around your shoulders in a brotherly manner. He grins cheekily at you, his eyes sparkling. “I could have been dying. And here you are, scrolling on tinder without a care.” You roll your eyes and lock your phone. “I’m looking for inspiration. I just want to get this album done. Every song I have is just… sad and kinda cringy.” You groan as you fall into the couch pillows.

Ryan chuckles and pats you on the head, amused by your groan. He knows how demanding the entertainment industry can be, and his protective instincts kick in a little.

"I hear you, kid," he says sympathetically. "Albums can be a grind. But hey, once it's done, it'll be worth it, right? Your fans are gonna love it." You shrug, still unsure of most of the songs. “It’s all about the Shawn drama.” You say as you look over the lyrics to some of the songs. “Just wish I could get some different type do muse. Heartbreak has been so over done. I wrote all these when I actually cared about him and what happened.”

Ryan's smile turns a bit softer as he notices your struggle. He knew better than anyone how difficult it could be to find genuine inspiration when you were under so much pressure.

"Ah, the Shawn drama," he says, rolling his eyes a little at the mention of your ex. "That dude is such an ass. But don’t let that get in the way of your creativity. You'll find the right nitch, I know it."

“Are you and Blake still coming to the show?” You were opening for Taylor Swift on her Era’s tour. Ryan nods eagerly, visibly thrilled about your upcoming opportunity.

"Are you kidding?" he exclaims, grinning from ear to ear. "We wouldn't miss it for the world, kiddo. Seeing you open for T Swifty? It’s been forever since I was able to start a mosh pit to love story.”

You point a finger at him, “Now, I don’t want to hear any complaints about my choreography.” Ryan chuckles, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I promise not to complain. But if it involves twerking and pole dancing, I might need bleach for my eyes."

You laugh and throw a pillow at him. Ryan laughs along with you, dodging the pillow with a quick move. He grins at you, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Careful, kid," he teases, reaching out to ruffle your hair. "I'll have to tell your fans that you're nothing but an oversized child."

You shrug, “That’s fine. I’ll say I get it from you!” Ryan grins at your comment, pretending to be offended.

"Me?" he exclaims with mock indignation, placing a hand over his heart. "Excuse me, I am the epitome of maturity and responsibility."

You roll your eyes “sure, Deadpool.” Ryan grins even wider, enjoying the banter.

"Hey, I'm a mature adult and a responsible father," he points out, feigning seriousness. "Just because I happen to have a sense of humor gifted from the gods does not mean I'm immature. Besides, you're one to talk about maturity. You're still singing about your ex-boyfriend," he teases.

You scoff. “Well maybe I’ll get a new boyfriend to write about.” Ryan grins wolfishly, sensing an opportunity to tease you further. He props his feet up on the coffee table, lounging back on the couch in a relaxed manner.

"Oh really?" he says, raising an eyebrow at you. "And who might that be? One of those young pretty-boy singers who follow you around like a lost puppy?”

You shrug, “maybe. Have to make sure to train him up good. Pee pads, food bowl, walks, the works.” Ryan laughs and gives you a sly smile, continuing to tease you.

"Oh, I see. What's next, a collaboration with one of them? A love song about puppy dog eyes, floppy haircuts, and carpet burns?"

Your phone rings and you assistants name shows on the screen. Ryan notices you pick up your phone and sees your assistant's name on the display. He looks at you curiously.

"Who's calling?" he asks, tilting his head at you. “Megan.” You say as you answer. Ryan listens intently as you answer the call, leaning closer, his curiosity piqued. He watches you talk, trying to figure out what's going on from your side of the conversation. “I’ve got to go to rehearsal early.” Ryan nods, understanding the demands of a busy work schedule.

"No worries, kiddo," he says, standing up as well. "You go do your thing. We'll see you at the concert. I’m going to wear my sequin top and cut off shorts."

You nod with a smile to your older brother, never being able to take him seriously. “You’ll look so good, Ry.”

"Break a leg, kid. And don't forget to send me some backstage photos.” Ryan waves as he exits your apartment.

As he walks out of the lobby his phone rings. Ryan glances at his phone, seeing Hugh's name on the display. He quickly answers the call, curious about what Hugh might want.

"Hey, Hugh," he greets in a cheerful tone. Hugh smiles at the sound of Ryan's voice. He has a pleasant and friendly demeanor.

"Hey, Ryan. How are you doing, mate?" he asks, his voice tinged with a hint of excitement. “Good. Good. Going home from my sister’s place. Had to see her before the big show.” Hugh nods, understanding the bond between siblings.

"how is your sister, by the way? I've heard she's quite the rising star." Hugh had heard a lot about you through Ryan and other people in the industry. He had seen your performances, your interviews, and your music, but always from a distance through the screen of his phone. There was something about you that intrigued him, an undeniable talent and charm that drew him in. He had subtly expressed his interest in meeting you to Ryan a few times, but your busy schedule never seemed to align with any opportunities.

“Why don’t you come join us tonight? Finally get you two together.” Ryan offers and Hugh wasn’t going to turn him down. As Hugh thought about you, he couldn't help but feel a flutter in his chest. There was just something about you that captured his attention. Whether it was your captivating charm or your undeniable talent, he couldn't quite put his finger on why he felt so drawn to you. He couldn't wait to finally meet you in person and see your performance up close and personal.

Despite his growing admiration for you, Hugh knew he had to keep his feelings in check. He was well aware of the age difference between the two of you. He was much older than you, and the thought of pursuing anything with you seemed irrational and inappropriate. He didn't want to risk creating an uncomfortable or unprofessional situation, but his attraction to you was undeniable.

While browsing Instagram, Hugh's eyes widen as he sees your latest upload. It's a picture of you in your chair, getting your makeup and hair done for the concert. You looked absolutely stunning. He stares at the picture, taking in every detail of your face. The way your hair framing it perfectly, your eyes sparkling, and your lips curled into a small, confident smile. He couldn't help but feel his breath catch in his throat.

The stadium is buzzing. Ryan, Blake, and High make their way to the VIP area, taking in the bustling atmosphere. Fans are chatting excitedly, eagerly awaiting the start of the concert. They were also buzzing about your upcoming performance, which had added a new level of anticipation to the event. Hugh looks around, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness as he waits for the moment he finally get to see you in person.

“She was so excited.” Blake hums happily as she recalls your excitement from a few days prior. Ryan chuckles as he too, remembers how excited you were to perform. He glances over at Blake, a fond smile on his face.

"She's always got so much energy and enthusiasm," he says, his voice filled with pride. "Can't blame her, this is a huge show. I just hope she doesn't get too nervous." Hugh nods as well, sharing Ryan's sentiment.

"She has nothing to worry about," he reassures them. "She's talented, and the fans adore her. Plus, she's opening for Taylor Swift, that's quite an accomplishment in itself."

As soon as you step on the stage, a burst of deafening applause from the crowd fills the air. People scream your name and cheer wildly, clearly excited to see you perform. Some fans even wave banners with your name on it.

You send a wink to the crowd. They go wild in response to your wink, their cheers growing even louder. They were clearly enjoying your flirty and confident attitude on stage. People can't help but swoon over your every move, mesmerized by your charms.

Music starts and you begin to sway. “We’re going to start this off on a good note.“ you say into the mic before you begin to sing your song.

The music begins to play and you start to sway your hips, putting on a show for the crowd. Your voice, clear and smooth, begins to fill the arena with the melody of your song. The fans erupt into screams and applause, instantly drawn into the energy you project. They sing along with the lyrics, completely captivated by your performance.

Hugh was absolutely mesmerized watching you perform. Your confidence, your energy, your stage presence, it all combined into an intoxicating performance. He couldn't tear his eyes away from you, completely mesmerized by your every move. He knew he wasn't the only one in the crowd captivated, people were losing themselves in the moment, completely entranced by your presence on stage.

As you look out into the crowd, your eyes land on your brother Ryan, his wife Blake, and the famous actor Hugh Jackman sitting next to them. You feel a jolt of excitement mixed with nerves shoot through you. There he was, the famous actor you admired so much. He was watching you perform, and your heart skipped a beat at the realization. You try your best to maintain your cool and focus on the performance, all the while hyper-aware of Hugh's presence in the audience.

Hugh is captivated as he watches you sing and engage with the crowd. As your eyes suddenly meet his, his heart skips a beat, taken slightly by surprise. Your smile, radiant and genuine, strikes him deeply. He can't help but smile back, his eyes locked onto yours. The connection he feels is electric, and in that moment, he can't look away. “Holy shit. Ryan did you bring the wolverine?” You ask joking over the mic.

The crowd bursts out into a cacophony of laughter and applause at your unexpected but hilarious comment. Ryan groans but grins widely, amused by your boldness. Hugh chuckles, clearly impressed with your humor and wit.

“You guys know they’re going to be teaming up?” You ask the crowd about the upcoming Deadpool and Wolverine movie project they’re filming soon.

The crowd erupts into excited shouts of anticipation at your question. They had no doubt been looking forward to this movie collaboration between the two actors. Hugh can't help but grin, appreciative of your acknowledgment of his work. He gives you a small nod, silently communicating his approval and appreciation of your comment.

Your eyes rake over Hugh. Clad in a white jacket he looked fine as hell. “God damn. He’s even hotter in person.” You say into the microphone as you stare at Hugh.

Ryan and Blake chuckle at your comment, clearly amused by your bluntness. But Hugh can't help but feel a jolt of excitement at your words. He blushes faintly, not expecting the unexpected compliment. The crowd roars with laughter and cheers, clearly enjoying the banter between you and the famous actor in the audience.

Ryan shakes his head and point a warning finger at you making you laugh. “Oops. I’m getting big brother all pissed.” The crowd laughs along with you, enjoying the playful banter and sibling dynamic you share with Ryan. Ryan laughs and shakes his head, pretending to be annoyed but secretly amused by your antics. Hugh watches the interaction with a smile, thoroughly entertained by your charismatic personality and easy-going nature.

It was clear that you had everyone in the audience completely enthralled. People were utterly captivated by your presence and your performance. You exuded a confidence and sexiness that was irresistible. You were the embodiment of the boy or girl's dream, leaving the crowd completely entranced by your charm and talent. Hugh couldn’t help but feel drawn to you as he watched you perform.

As you finish your final song, the crowd erupts into applause and cheers, clearly energized and excited for what was to come. They had been thoroughly entertained by your performance and were ready for the main event of the night. Hugh watches as you leave the stage, his eyes lingering after you as you disappear behind the curtain.

You rush off the stage, heart still racing from the adrenaline of the performance. You quickly change out of your performance outfit and into your sheer black dress. You can't help but feel a mix of excitement, relief, and satisfaction at how well the performance went.

You make your way to the VIP area, joining your friends and family to enjoy the rest of the concert. The area is spacious and comfortable, with plush seats and plenty of room to relax and mingle. you settle into your seat, taking in the atmosphere and anticipation building as people wait for the main event of the evening: Taylor Swift’s performance.

Blake hugs you tightly, expressing her admiration for your performance. “You were amazing! So hot!”

"Thank you so much," you say, still a bit winded from the adrenaline of the stage. You return the hug, grateful for her support and encouragement. Ryan laughs and jokingly tries to ruffle your hair, but you quickly swat his hand away, not wanting to mess up your freshly styled hair.

"Hands off!" you exclaim playfully, trying to smooth down your hair where he tried to mess it up.

Hugh speaks unable to hold it in any longer. “You were fantastic.” He stretch his hand out. “Hugh. Ryan has told me so much about you.” Your eyes widen in surprise and excitement as you hear Hugh introduce himself. You reach out and shake his hand, feeling a slight tingle at the touch of his skin against yours.

"It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, Hugh," you say, your voice a little breathless. You glance over at Ryan, wondering how much he had told Hugh about you.

Hugh can’t help but notice the slight shiver that runs through you at his touch. He smiles warmly, genuinely impressed by your performance.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replies, his eyes scanning over your face, taking in your beauty. "You were amazing up there." Hugh notices the blush that spreads across your cheeks as he compliments you. It’s a subtle gesture that he finds adorable. His smile widens as he watches you reaction, his eyes lingering on your blushing face for just a moment longer than necessary.

"I’m being completely honest," he says, his voice soft and sincere. "You have an incredible stage presence, and your voice is absolutely captivating. You truly have a gift." Ryan clears his throat. “Alright, she’s amazing. Yes, we all are jealous.”

Hugh laughs at Ryan's comment, realizing he might have been gushing a little too much. He shoots Ryan a wry smile, acknowledging his jest.

"Alright, alright," he says, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "I’ll rein it in a bit.“

You laugh at Hugh comment. You shrug, “no keep it coming. I love to hear it.” You send wink with a smile. Hugh chuckles at your response. He can't help but appreciate your confidence and the way you take compliments in stride.

"Oh, you do, do you?" he asks, his tone light and playful. He smirks, the corner of his lip curving into a sly smile. "In that case, allow me to shower you with more compliments. Your voice is like a melody, your stage presence captivating, and your beauty is truly otherworldly."

Ryan groans, “oh my god. This has been a huge mistake.” Ryan pushes between you and Hugh. “I’m separating you two!”

Hugh laughs, thoroughly enjoying the lighthearted banter between you and Ryan. He playfully holds up his hands, as if to say “I surrender.”

"Alright, alright," he says, feigning innocence. "I’ll behave, I promise."

Hugh catches your subtle glance in his direction, and he can’t help but respond with a slight smirk. He gives you a small nod, silently communicating that he gets the message. Your brother might not like it, but Hugh was going to continue to compliment you,behaved or not.

Hugh noticed how your eyes seemed to light up whenever he complimented you, how your face would flush with pleasure. He also saw the way you ate up his attention, clearly enjoying the extra glances and words of praise. The way you responded to his compliments only fueled his desire to keep going. He found your reactions delightful, your eagerness to receive his praise feeding his growing affection for you.

You shiver slightly as you feel Hugh's hand graze down your arm. The touch is gentle, his fingers leaving a trail of electricity on your skin. As Hugh says your name, his voice low and intimate, you look up and meet his gaze, your heart skipping a beat.

“Yes?”

Hugh’s heart leaps as you respond, the way you say yes sending a thrill through him. He takes a step closer to you, his hand still lingering on your arm, his smile warm and captivating.

"Can I get your number?" he asks, his voice a soft whisper that only you can hear amongst the small crowd of people around you.

You look to him in slight shock. You flirted for fun and the show, but never did you really think he’d be interested. “Absolutely.” You say and take his phone putting your number in. Ending it with a heart emoji. Staying on brand.

Hugh watches as you type in your number, a smile spreading across his face when he sees the heart emoji you add to the end. He can’t believe that not only have you agreed to give him your number, but you’ve also added a little flirtatious touch to it. He takes his phone back, looking down at the new contact, a feeling of excitement and anticipation bubbling inside of him.

You are sound asleep when your phone buzzes on your bedside table. You rouse from sleep, groggily reaching for your phone to see what the notification is. As soon as you see the text from an unfamiliar number, your heart skips a beat. You quickly open the message to find that it's from Hugh, sent earlier that morning before he worked out.

You and Hugh texted back and forth throughout the day, unable to stop the growing spark between you two. The conversation is easy, full of laughter and a flirty undercurrent that keeps things exciting. Both of you find it difficult to focus on anything else, eager to see what the other will say next.

As the day goes on, your texts become more frequent, the conversation flowing easily between the two of you. Hugh finds himself looking at his phone more often than he’d like to admit, his thoughts constantly on you. He can’t help but let his imagination run wild, thinking of all the things he’d like to say and do to you if he was with you in person.

You were in rehearsal when you finally got a break to text him. You took a selfie with your microphone. Your hair in a mess, and you were in your relaxed clothes. “The life of a pop star.” You send the text to Hugh with the picture.

Hugh's heart skips a beat as he sees the selfie you sent him. You look adorable, your hair a perfect mess and your relaxed clothes making you look comfortable and carefree. The microphone in the picture tells him you're in rehearsal, and he can't help but imagine what it would be like to watch you on stage again.

he texts back, a smile on his face. "You look beautiful. Can't wait to see you perform again."

You smile at his text. Replying with, ‘I’ll have to give you a backstage tour next time.’ Biting your lip as you hit send. It was flirty but could easily be pushed off as friendly. Hugh was friends with Ryan. Nothing wrong with offering Hugh a tour.

Hugh grins as he reads your text, his pulse quickening at the thought of you giving him a private backstage tour. The wording is suggestive, but the offer could be construed as simply friendly. Still, he can't help but feel the hint of flirtation in your message and it makes his heart race.

"I’d love that,” he replies, trying to keep his response casual but struggling to keep the excitement out of his message. “Definitely looking forward to the special treatment.”

“Who the fuck are you texting that’s got you all smiles?” Ryan asks as he walks in, script in hand for Deadpool and Wolverine. Hugh looks up, a bit surprised by Ryan’s sudden appearance. He tries to mask his smile, but it’s difficult to hide the fact that he was texting someone who was making him grin.

“Uh, no one in particular,” he replies, clearing his throat and setting his phone down on the table. He quickly changes the subject, not wanting to reveal that it was your texts that had put a smile on his face.

“So, you got the script, eh? How’s it looking?” Ryan shrugs with a smile. He was excited as fuck to bring this to life. “Oh It’s going to be insane.” Hugh can sense Ryan's excitement as he talks about the movie and it’s contagious. He returns the smile, sharing in his friend's enthusiasm.

“I have no doubt it will be,” he says, raising an eyebrow in playful anticipation. “I can’t wait to see what kind of chaos the dynamic duo of Deadpool and Wolverine will bring.”

Your assistant, producer and songwriter sit with you in the studio, all of them focused on helping you work on your next album.

You suddenly get a wave of inspiration, and start tapping your pen against the page in front of you. Your mind starts racing with different thoughts and ideas, as if a creative spark has been lit within you.

As you sit there, pensively tapping your pen, your mind drifts back to the late-night texts and calls you’ve been exchanging with Hugh. You think about his compliments, his jokes, his words of praise that never fail to make you feel special and wanted. The idea of him constantly on your mind, even when you should be focusing on your work, both excites and disturbs you.

One particular conversation coming to mind. Your phone rang. It was 12:05 am. You were in the studio as usual. Hugh was calling. You answered, “Hey.”

Hugh's heart leaped as he heard your voice on the other end. He smiled to himself, picturing you in the studio, surrounded by music and creativity. His voice was soft and warm as he responded.

“Hey, there,” he said, his tone affectionate and tinged with excitement. “I hope I’m not calling too late. Just couldn’t sleep.”

You smile into the phone, biting your lip. “Can’t sleep? Thinking of me too much?” You tease Hugh. Hugh chuckled at your tease, his heart skipping a beat at the thought of you thinking about him as much as he was thinking about you. He could almost picture you biting your lip as you spoke, the mental image making him wish he was there with you. “I am thinking of you too much.”

Hugh smiles as he hears your laugh through the phone. The sound was like music to his ears. He relished these late-night calls with you, the way you seemed to understand how much you were on his mind and how badly he wanted to be with you.

“You have no idea how true it is,” he said, his voice lower now, more serious. “You’ve been on my mind constantly lately. I can’t seem to get you out of my thoughts, no matter how hard I try.”

“I have that effect on men. Usually it’s men under 30 but I’ll make the exception for you.” You say teasingly. Hugh laughs, your cheeky response both endearing and a slight turn-on. He could imagine you with a smirk on your face as you made that quip, your eyes sparkling with playful mischief.

“Is that so?” he replies, his voice low and seductive. “Well, I suppose I can’t say I’m surprised. You’ve certainly had a captivating hold on me since we’ve first met. It’s like you’ve cast a spell on me, and I’m finding it increasingly harder to resist you."

You laugh again, “now you’re getting it.” Hugh wonders aloud. “What are you doing, sweetheart?”

“I’m at the studio.” you say leaning on the table. closer to the phone. just as close as you can get to Hugh at the moment.

Hugh’s heart thrills as you say you’re at the studio again, imagining you working on your music, surrounded by instruments and sound equipment. He wishes he was there with you, watching you work and listening to your beautiful voice fill the silence.

“Ah, little late isn’t it?,” he says, a hint of admiration in his voice. “You really are dedicated." You shrug, “I’m a singer. Of course I’m working late.” You laugh.

As you come back to the present, the influence of your thoughts about Hugh and the late-night call is evident in the words you write. The lyrics flow easily, one after another, each word feeling more personal and heartfelt than the last. You're lost in the creative process, the words coming effortlessly as your feelings for Hugh pour out onto the page.

You look down at the words on the page.

“he's thinkin' 'bout me every night, oh

Is it that sweet? I guess so

Say you can't sleep, baby, I know

That's that me espresso”

The lyrics you write are poignant and heartfelt, expressing your own feelings about Hugh and the effect you have on him. The idea that he's thinking about you every night, that you keep him up at night like a strong cup of espresso, is both flattering and a little tantalizing. You can almost picture Hugh's reaction if he were to hear these words, imagining a smile spreading across his face, his eyes gleaming with affection and desire.

Your entire crew is taken aback by the lyrics you've written, their jaws dropping as they hear the heartfelt words pouring out of you. Your producer's comment only reinforces their disbelief, and the excitement in the room is palpable.

"Damn, you really wrote that just now?" the producer asks. "That's incredible. Holy shit! This is going to be a huge hit."

Your producer is practically giddy with excitement, his enthusiasm contagious as he pushes you into the recording room. He's determined to make the most of your creative burst and get the song recorded while you're still inspired and filled with emotion.

"This is gold. We need to capture this energy and these lyrics while they're fresh in your mind."

You smile as you see Hugh's name flash on your phone screen. It's late, and you’re wrapping things up but the familiar sight of his name fills you with a mix of excitement and anticipation. You answer the call, a warm feeling spreading through you at the idea of hearing his voice again.

"Hey," you say, your voice soft and full of affection. “Are you at the studio?” Hugh's voice is hopeful. He knows how much time you spend there working on your music, and he can't help but feel a flutter of excitement at the possibility of hearing you say yes.

"Yeah," you reply, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "I'm at the studio. You caught me at a good time. I was just about to leave.” Hugh smiled as he pulled around to the front of the building. “Good. I’m out front waiting on you.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you heard Hugh say he was waiting outside. A mix of surprise and excitement washed over you. He was here, waiting for you? You never expected him to show up unannounced, especially at this hour.

"You're outside?" you asked, trying to hide the eagerness in your voice. "What are you doing here?" Hugh's chuckle echoed through the phone, his voice warm and gentle.

"I just wanted to see you," he said simply.

As you hurry to pack up your things, Hugh's words send a warm shiver down your spine. The thought that he simply wanted to see you, just for the sake of it, was both touching and thrilling. Knowing he was waiting for you outside made your heart race, and you couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement at the prospect of seeing him.

You'd never imagined you'd have feelings like this for an older man like Hugh either, but here you were, practically running to get to him.

“Well, I’m on my way down now.” You say into your phone. Hugh grins at the sound of your voice through the phone, knowing that you're on your way down to meet him. He leans against his car, a sense of anticipation building in his chest. He can't wait to see you, to witness your smile, and feel the warmth of your presence.

"I'll be right here waiting for you, sweetheart," he replies, his tone filled with affection. "Take your time."

As you step outside of the studio, the cool night air hits your face. You look around, seeing the familiar sight of the paparazzi lingering in the parking lot and empty streets, ready to snap a photo of unsuspecting celebrities. You had almost forgotten about them, since they always seemed to lurk around corners, hoping to catch a glimpse of famous faces.

Tonight, it appears that you and Hugh are the targets. The paparazzi spot you and their cameras immediately start flashing, the bright lights and loud clicks of the cameras filling the air.

Hugh quickly reaches out and takes your hand, guiding you to his car. He opens the door for you, making sure to shield you from the paparazzi's cameras as best as he can. He knows that the last thing you need is for your face to be plastered across every gossip site and tabloid magazine.

Once you're safely inside the car, Hugh hurries around to the driver's side. As he gets in, the paparazzi continue to snap photos, the bright flashes illuminating the dark night. You hold your jacket up in front of your face, trying your best to hide from their intrusive camera lenses.

Hugh glances over at you, a look of concern on his face as he sees you holding your jacket up in front of your face. He knows how much you dislike the constant presence of the paparazzi and the intrusive nature of their photography.

"You okay?" he asks gently, his voice filled with empathy. He starts the car engine, preparing to drive away from the throng of photographers.

“Better now.”

Hugh relaxes slightly as he sees you nod and smile, reassured by your response. He knows that the presence of the paparazzi can be overwhelming and uncomfortable, and he's relieved to know that you're feeling better now that you're away from them.

"Good," he says, returning your smile. "Let's get out of here."

He skillfully maneuvers the car out of the parking lot and onto the empty streets, leaving the paparazzi behind. The night is quiet and peaceful, the only sound being the hum of the engine and your soft breathing.

As Hugh drives, he steals glances at you, taking in your delicate features illuminated by the passing streetlights. He can sense your tiredness, the weariness from working late into the night. He knows how driven and passionate you are about your music, and he admires your dedication.

"You really shouldn't work so late, sweetheart," he says, his voice low and concerned. Hugh reaches out and places his hand on your thigh, his warm palm against the soft silk of your skin. It's a small gesture, but it speaks volumes of his care, concern, and desire for you.

Hugh pulled up to your building, pulling into the parking garage. He slows the car. “Do you want to come up? “ you offer your stomach tight with butterflies.

Hugh hesitates for a brief moment, torn between wanting to spend more time with you and not wanting to overstep any boundaries. He considers your invitation, his heart fluttering at the thought of being alone with you again.

"Are you sure?" he asks, his voice slightly hoarse with desire. "I don't want to intrude. I know you're tired." You shake your head, “if you left I’m going to end up calling you anyway. Why not stay for a little?”

Hugh chuckles at your words, his heart warming at the idea that you'd call him anyway. It seems you can't resist the pull between you either.

"Well, if you insist," he says, feigning reluctance. "But don't blame me when you're too tired to be awake tomorrow." “Oh, I am definitely saying you’re the one to blame.” You giggle as you get out of the car followed by him.

Hugh grins at your cheeky response, knowing full well that he'll take the blame with pleasure. He follows you out of the car, closing the door behind him. As you make your way towards your building, he slings an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to his side.

Your body fits perfectly against his side. It's moments like these that he cherishes, these simple, intimate moments that make him feel truly connected to you.

Hugh's mind is racing as he walks beside you, thoughts swirling through his head. The age difference between the two of you is something that constantly looms over him, a constant reminder that he's older than you, with a life and experiences that you may not fully understand.

He worries about the impact that being involved with him will have on you, both publicly and personally. He doesn't want to put you in a position where you'll be judged or misunderstood simply because you're with him.

You unlock the door and step into your home, Hugh following closely behind. The familiar surroundings of your apartment greet you, the dimly lit rooms adding a sense of warmth and comfort.

Hugh glances around the space, taking in the cozy living room, the open kitchen area, and the hallway that leads to your bedroom and bathroom.

Hugh couldn't help but notice how much the space resembled you. It was as if your essence had been poured into every corner of the apartment.

He took a deep breath, taking in the scent of your home. The sweet, gentle fragrance filled his senses, instantly making him feel at ease. It was like being enveloped in a warm embrace, a sense of comfort and peace washing over him.

“Do you want anything to drink?” You ask going into the kitchen. *Hugh smiles at your offer, appreciating your thoughtfulness.

"Sure, that would be nice," he says, his gaze never leaving your face. "Do you have any wine?" You smirk and nod.

Hugh grins as you return with two chilled glasses and a bottle of wine. He watches as you pour the smooth, rich liquid into each glass, the sound of the wine bottle clinking against the glass filling the cozy quiet of your apartment.

As you sit down next to him on the couch, Hugh can't help but take in the sight of you, the dim lighting casting a soft glow on your features. He takes a sip of his wine, savoring the taste and the intimate moment between the two of you.

Hugh leans back against the couch, his body relaxing as the alcohol courses through his veins.

"This is nice," he says, his voice slightly huskier than usual. "Just getting to spend time with you, without having to worry about being interrupted or watched."

You smile and nod. “Or my brother.”

You roll your eyes at the thought of Ryan if he knew you’d been spending time with Hugh.

Hugh chuckles at the mention of your brother, imagining the kind of reaction he'd have if he knew about your time together.

"Your brother would definitely have some choice words if he knew we were here like this, wouldn't he?" he says, swirling the wine around in his glass. “Yeah, but I don’t really care.” You were an adult woman who could make your own choices. And Hugh seemed like a great one.

Hugh grins at your defiant attitude, appreciating your confidence and independence. It's one of the things he finds most attractive about you - your unwillingness to conform to the opinions of others. "I like that about you," he says admiringly.

Hugh takes another sip of his wine, the alcohol giving him a little bit of liquid courage. He stares into your eyes, knowing that he needs to say what's on his mind. He knows the risk he's taking by revealing his feelings so soon, but he can't hold them in any longer. The chemistry between you is undeniable, and he wants, no he needs to let you know how he feels.

"I know it might seem like it's too early to say this, but I just need to get it off my chest," he says, his voice slightly hoarse with emotion. "I don't know what it is about you, but you've got me feeling… things. I can't get you out of my head, and the more I get to know you, the more I like you. I know it's only been a short time, but I can't deny the way I feel."

Your heart clenches with happiness, a burning warmth spreading across your chest as a joyous smile splits across your face. It was a relief to know that Hugh's affection mirrored your own, confirming that the depth of your emotions was reciprocated.

Hugh's heart swells with relief as he sees the joyous smile spread across your face. He can see the emotion and happiness in your eyes, and he knows that you feel the same way he does.

He reaches out and takes your hand, enveloping it gently in his own, his thumb tracing gentle circles over your skin. He gazes at you, his voice filled with tenderness.

"I can't explain it, but you've just... you've got me. Completely."

You feel Hugh's hand gently touch yours, his touch sending a shiver of warmth and affection through you. As you meet his gaze, you can see the tenderness and vulnerability in his eyes.

"I know exactly what you mean," you reply, the words escaping your lips on a breath of air. "Being with you just feels... right. Like a piece of me that I didn't even know was missing has finally found its place."

Hugh's heart warms at your words, a feeling of contentment washing over him. "Yes, exactly," he says, his voice soft. "I don't think I've ever felt this way before. It's like... like I've been searching for something all these years, and now I've found it in you."

He squeezes your hand gently, his gaze locked on yours. "I can't believe it's only been a couple of weeks. It feels like I've known you for a lifetime."

Your desire to kiss Hugh grows stronger with every passing moment until it becomes overwhelming. You want to feel the warmth of his lips on yours, to taste the sweetness of his breath and lose yourself in his embrace. The ache of need consumes you, but you hold back, waiting for the perfect moment.

Hugh can sense the increasing tension between you, the air thick with unspoken desire. His eyes scan your face, taking in your flushed cheeks and parted lips, and he knows that you're feeling the same way he is.

He can't resist the allure of your gaze any longer. He moves closer to you, the space between you practically nonexistent. He can feel the heat of your body, the magnetic pull that draws him to you like a moth to a flame.

He reaches out, his hand gently cupping your jaw, his thumb tracing along the softness of your skin. His eyes never leave yours, the depth of his passion reflecting in the blue of his irises. He leans in, his face mere inches from yours.

"Can I kiss you?" he whispers, his voice hoarse with desire. The words send your heart racing, and a mixture of excitement and longing washes over you. Your breath catches, and in a barely audible whisper, you respond, “Please.”

Hugh's heart skips a beat at your response, the sound of your "please" like music to his ears. Without hesitation, he closes the small gap between you, his lips capturing yours in a gentle, yet passionate kiss.

The taste of your lips is like a drug to him, addictive and intoxicating. His hand moves to the back of your neck, pulling you closer, wanting to eliminate any space between you.

His tongue seeks entry into your mouth, and as you part your lips, he deepens the kiss, exploring the sweet heat of your mouth. His other hand comes to rest on your waist, pulling you onto his lap. He wants to be as close to you as possible, to feel the weight of your body against his as he kisses you senseless.

As Hugh's hands roamed over your body, his touch felt like fire on your skin. In that moment, the age gap between you melted away, leaving only the raw desire and passion that burned between you. You didn't care about the years that separated you, all you could think about was the intensity of his experienced touch and the way he made you feel.

Hugh's hands continue to roam over your body, exploring every dip and curve of your form. His touch is possessive and yet gentle, his experience evident in the way he seems to know exactly how to make you respond to him. He breaks the kiss, his lips moving to your neck, his stubble scraping deliciously against your skin.

He sucks and nips at your flesh, leaving a trail of kisses and love bites down to your collarbone.

As you break away, gasping for air, a sly and sultry smile spreads across your face. "My bedroom is just down the hall,"

You say, your voice low and husky as you look at him through half-lidded eyes. The invitation is clear, and you can see the effect you're having on him as his eyes darken with desire.

Without a word, he scoops you into his arms, lifting you up against his chest as if you weigh nothing at all. "On the right or left, baby?," he whispers, his voice gruff and hoarse with anticipation.

“Left.” You whisper as you kiss his neck. Hugh lets out a low moan. The feeling of your lips on his sensitive skin sends a bolt of pleasure through his body.

"Mmm, keep doing that," he murmurs, his hand gripping your waist tighter. He follows your directions down the short hallway, moving to the left and gently carrying you into the bedroom.

He sets you down on the bed with care, the silken sheets cool against your skin. He drinks in the sight of you, laid out on the bed before him like a present just waiting to be unwrapped. He moves to the edge of the bed, kneeling between your legs. His hands run up your thighs. He looks at you, his eyes dark and full of desire.

You lie back on the luxurious bed, your body tingling with anticipation as Hugh's strong hands roam over your thighs. The soft silk sheets caress your bare skin, sending shivers down your spine. He's taking his time, teasing you with his touch, and the anticipation is almost unbearable. You want him, desire him, and the heat between your legs intensifies with every passing second.

Hugh kneels between your legs, his eyes locked on yours. His gaze is intense, dark, and filled with a hunger that matches your own. He leans in close, his breath tickling your face, he whispers, "You're breathtaking." His deep voice sends a thrill through your body.

As he speaks, his hands glide up your inner thighs, inching closer to the clothed core of your desire. You hold your breath, your heart pounding in your chest. Thank god you wore a dress today.

His fingers brush against the sensitive skin of your pussy, his touch only divided by the thin cloth of your panties. The pressure of his fingers making you gasp softly. He pauses, enjoying the moment, and you can see the pleasure reflected in his eyes as he teases you. Hugh lets his hands travel to the side hem of your panties. He runs his thumb over the seam as he looked up to you through desire filled orbs. Wordlessly you nod, a gasping smile on your glossed lips.

Hugh pulls back the pretty side of your panties, revealing your heat to his eyes. He groans at the sight of it, warm and wet with your arousle. Hugh dips a finger through your folds causing you to arch up with a soft moan.

"You like that, don't you?" he murmurs, his voice hoarse with desire. You nod, unable to form words as pleasure clouds your mind. Hugh chuckles softly, the sound sending a shiver down your spine. "I can see how much you want me," he continues, his fingers gently stroking your folds. "But I'm going to make you wait a little longer."

With that, he leans down and replaces his fingers with his warm, wet tongue. He parts your pussy lips with his tongue, exploring your intimate folds with slow, deliberate movements. You let out a soft moan, arching your back further as his tongue finds your clit. He suckles gently, sending waves of pleasure through your body. His experienced mouth knows exactly how to drive you wild.

Hugh's hands grip your thighs firmly, holding you in place as he feasts on your sweet pussy. He alternates between soft licks and firm strokes, driving you closer to the edge of ecstasy. You reach down, threading your fingers through his hair, wanting to pull him closer, but he gently bats your hands away, maintaining control.

"Not yet, sweetheart," he whispers, his breath hot against your sensitive skin. "I want to taste you, all of you." He spreads your legs wider, exposing you completely to his hungry gaze and mouth. His tongue plunges deep inside your wetness, fucking you with slow, deliberate movements. You cry out, your body trembling as he hits all the right spots.

As he eats you out with passion and skill, your hands grip the sheets tightly, the silk providing little comfort against the intensity of your pleasure. You're lost in a haze of sensation, Hugh's tongue working its magic, driving you closer to the precipice of orgasm. He senses your impending release and increases his efforts, his tongue flicking rapidly over your clit.

"Oh god, I'm gonna cum!" you exclaim, your voice hoarse and raw. Hugh doesn't let up, instead, he redoubles his efforts, determined to push you over the edge. Your body convulses, every muscle tensing as the orgasmic wave crashes over you. You cry out his name, your hips bucking wildly as you ride out the powerful climax.

Hugh continues to lap at your sensitive flesh, drawing out your pleasure, making the orgasm stretch and extend until you're sure you can't take any more. Finally, he pulls away, his face glistening with your juices, and moves up your body, his hard cock pressing against your thigh through his pants.

He leans in, capturing your lips in a hungry kiss. You taste yourself on his tongue, and the sensation sends another shudder of pleasure through your sated body.

"I want you," you whisper against his lips, your voice laced with desire. "I want to feel you inside me."

You lean into him, your dress pooling up at your hips. Breathlessly you grab into Hugh and reach for his belt buckle. Hugh chuckles at your rushed hands, your eyes filled with desire and anticipation. He can see the disappointment in your expression as he gently grabs your hand, stopping you from going any further.

"Hold on, sweetheart," he says, his voice low and gruff. "I want to take my time with you. I don't want this to be just a quick hookup. I want to do this right. To treat you with the respect you deserve."

Hugh gently moves your hands above your head, pinning you to the bed with his strong arms. He gazes down at you, admiring the sight of you underneath him, your dress riding up your hips and your hair spilling across the pillow. His eyes are dark and filled with a passion that is both intense and possessive.

He captures your lips in a deep, passionate kiss, his tongue exploring your mouth as he holds you in place, his body pressed against yours. Hugh continues to shower you with kisses, his hands roaming over your body, as he speaks.*

"So, to do that, I’m going to make you dinner.” He kissed you again between his words. His lips moving to your neck as he murmured, “at my place, on Friday at eight." His teeth graze your skin as he nips at your collarbone, a low growl of desire rumbling in his chest.

"It'll be a proper date. With candlelight and wine and music, the whole nine yards. Just the two of us, enjoying each other's company. Everything you deserve.”

As you smile at Hugh, the mixture of excitement, anticipation, and tenderness in your expression give the impression of being lost in a dreamlike state. It’s as if nothing else exists besides the two of you.

He gives you one last lingering kiss before reluctantly pulling away, knowing that he needs to leave before things get out of hand. He can't help but feel a pang of disappointment as he untangled himself from your embrace, but he knows that this will only make your date on Friday even more special.

You lounge on the bed, propped up and gazing at Hugh with a sultry grin on your face. You tease him as, you sit up and ask saucily, "Okay then. Friday. Will you fuck me then?"

Hugh lets out a rich chuckle, admiring your clever attempt to trap him. He’s well aware that you’re trying to get him to give in, but he’s enjoying this playful game of push and pull.

Hugh pulls you up until you’re standing beside him. He gazes at you with a mixture of desire and affection in his eyes, and with a soft smile, he requests, “Walk me out, darling?”

You give him a sly smirk, determined not to give in so easily this time. You walk past him, making sure to put an extra sway in your hips as you do so, knowing full well that Hugh’s eyes are on you. "Fine," you reply, feigning reluctance as you lead the way towards the door. Hugh follows behind you, his eyes tracing the captivating movement of your hips as you walk. A sly half-smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, and he can’t help but enjoy the sight of you trying to regain the upper hand in this dance of desire.

As Hugh stands on the threshold, preparing to step out into the hallway, you open the door and hold it for him. He starts to turn away, saying his goodnights, but before he can make his exit, you grasp the collar of his shirt with a quick yank, pulling him down to your level. You capture his lips in one more kiss, a brief moment of passion and intensity that leaves you both breathless.

Hugh stands there for a moment, a little dazed. A smile slowly creeps across his face as he takes the moment in. "Goodnight, darling," he replies, his gaze lingering on the closed door you've just disappeared behind.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Our Darkest Hour: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.5k

Summary: Rolling blackouts cause a serial killer to rape and murder his victims. He taunts the police and even brings Derek into it. The public has dubbed him the Prince of Darkness. Meanwhile Frank is livid that you didn't stay in jail so if he can't get rid of you that way, the only way to do it is to kill you.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

This is the first lead you can use, but Matt doesn't remember. The only thing that will help him now is a cognitive interview that you'll give him. Whatever he says, it'll help you connect to his energy so you can picture what he is saying. You might see something that he might not remember. Matt needs a few minutes to get himself together before agreeing to do whatever needs to be done. You take him to an empty office so it's just the two of you.

"This is crazy," he scoffs.

"This guy is taunting you. He left a young boy alive and now a baby. He wants you to know it's him."

"How could I not know?"

"You did. Deep down, but you went through a major trauma as a kid. You believed the story because it was easier. I'm the Queen of believing fake stories just to avoid the real ones. Trust me."

"So, what? You want to make me remember what really happened? Come on, it was twenty-six years ago. What good is that gonna do?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to, but I think it'll help."

Matt sighs and sits down in front of you.

"Is this, you know, like, hypnosis or something?"

"No," you chuckle. "Grab my hand." He does. "I'm what's called a psychic. Believe it or not, but I connect with people's energies. They love to tell stories and I love to listen to them. I'm going to try and trigger some memories by walking you through what happened that night. I'll do the rest."

"Okay. Should I close my eyes?"

"If you want to. I just want you to relax."

"Okay."

Matt takes a deep breath and you close your eyes to concentrate.

"Here we go. It was July so it was hot. Were the windows open?"

"Yeah, and there was a breeze."

"That's good. What do you hear?"

"Nothing. My grandfather woke me up, and he told me about the accident."

"Okay, back up. Slow down. You said there was a breeze. What did you smell?"

"Seriously?" Matt sighs.

You open your eyes. "Matt, I need you to try, okay? Humor me." He nods and you close your eyes. "What did you smell?"

"Uh, I don't know. I smelled the ocean. Hmm. My mother's perfume. Cigarettes?" He's unsure because he's just unlocked a new memory of that night. "This is weird. I smell cigarettes."

"Did your grandfather smoke?"

"Never."

"Come on, think. Who was it?"

Matt's energy finally paints you a picture of that night. He's in his bedroom with the window open. The breeze is softly making the white curtains move. He turns away from the window and when he turns back, the unsub is inside his room. You can't see much because of how dark it is so you can't see any defining features. He leans down toward Matt and mouths something you can't hear.

"He said, 'Hello there.'"

"That was his first message. What is he doing?"

The unsub grabs Matt and begins dragging him through the house. He takes him to his parent's bedroom and shoves him in the closet.

"He's dragging me. I hear my baby sister crying. I hear my Daddy. He's... he's yelling. He killed my dad. I can't see his face."

You see what Matt would have been seeing through the slats of the closet door. His father is lying in a pool of his own blood on the bed and his mother is tied facing the closet door. You can see tears rolling down her cheeks as she pleads for her life. Everything you're seeing, Matt is seeing. He looks down and sees his baby sister lying on the closet floor staring up at him. The unsub rapes and kills his mother but he looks away from it all.

"It's too dark. She's begging him. I can't... I couldn't see. I just... I'm sorry. I couldn't."

You open your eyes and let go of his hand.

"That's enough. You did really well for your first cognitive interview. Come on, let's go back."

You open the door and see your team standing outside looking at you and Matt. He's sad about his parents but that happened a long time ago. All he cares about is now and how he's going to stop it.

"Why is he doing this?" Matt asks with a sigh.

"He keeps a survivor so that they'll never forget him but with you, it goes beyond that, because he believes he turned you into the city's hero. If your parents weren't killed, you might not have become a detective."

"How would he know that? It's not like he stayed in LA He's been all over the country."

"The press has talked about your history. He's not a part of it, and he wants that recognition. He wants everyone to know what he's done to you."

"How's he gonna do that?"

Hotch looks down at Matt's desk and sees a picture of him with a young girl.

"Is that your daughter? Where is she?"

"She's with my sister at my house."

Matt tries his sister but she won't answer. He and Derek immediately head over there by themselves but Ellie and Kristin aren't home. The entire house is dark and eerily quiet. The only thing left behind on Matt's bed is a newspaper with the headline "DETECTIVE MATT SPICER: A View of the Man Behind the Shield". If Matt's sister and daughter aren't at his house, they might be at her house so that's where Matt and Derek head next.

"Ellie is gone. So is his sister," Derek says once he got you on the phone.

"Are they on their way to the station?"

"No. The car's still here and the power's cut. The unsub was definitely here."

"Where are you going?" Hotch asks.

"We're gonna try his sister's place. This guy needs privacy. He didn't leave them here for us to find which means he took them somewhere."

"What's her address?"

"1720 Sheridan Drive."

"We'll meet you there," you say and hang up.

"You know, I don't even know if we're gonna find him there," Matt says as Derek drives.

Something comes over Derek.

"You know what? We won't. This is about you. There's no history at your sister's place. He probably took them to Santa Monica to your old house."

Derek tries to text you but isn't getting service. Every single light in this town and neighboring towns goes out because of the forced blackout. The power grid got overwhelmed and shorted out, making it very difficult for Derek to send a text or call someone. You, Hotch, and Emily are in a car heading for Kristin's house but you can't get very far because you're in traffic. You take out your phone and call Spencer who is back at the station with the rest of the team and Adam.

"Spencer, we're stuck in traffic. All the lights are out."

"Yeah, it's out here, too. We're working off generators. Pretty sure it's citywide."

Your phone beeps signaling you have another call.

"I have Derek on the other line. We're going to meet him at Kristin's house."

"We should get over there," you hear Rossi say.

"With a population of eight million people, it's only a matter of time before the cell phone reception goes--"

The line is immediately cut. It's the damn power grid. No reception is going through right now.

"Shit. Spencer?" You take the phone away from your ear. "Call got cut. We're on our own out here."

Derek and Matt get to his old house in Santa Monica right as the blackout starts happening. Derek parked outside of the dark and quiet house. Matt is eager to get inside but Derek isn't.

"Spicer, we really should be waiting for backup."

"We don't have time. There's a door around the back. I'll check that."

Matt gets out of the car and rushes up the driveway with Derek following behind him. Matt runs around the house while Derek stays in the front. The front door is left open slightly so Derek pushes it open and steps inside. As soon as he walks in, there is a man on the floor with blood on his head. Derek keeps his gun up but kneels down to check if the man is alive. He's not.

Derek steps over him and continues to search the dark house. Room after room. Nothing and no one is in there. He comes to the back bedroom and sees Ellie and Kristin on the bed huddled together in fear. Kristin has her wrist tied to her ankles with duct tape, and blood is coming out of her nose. Ellie isn't tied at all but she won't leave her aunt's side.

"Where is he?" Derek asks.

Just then someone hits him over the head with a gun and he crumbles to the ground. Matt walks into the house through the back and gets all sorts of memories that he didn't know he had. He continues to the back bedroom where he finds Derek on the ground, knocked out. His wrists and ankles are duct taped, performed by Ellie. Kristin is still on the bed in the same position as when Derek saw her. Ellie is in the unsub's arms with his arm wrapped around her throat and a gun is in his other hand pressed into Ellie's side.

"Matt!"

"Daddy! Help!"

Matt raises his gun at the unsub.

"Drop it!"

"You first. Drop the gun!"

"Please, Daddy, listen to him. Don't let him hurt me," Ellie cries.

Derek groans and comes to. He looks at Matt with wide eyes.

"Spicer, don't do it. He doesn't kill children. You know that!"

"Are you sure about that? Just put it down, Matt. Put the gun down or she dies."

"Don't give in to him, man. He's not gonna hurt you unless you surrender. Don't do it!"

"Drop the gun!" the unsub yells.

"Please. Daddy, he's squeezing me." The unsub tightens his grip on her neck. "I can't... I can't breathe."

"Matt, drop the gun!" Kristin pleads.

"If you put that gun down, you lose. He will kill you. Look at him. He's nothing but a coward!" Derek shouts.

The unsub quickly kicks Derek in the face and goes back to hiding behind Ellie.

"Daddy, it hurts!"

"Okay! Okay!"

Matt tosses his gun to the side and Derek all but stays calm.

"No! No! No! Pick it up! Pick the gun up, Spicer!"

Matt raises his hands in surrender to show he's not a threat to the unsub. The unsub sees this opportunity and shoves Ellie away from him. She runs over to Kristin and cowers next to her side.

"On your knees," the unsub glares.

"No! Don't do it!!" Derek yells but Matt looks like he is going to do it.

"That's a good boy," the unsub grins with disgusting yellow teeth.

"Matt!" Kristin pleads.

"Your sister grew up real pretty. The last time I saw her, she was just an itty-bitty thing. Not as good as your mom, though. She squirmed too much," he grins.

"Go to hell," Kristin bites with poison.

Matt yells and charges at the unsub but the unsub overtakes him and shoves him to the ground.

"Get up! Get up!" Matt gets on his knees and looks at the unsub. "Do you think they'll remember me now?"

The unsub points a gun to Matt's chest but he doesn't pull the trigger yet.

"Daddy!"

"You've destroyed me. Is that what you want to hear?" Matt asks.

"Well, it's better."

Matt looks at Derek knowing he isn't going to survive the night.

"Promise me she'll be okay, Morgan."

"Go ahead, promise him," the unsub says when Derek doesn't.

"Do it and promise him!" Kristin yells.

"Promise me, Morgan!"

"Okay! Okay! I promise."

Matt takes a shallow breath and looks at his family.

"I love you, Ellie and Kristin."

The unsub shoots Matt in the chest and he goes down immediately.

"No! Daddy!!"

"No! Spicer!" Derek gasps.

The unsub kicks Derek in the face again, harder this time. Kristin and Ellie cry for the loss of their loved one but the unsub isn't done with them yet.

"What is wrong with you?!" Kristin yells at the unsub.

He grabs Ellie and hauls her to his feet. Kristin tries to fight but she can't do much with her wrists tied to her ankles.

"Oh, God, no! Please! No, no! Take me, please. Please take me instead! Please!" she pleads.

"I don't usually take much to kids. But this one's... just... special," he grins.

"We will find you, you sick son of a bitch," Derek glares angrily from the floor.

"Is that another promise?" he smirks.

He drags Ellie away who is crying and screaming for someone to come save her.

"I will find you!" Derek screams.

You're nervously tapping your hand against your thigh when you suddenly get a splitting headache. It hurts so much that you have to get out of the car to keep yourself moving. The traffic isn't going anywhere so there is no worry that Hotch is going to drive off.

"What is it? Are you okay?" Emily asks through the open window.

You grip the car and cry out in pain. It's like something is hitting you in your face multiple times. An image of Derek flashes through your mind, and you look at Hotch and Emily with tears.

"It's Derek. He's in trouble."

Frank has had it up to here with your antics and your bullshit. Nothing he does is working so there is nothing left to do but one thing. Frank storms into his house and slams the door shut behind him which scares some of his kids into hiding. He doesn't pay them much mind. He never really liked the bastards.

Clarissa comes out of the kitchen to see Frank storming up the stairs to their bedroom. She tosses the rag in her hands onto the counter before following her husband up the stairs.

"Frank? What's wrong?" She walks into the bedroom and sees Frank pulling a duffel bag out from underneath their bed. "Frank?" Frank slams down the bag onto the bed and opens it. He takes out weapon after weapon, checking them and laying them down on the bed as if he's unsure of which one he wants--guns, knives, a saw, and an axe. "Where did you get all of those?" He doesn't answer. "Frank!"

"I won them in a poker game." He looks behind him and sees the bitch face she's giving him. "Fine. Rob owes me."

"What are you going to do with all of them?"

Frank grabs an MK46 and checks to make sure all the bullets are in there, ready to go. He sets that inside the bag and moves on to the next one. An AK-47, a TT-33, a Type 14, two long knives, and an axe go into the duffel bag next. Frank zips it up and slings the bag over his shoulder.

"Put those away."

"Frank, where are you going?"

"The bitch won't stay down," Frank says angrily. "Prison won't work. All that's left there to do is kill her, her boyfriend, and everyone she loves."

"Frank, are you sure about this? What about--"

"I don't care about the past!!" he yells in her face. He sees the scared look on Clarissa's face so he takes two deep breaths to calm himself. "She's overstayed her welcome. I should have killed her when I had the chance."

Frank slams the bedroom door and the front door when he leaves. He should have never relied on anyone to do his damn job. What's the saying? If you want something done right, do it yourself? Well, he's gonna and he's gonna make it hurt.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[obey-me-headquarters]

If I could change one thing about Obey Me:

Well, I would actually change a lot of things, but what's pretty high up there on my list is: rewriting Levi to be the Avatar of Gluttony.

I know, I know! That sounds crazy! Levi is perfect! Let me just explain my reasoning:

Levi is an Otuka and a problematic trend I noticed in Otuka circles is their consumerism. There's always more anime to consume, more figurines to buy, more merchandise. There's this ever present aura of never being satisfied as there's always more content to consume.

A lot of anime doesn't even really end, with the really popular ones having thousands of episodes. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, I'm sure that it's those anime are very good. But there's definitely a quantity over quality problem with anime, with a lot of artists getting underpayed so studios can pump out more content.

And isn't that quintessentially gluttony? Never being satisfied? Always on the lookout for something new, no matter its quality, only to eat it up and move onto the next big thing?

Some people might argue that that's Greed, to always be amassing more. But I would argue that the difference between Greed and Gluttony is being satisfied. If you're greedy you can still be satisfied with the amount of stuff you have now, hell, the satisfaction you get from having what you have might be a driving factor for wanting more - you like what you have, and you want to get more so you'll be happier. But Gluttony is never satisfied, it's constantly being on the lookout for something new because what you have is never enough.

I know most people associate Gluttony with food, and I don't blame them. That is a big aspect of Gluttony. But I think going with this angle would be very interesting. Especially seeing as Beel's hungry can seem kinda one note? So much so the characters in the game even remark upon it. So I think choosing a more unique angle would create more story opportunities.

For example, there could be an arc about reintroducing Levi to his love of anime from a story perspective, instead of just a way to consume.

Plus, I think it'll be pretty cute seeing Levi and Mammon fight so much when their sins are so similar. Something something, two sides of the same coin lol.

I do really like how Levi is portrayed in the game. I think having him being so self conscious as the Avatar of Envy was a really unique spin. And how his Okuta-ness plays a role in that envy - how he's never satisfied by real life so he escapes to fantasy worlds.

I just think that Solmare could have done a little more with the Gluttony sin. I understand why they chose not to do it this way, if this idea even crossed their minds, an arc about not buying new content and learning to be satisfied with what you have would kinda go against their business model of constantly getting new cards.

I find the 7 sins, along with the 4 horsemen and anything to do with the Underworld interesting, and thus spend too much time thinking about how I would create my own 7 sins ocs.

If I ever do create a Gluttony avatar oc, Im unsure if I would go with this characterization, as it's basically just Levi lol. I think having a Gluttony oc who is never satisfied with content would be interesting. Kinda relate it to how writers and artists feel about fandoms these days. How it seems like fans are so hungry for new content, constantly asking about a new chapter, a new art piece, instead of commenting on and appreciating what you already made.

Maybe emulate those Tiktok book lovers who have hundreds of books they haven't read yet, and yet they're constantly buying new books. How they buy a new copy of a book they already own just because it has a new cover, or it's in a language (many times a language they can't even read). With a lot of these book lovers reading hundreds of books a month, leaving you wondering if they ever stop to enjoy the book. If they have time to wonder about a plot twist, let a powerful line sit with them. If they think about a book and its themes before moving onto the next one.

(Obviously this is a subgroup of TikTok book lovers, I'm not saying all of them are like, this is just a trend that I've noticed.)

Idk, I just feel like there's a lot to say about how modern audiences devour content because there's so much of it. How companies encourage people to binge their shows because it makes them more money. The dopamine infected doomscroll apps create so you use the app more because you become so addicted to finding something good, yet never being satisfied enough to put down the phone.

So. Uh. Yeah. Gluttony is a cool sin to play around with. Wish Obey Me did something a little more interesting with it.

If any of yall have any ideas on different ways to portray the 7 Sins I would love to hear them! Shot me an ask, or a message, or anything! Who knows, we might create a little band of ocs lol.

[pof203]

A Summoner Birthday

Special Quest: Mob Characters

Master, what this place? Me no understand.

You guys have done so much for us in the Summoners, I thought you could use some appreciation and take you someplace fun.

I guess that makes sense. You took a chance on all of us when very few would and we'll always be thankful for that. But still, you really didn't have to go all this way for us.

Lupin: Don't be silly, you're all worth it.

You brought Red Oni, Water Merman, Green Luchador, Aether Angel, and Purple Trickster to the virtual fairytale world for some fun.

But did you have to take us to such a kiddy place? I maybe young, but not that young.

Don't be like that, kid. Coach Lupin's goin' through a lot just to bring us here.

He is right, young one. Show Lord Lupin gratitude. Be thankful I am not as merciless as Lord Zabanniya, but do not tempt me.

Purple Trickster: (defeated) Okay, okay. So, what have you got planned for us, Big Bro?

Lupin: I think I know just the place, so that way, you won't see this place isn't just for "kiddies". Let's go.

With that, you and your Mob set off.

A little later, you and your Mob arrive at the dwarves' cottage by the beach.

Water Merman: (happy) Water! Now you know what I like.

Red Oni: (unsure) Me can't swim. Me not like Blue Oni.

Lupin: Don't worry, Red Oni, this water is virtual, it can't really put out our flames.

Green Luchador: And me and Water Merman will be right there with you. You'll be fine.

Red Oni: (cheering up) That okay.

Purple Trickster: We're really going swimming? I guess we can do that.

Aether Angel: I cannot swim, either, because I cannot get my wing wet. However, I can still fly overhead, that should be just as fine.

Lupin: You can do that. After all, this is to show appreciation.

So, you and your Mob (save for Aether Angel) go into the cottage to get changed before going to the beach.

A little later after getting changed, you and your Mob were on the beach.

Okay, I'll admit, this place isn't bad at all. It's actually fun. I so can't wait to get in the water.

Same here. I can just hear that big clue calling out to us. Let's not keep it waiting.

Yes, let's not. Red Oni, are you ready?

Me always ready. As long as Master is with Red Oni.

C'mon, let's boogie!

Aether Angel: I will just overhead, but I will try to enjoy myself, as well.

With that, you, Red Oni, Water Merman, Green Luchador, and Purple Trickster go into the water and swam. Aether Angel soared above you and enjoyed the scene before him. You all were having a wonderful time together.

Later that day, you, Red Oni, Blue Merman, Green Luchador, Purple Trickster, and Aether Angel go back to the cottage where Red Oni had lit a fire on the grill and you were all roasting marshmallows.

Red Oni: (munching on his marshmallow) This good day, Master. Red Oni had much fun.

I'm glad to hear that from you, Red Oni.

Purple Trickster: And thank you for the marshmallows, they taste great.

Blue Merman: As long as we're not going to roast fish next... That was a joke, by the way.

Aether Angel: (just staring at his marshmallow) I do hope this does not count as a sin.

Green Luchador: (laughing) For enjoying a marshmallow? I'm sure even the Big Guy Up There wouldn't mind. Give it a try.

Aether Angel: Forgive me. Some of these things are still new to me. As you may have guess, we Angels... do not get out much. But still, this has been such a glorious day, Lord Lupin.

Lupin: Thank you for that compliment.

Red Oni: We love Master. Master has been kind.

Blue Merman: It's true. We're just a bunch of nameless characters in someone else's story, but you the only one who showed us respect while most other wouldn't even give us a second glance.

Green Luchador: That's right, Coach. You took a chance on us and made us feel like we're something greater, that we don't have to be just "the help", that we can do great things, too. We're not just defined by our labels.

Aether Angel: Even Lord Zabaniyya and Lord Israfil saw it and you showed us that we are just as important was others. You truly posses a great light that gives us hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. You showed us love.

Purple Trickster: Mister, we feel nothing but gratitude for showing us how much you appreciate us. We will always be happy for that. And... we will always love you for it, too.

Lupin: And I love you all, too. Never forget that. You're all special in your own unique ways. As long as you believe, you can do anything.

You all come together in a group hug, knowing that even those who seem less important are more than they appear.

As night fell over the beach, you all decided it was time to make your way back to Candyland to return home.

[doubleddenden]

As for my review of Teal Mask, I think its fine enough, but could have used a bit more story to it and a few small towns. I feel like I tried to pad out the experience as much as I could on my own, but it was still a lot shorter than expected.

What's still unacceptable is the performance and glitchiness. Slow downs, clip ins, and other glitches are still present- some are a little worse than you'd expect. Now granted, it's not as bad as SV at launch, but it's still very, VERY noticeable when they didn't even bother to polish shadow pop ins or map clipping in actual cutscenes or important trainer battles. And this is the thing- slow downs had been fixed a little until they dropped Teal Mask, so idk what's wrong. They could have waited til October and polished it up a bit, but I guess they REALLY wanted to catch the tail end of summer. At this point, they must no longer give a damn about performance at all and just want it to be done and over with- which on a certain level I can say "mood," but on a level of someone that bought the game, I can say "hey what the fuck???" And no, boycotting wouldn't have worked- Pokemon is at the point where saying "i'm gonna boycott" actually helps their sales, so there's no point in bothering.

But still, I will point it out again, and so will others so that the next games will be polished a little better.

As for the actual content- I did enjoy what was here, but again, I feel like they could have added more.

More under the cut:

Carmine and Kieran are the main new characters you'll be focused on, and they're decently entertaining and likeable for different reasons.

Carmine is a bitch- She hates you because you're a foreigner tourist, she's vain, she's full of herself, she's cocky- and it's enjoyable actually getting to go from such a rough welcome to becoming her friend. She's a fun asshole that made me laugh more than once, and it's always fun to knock her down a few pegs. In a way she's similar to Klara, except Carmine isn't quite as much of a pushover and has valid reasons to be a bitch. But again, her growth is fun to watch- not in the sense she ever stops being a bitch, because thankfully she just stays that- No she just becomes Bitch, but Friendly, and that's fine, great even! She's snide, rude, and competent, and I like it.

Kieran, however, is a rival that does something I've wanted Game Freak to do for YEARS- but unfortunately, it's just for a small time dlc rival. Still, his growth is unique for a "friendly rival" in that he goes full reverse, and you get to watch him just actively lose his god damn marbles. It's great! :D I look forward to seeing him again one day, because his team was actually super strong.

The rest of the characters- if we can call them that- are just basically NPCs- with the exception of Briar.

Briar doesn't really do too much, but she's... suspicious. Thats about how I can describe her.

Now I'd also add Ogerpon here- I was shocked with how on the mark I was with my predictions. I won't spoil anything but I do like him a lot.

OH SHIT, I forgot Perrin, which is weird because I actually really liked her. Perrin doesn't get a whole lot of stuff, she's literally for a mission, but she is entertaining in that she finds cuteness in any Pokemon she sees. Her whole side mission is really fun too, and I think she might be hinting that she'll return in a future game? Unsure.

Oh, there's also an annoying side quest with rich people- they're annoying, but you'll want to do it for another side quest. trust me.

Story is decent enough- definitely not as in depth as the base story, but unlike IoA and CT, Teal Mask actually sets itself up properly for Indigo Disk to be a continuation of the story. The story here is pretty small though, but its interesting to see how Carmine and Kieran grow and interact with the main character. The story of Ogerpon and The Loyal Trio, while not the most eloquently written, is actually not quite as front and center as we were led to believe. Kieran's obsession with Ogerpon is actually weirdly refreshing- I can't think of a single rival that actually competed with us for the right to catch a legendary Pokemon.

That being said, again, it is short lived and not nearly enough was done to justify all the promotion. I think we could have had The Loyal Trio be alive and living in the lap of luxury and see how they're actually jerks- that would have helped cement the "alternative story" we were told, and could have padded out story by giving us missions to either rein them in or fix problems they cause. Maybe have Perrin play a slightly bigger role in helping us find Ogerpon, have Briar actually do something besides be a suspicious chaperone-

Hell, instead of the 3 nameless NPCs that come with us, more could have been done story wise by having Arven, Nemona, and Penny with us as a group trip instead of it being "a lottery." Nemona could have been a battling menace, Arven could have been looking for new ingredients, Penny could comically struggle to find good signal, etc. Or heck, make them actually characters that have smaller arcs. I guess they couldn't do that because technically you can play Teal Mask as soon as you begin the treasure hunt, and in fact you can battle Ogerpon at both level 30 or level 70, so I guess maybe they couldn't outright connect it too much to them- but I still say maybe a post SV main story bit could have been added for those three plus us, and maybe Carmine.

I think all of this is going to pick up a tad more with Indigo Disk- I just hope it's not as quick as Teal Mask was.

Now as for other things:

Music is good- I think though they swapped to some older music making style that doesn't sound as good quality wise as Paldea music. But I absolutely LOVE Carmine's theme, and the wild battle music is a cool mix of Hisui and Paldea. The legendary music is also fun, and I'll definitely go back to listen to Ogerpon's. But Carmine and Kieran's music sounds a lot like it was made with the same DS soundfont style that you'd hear in Bede's theme or something. Crystal Pool, though, is hauntingly pretty and reminiscent of Area Zero.

Graphics have a more saturated color and are improved in some areas- but other than a few locations, there's just not really a lot to look at. Crystal Pool, however, is a really pretty place, and there's some very strangely unique cave areas that look like you're supposed to DO something in there, but nothing came of it. There's certain areas where textures look great, certain where they look bad. Actually, I find that I have similar issues as I did with Legends Arceus, where the textures and graphics just don't load until you're right in front of them, and you can visibly see the bubble range when grass, trees, and mountains just suddenly appear or gain texture. Hell, flowers just spawn less than 2 feet from you. Again, shadows and textures clip and glitch sometimes too- even in talking scenes, and that just isn't acceptable. Overall, texture work feels like they stretched out certain outdoor textures to make them look gross and pixelated or really realistic in others.

That being said, I think Indigo Disk might look better- I only saw a snippet right at the end, but there's a room I think I've seen as part of Blueberry Academy in the trailers and it actually looks like it comes from this decade, so I hope it looks that good when it eventually comes, because a lot of the rest looks unfinished. Charming enough in some places, just... could be better.

Now that's the environmental graphics- character and Pokemon models look pretty decent and have some good texture work. I suspect that's a different studio making those, though. But god damn, someone was paying attention to Perrin's ass and legs, and Briar's ass too. Not a complaint, I'm glad they had fun- you can just see the creases in the pants though is all I'm saying lol. The new character models look really good overall, and Carmine, Kieran, and Briar have really interesting eyes.

Animation isn't really much to write home about except what I think are mocap animations in regular talking- which is about par per course for base SV. That being said, it's kind of stiff in some scenes, particularly in some scenes with The Loyal Trio, where you can practically see them moving robotically as they move in scene to run away. It gets a bit worse when you see the frames drop from npc's within very close range.

the new Pokemon and forms are... Okay, I guess. Ogerpon is definitely one of my favs and her masks are very fun, and Okidogi is easily the better of the trio. Blood Moon Ursaluna also looks great, although I do prefer og Hisuian. The rest are... ehh to bad. I have slight hope for Dipplin since, apparently, it can use Eviolite- Pokemon that can't evolve further can't use it, ergo it must be able to evolve, just not until Indigo Disk.

One more complaint is that I feel like the map being smaller than Paldea probably helps it run better, but I think a few towns or villages are necessary, just full stop. Kitakami having 1 town just doesn't vibe right with me. In that regard, it almost makes Paldea feel smaller in comparison, because this one village has all of this land, you know?

I know I've done a lot of complaining, but I did honestly find stuff I liked. First of all, once you progress enough in Carmine and Kieran's story, you can get the Teal Card which unlocks more hair styles and a shit ton of more accessories to Paldean stores- Clothes wise, though, you only get new Jinbei outfits, and you don't get the other two until you beat the main story, and then a special one until you do one more side quest. But, more customization is always nice. and I finally have a hairstyle that I'm somewhat okay with.

The pokemon variety in Kitakami is also surprisingly done well. I've used Pokemon I wasn't really expecting to use, such as Poliwrath, Yanmega, and Morpeko. Even then, I'm surprised to see some Pokemon like the Conkeldurr or Tandemaus families here- mainly because this is WAY far away from Paldea and back in Japan.

That's another thing I like- outright confirmation that this is way, WAY far away from Paldea and not just a repurposed European area to the north. A plane and bus ride are required to get here- this makes it the furthest new area a main character has ever traversed, and to me? That's really cool. Further still, they tell us point blank at the beginning that Blueberry Academy is in UNOVA, which I am excited and a little scared for, but don't expect to really get to explore all that much. Idk, stuff like that feels very soulful to me.

Speaking of Soul, there's a decent amount of Hisui love in the Blood Moon quest. I won't spoil it, but something happens that made my jaw drop, and it was really, REALLY amazing.

Finally, difficulty is subjective to each player and how they approach this dlc, much like IoA. I think, however, they tweaked it way better to be beginner friendly AND very challenging for post game content with npc characters and wild pokemon you can encounter VERY EARLY (if you're not careful or go venturing too far off) being around level 70+. Personally, I brought along some Pokemon around level 60 and 50 to get me started and had some difficulty, then I went further and caught local pokemon and trained them up too with even more difficulty. But it was still pretty fun, the fights were challenging, Carmine and Kieran actually use strategy to win, and the NPCs can kick your ass if you're not prepared. I actually lost a battle to a bitch in a cave of all things.

Overall, a 6/10 is passing, even if barely. I dock points because of lack of polish and glitches, and then dock a couple more because of things I wish they'd have done differently. I enjoyed it, but they seriously needed to let it cook longer. No, you did encounter glitches and I am not exaggerating or making it up, you're just not paying attention to the slow downs or floor clipping in battles or you're just outright lying to yourself. Make your concerns heard so GF will actually do something about it- They do listen sometimes, believe it or not, even if most of the time they plug their ears up and hum gen 1 music to silence most criticism.

I actually look forward to Indigo Disk. At this point, I hope it releases in January and not November. They need to take their time with it, because I have a feeling things are going to be a bit more story heavy.

[jin-enjoji]

ey yo seth! do you recommend the new fire emblem game? bc i ADORE FE but ive seen absolutely nobody talking about it so i have like. no reference from people who actually LIKE FE playing it, its just dudebros bitching bc "eww a new fire emblem and the protag is toothpaste lmaoooo" which is NOT helpful. also about your fic: dont feel bad, you write from PASSION as it SHOULD BE, grammar be DAMNED

thank you for your comment about my writing, it means a lot!! im glad u think so!

anyways, here is my Honest Opinion(tm) about Engage (under a cut bc its long):

yes, there are many unhelpful biased comments about the designs, the life sim aspects, and the story. ive seen the fucking "lolol toothpaste haha COLGATE heehee PEPSI lmao" joke over and over again with no end in sight. its not that funny anymore, guys.

BUT

to me, as a fire emblem fan (mind you, my first game was path of radiance when i was in ???middle school??? but the first fe game i FINISHED was awakening, when i was about 16 or 17), i think that Engage is fine as it is. :) the gameplay is what REALLY matters in a game, and the gameplay is VERY fun and challenging, so if nothing else, i'd recommend it for its unique playstyle. the story is kind of a rehash of awakening, with some details swapped out, and to me, the writing is actually sliiiiightly better here than in awakening. if you like awakening: great!!! you'll like the story in this game too! its a bit more in-depth, and the villains are focused on much more than in awakening, which i personally appreciate.

alear, the protagonist, reminds me a lot of robin, in that: they make their OWN choices, NOT the player's choice. for instance, in the first few minutes of the game, they decide to RUN from enemies instead of fight! they want to protect their stewards, vander and framme+clanne. i thought that was interesting. so far (and im almost finished with the game), i havent had a prompt about what i, the player, want to do in regards to a story beat. alear does the decision-making for you. even robin had a few player-driven choices to make, but not alear. alear is their own character. which is nice!!!

as for the life sim stuff, its very limited. the somniel is almost entirely optional. you can s support, but only alear can s support, and even then, NOT all of them are romantic in nature (see: pandreo and ivy, who both have romantic endings with alear regardless of their gender). if you choose, you can build and grind supports. the support convos arent always interesting, similar to awakening or fates, but they are cute and serve a purpose. but all that i just mentioned in this paragraph is not integral to the story AT ALL.

the story. the story is good, with some twists and turns here and there! we are supposed to get more characters and a new story option in wave 4 of the dlc (i am unsure when that is coming out!), and so the story might deepen with that dlc option. right now im doing a vanilla run with no dlc and ive been enjoying it thus far.

in short, im not DONE with the game, but i am REALLY enjoying myself so far. the battles are engaging (lol) and challenging (ive died on some skirmishes before :P), and i LOVE the characters, even if theyre not super deep. i hope the game has a satisfying ending and i suspect the replay value will be amazing, with all the unlockable classes there are :)!

id recommend you play it if youre a fan of fe, even if youre not crazy about the designs or the story. of course i cant dictate how others feel, but i actually enjoyed myself very much and remember to HAVE FUN and NOT CARE what ANYONE else thinks !!

[solarsonicsoda]

Rating 500+ Theme Tunes - #7: My Parents are Aliens

This one is for all the British people of certain vintage... not that much vintage to be fair, but a certain one nonetheless! This CITV sitcom follows three orphan siblings with their new adoptive parents, who just happen to be a pair of stranded aliens. For those not in the know, this was a fairly successful show on CITV from 1999-2006 that I know many remember well, helped by many reruns. Did you know they just erase all memory of 7 seasons for season 8 to be a reboot that got cancelled? Wild.

While this show is most famous in the UK for being on CITV, it even aired on Nickelodeon! I'm unsure if it ever reached many audiences overseas, so you'll have to let me know. It's a show I hear a lot of people a few years older than me look back on with reverence, even if it has slipped through the cracks slightly for many in my generation. These sorts of sitcoms are absolutely a lost art in the modern day, but that's a wider change in British television and television as a whole in my opinion.

While it was likely reruns by the time I was watching it, I definitely remember My Parents are Aliens being one of the premier shows on CITV. These reruns lasted until 2017! This show is super iconic, I don't care if you don't remember it! I honestly can't remember much other than the intro and title, because I was pretty young when I was watching it properly, but I know I watched it a lot. My Mum used to bring this one up quite a lot, and from what I understand it was pretty popular as a whole family show. Now: theme time!

My Parents are Aliens Theme Tune

Now musically, it's a fairly simple tune. There's that science fiction twang to precedings here, which is a natural fit for the subject matter, but its definitely not something that sticks with me too much beyond the show's beginning. I don't really think it goes anywhere, and just sort of jumps around from sound to sound as it tells the story of the show through the visuals... very ugly visuals I must say. Still, it's a perfectly fine tune overall.

I don't have lots particularly great to say about this intro. but I also don't have much particularly bad to say about it. It's pretty simple, but still memorable in its own special way. Hence, I know exactly what I will be rating this theme tune, and that is a C!

Stay tuned for more and be sure to send in any suggestions for other shows you'd like to see done (after the 500 already in the pipeline that is). Check out the intro to this series here, and check out the tier list.

[yuseonghqs]

🌊 GREETINGS FROM YUSEONG BAY !

JUST LANDED: AHN, KIHA. / / FROM: SOUTH KOREA. / / AGE: 27.

–––– ( FOLLOW ? ) / / ( READ MORE ? ) / / ( MAILBOX ? )

hey, grandpa,

how are things there in the farm? are the tangerines growing well this season too? is kihwan hyung helping properly? we all know he means well but it isn't just because he makes grandma laugh a lot that you should let him get away with his pranks, let kijun hyung scold him properly if you can't do it; and talking about which, how is kijun hyung? is he still having trouble trying to flirt with mrs. kim's granddaughter? i always try to ask him but he refuses to tell me about it. i don't know if it's because he knows i'll tease him about wanting nephews and/or nieces or if it's because he's embarrassed about making no progress because of how he always looks like he's in a bad mood and because he knows i'll nag him about it.

do you think if i write a song for him to serenade her he'll do it? genuine question, hehe.

i know you're curious about the reason why i'm sending you this letter when we've talked on the phone just a couple of days ago or how i could just make another call or ask kijun hyung or kihwan hyung to help set up a video call but i might've done something that makes me a little embarrassed to see you or hear your voice. your favorite grandson might've done something disappointing. shocking, right? i know that you're probably reading this and shaking your head because how could your baby kiki do something to disappoint you, huh?

( kiha heaves a sigh, staring at the paper for a long pause while fidgeting with the pen in his hand. he ponders if he should start a whole new letter, too tempted to cross out all of that last sentence — or even the whole paragraph — and also because now he feels stuck, unsure how to continue writing the rest of it; perhaps because it finally got to the whole reason why he was contacting his grandfather this way or simply because he's still struggling to organize his own thoughts and feelings. kiha feels a ghost pain on the knuckles of his right hand. )

grandpa, have you ever felt like you made a mistake but only realized it too late? or that you told a lie that started so small that it felt like it was the truth and then it just kept growing and growing until it became too big but by then everything else was already ruined so now you have no choice but to cling to it for dear life? because if you admit that it was a lie— that it was a mistake then it feels like all the things that you did, everything you sacrificed was in vain? was it? were all the parts of myself that i threw away for the sake of my dream in vain? were the tears that i swallowed down, all the pain and burden that i endured on my own were worth nothing in the end? was music even

( kiha lets out another sigh, one as shaky as his hands suddenly are while he thinks about his career— about fourteen years old kiha going to seoul to chase his big dreams, how he failed once but then tried again; how he thought this time it'd work— how he was determined that this group would work; how he turned twi5t into his whole world because he was the leader and therefore their failure was on his shoulders as the leader; he thinks about how he watched everything fall apart, crumble into pieces that could never be put together, not when they were barely holding it together anyway. then he remembers all the times that he bowed his head and was the target of scoldings for mistakes that weren't his own; then he remembers a taunting smile and even more malicious words spoken just because they knew that they'd trigger him into breaking their nose. )

i'm sure you already heard about the news by now and the rumors that followed right after, but i also know that you'll respect my time and wait for me to bring it up first, that you and grandma and kijun hyung and kihwan hyung will always want to know my side of the story before anything else and i'm very grateful for it, i really am.

( "even if i don't deserve it." kiha comments under his breath, but keeps that part out of the letter. )i promise i'll explain everything and apologize properly, but would you let me be selfish one more time? i was thinking that this might be a good time to spend some time in yuseong bay again, help you and grandma and my brothers too, maybe get kihwan hyung to behave and kijun hyung to get a date with mrs. kim's granddaughter; but i also honestly hope that i'll help myself there too, that i'll turn back into the grandson that always brought you nothing but pride and joy. ps: i'll bring a friend with me as well. i won't even ask if it's ok because you probably know who it is anyway and are already telling grandma to prepare the guest room and that extra fruits basket, aren't you? if i didn't know any better, i'd say that he was your grandson not me.

hope to see you soon.

from your second favorite grandson,

ahn kiha.   

[clubsmarties]

It seemed like he'd just found the nickname for her and based on that beaming flicker across her face he couldn't help but feel a bit smug that he had put that look on her face. He wasn't a parent either but knew if there wasn't a mutual trust then it'd show in the way that they'd keep the kid away with any bogus excuse.

The nickname for his pup made him laugh and quickly had him nod his head. "Then it's set. I am traveling to LA for a case on Friday so if it's not too soon for you, you can take her and I can give Lenny a break." His face took on a somber expression. The case in LA was the one that kept him up at night with all the possible outcomes and he knew getting it closed was not going to be easy. Especially knowing that there was no DNA matches since it'd been a few years. "She does love to walk, I'll give you that. If you take her out before sunset you'll get to see it on your walk over the horizon. It makes the beach glimmer."

"It's actually a nervous habit I inherited from my mom. Either I do it when I'm trying to make someone else comfortable or when I'm nervous and want to break an uncomfortable ice barrier." Naturally, he was the one most like his mom, personality wise while his twin was the one who looked like their mom.

He shrugged like she had just said the most obvious thing in the world. "I can multitask you know. Also why not. You just finished saying you want to explore more of your new home. There's so much to see when it comes to the islands. Not to mention there is Pearl Harbor. Though, maybe not that one. You'll need clearance for that," he murmured as a sly little smile overtook his features. It wasn't like he hadn't gotten his own family in there twice. "A big case has not stopped us before. Why would it now? Unless, this is your polite way to say no you've gotten bored of me. Listen, work is always going to be there. Life happens and sometimes you gotta grab it by the horns and ride it. Take it from me, someone who had to learn to take my vacation days just because." It was no secret he took his job seriously and more often than not would overwork himself to get things done. "I'll help you with it. If that is what you'd want but don't bury yourself in work. Let yourself live."

He snorted when she agreed Maine folks weren't the nicest. Glad he wasn't the only one who thought that. Listening to her talk about her time on a boat made a smile appear. It seemed like quite an adventure, one that someone would hold dear. "That sounds nice. Except for the motion sickness. Isn't that how it always goes? You miss something when you no longer have it." There was ancestry dot com he thought but really she needed to want to know for it to work. "There's ways to know but I guess it'd be fun to have that pirate ancestry. Sometimes a fabricated story is better than a straight out lie." He didn't necessarily agree with that statement but he also he wasn't one to talk.

"Would you want to go back?" Wally asked, unsure if this would be one of the places she'd want to go back to. "California reminds me of Louisiana except it doesn't hold a candle to my beloved Bayou." He smirked as if that was any secret that his hometown held a special place in his heart.

With the rim of the drink against his lips he ended up laughing into his sparkling water. "First," he took a sip and tried to control his laughter. "You never asked how long it'd take and secondly, there's a billion places to see and lighthouses on each island so your bad for thinking this wasn't gonna take some time." He swallowed the water and set it back down, the nickname she had for him made his green eyes sparkle. He liked the name more than he actually admitted.

He tried to make his blush less noticeable and only nodded. "I'm sure I'm missing about ten more places but it's not the same when you travel for work as it is to travel for fun." The saying was pretty accurate. "I like that saying. Also thank you for not thinking it's nerdy. I think once you're not in school people tend to forget you keep learning as an adult."

The excitement was charged in the air as he finished off his drink and did the signal for the check. "Mhmm. I'm ready. I'll just grab the check." The exchange of the credit card and tab was quick enough that if she blinked she missed it. He took the pen in his left hand and signed it. His penmanship was neat, something he attested to his time working on his cursive. It was almost comical how much he resembled his sister in this moment and how much they resembled their mother. They all drew their B's the same. He signed two since he knew the food was en route to be delivered to his sisters homes and added in a 25 tip for them. His skills at fast mental math weren't as good as Lucie"s but they weren't too shabby.

"I've seen about eight in total. With my sisters having babies every year or so it seems like, we don't get to explore as much and they hate it when I go on my own. They tend to say they miss out on the experience so I have to wait until they're cleared and have given birth to go to drive to the other islands. Hard too when they're all hormonal and the heat makes them insufferable." He looked up from his check and smirked. "Don't tell them that." Then went back to his writing. "What fascinates me most about them though is the lights. They each have a different shade of light. They're not all the same. Though, it may seem weird or odd but I like lights. It's like a beacon of hope. I also like how each is built so different from the others. Not one looks exactly the same."

"Iceland? Maybe you should take me." His eyes finally looked up and smiled as he put his pen down and closed the book. Gave his thanks and started to move to get up off the seat. Holding out his hand for her to take if she so chose it he waited.

Something about the nickname he had come up for her made her beam. It was a unique one, she would give him that. The thought of Orion, Charlie, and Anna living on the island and having Orion have a set group of friends to be around sounded like a great idea. Especially with the way they all got along during Easter and at the center. It was something that she wanted for him, friends but she also accepted that she was not his mother. While she was trusted to look for his best interests, the decisions lay solely on his parents. After the switchblade incident, she thought that Charlie would never want to speak to her again. It did though make her feel nice that Wally would point out the fact that she was valued. So she found herself simply nodding at his words, his pointing out of their trust in her.

And then there was his trust in her. He didn't even know her, not truly. So why was he so willing to let her take Dolly? Guilt crept in, feeling like an imposter, whoever he believed her to be was someone that he could trust. Whoever he believed her to be, she'd like to be her forever. "I don't mind the furball. She and I share a lot in common so I wouldn't mind the company on walks."

Playfully rolling her eyes, "I'm sure you are when you're not talking someone's ear off." The thought of spending more time around his family was something that made her anxious, a part of her wanted to another part of her said that she shouldn't and that it wasn't something meant for her to do. She had only imposed upon their Easter because of Orion, she wouldn't want to impose further again.

"We haven't even finished hanging out today and you already planning luau's and field trips to a penguins exhibit?" A chuckle and a slight shake of her head as she took another sip of her drink. She wanted to say yes, to just be the kind of person who spent time with the man who seemed to actually listen to her and like her company. But she knew she couldn't. She would never be able to get close to anyone without having to hide the truth of who she was. "I'll have to think about it. I have a big case I'm working on right now that I need to do a lot of work on. So let's stick a pin in that for now, the penguins do sound like a thing I need to check out."

Extremes over germs? That made her smirk. "Ah, the people aren't the best, I'll admit it. But I wasn't there for the people so it wasn't bad." Thinking about her time on the boat, she felt her heart twitch a bit but that was another life. Another chapter in her life that she had hoped would have been the ending. An ever after. She hadn't meant for it to slip out, but she had felt so comfortable for a moment there. "It was nice. Not really, but once I was on land, I missed the sea. It's a catch twenty-two." She shook her head at using the pirate thing as a party fact. "Again, it was just a story my dad said, not a fact. It's not like I'd ever been able to figure out if it was real or not. He was a bit of a tall tales man, liked to see the world with mythical and fantastical proportions instead of how it was." A small hint of bitterness sunk in there.

Being this close to Wally didn't feel weird. Physically she hated being so close to people but as she closed the space between them and leaned closer so they could look at her phone together, that same comfort that had snuck in earlier made her say things she would have been better at concealing, snuck in again. It was the same reason she had taken the water from him without thinking twice about the contents of it. She trusted him. "Yeah, it's nice. It's full of shops and things, it reminded me of California, actually. There's a nice cafe in there, oh the bar is a nice place to unwind. Especially at night when the lights are on and ships are going by, but I've only been there like a handful of times."

The fact that it might take that long to cross off all the lighthouses made her frown slightly, looking more like a pout. "And you never mentioned it?" She asked as she looked back up at him with a mock incredulous look on her face. "I'm going to have to rethink this friendship if you keep things like this from me, Wallaby." But then also muttered to herself as she turned her attention back to her phone and zoomed into where the lighthouse would be. "I can't believe I didn't notice it myself actually."

“Ah,” Elizabeth looked up at Wally, about to say some stupid quip about how he wanted to go everywhere. Instead she found herself smiling at the reddening of his cheeks. Something enduring about it, she could see the shy kid that would come here with his aunt as a child. She had to force herself to look away. “So, there’s a lot of places you’d like to see.” Taking another sip from her drink, she decided t pretend to not notice how flustered he become at the thought of all he wanted to see. It was nice to see. “Not nerdy at all. Hearing people talk about things they like, know about or what to know about is a lot better than having someone prat on forever about something they hate. There’s nothing nerdy about learning, ‘an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’”

Her smile spread as he said he liked lighthouses too. It was silly but she felt like a kid who got told they could have a cookie before dinner. “Yeah, some of them got used, some didn’t, some are cared for and still ran. Others have fallen to disrepair. But to think of the people that used to run them, the boats that saw them in the distance, heard the foghorns and knew that land was near.” She sighed, thinking about the times she spent on the bow of the boat in the dark night, nothing but darkness for miles until suddenly a light would cut through it all. Shrugging she thought it over. “I don’t know, just like them a lot. I guess it is my top one. Maybe even over books but I’ll deny it if you ever tell anyone.”

Finishing off her drink, she smiled. “I’m ready to go when you are, wallaby.” Excitement evident on her face about where they were going. “No rush if you’re not ready yet!” She added hoping she wasn’t being pushy or forcing him to eat faster. “I’m fine with sitting around a bit longer if you need to. How many lighthouses have you seen? Besides their history was there something else that made you like them? Also Alaskas northern lights are nice, but not as nice as Iceland’s.”

[idyllcy]

Day 7 - AU

"You're getting a wife."

Komaeda pauses, staring at his caretaker. "What?"

"The Komaeda name is sought after in high society, but since you're an orphan, I'm the one that decides." The woman smiles. "I want to see you get married before I pass."

Komaeda doesn't know how to break it to her that he's been seeing someone.

"What's... their name?"

"You'll see when you meet them." 

Komaeda waits apprehensively at the door as he waits for the bride to enter. 

He wonders if news of his marriage had gotten to your ears, and you had rushed off in fear that you'd be replaced. He wouldn't blame you. He was nowhere near the ideal guy to date or marry. His thoughts dampen his mood, and he lifts his head as he hears footsteps.

The bride bows, and Komaeda's eyes widen at the voice.

"A pleasure to meet you, heir of the Komaeda name," You hold your position until Komaeda speaks up.

"P-please get up," He mumbles. "We have prepared a banquet for your arrival. I hope you enjoy it."

"Thank you."

Komaeda pulls the doors open for both you and the escort in, and just for a moment, he wonders if you knew about this.

"Shujin," You wave for him, and he slides the door shut to sit next to you. As Komaeda finds a seat next to you, he thinks it'll be okay. Hopefully.

The banquet passes peacefully, thankfully. Komaeda's more worried about the consummation part. Maybe you'll see his body and run away. Maybe you'll take another lover because you don't think he's enough. Komaeda pauses and realizes his biggest worry would probably be an impending fear that his caretaker would watch you two consummate the marriage. He's heard stories of such from the servants. How scary.

You step into the room, staring at Komaeda.

"My parents will send a servant to check in the morning," You pause. "I... can cut if you don't want to."

"It's fine with me!" Komaeda tries explaining. "Ah, um, I was worried you wouldn't want to."

You bat your lashes at him, peeling the wedding attire off of yourself. "Um, I've never done this before, so."

"I haven't either," Komaeda helps you untie the kimono, and his breath hitches. "Did they... prep you?"

"Kind of? They put oil in me."

Komaeda pulls your kimono off and pulls his own to the side, his cock half-hard. You swallow slowly as Komaeda leans you back onto the futon, pumping himself twice before sliding himself into you slowly. Your breath hitches as he bottoms out in you, and Komaeda pauses, eyes widening at the sight of blood. 

"A-are you okay?"

"I think that's supposed to happen," You mumble. "uh... something about purity."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"We're supposed to," You gasp, whimpering as you shift your hips. "Finish, right?"

"But you're bleeding," Komaeda furrows his brows.

"It's okay," You mumble. "It feels, kind of good now."

"Are you sure?" Komaeda shifts his hips slightly, breath catching in his throat.

"Yeah."

Komaeda moves slowly, unsure how to. He slides in and out of you slowly, pistoning uncertainly with you underneath him. You reach between your legs, desperate for something on your clit. Komaeda stops you before you can, his own hand replacing yours and speeding up. 

"Is this g-good?"

"Yeah!" You whisper, voice breathy. "It's good."

Komaeda speeds up, and your breath catches in your throat as you feel your stomach coil. You reach for his chest, and Komaeda interlaces his fingers with yours, pushing your hand to the side, feeling him come close too. You cum first, crying as you cum on him, making a mess on the sheets. Komaeda cums next, spilling into you with a low grunt. He stays there for the moment, and you feel him soften inside of you. 

Komaeda finally pulls out once he catches his breath.

"I'm sorry." He mumbles, reaching for a towel. "I made a mess."

"I'm the one who made the mess," You take the towel from him, wiping yourself down. "That was good."

"Really?"

"Yes," You exhale, settling yourself into the futon, holding the blanket up for Komaeda. "What's for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Whatever you want," Komaeda slips in next to you. 

"That's good," Your eyes close, and Komaeda's shoulders relax once in the futon. "Good night..." you whisper.

"Good night," Komaeda whispers back.

[swanimagines]

Hi, it's me again! If it's ok, can I ask for D11 + Pin for the Freddy Carter event, please? And if you don't mind, can it be platonic, please? I always have a soft spot for platonic fics (I think you noticed this by now...) and I love how you write those!

FREDDY EVENT, send in requests for any of Freddy Carter's characters (NOT the man himself (= no Freddy Carter (the real person) x readers), only his characters)!! The event will be on for an indefinite time, if you're unsure, see if the event post is pinned. If it is, then it's still on. (Other requests are open too, but they go to my normal to-do list which I'm not able to start doing til March at earliest)

I bought 16 books at the start of the year so it's a relevant topic XD My head pounded as empty though when I tried to start this so this might feel a bit random, but I hope you like it anyway! It wasn't all about books in the end anyway, my first idea was them being in a bookshop together and Y/N buying a big pile of books but it didn't carry.

Prompt: D11. Books

Word count: 818

Your favorite way to past time, beside horses, had always been reading. You'd found a book in the library you had been drooling for months, but it had been sold out everywhere, and now you were quick into devouring it. You snuggled up at the hay shelter with a blanket as you read a few chapters more. At least you meant for it to be just a few chapters, but you suddenly snapped into reality when you realized that sun had already almost set and that you should have probably headed back to Pin's house hours ago. You hoped that his father wouldn't be mad at you, after all, he had kindly took you in when you came to visit the island from the mainland, despite not seeing you since you were no taller than a fire extinguisher. You and Pin had been best friends until you had to move to the mainland, but you had come back to visit once you saw the picture of the new Duke of the island and recognized the name.

Your stomach let out a loud growl in protest of not eating anything since lunch, and you groaned, climbing down from the hay pile.

"Y/N? What are you doing here this late? We thought you went home, almost everyone else did too," you heard a voice say from the left and you turned to see Pin. You smiled sheepishly.

"Got lost into a book again..." you replied, waving the said book in front of him. "I just get so invested in them, I didn't look at the time, and now I'm hungry. I know missed dinner, sorry."

He chuckled. "Don't worry about it, we all know how it is. I think there's some snacks in the fridge in the tack room, you'll manage with them until the morning. Come on."

You followed him to the tack room, and soon you had a sandwich in your hand and a bottle of fresh juice in the other, gratefully munching away and sipping the cold drink. Pin waited around until you had finished eating, making notes of all the work the team had done that day and after that, you mounted your horses and began riding towards Pin's castle.

"So... any exciting stuff in your book?" Pin asked after riding for a while and you snorted.

"If you keep asking for spoilers, you have soon read the book without reading it. You have to read the book, I refuse from giving away any more."

"Fair enough then," he chuckled.

The sun was setting by the time you reached the castle and you dismounted your horse and led her to the stable, taking off her equipment and giving her some hay and fresh water, before you kissed her goodnight. Pin waited you outside the stall, already having done it with Elvis. You yawned and stretched, trying to find the energy to go upstairs, change into your pajamas and brush your teeth. The thought of that all felt very unpleasant while being so tired. At this point, you weren't so sure anymore if you had been the hero in the story instead of the protagonist, at least she had done a lot during those chapters you had read.

Pin looked amused when he saw how tired you were. "Do you need me to carry you?"

You scoffed and rolled your eyes. "Oh stop it, I'm perfectly capable of going upstairs by myself."

He grinned and nodded towards the front door, where Arthur was already waiting for you. He gave you a friendly smile as you passed him, and you went straight to your room, brushing your teeth and changing into your nightwear. You went to bed and closed your eyes - but suddenly you weren't sleepy anymore. Your eyes automatically drifted to the book peeking out from your bag, and you sighed.

No. You're sleeping. You are not picking up the book, you'll read the whole night again. You nodded at yourself determinedly, pursing your lips and rolled over to forget about the book.

But like many mornings before, when Arthur came to wake you up for breakfast, he found you with your book lying beside your pillow, you having fallen to sleep while reading your book. So he closed the door, deciding to let you sleep for a while longer, already knowing that Pin would agree on that too. They all knew about your severe case of bookwormness, but it wasn't a bad thing. Pin liked hearing you rambling about your favorite characters, and everyone else at the stables had so gotten used to you sitting somewhere quiet with your book that it would feel weird not seeing you like that for longer than a week.

You just were part of their days, even when you hadn't been on the island for a long time now, but you had quickly grown to be one of them.

Pin taglist for Freddy event: @scandalous-chaos @brekkers-desigirl @mentallynotstableghost // send in an ask to be added, and specify which of Freddy's characters do you want to be tagged on! (This taglist is for Freddy event only, I won't take character taglists for anyone else than Freddy's characters)

[sirthisisa-wendys]

Punica granatum: Toji Fushiguro x Fem!Reader

synopsis: a short snippet of a story you all know and love.

wc: 1.6k

tw: none

masterlist

"Are you hungry?"

"No." You cast an angry glance at the monster who is holding you captive. "Leave me alone."

"Perhaps you're thirsty?"

"No." A protective covering of shrubs shields you away from the stench of oakmoss and belladonna emitting from the entity across from you. "Go away." His green eyes shift from your hunched-over figure to the stone-cold floor in front of him.

"I..." His words falter, but you look away from him, focusing on some point in the distance. The hulking god across from you stands suddenly, storming off in the face of your resistance as you call out,

"I'd rather die than live here with you."

But that wasn't all true. Death is so final, so permanent. And you could never bring yourself to do the unthinkable and commit yourself to such an act. However, you did not want your captor to feel any reassurance from your presence.

Discomfort.

You want him to avoid looking at you, avoid talking to you, avoid you completely. Maybe then he would let you go back home to your goddess mother and your life as a humble farmer to the eternal beings of this world.

Maybe then he'd see you were of no value to him among the various others he could have stolen that day.

But Toji Fushiguro is a patient god, you learn, and your hunger strike withers in the face of his persistence.

"You must be hungry," he murmurs, leaning over the couch you're perched on and looking at you curiously. "I have fruit if you want it. And it's fresh."

Fresh fruit. Your stomach grumbles furiously at the offering, but you mask your hunger with a look of disinterest.

"No, thank you." You place your book in front of your face again, the words blurring together as Toji moves around to sit next to you, his black sweatshirt pulled taut over his chest.

"Not even some juice, huh?" You don't reply, still pretending to read the book, when he finally sighs. "Well, I'm going to go to a meeting. I'll be back shortly but in the meantime, my... friend... will be watching over you. In case you try to escape." Again, you offer him no response, and Toji leaves you alone on the couch; the invisible "friend" no doubt just the cameras placed around the property.

You've scoped them out and know where you can hide should you need a place to do something secretive. Three blind spots. That's all you had to do what you had wanted to do for some time now.

You walk into the kitchen and pour yourself a glass of water before looking over the offerings in the fruit bowl. Bananas, oranges, apples... a pomegranate.

Perfect.

You pluck the ripe fruit from the bowl with ease and retrieve a metal spoon from a drawer. All the knifes had been replaced with notes like "thought you could use one of those, huh" and "not in my house". Little shithead.

You open the fruit and scrape the seeds from inside while you stand between the pantry and the laundry room, right in the blind spot of two cameras. You devour the fruit in record timing, then dispose of it as quickly as you can before downing the cup of water you poured earlier, placing it in the sink, and in full view of a camera.

"I knew you were hungry."

The voice behind you makes your skin crawl, and you turn to face Toji again, eyes wide.

"How did you--"

"Does it matter?" he wonders, taking his hands out of his sweatpants pockets and rubbing them together briefly. "Between the fruit and the books, you're easy to predict. You haven't considered I've planted everything here for you so you'll be more inclined to--"

"You tricked me."

"And?" Your stomach lurches, and you grip the sink edge behind you, vision blurring.

"What the hell have you done to me?" Toji gives you a toothy grin, approaching you slowly and placing both hands on either side of your body. His head dips, the scar on his lips separating as he speaks gently, deliberately.

"You consumed my property. You ate one of the many fruits I grow in the fields of my domain, little goddess. You're mine... at least until I say you're not." Your knees buckle slightly, but you still manage to keep yourself upright, clutching the sink for all it's worth. "Six sections of the pomegranate. Six months out of the year. That's what you owe me."

"Fucking asshole--"

"Careful, y/n," Toji touches your chin, but you snap your teeth at him with the little strength you have left. "It's a shame you didn't eat the orange. But I bet you wish you would've eaten the banana instead..."

His voice fades to black as you slump forward, your body giving out and no longer supporting you.

_____________________________________________________________

You awake in your bed, like most mornings, staring out at the barren landscape of your new home.

"There's no life here," you whisper to no one, eyes blinking slowly. "There's nothing here."

Toji takes his respite in his own room, choosing to remain away from you, especially because you cry. You cry every single day. And when you're not crying, you're laying somewhere, sniffling into your sleeves as you dig deeper into the despair and sorrow of your predicament.

The first time you cried, he didn't know what to do. Toji started with trying to get you to eat something - which was rebuffed with a nasty retort - and ended up watching you sob into your hands, unsure of what he could do to make it better.

"You could let me go," you huffed, but he recoiled, frowning at you as if you had just requested the world stop spinning.

"You ate the fruit," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and squinting his emerald eyes. "I'm sorry, but them's the rules."

"You're not sorry."

"No, I'm actually not."

And from that day on, you vowed to see less and less of him until finally, you remained in your room, huddled under the comforter and staring out of the window from dawn until dusk. You don't know how many days had passed like this, but it doesn't matter.

There would be a time when you would be allowed to go home.

You don't want to be here.

Or so you think.

_____________________________________________________________

The first day you're coaxed out of bed is entirely by accident.

A barking noise draws you out of your trance, and you almost fall out of bed at the sound of something other than another person in the house.

You throw open the door and rush toward the yipping, finding Toji sitting in the living room on all fours and staring down at the little white dog. The tiny thing is staring back at him with wide blue eyes, wholly focused.

"Speak."

The dog barks twice, then a treat is produced from Toji's hand and deposited in front of the canine. When Toji sees you staring from around the corner, brows furrowed, he offers you a look of recognition. The white dog walks up to Toji and licks his face, then sits and waits patiently.

"Throw hands," Toji commands the dog, and it backs up on its back legs, raising its front paws before jumping toward Toji. "I taught it a few tricks." You approach the two carefully, the dog facing you with a wide smile and a wagging tail.

"Hey, little buddy..." you whisper, picking it up carefully.

"His name is Six Eyes."

You and Six Eyes become fast friends, running around the house and terrorizing Toji on occasion. But the best days are spent with Six Eyes in your room, both of you laying out on the bed with a book or something to take your mind off of the punishment you must endure.

Toji rarely bothers you, and you the same. Unless, of course, Six Eyes needs to pee and he can't take him out due to "work", or you need Toji to get his dog food.

But in taking care of the little dog - who is much smarter than he would have anyone believe - you find a softness in Toji you hadn't seen before. Countless times, you find him and Six Eyes napping on the couch or playing "soccer" (which is just fetch with a tennis ball), or sitting together and watching some science fiction show. Your hatred of him doesn't quite wane, but you allow yourself to see him in a different light. One that isn't so bad.

_____________________________________________________________

"Tomorrow," Toji announces while you're sitting with Six Eyes and watching a telenovela. "You're going home tomorrow."

"Wait, really?" He notices the lift in your tone, the way you straighten up and your eyes regain the hint of the familiar glow they had before he stripped it away from you. In his heart, there is deep envy, a deep desire to know what it's like to be thought of as desirable. But he ignores that part of himself, stuffing it down as you hold Six Eyes in your arms and watch him carefully.

"Yeah," he answers, tossing the pieces of junk mail into the trash in the kitchen. "For six months."

"Can I take him with me?" You hold up the dog and the animal stares at him with that stupid "head empty, stomach full" look. Toji clicks his tongue against his teeth and turns away, shrugging.

"Whatever." You respond by placing a few kisses on the dog's head, returning back to the telenovela with a cheerfulness you can't quite contain. And Toji notices it, growing ever so distant with each hour that passes, until he's fully retreated into his room and sulking while reading the volume you had first picked up when you arrived, trying to find a deeper meaning within the words he had never read before.

[whosscruffylooking]

The Purest Things-Damaged

Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Warnings: Mentions of rape, murder, and cheating. Canon-typical violence. 

Word Count: 3.7k

A/N: and so we begin our descent into the world of slow-burn! this piece begins at the end of season 3 episode 13 & carries into seasons 3 episode 14. thank you to everyone who has interacted with my stories, commenting and reposting helps creators so much! enjoy this installment :)

The Purest Things Masterlist

Gif Credit: @hqtchner

january 2008

Bookend: “We are all damaged. We have all been hurt. We have all had to learn painful lessons. We are all recovering from some mistake, loss, betrayal, abuse, injustice or misfortune. All of life is a process of recovery that never ends. We each must find ways to accept and move through the pain and to pick ourselves back up....Each tragedy is an announcement that some good will indeed come in time. Be patient with yourself.” ― Bryant McGill

Another day, another murderer locked away. This case proved that sometimes, the so-called "good guys" can be just as selfish as the "bad guys." The special agent who recruited the BAU's help, Jill Morris, used this case to obtain personal fame and grow her career.

You sit next to Rossi aboard the plane. He had a more personal interaction with Morris throughout the case, and you can tell her actions have left him more than disappointed.

Looking out the window at the sun setting behind the clouds, you mumble to yourself, "What's the difference?"

"Did you say something?" Dave speaks up.

Looking to him, you brush it off, "Oh. Nothing. I was just talking to myself."

He crosses his legs and smiles a warm smile at you, "Penny, for your thoughts then."

"I guess...I just don't understand how Jill Morris's motives can be any different from Jeremy Andrus's. Of course, Jill didn't murder or rape anyone. But, she exploited this case for her own personal benefit. She didn't just use the unsub; she exploited the victims as well. How is that any different than Jeremy using women for his own gratification?"

David sighs, "Aristotle said, 'Every practical pursuit or undertaking seems to aim at some good.' Our brains are wired for love and solidarity. Greed forms to undermine that wiring and trick others into believing that their means to an end is done for "good." People believe that to maintain that myth, any and all costs to others are simply casualties in the long run."

"There is all the difference in the world between helping another soul and exploiting their hardship for your own gain and deceiving yourself that they are the same," he continues, "I tried to show Jill that. But, I think she's already determined that the reason she does this job is not for the same reasons that we do. The rush of catching a suspect comes second to the excitement she gets when being praised for her achievement."

"What happened to her empathy," you wonder, "Empathy is a natural foundation in each of our lives, and our society functions on it! How could that not overpower her desire for recognition? I mean, for Christ's sake, her friend just died!"

"Unfortunately," he solemnly says, "It is harder to understand the motives of our peers than it is to profile a serial killer."

+++++

You wake as if there is an emergency, like sleeping had become a deadly thing, your heart pounds, and thoughts jumble throughout your brain. Shooting up from your seat, you crawl over a sleeping Rossi and stumble your way to the bathroom.

Your knuckles turn white as you grip the edge of the sink. Looking cautiously into the mirror, as if you are uncertain of what you'll see, you take in your ghostly appearance. Sweat beads drip down your forehead. Unable to comprehend the blurry remnants of your dream, you turn on the faucet and splash your face with cold water.

Upon exiting the bathroom, you notice everyone is sound asleep. Thank goodness no one noticed your state of panic. You notice that one overhead reading light is on and look to see Hotch awake and blankly staring out the window.

"Can't sleep either?" You ask, sitting across from him.

"Are you alright?" He asks, trying to deflect your attention.

You squint at him, unwilling to back down, "Are you?"

He looks at you intently, taking the sight of you in inch-by-inch. No one has asked him that over the past few weeks. In fact, everyone has seemingly been avoiding him since he was served his divorce papers. Perhaps they are doing it because they are unsure how to support him or genuinely feel that what he needs right now is space.

However, you know that being alone is the last thing he needs right now. "Hotch, I know it isn't my place, and I--I'm sorry if this is overstepping. But that expression on your face that you've worn for the past few weeks isn't foreign to me. Perhaps to everyone else, it is. They don't know what to do or say. You're their unit chief, and they are used to you being strong and keeping it together for the sake of everyone else."

He straightens his posture, his attention centered on you.

"I witnessed firsthand the ways that divorce can torment people. My parents got a sudden divorce when I was 14. It was unexpected to all of us. My father was unfaithful, and although my mom was willing to forgive him, he didn't want to put in the work anymore. He found a new outlet for his frustrations. I watched my mother and father waste away for years," you lament.

Hotch sits on the edge of his seat, his eyes trained keenly on you. It was odd for him to make a connection so quick, to give his trust so easily. In fact, he hardly trusts at all. Dave and Haley are the only ones who have really been given an insider's peek into the mind and heart of Aaron Hotchner. There was something in the way he listens so actively to what you are saying. You would be lying if you said you didn't notice his gaze aimed at your lips.

There is a sympathetic and heartfelt concern he shows for you, one second only to your own regard for him. He listens like he is absorbing your words. The longer you spend in each other's presence, the more you both realize that this is the kind of friendship you both have needed for far too long. Even if the words go unspoken, you share an empathetic understanding of one another, and you are sure it has been there since the day you met. Hotch has been fascinated by you since he watched your interview with Strauss over and over again, though he would never let it be known.

+++++

February 2008

Today is the day that you get to accompany Hotch and Reid on the Criminal Personality Research Project to interview Chester Hardwick before his execution. Hardwick's case is one you know inside and out. You wrote a research report on it that was awarded the Graduate Student Ethics Writing Competition winner for the American Psychological Association and was published in their Ethics and Behavior journal. Agent Hotchner suggested that you tag along, considering you know just as much about the case as Spencer does.

You and Spencer absentmindedly fiddle with the knickknacks that rest upon the desk as you wait to be escorted to see Chester Hardwick.

Hotch's phone begins to ring, and he answers it, "Yeah, J.J... Um, no, it's--It's a personal matter. Yes, thank you. I will take care of it when I get back."

"Everything okay?" You ask softly.

"Yeah, fine." He says abruptly.

"We can do this interview another time," Reid offers.

Aaron huffs, "Well, he is scheduled to be executed next week."

"I can take the lead on the interview if you w-" Reid unintentionally pushes.

You cut him off, "Reid."

Hotch shoots you an appreciative look.

Anytime sir.

"Agent Hotchner?" A relatively short man wearing freakishly petite glasses comes to the door.

The Unit Chief shakes the man's hand and introduces you and Spencer.

"You're here to see our infamous inmate Hardwick," the warden exclaims.

"Yes," you say, "He agreed to meet with us as part of our Criminal Personality Research Project before his execution."

The man smiles widely, "I've read your research on Hardwick many times. I must say, seeing your perspective on the mind of such a prolific killer was very enlightening."

You beam with pride at his commendation. Instinctively you look to Hotch, who appears to have the slight trace of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

You wonder, how can he go from scowling and frustrated one minute to fighting back the urge to smile at the mention of your achievements? You bite your lip to suppress any further needless excitement.

The warden continues to ramble, "Serial killers are kind of a hobby of mine. Chester is the only one I've ever met in person, though. I bet you've met quite a few."

"Sir," Hotch interjects, "We'd very much like to get started as soon as we can."

Time to put our serious pants back on.

You can visibly see your superior's annoyance, and you stifle a chuckle.

The warden quickly composes himself and apologizes for his enthusiasm, touching his hand to Hotch's shoulder in the process. Hotch's mouth falls agape, and his sights shoot to you. A small snort escapes you, and you cover your mouth, attempting to conceal it as a cough. He squints at you as if he is mentally murdering you. You crinkle your nose at him.

Don't mentally murder me when we are about to interview one of the most prolific killers of our time.

The warden leads you into the small cell that you will convert into a makeshift interrogation room. Soon enough, you hear the clanking of chains echoing in the hallway. Everyone's eyesight is fixed on the door.

A silver-haired man dressed in a yellow jumpsuit walks in with an air of arrogance and determination. He glares at Agent Hotchner, who mirrors the prisoner's actions exactly. Hotch states that keeping the prisoner chained will not be necessary, a call that both you and Spencer are unsure of.

Hardwick sits across from you and leans into the table, "I know you."

"And I know you. Too well, I think," you respond.

A menacing grin sweeps across his face, "Oh, I like you already. How about you send these two away so the grown-ups can talk."

You can hear your boss scoff from behind you.

"Chester, it's time to get serious."

"You were born April 4, 1950?" Spencer asks.

"Does my birthday really matter?"

"It's customary for us to start at the beginning. We want to know as much as we can about your childhood," Reid continues.

"There's nothing to know. It was average. I lived in a nice house on a quiet street. I ate cereal, went to school, watched cartoons."

"I don't have time for this," Hotch raises his voice, causing you to jump slightly, "You grew up in a series of projects, each one worse than the last. You spent your teenage years peeping into your female neighbors' windows and burglarizing their underwear drawers when you got the chance. You set 100 small fires for which you spent 2 years in juvenile detention."

You glance at Reid from the corner of your eye; you are both uncomfortable with the direction Hotch is taking this.

"We've done extensive research, Mr. Hardwick," you say, gently trying to soften the blow and appeal to the man's ego. If Hotch is taking the bad cop role, you need to be this psychopath's ally.

"We've talked to almost everyone you've ever known," you continue, "including your mother."

Chester swivels on the balls of his feet, "Good ol' Jean? I'll bet she was a real treat."

"At this point, lying to us isn't really possible or helpful," Spencer offers a slight smirk to the man.

"Y/N, right?" the prisoner turns his attention to you, "They're wrong. They're all wrong."

"About what, Chester?" You implore him.

"I started a lot more than one hundred fires," he peers out the window.

You look up at Hotch, and he sighs in surrender.

Chester antagonizes you three, stating that no one care's whether or not they hear the truth. In between his jabs, he strays to various different series of thoughts. Most are meaningless, but it is his way of trying to get under your skin. For you and Spencer, it is relatively easy to maintain your composure. For Hotch, however, Hardwick's digs do nothing but add fuel to the already lit flame under the special agent.

"Let's talk about the specifics of this case, Chester," you interrupt his rant, "Why did you choose Sheila O'Neal?"

He shakes his head, "You gotta show me a picture. I don't know their names."

As if you can feel Hotch's anger radiating off of his body, you brace yourself for the oncoming strike.

"Is that what this is all about," he says disgustedly, "Some chance for you to relive all of this?"

"I have an excellent memory," Chester brags.

You tune his impassionate speech out and focus your observance on your boss. His scalding stare at Hardwick can only translate one way, 'I have initiated my emotional indifference. I could kill you and not care one bit. So proceed with caution.'

"They were toys, a diversion," you hear Hardwick chant as you tune back into the present. Hotch looks anywhere but at the killer in front of him, his gaze eventually landing you. You are some kind of shelter to him that neither of you has yet acknowledged or come to understand.

Your stomach churns at Chester's descriptions of his victims. He describes them as useless objects that, once their purpose was served, were discarded like garbage.

"Why did you ask us here?" Hotch charges.

The wicked man looks at you, his eyes void of a soul and his stare sending a chill down your veins. 

"I wanted to speak to her." 

Your breath catches at the back of your throat.

With that, Hotch straightens up and fervently positions himself between Chester and you. "Reid, pack it up," he commands.

Reid looks to you, "Are you sure?"

"No, now." Your superior repeats himself with even more fervor. He presses the buzzer to signal the guards to release us and says, "Have a nice trip. You're going where you belong." Hotch makes sure to put as much distance between you and Hardwick as possible. He buzzes the ringer again. No response.

"It's 5:17," Hardwick chuckles.

You close your eyes, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. Reaching out for Hotch's arm, you lower his hand from the buzzer. "The evening yard begins at 5 o'clock. No one is going to come open that door for-"

"At least thirteen minutes," Chester disrupts. He waltzes over the table and takes one of the images of his victims into his hand. Holding it up as if to brag to us about it, he says, "And it took me less than five minutes to do this."

You push aside your worry. Instead, you choose to focus on all of the information you have accumulated over the years about Chester Hardwick. There has to be something you can use to your advantage to diffuse this situation.

"Perhaps in all of your research, you should have familiarized yourselves with the guard tones," Hardwick jeers.

"I heard the tones," Hotch counters in a monotone voice.

"So you planned to be locked inside with me, with no guns or weapons."

Hotch shakes his head, his voice more natural than before, "I won't need a gun."

Spencer places his hand on your arm and begins to guide you to the other side of the room.

"There's no way I am going to be executed next week," Chester taunts, kneading his hands together. "Not after I kill three FBI agents. You saved my life by coming here." His venomous words ring in your ears.

Hotch's tone deepens, "Unfortunately for you, I am not a five-foot-one-hundred-pound girl."

Your pulse quickens at Hotch's threat, and your attention is rapt by his display of dominance. He begins to shed his jacket. You feel yourself flushing; attraction suddenly entangles you as if it were an invisible rope.

Now is the worst possible time to be feeling this. Calm down.

"All of your life, you've gone after victims who couldn't fight back," he fiercely says, "and the rest of the time you spent looking over your shoulder." You understand the intensity in his tone and sense a great deal of emotion behind his words.

He rips his tie from his collar, and your breathing hitches in the back of your throat. Hopefully, Spencer doesn't notice, and if he does, he chalks it up to the deadly situation you find yourself in.

"You were always worried about the knock on the door," Hotch doesn't back down, "Scared that somebody like me would be on the other side waiting to put you away."

Well, if you keep ripping your tie off like th--no. Not gonna go there right now. Focus on the pyshco-killer threatening to kill you.  

Now, Hotch intimidatingly points his finger directly at Hardwick.

If only I were on the receiving end of tha--no! Now. Is. Not. The. Time.

"At your core, you are a coward," Hotch fires.  

You have to do something. Hardwick is enraged, and Hotch has nothing left to lose.

Without even giving it a second thought, you blurt out, "Chester, do you want to know why you killed those women?"

"What?" The prisoner hisses.

Spencer speaks up, "Earlier, you said you wished you were different. We can tell you why you are...what you are."

He begins moving towards you, and out of the corner of your eye, you notice your boss carefully making equal strides. You motion for him to stop.

"You can tell me why I did what I did?"

"I think so," you nod, "Don't you, Dr. Reid?"

"I do. Your mother is bipolar. And almost certainly an undifferentiated schizophrenic. Your father suffered severe shell shock in the war, what we now refer to as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As far as I can tell, he remained clinically depressed the rest of his life."

"Exactly," you say, giving Spencer a chance to gather his thoughts after having thrown him under the bus.

"53% of all serial killers have some form of mental illness inherent to their families. Chester, in your case, both of your parents suffered from psychological disorders, which they essentially took out on each other as much as they beat you. So, violence sort of became a normal expression of love in your household," you say, eager to have some kind of breakthrough with him while subliminally directing Spencer's string of thoughts to follow yours.

Allowing Reid to pick up where you leave off, he takes charge of the conversation and explains how a portion of one's brain wants what it wants without conscience or judgment. A part of the brain that no doubt took over Hotch's reasoning powers moments ago, though you do not blame him.

"Earlier, you said your victims never had a chance. I think you know deep down that it was you that never really had a chance," he concludes. And with that victorious resolution, the guards unlock the door. Hotch storms out, and Reid follows behind.

"Is that true that I never had the chance?" Hardwick calls out after you both.

You stop in your tracks, "I don't know."

"Maybe," Spencer nudges you out the door.

++++

In the car, Hotch looks at you in the rearview mirror, "That was smart to get Hardwick to focus on himself long enough for the guards to come back."

You pat Spencer's shoulder, "I give all the credit to boy wonder and his beautiful statistic-filled brain. I'm sorry for all of the times I said you were running out of storage with all of that useless data."

"I find that I do some of my best work under intense terror," he declares, "Wait. Useless data? When did you say that?"

You pinch him softly and chuckle, "I'm kidding."

"I'm sorry," Hotch sighs.

You meet his gaze in the mirror once again, "For what?"

His chestnut eyes reveal pangs of remorse and guilt, but something tells you there's more to those feelings than what occurred at the prison.

"I antagonized the situation."

"No, you didn't," Spencer states.

"I certainly didn't help."

"Well, I can't argue with you there," you kid.

His piercing eyes suddenly twinkle, causing you to blush slightly. You quickly look down at your feet until your cheeks cool down.

Hotch sighs in defeat, "So Haley wants me to sign the divorce papers uncontested so that nobody wastes money on lawyers."

That statement is all too familiar to you. Yet again, your heart shatters for the Hotchners.

"You don't want to?" Spencer asks innocently.

He means well, but you know from experience that such a question only unleashes a tidal wave of painful emotions for the one fighting for his family.

"What I want, I'm not going to get," Hotch laments.

His eyes, once filled with depth, now distant and empty.

++++

Glancing up from your paperwork and into your supervisor's office, you take note of his gravity-drawn shoulders that carry the weight of the world on them. He repeatedly picks up a stack of papers and then drops them back down atop his desk, covering his face with his hands.

"What do you think is going on up there?" Derek asks, pointing his pen in the direction of the office.

"I might have an idea. I'm going to go take my report; anyone else's done?" They all hand you their paperwork for you to deliver to the boss.

You hesitate to knock on his door but apprehensively do so anyways.

He invites you in. Your heart sinks as you approach his desk, able to get a closer look at his beaten expression. You always knew he was hiding pain behind his tough exterior, but now he wears it on the surface, most likely unintentionally.

Placing the paperwork on his desk, you notice the heading on the papers he was gripping tightly.

SUPREME COURT STATE OF VIRGINIA: MARITAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

Hotch's eyes move slowly, laboriously, to look at you as if it takes a concentrated effort to do so.

"Heartache is a real thing," you sympathize with him, "In fact, Reid even told me that a broken heart can show up on medical scans. When a heart breaks, your body and brain need time to recuperate. There's no set amount of time or remedy that will heal you. Don't set your expectations of yourself too high, and surround yourself with the people who love you."

His chin trembles, and his eyes flutter as he blinks back tears.

You turn to leave the room but look over your shoulder one last time, "We are all here for you, Hotch."

Just as you are about to shut the door, you hear him call out to you, "Y/L/N!"

His stare reveals a vulnerability you have had yet to see in him.

"Call me Aaron."

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[fayeimara]

Sakusa Kiyoomi || Quiet Corners of Our World

SUMMARY. A busy Sunday becomes something else entirely when your typically routine-loving boyfriend has some unexpected surprises in store.

PAIRING. You x Sakusa Kiyoomi

GENRE. Fluff <3

WARNINGS. Suggestive

Reader Request Part Two | This is a continuation of the story in Small Moments.

It's a small kiss behind your ear that wakes you up, along with a whispered, "Good morning, love." You turn towards the deep baritone, seeking its owner even though you've barely roused. Sliding one hand forward to squeeze in between the cool pillow and cooler sheets, enhanced by the press of Sakusa's head still lying atop it, your other hand finds his cheek even before you've opened your eyes. When you do briefly flicker them open, it's to meet his amused gaze for just a moment before the bright rays streaming in from your windows compel your lids to flutter shut again. There's an enticing aroma in the air and it's not just your boyfriend's aftershave.

Tilting your head up in a silent plea for his soft lips to meet yours, you hear a low chuckle instead before you feel something light brush the tip of your nose back and forth. A butterfly kiss. A smile tugs at the corners of your mouth but quickly turns into a pout when he his teasing tone breaks the silence again.

"I'd like a proper kiss, love, wouldn't you?"

You nod with an assenting hum and it seems he'd anticipated your non-verbal answer because he's already continuing. "Then you'll come brush your teeth, won't you? I have a surprise for my little butterfly."

The words are still soft with temptation and your eyes peek open again, this one longer than your first attempt. This time, when you meet Kiyo's deep gaze, it anchors you to him as you fight off the last hazy remnants of your sleep. If only you didn't feel like you could lay there falling into the dark, mesmerizing pools of his eyes instead.

You're tempted to close your eyes again just to regain your equilibrium but it would be quite futile. That, and you're realizing it's Sunday, which means both you and Sakusa have your respective engagements for the day. Your mind wanders back to the previous day, an improvised but perfect lazy date indoors, which already seems so far from reach.

What if the two of you canceled your plans to pursue a whole, lazy weekend? Would the world stop turning? You smirk, tempted to be a little bad and see if you can convince Kiyo to join your sudden scheme.

"What's that little smile about, sweetheart?" You startle, realizing your thoughts have wandered while he continued to study you, holding your unfocused gaze. He has his own little smirk on his face, as though he's actually able to peer right through your eyes and view your most intimate daydreams.

A blush works its way onto your cheeks, you can feel the warmth even if you can't see it but you're definitely aware of his eyes tracking every miniscule change with that beguiling smile still curving his lips. You pretend to stretch out in order to hide your clearly telling expression, hoping to compose yourself again quickly. With your arms hovering over your face you miss his movement, only feeling the slightest shift before his fingers caress the now exposed skin at your stomach and waist.

"Kiyo!" You're jackknifing so fast in order to jump out of the bed as you reach for his wrist to pull his arm away but he's not done with flustering you when you're in your sleepy state because his other arm catches you mid lunge and you're drawn back against his hard body before you can even register that you're trapped.

Kiyoomi's long legs stretch out alongside yours, shepherding them with light pressure so that he can form a cage around you, finally complete when the hand with the wandering fingers enters your line of sight before dropping to your shoulder. Arms criss-crossed around you, one across your waist and the other crossing that space just below your collarbone, he finally leans in with a brush of his lips to the shell of your ear and whispers, "Didn't you want to stay in bed longer? Isn't that what you were just thinking... How you might convince me to stay?"

Even as your stomach flips at his seductive tenor, your face burns as you're caught at your own game before you could even begin to truly consider it. What a dangerously perceptive man you've chosen to call your own. And how like him to torment you when you're caught unaware. He had better be prepared for some payback. Much later.

"Ah..no."

"No?"

"No." You shrug as much as you can in his hold, thankful you're at least facing away as you boldly lie, "I was... thinking about you brushing my teeth."

You might have actually thrown him for a loop as he pauses and then, his flirtatious game forgotten, warily repeats, "Me brushing your teeth?"

Oh no. You can't laugh. But it's difficult as you can quite literally imagine the exact look of distaste on his face at this very moment. He might end up thinking it's an amusing or even cute concept some day but this reaction is pretty typical when he processes new actions that go against his natural instincts. Exactly why you chose this very visual.

"Mhm. You withheld my rightful kisses because you wanted me to brush my teeth first, didn't you?" Okay, so maybe there's a little payback for him sooner than you'd planned. Three birds, one stone. What a feat.

"So... you think I want to brush them for you...?" He trails off, completely unsure where you're going with this.

You shake your head, tone quite glib when you elaborate on your lie, "Not quite. I just imagined you might force me, like a bad puppy or something you apparently think you can order around. That why I was smiling. The imagery and all."

"You were smirking." He corrects with authoritative tone completely ignoring your subtle admonishment. Is that humour seeping back in, as well? "But if you want me to treat you like a pet..."

You jerk forward again, trying to slip his hold as he manipulates the conversation to regain the upper hand. This isn't where the conversation was supposed to flow.

"Not a pet, Kiyoomi."

"Really? If you like that stuff, I guess I can give it a tr-"

"It was a joke!"

"You sure, pet?" His amusement is back full force and you have to roll your eyes at your now failed attempt to regain your composure because, well, maybe you walked into that one by being impulsive.

"It was actually a lie, wasn't it?"

You stay silent, debating if it's better to just refuse to talk until you're completely awake with a cup or two of coffee to fortify yourself from your boyfriend's unexpectedly bold banter today. It seems like Sakusa is in a playful mood but you have no idea why, given that you each will be going separate ways for your respective commitments in less than two hours.

You find yourself suddenly lifted up in his arms, as he effortlessly carries you off the bed before swinging you up like a ragdoll, in a maneuver that ends with his arms cradling you bridal style as he walks you both to the adjoining bathroom. Now you're actually speechless, without deliberate intention, as you find yourself staring up at the elegant lines of his face, hands having wildly grabbed his shirt at the chest and behind his neck when he moved.

His dark eyes are filled with mirth as they connect with yours, "Your silence is incriminating, love. I may just have to follow through with your request in retaliation for ever uttering such a suggestion."

"I didn't ask-" You start of indignant but end up cutting yourself off as a thought occurs to you, "Wait. Do you actually like the idea?"

His eyes narrow down at you, face falling into his classic inconvenienced expression as if you've somehow disrupted his rhythm. Isn't it the other way around? Hey, you should be the one giving him that look!

"Of course not." His voice is clipped and slightly unconvincing.

When he finally sets you down on your feet, you lean on the counter to watch him as he reaches for your toothbrush, neatly squeezing out the perfect amount of paste on its bristles before letting it swing quickly under a soft, brief stream from the tap.

It's when he turns back to you, holding it up holding the instrument up to your mouth and going, "Say ahhh." as if trying to feed a toddler, that you realize he's actually going to try to brush your teeth. You suppose neither of you have been good at backing down from the others' challenge and it's placed you in odder scenarios than this. A giggle spills from your lips at how silly this one is and it's his small answering smile, with a mix of self-deprecation and good humour, that prompts you to obediently follow his instructions.

It's... intimate, to say the least. He's very methodical, probably too gentle, as he makes sure to count out the strokes at each and every side. You find yourself with rare minutes of being able to study him completely unfettered, starting with the tiny dent between his brows from the intense concentration to his task at hand. The way his head tilts and mouth purses between instructions to you is quite endearing.

But as his eyes wander up to yours, the bristles begin to tickle your gums, as if he's applying exactly the wrong amount of pressure, enough to make it unbearable so you're pulling your toothbrush from his fingers to finish the job with ingrained, thorough efficiency.

You notice he doesn't move for his own brush, watching you instead with a silly smile that no one else would believe Sakusa Kiyoomi could produce. When you finish, mouth clean and minty fresh, he leans down to present another butterfly kiss but this time you finally feel the soft melt of his lips onto yours before he pulls away again. Hm.. he's already brushed his teeth before you woke?

You can't help but tease, "So that's it, huh? I suppose my kisses were denied on account of morning breath."

"Not quite." He mimics your own words from just earlier and it has you arching an eyebrow in challenge.

"Mhm.. convenient timing to receive my first kiss of the day, then."

"Love, I would kiss you any time of day or night. There's nothing about you that could push me away."

The absolute certainty with which he says that makes it feel like your heart could beat its way out of your chest just to go claim its space in the undeniable warmth of his.

But.. "Then why use it as a bribe?"

Instead of answering, Kiyo curls his fingers around yours to draw you back into the bedroom as he throws over his shoulder, "It's probably cool by now, so it might be a little late but..."

And with a little gesture, he reveals the source of the heady aroma that you couldn't place earlier, the savoury scents of grilled fish, rice, and miso soup permeating your room, scents which now feel quite familiar and easily placed once you see the prepared breakfast tray perched on his side table.

"Oh Kiyo.. breakfast in bed?"

"We missed it yesterday and I was up early so I wanted to surprise you." He sounds a little disheartened but you've never been one to shirk food even if it's not piping hot.

It couldn't have been sitting too long either, it hasn't been more than ten minutes since he tried to wake you, maybe fifteen. You move back to the bed, careful to fold the soft down duvet to the lower half of the bed. It's a pretty big step for him to bring such spillable and worse, stainable, meals into your room, let alone on the bed.

You look him over carefully but truly can't find a single tell that it's bothering him, so you accept your tray gracefully, seating it on the bed between you both as you notice two pairs of chopsticks. A shared breakfast in bed. While he's long since gotten over his aversion of sharing food, at least with you, it's definitely a monumental milestone and an incredibly romantic gesture in his special way.

It's over this new shared moment that you're tucking away in your memories, that Sakusa give you his biggest surprise yet.

"I've canceled our plans for today." "You ca- our- what?" You're at a loss for words, wondering what's prompted these sudden impulses in your typically steadfast boyfriend.

"I've canceled out plans for today and made us new ones."

You're speechless again, in the calm face of Sakusa Kiyoomi, who has managed to spend the little time you've been awake completely blindsiding you with new experiences and developments. Why is he pushing himself so?

"Baby-"

"Love. Don't question it. Just follow my lead, yes?" His question is so openly trusting, as if the only answer you can give is an affirmative yes, that it takes your breath away. This man..

"...yes."

The first place Sakusa takes you on what you've now realized is a second attempt at your much anticipated but canceled date from yesterday is far more extravagant than the simple park picnic you'd planned. The two of you spent about an hour's car ride before finally arriving at your destination - the breathtaking botanical gardens you're now strolling through.

It's everything you imagined and more, having never had the chance to visit previously, and it's the perfect time to see almost all the flowers at their very peak, in full, resplendent bloom. The air is heavy with the natural fragrance of the vast gardens, the scents tantalizing without becoming overwhelming, possibly due to the natural paths that divert from extremely aromatic sections at just the right pace and lead into refreshing contrast of scents as you weave through each of the different environmental hotspots.

Even Kiyo has his mask tucked down under his chin, the clean air and lack of crowds enabling an easy freedom from his usual concerns. You trail through most of the flower gardens in the southeast portion up to the northeast corner of the sprawling land before spying a maze of many tangled trees, all twisting and twining together in various formations.

As you approach, letting go of your boyfriend's hand to pull slightly ahead, you realize it's actually been cultured to grow as a real, living maze. There are arched entrances made from the same twisting bark, strands about the size of your wrist or smaller twining to cover more surface area in specific spots. You duck through one of the entrances to explore, marvelling at being able to hear Kiyoomi so clearly as he calls to you in exasperation to wait for him.

You don't intend to, of course, because you're delighted to discover this little marvel and that excitement only heightens your urge to tease and play with him a little. You're certain he's picked up his pace, hot on your trail as you duck through many different types of 'doorways' and 'windows', sacrificing your sense of direction to barely keep ahead.

He remains mostly quiet, calling your name softly every now and then, but you're undeniably attuned to his fall of his steps and continue to choose the direction that will take you most opposite him so as to avoid sudden junctions where the gnarled maze might allow him to cross your path in his pursuit.

As the sounds of nature start to dull around you, as if soaking into the depths of the maze, you realize that you too have already traversed further than you intended. It becomes more difficult to identify Kiyo's steps around you, lush grass growing steadily the farther in you seem to progress, even the curled branches seem to soften but you soon catch on to the reason why.

Soft buds are now visible and as you go deeper still, you encounter their full blooms, sprouting in a light pink blush. The path is more linear now, with almost no more forks or diversions to choose from, and before you realize it, you've arrived at the center of the maze. Directly in front, at its very heart, stands an elegant marble gazebo adorned with the same pink flowers yet with a complimentary mix of pale white and even dark red flowers threaded through, their striking petals peeking out as if from behind a latticed shield.

You've stopped entirely, taking a deep breath in as your eyes land first on the layered fountain, also gleaming marble, beyond the gazebo and then quickly shift to what's in between the two structures. Two wrought iron benches sit facing each other so that one only has to turn their head to each side to admire a different view and on one of the benches is what seems to be an abandoned picnic basket. Between the two benches sits a pastel picnic blanket, spread out with more than enough room for two.

You feel Sakusa's quiet presence behind you a second before his arm loops your waist and his smug whisper reaches your ear, "Caught you, little butterfly."

Your mouth drops open as you realized how deftly and thoroughly you were enticed into and maneuvered through this seemingly random maze. He really does know you too well, this beautiful man.

"You planned this?"

"You wanted a picnic, didn't you, love?" You don't have to see that small, satisfied smile of his to hear it in his tone. He's practically glowing with the success of achieving his goal.

You suppose, since you had to cancel the reservation at that special restaurant yesterday, he might have felt compelled to make it up in some way. At this point, however, everything starts to overwhelm you and the light sting at your eyes warns you that one of your rare, emotional moments might just intrude on this small moment.

It's Sakusa, grasping your chin to turn and tilt your face up to his, who answers your unspoken question, the one you need answered.

"Not a single moment for this day was planned from guilt. I just.. wanted to make you as happy as you make me."

"But Kiyo.. are you happy?"

He pauses as if to contemplate his current state but when he answers, he's clear and unhesitant, "I'm so incredibly happy, love. I get you all to myself in our own little corner of the world."

There's something about his words that sparks a memory of a thought you had yesterday, when you made what could have been considered sacrifices for him but was really an incredible, restful day you thoroughly enjoyed yourself from the very moment you'd committed to it. Fair enough then, you trust Sakusa to be unfailingly honest with you and can do nothing more than accept his genuine words. It would be a waste of his careful, meticulous plans to let any doubt ruin the day.

He leads you forward through the beautiful gazebo, moving slowly so you can admire the dedication that has gone into cultivating such a striking space, before helping you down onto the blanket. Once he retrieves the basket sitting idly by on the bench, because it was not in fact an abandoned item but a planned one, he rejoins you on the blanket so that you can examine the contents as you help him lay out the spread.

Incredible, he's somehow got your favourite food and drinks together, from substantial meals for you both, to delicious dessert, and even the drinks have remained chilled in the heat of a midsummer afternoon peak.

Hm.. "How exactly did this get here? You were with me the entire hour it took us to make our way up here and I would definitely have noticed you carrying this."

"I had some help."

"Not going to elaborate?" You give him your most pleading look, you actually think you have an idea but your curiosity is more focused on confirming your guess between several most likely possibilities.

But he just smiles and it's almost maddening when he replies, "No. I'd rather talk about what portions of the gardens you still want to visit. I definitely don't want to rush you but I was hoping to leave before it gets completely dark out."

"That's about three hours, right? "

"Yes, love."

You consider what you know of the gardens for a moment and then with certainty, you answer, "There are only two spots I'd like to see before dark. The butterfly garden and the pools, the ones they say make you feel like you're on some other, magical world."

"That's perfect," Sakusa reviews his mental map of the gardens, "They're both on our way through the loop that'll take us completely through the rest of the gardens. It shouldn't take us more than maybe an hour and a half to finish our tour here once we're done lunch."

You hesitate, something on your mind from his earlier statement about leaving before it's too dark, but decide to say, "There's also a whole section fitted with beautiful lights that turn with the sunset, it's been described to be mystical, like finding fairies playing in the gardens..."

"We'll be able to enjoy that on the way out, love, I've already checked."

"Oh." You pause for a moment in both surprise and appreciation, "You're just so well prepared today, aren't you?"

He arches an eyebrow with indignation, "When am I not?"

"Hm," you let out a chuckle at his expression before clarifying, "I mean, with the finer details of the date, Kiyo. You usually leave that to me?"

"Are you disappointed so far?"

"I'm as far from disappointed as I can be, baby." Without knowing, you answer Sakusa with a smile he's seen countless times today.

It's a stunning one but that's not what's so special about it - it's the very smile he loves to see adorn your face, this expression of complete joy and abandonment. A testament to your free spirit thriving even anchored to his grounded beast, the two of having met in the middle to ruin each other in the best way possible.

The remainder of the afternoon flutters by as you and Kiyo finish your meal before following the plan of action you discussed. The butterfly conservatory and oasis of pools are as breathtaking as expected, creating a multitude of small, precious moments for your memories. The fairy lights quite literally seem to be out of this world, almost as if you've been transported into a beautiful fantasy that's really just another perfect little corner of your shared world.

When you finish up at the gardens with the sun having set, you find out that Sakusa has yet another surprise in store for the day as you both first head home to change into semi-formal outfits. He looks decadent in his black silk button up and you finally get to wear the stunning cocktail dress he gifted to you on your last birthday.

You're moved to tears for the second time that day when you realize where he's taking you for dinner, the very restaurant you had to cancel the reservation for the day before. The same restaurant you both shared your very first date together, back when it was still a little known but elegant spot, long before becoming as popular as it today.

It's there, as you sit on the towering balcony, so unnervingly close to the skies and under a carpet of twinkling stars that you feel you could almost reach out and brush, that Sakusa finds his breath becoming shorter and hands shiver with nerves, as one slips into the pocket of his slacks to brush against the small velvet box that he's carried with him since your third month together.

There have been many small, perfect moments today, ones where his hand slipped in and out of his pocket as he debated if it was the right moment. This weekend has been an unexpected whirlwind of worthwhile compromises but the best example of why he knew, that very day he was drawn to step into the jewelry store, that there would never be anyone else he wanted by his side more than you.

It's at this small moment, in this quiet corner of his world with you, that your eyes meet his with your brilliant, perfect smile painting your lips, and Sakusa's hands suddenly still. His breath evens out, certainty calming his thoughts as his answering smile curves at his mouth. There's no doubt that with you, every moment is exactly the right moment.

A/N: Surprise! It's your date with Sakusa (adorably planned by Sakusa) <3 :D This is partially why completing your request took a little longer - I'm honestly so happy to be able to explore writing a request (so excited that I made it two oop-) and as I've mentioned by now, you were my first lol so I really wanted to make sure it was commemorated with something special. Also, how could I give you only just one or the other with the love of your life? He's literally perfect and has a piece of my heart too so once I thought about how to fulfill your request and landed on the first part, the second just kind of bloomed from it. An expected date turning into a lazy day and now a day that begins lazy but is really the most thoughtful of surprise date days planned by the man who treasures your love... I really hope this was along the lines of what you were looking for and that you enjoyed reading <3

Vibe. Oh, and in case you're curious, I had Daydream in Blue by I Monster on repeat for these :)

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