#we know what it took for “vega” to even remotely admit to his feelings for warden

[brainrotcharacters]

Porter and Vega and the font is being shit at communication

[helloalycia]

overstepping [one] // jane banner (Wind River)

summary: after getting several voicemails from your colleague and best friend with her asking for your backup, you attempt to call her back, only to get no answer.

warning/s: mentions of rape, murder and injuries.

author’s note: this is a two parter because i finally watched Wind River and it broke my heart but also lizzie was v cute and i felt the need to write this, hope you like it x

part two | masterlist | wattpad

"C'mon, work you stupid phone," I complained for the millionth time, before standing on the chair to get a better signal.

When I saw the bars in the corner of the screen increase, a grin appeared on my lips. I loved my parents, but the fact that they lived in a remote cabin in Tennessee with zero signal was not my favourite thing.

When the bars remained, my phone decided to actually be helpful and receive all the messages, calls and voicemails I missed. I did a brief flick through, noticing nothing was too important that couldn't wait for me to return to work. As an FBI agent, I rarely got time off. And now that I had taken a two month vacation to spend with my parents, I was adamant on enjoying it, even if I was missing work a smidge.

Next were the calls, which I noticed were mostly from my colleague and close friend, Jane Banner. I furrowed my brows, realising she'd left me several voicemails, too, which was strange since she knew I was on a break from work. What could be so important?

I sighed, glancing down at my uncomfortable position standing on the chair and leaning above the wardrobe. It was the only place in the house with decent signal and the only other place that wasn’t in the middle of nowhere was twenty minutes out. Telling myself I'd just listen to one voicemail to make sure everything was okay, I played the earliest message.

"Hey, Y/N. I'm sorry, I know you're on a break, but I just had to talk to you," it began, and Jane sounded troubled. "I was in Vegas, as you know, but I've been called out to a reservation in Wyoming where this poor girl was–" She paused, releasing a shaky breath. "She was raped and left to die out in the cold. I thought I could send in another team to take a look – y'know, usual protocol. But the coroner won't rule it a homicide and you know what that means."

I swallowed hard, knowing exactly what that meant. If it wasn't ruled a homicide, no backup would come and we had to move onto the next case. But if this girl was raped and left to die, the rapist was still out there and wasn't getting caught by the FBI.

"I can't just leave it and go," Jane continued quietly, with that recognisable passion for her job evident in her voice. "I have to do what I can. But I... I can't do this alone. It's not like other cases, Y/N. It's different out here. And there's only so much their police department can do. I know you're on a break, but I was hoping that, maybe, you could come out here and help me? It's the Wind River Indian Reservation. That's it, I guess. Bye."

The message ended and I found myself chewing on my lower lip anxiously, unable to think about anything other than Jane now. She'd worried me with that one voicemail alone – I couldn't imagine what the others said.

She was usually so good at dealing with cases, but this seemed different. She sounded shaken up, attempting to put on a brave face by the sounds of it. What was so different about this case? She didn't need me. She was capable.

Curiosity got the better of me and I played the second message, ignoring the discomfort in my arms as I stretched to maintain the signal. It was left a day after the first one.

"Hey, so I just remembered that you said you don't get much signal up there with your parents," she began apologetically. "I don't mean to– shit, it's so cold..." There was a pause, a noise in the background, then she continued, "Sorry, just turning up the heating. Anyway, I was saying. I don't mean to intrude on your break. I just– I'm hoping you'll find signal and hear this because I could really use your help. I think we've got a lead on who may have done it. It was hectic today. Really could've used that backup."

She chuckled dryly at her attempt at a joke, but all I felt was guilt. She sounded exhausted within a day of being there.

"I hope you get this," she finished with a sigh. "I should go. Got a busy day tomorrow. Hope you're doing okay. Bye."

I wasted no time in playing the next message. Three days into her case.

"I don't know why I keep sending these," she began with a hoarse voice, and my heart clenched at the sound of it. "You clearly aren't getting them in time. But it's easier talking to you like this than not at all."

It went quiet, so quiet that I thought she may have finished and forgot to hang up. But then she spoke up again, a whimper escaping her lips.

"It's so hard," she admitted. "We've covered worse cases, but this one... everything about it makes me uncomfortable. Something doesn't feel right. I've got a lead – we think it might be the boyfriend who did it and we're gonna see him tomorrow. But I don't know."

I frowned, squeezing my phone tightly because I didn't recognise the girl speaking as my friend. This girl sounded broken and I wondered what she could have discovered that made her like this.

"I've got the police department with me for backup," she said with a sniffle. "And Cory, he's a hunter whose been helping me with the case. They're all gonna be with me tomorrow. But I wish you were here, too. You always make things easier."

The lump in my throat wouldn't disappear no matter how many times I swallowed it. She made things easier, too. Always. And all I wanted to was be by her side and be there for her like she always was for me.

"Sorry about this," she said with a watery laugh, and I could imagine the embarrassed smile on her face as she did. "I sound like such an idiot. Never mind these messages. Just enjoy your break. I shouldn't be worrying you like this. See you when you get back."

The message ended and I checked to see if there were anymore, but to my disappointment, there wasn't. That message was from a few days ago and she hadn't sent anything since which was concerning in itself.

Trying not to panic for no reason, I called Jane. Hopefully everything was okay and I was being stupid. She was a fully-trained FBI agent. She could take care of herself. Right?

The call rang and rang, but nobody picked up. One missed call. No biggie. She probably heard it and couldn't find her phone or something. So, I tried again.

More ringing and no answer. Okay, no big deal. Just try again.

Another call and no answer. The chewing on my lip became more intense. Why the hell wasn't she picking up? Was she still working the case?

I waited an hour, trying again at ten minute intervals, unable to fight my concern. But there was no answer every time and I realised that I couldn't sit and wait for her to call back. Not after how she sounded in those voicemails.

No, I had to go there. She needed backup.

—

Wyoming was way colder than I could have prepared for.

I mean, technically, I prepared for nothing. I bid my parents a goodbye, threw some random clothes in a bag and caught the next plane over there. I tried for Jane's phone constantly, knowing she was never one to ignore me for this long, but there was no point. She wasn't answering, which could only mean so much.

When I reached the reservation, I had no idea where anything was or what I was looking for exactly. I just knew that as soon as the taxi dropped me off in the centre of town, I didn't know where to go.

There were a lot of locals hanging around, so my first port of call was to ask them if they'd seen Jane around – or Agent Banner, as she may have introduced herself. I showed them a picture of her on my phone, described her with vivid detail, but they just stared at me like I was crazy. I was starting to believe I was at one point, until I stopped by the convenience store.

As worried as I was for Jane's whereabouts, the chill in my bones was real. Especially my hands, which I was certain would fall off any minute. So, I decided to buy some gloves and also ask the cashier if he'd seen Jane around or heard anything of her. Whilst I was doing that, a customer caught my attention, probably having overheard my conversation.

"Did you say Jane Banner?" he asked with a quirked brow, interrupting my purchase. "The FBI lady, right?"

I nodded quickly, facing him. "Yes, that's her! D'you know where she is?"

He nodded casually. "Yeah, she's in the hospital. That big shootout that happened a few days ago, right?"

My stomach dropped. "The what?"

"The shootout," he repeated, not aware of the concern in my face. "At the drill site. A bunch of officers were killed and the FBI lady was one of the only one left standing." He tutted as he shook his head. "Very lucky that one."

A shootout? The hospital? Only one left standing? No wonder she hadn't been answering her calls.

"Can you– do you–" I stopped, clearing my throat and trying to stop freaking out. "Which hospital?"

After getting the address from him, I caught a taxi to the only hospital in town and prayed to God that Jane was okay. The one thing she'd asked for was backup and I couldn't even give her that. If I'd just looked at my messages sooner... fuck.

Getting past the front desk and to Jane's room was no issue at all. A quick flash of my FBI badge was enough for the receptionist to give me the details and wave me through. My heart was constricting in my chest the longer it took. What if it was really bad? What if that customer's intel was outdated and Jane was– no. I couldn't afford to think like that.

Upon finding Jane's room, I spotted an older man leaving through the door, being careful to close it behind him. I didn't recognise him at all.

"Excuse me," I called, earning his attention. "Is that Jane Banner's room you just came from?"

He seemed surprised, glancing over his shoulder to make sure I was speaking to him, before nodding. "Yes. Sorry, who are you?"

I pulled my badge from my pocket and showed him, though I doubted anyone would take me seriously when my eyes were watering at thought of Jane being severely injured.

"I'm her friend," I said, swallowing down the lump in my throat before lowering my badge.

"Oh, you're the backup that didn't come," he said with realisation.

My eyes flickered to the floor guiltily. He wasn't exactly wrong.

"I didn't mean it like that," he added quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

I shook my head, lifting my eyes to meet his. "It's okay. I should've... I should've been here." It went quiet as he didn't know what to say, so I looked to him halfheartedly. "I assume you're from the police department, one of the ones who helped Jane."

"Not exactly," he said, before putting out his hand for me to shake. "Name's Cory. I'm a hunter by trade."

Returning his handshake, I recalled Jane's voicemail. "Oh, yeah, she mentioned you... thank you for helping her out."

When I couldn’t, I added in my head.

He offered me a small smile and I couldn't find it in myself to return it. I must have looked like shit, since he gave me a pitiful gaze.

"You want me to catch you up before you go in?" he asked, nodding to Jane's door. "She's okay by the way."

I nodded, sucking up a breath. My nerves were eating away at me the longer I didn't see Jane – half of me was terrified of what I'd find, and the other half was afraid she'd be upset or angry because I left her to it, even when she pleaded for my help.

Cory and I took a seat down the hall and he proceeded to explain about the case and how they found the guy who raped that poor girl. The shootout was the worst bit, making me shiver with discomfort. Apparently, Jane had gotten blasted with a shotgun, puncturing her torso and neck despite the vest she wore. All of the officers with her were killed and by the sounds of it, Jane almost was, too. But Cory managed to take out the criminals and the rapist himself. When he was finished telling me, I had no words.

"She's a bit shaken up, but her surgery went well," Cory reassured with a short nod. "Does she know you're coming?"

I shook my head, voice thick with emotion. "She wouldn't answer her phone. I guess I know why now."

Cory nodded, rubbing the back of his neck before sparing me a consoling glance. "She talked about you a lot. I think it'll cheer her up seeing you. You should go."

My eyes met his, teary and stinging with unshed tears. "Thank you so much."

He shrugged bashfully, but he didn't realise all that he'd done. I gave him a small, tight smile before standing up with a sigh. No point dwelling anymore – I had to see her.

Pushing my selfish feelings aside, I sucked it up and approached Jane's room. She would either want to punch me or not, but either way, I had to see if she was okay. And so, when I opened the door slightly, heart racing in my chest, said heart jumped in my throat at the sight of her.

She was laying on the bed with wires stuck in her and, only from what I could see, bandages were covering the side of her neck. I thought she was sleeping at first, but then her head tilted towards the door curiously, and bright blue eyes widened with disbelief.

"Y/N?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "What are you– how did you get here?"

I closed the door behind me and hesitantly approached her bedside, unable to stop my eyes from soaking in the sight of her. She looked so feeble and vulnerable and unlike how I saw her last. Then, Cory's words came back to me and I began to imagine the worst scenario of her getting shot, blood seeping from her wounds, the life draining from her eyes...

"Y/N," she called, and I looked to her startlingly, hoping I didn't look as troubled as I felt.

"Sorry," I said, clearing my throat. "I, er– the messages. Voicemail. I heard them and tried calling you back, but..."

She pursed her lips, exhaling with a wince and looking up at the ceiling, as if suddenly remembering she left messages in the first place.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," I said quietly, guilt seeping back in.

"No, no, don't be," she said, and I just about noticed the pink dusting her cheeks. "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have interrupted your vacation like that. I know you said you wanted a break and–"

"Jane, no, don't even say that," I cut her off, reaching for her hand in an instant. She looked my way, eyes flickering between mine nervously. I squeezed her hand gently and said, "I should have been here. You needed me and I– I didn't come. Maybe if I had, this could have ended differently."

She tried to smile, but I could see the discomfort in her eyes. "It's not that bad, honestly. It just looks bad."

I pressed my lips together, eyes falling to the bandage on her neck. Even though it was big and covered her wound, I could still make out the bruising around it from the impact of the shell. I didn't imagine the torso wound looking any different, and that thought alone made me regret leaving her alone. It was very much as bad as it looked; I knew that and she knew that.

Her lips trembled as she avoided my eyes, her own tearing up. I pushed away my guilt momentarily and changed the subject.

"So, I met Cory. He seems like a great guy."

She didn't say anything as she seemed lost in thought. Either that or she was trying not to cry in front of me. I hoped it wasn't the latter, since the last thing I wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable.

"You know," I said, when she wouldn't speak, "I'm pretty sure I told you to stay safe before I left for my vacation."

At my poor attempt to lighten the mood, she cracked a small, tight smile, but a smile nonetheless, and my racing heart slowed down momentarily.

"I'm glad you're okay," I said, now that I had her attention again, and she looked my way with a softened expression. "Kind of okay. But you know... okay."

Thankfully, she knew what I meant and her hand tightened around mine.

"I'm glad you came," she returned, and I couldn't look away even if I tried. She was always able to trap me with a single gaze.

With a tug of her hand, she motioned for me to sit on the edge of her bed, so I did. And then she began to ask me about my vacation, what I'd been up to this past month, how my parents were... basically anything and everything except for the case. And it was understandable, since she was reminded of it all the time. If I could be a form of escapism for her, so be it. It was the least I could do.

We spoke for hours until the nurse came in to let me know visiting hours were over and I'd have to come back tomorrow. With a regretful sigh, I got up from my seat on her bedside and stretched my limbs.

"Where are you staying?" she asked, a slight frown on her lips.

I smiled awkwardly, realising I didn't think that far ahead. "I'm not gonna lie, I don't know. I came straight here. There's gotta be a hotel or something in this town, right?"

She nodded and flicked her hand to the shelves on the other side of the room. "You should stay in my room in the inn. Key's in my bag over there."

"Oh, I don't have to do that–"

"Y/N, it's not like I'm going to be staying there anytime soon," she cut me off, smiling halfheartedly. "Please."

I chewed on my lip and nodded, giving in. When I grabbed her keys from her bag, I stopped by her bedside and gave her a supportive smile.

"I'll back first thing in the morning, if you don't mind," I said, and she finally gave me a smile that reached her eyes.

"I'd like that."

I nodded, resting a hand on hers and squeezing comfortingly. "Goodnight."

—

Though I knew Jane was okay, I still couldn't stop myself from thinking about her all night. The sight of her wounds and the broken expression on her face was enough to keep me awake. And the guilt that came with it all... why couldn't I have just picked up my damn phone?

As promised, I returned to Jane's hospital room the next morning, this time bringing some breakfast snacks from the hospital cafeteria since I knew the food would be much better than whatever they were serving her. Judging by the content expression on her face when I gave it to her, I was right.

When she finished eating, she was able to sit up slightly and move over on her bed, urging for me to join her and watch some TV with her. There was no way I was going to turn down that offer, so I slid next to her and kept a packet of sliced apples between us as we watched whatever was playing on the TV.

About halfway through watching, she spoke up randomly, taking me by surprise.

"When are you leaving?"

I tore my gaze from the screen and realised she was staring at me with intense green eyes.

"When you're well enough to," I answered truthfully.

She looked down to her hands. "You don't have to stay with me. You can go."

I studied her profile, knowing it was the wrong time to appreciate how stunning she looked even when she was makeup-free, sporting a bed head and tired.

"Do you want me to go?" I asked softly, afraid I may have overstepped.

She was quick to shake her head slightly, finally lifting her gaze to meet mine with glossy ones. "No."

I nodded, trying very hard not to smile, cleared my throat and grabbed her hand. "Then I'm not leaving. I'll be right here until you get better and I can take you home."

A ragged breath escaped her lips as she nodded in response. We both looked back to the TV and I noticed she didn't let go of my hand, her fingers warm to the touch and giving me goosebumps at the contact. But I wouldn't have had it any other way.

[spencerspecifics]

HI HI HI PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WRITE MOREID AT PRIDE AND SOME PINING AND SPENCER THINKS DEREK IS STRAIGHT BUT HE ISN'T AND THEY KIIIITTTTTHHHHH

I absolutely love your energy fuck yes!! I’m so sorry this took forever, ive got school, work and some other personal things happening so I appreciate your patience!

No TW, B u t, a creep hits on Spencer at pride, so if that is upsetting please note that! Thanks :)

———————————————————————

Pride

———————————————————————

Garcia had been pestering Spencer about going to pride for the past week now, and it was slowly driving him insane.

He used almost every excuse he could think of. When he first turned her down, he had simply said, “Sorry, I’m going to be busy that week.” And of course, Garcia being Garcia, she stole his calendar to see what he was busy with (spoiler alert: he had nothing. Except a reminder to go grocery shopping, and email some professors and research scientists back).

So, she persisted, and he came up with a dozen more excuses; “I was considering flying out to see my mom”, “The local museum has a new interactive archeology exhibit for adults, and I want to learn more about ancient structures”, “I have to do a presentation on thermodynamics”.

None of those excuses work, as she sniffed out every lie, “Spencer, you hate flying to Vegas last minute, that archaeology exhibit has been open for months, and your calendar is empty!”

So with her persistence, and legitimate bullying, Spencer found himself finally agreeing. “Fine, but come over to my apartment before we leave so you can help me.” After all, he wasn’t really familiar with pride parades, and what the scene was like there. He was going to be a fish out of water, he already knew that for certain.

~

True to her word, Garcia showed up an hour before the pride parade was set to start, carrying a coffee in each hand- how she possibly knocked on his apartment door, Spencer didn’t know.

“I brought you a pick me up, that way you have no excuse to be in a bad mood!” She spoke in her signature sing song voice as Spencer let her inside, she barreled in like a hurricane. God, Spencer wasn’t ready for this.

“Thanks..” Spencer decided to reply with that lame response, and not with what he was actually thinking. He took the coffee from her wordlessly as she stepped in further, going to sit down on his couch.

“You excited?” Garcia asked as she set her cup down on his cluttered coffee table. Reid just shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t do great with crowds.”

“But you do great with disarming murderers?” “You know that’s different-” Spencer said, doing his best to argue, “Reid it is literally not. Both are anxiety inducing, but one is life or death, and it’s not pride. So you can do this.”

Spencer sighed, resigning himself to not arguing with Garcia. Because she was right, though at times her arguments sounded wild. He just had to get over this anxiety and show up at pride, he could do this, right?

~

Wrong. So, very, wrong. They had left his apartment with thirty minutes to spare, deciding to walk over to where pride was being held- as it was only a few blocks away in a public park.

And as soon as they got there, Spencer wanted out. There were so many people, more than he estimated (and his estimations were usually spot on.), and there was just chaos everywhere. Music, dancing, shouting, singing, drag queens running around happily. Spencer wasn’t sure what to do. He was out of his element.

Garcia seemed to sense that, though, as she dragged Spencer over to some stalls that sold pride flags, pins, and other miscellaneous pride related things.

“C’mon Reid, why don’t you look around and find something you like?” She offered up, something for him to do- something for him to stay busy with. He could do that. Spencer nodded simply, Garcia stayed by his side- looking at pride related wear for herself.

~

Spencer ended up deciding on a small pin that simply said; “love all”, planning to stick it on his messenger bag strap. Garcia bought a pin as well, but hers just had her pronouns on them; “she/her/hers”.

Looking at all the pride apparel was a good distraction for Spencer, he felt a lot more calmer now- though that didn’t stop him from feeling like he stuck out like a sore thumb. He’s just not familiar with this world, and it’s awkward to suddenly be in the middle of it.

Spencer was in the middle of looking at another booth that sold flags, possibly considering buying himself a small one to stick in his pencil cup at work, because Garcia left him to go compliment a drag queen- when a voice broke through.

“Hey, pretty boy!”

That was a voice all too familiar, what on earth was Morgan doing here? Spencer looked up at him as he made his way towards him. “Hey,” Spencer spoke awkwardly. Not sure what to say.

Spencer was gay. He was fine with admitting he was gay, but he hadn’t really told the team. He thought they figured it out on their own. And they probably had, but still, having his coworker see him at a pride event- it was anxiety inducing.

“What’re- what’re you doing here?” Spencer asked, stumbling over his words as he dropped the small flag he was holding back onto the vendors table.

“Oh, well I’m on the local PFLAG committee. I’m just here to hand out flyers and stuff. But I’m glad to see you’re here, I’m guessing Garcia’s here too?” He asked Spencer casually, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on Spencer.

He was on the PFLAG committee? Why? To help queer people, obviously, but that had to mean he was gay or something- Spencer couldn’t stop his mind from coming up with every possible answer to why Derek was on the committee.

Spencer just nodded in response, he moved himself back from the vendors table to get out of the way, so other customers could look at the flags being sold.

“Yeah, she’s- there.” Reid pointed her out, as if on cue she came out of the thick crowd that had started to gather back up, the parade portion of pride had concluded by now, and people were coming over to the vendors section.

“Hey, Babygirl!” Derek called over to her, and Garcia somehow lit up with a smile brighter than the one she was wearing before, “Well, hey!” She responded enthusiastically, walking up swiftly to give Derek a quick embrace, which he happily returned.

“I wasn’t sure how long you were staying for, but I’m glad I caught you!” Garcia started rambling to Derek, about how the drag queen she met was so nice; “Her name was Mysteria Hysteria. Isn’t that genius?”.

~

Spencer just stepped back from them both, not sure what to do, not sure if he fully belonged. Pride was a nice event, it was. But the longer he stood around, the more he felt like he should be leaving. Everyone was laughing and smiling, everyone was just happy. And Spencer couldn’t stop racking his brain. In the beginning, he couldn’t stop thinking because of his anxiety, but now he was searching his brain for a reason why Derek was here and what it meant.

Of course, a stupid large portion of Spencer’s mind went to “maybe Morgan likes men”, and then an even larger and stupider portion of his mind had the absurdity to think; “maybe he’s interested in me”. Which Spencer did not even want to remotely entertain, because if he fell down that rabbit hole, he’d never climb back out.

Because yes, he did like Derek. He liked him a lot, the start for his liking towards the man was innocuous enough- which is why it was a problem for Spencer. He didn’t realized he liked Morgan until it was too late. And now he had been battling these feelings for years. Spencer wasn’t ever going to act on them, he just had to live with them- which he had been doing, which he has been content with. But this new information, about Morgan being here, being part of PFLAG- it was going to make Reid’s mind implode in on itself.

~

Reid decided the best thing was to say; “I’m gonna get some water, I’ll be back.” To which Derek and Garcia both nodded to, and Spencer was off, away from the vendors stand and the only two people he knew at pride.

And while that was a good thing, it was simultaneously not so good. Because now he was alone, overwhelmed, and thinking too much. And now he had a task to do, find himself some water.

~

That task seemed to be more difficult than anticipated, as the prides layout was a confusing maze, spencer had to pass in front of a group of drag queens in order to get to the food trucks that were on site- but he eventually got there.

He walked up to the first food truck he saw, it didn’t matter what they sold, he wasn’t getting it.

“What can I get for you?” The cashier asked him, “Just a water, please.” He ordered, the cashier nodded and pulled a bottle out from a cooler that was nearby within the truck, handing it over to spencer as they told him his total, a dollar twenty five. Spencer paid quickly, stepping back and away from the food truck, as he wasn’t sure where else to go now. He didn’t want to go back towards Derek or Garcia, he honestly wanted to go home.

He just needed a minute, some space and time to breathe and relax. He was stressing himself out. And about what? Nothing of goddamn importance, just a stupid crush he had been living with for a while now.

~

Spencer had been leaning against the back the food truck for not long, only a couple of minutes as he was absorbed in thought as he fiddled with the cap on the water bottle.

He was doing his best to follow the grounding techniques he had learned, something to help him calm down, when suddenly- a stranger emerged out of the crowd.

“Hey there, handsome.” The man said confidently as he strode up to introduce himself Spencer. Spencer looked up to meet his eyes, the man in question was a fine looking guy, chiseled jawline, long shoulder length hair, a bit of facial stubble. He was handsome. “Hello,” Spencer answered hollowly in response. In an ordinary situation, he would try and seem more lively- but he wasn’t in a normal situation, not at all.

The anxiety of attending pride was stress enough on its own, but now knowing the guy he had been drooling over for years was here- and worked as a PFLAG volunteer? It was enough to make him lose his mind.

The man didn’t seem to notice Spencer’s empty response, however, as he answered suavely in response; “I couldn’t help but notice you from across the way. I’m Fabian,” Thankfully, the man- Fabian, didn’t stick his hand out for a handshake, instead casually pushing his hair back a bit.

“I’m Spencer,” Reid replied simply, knowing it was best to ride this odd social interaction out, rather than try and fight it. “That’s a lovely name,” Fabian complimented, “Is this your first time at pride, Spencer?” He asked him casually, taking a step forward, closer to Spencer. He was all too confident for Spencer, he too comfortable with invading Spencer’s space. If Spencer could’ve, he would’ve stepped back.

“Uh, yeah. My friend dragged me along.” Reid explained, twisting the bottle cap back onto his half empty water bottle. Fabian nodded, “Your boyfriend didn’t take you?” Fabian asked him. That was a leading question, Spencer had alarm bells ringing in his head the second he heard it. “No. He- um- he met up with us here.” Spencer replied unconvincingly, Fabian obviously did not believe a word he said.

“Well,” Fabian took another step forward, practically blocking Reid in against the back of the food truck, leaning in farther to whisper in Spencer’s ear; “I don’t see him around. So, why don’t you and I get out of here? Hm?”

Spencer wasn’t sure of what to do. He wanted to kick this guy in the crotch and just book it, but he wasn’t sure if his FBI status would protect him in this scenario. He wasn’t sure what could protect him in this scenario.

“Pretty boy! There you are!” A saving grace broke through, and suddenly Fabian was stepping back, and Morgan was walking up.

Thank god, thank fucking god, that’s all Spencer could manage to think as Derek came to stand beside him. “Hey, babe.” Spencer said, cringing at his voice, at what he just said. But that feeling only lasted for a moment as Fabian was still standing right there, staring them both down now.

Spencer could only throw his wish in the sky and hope Derek caught it coming down, ‘please catch along to why I’m calling you babe’ Reid was trying to say.

And Derek caught it, “Hey, baby, was worried about you. Who’s your friend?” He said in his smooth voice, a voice Spencer couldn’t forget. He especially couldn’t forget now, being called ‘baby’ was something Spencer especially could not forget.

“I’m Fabian, you’re Spencer’s boyfriend?” Fabian asked, as if them both calling each other ‘babe’ counted for nothing. “Yeah, I’m Derek.” Morgan responded simply, sliding his hand around Spencer’s waist as if to prove a point. Fabian just nodded, looking between Spencer and Derek one last time before talking; “Well, it was nice to meet you, I’ve gotta get going. See you.”

And then, he was off, fast walking away from Derek and Reid, escaping the terrible situation he had created. Fabian quickly disappeared into the thick crowd, and by then Spencer had his hand squeezing his water bottle all too tightly- as evident by the terrible crunch sound it made. He was too anxious to let go.

“Hey, are you okay?” Derek asked him softly, pulling his hand away from Spencer’s waist. “Can we find somewhere else- can we go sit down?” Spencer asked him quickly. Reid didn’t want to talk about it right this second, right where it had happened. He wanted to leave, he wanted to leave pride and never come back.

~

Derek didn’t ask a single follow up question as he led Reid away from the food trucks, taking him back towards the vendors stands, and then a bit further back, into the normal-not-so-pride-parade-filled park area. Somewhere less stressful, less scary.

“What did that guy want?” Derek asked Spencer casually as they made their way towards a bench that was sat under a large oak tree. Spencer didn’t speak right away, instead he waited until they were seated to start talking.

“He was trying to flirt, but then he wanted me to leave with him.” Spencer explained as he took a deep breath in, just being away from all the loud sounds and sights was helping him calm down. Derek rubbed Spencer’s back in slow, circular motions as Spencer kept talking.

“He was a classic example of a narcissistic personality, it just made me so uncomfortable- he invaded my space.”

“He was a creep, Reid. Simple as that,” Derek kept rubbing Spencer’s back slowly, Spencer nodded. “I know. Sorry, it shook me up.” Spencer attempted to apologized, and Derek was immediately having none of that.

“Reid, no. Don’t apologize for that, don’t you dare. He was a creep, I’m sorry you got caught up with him. It’s okay if you’re shaken up. We can stay here until you feel up to going back, or we can leave. But I’m not leaving you.”

~

And so they sat for a good amount of time on that park bench, at one point Derek stopped rubbing Spencer’s back, instead just keeping his arm stretched out against the back of the bench and against Spencer’s back. Spencer loved it, but he knew if he thought about it for too long he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking. That was his biggest problem, he couldn’t stop thinking.

He had to know, he decided, he couldn’t just wonder why Derek was on the committee for PFLAG. He wanted to know, he had to.

“Derek?” He spoke up softly, sounds of laughing and shouting and music were still heard in the distance, but they were safe from the sounds under the tree. “Mhm?” Derek hummed in response, looking up at the aforementioned tree that was providing shade for them.

His eyes were tracing the way the branches curved and bent around each other, it was something he did to pass the time. Spencer thought he was extraordinary for it, Derek loved to see where things went; he was curious- after all these years, and all the bad they had seen together, Derek still loved to search and find the beauty.

“Why are you on the PFLAG committee ?” Spencer asked him, it was thankfully an innocuous enough ask to not draw too much of Derek profilings side out to pry apart his question. Derek shrugged, and was quiet for a second before responding, “I know what it’s like to be a scared kid, unsure of his identity. If I can help someone through that, that’s all that matters. Same reason I’m in the BAU, to help people.”

Spencer stayed quiet, Derek’s reason was so sincere and so sweet and kind- and only driving him to think further. Was Derek still unsure of his identity? Was he an ally? Why did he have to make Spencer swoon so hard without even trying?

“So, you’re just an ally?” Spencer approached Derek carefully with that question, not wanting to impose or be rude- but just feign simple curiosity, praying Derek wasn’t using his profiling skills right now to decode Spencer’s fake motive.

Derek didn’t notice, thankfully, as he chuckled lowly in response; “No, pretty boy, I’m bisexual. I don’t really tell the team, but it’s not confidential information. Plus, Garcia found Grindr on my phone. Can’t hide anything from that girl.”

Spencer nodded, mumbling something in response about how Garcia had hacked his email to make sure he was free for pride. And then, the two fell into silence again. But it didn’t last for long, because Derek wanted to know just as much, why was Spencer here?

“What about you, Reid?” Derek asked him cautiously, the way you approach a puppy you find on the side of the road. Calm and slow, trying to get him to trust him bit by bit. “What about me?” Spencer asked, not wanting to answer anything about himself unless Derek was specific.

“Are you an ally?” Morgan asked him, leaving the question open ended. Spencer could say as little or as much as he wanted. This is how you get him to open up, Derek knew that for a fact. “Um.. yeah, I mean- who isn’t? I just- I have to be. I’m.. gay.” Spencer admitted all too awkwardly, not at all in a normal fashion. But nothing about Spencer was in normal fashion.

Derek nodded slowly, not responding as he stared back up, tracing his eyes over the tree branches yet again.

~

A few hours had passed, Spencer and Derek eventually left their peaceful bench under the large oak tree, and instead moved back towards the parking lot.

“Garcia’s got a ride home already- I think she got that drag queen to get her home.” Derek explained as they approached his truck, Spencer nodded as he followed Derek. “Anyways,” Derek continued speaking, “I can give you a ride home. Let’s get going.”

“You don’t have to-“ Spencer started, Derek immediately shut him down. “I want to, c’mon. It’s late, you’re tired. I know you are. Let me take you home.” Spencer just nodded in agreement, he couldn’t argue with Derek, even if he did try. Morgan was a stubborn man.

So, Spencer followed Derek into his truck, and they sat in comfortable silence as they started on their journey back to Spencer’s safe space, his apartment.

~

By the time Derek pulled his truck into the apartments parking lot, Spencer knew something was just the slightest bit wrong. Derek had barely spoken for the entire ride, and usually he loves to say something, to make Spencer smile or laugh, or even just nod and mumble in agreement. But he had done none of that on the way to Spencers.

“Are you alright?” Spencer asked, turning to face Derek as he put the vehicle in park. Derek didn’t meet his eyes, staring at the steering wheel instead as he spoke; “Yeah. Sorry. I’m just thinking.”

“About what?” Spencer pried, absentmindedly unbuckling his seatbelt as he spoke, “About today.” Derek said, not explaining further. “Was today bad?”

Derek shook his head, “No. It started weird, it’s ending pretty good, though. But I’m gonna regret today forever if I don’t do something right now.”

Now, Spencer was confused. Not sure at all what Derek could be talking about, “What do you mean?” He asked, voice quieter than before.

Derek said nothing as he unbuckled his own seatbelt, turning to face Spencer as well, and then he leaned in- closer than they had ever been before. Their noses were almost touching, and Spencer didn’t move. Instead, he watched Derek’s eyes expectantly.

Then, Derek broke through, they were no longer intersecting each other’s personal space- now they were fully destroying each other’s atmospheres. Derek’s lips were on Spencer’s, a chaste, soft, quick kiss- something Spencer would have wanted to go for a lot longer. But then, he pulled away just as fast.

“...That’s what I meant..” He mumbled after a second, looking back towards the steering wheel, looking away from Spencer- and more importantly, not seeing the smile on Spencer’s face.

Spencer couldn’t help it. He knew it was terrible to be smiling right now- he should jump and say something to fix what was happening. But he had to smile, he couldn’t believe that had actually just happened, his brain was still computing and re-circuiting, trying to savor the memory and not forget how Derek’s lips felt against his.

Spencer dragged himself out of his own head quickly, though. He did all he could think of to do in the moment, get Derek back. “Morgan.” Spencer said, tugging on Derek’s sleeve as he did so, forcing him to look back at Spencer and meet his eyes again.

But Spencer didn’t say anything, and he didn’t give Derek the chance to speak, either. Instead, he leant forward, pressing his lips against Derek’s. This is all he had wanted to know for the longest time, and now he had it.

~

Maybe pride wasn’t so bad after all, you just have to be with the right people for it to work out.

———————————————————————

[myhockeyworld87]

What Happens In Vegas...Doesn’t Always Stay There - Jacob Markstrom - Part 5

Word Count: 6,353

POV: Reader

Warning: Language, Smut, NSFW, Pregnancy stuff

Notes: Sorry I meant to post this last night, but that game left me barely able to function. As such, you are getting this today. This fic takes place during the 2018-2019 season and during that season Jacob’s dad was still with him, so I will be mentioning him in this and the next chapter, along with his cancer. If that bothers you, please skip this and the next chapter. I just felt that it needed to be written into the story. As always feedback is welcome. Happy Reading!

What Happens In Vegas…Doesn’t Always Stay There Masterlist

It took three weeks back in LA to get everything taken care of before the move to Vancouver. Work thankfully wasn't a problem. With more and more movies and television shows being filmed in Canada, the firm liked the idea of having someone closer. Most of your work could be done remotely anyhow and you could just video chat conference calls or anything else you needed. It ended up being a win for everyone.

 By the time you could actually move in, Jacob was on the tail end of a ten-day road trip. He'd insisted on hiring you a moving company, even though you said you could handle it, not that he thought you couldn't; he just felt you didn't need the added stress. Though packing wasn't the stressful part. It was the unpacking and not knowing where to put things with Jacob not being there that was causing your anxiety to rise. You felt like you were invading his home. Most of your furniture you kept in storage, but you still had a few things you wanted to take with you, yet you didn't know where to have the movers place it. Then there were your clothes. Jacob had a gorgeous master bedroom, with a closet to die for, but all his things were in it. You were unsure if you should move them to make room for yours or just take up the closet in the spare room. Which while spacious, was nowhere near as nice as the one in Jacob's room. Everything would've been much easier had he been here.

 In the end, you split everything up, putting half your stuff in his closet and half in the other room. You figured the two of you would be doing a lot of compromising and this would just be one of them. You had his office moved around to accommodate your work desk, since you'd be working a lot from home, and you had to wonder how often he came in here, as the pile of papers on his desk looked like the size of Mount Fuji, volcanic eruption and all. You were tempted to straighten it out for him, but opted not to, not wanting to invade his privacy.

 You were just putting away the last of your stuff when you heard Jacob walk through the door. "Prinsessa, I'm home." He'd taken to calling you his Swedish princess lately and you had to admit you didn't hate it.

 "In the bedroom," you hollered back. It was late in the evening, too late for you to be up, but you wanted to see Jacob and make sure everything you'd done so far was fine with him.

 "I was surprised to see all the lights on when I pulled up. Couldn't you sleep?"

 "I just wanted to finish putting away a few things." He dropped his bag on the floor and came over to you, wrapping you up in his arms and dropping a few kisses to your lips.

 "I missed you these last couple of weeks." It was weird but you'd missed him as well. You had talked every day, sometimes several times, but those few days that you'd spent in Vancouver, had just brought a new closeness to this relationship. If a relationship was what you could call it. He did refer to you as his girlfriend, but the way you two had gotten here was definitely the road less traveled.

 You slid your arms up his chest, savoring the feel of his well-toned muscles there. "Funny...I didn't miss you at all." You had a hard time keeping a straight face.

 "Really?" Jacob asked. There was this twinkle in his eyes, right before his hands slid under your ass and he lifted you on him. You didn't even have a chance to wrap your legs around him, though he held you with ease. "Maybe I need to do a better job at leaving you some reminders for next time." His mouth went to the crook of your neck where he sucked on you and gave you little love bites. You were pretty sure there were going to be marks there.

 "And here this whole time I thought they called you Marky because of your last name," you teased, yet moved your head to the side to give him greater access.

 "Oh, I plan on leaving more than just this one." He carried you over to the bed, where he gingerly lowered you down. You loved how he could be slightly rough with you one minute and then next so gentle.  Admittedly, you'd like to see a little bit of his rough side, but hopefully, that would come with time.

 His hands slid under your shirt, along your sides; the callousness of them rough yet the touch tender, making you shiver. "No bra?" he asked, eyebrows shooting up with delight as he skimmed along the undersides, before cupping each breast.

 "I opted out of it a while ago." Though your body hadn't changed much in these last ten weeks, you did notice your breasts were more sensitive and sometimes you just couldn't stand having them confined longer than necessary. Tonight happened to be one of those times.

 "Well if it's an option, you don't ever have to wear it again." There was a devilish look in his eyes. "I like this ease of access." He was rolling your nipples between his thumb and index finger, eliciting moans out of you so that you had no chance to answer. Scrunching your shirt up, he dipped his head down to lavish attention on those same nipples he had been tweaking. Your body squirmed, as he swirled his tongue around it before sucking on it gently. He wedged his thigh between your legs and you found your body grinding against it while he played with first one nipple and then the other. "Oh prinsessa, I think you did miss me."

 There was no denying that your body missed this. Craved was more like it. You had a feeling there would never be a time that you didn't want him. What was surprising was the sense of loss that came with just simple day-to-day actions, like brushing your teeth together and sharing a meal. Those were the things you'd found yourself longing for these last few weeks.

 Jacob started to travel down your body. Trailing kisses as he went, yet stopping to whisper something in Swedish to the baby. He didn't spend long there, and before you could ask what he said; he was pulling your sweats and panties down. "Du gor mig galen med hur vat du ar." (you drive me crazy with how wet you are) You were going to have to start picking up Swedish or something in your spare time, as he seemed to always revert to his native language in the heat of the moment. There was no time to ask what he said, as he dove right into your pussy. Licking a stripe right up to your clit causing your hips to lift off the bed.

 You sucked in a breath when he repeated the action again, your body on fire like never before. When he flicked his tongue over your clit, you were gone. The orgasm hitting you hard and fast like never before. "Fuck," you screamed out, as your body trembled and spasmed.

 Jacob worked you through it, somewhat astonished with how little he had done to make you cum so quickly. Once, you finally stopped shaking he picked his head up from between your legs. "Are you alright, prinsessa?"

 "Yes," you sighed in a state of bliss, not knowing if it was the pregnancy or the fact that you hadn't seen Jacob in three weeks that made you climax like that.

 You lay there panting, still catching your breath. "Shall we do that again?" The smirk on Jacob's face had you laughing, but after a long day of unpacking, you knew your body wouldn't last long.

 "Do that and I may be done for the rest of the night." You were only half teasing but he chuckled and made his way back up your body, taking the hint.

 "Rather have this," Jacob flexed his hips into you and moaned out into the room again. He was out of his boxers in no time. Cupping his cock in his hand, then guiding it into you. "God, prinsessa, you always feel like heaven."

 "Mmm," was all you could answer back as he was buried deep in you, for he felt like heaven as well. When he finally started to move it felt like every nerve in your body was alive and tingling. With each thrust he took you to new heights you never knew were possible. "Oh Jacob," you moaned. "Don't stop...please...yes...oh god..."

 "Yeah, you like that prinsessa?" A smirk of satisfaction crossing his lips at knowing he was bringing you such exquisite pleasure. "Does my cock make you feel good?" He was pounding into you and you didn't know how much longer you were going to be able to hold on for. He must have felt the small flutter your pussy gave, as the first tremors of orgasm began. "Cum for me (Y/N)." You shattered at his words, climaxing once again with a force you never felt but just minutes ago. "Fuck, ya." He groaned out, spilling inside you as his orgasm hit as well.

 Your body was still quaking as he rolled you both onto your sides. His cock going flaccid yet still inside you. "God, you're beautiful," Jacob whispered those words, as he pushed strands of hair out of your face, before dropping kisses to your nose and lips. "If this is what happens when I get home from a road trip, I can't wait to go on another one."

 "Stop," you said playfully swatting at his chest.

 "I'm just teasing, prinsessa, though I do like coming home to you here. I think this will be good for us." You hoped it would, considering that you both had a lot banking on this working out. If this were to go south, then what would you do? Move back to LA with the baby? Stay here so that Jacob could be a part-time dad? There were so many questions swirling around in your brain, but when Jacob softly took his thumb to rub your cheek they all seemed to evaporate. "I didn't get to ask how you're feeling today?"

 "I'm good, well, we're good. That's three whole days without morning sickness." It was small, but it was progress. Hopefully, you were on the upswing of that as you went into your eleventh week.

 "Good, I can't see how that's good for either one of you." You couldn't either, even though everything you read and everyone you talked to, said it was normal. "When you were moving in did you figure out which room you wanted for the baby?"

 "I thought the smart thing would be to keep it next to our room. Oh, I mean your room."

 "No, you were right the first time. This is our room." He kissed you quickly before adding, "If we're going to make this work then everything is ours."

 You yawned, completely exhausted from the babe and moving in. "Ok," you somehow managed to get out, agreeing with Jacob.

 "Sleep, (Y/N). It's late." You weren't sure if it was the combination of his soft whispered words while he rubbed your back or sheer exhaustion, but the minute you closed your eyes you were out.

 Jacob just chuckled to himself as he watched you fall asleep. He was fighting the feeling himself, though he just wanted to steal a few more glances as you slept on peacefully in his arms. It was strange to him, someone who wasn't ready to settle down, how much he loved this. Just holding you in his arms and watching you sleep. Ever since he'd met you, something inside him had changed. You made him want more than just random hookup after random hookup, and now he had that something more with you. Though pretty soon there would be a little one as well. His hand stole down to your belly. He thought for sure there would be a bump there, after not seeing you for three weeks. The little blueberry inside you had grown to a strawberry now. He knew this because of course, he had to google it, along with so many other things. Like how to change a diaper, and what he should expect at each week of your pregnancy. He knew that right now you could start with mood swings, and be crying one minute and happy the next. He was just waiting for that to happen. He was trying to be prepared as best he could to help you out with the baby growing inside you. His baby. God, it sounded weird, yet so good at the same time. It was thoughts of his little one that had him drifting off to sleep.

 Jacob was home for the next five days before off on a short road trip before Thanksgiving. It was after a one point loss that he brought up finally being able to tell people about your pregnancy. The two of you were driving home after the game and you could tell his mind was preoccupied, you just assumed it was about the game. That was until he spoke. "I think we should tell everyone." It was sort of out of the blue and you had to admit you weren't sure if you were ready.

 "I don't know Jacob."

 Before you could say more, he looked over at you saying, "why?"

 "It's just...I'm the new person here. I've only been to three games counting tonight." He looked over again when you came to a stoplight, confused by what you were saying. "They're going to judge me." When he still didn't understand, you added, "They're all going to think I baby trapped you."

 "No, they won't."

 "Please, I know women, and you said it yourself; they're a family. I'll be looked at as the outsider that wanted to get her claws into a famous athlete."

 "I don't know about famous," he joked and you noticed that he tended to do that a lot. When you just gave him a look, he reached over and squeezed your thigh, letting his hand rest there after doing so. "I'm teasing (Y/N). I know these guys, they aren't going to think that way once we tell them. Hell, I'll take full blame. I mean I should've worn a condom, but if I'm being honest...I'm glad I didn't."

 You were shocked at his words, to the point that you had none yourself. "Don't look so shocked," Jacob said breaking the silence. "I'll admit, that kids weren't in my plans right now, but they were in them. And I have to say now, once I saw blueberry, who's now strawberry; I'm kind of excited to be a dad. I guess that's why I want to tell everyone."

 Well, shit, now he had you all weepy. You understood where he was coming from, there was something about seeing the baby on the ultrasound, even though you had no clue what you were looking at, and then hearing the heartbeat, well it made you feel the exact same way as he did. "Ok."

 "Ok?"

 "Ok, we can tell people."

 "Really? I didn't say that to make you change your mind or anything." His hand was running up and down your thigh now, more in an excited manner than seductive, yet it still sent tingles through your body.

 "I know, but I'll be twelve weeks in a couple days and then we're pretty much out of the woods according to the doctor." That had been your main concern, having a miscarriage. It would be hard enough on you let alone having to tell everyone who was sharing in your happiness.

 "Oh," Jacob exclaimed and you could tell that was something that hadn't really crossed his mind. "Well, we can wait then."

 "What if we compromise." After all, the two of you had been doing that a lot recently, no reason to stop now. "You're only gone a couple short days. We can tell everyone when you get back, at Thanksgiving." When you were with the other wives and girlfriends tonight they had mentioned that they were going to be doing a group thanksgiving dinner for those who wished to celebrate and didn't have family in town. It was a no-brainer to say yes, though you probably should've talked to Jacob first. It was too late for that now, as you were already down for bringing a couple pies for dessert.

 "That actually sounds like a good plan. Even if I didn't know we were officially going." There was that damn squeeze of your thigh again to let you know he was teasing. This time you played along.

 "Hmm, I don't remember you being mentioned in the invite, but I'm sure I can bring a plus one." You were half tempted to reach over to grasp his thigh, but you settled for just linking your fingers together with his, liking the fact that you two had this easiness with each other.

 "I'm fine with being your plus one anytime, prinsessa."

 Once the matter was settled the two of you concentrated on other things until you got home and he whisked you up to the bedroom. You had read that your sex drive might decrease some during these weeks of pregnancy but you were not finding that to be the fact. If anything, you were constantly, well the only word for it was, horny. Just being in Jacob's presence drove you wild, and it seemed to be the same for him. Though the two of you did have your tender moments, where you cuddled up on the couch to watch hockey; Jacob explaining the premises of the game better to you. There were also nights you would just lie in bed and talk about the baby. Jacob gently caressing the small bump on your belly that wasn't even noticeable unless you were naked, which around him seemed to be often.

 Before you knew it, he was off on another road trip. Immersing yourself in work during the day was easy, it was the nights that were long. Game nights, you found yourself at one of the other ladies houses watching the game together or just laughing and enjoying each other’s company, but then you would head home to an empty house and an even more vacant bed. It wasn’t lost on you that just a few short months ago, this was the life you wanted. No craved. Now here you were wishing that Jacob was home with you, preferably in bed, but just being in the house would be enough for you. Though you couldn’t complain too much as Jacob would call and facetime you several times each night.

 It wasn’t too long of a roadie, and before you knew it, he was back in Vancouver and you were getting ready for Thanksgiving. With each pie you baked, you had to admit you were getting more and more nervous at the idea of telling Jacob’s teammates. You’d taken the morning to tell his parents, who while not exactly thrilled about the way it happened, were happy for the both of you and excited about having a grandchild. Yours were pretty much the same, now understanding that your move to Canada was more than just business.

 Hours later, you were in the car headed to Chris Tanev’s place, where he and his girlfriend Kendra were hosting. You couldn’t stop your legs from bouncing as you went past neighborhood after neighborhood. “I’m telling you there’s nothing to be worried about,” Jacob insisted, placing his hand over your knee in an effort to get you to stop.

 “Yeah, well I’ll be better when it’s over and I don’t have to see the disapproving stares.”

 “You weren’t this nervous telling our families.”

 “I was for yours. I just wasn’t showing it on the outside.” Admittedly, you had been scared about telling them, but Jacob’s parents were just so kind. There were also words exchanged in Swedish which you had no clue as to their meaning, but Jacob assured you it was nothing bad at all. “Besides our parents aren’t going to judge us at the end of the day. Family kind of has to love you, even when you make mistakes.”

 “Mistakes, huh?”

 “That’s not what I meant.”

 “I know, just trying to take your mind off of everything. So, you’re cool with my parents coming over for a bit. I mean dad and I will be on the road a couple of days, so it’ll just be you and my mom, but I know she’s really excited about meeting you.”

 “Yeah, I’m actually looking forward to it.” Which was the honest to god’s truth. You wanted to learn all about Jacob and his family, for no matter what happened between the two of you, they would always be a part of the baby’s life. “I’m sure she’s got some good stories about you growing up. You know the ones that are way too embarrassing to tell, but mom’s do anyhow.” He groaned and you laughed. There were obviously some he didn’t want to be told and you were looking forward to hearing about those the most.

 “Maybe I should be rethinking this.”

 “Don’t you dare.” As the words rolled off your tongue, you realized you were pulling up to the Tanev residence.

 “Ready?” You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for the next few hours. You planned on just following Jacob’s lead. It wasn’t like you were going to walk in and simply announce that you were pregnant; however, and whenever, he wanted to tell them, was his choice.

 He squeezed your hand one last time before the two of you exited the car. You grabbed the desserts, tossing two pies at Jacob before taking the last two, and heading to the door. “Welcome, guys,” Chris said as he opened the door, then took one of the pies off your hands. “Come on in.” Not everyone was there yet, which was rather nice. There were a few of the single players there, along with Sarah and Erik. You knew for sure Holly and Bo were coming as well and a few more of the couples, that you weren’t extremely close to yet, they just hadn’t arrived yet.

 Mike Del Zotto was quick to come up and throw an arm around you. “Hey (Y/N), it’s good to see you. Glad you two decided to join us. I thought maybe this guy would keep you all to himself. I know I would.” He gave you a quick wink, but it was the look on Jacob’s face that had you laughing. He was not happy with DZ flirting with you by any means.

 “Keep it up and we may just have to head home,” Jacob countered, though in a joking manner.

 “Men,” Sarah said, grabbing you from Michael’s hold so that she could hug you. “Why don’t you boys run along and watch football or something. Let’s go put these in the kitchen.” She took the pies from Jacob and headed off.

 Jacob came over and pecked you on the lips, before slyly asking, “You good?”

 “Yeah,” with that he gave your hip a final squeeze then went with the other guys to the movie room.

 “These look amazing,” Kendra told you, checking out the baked goods. “Where did you get them from?”

 “Oh, I made them. I hope that’s ok.”

 “Ok? Oh my god, of course, they’re probably way better than store-bought. Though you have me feeling guilty now because I did not make any of the food.” It was then that you noticed large tinfoil pans here and there in the kitchen with a couple in the oven. “I like to cook, but not for this herd. I don’t have enough oven space for the number of turkeys we’d need.”

 “Well, I’m still amazed at you having everyone,” you told her, for it had to be a feat hosting this many hockey players along with their significant others. “Everything looks amazing and your house is gorgeous by the way.”

 “Thank you. Would you like a glass?” Kendra held out a bottle of red wine, literally your weakness any other time than right now. “I was just pouring us a second.”

 “Yeah, join us,” Sarah added. “We’re going to need it with all this male testosterone today.”

 Somehow at the last couple of get-togethers, you’d managed to get out of drinking simply by saying that you had work the next day, but that would not be the case tomorrow. “I really shouldn’t, but a bottle of water would be great.”

 “One water coming up.” Kendra headed over to the fridge when you saw Sarah eyeing you funny.

 “Ok, so I have to ask.” This from Sarah as she still had that look on her face. It was the one Kennedy always made when she knew something. Nine times out of ten your best friend was always right, but then this was Sarah, someone who you considered a friend but didn’t know near as well. “You haven’t been drinking at any games and you’re not today. Are you….?” She paused letting the word pregnant just hang in the air, for you to fill in the blank.

 “Are you?” Kendra asked now fully into the conversation, yet still, neither said the word.

 All you could do was take a deep breath and say, “Yeah, I am.” Still not saying the P-word as if that would change the circumstance of your situation.

 “Oh my god, congratulations.” Sarah came running around the island to hug you. "That's amazing." You were stunned there wasn't a hint of disapproval on her face. And when you looked back at Kendra who was waiting her turn to hug you, all you could see was happiness as well.

 "Jacob is going to be a great father," Kendra told you when she wrapped you up in an embrace. "How far along are you?"

 "How far along is what?" Chris asked.

 "I hope you mean dinner because I'm starving," Del Zotto added.

 Bringing up the rear of the trio was Jacob and all you could do was give him a sheepish grin as Kendra broke the news. "Congratulations, Daddy."

 Both Michael and Chris turned to him, with shocked looks on their faces. "Why didn't you tell us, man?" Chris spoke first, as he clapped Jacob on the back then gave him the standard bro hug.

 "I planned on it today," Jacob answered while giving you a look both shocked and thrilled that you were the one spilling the beans. "Just hadn't found the right time."

 Del Zotto came up and hugged you first, followed by Chris, and the next thing you knew the whole place was congratulating the two of you. It was nothing like you thought, not one person questioned the fact that you'd just moved in together or started to see one another. Jacob had been right all along. They were just like your family, supportive of the decision the two of you had made. You were beginning to believe that this may work out. Especially, as your relationship with Jacob only seemed to grow stronger with each passing day.

 After Thanksgiving, things seemed to be moving in fast forward. You hit the twelve-week mark in your pregnancy, which meant another ultrasound and another chance for you and Jacob to further bond over the baby. It went from being a strawberry to being the size of a lime, according to the chart, and this time you could both see it was an actual baby growing inside of you. There was a distinct shape to its little arms and legs, which made the whole thing that much more real and exciting. Which is how you found yourself asking the girls how you would go about getting a little Canucks jersey with Jacob’s number and Daddy written on the back as a Christmas gift for Jacob. It was the first baby item that you bought and it felt so perfect.

 As Christmas drew near, you found yourself decorating Jacob’s house for the holiday season. Even though you’d been living in the house for several weeks, it still didn’t feel like your home quite yet. Jacob had few holiday decorations, so you found yourself shopping more than you cared to admit. By the time he arrived home, you had the house transformed into something worthy of a Hallmark movie. It wasn’t what Jacob was used to by any means considering the Swedes are more classic and subtle when it came to holiday décor, but he loved it all the same.

 Christmas was a quiet affair. You opted to stay in Canada with Jacob, figuring that you might as well start making some new traditions, like celebrating on Christmas Eve as is done in Sweden. The two of you tried to mesh your holiday traditions as much as possible, so you agreed to open one present Christmas Eve after you had eaten some classic holiday dishes from Jacob’s homeland, then opting to open the rest Christmas morning as your family had always done. Jacob bought you a beautiful charm bracelet. There was a Welcome to Vegas charm, as well as a hockey stick, and Canucks one, but the one you loved the most was the one that had Mom to be written on a heart.

 “This is beautiful,” you said leaning over to give him a kiss. “Thank you.”

 You handed over your gift to him, which he took with a silly grin on his face. Tearing through the paper, he unwrapped the box in no time, then pulled out the tiny hockey sweater. “This is great (Y/N). I can’t wait to see him or her in it at the game.”

 “There’s more.” He looked at you curiously then peered back inside the box, seeing the gold chain lying inside. You’d seen him wear one on a few occasions but this had a little charm on the end. He looked at it several times before you finally gave in. “It’s the doppler sound of the baby’s heartbeat. I had told you I’d record it for you before we did the ultrasound here in Vancouver, but I still wanted you to have something to remember that moment.”

 His eyes started to well up, just like they had that day when you heard the heartbeat. “This is…wow…I love it.” It was Jacob’s turn to plant a kiss on your lips, only this one became a little more heated. He finally pulled away, but only to say, “Can you put it on me?”

 Thankfully he was seated on the couch, so you got up and placed the chain around his neck. The moment it was secure, he looked down at the charm and smiled, before reaching to grab you and pull you close again. This time speaking hushed words to the baby in Swedish as he always did.

 “I think for my New Year’s resolution, I’m going to learn Swedish. I’m dying to know what you tell the baby.”

 “That time, I said that they are so lucky to have the most wonderful mom in the world.” Well, if that didn’t make the heat rise to your cheeks. “There might have been a few other things as well. I’m more than happy to teach you though if you’d like to learn.”

 “I think I would. It would be nice to teach our child your native tongue, and they say to start as early as possible. Which it seems that you are.” He just grinned then hauled you down on his lap, cradling your small little bump once you were seated.

 “Well here’s your first lesson. You say God Jul for Merry Christmas in Swedish.”

 You repeated the words, butchering them a bit, then repeated it again much better. “Very good, prinsessa. Obviously, you know that one as well.”

 “I do. Though I wonder if I shall still get that title if we have a girl.”

 “Hmm, might have to change it to Drottning.”

 “I have no clue what that means, but it’s not nearly as romantic.” Jacob let out a bark of laughter.

 “No, I don’t suppose queen sounds as good in Swedish as it does English. I guess I will just have to think about it.”

 “Which makes me wonder, do you want a boy or a girl?” Everyone knew that all you both wanted was a healthy baby, but you wouldn’t lie and say that you’d love to see Jacob with a son. One he could teach all his hockey moves to, though he could just as easily do that with a girl. Maybe it was that you wanted a boy just so that you could see Jacob through him. One that had his sense of humor and good looks. Though your child would probably never be in trouble if he could replicate his father’s grin. It melted your heart every time you saw it. You had to shake yourself from where your thoughts were leading for you never saw yourself as this person; the kind that wanted to see the man that they loved reflected in their children.

 Did you literally just think that you loved Jacob? Certainly, you had feelings for him, but love; no, it couldn’t be that. You hadn’t known Jacob long enough to say you were in love with him. Hell, the two of you were in the process of getting a divorce. Weren’t people falling out of love when that happened and not into it?

 “Either will be fine, just healthy.” Jacob's voice brought you back to reality and where your train of thoughts was leading. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to explore those feelings; now was just not the right moment for it. Later, you thought, when you weren’t wrapped up in his arms with this warm fuzzy feeling from the holiday season already bubbling inside you.

 “Well, we both want that, but isn’t there one you want a little bit more than the other?” You probed further, ignoring those earlier thoughts.

 “Not really prinsessa.” He had to have some preference just as you did.

 “So, then you don’t want to know what we’re having?”

 “Not if you don’t.” He was too damn accommodating at times or was that he was disinterested. He was always talking to the baby, so you didn’t think that it was the latter.

 “We have a few more weeks to think about it.” No point in making the decision right now, maybe he would change his mind. “I made the next appointment for when you’re back, on the fifteenth. We’ll have to know by then.”

 He kissed your temple, hands running under your shirt so that he could caress the tiny baby bump. “We will, for now though, we better get to bed before Santa comes.”

 “Is Santa coming the reason you want to go?” you teased as you could feel his erection growing against you.

 “Well, if you let me, prinsessa, Santa won’t be the only one cuming.” God, you loved his sense of humor. There was that word again. It had you jumping off his lap in order for your mind to not wander down that path again.

 “Guess we better head to bed then.” He was swift to follow you, sweeping you off your feet and carrying you to the bedroom, where he definitely kept his word.

 It was two days later that he was headed off on a ten-day road trip. You were definitely not looking forward to it, as the house always seemed empty without him in it.

 The team played on New Year’s Eve and had it been anywhere else than New Jersey you would’ve gone to watch only so you could ring in the new year together. Instead, you spent that night with all the Canuck ladies, facetiming Jacob as the new year approached. Jacob was still going to be on the road for another five days, so you busied yourself by taking down all the holiday decorations. You decided to make the place a bit homier, adding pictures and artwork here and there. The place was really starting to feel more like home.

 The only room that still needed work, was the office. While your desk was neat and organized, Jacob’s was a disaster. Had been since the day you moved in. You were seriously starting to wonder how things got done with the mountain of papers on his desk. All those papers had been driving you crazy every day you came in to work. Jacob needed someone to organize him, or at least that’s what you told yourself as you sat in his chair and started to sift through piece after piece of mail and documents.

 There was a pile for bills, all of which somehow got paid, though you didn’t know how. A pile for legal documents and a miscellaneous pile that you needed to figure out where to put. Once you organized the first two, you moved on to the random ones that you weren’t one hundred percent sure of. You were halfway through when you came across a familiar envelope; the same one you’d sent the divorce papers back in. Why it hadn’t caught your attention when you first separated it, you weren’t sure?

 You opened it up, assuming it was a copy of the document you’d signed. What you found inside shocked you. It was the original paperwork. The blue ink you signed it in staring back at you, but that wasn’t the part that told you it was a copy. It was the fact that Jacob’s signature was nowhere to be found. He hadn’t signed it. Why? You’d both agreed to the divorce, it was practically a done deal, only now it wasn't.

taglist: @iculyrea​  @fiveholegoal​  @raysofcrosby @leafs-lover​ @sexysidney87​ @lovethepreds​  @miranda0102​  @stbluesbrat21  @perrieeloise  @mandypants95​  @hockeyunits​  @liz96893  @golfergirl1982​  @princessphilly​  @ajstylesworld​  @zinka8  @dontworrybeekappy​  @hiimana  @meishaabae​ @heatherawoowoo @beauvibaby @hockeybabe87 @leafs-forever @dancingonmyown87​ @himbos-on-ice

[bbrandy2002]

Fool’s Rush In -- Chapter 16

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x MC

Warning: Some language, mild sexual talk

Since it’s been awhile since I last posted an update, in the previous chapter Madeleine had confronted Riley with a video after she left the ball. 

Thank you @burnsoslow for the preread and beta.

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

Riley sat on a leather bench at the foot of the bed with a television remote held loosely between her hands, folded in her lap. 

Somehow her worn-out body managed to walk from the corridor after the encounter with Madeleine, up the many stairs of the quarters she shared with Liam and to their bedroom. The shock of the situation combined with exhaustion and throbbing pain in her lower back was secondary to the fear she felt at possibly giving up the man she loved. 

With trembling hands, she had slipped the DVD into the player and watched her nightmare play out on the screen -- It was all true. Madeleine acquired an illicit video of Riley and her ex-husband that the Queen had no clue was recorded of her or existed.

Her thumb grazed over the pause button several times, but she knew pressing it wouldn’t stop the hurt and embarrassment she felt at that moment at watching her former husband violating her trust and privacy. It wouldn’t stop Madeleine from releasing the video of it to the press and public. And it wouldn't stop the love she felt for Liam -- no one was powerful enough to take that feeling away from her.

But it was those words Madeleine threatened her with that got equal consideration with that video in Riley’s mind. She tried to envision how the scenario would carry out if the video was released and for those who would be affected by it: her father, her friends, her former students. 

Liam.

“It’s a shame that he’ll lose his reign, all because of you.”

“Would you really do that to Liam?”

“Do you genuinely believe you’re worth all the trouble it will cause him?”

Riley hit the pause button, her hands flying up to cover her tear-laden face as she bent over in sobs, shaking her head. She was wrestling with that inner voice, replaying Madeleine’s words like a broken record while struggling to remember everything Liam told her about trusting him and his love for her.

No matter how hard she tried to let his tender voice speak to that sacred place in her heart, Madeleine’s threats and taunts were getting the best of her. If there was even a slight possibility that the Countess was right, and Liam would get dragged through the mud in all of this, then there was no question what needed to be done. 

Those scattered bricks that formed the walls she came to Cordonia with, the ones Liam had broken down, were quickly stacking up again, one on top of the other. If something didn’t happen soon, Riley would be surrounded and suffocated inside that impenetrable cocoon that initially caused herself to doubt her worthiness to him in the first place.

All of those insecurities and fears crept up faster than a flooded riverbank, and she felt powerless to stop it from rising. Even if she could, she’d never allow Liam to suffer the consequences of something she had the power to prevent. To hell with whatever happened to her, but not him. He saved her weeks ago, and as her teary gaze slid from her hands to the wardrobe closet across the room, this would be her way of saving him.

Riley picked up the remote from her lap and tossed it aside. Determined to get out of the palace and Cordonia before anyone could see her, she swallowed her anger and grief and swiped a knuckle under each eye to dry the tears shed. 

She rose to her feet faster than she should have, feeling an intense shock of pain that began in her hip and shot down to her feet. There were no doubts that the fall from struggling with Madeleine injured her far worse than she wanted to admit to herself. With a shrieking whimper, she ground her teeth together and doubled over, feeling like she might faint. 

Riley grasped her back and gave herself a second to breathe through the pain before straightening up and staggering to her wardrobe to pack whatever she could as quickly as possible.

_____________

Liam stepped off the dance floor with Olivia's arm curled through his and escorted her back to their table. The conclusion of the ball was nearly upon him, and most guests had already stopped on their way out to say their farewells and offer congratulatory well-wishes. When they'd ask about the Queen's whereabouts, he'd tell them she had something come up that needed her attention. No one dared press him on the issue.

Checking the time on his watch, Liam looked up as Maxwell ran over with his phone in hand and dropped into a seat. He looked curiously at the out of breath Beaumont and asked, "What's going on, Maxwell?"

"Sorry," he replied before plucking a flute of champagne from a passing server's tray and gulping it down quickly. Wiping the droplets that dribbled from his mouth to his chin off with the back of his hand, he panted. "I ran here as fast as I could. I just got a text message from Drake. He's heading back soon."

"Did he say what the results of the paternity test were?" Olivia asked.

Maxwell nodded. "Yeah. They're Bastien's for sure. Las Vegas officials are allowing Drake to leave, but they've detained Bas until he pays up the $200,000 he owes to Boom Boom. Drake's return flight is scheduled to leave tomorrow morning, Cordonia time."

Liam pulled out his wallet and tossed $100 at a smug Leo, who promptly counted them out and stuffed the bills into his pocket. "I told you those little dudes weren't mine, bro. Really, your doubt in me hurts." 

"I'll admit you were right, Leo. But you do have a track record when it comes to being involved in weird stuff like this."

"Yeah, I've gotten myself into some pretty hairy shit a time or two," he laughed as the memories came to him. "Ahh, good times, good times. But, y'know, it wasn't always just fun and games with me, Liam. During those few occasions when I'd show up to train on being the top dog of this place, Father taught me several valuable lessons. Wanna know what they were?"

"Not really," Liam answered dryly, then tossed back the rest of his scotch to prepare himself. "But I assume you're going to tell me anyway."

"Damn right I am! This is good shit to know, straight from the Big Kahuna himself." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "You must never tell anyone what I'm about to share with you all. This is top secret, classified Cordonian shit we're talking about; lives are on the line here. Father would be pissed if --"

"Just spit it out already!" Olivia snapped.

"Alright, first, never jizz in a jacuzzi unless you want to be covered in a thin spiderweb-like amalgamation of your own gravy. Daddio said he learned the hard way on that one ..."

"Oh, God. Leo!" Sickened, Liam dropped his head.

" ... Next, when you kiss a woman's hand, do it on the thumb side. Most people scratch their asses with their fingers, but rarely their thumbs. I might be an exception to the rule on that one." Leo chuckled to himself. "And lastly ... Rys spermies are MEAN sons-of-bitches, and we should dip my balls in a mug of hot water every day to kill them before having sex." 

"What the hell?" Olivia grimaced as she lowered her coffee mug away from her lips and pushed it away. 

"My dad told me the same thing," Maxwell boasted. "Except he called them Beaumont spermies. I guess he heard the same story from someone different than your dad."

Liam lowered the hands that were covering his face and breathed out heavily, "Leo, did our father ever teach you about anything other than using protection and sex during these meetings? Anything about negotiations, taxes, treaties ..."

Leo considered him for a moment. "Nope. He said you'd do all that stuff."

Liam grumbled. "Of course he did."

Olivia looked between Leo and Maxwell and scowled. "Well, it's too bad neither of your fathers took their own advice." She grabbed her clutch from the table. "At least I'll rest easier knowing the two of you aren't reproducing. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"I'll walk out with you, Liv." Liam rose and left the ballroom, having had more than enough of his fill of Leo for the night. There was also an incredibly sexy woman upstairs he'd been dreaming of pleasing all day, and he was overly eager to make good on his promise to join her shortly. 

______________

Liam made his way through the residential wing and down the long hallway to his quarters. While undoing his tie, he stopped midway when he noticed a vase that usually sat on a decorative table along the wall, tipped over on its side with bundles of long-stemmed roses littered on the ground around it. 

As he stooped down to pick them up, he found it oddly peculiar -- they didn't just fall over like this on their own. If a member of the staff had knocked them over, they would have picked them up; he felt certain Riley would have, as well.  

After rearranging the flowers in the vase and situating them back on the table, Liam removed his key card from his pocket and swiped it through the key fob next to the door.

"Riley! I'm home," he called out in a sensual tone, knowing she was most likely upstairs -- hopefully naked and ready to get her ass spanked -- and wouldn't have heard him.  

Taking a moment to check his reflection in the entryway mirror, Liam smoothed back his hair and tested his breath against his palm, satisfied he was good. After a quick stop in the kitchen to grab a can of whipped cream and chocolate sauce, Liam ascended the stairs, two at a time, to his bedroom. 

"Daddy's ready for his dessert ..." his exuberant voice trailed off as the sultry smirk he donned quickly faded away when he walked into an empty room. "Riley?"

Glancing around the bedroom, the en suite door was still open, and the light was off, so he knew she wasn't in there. The bed was still in pristine form and didn't look touched. He wasn't at all worried; Riley likely went for a snack, even though that thought seemed rather odd considering how adamant she was about returning to their quarters earlier.

Liam placed the toppings on a side table and slipped out his phone. He plopped down on the bench at the foot of their bed, thinking maybe he'd missed a message or call from her. 

There was nothing.

He scratched his head; it wasn't like Riley not to mention to him if she'd gone somewhere, not that she had to. But in this case, she knew he'd be up soon. Thinking about the overturned vase Liam walked upon, something started to not sit well with him. 

With the cell still in his hand, he pulled her contact information up. Just as he was about to hit the dial button, he heard "Liam" in a low, raspy voice.

Relief washed over him as he stood and put his phone away. "Love, you worried me. Everything okay?" Her face was ashen, and her eyes red and swollen. Liam's insides immediately clinched.

Riley didn't answer as Liam crossed the room, frantically approaching her, worry engraved on his features. “Riley, love, what’s wrong? What happened?” His eyes were desperately searching for any clue as to what was clearly something wrong with his wife.

She held out her hand, preventing him from coming too close. “Please ... don’t.”

Bewildered, he asked, “What are you doing, sweetheart?”

Riley turned her head away somberly; she couldn't bear to look at him. She had planned to get out of the palace before he returned from the ball; there was no way she would be able to face him. Liam would want an explanation that she couldn't give him. But when she got to the car, Riley noticed there was something important she forgot to give back to him, and there was no way she would take it. Maybe somewhere inside, even if she couldn't admit it, she needed to see him and do this right. “I ... have to go.” Her words were barely audible.

Liam's brows bumped together. “Go? You’re going somewhere this late? But you were tired before --”

“No,” Her head shook faster than she realized before she spat the rest out. “I’m leaving Cordonia. I’m returning to Las Vegas, and I’m not coming back.”

“Riley? What the hell is going on? You were fine and having a good time 30 minutes ago, and now, all of a sudden, you want to go back to Nevada. What am I missing here? Does this have something to do with what happened at dinner? Because I told you --”

“You’re not missing anything. I came here to prevent you from marrying Madeleine, and I did that. That was the agreement, and now ... I’m going home.”

Liam started to laugh and wagged his finger at her. “Leo put you up to pranking me? He's mad about me sending that damn monkey away and is trying to get me back, right? Because if he did, that's just … just heartless. And I don’t find it funny.”

“No, Liam.." She shook her head again. "Leo didn’t put me up to this, and it's not a prank.” Riley carefully pulled off the wedding bands she came back to give him and held them out to him.

He looked at them and gritted his teeth. “Put them back on,” he commanded.

“I can’t do that, Liam. They belonged to your mother, and I’m not taking something so sentimental with me back to Vegas.”

“You’re damn right you're not taking them back to Vegas with you because you’re not going!”

“I am.”

“No, you’re not!”

Riley choked out into a wispy sob, “I’m so sorry, Liam. I'm so sorry!”

He said nothing as he stared at her in disbelief and saw that she was serious. “Why?” He asked as his throat clenched and the first tear slipped down his cheek.

Her body felt leaden, never having seen him this shattered. “Liam, I just want to go home, okay? I mean ... this has been an amazing experience, and I’ll never forget it, but I miss my home, and my job, and my friends ..."

“Fuck your home! I’ll buy you one here that looks just like it. Visit your friends all you want ... hell, bring them here if you want to; I don’t care. That's NOT what's going on! There’s something you’re not telling me. And I want to know, NOW!”

Riley startled at his yell, wanting to hold him and make it better. “Liam, I don’t want to be in Cordonia anymore, or be the Queen, or live in this palace. I want to go home.”

He motioned around the room.“THIS is your home, Riley ... Cordonia.  I’m your home! This palace is your home." Liam scrubbed a frustrated hand furiously over his face. "Again, you were fine 30 minutes ago. What changed between you leaving the ball and coming up here? You're not telling the truth for some reason, but I can’t figure out why. Did I do something to upset you? Did someone else do something to upset you?"

"No!" she responded expeditiously.

"I love you, Riley. You know that, right?" She nodded; the glisten in his blue eyes and the desperation in his trembling voice was destroying her willpower. "Do you …  still love me?"

Riley slammed her eyes shut. She loved him with every fiber of her being, and to tell him so in this very moment would only serve to prolong this hellacious situation. The only way to protect him from losing everything -- in her mind -- was to let him go. He would fight her on this, and it broke her heart to see the pain and confusion in his eyes, but it had to be done.

“Do. You. Love. Me?” he enunciated his question once more. The struggle and agony on her face were evident to him.

Riley turned away from Liam and faced the door. Did she have it in her to answer that question with a lie?

"... the council will have no choice but to question Liam's decision-making abilities after not only squandering his pick of a queen on some American nobody but now one whose ass will be featured on the desktops of teenage boys across the world. It's a shame he'll lose his reign, all because of you. Would you really do that to Liam? Are you worth the trouble?"

The sadness crushed her. There was no other way to protect him. Riley swiped at her face and answered firmly.

“No.”

With that, the Queen walked out, leaving the King in an empty room with his shock, his confusion, and an unimaginable pain he'd never get over.

-----------

Tags:

@burnsoslow @dcbbw @ao719 @jessiembruno @texaskitten30 @janezillow @merridithsmiscellany-blog @mskaneko @callmeellabella @queenjilian @sirbeepsalot @drakexwillow @jovialyouthmusic @forthebrokenheartedthings @bebepac @kingliam2019 @lovablegranny @cordoniaqueensworld @amandablink @liamxs-world @choiceskatie @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @charlotteg234 @annekebbphotography @txemrn @ofpixelsandscribbles @alyssalauren @monsoonblooms12 @mom2000aggie @theroyalheirshadowhunter @princessleac1 @kimmiedoo5 @graceful-leah @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful @thegreentwin @gkittylove99 @neotericthemis @pink-diamond13 @walker7519 @yourmajesty09 @natureblooms24 @gabesmommie1130 @sweatyrysconnoisseur @kat-tia801 @debramcg1106 @shewillreadyou @choicesstan650 @emkay512 @royalromancer

Liam x MC: @cordonia-gothqueen

Fools Rush In tags: @narrytheworld @queenwalton​ @cordonianprincess​ @zaffrenotes​ @zilch3​ @drrookie​ @sfb123​ @secretaryunpaid​

[marjansmarwani]

say that we’ll stay with each other

3k || ao3

On what seems like a normal day and a normal house fire things go from bad to worse in an instant and Carlos is left to confront his biggest fear, one of the things that keeps him up at night. But this isn’t a dream, it’s very real and Carlos will do anything to make sure it doesn’t mean the end. Not from them, not for TK.  

Electrocution for @badthingshappenbingo requested by @officereyes

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

Carlos was already waiting at the edge of the lawn when the ladder truck pulled up. Behind him there was a house fully engulfed flames and there was someone trapped inside.

“There’s a woman trapped inside,” he informed Captain Strand before the older man had even fully exited the truck, “her husband is pretty sure she’s hurt and she’s definitely trapped.”

The Captain took it in stride, nodding before turning to the crew, “Alright team, it looks like we have a trapped and injured woman in the structure. She is in the,” he paused here, turning to Carlos.

“Second floor bedroom, far right window,” he provided. Owen nodded and opened his mouth to continue instructions when Carlos continued, “but the stairs are out. They collapsed as the husband was coming down.”

“Okay so we will be entering through the window,” Owen said with a nod, turning back to the team. “Mateo, prep the ladder. There’s not enough clearance here to use the truck ladder so grab one of the ladders of the side. Captain Vega,” he called over to Tommy, “can I borrow one of your team? We don’t know how badly she’s hurt and having a paramedic on scene could make things a lot simpler.”

“What do you say, Strand,” Tommy asked TK with a raised eyebrow, “feel like going back to fire for a bit?”

 TK flashed her a grin, already reaching into the compartment for his turnout coat and pulling it on with relish, “Sure thing, Cap.”

Carlos shook his head at his boyfriend’s obvious enthusiasm for walking into a flaming building as he turned to Nancy, “the husband’s over by my cruiser, he took a fall when the stairs collapsed. He seems to be okay, but if you wanted to give him a look anyways I already told him to expect it.”

“You know us so well Reyes,” she quipped back, flashing him a grin as she shouldered her pack and crossed over to where the anxious husband was watching the activity around the house.

Carlos turned to the house then, watching as Mateo got a ladder set up. He wasn’t surprised there wasn’t enough clearance – the house was surrounded by thick trees on all sides. He was surprised that the city hadn’t done anything about them, however. The powerlines weaved through the trees and stretched across the front of the house, which seemed like a serious safety and fire hazard, in his opinion. He wouldn’t even be surprised if that had something to do with the start of this fire. Thankfully there was enough of a sloped roof right at the base of the windows which made accessing them all the easier.

He caught TK’s eyes as he walked by, his boyfriend flashing him a cheeky grin. Carlos smiled fondly at his excitement. He knew that TK loved being a paramedic, that he hadn’t regretted his choice in the slightest – once the rocky transition period had passed. He also knew that there was absolutely no denying that he was in love with an adrenaline junkie and that even if TK hadn’t wanted to admit it there was definitely a part of him that missed the thrill of running into a burning building.

Carlos couldn’t say that he had missed the worry that came with that particular action too much, but he supposed he could stomach it one more time if it meant seeing TK this happy.

“Think you remember how to do this kid?” Judd called with a grin as he approached, clapping Carlos on the shoulder as he passed by.

“I think I’ll manage,” TK deadpanned, “you know how hard it is to remember 7 years of experience and training after only being out of it for a few months, after all.”

Judd rolled his eyes at TK and reached over to muss up his hair before he could get his helmet on, ignoring TK’s indignant noise, “Yeah, yeah, alright. Don’t get your stethoscope in a twist. Just remember, you’re medical now so I call the shots getting us there and getting us out. I’ll leave all the medical up to you but...”

“In and out, don’t treat anything that can wait until we’re not in a burning house,” TK finished. “I know Judd, I’m not new at this.”

“I know you ain’t kid, just wanted to make sure we are on the same page.”

“Aren’t we always?” TK asked with a grin and Judd rolled his eyes. Even Carlos couldn’t repress a snort at that.

Any comeback on Judd’s part was prevented by Owen calling for the teams to move out and TK paused long enough to throw another grin in Carlos’s direction before he was off and heading up the ladder after Judd. Carlos hung back at the edge of the scene, keeping a watchful eye out for anything he might need to address, but it seemed all was calm. He was also keeping an ear open, however, and couldn’t deny that he was relieved when he heard TK’s voice across the radio only a few short minutes later.

“We’ve got her free and she’s stable enough to move,” he reported, “we’re bringing her down soon but she will need treatment for some pretty severe burns when we get out of here.”

“Copy that, Strand,” Captain Vega replied, “get her down here and we’ll take it from there.”

“On our way now, Cap.”

 Carlos couldn’t deny the relief he felt when TK appeared at the window a few moments later. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his boyfriend’s skills, it was that while he might not be an expert it did seem to him that the flames were getting stronger and stronger with each passing second.

It was also that he had a bad feeling he just couldn’t shake. It was probably nothing, but the sooner TK and his team were out of there and back on the not on fire ground, the happier he would be.  

He watched as TK stepped onto the ladder, swinging his leg over to the front of his and beginning the process of climbing down.

At least, that was what was supposed to happen.

What happened instead was that the moment TK put his weight on the ladder, it slipped. It fell to the side and it was all TK could do to catch himself, flailing his arms to keep his balance, to avoid the 10-foot plummet to the ground. He succeeded, but his actions propelled him back as he overcompensated, sending him in the direction of the other edge of the roof, and the improperly placed power lines Carlos had noticed earlier and Carlos knew with a sinking, heavy dread what was about to happen before it did.

Knowing didn’t make it any easier to see the sparks emitted the moment TK made contact with the lines, or the way his body convulsed as 240 volts coursed through his body. Foresight did nothing to ease the fear of watching him crumble, falling onto the roof in a heap before rolling down the roof and hitting the hard ground with a decisive thud.

For a moment, Carlos froze. TK was crumpled on the ground at the edge of a burning house and he wasn’t moving. Not a twitch, not a blink, not a breath. He heard a desperate voice calling out TK’s name and realized with a start it was his own.

There was deadly silence for a moment as the assembled team processed what they had just seen. But only a moment. The next moment was filled with shouts as the fire chose that instant to erupt, filling the last corner of the first level with bright and hungry flames. Marjan and Paul rushed to attend to it with a hose and Owen put in a call for another unit to respond. There was so much going on and no hands to spare so Carlos took off running, meeting Tommy at TK’s side.

“TK?” she was calling when Carlos skidded to a stop, “can you hear me?”

There was no answer and Carlos felt the dread inside him grow. Tommy gave TK a quick once over before glancing back at the raging flames that were far too close for comfort and looking up at Carlos, “Officer Reyes, I need you to help me move him.”

It took half a moment for the words to process before Carlos was moving, nodding even as he was already bending down to help the paramedic captain.

“Carefully,” she told him as she indicated for him to support TK’s left side, “he took quite a fall and I don’t know for sure what injuries he might have, but this fire is getting out of hand and we’ll get trampled if we stay here.”

Carlos nodded, as if he had any intention of doing anything but. TK was the most precious thing in the world to him, he wouldn’t risk hurting him further for anything.

Distantly he heard the noise of Judd calling for assistance and then descending the ladder with Mateo’s help to grab the victim at the bottom. The 126 continued to work at their usual efficiency even now, splitting into seamless groups to attack the rapidly swelling inferno before it began to spread through the neighborhood. They were consummate professionals, but even they couldn’t help but throw a worried gaze in TK’s direction every few minutes. Carlos couldn’t say he blamed them. This was easily the most horrifying sight he had ever seen.

But once they got TK settled in a more remote corner of the scene anything else ceased to exist. Because they had just carried him a good 30 feet and he hadn’t woken up which could not be a good sign. He watched, his own breath trapped in his throat and his own heart beating its way out of his chest, as Tommy leant down with the side of her face close to TK’s and her hand atop his chest. The seconds ticked by like hours before Tommy shook her head with a quiet yet desperate curse and reached out to check his pulse again. She frowned and muttered “C’mon Strand,” and Carlos’s heart sank. TK wasn’t breathing, his heart wasn’t beating, he was…

His spiral was interrupted by an ambu bag being thrust into his hand.

“Place this over his nose and mouth, like you have in your CPR courses and squeeze when I tell you to,” Tommy instructed.

There was no talk of how there was no one else to help, no mention of how they were stretched thin with her third paramedic lying still on the ground before them. There was no discussion of how it shouldn’t have to be Carlos, that it shouldn’t be him having to push the breath back into the lungs of the man he loves more than life itself; but it was conveyed in a glance, and Carlos nodded. There is no other option and he would have to be dead himself before he stood by and did nothing to help TK.

He placed the mask over TK’s face and followed Tommy’s rhythm, trying not to think how each thrust of her arms was the only thing keeping his blood moving through his veins; trying not to dwell on how each pump of the bag was the only thing bringing air into his lungs. Tommy was calling out instructions but it was all white noise to Carlos who was hyper focused on the horrifying sight before him and the rhythm of the CPR: 30 compressions, 2 breaths. 30 compressions, 2 breaths. 30 compressions…

And then Nancy was there, kneeling down beside him and unpacking the defibrillator with calm professionalism. She reached around Carlos without a word, placing the pads on TK’s chest. She attached the leads to the machine and called for Tommy to stop and for them both to stay clear as she administered the shock that would hopefully reset his heart. 

Carlos’s body followed her instructions on autopilot, stopping his motions and watching with dread as TK’s body arched off the ground as electricity coursed through his body once again. He wanted to erase the sight from his memories but he knew with a cold certainty that it was one he wouldn’t be able to, that it would return in the night for days and weeks to come. He knew it was an image that would forever be burned into his brain. 

He waited silently, not even daring to breathe on the off chance he might miss something, that he might upset the tenuous balance of the universe. He watched as TK’s body settled back onto the ground, as Nancy examined the ECG. The single moment it took her to read the display seemed to last a lifetime but finally, she smiled and Carlos almost dared to breathe. 

“He’s in sinus rhythm,” she declared, voice heavy with relief, “he’s going to be okay.” 

Carlos sagged, all the tension caused by fear leaving his body in an instant. He was going to be okay. He repeated it to himself like a mantra, desperately wanting it to be true - desperately needing it to be true. 

From his spot a few feet away he could now see the gentle rise and fall of TK’s chest and he was certain he had never seen anything more wonderful in his life. He never wanted to see it stop ever again. 

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

There was a voice calling his name. It was raspy and weak, but familiar. He knew he should answer but his body was so tired he wasn’t sure if he even could sit up even if he wanted to. 

“Carlos.” 

The voice called his name again and somehow his sleep clouded mind connected it with a name - TK. TK was calling him which meant…

“TK!” he exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, eyes wide as he took in the sight before him. TK was in the hospital bed that Carlos had been resting his head on just a moment before and smiling at him. He was awake and Carlos was quite certain he had never seen anything more wonderful, “You’re awake! How are you feeling?” 

“Sore,” TK replied with a wince, “very sore. I kind of feel like one giant bruise?” 

Carlos couldn’t help but snort at that, despite everything, “That doesn’t surprise me.” 

TK frowned at him now, taking in his disheveled state and the dark night evident through the windows, “What happened? How long have you been here?” 

Carlos swallowed, reaching across the bed to take one of TK’s hands in his own, “What to do you remember, Ty?”

TK frowned as he considered, “I remember the house fire with an injured woman trapped inside. They needed a medic inside so I went in with Judd and then...nothing? Did something happen? Is Judd okay?” 

Carlos squeezed TK’s hand, “Relax babe, it’s okay. Judd is fine, everyone else is fine. We’ve all just been worried about you.”

TK frowned at him, still clearly needing more explanation and Carlos sighed before launching into the story: “You were coming out of the house with the victim and Judd when something happened with the ladder. It slipped and you fell off, and managed to fall right into the power lines by the roof.” 

TK’s eyes widened and he breathed a soft, “Oh.” 

“Oh is right,” Carlos agreed quietly, running a thumb across the back of TK’s hand as he studied their linked hands. He knew his eyes would show too much. He knew that the fear he had felt then was just as evident now. “It was scary,” he said simply, softly, “you got shocked and then fell off the roof when you collapsed. Your body is pretty much one giant bruise right now and you do have some nasty electrical burns from where the lines hit you, but you’re so lucky. We’re so lucky. For a while there I…” 

He trailed off, using his hand not intertwined with TK’s to hastily brush away the tears sliding down his face. He took a deep breath and forced a smile before he looked up to meet TK’s eyes, “But you’re okay, and I am so happy.” 

“But you were scared,” TK observes softly, “I’m sorry I made you feel that. If it had been you…” 

TK trailed off but Carlos could fill in the blanks easily. He was about to reassure him, about to tell him he had nothing to be guilty about when TK continued. 

“I know it was an accident,” he assured Carlos, “but that doesn’t change the fact that I am sorry. I know we can’t control what happens in the field. This was an unavoidable accident, you know I would never willingly put myself in danger. Not anymore,” he paused, holding Carlos’s gaze for a moment before continuing, “not when I have so much to lose. Not when I stand to hurt someone I care about so much. I would never do anything to cause you pain on purpose, Carlos.” 

Carlos swallowed around the lump in his throat. TK was still holding his gaze and he knew how much he meant those words. Just as much as he knew that this was an accident - that it couldn’t have been stopped, no matter how much he wished it could have. 

“I know,” he said eventually, voice thick, “but that doesn’t change the fact that you scared me. I really, really thought I had lost you for good this time and it is the worst thing I have ever felt.”

TK’s eyes grew even sadder as he studied Carlos. He leaned down to press a tender kiss on Carlos’s forehead before resting his own Carlos’s. Carlos savored the closeness, the familiar warmth of TK’s skin against his as TK spoke.

“I will always do everything in my power to come home to you, Carlos Reyes,” he vowed, voice warm against Carlos’s skin, “I promise. All I ask is that you try to do the same.” 

Carlos nodded, pulling away so he could see TK’s eyes, so the other man could see how sincere he was. 

“Always,” he promised, “it’s going to take an act of God to pull me away from you, Tyler Kennedy.” 

[jamespotterthefirst]

All-Nighter (Ethan x f!MC)

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Lilac Allende) Word count: 2.9K Warning: Language and alluded sexual situations Premise: He’d do anything for her, even fly across the country on moment’s notice. 

A/N: If Ethan had gone to Vegas to spend a full night with MC. Crack and fluff. Sorry! 

12:26 am

Ethan had never understood the appeal of Vegas. The city, crawling with gaudy exhibitionism, reckless gambling, and rowdy party-goers, had always seemed a tad tasteless to him. Even in his med school years when his cohort planned a trip to sin city, Ethan had preferred to find solace in an overpriced drink at a bar off the strip and not dancing against strangers in a stuffy nightclub. 

Now, he had been convinced (albeit too easily) to take a six hour flight to a city he would much rather avoid.

His phone pinged with a notification from her, reminding him of the adult rated texts that had inspired his impromptu trip. 

Miss you. Wish you could see me in this dress. 

Seconds after, a picture came in and Ethan almost dropped his phone on the concrete. 

And finally, she sent one final, maddening addendum: Or out of it. 

It was lucky for Ethan that he was already in the same city as her, one an elevator ride away from ripping that tempting thing off of her. 

I'm outside, he texted back. 

More than anything, he wanted to give in to the burning need to just have her in his arms.

------------------  

12:48 am

As Ethan waited outside the casino she mentioned in a previous text, however, the flashing neon lights making it almost difficult to distinguish that it was nighttime, he held a different doctor in his arms. A very drunk Dr. Lahela had haphazardly collided with him only seconds earlier, throwing an arm around him after recognition hit. Ethan was still unsure if the gesture was out of comradery or to maintain his balance. 

“Ramseyyyy,” he called out with a suave ease that was admirable in his current state. 

Before Ethan could answer, Varma and Sienna Trinh appeared at his side. The former looked just as intoxicated as Lahela, though she was doing a much better job at maintaining her balance and dignity. Sienna, however, looked sober, or sober enough to figure out why Ethan was there for she threw him a knowing smirk. 

“Dr. Ramsey,” she greeted casually over the noise of the busy boulevard. “I forgot Edenbrook sent you here because of our contract with Panacea.”

It was a feeble excuse to explain his presence to the other two. It didn't matter because neither of them was listening anyway. Ethan doubted they ever questioned why he was there in the first place. 

Lahela's arm gripped him tighter as he swayed. “Dr. Ramsey, you have to come with us to the Sugar Factory. They have this drink called the fish bowl. It's exactly what it sounds like except full of candy.”

It sounded like a drink straight out of his nightmare. 

“Lahela, tell me why—” 

To his horror, the young surgeon's face lit up as he started singing. “Ain't nothing but a heartache.”

“Tell me why,” an equally drunk passerby added. 

“Ain't nothing but a mistake,” Lahela continued as others laughed and joined in. By the time they were finished, all three residents laughed hysterically while Ethan remained unmoved, silently wishing he had stayed in the blissful quiet of his apartment in Boston. 

He was reminded of why he had left the comfort of his home to venture into the wild five minutes after the group had departed for the aforementioned Sugar Factory. His eyes found her as soon as she stepped out into the street, clad in the sinfully short dress from her picture. The effect it had on Ethan felt like a punch.

Lilac spotted him too, her face alight with a combination of surprise and unrestrained elation. Before either of them could stop what was about to happen, she rushed into his arms. On instinct, he lifted her off her feet, their lips meeting in a kiss charged with promise. 

“Hi,” she greeted breathlessly when he carefully set her down. 

“Hi,” he returned, sounding just as affected. 

“I had to come out here to make sure you were really here. I can't believe you actually came,” she all but exclaimed, voice laced with giddy happiness. It made his stomach leap pleasantly, inspiring a foolish grin he didn't care to fight back anymore. 

“Me neither,” he confessed. 

“Well, I'm glad you did. I like this spontaneous Ethan Ramsey who flies across the country on a whim.”

That admission sent a thrill through his body. He realized he'd do anything to see that winsome smile each time, even if it meant dropping everything and rushing to her side hundreds of miles away. 

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

1:32 am 

“Eight, six, seven,” Lilac was saying over the roar of the fountains and the Celine Dion song. “Five, three, oh, nine.”

She waited for a hint of recognition, but as 

she had suspected, the drunken frat boy did not understand the reference. Instead, he tapped the number into his phone and flashed her a sloppy smirk. “I'll call you later.”

Ethan appeared at her side after he was gone, shaking his head at her with a smirk. 

“Your drink, Jenny,” he said, offering her a cup that looked to be more ice than drink. 

Lilac laughed as she accepted it, her body gravitating to his side at once. A rush of dizzying joy almost overpowered her every time she realized she didn't have to fight that instinct here. 

“Funny. That's the name I gave him too,” she said taking a sip. “He was insistent and drunk beyond comprehension. I thought it'd be easier to give him a fake number.”

“You gave him a song,” Ethan commented with a laugh. A rare, taunting grin illuminated his face, rendering him the handsomest man she had ever seen. “And you could've just told him you have a boyfriend.”

She arched an intrigued eyebrow, already moving into his embrace. “I have a boyfriend, do I?” 

Ethan's free arm encircled her, casting a glow of warmth over her body. It could have been the small amount of alcohol in her system or this newfound energy that crackled between them, still fizzing with longing but considerably lighter than in the past months. 

He nodded in mock seriousness. 

“And is he the jealous type?” 

Ethan genuinely scoffed at that, his fingers aimlessly caressing her bare back. It made her skin blaze where he touched her. “Jealous of what? A sweaty frat boy crass enough to hit on a beautiful but evidently uninterested woman? Believe me, there's nothing to be jealous about.”

“Case in point,” she laughed, raising herself to kiss his nose.   

Ethan laughed too and took advantage of their sudden proximity to press his lips against hers, their kiss sweet and just as dizzying as the many desperate, passionate ones they had shared. When they parted, that fiery, striking gaze of his remained locked on hers, making her thighs quiver. 

The song in the background reached its final notes as the jets of water disappeared into the dark pool glittering in front of the lavish hotel. The crowd began to disperse but Ethan and Lilac remained on the sidewalk, basking in a content lull, his arm securely around her and her cheek pressed against his chest. She knew without asking that he was enjoying this small allowance of being a real couple just as much as she was. 

At last, her eyes fell on the replica of the Eiffel Tower across the street. In the span of a second, she wondered what it would be like to be in front of the real one, safely wrapped in Ethan's arms.  

“I wonder how it compares to the real one,” she wondered out loud. 

“I've never seen it but I'd wager it's not a true representation.” 

For some reason, she found that surprising. “You've never been to Paris?” 

“I've been for work but my time was spent doing just that. I didn't venture out much into the city to sightsee. To be honest, I didn't understand the appeal.” 

The pause that followed suggested he wanted to add more but he remained silent. When Lilac pulled back from his embrace to look at him, she found those piercing blue eyes studying her intently. 

“I know what we should do for that date you teased in your texts,” she said when she finally found the words. 

It was Ethan's turn to arch his brow at her in interest. “I thought this was our date?” 

“Yes, but we're in Vegas. There's so much to do at this hour. And besides, you promised me all night in one of your texts.”

The crooked smile he gave her along with the wicked glint in his eye should have been illegal. He leaned in and whispered darkly, “That's not what I meant.”

Five words and she was all over him, kissing him in ways that were inappropriate even for Vegas. They broke apart and Ethan looked at her expectantly. 

“So what's this idea for our date?” he prompted when Lilac merely stared at him, lips still burning from his kiss. 

“Oh, right. I was thinking since we were both two giant nerds who powered through med school and never traveled—”

At this, Ethan shook his head, amused. 

“—we could each pick something to do here in Vegas that feels like traveling to somewhere remote.”

“But instead we'll be in a loud casino, surrounded by obnoxious crowds and exposed to secondhand smoke?” 

Lilac rolled her eyes which made him laugh. 

“Fine, I'll do it. But you pick first.”

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

2:17 am

As they glided through the clear waters, Ethan had to admit he could see the appeal in the faux gondola ride. Even if it was romantic, the critical part of him dwelled on the fact that the canals of Venice did not smell strongly of chlorine. He almost voiced the cynical observation out loud, before he remembered this was her idea and the last thing he wanted was to offend her. Although, he was certain Lilac would only laugh and playfully shove him. 

But Lilac was not taunting him, which should have been his first indication that something was off. She wasn't even marveling at the painted ceiling of the casino or making snide comments about the high end shops at the edge of the water and the people who shopped there. Instead, she pressed firmly against his side, her nails digging into his shirt. 

“Are you okay?” he murmured. 

Lilac plastered on the weakest attempt at a smile. Ethan only waited until she dropped the act and said, “Is it weird that the water is freaking me out?” 

Ethan considered that. “Are you afraid of open water?” 

Lilac shook her head. “No, or I would have never suggested this. But once we got in and started moving, the water just looked terrifying?” 

Ethan gave her reassuring smile. “We can get off if you want.”

Again, she shook her head with a brave determination that made his stomach flutter. She was entirely too adorable, even without trying. 

“No, I'll be fine,” she said through a steadying breath. “I'll just refrain from looking at the creepy water. And I'll try not to think about what we'll do if this thing flips over.”

“Rookie, the water is three feet deep. If we capsize we can just...get up on our feet.”

Lilac's eyes moved to meet his at the words. They stared at each other in the golden glow of their surroundings, their expressions unreadable. The silent seconds stretched until they both dissolved into hearty and borderline hysterical laughter. 

Ethan tried his best to sober up first, but when he was close to regaining his composure, he would meet her eye and then they'd both continue to laugh relentlessly. He was aware that they were drawing curious looks from the people observing from the bridges. Even the gondolier cast them a questioning look but said nothing. 

Ethan didn't care. 

It was the happiest he had felt in weeks, amidst everything that had happened. 

They finally sobered and Lilac sighed, much more at ease than before. When she settled against Ethan, it was with her hand softly pressed against his chest, directly over the heartbeat that pounded fiercely for her. 

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

3:31 am

The plan had been to go dancing at the Egyptian themed casino, much to her companion's dismay. In the end, she won against his protest and Lilac was feeling particularly proud of herself for talking Ethan Ramsey into going to a nightclub. Then again, she hadn't missed how his eyes occasionally traveled along the expanse of her plunging neckline or how his fingers trailed along her exposed back whenever he held her. A lot of the credit was owed to the dress. 

Which is probably why they never made it to the nightclub. Instead, they hastily detoured to the penthouse suite the leeches at Panacea paid for, their hands and lips on one another for the majority of the journey there. 

Thirty minutes after ensuring they were truly alone, the miraculous dress lay pooled on her bedroom floor, completely forgotten. Meanwhile, Ethan moved against her in ways that made her scream out his name. As they both reached the peak, Lilac leaned in to whisper exactly what she wanted him to do. 

With a grunt, Ethan obeyed wholeheartedly. 

“Your turn,” she panted minutes later as she rolled off of him. 

“As you wish,” he said, the words interrupted as he too struggled to catch his breath. “Although you know I prefer it when you take the lead.”

She laughed. “No, your turn to pick a place to go next.”

Ethan flipped on his side, offering her the sexiest grin. God, she was really thinking about sleeping with him again, mere minutes after the first round. 

“I thought I picked this one,” he teased, his voice thick and heavy in ways that made her center pool with heat. 

“We both picked this one,” she argued before she kissed him. 

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

3:47 am

Ethan only pretended to consider their next destination. The truth was that he knew the answer since the moment she suggested it in front of the fountains. 

They only had to leave the bed, a feat that was more challenging than it sounded. 

Lilac, far more determined than Ethan, even got as far as slipping back into the lacy black underwear he had removed with his teeth earlier. The deliberately coy smile she sent his way when she realized he was staring, however, had his hands on her hips in seconds. 

“Fucking hell, Lilac,” he murmured against her mouth as he pulled her on top of him for the second time that hour. 

----------

4:59 am

After a third failed attempt to get out of bed, which resulted in both of them making good on the promises they made in their earlier texts, Lilac sat up in bed to look at him full on. She gave him what was supposed to be a stern, admonishing look, but she knew it was half hearted because he looked at her with such adoration that she broke a smile. 

“No more distracting me. You're not getting out of picking, Ramsey.”

Ethan's eyes remained fixed on hers in the darkness of the room, his expression betraying no hints of amusement. Outside, the sky began to glow with the first rays of orange and pink, the promise of the sun's arrival setting the inky blue sky ablaze. 

She frowned, noting the lines of exhaustion on his handsome face. “Are you tired? We can just stay if—” 

“We're already here,” he said quietly. “The place I pick.” 

“Bed?” she asked with a startled laugh. “Ethan Ramsey, you are almost a romantic.”

“Almost?” His mouth betrayed a hint of a smile. “I'm offended, Rookie. But no, as wonderful as we are in bed, that's not my choice.”

Ethan didn't elaborate, the small crease between his brows suggesting he was deep in thought. Every so often, his eyes flickered to hers, holding her gaze briefly before they moved away just as quickly.  

“I'm not—” he started, stopped, and tried again. “I'm not good at this kind of thing.”

A slight flush colored his angled cheekbones, so endearing that she couldn't help but kiss him. In all honesty, she wasn't any better at any of it either, only suggesting the date idea as a clichéd way for them to spend time together in a faraway city. It hadn’t been her proudest moment but had Googled ideas the moment he said he was outside. 

Nervous energy filled the room in their shared silence. 

“The only place in the world I give a damn about is by your side, Lilac,” he said at last, the words quiet but powerful enough to make her pulse clamor like bells. 

Ethan scratched the back of his head at her silence. “I was also hoping this goddamn penthouse had a balcony. I would've picked that as my date because of Miami and the first time we—” 

Lilac interrupted him with a kiss, the force of it over balancing Ethan and sending him into the pillows. She didn't care that their kiss was unceremonious and far from romantic. All she was aware of was the growing, urgent need to kiss this cheesy, romantic, brilliant man. He laughed against her lips, strong hands steadying her on top of him. 

“You're so much better at this than you give yourself credit for,” she informed him when they broke apart. 

“Good,” he said, lifting his head to kiss the curve of her neck. “I was worried there was finally something I didn't excel at.”

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

A/N: Meanwhile, her friends are still partying somewhere on the Strip, begging Bryce to quit drinking while he’s ahead. Those fish bowl drinks are no joke. 

Holy shit that was 3K of nothingness. If you made it this far, thank you! 

This was loosely based on my experience(s) going to Vegas, although I don’t remember most of it. Again, those fish bowl drinks will destroy you lol. 

Thank you to @aestheticartsx for your help with this mess!

P.S. Sorry about the dress in the pic not being the exact same one. I saw some that were close but the wrong color. Others were too crazy with that neckline. Ethan would’ve just dropped dead lol. 

___________

New Tags: (Hope I didn’t miss anyone!)

@openheart12 , @takeharryandgo , @ethandaddyramsey, @trappedinfandoms, @aestheticartsx, @aworldoffandoms, @paulfwesley, @myusualnerdyself,  @rookie-ramsey, @ohchoices, @colossalpainintheass, @enmchoices, @i-bloody-love-drake-walker, @choicesfanaf, @openheartthot, @octobereighth, @nazarihoe, @utterlyinevitable, @kites-in-our-skies, @maurine07, @schnitzelbutterfingers, @doilooklikeiknow, @snesdudes, @kingliam2019, @perriewinklenerdie, @cinnamonspongecake, @choicesstan1, @queencarb, @ethxnrxmsey, @missmiimiie, @jens-diamondchoices, @adamsdumortain, @mrsramseyy, @apphia12, @kalogh, @lucy-268, @binny1985, @queenbirbs, @honeyandsunfl0wers, @newcolonies, @lilyvalentine, @rigatonireid, @interobanginyourmom, @parkerattano, @custaroonie, @nikki-2406, @lilypills, @chasingrobbie, @nooruleman, @angela8756, @lonely-mxxnlight, @ruinedbypixels, @shadynaturehilariouscookie, @shadynaturehilariouscookie, @tsrookie, @mvalentine, @professorkingslay, @drakewalkerfantasy, @casey-v, @helloblueeyedcat, @mysticaurathings, @blossomanarchy, @thegreentwin, @togetherwearerapture, @rookieoh, @ramseysno1rookie, @rookiemarsswiftie, @natashajaniphil, @mysticalgalaxysstuff, @hatescapsicum, @choices-lurker, @kiara-36, @junehiratas, @danijimenezv, @macy-ray85, @adrex04, @canigetanawwjunk, @sanchita012, @overwhelminglyaquarius , @scorpiochick8, @skylarklyon, @starrystarrytrouble​

Interest in this fic:

@udishaman, @a-crepusculo, @khayy19, @mercury84choices, @jlynn12273, @fireycookie 

[alj4890]

And Then I Left You

(Thomas Hunt x OC*Amanda) in a what if to the And Then I Met You

A/N This picks up directly at the end of Chapter 4 with Amanda’s reaction to Thomas’s *cough* dates. Seeing what is going on, someone very close to her decides to intervene and help the two find a way to be together. 

@krsnlove @my-heart-beats-for-ya @aworldoffandoms @flyawayboo​  @trappedinfanfiction @everythingmarvelsherlockspn  @sophxwithers @kate-mckenzie @twinkleallnight​

Masterlist

Chapter 5 Strategic Planning

St Orella, Cordonia...

"No." Amanda softly moaned.

Her eyes wouldn't mind her in turning away from something she wished she didn't have to see.

She blindly reached for the remote control to turn the volume up.

Her daydreams and hopes crumbled to dust at seeing the footage of Thomas out with other women.

Gorgeous women.

There's no way I can ever compete with that, she thought. How did I deceive myself into believing I remotely had a chance to be with him?

To fall in love with me?

Blinking back tears she concentrated on the gossip show's host.

Thomas Hunt has been seen recently around town with a different beauty on his arm every night. It seems he is making up for lost time now that The Earl's Undoing script is completed. A source close to Hunt suspects that now that Amanda Bridgerton is back in Cordonia, he is more than ready to find his new personal leading lady.

Amanda dropped her head in her hands.

"What's wrong?"

She looked up to see Drake standing in the doorway with a newly arrived Liam. Both were staring at her in concern.

"Nothing." She forced a smile towards them as she rose to greet Liam. "How are you?"

Liam's eyes were narrowed in concern as he glanced at the television and then back at her face.

It only took seeing the images of Thomas out with various women for Drake to know what was going on.

The three turned toward the sound of Amanda's cell phone vibrating on an end table.

Taking a deep breath she strolled over and hesitated.

Thomas's name and image flashed.

She hit ignore.

"So?" She said a little too brightly. "How have--"

She had to hit ignore again.

"How have you been--"

She hit ignore a third time followed by swiping angrily at the text notifications from Thomas, Holly, and Addison. There was even one from Ryan Summers that she didn't bother to read.

"Would you like a moment alone or--" Drake began.

"Talk to us." Liam urged. "Please."

Turning her phone off, she sat down in a plush chair. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes, there is." Drake argued. "She's in love with--"

"Drake! Don't!"

"Thomas Hunt." He finished, ignoring her outburst. "Once this social season ended, she planned on telling him how she felt."

"I did not! I said I had considered it!" She gestured toward the television. "Now I don't have to. He's not interested."

"You don't know that." Liam argued.

"I think his being with numerous women points directly toward his lack of interest." Amanda’s voice held an unusual amount of bitterness.

Her mind went over the last few weeks of conversations with him.

"Oh no!" Her head dropped once more into her hands.

She had called and texted during some of those dates. How embarrassing to have told him I missed him and he...He hadn't even bothered to tell her he was out with someone else. Not that he needed to, she told herself, but still.

Liam placed his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing. "Why don't you tell him?"

She laughed bitterly. "Because he clearly has more women than he knows how to handle and I wouldn't do that to you. You have enough scrutiny on you without adding to it a potential suitor desiring some Hollywood mogul." She patted his hand. "Besides, I was going to be the one lady you could use when you needed a break from the overly eager suitors. You won't have to worry about my wanting to be queen."

"I can't ask you to participate if you are in love with--"

"I'm fine." She stood up, dislodging his hand. "I'm better than fine. I know that my feelings are not reciprocated and I can move on from what is probably another crush."

Drake and Liam shared a look before watching her pace and argue the reasons why this was, in the end, a blessing of sorts.

"It's saved me a great deal of embarrassment and future heartache." She told them.

"So, you're fine?" Drake prodded.

"Yes." She said, not quite looking him in the eye.

"And that's why you wouldn't answer his calls? Because you're fine?" He added.

"It would have been rude of me to answer with you and Liam here." She straightened her shoulders. "I do have some manners."

"Uh huh." He quirked an eyebrow at Liam. "What do you think?"

"The lady doth protest too much." The prince responded.

"Liam!" She exclaimed.

Hudson cleared his throat from the doorway. "Forgive me your grace, but there is a Ms. Sinclair on the phone."

"Tell her I am unavailable." Amanda ordered.

"Yes, your grace." He bowed and left the room.

"Now then, what brought you to St Orella?"

"Amanda, you should tell Thomas--" Liam closed his mouth when she glared silently at him. "Actually, we came here to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" She repeated.

"Maxwell and I are taking Liam out for a bachelor party." Drake explained. "We want to do it now before nobles and the press make it more..."

"Toned down?" Liam offered.

"Yeah."

Amanda easily smiled at that. "Sounds like just what you need. How long will you be gone?"

"Two nights." Liam replied. "I finished with all i needed to do early before the Masquerade Ball."

"Good. You deserve a break before the storm hits." She hugged them both. "Have a wonderful time.”

"We plan on it." Drake replied.

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

An hour later, Amanda had curled up on her couch with a bowl of ice cream. She had finally found a movie that wouldn't make her think of Thomas and was just getting through the opening credits, when Hudson walked in once more.

"Lady Beaumont, your grace." He stepped back as a concerned Nadia scurried in.

"I heard about Thomas." She sat down and hugged Amanda. "How are you?"

The duchess had her usual, I'm fine, ready to say...but something about Nadia's earnest worry had her confessing everything.

Nadia accepted the bowl of ice cream Hudson had silently prepared with a brief smile of thanks.

"I can't believe he would choose those women over someone like you." She huffed loyally. "He must not be as smart as I thought."

Amanda swiped angrily at her tears. "You thought he was smart?"

"I," Nadia hesitated, "honestly, I thought he was in love with you."

"You did?” Amanda sat up straighter. “Why?”

"Whenever I saw you together in pictures, he looked so happy having you beside him." Nadia shrugged. "I really thought you had found your soulmate."

"Oh." Amanda's eyes filled with more tears. She too had begun to attach that description to Thomas. "You know what hurts even more?"

Nadia shook her head while wiping her sympathetic tears.

"He didn't tell me he was dating again." Amanda admitted. "I thought we had become such close friends while living together. I told him things I could never talk easily over with Liam or Drake, not even Maxwell." She bit down on her lip as the tears trickled down her cheeks. "Now I see that I wasn't merely foolish for falling in love, but even more so for thinking we were friends."

Nadia let out a sob as she threw her arms around her, hating to see her friend so heartbroken.

"Just wait until he comes to town." She vowed in a trembling voice. "We'll get Olivia and make him wish he had never betrayed your trust!"

Amanda laughed through her tears. "I doubt he would care." She reached for a box of tissues Hudson had quietly placed on the coffee table.

He cleared his throat to get her attention once more. "Her grace, the Duchess of Lythikos is here to see you."

Nadia whooped as she got up to greet Olivia.

"Just who we need!" She hugged the surprised redhead tight.

"Need?" Her frown became fierce when she noticed Amanda's tears. "What happened? Who made you cry?"

Between the two, Amanda and Nadia managed to share what had happened with Thomas.

Glaring at the magazines, Olivia tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair. "What do you want to do to punish him?"

Amanda shook her head. "Nothing. I intend to treat him as he wants." Her chin firmed. "He means nothing more than a work place associate to me now.”

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

A few hours later, the royal jet...

"Wooo!" Maxwell pumped his fists in the air. "Look out Vegas! The Cordonians are taking over!"

Drake brought them a round of drinks. He sat down across from Liam and began to argue with Maxwell over what they should do first.

Liam, was studying something on his phone.

Seeing one of his friends so heartbroken had struck a nerve.

The last thing he wanted was to see her lose a chance at real happiness. He had suspected she was falling for the director and he had thought the man was in love with her. The photos and interviews of the two of them revealed, at least in Liam's opinion, how fond the director was of Amanda.

He couldn't allow her stubbornness to destroy a chance to have the one she was meant for.

"Liam?" Maxwell leaned over. "What are you looking at?"

"A slight detour." He slid out of his seat and went to inform his pilots of the first stop he wanted to make.

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

Thomas’s home, the next morning...

"I can't believe she won't even accept our calls." Holly muttered.

"I know." Addison sent another text message. "This isn't like Amanda."

"She had to have seen the news story." Holly took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. "I really wish we had not laid it on so thick about Thomas being down without her."

The two friends jumped when they heard Thomas slam his study door. Without a word, he prepared another pot of coffee.

"You want me to do that, boss?" Holly called out.

"No." He snapped.

"Have you heard from Amanda?" Addison had to fight from cringing when he focused his rage filled eyes upon her. "I needed to ask about if there were anymore paintings of Elizabeth she could..." She trailed off when his expression became darker.

"I have not been in contact with her." He grumbled.

"Oh." Addison slumped once more over a sketch of a day dress she had been working on.

"Her butler said she was unavailable again." She mumbled, causing him to pause in his tracks.

"Then she must be." He bit out.

"Do you think she saw your," Holly cleared her throat nervously, "activities?"

Thomas didn't bother answering. With one last glare he returned to his study.

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

Many hours later...

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Drake asked.

"Amanda's temper isn't something I want to experience again." Maxwell shivered. "It might be a rare occurrence but she makes Olivia look like a teddy bear when she finally unleashes it."

"This must be done." Liam replied, knocking on the door.

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

"Oh my gaaaawwwdddd!" Addison stared up at the prince she had only seen pictures of.

Liam turned toward her. "You must be the Ms. Sinclair I have heard so much about."

"You--you have heard--" Addison gaped "about me?! Prince Liam knows me?"

He kissed her hand and bowed. "Forgive us for coming unannounced, but I was hoping to speak to Mr. Hunt. I know he must be busy.” He smiled warmly at her. “I promise we won't take up too much of his time."

"Addison!" Thomas yelled out, "Who in the--" his eyes widened at the three men he instantly recognized on his doorstep.

"Mr. Hunt." Liam bowed his head in greeting. "Please forgive our intrusion, but I was hoping to speak to you on a delicate matter."

"Of course." Thomas ushered the men inside.

Liam greeted a stunned Holly before turning back to the director. "Is there somewhere more private we can talk?"

"We can leave if you need us to." Addison spoke up. "It's getting late anyway and--"

"No need." Thomas waved his hand down a hallway. "We can speak in my study."

Liam followed him, leaving Drake and Maxwell with Addison and Holly.

Once the door was heard clicking shut, the two ladies nearly pounced on the men.

"What is going on?" Holly whispered.

"Is this about Amanda? Thomas's recent dating?" Addison asked in quick succession. "How is she?"

"Well, it's um..." Drake hedged.

"Yep. It's all about them." Maxwell grunted when Drake elbowed him.

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

"May I offer you anything to drink?" Thomas asked.

"No, thank you." Liam sat down across from him. "What I have to say hopefully won't take long."

"Is there a problem with my film crew coming to Cordonia next month?"

"Not at all. The country is excited to see Lady Amanda's novel turned into a movie."

Thomas leaned forward and folded his arms on his desk. "Is something else wrong?" His curiosity turned to concern. "Something hasn't happened to Amanda, has it? I haven't been able to get ahold of her and--"

Liam raised his hand to silence him. "What I have to say does involve her." His typically warm gaze hardened, turning the blue eyes to ice chips. "What is your relationship with Amanda?"

"My relationship?" Thomas uttered in disbelief.

"Yes." Liam snapped. "What is it?"

"We worked together and formed a friendship." Thomas narrowed his eyes at the prince. "Why?"

"Did Amanda ever share with you why she returned to Cordonia earlier than planned?" Liam countered.

"No. Only that she needed to take care of things before the social season began."

Liam's lips eased into a reluctant grin. "She has always been trustworthy."

Thomas lifted his eyebrows in silent question.

"My brother abdicated the throne." Liam explained.

Thomas still was in the dark over what this had to do with Amanda.

"Being Cordonia's future king, I have to take part in choosing a bride." When Thomas still appeared to be perplexed, Liam continued. "One from either the noble ladies of Cordonia or those that come to participate."

Thomas slumped back in his seat, stunned when it hit him. "Amanda is one of your choices?"

"Yes." Liam studied the man closely.

He looked as if his entire world had shifted.

"Given our friendship," Liam added, "I don't want to choose her and force her into giving up someone she cares for...and who in turn wants a future with her."

Thomas rubbed a hand down his face.

All his plans to tell her that she was the only one he wanted were destroyed with one conversation.

Why didn't I tell her? Why did I insist on making certain by going out on dates?

"So I ask you again?" Liam leaned forward. "What is your relationship with Amanda?"

Thomas realized the prince was giving him one last chance. "I'm in love with her."

Liam slowly smiled. "Good. Here's what we will need to do."

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

The Masquerade Ball, The Royal Palace...

"This is incredible." Nadia gripped Maxwell's arm. "My first ball in Cordonia!"

He chuckled while kissing her cheek. "You look like you belong here."

She softly squealed before turning toward Riley. "Ready to see your Prince Charming again?"

"I am.” Her smile was filled with excitement. “We had plans to meet up again in New York before his brother abdicated."

"I think the only two more starry eyed than us during our wedding was you and Liam." Maxwell winked at her. "He will be thrilled you are taking part in this."

Riley smoothed her dress and took a deep breath. "I hope so." With a final smile toward the couple, she got in line to greet the King and Liam.

"This is so exciting!" Nadia whispered. "We will actually get to see them falling in love."

"I think I can make this even better." Maxwell whispered back.

"You know I think you can do anything," Nadia told him, "but I don't see how you could possibly make this better."

"How about watching and assisting two couples in their falling in love?"

"Two?" She blinked in surprise. "Who else--"

He cleared his throat and nodded toward Amanda.

"But...who? How?" Nadia gasped when she noticed a masked man making his way toward the duchess. "Is that..."

"It is." Maxwell grinned proudly. "We stopped off in Hol--" he stared in shock at his petite wife jerking away and rushing over to Amanda.

He could tell just by the set of her shoulders that she was livid at seeing the director intent on speaking to Amanda.

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

"Thank you." Amanda said when the waiter paused to exchange her empty champagne flute for a filled one.

Taking a sip, she watched the couples swaying in time on the dance floor.

It was usually a sight that brought a smile to her face. Even as a little girl, she loved seeing the nobles dressed up, dancing under the sparkling chandeliers.

But tonight, she felt...numb. Nothing. Every action she did seemed to be nothing more than muscle memory. The curtsies. The smiles. The banal conversations. Everything was done on autopilot.

Since she refused to think on Thomas Hunt and his gaggle of ladies, there was little else to draw her attention.

"Amanda!"

She lifted her eyes to Nadia, waving and trying to push past nobles to get to her.

Wondering why she was in such a hurry, Amanda stepped forward. Her eyes dropped down on the hand that grasped her arm.

They then lifted up to the face she knew she would always recognize, regardless of the simple black demi mask upon it.

"Good evening." Thomas softly smiled at her. "I have--"

"What are you doing here?" Amanda asked.

Thomas looked about. "Is there somewhere we can go to talk?"

"Alone?" She asked.

"Yes." His hand slid down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps as he took her hand. "There is something I need to tell you."

"No." She pulled her hand away. "There isn't anything you need to tell me.”

His eyes widened. "But I--"

"Excuse me." She muttered, gathering her skirt. "I need to--"

"Amanda, please." He grasped her arm again. "I tried calling you. I--"

"I've been busy." She snapped. "And so have you."

"I haven't--"

"Thomas!"

They both turned to see an unmasked actress.

One Thomas had a dinner date with two weeks ago.

"Simone?" He said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a photoshoot with Ana De Luca." She replied. "She then got me an invitation." Her sultry gaze drifted down his body. "I'm glad she did."

Amanda did not want to be part of their touching reunion.

"Excuse me." Amanda said once more. "I must--"

"Excuse us." Thomas corrected. "Enjoy your evening, Simone."

"I plan on it." She winked at him before following a handsome noble to the bar.

"Will you let go of me?!" Amanda hissed.

"Not until you hear me out." He replied, his own impatience coming forth. "I--"

"Are you no longer directing The Earl's Undoing?"

"What? Of course I'm still the director." He guided her toward a secluded corner.

She folded her arms. "Are you still planning on filming in Cordonia?"

"I am." He tilted his head as he gazed down at her, confused over her line of questioning.

"Is there anything wrong with the script?"

"No."

Her lips firmed into a thin line. "Then I don't see what we have to discuss. Now if you will finally excuse me, I must make my rounds."

Thomas refused to budge.

"You must have seen the news story about my," he swallowed, "my--"

"I did." Her eyes narrowed. "I suppose I should apologize."

"Apologize?" Thomas blinked.

"Yes." Amanda lowered her eyes. "I kept you from..." She took a steadying breath. "From being able to go out whenever you pleased."

"You didn't--"

"Then again," she interrupted, "I never demanded that you stay home with me every night." Her eyes flashed with barely restrained temper. "You could have done whatever you wanted."

"I did do exactly as I wanted." He snapped. "If you will give me a chance to explain why I--"

"You owe me no explanation, Mr. Hunt." She forced a friendly smile at him. "I'm nothing to you. We collaborated on a film." She shrugged her shoulders. "At least we got along well while working together. That is all anyone can hope for."

"You will let me have my say." Thomas said in a tone that intimidated everyone he knew.

He should have known that it would be ineffective on the stubborn woman he loved.

"Oh I will?" Her chin lifted. "You have another think coming, Mr. Hunt."

"Thomas." He snapped. "Do not pretend that we aren't on a first name basis."

"Mr. Hunt!" She said just to further frustrate him. "I cannot spend all night in this corner listening to you going on about your dates."

"They weren't dates!" He nearly strangled on trying to keep his voice low.

"Oh really?" Her eyebrows lifted. "Then what were they?"

"They were dates in a sense, but I was using them to--"

She brushed past him.

Using her years of easily maneuvering her way through crowded ballrooms, she lost him within a few quick turns.

Amanda nearly screamed when a hand grasped hers.

Nadia immediately let her go. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't." Amanda lifted a shaky hand to her forehead. "I think I need some air."

Nadia wrapped her arm around her waist. "I'll come with you."

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

"I don't say this lightly," Drake thrust a drink in Thomas's hand, "but that was painful to watch."

Maxwell clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Were you able to say anything?"

"Nothing that will endear myself to her." Thomas winced at the welcome burn of whiskey going down his throat. "She didn't give me a chance to explain why I was here. She said..." He finished off his drink. "I have to fix this."

"We'll see what Liam thinks." Maxwell offered, motioning towards the bartender for a refill.

"He has enough to contend with. This chance to talk to her should be all I need." Thomas responded. "I knew Amanda had a stubborn streak but I had no idea she could be so..."

"Bullheaded?" Drake offered.

"Mulish?" Maxwell added.

"Yes." Thomas pushed his empty glass away. "I'll try again later."

"There's always the other upcoming events." Drake reminded him. "Bound to be one where she can't escape."

"I hope so." Thomas mumbled his thanks and went back into the crowd to try and find her.

"You think he's going to need help?" Maxwell asked.

"Yep." Drake snorted. "Amanda's determination to keep him away is going to be a problem."

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

"He's here?!" Olivia peeked through a window. "Why? How did he get invited to the palace?"

"I don't know." Amanda folded her arms.

"You didn't ask?"

"No."

"Why?"

Amanda glared at her. "Why do you think?"

"Oh Amanda." Olivia closed her eyes. "Have you learned nothing from me? You have to know everything about your enemies. Which means questioning them!"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "I feel differently. I don't want to know why he and his actress are here."

Nadia stood on tiptoe to peep into the ballroom. "But they didn't come together."

"And he didn't leave you to be with her." Olivia reluctantly added.

"I don't care." Amanda huffed. "He can do whatever he wants. I just don't want to know or hear or --"

"Who's that dancing with Liam?" Olivia interrupted.

"That's my friend from New York!" Nadia replied. "Riley Brooks. House Beaumont is sponsoring her."

Olivia's eyes narrowed. "I see." She ducked when Drake strolled by with Thomas. "What are you going to do for the remainder of the ball? Hide out here?"

Amanda shook her head. "I'm going to my room. He can't follow me there."

"We'll see you first thing in the morning." Nadia promised. "We won't let Thomas bother you at the derby, will we?"

"I'll come to your room and escort you to the boutique.” Olivia decided. “I doubt he's learned all the ways to get around in the palace."

Amanda hugged them both goodnight. "Thank you. I doubt he'll try to speak to me again. I'm sure his beautiful Simone will keep him occupied."

"I doubt that." Olivia muttered when she noticed the actress openly flirting with numerous nobles.

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

"Where could she be?" Thomas whispered.

"She isn't outside." Maxwell reported. "But if Nadia and Olivia's frowns were any indication, she was out there at some point."

"She must have retired for the evening." Liam scanned the ballroom. "Tomorrow we will make certain she doesn't escape."

Drake nodded. "Even if we have to corner her."

Thomas thanked them. "I believe I will go to my room also." Saying goodnight, he slipped out the ballroom door and made his way upstairs to his guestroom.

"You better find someone to dance with before Penelope traps you in another poodle conversation." Drake warned Liam when he noticed the dog loving lady approaching them.

Patting his shoulder in thanks, the prince disappeared behind his friends and searched for Riley.

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

Thomas felt his hope drop once he was alone in his room. Amanda's cold reaction to seeing him again surprised him. He had expected anger, even hoped she would accuse him so he could explain everything to her. This icy disdain was a hurdle he wasn't certain he could overcome.

If he could only find a crack, he would prove to her that she was the only one he wanted. He would tell her how every women he had been photographed with fell by the wayside when compared to her. They couldn't begin to measure up to Amanda.

Thomas began to undress while pulling his phone out with a wish she would text him. Call him. Even if it was to let him know how hurt she was. Give him some glimmer of a possible chance to be with her.

Just when he was about to turn his phone off, it vibrated.

Seeing Amanda's name in the notification caused his heart to beat faster in anticipation.

Opening the message, he felt the hope he so desperately wanted.

Mr. Hunt, I hope that whatever caused you to feel the need to speak to me about your private affairs will not be repeated tomorrow. As I stated earlier, it is no business of mine what you do. I think we should be able to remain civil if you leave me alone. I will uphold my end of our arrangement with the film when the time comes. Other than that, we have nothing more to say to one another.

He quirked an eyebrow. Little did she know how pleased he was to have irritated her this much. Now Thomas knew how to get a reaction out of her.

He was going to pester her into falling back in love with him.

[angelliev]

Lover Boy - JJ Maybank x OC - Part Eight - Slow Dance

Word Count: 3.2K

Summary: Aria surprises JJ with a very steamy surprise. 

Warnings: Smut, cursing, a little bit of angst.

A/N: I am going to hell for this, fuck it. I hope you guys enjoy. (Not my GIF. Credits to the owner. I don’t own the show or the characters.)

Lover Boy Series Master List

Innocence is definitely something I no longer have. I have been tainted by JJ’s love. I have done unspeakable adulterous thing with him ever since the night he made me his, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Tonight’s the night I take his breath away. As of now, my parent’s luggage is being loaded into the back of their SUV, getting ready to take the private jet to Las Vegas.

“You sure you’re okay with staying here by yourself? It’s not too late to tag along.” My mother asked once more, as tempting as the offer is, I rather have JJ all to myself with no interruptions. “I’ll be fine mom really. I’m just tired of traveling. I rather just settle down.” I reassure her. “Okay, but you call me if anything happens. There’s money on the counter for food, gas or whatever you need. If it’s not enough just give me a call.” “I will. Have fun mom. I love you.” She smiles sweetly before planting a kiss on my head. “Love you too sweetie. I’ll see you later.” She enters the car. My father doesn’t even bother to say goodbye, due to his grumpy attitude. I wave goodbye as they drive away.

Once the car is out of sight, I sprint back into the house and upstairs to my room. “They’re gone.” I announced. Sarah pops out of the closet with a devilish smile on her face. “Show me the goods.” She demands, referring to the three boxes under my bed. I decide to tease her by opening one of them slowly. “Oh my god! Open them already!” She pleads. I finally give in, throwing the top off and revealing a very extravagant red lingerie set. Her jaw drops to the ground. She touches the soft lace. “Oh my god this is so gorgeous.” She says stunned. Red is JJ’s favorite color. “Holy shit. And it’s tailored?” She asked astonished. “Yep. I also got some nice red platform heels. And last but not least,” I reach under the bed for the last package. “A dancing pole.”

“Oh my god. JJ is not going to be able to take his hands off you!” She said laughing. “That’s the goal.” I say. Tonight, I am planning on taking JJ to the boat my parents own, and give him performance he’ll never forget. “Damn, look at you taking it to the next level. Looks like I need to take some notes from you and up my game with John B.” The two of laugh. “C’mon, I still need to set up this pole and the platform.” I try to rush her out of the house and into the car. “Just please use protection. I’m too young to be an aunt.” Sarah flips her hair and I just laugh.

A few hours later…

Everything is ready. From the pole to my lingerie hidden underneath my clothes. I can barely contain my excitement as I drove over to Heyward’s, where JJ should just be finishing with his deliveries. He’s going to be stoked when he sees what I have for him. I wait patiently in the car. I see him walk out counting his money before putting it in his pocket. I roll down my window before asking, “Where might you be heading sugar?” He turns to look at me with a surprised expression on his face. “Take me to dreamland.” He decided to play along before hopping in.

He lips land on mine in a loving kiss, filled with passion and warmth. His hands find my waist and his lips detach from mine to find my neck. I giggle at how it tickles a little. “Mm, Jay?” He simply hums. “As much as I’d love to see where this is heading, we should probably save it for the bedroom, after all this isn’t the most private place.” “I want to make love to you so bad right now baby.” He whines. “Soon baby soon. I’m going to take good care of you tonight. I promise.” I let my hand palm his growing bulge. “But for now, I need you to put this on.” I take his bandana out of my hair, handing it to him. He gives me a questioning look. “I have a surprise for you.” I say. He just smirks. “Oh yeah? What is it?” He asks as he covers his eyes with the cloth. “If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise.” I say.

JJ’s leg tapped anxiously the whole way to the docks. I have to admit that I enjoyed watching him squirm in his seat. I approach his side of the car, opening the door and taking his hand. “Why do I have a bad feeling about all of this?” He asked. “Oh hush. You can trust me. You’re going to love this. Just keep that blindfold on.” I demand as I guided him through the docks and onto the boat. Once we’re inside and the lights turn on, I lead him to the living room where I have everything situated. I moved the table and rearranged the furniture earlier. I sit him down on the white leather couch. He tries to get a feel as to where he is.

“Just relax baby. Keep that on.” I leave him for a moment to remove my clothes, leaving me in the sexy red lingerie and he is so clueless. I turn off the lights only to turn on the LED lights that are installed throughout the yacht and the stage. Lastly, I quickly put on my platform high heels. I take a deep breath as I step onto the stage. I try to relax my shaking hand that’s holding a small remote.

“You can take it off now.” I give him permission. He hastily removes the bandana, eager to know what I’m up to, then he looked up. His eyes bulged, I thought they were going to pop out. His jaw dropped for a few seconds before it turned into a smile. His eyes took in my provocative appearance. He was absolutely speechless. “What do you think babe?” I asked curious. He just lets out a low whistle and runs a hand through his hair. He looks around the room for a second before his attention turns back on me. He bites his lip before licking it. My eyes catch his bulge.

“I think you look like a fucking goddess babygirl.” A blush creeps its way onto my cheeks. “I’m glad you like what you see. Now, just sit back and enjoy the show.” I say seductively. I hit the play button on the remote. “Dangerous Woman” by Ariana Grande plays throughout the speakers. I toss the remote on the couch, before taking a hold of the pole. I begin to perform my dance, remembering each and every step of the choreography, I’ve been practicing for a while now. I can practically feel JJ’s eyes burning into my swinging hips. I do a rather slow dance while circling the pole, wanting to tease him. When the main chorus comes on, I let my leg hook around the pole, spinning the rest of my body and flipping my hair.

JJ whistles and that’s when he notices the cash on the table next to him. A smirk is plastered on his face when he takes the money in his hands. He smiles as he begins to make it rain. The dollar bills fall through the air, onto my body and to the stage. I’ve never felt so empowered and admired when I saw the lust and hunger in his eyes.

When the chorus ended and the beat slowed down, I began to slow dance on the floor of the stage. I got down on all fours swinging my hips, ass in full view for JJ. His hand squeezes my ass before giving it a light smack, making me bite my lip, not wanting to moan just yet. He takes a few bills, lifts up one of the straps of my lingerie, and places the money there before giving it one last light slap, making me giggle. The wetness from my core was beginning to dampen my panties. I turn face him and get a little closer, take a hold of his face with my white sparkly nails, and bring his face to my barely covered breasts. I could feel his smile and hot breath fan my breast as I shimmy them on his face.

He gives them a kiss and placing a few bills under the clothing, before I got up once again, returning to the pole when the chorus came back. This time I surprised him when I climbed up higher and began performing multiple stunts, such as table top, swan, viva and last, which seemed to really impress JJ, the Gemini. This one is my particular favorite. I couldn’t help but smile when I hung upside down and heard JJ whooping as he continued to make it rain. For the ending, I came back down to the stage, positioned myself into a split giving JJ yet another full view of my ass, before twerking. This made him absolutely wild, throwing the rest of money into the air, all of it coming down on me.

The song finally comes to an end, but we’re far from over. I made sure of that when I got off the stage before pushing JJ back onto the couch. “Slow Dance” by Keri Hilson comes on as I begin to play around with my strap, letting them fall. JJ sits back, arms stretched across the back off the couch, legs spread out just a little, showing off his growing bulge. His eyes darken as I continue with the strip tease. I decide to finally give in to his pleading eyes, letting the lingerie pool around my feet along with the money, living me completely naked in front of his burning gaze.

I approach him with an agonizing pace, never breaking eye contact. When I’m finally close to him, I turn my back to him, and situate myself into his lap. I slowly begin to grind on him, his hands roam my curves before resting on my ass. He then places a kiss on my neck, taking me by surprise and making my breath hitch only slightly. I turn my head to look back to see a beaming smile on his face. A smirk creeps onto my face, knowing what’s next.

I remove myself from his lap, earning a whimper from him, only to be content when he sees me get down on my knees right in front of him. He licks his lips when I begin to pull down his shorts, his member springs out, the tip already leaking from pre cum. “Awe, is all of this for me? Don’t worry daddy. I’m going to take good care of you.” I say in the most seductive voice I could muster up. “Fuck, babygirl you’re going to be the death of me.” He confesses when he sees my innocent eyes look up at him as I run my tongue up his shaft. I trail kisses up his dick, before spreading the pre cum over his tip. I place one light kiss before taking it in my lip.

He sighs out of relief. He’s most likely not going to last long, since I’ve been teasing him all night. I continue to bob my head with hollow cheeks and run my hand on the rest of his exposed member. I never take my eyes off him. Above me sits JJ in a moaning mess. Little does he know I still have one last trick up my sleeve. I remove my hand that was pumping him, only to take the rest of him into my mouth, deepthroating him.

“Oh, shit babe. I’m not going to last long.” His hips begin to buck causing me to gag slightly, tears brimming my eyes. I decide to begins to fondle his balls, speeding up the process in attempt to bring him closer to orgasm. I was indeed right. His head is thrown back as he starts to curse. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Before I knew it, his dick twitches before his hot cum hits the back of my throat. I swallow every last drop of his seed, feeling it run down my throat. I’m satisfied with my work when I find him flushed and dazed. He doesn’t even know that we’re far from done.

I crawl back into his lap and let my hand pump him a few times, making him hard once again. I grab a hold of his shoulders before placing my drenched honey pot above him, the heat practically radiating off of me. My pussy has been aching all day for him. I couldn’t believe I was only seconds away from having him inside me. The two of us let out loud and satisfied moans when I finally sink my hips down on him, taking him inch by delicious inch.

I let myself adjust to him for a few seconds before lifting up my hips, leaving just the tip in, before slamming back down with such force. His hands grab a hold of my hips, guiding my movements while thrusting upwards. We don’t hold back any of our moans as our bodies rock together, enjoying the feeling of my lusciously smooth walls squeezing him so nice and perfect, hitting all the right spots. “This is where you belong babygirl. Your sweet pussy gripping my dick. God, you ride me so well. I just want to fuck you so hard and make sweet love to you babygirl.” “It’s all yours daddy.” I mewl. “Fuck yeah it is. God, I love watching you bouncing on my dick.” His mouth attaches to my breast before reaching down to rub figure eights on my clit.

The familiar feeling approaches my stomach. My walls begin to clench around him. “JJ, I’m so close.” I whine. “Cum babygirl. Cum all over me. Milk my cock. I’m going to fill you up with my cum. You want that babygirl?” He asked. “God, yes please! I want you to fill me up daddy! I want to feel your cum inside me!” I exclaim. “Cum babygirl.” With just that, my silk like walls clamp around him, practically milking him dry of cum, that shoots up inside me, coating my walls.

My body goes limp and my head rests on his shoulder, our hot breath fans each other’s ears as we fight to catch our breath. His hands never leave my naked body. “You are just full of surprises. You know that?” His hair tickles my face. “I’m glad you liked it baby. I love you so much JJ.” I peck his lips. “I love you too Aria. You’re an absolute goddess. I swear, when I die, it’s going to be you greeting me at the gates of heaven.” He kisses my lips. “Just you and me.” I sigh. “You and I will be gods together baby.” He whispers into my ear, making me giggle.

“Would this god like to take a dip in the hot tub with his goddess?” I motion to outside. “Fuck yeah he would.” The two of us giggle nonstop on the way to the hot tub. We didn’t even bother to put on swimsuits, as we skinny dipped in the warm bubbly water.

We sat together in comfortable silence as we watched the night sky while sipping on our cold beers. JJ and I would point out a few constellations that we spotted. The two of laughed when I pointed one out saying it looks like a penis. He can just be so childish sometimes.

After relaxing in the jacuzzi for a while, we decided to take a shower, shower sex, before drying off and crawling in bed together. For the remainder of the night we just talked, about anything. Sweet and intimate pillow talk.

We lay naked together in silence for a bit. I trace circles on his chest, while his fingers play with my hair. I can’t help but gaze at his beautiful features. He looks a little bit like his dad, but part of me still wonders what his mother looks like. I bet she has same gorgeous blonde hair and soft ocean blue eyes as JJ.

“What are you thinking about?” Asked JJ. I hesitated for a moment. I never asked him about his mother. All I really know about her is that she left when he was young. “Can I ask you something personal?” I bite my lip nervously. “Go ahead.” He gives permission. “What was your mom like?” His face fell for a split second. I began to regret asking.

“She was gorgeous.” He started. “Her name was Summer. Her hair was long and wavy. I got lucky. She had the prettiest eyes ever. Another thing I’m grateful for inheriting.” He chuckles. His own eyes seemed to light up as he remembers her. “She was carefree, kind and happy. She loved to swim, paint, cook and play. Her favorite color was yellow. She loved daisies. I don’t know why, but one of her most absolute favorite things were daisies. I remember always bringing some home to her whenever I’d find them. She’d let me put them in her hair. She used to call me sunshine.”

He grabs his wallet from off the nightstand. He opens it up and pulls out a couple polaroids before handing them to me. In the picture, I see this beautiful smiling young woman holding a much younger JJ. She looks so much like him with the hair, eyes and smile. Daisies were placed in her hair. The other was one of her placing a loving kiss on JJ’s cheek.

“She’s so pretty, and you’re so adorable.” He smiles down at me. “She had the most beautiful voice too. She’d always sing to me. She gave me the biggest hugs and the sweetest kisses. She had such big heart.” His eyes seemed to have become slightly glossy. I snuggle closer to him. “What happened?” I whisper.

“My dad. After he started getting into drugs, alcohol and smuggling, he just changed. He became violent and always took it out on her. He’d hit, kick, punch and stomp on her. Most nights I’d just hold her as she cried herself to sleep. One night my dad was having another one of his rages, he pulled her by the hair and put a knife to her neck. That night she sang me a song, kissed me on the cheeks, and in the morning, I woke up and she was gone.” He stares up at the ceiling.

“JJ, I’m so sorry.” A tear slips down my cheek. “It’s not your fault. You’re not the one who left. I think the worst part is that even though she left, I couldn’t find the strength to hate her. I still love her to this day. I’d give anything to hug her again, or just to hear her voice. I just wish I knew she was okay.” His lip quivers.

I kiss him softly. I couldn’t understand how a mother could leave her child behind like that, especially with someone like Luke. “There’s nothing wrong with you still loving her. She’s your mom.” He just sighs. “I know. I just really miss her. Sometimes I wish she took me with her, but then I wouldn’t have met John B, Pope, Kie and most importantly you.” His soft eyes lay on mine. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I wouldn’t trade anything in the world. I love you.” He kisses me sweetly. “I love you too JJ. You’re the only one for me.”

[simp-for-spencer-reid]

Sugar with a Side of Coffee Ch. 9

Series Masterlist

Chapter 9: Crossed Lines

Spencer was not sure what overcame to do something like that. He did not drive straight home, instead he chose to drive aimlessly through the city. His palms were still sweating, even though Cate was long gone from his car. He was worried he had seriously messed up; she hadn’t even kissed him back. He left so fast he didn’t even want to see the look of disappointment on her face. Before he knew it, he found himself outside of JJ’s house. 

It was late, just past eleven. He knew she’d be sleeping, and also that her kids would be put to bed. He couldn’t help himself. He pulled his phone out and called her to see if she was awake. She picked up on the third ring.

“Spence? Is everything okay?” JJ tried her best to sound awake. He tried to ignore the lack of butterflies when JJ called him by the nickname. 

“Would it be okay if I came over? I think I ruined my friendship with Cate.” He chewed on his lip and drummed the fingers of his left hand over his steering wheel. 

“Yeah, of course. I’ll get a pot of coffee started.” He could hear JJ get out of bed and the ruffle of what he could assume was her putting on a house coat over her pajamas.

“Good because I’m already here.” He hung up and went to her front door, which opened as he got closer. He could see JJ’s tired figure.

“Of course you are.” She said, letting him inside. They made their way to the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible due to JJ’s family sleeping. Will had walked through the hallway to the bathroom, mumbling a greeting to Spencer.

JJ had to listen carefully as Spencer recalled the events of the night. He had chugged the mug of coffee. His fingers jittered and his hands flew about as he rushed through his admittance of feelings for Cate and how good she was. Just an all around good person. Too good for him, too good to be brought down by his job. 

“Then tell her, Spence.” JJ said as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Spencer’s mouth opened and shut without making any words. “Tell her how you feel; you’re getting in your head.” JJ reached a hand out to Spencer’s shoulder. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face.

Cate paced back and forth in Marta’s small bedroom, not taking more than a few steps in either direction. She could still feel the buzz on her lips, but she wanted to blame the blur of thoughts on her tiredness from the late night. 

“I’m sorry, why is this a bad thing?” Marta asked sarcastically. “I thought you were into him?” Cate pushed the heels of her palms into her eyes. 

“I do! But I don’t know, I think I was misreading things.” Cate started to bite her nails. “Why would he just, like, run away like that?” Cate laid back on Marta’s bed and covered her head with a pillow. “Maybe it was a mistake.” Cate convinced herself. Marta placed a hand on Cate’s arm. 

“Here’s a thought: how about you talk to him?” Marta was the logic to Cate’s unreasonable doubt. When Marta pulled the pillow off of Cate’s face, she was met with a glare from the brunette. “He always stops by for coffee. Why not just ask him about it when he comes?” Marta swept Cate’s stray hairs from her face.

Spencer’s three day absence had not gone unnoticed by Cate when she was working the cart. Something in her told her he wasn’t away on a case, like the usual reason. Even though Cate had wanted to address their friendship-relationship limbo, she was glad she hadn’t seen him because it gave her time to mull things over and think of exactly what she wanted to say to him. 

Spencer had taken a short leave of absence from the bureau to visit his mother in his hometown of Las Vegas. He hadn’t been to see her in a few months, so he was due for a visit. He wrote her weekly and sometimes daily when he had time. The days he had seen her were good days. Seeing her, helped Spencer forget about the situation he left behind in D.C. 

Cate would be lying if she said she didn’t miss seeing Spencer most mornings. They had grown close in their friendship and not to mention he still had her books. She missed laughing with him and fixing his coffee for him. She remembered their chess game and seeing him at the bar with a drunk Marta. Mostly, she just missed him.

Coming back from his getaway, he was met with relentless questions from Garcia about his trip to the Smithsonian with Cate. He tried very hard to dodge her questions and dance around them. He channelled many every tactic from his training to give as little information as possible.

“I know you’re hiding something from me, Doctor.” Penelope pointed a fuzzy-capped pen at the lanky agent. “And I will find out.” Her heels clacked against the tile of the hallway as she walked away. But, the questioning did not stop there. Spencer had entered the bullpen. After placing his bag down on his desk he made his way to the coffee corner they had. Even though they had started getting their supply from The Empty Mug, his coffee wasn’t the same as when he ordered from Cate. Next to him, Derek was making himself a coffee.

“So,” he stirred milk into his coffee. “How was your museum date?” Derek raised an eyebrow at Spencer.

“Pleasant.” he said curtly, heading to his desk.

“Really? That’s all you got for me, Pretty Boy?” Derek sat at his desk, next to Spencer’s and leaned towards Spencer with intent. “You take little miss coffee out on a full fledged date and you’re not going to spill the details?” Derek teased Spencer, but it was apparent that that was the last straw.

“I kissed her and I haven’t seen her since, okay? Is that what you would like to hear?” Spencer spoke a little too loudly, earning stares from other agents around them. He leaned toward Derek and spoke more in a hush, not needing any more prompting. “I ruined our perfectly good friendship and managed to scare off the only girl who even showed remote interest in me. Thanks for making me relive that.” Spencer opened a drawer in his desk to search for a file. Derek took the hint and let the topic go. 

Spencer tried not to think of the stack of books on the table in his study that belonged to Cate. He tried not to think of her smile when they discussed theories or the first time he saw her in her glasses. He tried to push her to the back of his mind, but his memory wouldn’t allow that. He found himself seated at the round table with his team.

His mind looked to their latest case: a stalker who had been taking pictures of the team. Pictures of Hotch coaching one of Jack’s soccer games, Emily looking out her window with Sergio- her cat, Derek exiting the building, and the last one was of Spencer, walking down the road that The Empty Mug was on. He was pictured walking next to Cate. It was the night he had walked her home. He remembered their chess game. 

The picture made Spencer hate his job. He tried so hard to keep Cate out of the mess of criminals and serial killers. It made him never want to talk to her again, even if it broke his heart. He wanted her to stay safe, and it was clear to him how to make that happen.

This stalker became sloppy and the team managed to catch him after a week and a half. It was a bootcamp drop-out. He failed the test to make it through to the FBI agent training and he wanted revenge for being overlooked. He wanted to show the team how easy it was to follow them and how vulnerable they could be to him.

Cate tried hard not to let thoughts of Spencer distract her from her work. It had been a few weeks since she had last seen him. Her life seemed to go back to normal: She was able to move back into her apartment, which helped ease her mind of the million thoughts running through it. The cart’s shifts seemed mundane without her chat’s with Spencer. 

This particular rainy day she had swapped with Marta and was working the shop. Marta was in a stand-off with her parents and wanted to use the cart as an excuse to steer clear of them. Their fight was something about Marta’s monthly rent payment to her parents.

Cate had her back turned, cleaning their brewing machine before closing when she heard the bell of the door ring, signalling a new customer had entered the shop. Cate turned around, her face wearing her best customer service smile, when she had come face to face with the man she had least expected. 

Her smile dropped when she saw Spencer, standing before her, wet hair stuck to his face and his dress shirt clung to his body. She tried to not look so surprised, and entered his usual order into the register.

“The usual?” she didn’t even cover his coffee like she used to. She extended a hand for his payment. 

“Yes, and. Uh, can I talk to you?” Spencer wore his pleading eyes with a lopsided smile. Cate tried to stifle a sigh.

“About?” Cate hoped he was referring to what she assumed, because she had a lot to say to him on the matter. 

“About the last time I saw you. I have some explaining to do.” Spencer admitted. Cate was ready to admit that she wanted to admit her feelings before she felt like he had abandoned her. She opened her mouth, ready to speak, but Spencer continued:

“I know that I was the first to make the move, but I thought about it a lot, and I think we should stay just friends.”

[dontcare77ghj]

Privacy

Natasha x reader x Bruce 

The three of you were very introverted people. You enjoyed having your own privacy and didn’t feel the need to alert the world to what you were doing or who you were for that matter. The team knew at this point not to make a big deal when the three of you went out or showed PDA in front of them.

Privacy was just something very ingrained into the three of you. Natasha had been an assassin for many years, Bruce had spent a long time running and hiding from the government and you had hidden who you were for most of your life. Even years later and even though Natasha was no longer an assassin, Bruce was no long running from the government, and you were finally being who you really were, you all still valued your privacy.

Though your relationship was not something you pushed into the limelight, that did not mean the three of you didn’t share sweet moments together. It just meant they were more yours than anyone else’s and that was perfect.

“Come on Nat, let me have the remote.”

“No it’s not your turn to pick. You can’t have the remote. “

“Stop fighting you two or I’ll pick the movie this time.” You called out to your partners from the kitchen. They’d been arguing about the remote for the past fifteen minutes and it was starting to get repetitive and annoying.

“Nat, please let me pick the movie.” Bruce asked.

“No, you picked the movie last time.” Natasha said, taking the remote out of Bruce’s hand. “It’s my turn to pick and we are not going to watch another science documentary.”

“But we never finished the last one we started.” Bruce complained. “And it was a really good one.” He said as you walked into the living room.

“I distinctly remember seeing the end credits.” You said, placing three plates of pizza on the table.

“You saw the end credits because you and Natasha woke up when it ended.” Bruce stated, looking blankly at you.

“Oh well that makes sense.” You said, nodding to yourself.

“To be fair we’d been out of the country for most of that week.” Natasha said, pointing at you and herself. “We were tired and your documentary helped us finally get some sleep.”

“I understand but you never got to finish it and it was a really good documentary.” Bruce insisted, taking the mug of tea offered.

“Well you can put it on next time it’s your turn to pick.” You said, sitting on Natasha’s other side as she flicked through her options.

“Who says I’m waiting for next time? I’m just going to put it on tomorrow over breakfast.” Bruce teased, making you and Natasha roll your eyes fondly.

“OK but then you have to watch my show.” You said, making Bruce whine.

“But most of your shows have little to no substance or the plot is incredibly predictable.” Bruce complained.

“You take that back!” You mock a sped, leaning over and lightly hitting the laughing man. “That’s the whole point of them. Your supposed to be able to watch them and complain or zone out.”

“They’re like junk food.” Natasha added. “It’s not good but you watch them anyway.” She said before finally picking a movie. The three of you laid on the couch, eating your pizza and watching the movie Natasha had picked.

“I’m just saying, if I found that book and saw it saying things like that, I would move countries.” You said, watching as the woman on screen panicked at the demonic book.

“Move countries?” Natasha asked skeptically. “That’s so much effort. Just shoot the book, wrap it up in some industrial strength chains, lock it in a box and then dump it in the ocean.” She added, making you smile and Bruce give the red head a look.

“That’s oddly specific.” Bruce said, raising an eyebrow at her.

“It’s a demonic book. You want me to be vague?” Natasha questioned.

“Why couldn’t you just throw it out?” You asked, making Natasha smile at you sweetly.

“Because demons attach themselves to a person, sweetheart.” She said, making you nod in understanding.

The three of you continued to watch Natasha’s movie choices until well into the night, all the pizza was long gone and you fell asleep on the couch wrapped in each other.

“OK, because I am a fantastic girlfriend, I stole something for tonight.” You said as you all walked onto the roof. It had been Bruce’s idea to go up to the roof and watch the comet shower that was supposed to be happening tonight.

“You stole something?” Natasha asked, looking at you amusedly. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of anyone ever.”

“Nat, that’s not the message we spread about stealing.” Bruce sighed, continuing to set up his telescope.

“That’s the message you spread. I say if you want it, take it.” Natasha smirked as you giggled. “Now what did you steal and who did you steal it from?” Natasha questioned, turning to face you.

“I stole it from Tony, but to be fair he has a hundred of them, and it’s this.” You said, moving over to your hiding space. Leaning down you grabbed the bottle of pricey vodka and showed it to Natasha and Bruce.

“I love it.” Natasha cheered, standing and moving over to you. “I love it almost as much as the pair of you.” She said, taking the bottle out of your hands and kissing you.

“Are you sure Tony won’t get mad?” Bruce asked, turning away from the telescope. “I don’t want him coming out here in a couple hours because he’s throwing a fit.”

“He has a hundred of these, Bruce.” You said as you Natasha pulled apart. “Besides he owes me a favor and I’m claiming this as that favor.”

“Do I even want to know what you did for Stark as a favor?” Natasha asked as you both moved back to the blanket you set up to lay on.

“No because then he has permission to admit the whole story of what happened in Vegas, and I would need to be drunker than I was then to hear that story.” You admitted as Natasha opened the bottle and took a drink from it.

“Thank the Gods Stark spends so much on his drinks.” Natasha sighed happily.

“How long until this comet shower starts, Bruce?” You asked the man, turning to face him.

“Soon.” He promised, coming to sit with the two of you. “I’d estimate we have about half an hour until it starts.”

“Half an hour is all we need to finish this.” Natasha commented, passing the bottle to you. You took a quick sip and passed it back to Nat as Bruce waved you off when you offered.

“And because I am an amazing boyfriend,” Bruce said, standing from the thick blanket. “I brought a little something for tonight.” He added, moving towards another section of the roof.

“Did the two of you co-ordinate surprises tonight?” Natasha asked, drinking another sip.

“Nope.” You said as Bruce came back over with a large container. “He didn’t tell me anything.” Bruce set the container on the blanket and opened it to reveal a dozen cupcakes.

“Are these the ones from the really good bakery?” You asked, grabbing one and moaning when the taste hit your flavor palate. “So good.” You moaned with a smile.

“Well since the two of you prepared such lovely surprises, I have one of my own.” Natasha said, licking some of the frosting. “The only difference between mine is you two won’t get it until after the date.” She said, winking at you both.

“Well that’s a lovely surprise.” You said, smiling as she winked at a blushing Bruce.

The three of you stayed on that roof all night. You shared the bottle of vodka, fed each other cupcakes and watched the comets decorate the night sky. The night was warm so the three of you ended up falling asleep on that roof.

You stayed asleep long into the morning until Tony came onto the roof yelling about missing bottles of vodka.

“For a man with seven PhD's, you suck incredibly hard at this." You said, watching as Bruce struggled to hang a blanket over a line you'd hang before. 

"I don't have a PhD in making a blanket fort." Bruce pointed out, whipping the blanket at you gently. 

"Is that a real PhD because I may need to rethink my career." You said with a smirk. 

"Oh no." Natasha said, coming into the room arms laden with bags of takeout. "You are not leaving us on this team. Without you there is only one other person I can stand fully and whenever Barton's not acting like a bitch he can be added to that list I suppose." Natasha mused, placing the bags on the table. 

"You know Clint's going to act like a real bitch if he ever hears that." Bruce pointed out, kissing Natasha as she came over. 

"Yeah but that's just how he is sometimes." Natasha said, moving over and kissing you. "Do the two of you know what you're doing?" She asked, looking at the half assembled fort skeptically. 

"Well it would be already assembled if Brucie knew what he was doing." You said mock narrowing your eyes at said man. 

"I know what I'm doing, I even have a whole plan laid out." Bruce said, going to hit you with the blanket again but you moved away just in time. "You just haven't followed it." 

"You don't need a plan to make a fort." Natasha said, grabbing a spare blanket from the ground. "You just set it up and then make sure it doesn't collapse when you're in it. Simple." 

"If it's so simple, I invite you to try and do it." Bruce told her, stepping aside for her. 

"Fine watch and learn." Natasha said, taking Bruce's spot opposite you. It turns out while confidence was key to most things in life, it didn't help you when it came to building a fort. 

The entire skeleton of the fort collapsed and somehow you and Natasha lay on the floor of your bedroom stuck in the blankets. Bruce sat to the side laughing heartily at the sight of the two of you. 

"Do you want my help now?" Bruce asked, wiping tears away from his eyes. 

"Nope." You said, somehow getting a hand out and reaching it in Bruce's direction. "Get the takeout and join us down here."

"You want to lay on the floor and eat takeout for date night?" she said Bruce asked, raising an eyebrow at you. 

"Yes." Natasha said, nodding at him. "It's almost the same plan from before but on the floor."

"I can live with that." Bruce said, grabbing the bags and joining the two of you. The three of you laid on the floor together, enjoying the takeout Natasha had gotten for tonight. 

"I love you." You murmured hours later. "I really love you two." You added, curling further into both their arms. 

"Love you too Y/N."

"Love you dorogoy."

The three of you were private people and you liked your dates to be as private as you enjoyed your lives to be. You enjoyed the intimacy of your private dates. 

Taglist 

@piper-koko-barnes-rogers @skeletoresinthebasement @hopingforbarnes @agent-barnes40 @rvgrsbrns

Natasha Romanoff Taglist 

@5aftermidnight

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Coming soon:

Steve x reader x bucky x Sam

Natasha x reader x Sam x Steve x Bucky 

Steve x reader x Thor

Pepper x reader x Tony

Natasha x reader x Peggy x Wanda

Bruce x reader x Thor

Bucky x reader x Steve x Peggy

Wanda x reader x Natasha

[fadiingstarliight]

( @qvietwhispers )

jayden

He barely knew Faye at all but she seemed like a lovely person and he was honestly eager to meet her and.. also then break up her old stuff. When he got there he saw a woman at the entrance but wasn't entirely sure if it was her.  "I was told to look for the enthusiastic shop owner, I'm Jade." he said with a smile on his lips.

faye

Faye wasn't lying, she'd definitely recieved weirder text messages in her lifetime, and if anything, Jade had only intrigued her. She'd been half tempted to text Declan about them, before realising Jade would walk through the door at any moment. She'd been fixing a mannequin by the entrance, draping a feather boa over it when the door charmed. "Hey! That'd be me," Faye chipped happily, a wide smile upon her lips. Her eyes scanned over the other, recognising him from a few odd times he'd been in the shop. She made a mental note to tell Mira later that he was definitely cute. "Ready to smash some shit?"

jayden

Faye was a lot more chirpier in person than he could guess over text but he didn't complain. Her smile was contagious and he grinned back at the other. He suddenly realized that the reason she seemed so familiar was not exactly his previous visits to the store but the video he had seen of her during the elections. This wasn't just any Faye, it was Faye Waters, but he didn't think it was remotely close to a good idea to bring that up. Now or ever if they stayed friends. "Nice to meet you Faye." he said before a small laugh left his lips. "Yes, I would absolutely love to do that as long as you don't write me off as the weird guy who came out of the blue and smashed shit." he chuckled.

faye

Faye had a lot of questions, but she figured he had enough going on without her hounding him about it. "Nice to meet you too, Jade," she told him brightly, the smile never leaving her lips. "I would never," she teased, "Though that certainly is an interesting title, don't you think?" She gave a head up to the other on shift, before gesturing him to follow out back.

jayden

"Interesting title?" he repeated before he got what she meant and a laugh left his lips. "The weird guy thing I said? Please do not." He chuckled and nodded in response to her question, following her to the back room where it was far more abundantly clear that this was the second hand shop with a bunch of old things lined up without any reformation done to them. "Do you do this often?" he asked as the other handed him a baseball bat and he took it from her looking down at it in mild amusement.

faye

"Yeah, weird guy who came out of the blue and smashed shit," She repeated, laughter leaving her lips. "Alright fine, just Jade it is," Faye grinned at him, practically skipping out to the back. She grabbed the bats she kept lying around, handing him one without hesitation. At his question, she laughed. "Fairly often. I used to live in LA, and they had this place called Rage Ground. You ever heard of Rage Rooms? You basically just go there to smash shit. I used to go with a friend of mine Landon, it was a great way to relieve stress." Faye admitted, shrugging her shoulders before pointing at one of the items with her bat. "Give it a try. Trust me."

jayden

Jade looked amused as the other called him the same weird guy thing again before she referred him by his name. "Thank you." he chuckled and listened as she spoke of the rage rooms back in LA, still looking down at the bat skeptically. "I have heard of them, never actually been to one." he told the other. "I mean, it's not often I go anywhere that's not work. I went to New York one time for a wedding, and then Vegas to get married." he shook his head a little as he spoke of his drunk wedding at Vegas. "And I did go on vacation to Miami but I suppose beaches and rage rooms aren't the same thing." He nodded and took a deep breath before he swung the bat with all the strength he could muster at the bunch of stuff, a deafening smash echoing through the room before he turned to look at Faye and laughed in shock. "You are right that does feel good." he said sounding rather startled by that fact. "Are you going to do this too?"

faye

"You're welcome," Faye laughed with him, shaking her head. "Oh they're so much fun," she told him before tilting her head as she listen to him speak. "Did you not want to travel? Or just didn't have time?" She asked him curiously. "You got married in Vegas?" Faye arched an eyebrow, before realising that was probably the divorce that was causing him to smash things. "Well, I went travelling after high school. Been here, there and everywhere. Settled in LA though, but I used to travel a lot with my previous jobs," she moved the conversation from vegas swiftly, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh yeah definitely not, beaches are fun, but a different kind of stress reliever to this," she admitted, pointing at the pile of junk. Faye watched as he swung the bat, laughter spilling from her own lips as he laughed in shock. "Right? I'm not entirely crazy," she teased, before nodding. "Well I can't let you have all the fun." Without hesitating further, Faye swung her bat at one of the cupboards she'd found no use for, grinning widely.

jayden

"Maybe one day. Or maybe there are those in Charleston, I don't know." he mused before he shrugged at her question. "Guess I've always been busy? So I never really thought of it but when I do go I have fun so maybe I should plan vacations occasionally." he chuckled. Not that he would anytime soon having had taken a few days off work to visit Nessa in Miami. Perhaps, next year or so. "Yeah, I did. Would recommend a Vegas wedding but not a Vegas marriage. The trip was actually a lot of fun." He didn't really want to talk much about it but then again he saw no point to keeping it to himself and not talk about it at all. It was a chapter of his life he can turn over and move on from but it was always gonna be there anyway. "Traveling for work doesn't sound like the worst thing." he smiled at her before raising his brows in amusement as she trashed one of the cupboards. He followed her lead, feeling his anger leave him little by little with every swing of his bat. "You're definitely not entirely crazy." he said as he laughed, looking down at the resultant mess.

faye

"Oh I've not actually looked in Charleston," She admitted, tapping her chin in thought. "That makes sense, but you should definitely plan more vacations. Hey, if you ever need a travel buddy, you know where to find me," Faye grinned, gesturing at the store. She wasn't sure he'd ever take her up on the offer, but she loved travelling, and hadn't actually left Wakefield since she'd come back. "So I just need to find someone to get married in Vegas so I can witness it," She joked, laughing. "I'm glad you had fun though." As he spoke of her old job, Faye shrugged. "Yes and no. Sometimes I didn't actually get much time to actually explore anyway." Pulling a face, she swung the bat again. "Somewhat crazy, but only enough that it's fun, and not horrifying."

jayden

"Maybe there is one and we can go." he suggested grinning at her before a laugh left his lips at her suggestion to travel together but he stopped abruptly on realizing she wasn't joking. "You're serious? Like actually travel somewhere together?" he asked her, his words coloured with disbelief at the offer. "That would be ideal." he said, that was a great conclusion to come to from what he had told her about his experience with a Vegas wedding. He simply nodded as she spoke of her old job, she was very vague and he didn't bother to dig more. If she left it and owned a shop here, there was probably a reason for it. "Yep, not completely horrifying." he said before he swung his bat again, this time a few times consecutively, channeling all the anger he felt at himself on the poor dresser which Faye seemed to think was of no use anymore. It went on longer than last time, longer than he realized and when he was done he dropped the bat and sat down cross-legged on the floor, hands in his hair and taking deep breaths to steady himself.

faye

"I'll have to look and find out," She agreed with a grin. At his abrupt stop to his laughter, Faye let out a giggle of his own. "Not used to strangers offering to go on holiday with you?" She joked, "but yeah, why not? You want to travel, I want to travel, could be fun." Shrugging her shoulders, Faye's smile never left her lips. She was pretty sure the other wouldn't take her up on the offer but she meant it all the same. Faye focused on smashing the offending objects, taking her recent stresses with worrying about Dean out on the poor furniture. Faye had finished before Jade had, watching him as he then dropped the bat and dropped to the floor. "You okay?" She asked softly, sitting down opposite him, concern lacing her features.

jayden

Jade chuckled in response and he definitely was not used to this. The last time this happened he had gotten married in Vegas so he wasn't entirely sure it was the best of ideas either. "It could. I would need to take time off work though which wont be happening for the next few months at least." When he finally let the bat fall to the ground and sat down himself Jade's head was spinning. He hadn't really given himself a moment to come to terms with the fact that his marriage with Nessa, if one could even call it that was actually over. "Yeah, yeah." he said distantly, barely focusing on the others words.

faye

"Well the offer's always open, and hey, at that point we may actually know eachother," she mused with a grin. However her cheerful nature faded as she saw how he was, her frown growing as she watched him cautiously. "Hey," Faye spoke softly, reaching out and placing her hand on his bicep. "Talk to me, come on, what's going through that head of yours?"

jayden

Jade hadn't even realized how angry he was about the divorce with Nessa. Not at her, but more at himself. Because it was so many years that he had hoped for something with her when a part of him had always known that they would never work out. She was too wild, different, demanding, and he could never keep up with her. He should have known. And the more he thought of it the angrier he became, and with an outlet for his anger right before him, he used it without holding back. He took a few deep breaths before looking at the other. "I fucked up my own life." he admitted out loud. "I just.. yeah, I knew this was going to be the end result and I dragged it out for years. It sucks."

faye

Faye frowned as he finally spoke, brows furrowing together at the admission. Her teeth tugged on her lower lip, before she shrugged. "Don't take this the wrong way, but people do stupid shit when they're blindly in love with someone. I would know. I've been there." She admitted, voice unusually quiet, it wasn't often Faye spoke about her ex. "You have every right to be angry. Even if it's at yourself. I was, for years. It'll get easier."

jayden

"Yeah, I suppose." he said quietly saddened on hearing that she had a similar situation. "I'm sorry to hear that. Sucks to be us, I guess?" he said, a small smile on his lips but it didn't reach his eyes. He hated how he felt, he hated the anger, he wished he could skip past of of this mess and go right to the moving on. "I hope so. I doubt you have enough things for me to break if it doesn't get better." he added, hoping to lighten the mood.

faye

"Yeah, I guess it does," Faye forced out a huff of laughter, shaking her head somewhat sadly. However, at his comment, the corners of her lips twitched upwards in amusement. "It will, but in the mean time, we should definitely try and find a rage room. Most of this trash I actually rescue," She admitted, "These were lost causes though."

jayden

"That's a good plan. But also, I don't really do this often, or ever. So, I don't know if I need a rage room." he chuckled. As much as he felt good, this shouldn't become a regular thing, right? He didn't know if it was good for him or not. "I think I'm all out of rage now though." he said with a smile. "Do you want to show me some of the things you actually rescued?" he asked the other, not really in the mood to be breaking things anymore.

faye

"Well no, but sometimes this is the healthiest way to get your frustrations out. Better a piece of furniture than snapping at someone you care about," Faye shrugged her shoulders. As he said he was out of rage, Faye grinned again, standing up. "Yeah of course, follow me." She told him, leading him back into the shop.

jayden

Jade nodded in agreement at the others words, she did have a point. He smiled a little as the other got ready to take him back to the front to actually see what she sold in her store. He silently followed the girl out of the room, leaving the destroyed remains of what she called the lost causes behind.

END

[gothpanda]

A Little Bit of Attitude Ch.27: Christmas

WORD COUNT: 7.2k

A/N: Enjoy! Comments are highly appreciated! ❤️

WARNINGS: none

TAGS: @madamsixx​ @emariehorror​

Read On Ao3

Previous/Next 

December 11th, 1982

"I still don't get why you wanted to eat in your shit apartment when we could've gone somewhere," Sammi complained, twirling her plastic fork to capture linguine noodles in the carryout plate. They sat beside each other on the old sofa, Sammi praying it wouldn't break again. Nikki swallowed his spaghetti, kicking his feet up on the grimy coffee table. "Because maybe I just want to be in a quiet place for my birthday," Nikki answered with a smirk.

"Oh, is that why you abandoned the guys in San Diego?" Sammi asked, matching Nikki's smirk. "To be in a quiet place eating Italian food… with me?"

"Exactly. Besides you can admit you're happy to see my face. I won't tell anyone,"

"Shut up. I was happy because you surprised me at work. It's not like I miss you or anything," Sammi mumbled, smiling shyly away from Nikki. The two ate in silence with the music playing at low volume, songs range from 79 to this year playing on loop. 'Waiting for a Girl Like You' began playing, gaining Nikki and Sammi's attention, passing glances at each other.

"This is a cute song," Sammi admitted, placing her food on the coffee table, standing up as she walked over to the small kitchen sill.

"Of course you'd like the love songs," Nikki teased, sipping on his cold beer.

"Oh shush. You write love songs all the time too. They're just disguised as heavy rock for the tough boys," Sammi said over her shoulder.

"You aren't wrong but don't be telling that to magazines when we're famous,"

Sammi unzipped the dividing pocket of her black purse, slowly taking out a tiny red gift bag. Sammi looked at Nikki continue mindlessly eating, thankful he didn't notice anything. Sammi held the bag behind her back, standing right in front of Nikki with a dopey smile that made Nikki raise an eyebrow.

"Whatcha doing?" Nikki asked. Sammi whipped her arms forward, holding the gift bag between the two of them.

"Happy birthday!" Sammi exclaimed.

"You got me a present?" Nikki asked, putting his cardboard plate down as he took hold of the present.

"Well yeah I had to or else I'd feel bad,"

"You didn't even know it was my birthday 'til a few hours ago," Nikki said with a smile.

"And who's fault is that, Mr. Secretive?"

Nikki shook his head, removing the white tissue paper to find a flat navy velvet box sitting at the bottom. Nikki threw the gift bag aimlessly, scrunched eyebrows as he opened the box, revealing a black onyx crystal stone pendant. Nikki carefully pulled out the necklace, admiring the silver rope chain for it. "Wow, Sam. This looks pretty cool. When and where did you even get this?"

Sammi sat right next to Nikki. "As soon as I got off work. There's a cool witchy hippie store that opened up. The guy who sold it to me said the stone is supposed to absorb negativity and turn it into strength and protection. I just thought it looked cool," said Sammi, shrugging her shoulders. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you, Sammi," Nikki said, smiling dearly at Sammi, glancing down at her lips. He didn't know if he should kiss her, not know what to do in general with the young girl. So instead, Nikki gave her a hug and kissed her temple. "I hope this gives me all the protection I need,"

December 13th, 1985

Covina, California

Sammi looked down into the boiling pot of water, checking to see if it appeared perfect for the macaroni noodles she needed to pour in. Shrugging her shoulder, Sammi grabbed a bowl of uncooked noodles, pouring in carefully, and adding salt into the water. She turned the timer for 8 minutes beside her then paid attention to the ground beef that was beginning to sizzle on her left, stirring it to not burn any sides. The onions were already entirely browned to Mrs. Bass's liking, reminding Sammi to sprinkle in the proper seasonings for pastitsio before the beef was too cooked. Sammi grabbed the salt and pepper shaker, shaking both vigorously as the meat was folding in on the skillet.

"Don't forget the cinnamon before the tomato paste," Mrs. Bass said behind Sammi, smiling at her daughter as she entered the kitchen. Sammi looked over her shoulder, matching her mother's smile and reaching for the pantry's ground cinnamon to her right.

"I won't. I am your only child that in fact knows how to cook," Sammi said to Mrs. Bass as she put a measuring cup of water by the stove. Mrs. Bass kissed Sammi's cheek in gratitude for helping make the Greek lasagna, knowing how long it took to cook the special dish. Simultaneously, Sammi poured in the cup of water and tomato paste into the ground beef, giving one final stir of everything before letting it simmer alone. Mrs. Bass looked over Sammi's shoulder to see if everything was going smoothly, knowing she could trust Sammi to make dinner.

"I know but I have to still be a mother and tell you what to do. I already shredded the cheese before you came," Mrs. Bass said, stirring the boiling pasta. Suddenly the backyard door in the kitchen opened fast, Athena walking in with a somber face. She didn't appear to be in the mood for a family dinner, wanting a stiff drink in her hand.

Mrs. Bass smiled when seeing Athena, opening her arms for a hug. "Athi! You're early,"

"Hey, Mama," Athena said, kissing her mother on the cheek but no smile to give. Sammi leaned against the kitchen island, smiling at Athena but not getting one in return. Athena only glared at Sammi, inching closer to the stove to see what was cooking. Sammi only kept her polite smile until Athena walked out into the living room without another word. Mrs. Bass acted as if nothing was wrong, getting the béchamel and cheese from the refrigerator.

"Hi to you too, Athena!" Sammi shouted from the kitchen, facing the stove to turn off a burner, carefully grabbing the boiling pot to drain out the pasta. Mrs. Bass scrunched her eyebrows together, studying Sammi's face.

"Is something wrong between you and Athena?" Mrs. Bass asked, spreading a thin layer of butter on the deep casserole dish, waiting to assemble it. Sammi just shrugged her shoulders, passing the macaroni noodles to her mother.

"She's just mad I didn't tell her about my little field trip to Vegas, and I think something went wrong in her love life," said Sammi, pouring in the ground beef then macaroni into the deep dish.

"In that case just give her some space if she's hurt about love. But also don't mind her moods just because you didn't say something to her," Mrs. Bass said, waving her hand in a shooing motion, almost like Athena should let her anger go. Mrs. Bass added the last touches to the pastitsio, putting it in the hot oven to cook for nearly an hour. "You have your own life. You can do whatever you want,"

"Yeah I know. She's just being a brat to me for not telling her," Sammi said, washing her hands. Mrs. Bass tried to withhold a chuckle, wiping her hands from any food on them.

"Be nice to your sister! She's the only one you have forever. Now go relax while I make a salad for everyone," Mrs. Bass ordered, pointing for Sammi to leave the kitchen. Sammi followed her mother's words, slowly strolling into the living room. Athena sat alone with a magazine in her hands, the television playing Three's Company in low volume. Sammi dropped herself on Mr. Bass's recliner, tucking her legs under herself, hitting her chin on her knuckles as she looked at Athena. Athena could obviously hear Sammi and feel her presence, peeking over the corner to see her sister stare.

"What?" Athena barked, looking back at the gossip magazine to only see Motley and other bands spread out the pages. Athena rolled her eyes at Nikki's picture, tossing the booklet on the coffee table.

"Nothing, nothing. I just wanted to know what was going on with my sister. Especially since you didn't bother to say hi to me," said Sammi.

"Maybe because I have nothing to say to you. Ever thought about that?"

"You're seriously going to be mad at me forever? Because I don't really care at this point,"

"Of course you wouldn't care. You're as selfish as your stupid boyfriend," Athena accused, lowering her voice so their mother wouldn't hear. Sammi only frowned and rolled her eyes, slumping more in-depth into the recliner.

"At least I have something with someone," Sammi mumbled, staring at the tv.

"Oh fuck you," Athena said, folding her arms to her chest. Sammi glared at Athena, hugging her arms like her sister.

"I'm not selfish because I hang around with Nikki. I don't have to tell you everything,"

"You said you were done with him," Athena pointed out.

"And you've said Emma was being overly dramatic about your relationship," Sammi rebuttal.

"Are you only on her side to get back at me? Why are you even bringing her up?" Athena asked, narrowing her eyes to Sammi.

"Karma tastes so good right when a sibling doesn't shut up about your love life? And no I'm not. She was my friend first before your girlfriend, or should I say ex-girlfriend,"

"You're such a bitch," Athena mumbled. Sammi shook her head, taking a deep breath in.

"Again, are you going to be mad at me for not telling you about Vegas?" Sammi asked.

"Again, you said you were done with that guy,"

"You are so annoying. Can you just answer the question,"

"I'm mad you don't tell the truth to us anymore. We were so good for a moment and then you did a 180 again. Except for this time where you have us around," Athena said, grabbing the remote to change the challenges. Sammi blinked for a moment, scrunching deep between her brows.

"What?"

"Tommy and I finally had you being on our side where we told each other everything like it always was. Remember? Right before you became a selfish brat in high school. Then all of a sudden when you get with him, you do 180 and keep secrets,"

"You're one to talk about being a brat. Aren't the older siblings supposed to be the more mature ones?"

"Whatever. How about you just stop talking about him okay? Because trust me no one wants to fucking hear it," Sammi stared at Athena for a moment, bouncing her leg up and down fast.

"His name is Nikki," Sammi said before marching out of the living room and heading up to her old empty space. She shut the door and fell on the naked bed, closing her eyes as she sighed out.

*

Dinner was relatively quiet for the Bass family. Mr. and Mrs. Bass sitting at each head on the table while Sammi and Athena were across from one another. Sammi and Athena didn't want to look at each other, looking down at their food or their respective parents. Mr. Bass went on about co-workers who couldn't do their jobs right while Mrs. Bass gave her little advice. It wasn't until Mrs. Bass brought up the question of her husband's Christmas schedule that Sammi's ear perked up, remembering what she needed to do.

"Um I'm glad you brought up Christmas, Mama, I need to tell you guys something," Sammi said, wiping away any food from the corner of her mouth. Her parents and Athena's eyes were all on her. Athena frowning deep while their parents kept no hard looks, only curiosity on them.

"What is it, Sammi?" asked Mr. Bass.

"I'm not gonna be here for Christmas," Sammi said, pressing her lips together. Her eyes shifted to Mr. and Mrs. Bass, eyes shot up while Athena frowned deeper.

"Oh? And where will you be?" asked Mrs. Bass, holding her hands together on the table with amusement.

"Idaho," Sammi smiled, taking another bite of the food she cooked tonight.

"And what's in Idaho? Or who for that matter?" Mr. Bass asked, smiled. Athena dropped her fork and knife on the plate, crossing her arms tightly against her chest.

"Nikki invited me to spend Christmas with him and his grandparents. They live in Idaho in the middle of nowhere. You guys aren't mad I'll be missing Christmas, right?" Sammi said with worry.

"Oh no, Sammi! It'll be fun! You'll get to have a white Christmas for once," Mrs. Bass says, reaching over to squeeze Sammi's hand. "Of course I will miss my little lovebug. We'll have a personal Christmas for when you come back,"

"Do you have enough warm clothes? I wouldn't want you freezing up there," Mr. Bass asked, taking a bite of his food. "Open land near Canada is just the perfect place for snow,"

"Yes I do. Nikki warned me to buy a lot of winter clothes. He said it can get to 7 degrees. I bought a whole bunch of coats for the trip,"

"Wear extra socks. If you have the flu when you get back, I'm going to have a word with Nikki," Mr. Bass with humor, pointing his fork at Sammi as he looked over his glasses.

"And when will you be leaving? How long are you going to stay over there?" Mrs. Bass asked.

"The 23rd. It'll give Nikki enough time to rest from his Florida flight and pack again. He wants to stay until the 30th so we don't deal with crazy airport traffic on the way home," said Sammi, glancing up at Athena as she ate her food.

"Sounds like a good plan. Hopefully, you two don't get any delays from the weather," Mr. Bass said. Sammi only smiled and continued to finish her food, glancing up to see Athena sulking in her seat.

"You don't think it's weird that Sammi's going to spend a holiday with him? She's supposed to be with family. Not a random guy," Athena said, pursing her lips out and sucking her teeth as she glared at Sammi. Sammi matched her sister's eyes, keeping a tight grip on her fork. "I mean you two haven't even met him,"

"He's not a random guy. We've met Nikki before on a few short occasions. Seems like a nice young man. Quiet but still nice. And I trust Sammi's decisions to be around him," Mrs. Bass said.

"See Athena? People like Nikki," said Sammi, sucking her teeth.

"And Athena be respectful. Nikki is your brother and sister's closet friend, you can to say his name," said Mr. Bass

"But I don't like him! And I don't like Sammi ditching us to go and play house with a rock star," Athena barked in Sammi's direction.

"Athena!" Mrs. Bass shouted frowning.

"I'm not playing house! Nikki's grandmother said he could bring a friend and he asked me,"

"A friend or a girlfriend? Because what grandmother just suggests that unless Nikki talked them into it?" Athena asked.

"Nikki isn't my boyfriend. And it's called being nice and hospitable to their grandson. Something you know nothing about with your ugly attitude," Sammi said.

"Samantha, that is enough," Mr. Bass uttered under his breath.

"And when did Nikki ask you? Was it in Vegas or maybe another time you snuck away to see him without telling anyone? Was it after Tommy caught you two in the elevator together or before?" Athena asked.

"Why should I tell you? I thought you didn't want to hear it?" Sammi said in a mocking voice.

"And I told you to stop talking about it! No one cares!"

"Fine then bud out of my life and shut up!"

"Fine!"

"Girls!" Mr. and Mrs. Bass yelled in unison, causing each daughter to look at one parent. "You two shouldn't be arguing like this. Athena, apologize to your sister," Mr. Bass told Athena.

"What? Why?!"

"Because you're being rude to Sammi about matters that do not involve you. If she wants to be around Nikki, then leave her to it. You shouldn't be giving relationship advice in the first place," Mr. Bass said, pressing his lips firmly together.

Athena rolled her eyes. "No. I'm not apologizing for giving my opinion about Nikki,"

"Athena, you have the right to an opinion but your father is right. It's her and Tommy's decision to be around Nikki. If your sister wishes to spend her time with that boy, then that's just how it's going to be," Mrs. Bass advised in a soft voice.

"You two don't even know him! He's not good! He's crazy and mean to everyone!"

"Jesus. You sound just like Amanda," Sammi mumbled, pushing herself out of her seat and grabbing her half-finished plate.

"Well, maybe she had some points!" Athena shouted out to Sammi as she left the dining room. Sammi threw away the rest of the food in the trash, trying not to drop the glass plate in the sink, keeping in mind how it could break. Mrs. Bass cautiously walked into the kitchen, placing a hand on Sammi's shoulder. Sammi only stayed looking out the kitchen window, trying to eavesdrop on what her father was telling Athena.

"I know it may seem like this can last forever, but Athena will come around," Mrs. Bass reassured.

"And what makes you so sure of that, Mama?" Sammi asked, meeting her mother's gaze.

"Because she's your sister. You only have each other,"

"Yeah well I'm not going to hold my breath," Sammi said, turning on the faucet for warm water and began washing the dishes.

December 23rd, 1985

Van Nuys, California

Sammi yawned out loud, laying down on Nikki's clean sheets as she waited for the man to finish packing his winter bag. Nikki smirked at Sammi's sleepiness, beginning to feel the excitement of spending almost a week with his two favorite people, well three. Nikki grabbed the checklist he wrote down on the plane, double-checking in his mind that everything was already packed.

"Excited to see your grandparents?" Sammi asked, resting her head on a pillow. Nikki sat down by Sammi, moving his suitcase to the middle of the bed.

"Yeah. I haven't seen them in what feels like forever. Especially spending a Christmas with them. Are you still nervous about meeting them?" Nikki asked, laying against the silk pillows.

"A little bit. I know you said that they'll love me but I've never met someone else's family like this,"

"Oh come on. You've done the whole meeting the parents with your old boyfriends before?"

"Not really. Hate to break it to you but I rarely had boyfriends in high school or even before I met you,"

"Bullshit! I don't believe you,"

"I'm serious! Vince has been my only real boyfriend, and I barely even saw his family when we were together,"

"Damn. Well if it makes you feel better, you're my only girlfriend meeting Nona and Tom. Also the first to meet Deana but she doesn't count for shit," Nikki said, scrunching his brows together at Sammi's quizzical grin. "What?"

"I'm your girlfriend?" Sammi asked, raising an eyebrow. "This is news to me,"

Nikki rolled his eyes, clearing his throat as he looked away from Sammi. "I think it's pretty clear to everyone that you're my girl. Don't act so surprised,"

"Okay! I won't act surprised. Boyfriend," Sammi said with a shit-eating grin.

"So what was little Sammi like in high school to not get a boyfriend?" Nikki asked, pinching Sammi's cheek. Sammi playfully shoved Nikki's hand away from her, acting annoyed even when not.

"Almost like when you met me except quieter with way less attitude. I just studied. Played volleyball. Stayed with my clique all four years. Worked when I was bored and wanted money. I had guys to mess around with but it never lasted more than 2 months," said Sammi. "What about you? What were you like in high school? I bet you had girls throwing themselves at you, wanting to try a bad boy out," Sammi asked, resting on her stomach.

"Well remember, I didn't finish high school. Mainly I would get into fights with guys who stared me down, and steal their girlfriends when they were bored. Be around random guys who didn't want to be in school. That's it. You think we would've hung out in high school?"

"Nik, we're five years apart. We wouldn't be in high school together, that would be illegal,"

"Can you just answer the question without pointing out the obvious, Ms. Bubble Burster?"

Sammi rolled her eyes. "Fine. No, I don't think we would have in high school at all. I hung out with the popular sporty girls whose favorite pastime was being judgy. I would've stayed far away from you unless you became friends with Tommy. Maybe have a secret crush on you,"

"Ouch. Why don't you rip my heart out while you're at it? Right after I called you my girlfriend", Nikki asked, clenching his chest, making Sammi laugh at him.

"Oh shush you'll be fine. Just wait until we're both in Idaho and you'll forget about it," Sammi said, crawling over to kiss Nikki lightly on the lips.

"Speaking of which, I should call the cab already. Are you sure you've packed one hundred percent?" Nikki asked, pushing himself off the bed and zipping up his filled suitcase.

"Yes I am. I'm not going to be freezing my ass off the entire time we're there. I'm ready to sleep for the entire plane ride," Sammi said, stretching her arms over, walking over to Nikki, where she wrapped her arms around his waist from the back. Sammi pressed her chin on Nikki's back, hopeful that the few days can make Nikki forget about the little thing that strained them. He hadn't spoken about it when they called each other, but Sammi told herself that Nikki was a big boy who could take care of himself. She just needed to keep telling herself that.

Middle of Nowhere, Idaho

Sammi held her breath as Nikki drove down the dark, icy roads, scared whenever the rental pick up truck felt like it would skid off into the snowy fields. Nikki knew how to go in this weather, but it didn't stop Sammi from her fear, Nikki glancing every so often to see Sammi's face. He laid a hand on her thigh, whipping his head when Sammi winced away from his touch.

"Both hands on the wheel," Sammi pointed, frowning as she looked out to the white surroundings. Nikki wanted to object but still listened, placing his hands at ten and two.

"Babe, I've driven down these roads more times than you can count. The truck has its brand snow tires and the roads are clear as day," Nikki reassured. "We're going to be fine,"

"That still doesn't ease my mind. You're driving in the dark. And aren't you scared about the black ice?"

"Nope. I'm driving at a nice and for once slow speed to be careful. Besides we're not that far from Tom and Nona's place,"

"How can you even tell? Everything looks the same," Sammi said, changing the radio when static began playing.

"Ya see here city girl, you have to look at the trees and other things to know where you are. You recognize the landmarks of everyone's farm," Nikki said with what Sammi thought could be an Idaho accent. Sammi rolled her eyes, trying not to giggle at being called a city girl, knowing it would encourage Nikki.

"We get it, Country Boy, this isn't L. A or California anymore. The place where there are buildings and people. Maybe even some street lights to see what's going on,"

"Exactly. This country boy knows where we're going. Plus, I gave my grandparents a wood carven sign last Christmas to put in their entranceway," Nikki smiled almost cocky, laughing boyishly at Sammi's annoyed face.

"You're such a little shit," Sammi mumbled, taking off her seatbelt and scooting close to Nikki, putting her head on his shoulder. "Wake me up when we're there,"

"Alright, Sleeping Beauty,"

*

"There's my son! Tom come on, they're here!" Nona yelled out into the two-story farmhouse, standing on the brown wooden wrap-around porch. Tom pushed open the fence gate door, zipping up his heavy coat. Nikki drove through the bumpy pathway that Tom cleared up, laughing every time he and Sammi jumped in their seats. Nikki pulled up close to the front porch, flipping off the ignition, headlights turning off. Sammi jumped out of the pickup, eyes looking down with amazement at her boots, stepping onto the ankle-deep snow. Sammi tried to walk on perfect balance, realizing how difficult it was to maneuver on the ice. Nikki helped by lacing his mitten fingers around Sammi's hand, smiling at Nona and Tom.

"Hi, Nikki!" Nona said in excitement, giving Nikki a big hug on the porch steps patting his back to get rid of any fallen snow. Nona quickly took note of Sammi, wanting to match the same affection she had to Nikki for Sammi, but waited for Nikki to introduce the girl. The couple finally took cover under the porch, Sammi keeping quiet with a soft smile. Tom gave Nikki a quick hug, wanting to head inside to feel the fire he just started.

"Hey, Nona. Hey, Tom. There's someone I'd like you to meet," Nikki said, squeezing Sammi's hand. "This is Sammi. My girlfriend," Sammi waved at the older couple, nervous but noticing how they both smiled happily at the two.

"Hi! It's so good to meet you two. Nikki's said so many things about you guys," Sammi said, reaching out for Nona's hand. Nona shoved Sammi's hand away, wrapping her in a tight hug, cupping her cheeks to look at Sammi.

"Well aren't you just the prettiest. I'm happy to finally meet you," Nona said, kissing Sammi on the cheek. Nona almost passed Sammi to Tom, the older man hugging the small girl at a fast speed. "Nikki has said some things about you too. How about you ladies head inside, Nik and I will get the luggage," said Tom, squeezing Sammi's shoulder.

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping Nikki out myself," Sammi asked as Nikki and Tom carefully stepped down on the frozen steps.

"Oh don't be crazy, let the men do the heavy lifting. I'm sure you're starving. I have chicken pot pies staying warm in the oven," Nona said, softly holding Sammi's arm, leading her into the country style home. The house felt warm, cozy with old wooden style furniture and a brick fireplace. Nona pointed at the coat rack near the door as she disappeared in the kitchen, Sammi scanning the home. It was decorated for Christmas, a green garland wrapped around the staircase with lights. The smell of pine-scented the front of the house, the Christmas tree decorated with white and red bulb ornaments in the living room corner. The gifts Nikki sent out a week before already arranged perfectly under the tree. Sammi sat down at the dining table right in front of the kitchen, peeking over to see if Nona needed help with anything. The chicken pot pie smell wafted through the air, making Sammi's stomach rumble with hunger. Nona placed a hot ramekin on the placemat in front of Sammi, setting an olive green cloth napkin and silver fork.  

"Thank you, Mrs…?"

"You don't need to finish Mrs part, just call me Nona like everyone else. Would you like some iced tea to drink?" asked Nona, fixing her circle-shaped glasses.

"Oh no, I'm good for right now. Thank you so much for dinner. It smells amazing," Sammi said, crack opening the pastry pie crust with the fork, hot steam escaping its shell. She blew on the food in an attempt to cool it, not wanting to burn herself. With one bite, her eyes shot wide to Nona, chewing the juicy chicken.

"Wow, this is really good. I've never had chicken pot pie before," Sammi said, wiping her mouth with the napkin.

"Really? What does your mom cook for you and your siblings then?" Nona asked, placing the rest of the chicken pot pies for Tom and Nikki, sitting right by Sammi.

"She's from Greece so basically every kind of food from there. But I'm definitely adding this to my list of recipes when I get home," Sammi said, taking another bite of food as she could hear Nikki and Tom walk into the home.

"So I assume you're a little chef," Nona asked. Sammi nodded with food in her mouth, looking up beside her when Nikki and Tom entered the dining room. Nikki sat right by Sammi, taking off the wool gloves and breathing to warm his fingers up.

"Nik, you didn't tell me Sammi liked to cook. I'm going to have fun with her on Christmas eve dinner," Nona said with a smile, walking into the kitchen to quickly grab a jug of iced tea. Nikki only began eating, starving from the lack of a proper home-cooked meal that belonged to Nona. Tom started to eat at his own pace.

"That's because Sammi only cooks when she wants to be nice to me," Nikki said, taking another piece of chicken pot pie. Sammi stuck her tongue out at Nikki, making Tom chuckle a little.

"Sounds like Nona when I first met her. She'd only make her specialties when I'd bring her flowers as a thank you," Tom said, grabbing the iced tea that Nona offered him.

"That's because it rarely happened," Nona teased, admiring the happy people eating the food she prepared with love. "The food turned out great for everyone?" Nikki, Sammi, and Tom all nodded in silence, enjoying the savory, creamy dinner.

"Like always, Nona," Nikki said, earning himself a kiss on the crown of his head. "You're not gonna eat?"

"Oh don't worry about me, Nik. I'll be fine," Nona said, sitting right next to Tom.

"So Sam, tell us a bit about yourself? Do you work or are you in school or both?" Tom asked, sipping on the iced tea. Sammi wiped the corner of her mouth, standing up straight in her seat.

"I was in school. I graduated in May and decided to take a year off. I'm actually a secretary at Elektra. Nikki's manager helped me get the job," Sammi answered.

"What degree did you graduate with? Nikki's went on about how you're a smart girl," Nona asked, smirking when Nikki glared at her with subtle annoyance.

"Biology with a minor in Chemistry. I was aiming to become a vet, but I'm not so sure anymore,"

"Well don't worry about not being sure, you're young. You have a whole life ahead of you to decide what you really want," said Tom.

"And with smarts like yours, you'll be just fine!" said Nona, slowly collecting Tom and Nikki's empty plate. Immediately Sammi jumped from her seat, tucking her and Nikki's empty glasses between her arm, grabbing empty ramekins. "Oh, you don't have to clean up, Sammi!" Nona said, about to take the dirty dishes from the young girl.

"I insist, Nona. Take it as my way of saying thank you for letting me in your home," Sammi said, smiling at Nona as the two walked into the kitchen. Sammi carefully laid the ceramic dishes into the sink, looking around for any dish soap.

"It's Tom's turn to load the dishwasher, sweetheart. You can just leave dishes there," Nona said, placing the glass cups and the other dishes. "I'm glad Nikki is looking good after the whole Deana incident. He does look a bit skinny though," Nona said, pouring a glass of iced tea for herself. Sammi leaned against the sink, folding her arms as she remembered the event and let out a sigh.

"I really didn't know how to react when I saw her. I'd never seen Nikki look so shocked and numb before. He broke a whiskey bottle right in front of her," Sammi said, looking down at her winter boots.

"Nikki had a right to be shocked and angry. She may be my daughter, but sometimes I just want to shake her for treating her son so poorly. He's lucky you were there," Nona said, giving Sammi a quick sympathetic grin. "Nikki needs someone there to lift him up. I know he can be a little hard on himself,"

"Well, I'm happy to be there for him. But can I ask a question?" Sammi asked, Nona, nodding for approval. "How was Deana like with Nikki when he was younger? He hasn't really told me anything. It's kind of like pulling teeth with him sometimes,"

"Deana was like a swing with Nikki. She'd say how much she loved her son but then leave him here or put him on a bus by himself. Nikki always wanted to be with her, but I think once he turned a certain age, Nikki could see the truth. So he didn't want to be around her,' Nona said.

"And what about his sister or 'half' like how Nikki always says?"

"Oh, she'd stay with Deana. We rarely had her stay with us like we did Nikki. But of course, if you ask Deana about any of this, she'll say that Tom and I convinced Nikki to be mean to her. All we did was just remind Nikki the door was always open when he wanted to getaway. I love that boy like he was my own son. He pretty much is our son,"

"I think it's amazing how much you both raised Nikki. I know it's made me realize how lucky I am to have my mom and dad,' Sammi said, smiling with sad eyes. Nona patted Sammi on the arm, leaving her cup in the sink right on time for Nikki and Tom to enter the kitchen. "Nikki, perfect timing. I was just about to take Sammi to the living room, and show her some of your baby photos," Sammi shot wide with a grin at Nikki, seeing his frown of embarrassment.

"Uh, I don't think Sammi wants to see any old photos of me," Nikki objected, sliding his arm behind Sammi's back, escorting her out of the kitchen. Sammi turned on her heels, stopping Nikki with a hand on his chest.

"Oh no, on the contrary, Sammi would love to see old photos of you," Sammi said, smiling at Nona. "Come on, a few photos of baby Nikki. Please?" Sammi asked with puppy dog eyes to Nikki.

Nikki huffed out. "Fine, but I'm showing them. Don't want you pulling the ones I hate out of thin air," Nikki told Nona, guiding Sammi out of the kitchen. Tom smiled at the two, kissing Nona on the cheek.

"Does she get the grandmother's approval?" asked Tom, starting to set up the dishwasher.

"I think she does. I can already see a difference in Nik," said Nona.

Nikki and Sammi walked into the cozy living room, freshly vacuumed carpet and Santa Claus statues placed randomly. Sammi sat down on a soft brown loveseat, taking off her heavy boots, glancing at the many framed photos scattered around. The fireplace began losing its flame, Nikki chucking in another log to keep the warmth going, shuffling the burning pieces with the fire iron.

"Oh my god, look at you!" Sammi exclaimed, seeing a yearbook photo right on the fire mantle. Nikki appeared around seven years old in the picture, giving a tiny smile to the camera in his best attire. His hair looked like it was ready for the military, a short blondish square buzz cut that showed Nikki's big forehead. Nikki withheld a groan, wanting to chuck the photo in the fire. "Aww, you're so cute! Nice hair cut by the way," Sammi teased, poking Nikki with her elbow.

"You can thank Tom for that. I hated when my hair looked like that, and it looked like that for years," walking down the mantle to show more photos of young Nikki (or Frank).

"But why? It looks adorable on you," Sammi said in a mocking tone, smiling at Nikki. Nikki pushed up his black hair away from his face, facing Sammi to show his bare forehead. Sammi's loud laugh escaped her lips, finding Nikki's embarrassment amusing to her. Nikki glared right at Sammi, cocking his head to one side. "Does this answer your question? I have a big ass head if you haven't already noticed," said Nikki. Sammi balanced on tippy-toes, kissing Nikki right in the middle of his forehead, then a kiss on the lips. Nikki blushed, dropping his hair, tickling Sammi's face.

"I like your big head. It adds character even though we all know you have plenty of that," Sammi said, stepping away to continue the galley of Nikki. Sammi could see Deana in some of them, looking like a normal mother with her parents by her side.

"Yeah yeah. Keep complimenting me, and maybe I'll upgrade your Christmas gifts," said Nikki, rolling up his sweater's sleeves. Sammi smirked and raised an eye, strolling her way right to Nikki, placing her chin on his chest.

"Well, I like your big head. And I love your big rough hands. And I especially love your big hard-"

"Nona! Tom!" Nikki shouted, hugging Sammi around her shoulders as he smiled at his grandparents like a little boy almost getting caught in mischief. Sammi hugged Nikki, trying not to turn crimson red from the thought Tom and Nona heard her, smiling at the two. "We were just talking about going sledding tomorrow,"

"Tomorrow is perfect for sledding. You can show Sammi the hill you and I would always go to when you were young," Tom said, relaxing on the floral velour recliner.

"That sounds like a great idea, but it's getting late and we need to tell you two about the room situation," Nona addressed, shifting her eyes Nikki and Sammi, pushing up her glasses. Nikki scrunched his eyebrows at Nona, Sammi staying silent. "Now you two aren't married and will be sleeping under our roof. So Nikki you'll be in your old room upstairs, and Sammi in our guest bedroom down here," Nona said, resting her hands on her hips.

"Oh come on, Nona. We aren't going to mess around, we're adults, not teenagers," Nikki objected, pursing his lips out.

"It's alright, Nikki. This is your grandparent's house and they have rules, so we have to follow them. That's just the way it is," Sammi reassured Nona, patting Nikki on the chest. Nikki scoffed, shrugging his shoulder as he let his arm fall from Sammi's frame.

"It's settled then. Sammi, come with me to the room. Nikki, be a gentleman and bring in Sammi's suitcases," Nona said, looping her arm around Sammis and pulling her into the hallway, smiling at Nikki. Nikki only huffed, looking at Tom raise his hands as if he was clueless, enjoying every second of the family.

*

The guest bedroom was small, reminding Sammi of her bedroom in her first apartment. The double bed was placed against the wall, a white iron bed frame that looked as old as the house. An oak armoire facing the door, where Sammi had her suitcase hidden away, stood in the corner. Sammi was already beginning to fall into a deep sleep, the moonlight cascading against her skin from the small window. A soft creak sound slowly made Sammi wake up, barely opening in her eyes. Then a male body jumped on the bed, hiding under the cover. Before Sammi could make a sound, Nikki covered her mouth, quietly laughing at her surprised face.

"What the fuck, Nikki?!" Sammi whispered, feeling Nikki wrap his arms around her waist.

"What? I got lonely up in my room. I missed having a warm body next to me. I haven't had one since Vegas," Nikki whispered, hiding his face in the nape of Sammi's neck, leaving tiny pecks.

"Nik, I don't want to get in trouble with your grandma. We're not married, remember?" Sammi reminded Nikki, bringing his face back to her line of vision.

"And whose fault is that huh? I did ask, remember?" Nikki asked, mocking Sammi's tone, kissing her on the lips. Sammi chuckled at Nikki, feeling her cheeks turn pink. "You have to admit it's fun sneaking in like this?"

"Whatever. You can stay, but make sure you wake up early to go back to your room," Sammi said, cuddling deeper into Nikki's chested, smelling his cologne on his long sleeve sleep shirt.

"Yes, dear," Nikki said, relaxing for some sleep.

December 25th, 1985

Christmas morning

"Okay, we got one last present under the tree! Who's the lucky winner?" Tom announced to the small group, all wearing their pajamas still. Nona in her recliner, while Nikki and Sammi sat on the floor by her. Everyone had been given an equal amount of gifts, five from each person with the added 'Nikki  and  Sammi' to Nona and Tom. Tom grabbed the small red metallic present, reading the name tag from arm's length. "To: Sammi, From: Nikki. Merry Christmas, Princess," Tom readout, shuffling through the torn gift wrapping, passing the box to Sammi. Sammi scowled quizzically at Nikki, ripping the pretty wrapping without a care of how lovely it looked. A thin black velvet box was revealed, making Sammi question more. Nikki only gave a smile, feeling prideful at what he got her. Once opening, Sammi gasped as she saw the necklace. A beautiful black heart pendant on a thin silver chain with tiny red rubies outlining the heart. The stone was custom made to be in the shape it was; Sammi carefully pulling out the necklace to hold for everyone to see. Nona was fast to recognize the stone, glancing at the necklace Nikki was wearing.

"That's cute. You two will be matching," Nona said, smiling proudly at Nikki.

"Do you like it?" Nikki asked, delicately taking the necklace from Sammi, clamping it around her neck.

"Yes! It's so pretty!" Sammi gleamed, kissing Nikki on the cheek and hugging him tightly.

"Now you'll also have powerful protection," Nikki said. "Merry Christmas,"

"Thank you," Sammi smiled, touching the necklace as she noticed Nona and Tom looking lovingly at the pair.

"Well if that's all for gifts, I'm going to start breakfast! Hope everyone is ready for pancakes!" Nona announced, carefully getting up from the recliner. Tom immediately helped at her side, taking hold of one arm. Nikki noticed the slowness of his grandmother but knew she wouldn't have admitted to anything.

"And don't worry Sammi, I'm helping out this time," Tom said as the old couple left to make breakfast.

"Are you loving Christmas so far?" Sammi asked Nikki.

"Yeah I can honestly say this has been the best Christmas I've had. I'm happy you're here to celebrate it with us," Nikki said, kissing Sammi on the lips and holding her hand.

"Of course. Maybe next year, Nona and Tom can come down to L.A for a 'warm' Christmas. Have them see your growing goth castle," Sammi suggested.

"I would love that," Nikki smiled, sighing out loud with contentedness, bringing Sammi into his chest as they watched the snowfall from the window. Everything felt perfect.  

[kc-anathema]

I’m so sorry I did another long post so soon...

So a long time ago, I received a flame on Spec Ops 98: Jazz's Interrogation at Soundwave's Pedes. I hadn’t received a flame in a long time, and I haven’t received one since (which is amazing, since this was on chapter 26 back in...dear heavens, 2015. This fic is officially an epic.)

In fact, I stopped reading the flame once I realized it was a flame, about four chunks in. 2015, five years ago, I was changing principals, changing schools, trying to figure out how to marry my Canadian then-fiance and figure out immigration. (Fun type--marry her in Vegas, wait a couple years, bring her over. Use a lawyer to make sure it’s all kosher.) So yeah, didn’t read.

And then a concerned reader mentioned to me that I didn’t deserve this awful flame and that they loved the story. And I thought...oh yeah, there was a flame on this. That was a couple months ago.

I finally decided to break the flame apart like I used to. This feels very nostalgic to me. I found out that this is really the flamer’s only claim to fame--they flame fics and troll writers. I’m not going to name them then, although you can find the easily on the ff.net review page for this fic.

My father once told me that, if anyone ever spraypainted slurs across my house...leave the slurs up. Don’t pay to remove them. Let the awful words stay up until everyone in the neighborhood is begging us to take them down again.

I think leaving the review there says more about her than me. And I’m going to enjoy clawing this apart, I think, like a cat scratching apart a lizard.

Flame begin:

We’ve got a problem if Soundwave is involved here and he’s not pulling his usual ‘Decepticons, Superior’ line. Add on a fic about perverts and we get this. Ah, well. What are you gonna do?

Remember the character Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, and how he said “Bazinga” all the time? That kind of went from a joke to an overused character crutch. Like ‘dynomite!’ or ‘did I do that’? Is it really good to rely on a character line to the point where we can call it ‘usual’?

“I’ll take my pleasure and that sweet aft” – Sounds like a cheesy commercial for Robot Chicken. Fireflight is locked up in a dungeon and is about to be whipped by a BDSM Starscream. That’s not at all OOC. Basically it’s a fanfiction that talks about fanfiction.

I...um. Yes. Yes, it’s an OOC line modeled directly after pulp fiction zines and tijuana bibles. I literally looked up several of those on the Internet Archives and various old men’s magazines covers. It’s not fanfiction directly, although it’s certainly what fanfic evolved out of.

Do these look subtle? Low key? Classy? Tasteful? It’s cheap trash and it’s fun as hell. I don’t think readers at the time thought that these were in any way true. This is right along the lines of drawn hentai. So I think the flamer admitted despite themself that I did good.

“We’re stuck here in the middle of a war...we don’t have time for sex” – That’s right. But that fact doesn’t apply does it?

...reading trashy, porny magazines is not sex. It’s actually something you do when you can’t get sex for whatever reason. I would know. A lot of us would know. Apparently not the flamer. No one thinks that “hey, I got a chick/dude willing to bang right now...but the new issue of Men’s World is out! Can’t miss that!” Unless you have some serious fetishes that your partner is too weirded out by, I think this does indeed apply.

Then Jazz gets captured and lo and behold, Soundwave is revealed to be the Christian Grey of the story. I hope he has some maid outfits for Jazz.

...our flamer hits the sludgy bottom of the joke well and grabs their shovel. They do not try very hard for originality in their insults. And, while Grey was a jerk, Fifty Shades wasn’t quite a prisoner of war scenario. No, that was a cheap romance for chicks. I’m writing more akin to men’s...oh.

The flamer is a chick.

Their only bdsm or bad romance experience is with Fifty Shades.

I don’t think they read much.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd we have a shower scene. Damn if it’ll be Carrie!

Iiiiiiiiiiiii did not write a shower scene?

Dudette, did you even do the reading you say you did?

There’s no point in adding moral ambiguity, especially in regards to Soundwave. He won’t be swayed easily, or at all, by Jazz’s speech. He’s cold hearted for a reason. He serves the Decepticon cause until the very bitter end. He’s a lot like Shockwave that way. Highly doubtful he would find meaning or even the relevance of writing pornographic fanfiction, but eh, this was never meant to be serious, was it?

...no. It’s a humor fic. The flamer is criticizing a humor fic for being humorous. Kudos for identifying the genre? I mean, the flamer is also complaining that I did not write Soundwave as a one-dimensional factionalist without examining what that means for him and how the mission creep has left the original political crusade behind. It’s not like I took pieces of Soundwave from Gen1, IDW, and the comics and blend them all together.

This reminds me of the fanboys in the TMNT fandom who keep pushing for every iteration to simply rehash their nostalgia boner for the original toon. I feel like I’m getting the Transformers version of wanting less of this:

because it isn’t the familiar characterizations of this:

“So what’s the down low?” – You, Jazz. You’re going to give the down-low to Soundwave. I can’t wait to read how shiny his robo-vagina is.

...wow. Classy there, flamer. Also I really don’t think they read anything. This whole fic is plug n’ play. There’s exchanging of cables, talk of code and positronic souls and sparks and revving engines. There isn’t a drop of sticky, spike, or fluids.

Chapter 15’s sex scenes bore me. Nothing is worse than having a guy ask to remove every bit of clothing. Just do it already! And why is Jazz a virgin? Come on!

Look--the thing about sex and fetish and whatever revs your engine is that it’s not going to rev everyone’s engine. You don’t like the type of interfacing here? Fine. I don’t like those kind of sex scenes in my porn either. But I wasn’t write that scene for porn. I wanted write warbuild Jazz dealing with violent subroutines while interfacing with Prowl. I had fun with it.

Why is Jazz a virgin? The previous 15 chapters discuss that.

I really don’t think the flamer read the fic.They scanned for anything remotely sexual, so I don’t think I’m going to take anything they say about this fic being ooc for perversion’s sake.

“Everyone here is damn pervy” – In which a character talks about the author.

“We gotta get Soundwave to finish writing his story” – Why? I mean, what’s the point? It’s not doing anything for them, unless it’s to show how castrated Soundwave is. I’ve seen him act better in Mary-Sue fics.

There is a whole plot about Starscream and Skyfire, and I thought I could trust the readers to be intelligent enough to make the leap with the parallels between Soundwave and Jazz.

This is literally the only review that questions why Jazz said that.

The Mary Sue shot just echoes the Fifty Shades swipe. I think this flamer did most of their flames roughly ten years ago--the insults are pretty dated.

The Decepticons don’t know about Ratchet? Why? I mean, he’s one of the oldest dudes there. He has a reputation. When you have a reputation, people know about you. It’s inevitable. I think your inner logic slips a lot.

At this point, I literally have 21 previous chapters of world building.

I am not surprised that the story’s logic was slipping away from one of us.

It’s funny to read the forum responses in the story. It’s like the author is trying to make fun of detractors yet ends up making fun of herself.

Okay, this part is hilarious for a reason only briefly noted in the fic. I think that the only things this can refer to are the comments from the chapter titled Flames of the M4gn1f1c3ntSkyPr1nc3--because those are literally the first flames/comments I put in the fic. And I didn’t write them!

My wife wrote them! I don’t write Starscream well but she just poured those out like water--she’s seen more of the hysterical side of fandom, particularly the earlier TF fandom, and I snipped out pieces for the fic.

So...I mean, we’re pretty happily married, so I don’t think she counts as a detractor. ^___^ Ultimately I started writing this fic for her.

“Your optics make me crazy” – Not at all a cliché.

Good thing I didn’t write that, then. Here is that little section in the Prowl/Jazz section. (Took me a bit to find it since I plugged that into the Find and couldn’t bring it up.)

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

I like what you do to me. Jazz allowed him in, tilting his helm. I never really understood it, y'know? How mechs could lower their guard so much. Let someone this close.

And now? Prowl drew back, wanting to see Jazz for the answer. With a quiet ping, he warned the other mech even as he raised his hand, touching Jazz's visor.

I still think you're crazy always going on about my optics, Jazz said, venting even as he disengaged the locks and let Prowl gently remove the blue polycarbon.

Your optics are perfection, Prowl corrected him. And you let me see them. Hundreds of mechs wondering what's under that visor, but I get to see.

Still shy about letting someone else see them, Jazz turned his head, only for Prowl to touch his cheek and turn him back, coaxing his optics to open with a soft brush of his thumb.

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

Not bad for an asexual, I think. I mean, it’s not like I have a ton of hands on experience, being kinda broken that way. But I have read plenty of pulp magazines and pulp radio shows!

This didn’t take long. I skimmed through this work, because there was so little content. Lots of ridiculous shit, though. Soundwave writes fanfiction, the Autobots are weirded out/turned on, capture Soundwave, Soundwave realizes that his whole life was a life and decides to defect. Yeah, about that. He wouldn’t do it lickety split, let alone EVER. Hell, the reactions in the forum bits show what some would think of this, if they weren’t too busy fapping.

The funny thing is I don’t think the mechs can even fap. I don’t write them doing that. But yes, flamer, I do believe that you skimmed through the work. Particularly since you’ve recounted it backwards...Soundwave captures Jazz as the capstone to a long internal conflict within himself, but rather than go through chapters of internal monologue and Decepticon politics, I started the story as close to the inciting action as possible, not quite in media res.

I won’t hash out why Soundwave defects. I mean, I spent 22 chapters at that point explaining it. But it’s my fault the flamer skimmed, I guess?

Needless to say: the romance bored me senseless. It was poorly written, and overall there’s really no skill attached to this. You don’t grip the audience and Jazz’s virgin mode made me roll my eyes. Reads like a first-time waifu manga.

Nah.

I’ve been writing way too long and am more than self-aware enough of my own failings that I’m also pretty self-aware of my own strengths, too. And no. It’s not poorly written. I definitely feel I could improve the first few chapters a bit, but that’s because I wrote those over five years ago and I’ve improved since then, too.

Empty insults. Maybe if the flamer had gone so far as to give a critique beyond a couple of misquoted lines and their own headcanons, I might have listened, but there’s literally nothing of substance here beyond a child tantrumming that I’m stupid and bad and should feel bad.

As for the other pairings, booooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring.

Usually I have a fun time setting these fics on fire, but this one bored me senseless. Yes, it was stupid, but the author’s attempt to authenticate it are just as sloppy as anything else.

“Authenticate”?

Is this person talking about using fandom tropes as my setting?

There are 22 chapters at the time, and now 51 chapters, building up this world and using roughly 20 years of fandom background to inform the fic.

Maybe if they hadn’t skimmed, they might have found something interesting. But considering that they skimmed over anything character related and stopped for the sex scene--I don’t think that says anything about my writing and more about their own proclivities.

They were trying to read one-handed. A plug n play fic. A long meta look at fandom in war in a humor fic. And they came here for the sexy times.

I don’t have to draw the conclusion here, do I? Well, for the flamer, probably. And then they’d glance at it for a second, call it sloppy, and say I showed nothing, and what I showed was boring, and that boring stuff was ooc anyway.

One thing I am thankful for is the fact that it is not long.

51 chapters later and I’m still not done.

Nothing’s worth remembering in this and I don’t need to tell you that these characters either act like simpering imbeciles, or are virginal waifus. All I’m missing is a senpai in the bed, some tissues, and some high quality lotion.

...why do they keep referencing gay human sex? I mean, I get it, they’re saying that it’s similar to yaoi fics, but.

This is anti-yaoi with its last hurrah, isn’t it? The late 90s, early 2000s, rising from its sludgy well to try to shame the easily cowed and intimidated, the young writers easily startled by long lines of text. No wonder the citations used are so...15 years ago. I mean, who was talking about Sues even 5 years ago. That criticism kind of faded a long while ago, even then.

I think the sad thing is, even the badly written Sue sex fics end up being more interesting than this. If Ebony Darkness D’Mentia Raven Way were to come along, I think this story would get better. What with her ‘I shot him a gazillion times’ lines.

...and there’s the cherry on the top. Third cheap shot firing blanks. Sue + Fifty Shades +...shit, I can’t even remember the title for that infamous fic. It’s that old.

...this fanfic flamer is old.

Like, don’t get me wrong. We’ve got fandom moms and grandmoms who cut their teeth on fandom print zines in the earliest conventions. They’re not “old” in the same way.

This person has lost any joy, humor, or playfulness that fanfic comes from. No one should go into fanfic expecting fine art. I mean, sure, it happens sometimes, but this is a playground of pulp, experimentation and just plain childish fun.

All in all, not worth remembering. It’s makes me tired to read it. It’s not even stupid enough to make me laugh. You’ll still get a fail rating for me, especially with the shitty version of Soundwave here.

Yes, fanfic flamer. You are indeed tired.

He should be on Big Brother. He’d be great making soy lattés and purees.

Big Brother in 2015 was in its 17th season. There were roughly around 6 million viewers at the time. The demographics for the tv viewing audience were graying even by the 2000s, and by 2015-18, it was significantly older.

Granted, it’s a very tenuous conclusion to draw, but combined with the old fandom references, the anti-yaoi vibes I’m getting, and the fanboyish desire to curate their own headcanon of a character to the point of insulting writers on the internet...

Flamer grew from being a reader to a bitter, old person angry and the whipper snappers for writing stupid, trashy crap that they criticize with broad, unspecific insults.Flamer is the stereotypical mean adult in any 90s cartoon or heavy metal rock video.

A little depressing. Poor flamer. I do hope they found more creative, engaging, and positive things to do.

Me? I just wanna rock.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk on pulp fiction and bitter cultural creators.

[samcedesvegas]

Morning in Vegas || Samcedes

Who: Sam Evans and Mercedes Jones

What: Sam and Mercedes go out on the town for some much needed fun

Where: Las Vegas, NV

Mercedes was having the strangest dream, she and Sam went out, got married, got drunk and had wild sex all night, when she heard a knocking on the door. Her eyes fluttered open as the knocking continued and she groaned not wanting to get up but knowing it wouldn't stop. She sighed sitting up feeling extremely hung over. She threw her robe on, not registering that she was naked under it and went to the door. "I'm coming...what?" She opened the door to see Nate standing there with a dozen roses.

"Merce please. Take me back, we are perfect for each other. I just needed time to find out who I am and I realize I am nothing without you."

The room was spinning in circles. Sam woke up with his blonde hair all over his head, a pounding headache, and pretty much no recollections of what he did last night. But by the stench of whiskey on his breath he knew it was fun.  He rolled over, only to find Mercedes Jones, his co-star, completely naked next to him. “Holy shit.” He cursed under his breath before silently congratulating himself. It was a guy thing. Not knowing how she might feel about everything, his plan was to quickly shower and leave her to rest. Walking back into the bedroom with nothing but a towel around his waist, his eyes widened at Nate standing in the doorway with a bouquet of roses. “I-I umm, I’m just gonna’ grab my clothes and go.” He stuttered awkwardly.

Mercedes felt her eyes widen as Sam walked into the room from the bathroom, and Nate saw red. He pushed past Mercedes looking at Sam. "What the fuck?!"

Mercedes closed her eyes trying to figure out what was going on herself. "Nate I need you to go "

"Me?! You made me wait a damn year before we even went past second base and here you are with him?"

"Nate please...right now I need you to turn the volume down and go. I don't know what happened between me and Sam but whatever it was, it stopped being your business a long time ago ."

Nate was about to run at Sam but Mercedes stopped in his path. "NATE! JUST GO!"

Once Nate finally agreed to leave Sam was relieved when Mercedes closed the door. He knew karate and Kung fu but he wasn’t sure how far that would take him with a dude twice his size and build. He breathed a sigh of relief as he went to gather his clothes. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to screw that up.” His country accent is a bit thicker than normal because of his nerves. Taking a seat on the bed he hid his face in his hands. Mostly trying to remember last night but also to soothe the headache that was pounding in his head. “What the hell did we do last night?”

Mercedes tightened her Robe and shook her head. "Nate shouldn't have come here. We are over, he needs to realize that." She ran her hands through her hair shaking her head. "I don't know...I remember the club and bits and pieces..." She was about to sit on her bed when her phone rang.

"Tina let me call you back."

"Sure thing I just have one question. WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!"

Sam could hear the shouting through the phone. He tried his best to remember everything that went on. He was sure of one thing though, they definitely had sex. Only reason to explain them both naked laying in bed together. He remembered the fountain but pretty much everything after that was a blur. He quickly dressed himself as he waited for Mercedes to finish her call.

"Please stop yelling! It's been a crazy morning already." She sighed. 

Tina continued. "Mercedes I took you on as a client because you were the responsible one. But this..."

"What are you talking about?"

"How about the fact that you and Sam got MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"We did what now?"

Whoever this Tina was, she was a very loud person. Loud enough for Sam to hear. "My mother is gonna' kill me" he whispered more so to himself. He went to grab the remote and turn on the tv and there they were on TMZ. A picture of them kissing at the chapel and even a scanned copy of the marriage license. Sam ran his hands though his messy blonde hair before giving Mercedes a what the fuck look.

Tina cleared her throat. "Get home immediately, do not answer any questions, do not say anything."

Mercedes closed her eyes trying to remember the night. Then her eyes open wide. "Tina I swear it was a Joke. We went there as Brooke and Ryder. I have the copy right here." She ran to the side table looking for the license and quickly grabbed it and saw it on the floor. She sat back on the bed staring at it as the phone fell to the ground. "Oh my God."

Tina could still be heard from Mercedes phone on the ground as she stood there looking at what Sam assumed was the same marriage license he'd just seen on the tv. He stepped over to Mercedes. tightening his towel  around his waist so it didn't slip. They definitely needed to talk about all of this.

Mercedes didn't say a word she just stared at the paper in front of her. She could have sworn she wrote out Brooklyn not Mercedes. Her eyes scanned to the groom's name seeing if Sam wrote Ryder but he didn't. "What the hell did we do..."

" Apparently we got married." he tucked his lips in before letting them go with a pop. Before he could say anything else he had an incoming call from the back pocket of his jeans. He retrieved his phone and answered it. "SAMUEL DWIGHT EVANS! I can not believe you did something like this! You're 25 with a budding career and lot's of young female fans. What possessed you to do such a thing? Oh my Barbara...how am I supposed to spin this huh?" Sam sighed out of frustration. "Rachel...relax. Look I'll come straight to you when I get back in town." she was still talking but he hung up on her mid sentence.

Mercedes shook her head. "I'm sorry I blacked out what?" She looked at Sam. "Tell me that this is a dream."

Sam was going to every blog site that he knew of and they were front page on almost all of them. She turned his phone around to face Mercedes. "I don't think so." he shook his head. "Looks like we really...got married."

"Oh Go- I am gonna be sick." She held her stomach fearing the worst. "Wait it's okay, we just...we just get it annulled. Yeah we were drunk and clearly out of our minds. Yeah we just get it annulled and it's like nothing ever happened. " she said talking to herself.

Sam nodded. "Wait what the heck is an annulment?" he genuinely asked as he went to retrieve his clothes from the bedside, returning to the bathroom to quickly get fully dressed.

Mercedes glanced up at Sam realizing that he was talking to her.  "Oh um it's kinda like a divorce but this was more of it being like it never happened. I am sure they can spin it as a prank we just have to get back home." She sighed. "I am sorry this happened Sam, I should have never let my guard down...."

"Ahhh I get it." he nodded now understanding the concept. There was no way they could stay married. They barely even knew each other and Mercedes was only kind of cool with him in the first place. "You have nothing to be sorry about, it was both of us letting loose. LA little too loose I guess." He closed his eyes taking a deep breath  and suddenly last night's activities began to flood his head. It was still blurry but clearly they'd consummated the marriage...a few times last night.

Mercedes sighed standing up and sitting right back down, her body finally feeling the effects of last night. Flashes of her and Sam, on the bed, the wall, in the shower. Her eyes opened wider as she glanced at Sam. "Oh my Lord did we have sex too?"

Sam nodded. "My back was pretty scratched up so I'm going with yes." Sam took a seat next to Mercedes and grabbed her hand in his. "Look we can forget about it if you want to. We'll go back home and get this thing annulled or whatever and go back to normal."

She looked at him, eyes blinking but not really retaining what he was saying. She sighed as he took her hand in his and nodded. The sooner they got rid of this problem the sooner. 

After packing and having help to sneak out of the hotel. They found themselves on the short plane ride home. Within an hour of leaving the hotel they were in the conference room of her Label. Waiting to hear from her management and his.  Waiting to hear how angry they were.

Sam was sort of going through the motions with all of this. He had about a hundred text messages...ninety-nine being from his mother. He didn't bother opening them though. He knew it was full of chastising texts asking how she was supposed to explain this to all of her friends. He sat nervously on the opposite end of his wife. It was weird to think they were actually legally married. He wanted to talk to her and get an idea of how she was feeling. Earlier she was mostly in shock and disbelief. Before he could part his lips Rachel came walking in in her best business attire.

Mercedes glanced up as Sam's manager walked in followed by Tina. Tina took a seat next to Mercedes and sighed. "So I know we both can agree that this was not what we all expected when you left for Vegas. And while we both feel this should have been avoided...still can't believe you of all people did that Merce, but I digress, the Label and Production Company has come up with a way to resolve this."

Sam was all ears because he himself had no idea of how to fix all of this. It had already hit every major blog site and news broadcast. If they admitted it was a drunk mistake they'd look incompetent but if they went along with it, they'd be judged just as harshly. "I'm not used to taking a backseat by any means but I'll let Tina explain everything we came up with." Rachel held out her hands giving Tina the floor

"Thank you." Tina said standing. She knew Mercedes would have some issues with their plan so she wanted space from her. "So the problem is that you two got married while drunk in Vegas."

"It was a joke! We were supposed to be in character." Mercedes argued.

"Maybe so. But if we annul it, you two may seem unreliable and flaky, you may even cost the movie some much needed good press. So we are a team that thinks the only way to save face is for you to remain married."

"Wait what?" Sam turned to Rachel with a confused look on his face. So they were going to force them to stay married for the sake of the movie? Sam was clear this wasn't what Mercedes wanted and he definitely was not ready to be anyone's husband. As Rachel chimed in Sam sort of zoned out watching Mercedes the entire time. He was doing his best to read her mind. "...we've already arranged a little press tour to solidify all of this. Ellen, Jimmy Fallon, and The View." Sam caught the tail end of Rachel's sentence.

Mercedes shook her head as she listened to what they had to say. "No. No it's not happening. I am sorry but you can not expect us to stay married." 

Tina sighed. "It's the mess you got yourself into. Mercedes you have worked your ass off for your career and do you really want one mistake to ruin it? This is the best choice and then after a year you guys can divorce."

"No...no. There has to be another way." Mercedes said softly.(edited)

Sam's ears perked up and he finally mustered up enough confidence to respond to Mercedes. "Maybe it won't be that bad...the movie will be out by then right?" he directed toward Tina and she nodded. "We can have one of those short lived Hollywood romances then eventually everyone will forget about it." Mercedes was clearly adamant and sticking to her guns and Sam couldn't blame her. But maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Am I living in the damn upside down!?!?!?!?!?!" She said standing and running her hands through her hair. "I don't have a choice do I?" She said looking around.

Rachel stood placing a calming hand on Mercedes' shoulder. "I am afraid not. But we will do our best to make this a comfort for you and Sam. You'll honestly thank us in the end. Both of your careers are going to skyrocket because of this. Trust me."(edited)

"My career? DO you think I give a damn about that? I  am more concerned with my family! If my dad doesn't kill Sam, my brother will." She placed her hands on her head. "It's why I haven't even turned my phone back on."

Sam's head shot up at the mention of him being killed. He hadn't even thought about her family. He gulped nervously, running his hands through thick blonde strands of hair. "...killed? Rachel...I didn't sign up to be killed." He'd already had a taste of Mercedes' ex boyfriend this morning. He wasn't sure he could take too much more of the other men in her life.

Tina laughed. "She doesn't really mean to kill. They will just scare you." 

Mercedes sighed looking at Tina. "Is this really the only choice we have?"

Tina nodded and Mercedes looked at Sam and sighed.

"I'm not that bad, I promise." Sam always tried to make jokes that lightened the mood. Even if no one else was in the joking mood. He still wanted to get Mercedes alone so they could talk about this together. After all, they would be the ones who would have to put up this facade. And if they were going to this they both needed to be as comfortable as possible...if that was even possible.

Mercedes sat back shaking her head. This was ridiculous. 

"Tina looked at her. "So now that we are on the same page, what are you all thinking." 

Mercedes didn't say a word, she just sat there thinking about her family and her future.

Sam knew his family would have their opinions...he was too young, his career was just not taking off, blah blah blah. But he didn't care. He stopped caring about what they thought a long time ago. "Well on top of the press run, we'll have you guys go on a series of date nights, something the media can eat up. Then a People Magazine shoot, because people love newlyweds." Rachel was salivating with excitement.

Mercedes listens but has nothing to say. This was all too much. She heard Tina ask if she was listening and she nodded. "Huh? Uh yeah of course. If this is what you think is best then lets do it."

[omgjasminesimone]

Tequila Sunrise Epilogue

Previous Part: Part IV

Bonus Part: Soap Box Derby

Logan x MC

Author’s Note: Couldn’t stop myself from writing an epilogue. I just can’t let go of Ride or Die. And we all know Logan would do the most as a Dad. Like, just completely over the top.

Summary: Logan and Ellie have a baby.

Word Count:  1900

“Un pez” Logan turns the page,  “dos peces…”, turns another, “pez rojo….pez azul…..”

Ellie rolls her eyes and tries to tune him out,  grabbing the remote from the nightstand and turning up the volume on the Real Housewives of Orange County. She shifts a little, trying to find a comfortable position in bed. Logan continues to read the Spanish children’s book quietly to her full-term baby bump as she turns onto her side. He hopes this early exposure will make their son bilingual.

Logan has really taken to this whole fatherhood thing. He’s read every parenting book available from the LA library system, refusing to buy the books since he’s also really into saving money for the college fund he’s already started for their son. He cooks for her daily, making sure she gets all the nutrients necessary for the baby. He won’t let her have caffeine, since he read somewhere it’s bad for the baby. She thinks this is overkill, and drinks caffeine at her dad’s house while Logan is at work.

After taking the plea deal and arriving in Los Angeles three months ago. it had been difficult for Logan to get a job. Disclosing his felon status on job applications resulted in almost no calls for interviews. He settled for construction work at first so they wouldn’t be completely dependent on their savings, but Logan knew he needed something with health insurance benefits for his very pregnant wife. A month ago, he had finally landed a full-time position as a used car salesman. He works for commission, but the job comes with health insurance. And with his charm and knowledge about cars, he’s doing very well commission wise.

Now with more time on his hands without having to job search, he’s thrown himself even more so into the baby. And honestly, it’s starting to get on Ellie’s nerves. She especially hates when he reads to her stomach. Ellie loathes being pregnant. She constantly feels sick, she has to pee all the time, and she despises how every time she goes anywhere everyone wants to rub her belly. She feels like an incubator. Sometimes, Ellie just wants to be alone. But Logan is constantly all over her, well not her really, all over the baby which just so happens to be inside of her. She can’t help but think all the attention he lavishes on the baby is part of the reason he refuses to come out. She’s two weeks past her due date and she wants this baby out more than she’s ever wanted anything.

She’s hormonal and irritated, and that makes her want to snap at Logan when he’s being annoying, like right now. She takes a deep breath, reining in her irritation and reminding herself where all this is coming from with Logan. He had a really shitty childhood. Mom in jail, unknown father, bouncing from foster home to foster home before he ran away at twelve. Forced to turn to crime just to get by. His life was the opposite of the kind of perfect he’s trying to build for their child. No one would have even thought to read to him while he was in his mother’s belly. No one loved him, wanted him, like he loves and wants this child.

“…en cualquier lugar.” Logan finishes the story, kissing her bump after setting the book aside. His stubble tickles, but she stops herself from complaining. “Te quiero.” He promises, kissing her belly again. He reaches for the pregnancy belly headphones, one of his only financial splurges over the last couple of months, turning on classical music and placing them on.

“And you…” He scoots up to the bed until they are face to face. “Te quiero.” A kiss to her neck. “Te adoro.” A kiss to her forehead. “Te amo.” He captures her lips, deepening the kiss after a moment and tugging at her sleep shorts.

She pulls away, rolling onto her back. “I don’t understand how you could possibly want to have sex with me right now. I look like a beached whale.”

“I think you’re glowing. You’re so beautiful Ellie.” Logan insists.

Ellie rolls her eyes. “Liar.”

“Hey.” He grips her hand, gently tugging her back onto her side so they’re facing each other. “I told you in that underground casino, no more lies.”

Ellie smiles, kissing him softly before pulling away again. “Sorry, I know it’s been a while…but I’m just not in the mood. I’m so ready to not be pregnant.”

“No worries, I can wait. But sex can induce labor, you know.”

Ellie contemplates that. She’s tried basically everything else at this point. Spicy food, exercising, acupuncture, the list goes on. “Well, trying can’t hurt.” She admits. Logan grins, slipping a hand into her panties.

“You’re so wet babe.” Logan observes. His brow furrows. “Like….really wet.”

Ellie sits up, shifting over in bed. A dark puddle is revealed where she had been lying. “I think my water broke.” She sounds calmer than she feels.

Logan immediately springs into action, leaping from the bed and changing from his pajamas into jeans and a t-shirt.  “Okay, time to follow our birth plan. Babe, where’s the birth plan? I gave you the binder, right?”

He had written up a 100-page document, even going as far as laminating the pages. Ellie had promised to read it, but had accidentally left it at Riya’s house 2 months ago and forgot to pick it back up. She had wanted to show Riya how out of control Logan was, but her best friend just thought it was cute.

“Oh that, I think I left that at Riya’s.” She confesses.

Logan frowns, “You read it though, right?” Her guilty look must answer his question, because he looks very disappointed. “That’s fine.” He mutters, going to the closet for the hospital bag he packed a month ago.

“Logan.” Ellie calls after him.

He returns with the bag. “What?”

She takes his face in her hands, stretching up on her tip toes to kiss him. “Calm down. Everything is going to be fine.” She assures when she pulls away.

Logan pulls her into a soft hug, kissing the top of her head. “Let’s go have a baby.”

…

..

.

“Logan, you’re driving so slow.” Ellie complains, sitting in the backseat with their newborn. She gently traces a finger over Gage’s soft cheek as the baby continues to slumber peacefully in his car seat. Logan had spent a full hour strapping him in before being convinced that the straps were comfortable, but tight enough.

“These maniacs are driving way too fast. I’m in the slow lane.” Logan counters, ignoring the car honking behind them.

“You’re going 30 miles per hour. On the freeway. I think it’s actually illegal to drive this slow. You’re disrupting the flow of traffic.” Ellie explains. This is quite the 180 degree change from how he drove her to the hospital, dangerously weaving through traffic at speeds averaging 90 miles per hour in his familiar Devore GT.

Logan speeds up to 50 miles per hour. “Happy?” He asks.

Ellie smiles at Gage as he gurgles. “Very.”

Eventually, they pull up to their apartment complex. Ellie spots her dad’s car in the parking lot. He had met them at the hospital, excited to witness his baby having a baby. Detective Wheeler insists on staying with them for the first week of Gage’s life, helping the helpless first-time parents. Logan isn’t thrilled about it. The relationship between the two is still awkward, with too much bad history. They tolerate each other for Ellie’s sake, and now for Gage’s sake too.

The Wheelers (Logan took Ellie’s last name when they eloped in Las Vegas three months ago. It’s untraditional, but his own last name didn’t mean much to him. This feels like a fresh start. Like a new family, a real family. Plus, Detective Wheeler seems to be happy that the baby will carry on the Wheeler name and Logan needs every point he can get with his father-in-law.) enter their apartment for the first time as a family of three.

“Dad?” Ellie calls out, knowing her dad knows where the spare key is hidden and likely let himself in. He appears from the kitchen, tossing an apron off as he immediately reaches for his grandson. Logan hands their son over, and Detective Wheeler beams as he coos at the small bundle of joy. Ellie smiles at the sight, her heart so full of joy. She turns to kiss her husband, but Logan turns his head, causing her kiss to land on his cheek. She frowns. He’s always super weird about being affectionate with her in front of her dad. Maybe it’s because the last time Detective Wheeler saw them kissing, he pulled a gun on Logan.

“I made the Ellie special honey. I figured you might be hungry for real food after all those hours of labor.”

Ellie’s mouth immediately begins watering, rushing into the kitchen for the waffles she craves. That leaves the Wheeler men, all three of them now, alone.

Logan shifts uncomfortably, itching to follow Ellie out of the room. “He looks like you.” Detective Wheeler comments, examining his grandson before looking at his son-in-law.

“Really? I see Ellie.” Logan replies, looking at Gage’s features.

“He’s got Ellie’s eyes, but the rest of him is all you.” Detective Wheeler insists. There’s a moment of silence before Detective Wheeler continues. “You know Logan, you’ve proven me wrong.”

“Huh?” Logan asks.

“When Ellie told me that she was pregnant, and that you were the father, I told her she’d be better off without you. That you couldn’t take care of her, or the baby. That a criminal can’t really go straight. That it would never work.” Detective Wheeler had been looking at Gage, but now he looks at Logan. “But you’ve got a good, legitimate job. You were so attentive during the pregnancy. I can tell how much you love my daughter, and now my grandson. You’re a good man Logan, and I’m proud to call you my son-in-law.”

Logan stands, stunned. Completely unused to any type of paternal praise. He clears his throat, and when he finally speaks it is full of emotion. “Thank you. I hope to never let you down, to never let Ellie or Gage down.”

Detective Wheeler smirks. “You won’t.” He pauses for a second before continuing, bouncing his grandson lightly in his arms.  “But if you ever do, you’ll have a lot harder time hiding from me than you did from the FBI.”  

…

..

.

Gage’s crying comes through the baby monitor, waking Ellie from the light slumber she has just managed to fall into. She groans. She feels like she has gotten maybe 5 hours of sleep in the two weeks since Gage was born. She nudges Logan roughly. “It’s your turn.” She informs him.

Logan groans, slowly forcing himself out of bed. He sleepily searches for his slippers, dragging his feet down the hall to the nursery.

The crying quiets, and Ellie can hear Logan speaking quietly to their son through the baby monitor.

“I didn’t know I could love somebody this much…this fatherly love is really something else. It makes Mommy’s dad pulling a gun on me make so much sense.” Ellie chuckles a little at that, starting to drift back to sleep. “Makes me wonder how any parent could let their kid go into the foster care system.” Logan pauses, as if composing his thoughts. “I wouldn’t give you up for anything Gage. I’ll always be here for you. And for your mother. I promise.”

…

..

.

Taglist: @choicesarehard @ifyouseekheart @brightpinkpeppercorn @powdesiree0816 @regina-and-happiness @choicelogansbitch @flyawayboo @fairydustandsarcasm @alesana45 @umiumichan @maxwellsquidsuit @professorortegasstudent @god-save-the-keen @mrsmckenziesworld @paisleylovergirl @iplaydrake @sinclaire-made-me-sin @sibella-plays-choices @hazah