#whole family sat out in the yard for a while to see what was up

[loveesiren]

Baby Daddy (Pt. 2)

Rafe Cameron x Reader

A/n: Here's part two! Let me know if you guys want more to this story :)

Warnings: Birth, emergency c-section, language, fluff

Word Count: 1.7k+

You leaned your head on Rafe's shoulder, his hand rubbing your swollen belly as you were handed yet another gift.

You were grateful for this baby shower that Rose had put together but you couldn't help the fact that you were absolutely exhausted.

You were in no way prepared for how much pregnancy took a toll on your body. Especially in the third trimester.

You held the tiny pink blanket up. The soft fabric was lined with silk and it was absolutely adorable.

"And when you finally tell us her name, we'll get it stitched on there. Along with her birthday." Sarah said with a smile as her and John B watched you examine their gift.

"It's perfect," You say. "And her name will be revealed once she's born." You chuckle.

"I can't believe you're making us wait," John B whines, rolling his eyes.

"She's gonna be here any day now," Rafe smiled, looking down at you. "And this has been great but Y/N really needs to get some rest."

"But there is still more presents!" Rose whines.

"And she will open them later," Rafe scolds. "She's exhausted."

You were practically falling asleep in Rafe's arms.

"Alright, fine," Rose says as she stands up. "For anyone who would like to continue celebrating, join me in the back yard!"

John B and Sarah stay behind, cleaning up the mess of wrapping paper that littered the living room.

"I'm going to take her up to bed," Rafe said as he stood up and pulled you off the couch.

"Rafe, no, too fat." You grumbled as you felt him try to lift you. "I can do it."

"Baby-"

"I can do it!"

John B and Sarah laugh as you fall back on the couch, obviously too tired to move.

Rafe sighs before bending over and scooping you into his arms.

"Rafe, no-"

"Shhhh," He says, picking you up effortlessly. "Uhm, do you guys need me to-"

"Go," Sarah says with a smile. "We got it."

Rafe offers a small smile before carrying you upstairs to the room the two of you shared. Rose had turned the guest room next to Rafe's room into a nursery. The two rooms sat in a part of the house that was mostly cut off from the rest. It was the perfect little corner for the two of you and your baby while you saved up for your own place.

Rafe laid you down on the bed and pulled the covers over the two of you as he crawled in next to you and cradled your belly. "Get some rest, Mama." He said, placing a kiss on your temple.

"Rafe..." You whispered.

"Yes?"

You could feel his fingers trail over your skin. The way he cared for you and was so gentle and excited for your baby, you couldn't wait anymore. You had to tell him.

"I love you." You say as you look up to meet his eyes.

His breath caught in his throat as he registered your words. "W-what?"

You giggled. "I love you, Rafe. You're amazing. And you're going to be an amazing dad. I know we've been doing this whole pregnancy thing in kind of a weird way but I'd kind of like to be a real a fami-"

Rafe pressed his lips to yours, caressing your cheek as he deepened the kiss. "I've been in love with you for so long," He admitted against your lips. "I want all of this. I want us. I want our baby. I want to be a family."

You smiled at his response. He'd changed so much since you found out you were pregnant. He quit coke. He worked hard. He was constantly at your side making sure you had everything you needed. You practically had to pull him off you so you could go check on John B.

You could see his eyes swelling with tears. "What's wrong, baby?" You asked as you cupped his cheek.

"Nothing," He shook his head as a tear fell from his eye. "I just have my dream girl and I get to meet my fucking daughter soon. My life is perfect."

You couldn't help but tear up at his words. You ran your fingers through his hair as he rested his head on your shoulder. It wasn't long before the two of you drifted off to sleep.

———-

"AHHHHH!" You screamed as you shot up in bed. "Oh my fucking God!"

"What is it baby?!" Rafe asked eagerly as he quickly flipped on the lamp.

"It fucking hurts!" You spit. "Rafe...Rafe I think I'm contracting." You're barely able to get the words out.

"Oh, fuck. Okay!" He yells as he hops out of bed. He opens the door and yells into the hallway. "Dad! Rose!"

"Fuck, FUCK!" You scream.

"Okay, hold on baby, I have your bag." Rafe runs to his closet and pulls out the bag he had packed for you for when the time finally came. "Rose!" He screams again.

"I'm coming! What is it?" She says as her and Ward enter the room. "Oh, okay!"

Rose is by your side instantly, helping you off the bed.

"Ah! I can't-" You say as you fall to the floor. "I can't walk, it hurts so much."

"I got you baby," Rafe says, once again scooping you into his arms with minimal effort.

"Ward, start the car!" Rose commands as she grabs your bag and you all head downstairs.

Rafe climbs into the back seat with you. You dig your nails into his arm as another contraction invades your body.

"It's okay, sweet girl." Rafe says as he presses his lips to your forehead. "Just breathe with me, okay?" He holds your swollen belly up, relieving some of the pressure so you're able to catch your breath.

You can feel the car speeding to the hospital. You can hear Ward and Rose arguing in the front seat. You can feel Rafe wrapped around you, whispering sweetly into your ear. But you couldn't help the black haze that was washing over your vision as you lost consciousness.

"Hey, hey!" Rafe said as he lightly tapped your cheek. "Y/N, baby, stay with me!"

"We're almost there!" Ward says.

"She's unconscious!" Rafe screams.

_____________

Your eyes fluttered open. It was almost painful to keep your eyelids up.

Large windows lined the room, letting in the sunrise. Purple skies as the sun made it's way into view.

You felt so confused. You placed a hand on your belly. No bump. You instantly shot up, panicking at your missing baby bump you had grown so used to.

"Rafe!" You screamed.

"Hey, hey!" Rafe said as he came out of the bathroom, bouncing a tiny human in his arms. "Calm down baby, I'm here. We're here." He smiles as he sits on the bed next to you.

"Is that...is that my daughter?" You ask, taking in her tiny features. She had Rafe's eyes and your lips. A perfect mix of the two of you.

Rafe smiles, moving to place her in your arms. "You did so good, mama."

You hold her gently, tears filling your eyes as she instantly looked for your nipple. You happily fed her, gushing over the fact she knew you were her mother.

"I-I don't even remember."

"It was complicated," Rafe begins, rubbing one hand over your leg and one over her tiny head. "Emergency c-section. Thought I was gonna lose you. But you were so strong."

You couldn't help but cry. A tear falling on your child's cheek but Rafe brushed it away.

"She's been so fussy until now. She doesn't like the bottle." Rafe chuckles.

"How long have a been out?"

"Two days,"

You shudder, realizing you missed the first two days of your child's life.

Rafe pulls himself up to sit behind you. You lean back against his chest as you continue to feed your child. He runs his fingers up and down your arms and places kisses on your temples.

"I love you so much," He whispers.

"I love you too," You said as you felt yourself drift back to sleep. Rafe brought his arms around you to help hold your baby as she finished nursing.

When you woke up again the sun was setting. Rafe was draped over you, snoring softly. Your daughter in a bassinet beside you, sleeping peacefully.

You heard a knock at the door. Rafe shot up, rubbing his eyes as he tried to process what was going on.

"Hmmm, okay." He said, half asleep as he stumbled towards the door.

You felt bad. You knew he'd been doing all of this on his own while you were out. He needed sleep.

"Hey," Rafe said as your family members piled in. You were grateful for the large room.

Rose and Wheezie carried flowers and gifts, placing them on the dresser by the window. Ward followed behind them.

John B and Sarah came in after them with balloons, setting them to the side as they quickly ran to see your baby.

"Jesus," Rafe grumbled as he laid back down beside you. "M' sorry baby. They wouldn't let anyone but me in until today."

You pet his hair and place a kiss on his head as he rests against your shoulder. "It's okay, babe."

You were wide awake now. Rafe tried his best to sit up and interact but you could tell he wasn't going to last long.

John B held your baby as everyone else crowded around him. She was smiling up at him and it made your heart melt.

"So," Sarah asked. "What's her name?"

You turned to Rafe and smiled. He smiled and rubbed his eyes. "Her name is Juliette Lilith Cameron." He announced.

All the girls gushed over the name. John B smiled down at his niece, bouncing her happily.

Ward came around the side of the bed and placed a hand on Rafe's shoulder. "Congratulations, son. You're going to be a great father."

Rafe smiles at his dads words. "Thanks, dad." He gushes. You can't help but tear up. You knew how much Rafe wanted his dad to be proud of him.

After everyone had a turn holding Juliette, Rafe finally ushered them all out, claiming you and baby needed your rest. But in all honesty, you and Juliette were fine. Rafe was the one that needed a break.

After you nursed Juliette and laid her down to sleep, you and Rafe snuggled in your hospital bed, eating mediocre hospital food and watching Family Feud.

"Can I get you anything, baby?" Rafe mumbled against your shoulder, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"Get some sleep, my love." You whisper, placing a kiss on his head.

"Gotta take care of my girls first," He mumbles.

"We're good," You promise him. "We need you to be well rested."

Rafe hums into your skin, wrapping his arm tighter around you but not tight enough to hurt you since you were still healing.

"Love my girls," Was the last thing he said before he drifted off to sleep.

Tags: @torturedtypewritersdept @bigenergy777 @outerbankspov @purplerose291 @shayofandoms @mirellef2001

[whoisshel]

Moving Day

bob floyd x fem!reader

When Bob told you about permanently moving to North Island, you were reluctant. For the last few years, you lived with Bob in Lemoore, you were settled there, had a life there. You and Bob even talked about starting a family there. Now that the Dagger Squad was offered a long-term position at Top Gun, you had to leave home.

This was an opportunity Bob couldn’t pass up, and you knew that but it was still hard to up and move your whole life. This wasn’t the first time you’ve had to move because of Bob’s job, this one was just the hardest. At the other bases, you never stayed long enough to settle. In Lemoore, you made friends, joined a book club and a hiking club, it’s even where you adopted Lucky, your Australian Cattle Dog. Leaving meant leaving behind the many wonderful memories you made together. Maybe this was just your stubbornness but you didn’t want to have to make new memories,

The one thing keeping you hopeful about this move was that you didn’t have to live on base anymore which is what Bob keeps reminding you on the drive to your new house as you pout, looking out the window.

“Come on, please stop pouting,” Bob begged, stretching his hand across the console to rest on your thigh, “I promise the house will make up for this.”

“Why couldn’t we get this nice house back in Lemoore.” You sassed, crossing your arms, continuing to look away from Bob.

Bob took his hand back, becoming quieter, “Because this is a better job for me.”

Realizing you’re being a little rude, you uncross your arms, turning to look at Bob and grab his hand, “I know, I’m sorry it’s just so hard to leave everyone behind.”

“I know,” Bob squeezed your hand, “It’s hard for me too, but we’ll make so many great memories here. We’ll also have a big enough backyard for Lucky to run around and for you to have the garden you always wanted.”

“That does sound nice.”

“And you’ll get to meet everyone. You and Phoenix will get along great…Hangman not so much.”

“No, I’ve been training Lucky new attacks” Turning to look at the back seat where Lucky was lying, “Isn’t that right Lucky, we don’t let people bully Dad, do we?”

Lucky sat up a bit to let out a single bark in agreement.

“While I appreciate that, let's not injure my co-workers.”

“Fine” You pouted, turning back to face the front and crossing your arms.

Bob gave your thigh a light squeeze, smiling at your goofiness. In return, you grab Bob’s hand giving him a similar smile before looking out the window.

After a short nap, you wake up to Bob lightly shaking your leg.

“We’re here.” He whispered, excitement clear on his face from his bright eyes to the wide smile stretching across his cheek.

As Bob gets out of the car to let Lucky out, you take your time to look at your new house. The house is a cute, one-floor white Stucco-style house with a gate wrapping around the back. While it’s a small house, it’s perfect for your small family.

“Ready to see the inside?” Bob asked, stretching his hand out for you to grab.

Holding onto his hand, with Lucky’s leash in your other, the two of you walked up the short sidewalk to the front door. Bob unlocks the door, holding it open to let you walk in first. Stepping in, you take in the light wood floors, white walls, and open concept with a slight wall between the kitchen and what would become your living room, the room you’re currently standing in. Walking forward to look at the kitchen, you see a sliding door to the backyard. Opening the door, you let Lucky off the leash to let him run around the enclosed yard.

“What do you think so far?” Bob came up behind you watching Lucky run around.

Facing Bob, you gave him a bright smile, “It’s perfect, sorry for doubting you.”

“That’s okay, I know picking a house without telling you was a big decision, but I wanted to pick the best house if you were going to move here for me.”

“Well you did a great job.” You wrapped your arms around his giving him a kiss, Bob pulled you in closer by your waist. “I love it.”

“Wait until you see the bedrooms.”

Shocked, you pulled back slightly, keeping your arms around his neck, “Bedrooms?”

Taking you down the hall, Bob shows you the master bedroom and then a small bedroom across the hall. You stood in the doorway in awe that Bob thought to get a house with two rooms. In Lemoore, you had talked about starting a family, but with the move, you thought those plans would be put on hold.

“I thought this would be a nice room for a kid, our kid.” Bob said, standing a little behind you, “I know I’ve said this before, but I really feel like this is it, I’m done being moved around. And this house will be a great place to start a family, I mean Lucky loves the backyard. Once our family outgrows this house then we can look for something bigger. Or if you really don’t like it here, we can look somewhere else.”

To stop Bob from continuing his rambling, you kiss him abruptly, causing him to hum into the kiss.

Pulling back, you look deeply into Bob’s eyes to make sure he gets your point, “Bob like I’ve said, this house is perfect.”

“I’m glad you think so, I really like it too.”

“And I love having a backyard for Lucky.”

“I also thought you’d love to start the garden you always talk about.”

Giving Bob a short kiss of appreciation, “It'll also be nice for our future kid to have a place to play outside.”

“It would be, wouldn’t it?” Bob stared down at you with stars in his eyes.

“I love you.” You said, giving Bob another kiss.

“I love you too.” Bob replied in between kisses.

[a-simple-gaywitch]

The Boy Next Door

Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary: (Y/N) (L/N) and Spencer Reid have been best friends nearly all their lives. Everyone in their lives can see how head-over-heels in love with each other they are. The only ones that can’t? Themselves.

Warnings: minor miscommunication

Word Count: 2307

Author’s Note: my first fic finished in FOREVER! I’m actually pretty happy with this one

“There’s something about childhood friends that you just can’t replace.” - actress Lisa Whelchel

~

“Hey, Pretty Boy. Want to come grab dinner with us tonight?” Morgan asked as the team started gathering their belongings to leave for the day. 

“Sorry, can’t,” Spencer said, hurriedly gathering his stuff and shoving it haphazardly in his satchel. “Gotta pick up a friend from the airport.” The team didn’t miss the sparkle in his eyes nor the wide smile as he rushed from the bullpen.

“You think he’ll ever introduce us to this friend?” Emily asked, sidling up beside Derek. 

“Who knows,” he sighed. “You know he’s a private person. He didn’t even tell us about his mom until he had no other choice.”

~

Spencer stood at the baggage claim, his head on a swivel. To say he was beyond excited was an understatement. He was practically bouncing in place as he scanned the crowd of people coming over to collect their belongings. 

Thankfully, he didn’t need to wait for very long. 

“Spencer!”

He spun around quickly to see (Y/N) (L/N), his best friend in the entire world, running over to him. He scooped you up in a hug, spinning you around as you squealed happily.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Spencer said, setting you down. 

“I know! It’s usually the other way around, isn’t it?” you said, taking Spencer’s hand and leading him over to the carousel of luggage. “I feel like it’s always you coming to see me.”

“And you’re here for a whole week,” Spencer said, giving your hand a squeeze. 

You smiled and leaned into his side. “Oh, my god, you’ll never guess what happened on the flight!”

~

You and Spencer grew up next door to each other. Your family had moved to Nevada when you were about 5 years old, into a house next to the Reids. 

You’d always been outgoing and extroverted, so you took it upon yourself to introduce yourself to the boy with the big glasses in the next yard over while your father was building a swing set. 

“Hi! I’m (Y/N)!” you’d said, leaning over the fence. The boy with the glasses was sitting in the grass, a large book propped up against his legs. “What’s your name?”

“Oh, uh, I-I’m Spencer,” he’d told you. 

You hiked yourself up over the fence and sat down next to him in the grass. “Hi, Spencer. What book is that?”

From that moment on, you and Spencer were near inseparable. Your mother joked that you were each other’s missing pieces. Where you were extroverted, Spencer was introverted. Where you had an interest in all things science and mathematics, Spencer had a love for the classics. 

After William left, your family stepped in to help Diana wherever possible. At least once a week, your mom would bring dinner over. If Spencer just needed to get out, he knew where the spare key was hidden. Your parents would drive Spencer to and from school, especially after the incident on the soccer field. 

When Spencer went off to college, your parents promised to keep an eye on Diana for him, as her condition was getting worse. In exchange, Spencer had to come home for dinner every other week. It wasn’t a hard bargain to keep. Spencer missed you while he was at school, and your parents genuinely worried for Diana. On her good days, she and your mom were close, sharing coffee and discussing novels and poetry together. 

Even when Spencer couldn’t come home to visit, he’d still spend hours on the phone with you. Your father would joke that the two of you were running up his phone bill and tying up the line, but you both knew he wasn’t seriously annoyed. 

Everyone in your lives were shocked you’d never dated. You’d both always claimed you were just best friends.

~

Spencer walked into the bullpen with a spring in his step. Rather than spending money on a hotel, you were staying in Spencer’s spare room while you were in town. Spencer had offered to take the week off, but you’d rejected the offer, knowing how important his job was. Besides, you were at a conference for your work most of the day. 

“Just as long as you don’t get hauled halfway across the country,” you’d joked. 

Spencer flopped onto his desk chair, a smile across his face. 

“Hey, Reid,” Emily said as she came in, setting her stuff at her own desk. 

“Hi, Emily,” he said, smiling down at the text you’d just sent him. 

(Y/N): SOMEONE BROUGHT THEIR DOG ON THE TRAIN!!!! 

(Y/N): IT WAS A BIG DOG STUFFED IN AN IKEA BAG!!!

“So, how long is your friend in town?” she asked. 

“The week,” Spencer told him as you sent him a picture of said dog. “She has a conference at the Kennedy Center.”

“You know,” Emily started, “you should invite her to join us for Happy Hour. Let us get to know her a bit.”

“I don’t know…”

“Aw, come on Reid! Why won’t you introduce us?”

“We talking about this Mystery Woman?” Morgan asked, coming over to the two adjoining desks. 

“Yeah. Reid’s refusing to introduce her to us.”

“Aw, come on, Kid. Are we really that bad?” Morgan said, leaning on his desk. 

Spencer sighed and rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to let up on this, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, grabbing his phone. 

Spencer: Hey, do you want to go out with my coworkers tonight? Our regular bar is having trivia night.

(Y/N): Sure, sounds fun!

Spencer let out a long sigh. “We’ll be there.”

~

“So, (Y/N),” Garcia said, sipping on her fruity drink, “Spencer said you’re in town for a work conference?”

“Oh, yeah,” you said. “I’m a neuropsychology researcher. My team’s most recent study got selected for a national conference, and they chose me as the spokesperson.” 

“Interesting. What’s the study?”

“We were looking at how psychological trauma impacts the physical structure of the brain.”

Spencer looked at you and how your face lit up as you told his team about your research. He was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard Prentiss speak up. 

“I guess it’s lucky you got chosen to speak about it then.”

“Oh, it’s not lucky,” you laughed. “I’m the only person involved in the study who isn’t a crippling introvert. I volunteered for it and they basically threw the money for accommodations at me in gratitude.” You leaned into Spencer’s side and sipped on the single drink you’d ordered. 

“So, work keeps you pretty busy, then?” Morgan asked. “I mean, Spencer’s been talking about you forever and this is the first time we’re meeting you.”

“Well, I do tend to be pretty busy. Usually Spence comes home to see us, not the other way around.”

“So, you still live out in Nevada, then?” JJ asked. 

“No, I actually live in California. I work at Stanford University but I visit my parents and Spencer’s mom about once a month.” You took a sip of your drink and leaned into Spencer’s side. The team looked at how you were curled up in Spencer’s space. They all knew how Spencer felt about physical contact. 

~

The next morning at the office, Morgan rolled his chair over to Spencer’s desk. 

“So, (Y/N)’s cool,” he said. “We like her.”

“Oh. Cool,” Spencer said, fighting back a smile. 

“Yeah, not only is she smart, but she’s cool, too. She’s like a cooler you.”

Spencer rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

“So, why haven’t you asked her out?”

“What?”

“Come on, kid, she’s perfect for you.”

“She’s my best friend, Morgan.”

“Exactly.” Morgan rapped gently on Reid’s desk. “Just think about it.”

~

“Hey, Spence,” you said as you walked into his apartment. 

“Hey,” he said without looking up from his book. “How was your day?”

“Oh, um, it was- it was good,” you said, walking over to sit with him. 

He sat the book on the coffee table and turned to look at you. “What’s wrong?”

You took a deep breath. “I got a job offer today.”

“What? That’s amazing! What’s the job?”

“It’s a lead researcher position at the University of Munich.” You bit your lip as you looked at Spencer, gauging his reaction.

“Oh! That’s-that’s great,” he said. “That’s- I mean, do you want the job?”

“Well, it’s a good offer,” you said. “I’d be heading up a research project on treatments for schizophrenia which, you know, has always been my goal. But I’d have to move to Germany. On the other hand, the benefits are great, and it would be a major pay raise.”

“Well, then, you should take it.”

“Oh.” You cleared your throat. “Oh, um, I just remembered. I was, uh, I was supposed to meet some colleagues for drinks.” You got up and rushed out the door, leaving a very confused Spencer sitting alone in his apartment. 

~

“I don’t get it,” Spencer said, spinning around in his chair. “She asked me what I thought about the job offer, I told her, and now she’s mad at me? She’s never been this mad at me before. She got herself a hotel room. I just- I don’t know what I did.”

“Walk us through it, Reid,” Emily said. “Walk us through exactly what happened.”

“She got a job offer from the University of Munich. It’s a great offer, better position, payment to relocate, all that kind of stuff. So I told her she should take it and-”

“Whoa, whoa, wait,” JJ cut in. “You told her to take the job?”

“Yeah? Why is that- What did I do wrong?”

JJ sighed. “Spence, it’s not just about the job.”

“You basically told her she should move halfway across the globe,” Emily said. “You’re effectively sending her away.”

“What? That’s not- that’s not what I want! That’s not- I don’t want that at all!”

“Then tell her that, Spence,” JJ said. “Look, it’s clear you’re in love with her. We all see it.”

“And for what it’s worth, (Y/N) feels the same,” Emily said. 

~

You were moping on a hotel bed, blankly staring at the sitcom playing on the TV, when someone started pounding on the door. 

“(Y/N), it’s me,” Spencer said from the other side of the door, still pounding against it.  “Open up. We need to talk.”

You dragged yourself out of the bed, wrapping the duvet around yourself. You trudged to the door where Spencer was still knocking. 

“Okay, okay, don’t burst the door down,” you grumbled, opening the door. Any residual anger you felt toward Spencer evaporated the moment you saw him. His hair was in disarray, his clothes were rumpled, and it looked like he hadn’t slept since you saw him last. “Oh, Spence,” you whispered. 

“We need to talk,” he said, slipping into the room. After taking a seat on the bed, he said, “Don’t take the job in Munich. Don’t go to Germany.”

“Spencer-”

“I talked with some admin over at George Washington U. They have an assistant professor job open in their biochem department. I can get you an interview without a problem and I can even help you look for an apartment if you want, just- don’t go.”

“Spencer-”

“(Y/N), I love you.”

You froze. “What?”

“You- you don’t have to say it back,” Spencer said. “But the thought of you being even further away- it kills me. I’m in love with you. And I think I always have been.”

You reached over and took his hand. “Spence. I love you, too.”

Spencer’s face broke into the biggest smile you’d ever seen on his face. “What? Really?”

You couldn’t help the laugh that escaped you. “Spencer, I've been in love with you since we were 16 years old.”

“What? Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

You shrugged and stood up, pacing in front of the bed. “It was never the right time. Either you were in school or I was in school or you were starting a job or I was starting a job-“ you sighed. “Didn’t you ever wonder why I never dated? Didn’t you wonder why I only had 1 boyfriend when I was in high school and we broke up after, like, a month?”

“I just- I just figured you weren’t the dating type.”

You gave a small, sad smile. “No. It’s because my heart has always belonged to you. He knew it. Mom and Dad knew it. Everyone knew it before I did. Except you.”

Spencer smiled and shook his head, standing to join you. “We wasted so much time.” You saw a mischievous glint sharpen in his eyes. “And I’m not wasting anymore.” Spencer cupped your face and kissed you until you felt your knees go weak. He lifted you up and tossed you onto the hotel bed as you giggled. 

~

Spencer knocked on Hotch’s door before pushing it open. “Hotch? Can I talk to you?”

Hotch gestured to the chair across from his desk. “Sit. What’s up, Reid?”

“Uh, can I have two weeks off next month? I, uh, I’m helping my girlfriend move.” He couldn’t fight the smile on his face. 

“Your girlfriend?”

“Yeah, uh, (Y/N). We-we made it official. She’s moving to D.C. She got a job teaching at the university.”

“She moving in with you?” Hotch asked. “Seems a bit fast, don’t you think?”

“Well, no,” Spencer said. “I mean, yes, she’s moving in with me, but no, it’s not fast. We’ve known each other our entire lives. We know everything about each other. It makes sense.”

The corners of Hotch’s mouth twitched. “Well, you’ve definitely accrued enough vacation time. I’ll file the time off paperwork.”

“Thanks, Hotch.” Spencer got up to leave.

“Oh, and Reid?” Hotch called. Spencer turned around. “It’s good to see you smiling.”

[no-goodbyes-no-regrets]

If you’re still taking prompts, Tommy spending time with Maddie?

Oh I like this!

----

"At least this time it was planned." Maddie offered

"Yeah... And the nurse did say everything is going according to plan earlier."

"But you still worry."

"Yeah." Tommy chuckled. "I convinced him to get it done now so he'd be back on his feet by the time the little one starts walking."

Maddie smiled and rubbed her pregnant belly.

"Yeah I think he is looking forward to meeting his family. He's about to walk right out of there in a minute. Jee wasn't this restless."

"I guess he takes after his father then. I've never known Howie to be calm and relaxed." Tommy commented "Well... off the clock at least." he added after a beat and they both laughed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking bad hospital coffee and Tommy's eyes fixed on the door.

"What about you two?" Maddie asked.

"Hmm?"

Tommy reluctantly tore his eyes away from the door and looked at her.

"One of these." she gestured at her belly.

"I don't think either of us is at risk of getting pregnant any time soon." Tommy deadpanned and laughed when Maddie slapped his bicep.

"You know what I mean. Am I going to be an aunt any time soon?"

Tommy sat up straighter and played with the lid of his coffee cup.

"We've talked about it. Marriage, kids... the whole nine yards... and we want the same things..."

"But..." Maddie prompted.

"But... not just yet." Tommy shook his head. "We've only been back together about six months. And the last time we rushed into things it didn't go so well. So one step at a time for now."

"Isn't he moving in with you when he's discharged?"

"Yeah but that's because he's going to need a lot of help. Especially the first few months. And those stairs in the loft are lethal."

"He managed before..."

"Maybe. But he doesn't have to anymore now. I have a bedroom and a bathroom on the ground floor at my place and the stairs aren't so damn steep, he can easily manage them with crutches if needed."

Suddenly the door opened and one of the doctors walked up to them.

"Evan Buckley's family?"

Tommy was on his feet in seconds.

"That's right. How is he?"

The doctor gave him a tired smile.

"The operation was a success. No complications. Straight out of the medical text books."

"So he's ok?"

"He has a long road to recovery ahead of him, but I don't see why he shouldn't make a full recovery in due time." The doctor told them. "He'll still be asleep for a while, but one of the nurses will come get you when they've gotten him settled back in, in his room and you can sit with him."

Tommy let out a sigh of relief while Maddie thanked the doctor before they left the two of them to it again.

"He's ok." Maddie said, slipping her arm through Tommy's. "He's ok."

About ten minutes later a nurse came to get them and took them to Buck's room. He was still fast asleep but apart from a pulse oximeter on his finger and a cast on his leg, he looked just like he would on a regular day at home.

Tommy sat down next to the bed and softly brushed the curls off his forehead, while Maddie sat down on the other side and held Buck's hand in hers.

"You know he always hated that?"

"Hated what?"

"His curls. People playing with them." Maddie explained. "I used to do it when he was little but when he got old enough to pick his own hairstyle, the curls were gone and everyone was forbidden to touch his hair. I think I still have some pictures of when he gave himself a haircut when he was about 12 or 13."

Tommy grinned.

"If you can still find them, I'd love to see them."

"I'll get Howie to look for them." Maddie promised. "But what I'm trying to say is... he's changed since he met you. For the better."

"I did tell him I liked the curls once... He hadn't had time to get a haircut in a while and his hair was getting longer and the curls just made him look... soft." Tommy smiled, running his hands through Buck's hair.

Maddie smiled.

"Not just the hairstyle. Or wearing clothes in his actual size instead of at least two sizes too small." She laughed. "But he's... more comfortable in his own skin. He's content. Happy in a way I've never seen him before. And that's down to you."

"I don't know about that..." Tommy ducked his head.

"I do." Maddie insisted. "You're good for him. You're good for each other."

Buck began to stir and groaned as he opened his eyes. He rolled his head to the side and smiled when he saw Tommy.

"Hey you." Tommy said and got up to press a kiss to the top of his head. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?"

"Hmokay... better when the room stops spinning... and there's only one of you. is my leg still there?" he reached out to touch his leg and then realised someone was holding his hand. He turned his head and saw his sister. "Maddie!" he said happily, like he hadn't seen her in years.

"Hi." she giggled and squeezed his hand. "They've got you on the good stuff, huh."

"They fixed my leg." he explained. "Tommy said I should do it now. For the baby." He frowned. "Not our baby." He turned his head back to the other side to look at Tommy. "You're not having a baby... right?"

Tommy bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

"No, no I'm not. But your sister is."

Buck turned back to Maddie.

"You're having a baby?" he asked, and then noticed her pregnant belly. "You're having a baby! Wait... i-is that Tommy's baby?"

"What? No!" Maddie said and both her and Tommy burst out laughing. "I don't think I'm really his type."

"Yeah, sorry, I prefer the other Buckley." Tommy said laughingly.

Buck frowned.

"Who?"

"You." Tommy told him and softly kissed him. "I'm going to get a nurse. Let them know you're awake. I'll be right back." He got up and left the room with Buck looking at him with a dopey smile that wasn't just the anaesthetic.

"I love him." Buck declared, still looking at the door.

Maddie smiled and gave his hand another squeeze.

"I know. He loves you too."

"Yeah? Yeah!" Buck replied answering his own question. "I'm going to marry him. I have a ring." he said, just as Tommy came back in with a nurse.

"Hello mister Buckley, glad to see you awake." the nurse told him as she quickly checked him over. "The operation went well, and you should be able to go home in a few days."

Buck nodded and turned to Maddie.

"You need to call Eddie for me. He has the ring. I need it... for Tommy. I'm going to marry him."

"I'll call him." Maddie promised. sharing a look with Tommy over the bed.

"Good. I'm just... sleep..." Buck mumbled as he started to drift off again.

"He probably won't remember this conversation when he wakes up again." the nurse told them. "I'm guessing you're Eddie?" she asked Tommy who shook his head.

"I'm Tommy. And I guess I better start working on my surprised face."

---

send me a prompt and I'll write you a fic(let)!

[buckyalpine]

Buttercup

Bucky x Reader

Childhood friends to lovers. Thought of this randomly and I thought it was so cute because imagine chubby baby Bucky in love with his cute little neighbor. Imagine this little boy with his messy mop of brown hair on his head, rosy cheeks, blushing over his friend who he adores so much. He toddles over to her porch, excited over the very important game of hide and seek they had planned for the day.

Y/n, y/l/n, or Buttercup according to him is his favorite person in the whole world besides Stevie. He loves Steve, he knows he does, but Buttercup is different. He gets these little butterflies in that chubby belly of his whenever they play together. He's usually a rambunctious devil but not at all with her. If she wants a tea party, he'll sit with her on her yard with a picnic mat spread out, always sneaking a few cookies from the jar for them to share.

She really likes the swing that hangs on the branch of the tree in front of his house. He'll push her with all his might till she squeals with laughter; a big toothy grin on his face when she says faster Bucky. When she trips over and scrapes her knee, he's dashing to his house to find a band aid, blowing on the cut just like his ma does when he hurts himself, he's so careful with his shaky little hands.

"Tank you Bucky" You say between a sniffle, kissing his cheek without thinking, the both of you innocently blinking at each other before running off and playing again. All Bucky knows is that he wants Buttercup by his side for his whole entire life.

So imagine his joy when he finds out its a possibility.

He's in his nicest buttoned shirt, tucked into his dress pants and polished shoes, hair combed over to the side. He kicks his legs while sitting with his mother, father and sisters, watching one of their family friends recite their vows at the altar. Winnifred already had to place her hand on his leg twice to keep him still, warning him that he had to behave at weddings since it was an important day.

"Why are they getting married?" He asks, wondering what the big deal was if they were in church on a Saturday.

"Because they care about each other Jamie, they'll be happy together forever" She whispers, pulling her squirmy little one onto her lap so he can see better.

“Can me and y/n get married mama?” He asks with large innocent eyes, hopeful she’ll say yes.

“You wanna marry y/n, huh?” She coos, brushing back the strands of soft hair that cover his forehead. “Y’know you’ll have to take care of her baby”

“I know” He nods with confidence, of course he'd always take care of his Buttercup.

“And you’ll have to work real hard" Again he nods, just waiting for her to say yes, maybe he can get married tomorrow! "You gotta love her with all your heart"

"I do mama, I do!"

"Then one day baby boy, one day you can marry her"

"But I wanna marry her now!" Bucky doesn't understand what the issue was, he knew he loved his Buttercup right then and there, why did he have to wait?

"Just wait a little while okay? My sweet little boy" Winifred laughed at her baby's fallen face, kissing his flushed cheek. "Before you know it, it'll be your turn"

Patience wasn't Bucky's strong suit but if it meant he'd be with you, he'd wait as long as he had to. He sat on the soft grass with you under the shade of a tree, sipping on a cup of lemonade your mom had brought out for you both.

“I wanna marry you” he pouts, "But mama says I have to wait and dad said I gotta ask p'mission first"

"Then we can be best f'wends forever?" You ask excitedly and he grins in response.

"F'wends forever"

"You promise?"

"I promise"

Now I thought about stopping this fic here but....

Some may have thought that eventually his puppy love lose its fire but no. His crush doesn't ever die down. Not when he nicks a flower from his mothers prized garden when you turn 5. Not when he gives you his favorite brown bear for Christmas. Not when he saves up all his allowance to buy you your first porcelain doll for your 10th birthday. It just grows and grow until he stands before you, wiping the tear that slips down your cheek when he comes to say good bye before going off to the army.

“One day m’gonna marry you doll" He whispers, doing his best to blink back his own tears while you sniffle against his chest.

"You promise?" You ask him with the same innocent doe eyes you had when you were little,

"I promise" He hugs you tighter, not wanting to let you go, the both of you spending the afternoon under the same shady tree. His mothers ring is kept safely in a box, tucked away in his room. He'd spoken to your father in private as soon as you'd both turned 18, not wanting to waste a second. All he had to do was return, safe and sound to his Buttercup.

Bucky goes through hell, sees the worst things imaginable, some days he struggles to keep his eyes open, cuts and wounds littering his battered body. However, when he closes his eyes and thinks about her smile, the way he'd get butterflies when she giggles, he knows he has to survive and come home. It doesn't matter how hard it is to keep going now because one day it'll all be worth it.

Which is why he practically runs home once the war is over, zipping in and out of his house and up to the porch next door, panting with flushed cheeks. He hears shuffling on the other side, his heart beating erratically while clutching onto the ring, the knob clicking open.

"Buttercup?"

"Jamie!" You gasp, tears running down your face in no time as you throw your arms around him, your feet lifting off the ground as he spins you. "You're back!"

"I promised you doll" He presses his forehead against yours before sinking down on one knee, smiling up at you while you choke back a sob, his hand holding onto yours.

"Buttercup, will you-

"Yes, Jamie yes!!" You nod frantically, while he happily slips the ring onto your finger before kissing you deeply, only pulling away to breathe. He doesn't give you long, pulling you back for more, his tongue laced with yours, unbothered that you're both on the porch, most of the neighbor watching quietly with steamy eyes.

Honestly, imagine how emotional everyone would be seeing the handsome soldier with his beautiful sweet bride up at the altar, going rom little babies to children to two souls that were meant to be together from the start. So cute.

[yanderecrazysie]

Wasted Potential (Yandere Ushijima

Requested on Quotev. Let’s pretend girls are allowed on Seijoh and Shiratorizawa’s male volleyball teams, ok?

Title: Wasted Potential

Pairings: Yandere! Ushijima Wakatoshi  x F! Reader

WARNINGS: yandere themes

Description: You should have come to Shiratorizawa.

“You’re not going to Shiratorizawa?” 

Ushijima was not someone who showed many emotions, but the way his eyes widened and the way the volleyball slipped from his fingers in shock was enough to make you wince. The white ball bounced a couple of times before rolling to a stop at your feet. 

You stood up from your receiving position and picked up the ball. “Did you really think we’d end up going to the same high school?” you asked, arching an eyebrow, “You know music is the thing I want for my future and volleyball is just a side thing. Aoba Johsai has the best music department in our area and not a bad volleyball team at all.”

“You should come to Shiratorizawa,” he replied softly.

“It’s just not for me, Ushiwaka,” you sighed, “I do wish we could hang out forever, but at least we’re still neighbors. It’s not like we won’t see each other again. And who knows, maybe I’ll play libero against you some day!”

Ushijima seemed to stare right through you, as if he was concentrating on something that wasn’t there. You scuffed your dusty white sneakers against the gym floor. For a fleeting moment, you wanted to tell him that you’d changed your mind, but the acceptance letter had already come and you had already bought the uniform.

Ushijima’s jaw set and his hands curled and uncurled into fists. You had clearly upset him more by your words. “Look, I’ll see you around, okay?” you said with a drawn out sigh, tossing the volleyball in with the rest.

Maybe it was the end of your years-long friendship. It was sad, but you kind of figured the two of you would grow apart. You were too different to be compatible.

—----------------------

“You’re going to have to walk or bike.”

“But I’ll be late on my first day!”

“And I’m out who knows how much money on my tires!”

You slammed the door irritably behind you. You weren’t upset at your mother, no, you were furious at whoever had slashed the tires of her car. You walked past the sleek Honda and glared at its tires which were slashed into ribbons. 

Your bike sat at the back of the garage, as you hadn’t had to use it in quite a while. As you took a seat on it, you realized it was probably a little too small for you. Still, it was better and faster than walking the whole way.

The wind blew through your careful updo and buffeted your face as you biked to Aoba Johsai. You were going to be late, no matter how fast you rode. Cars flew past on the road and you felt a strange sort of jealousy. It wasn’t fair that they could go so fast while you were here struggling!

Finally, finally, Aoba Johsai’s clock tower came into view. You risked a glance at your watch. You were definitely late, but it was better than it could have been. The bicycle rack was close to the entrance. You locked your bike up tight and ran into the school.

When you came out, hours later, your bike was gone. 

You threw your arms up in the air and let out a frustrated growl. Why did life hate you so much? Your eyes strayed across the street and you were startled to see Ushijima standing there, watching you. But after a blink, he was lost in the crowd, so suddenly that you decided you hadn’t seen him at all.

You returned home empty-handed, head down and metaphorical tail between your legs. As you walked up the drive past your family’s out-of-commission car, you heard your name being called.

Ushijima stood in his yard, waving you over. Reluctantly, you crossed the street and said, “Hey, what’s up, Ushiwaka?”

“How was your first day at Aoba Johsai?”

You gritted your teeth. Truthfully? The day had been awful. But if you told Ushijima that, wouldn’t that be like admitting defeat?

“It was fine,” you replied coolly.

Ushijima looked doubtful, but simply nodded, “Well, my first day at Shiratorizawa was great.” He didn’t expand on that thought, not that you thought he would, he wasn’t really the talkative type.

“I’m glad,” you replied, “Shiratorizawa suits you.”

“It could suit you too,” the slight lilt of hope in his voice made you shake your head.

“No, Aoba Johsai is the school for me. I’ve already signed up for music classes- my first one is tomorrow!” 

You hoped you were right.

—------------------------------------

“Music class is canceled!” your teacher told the approaching students, including you, “The classroom is flooded.”

“Flooded?” you muttered, “Seriously? The one class I was excited for?”

As it was the last class of the day, you were released early. You headed straight for the gym, where volleyball tryouts were taking place in an hour. Already, there were people practicing.

You were the only girl.

A sigh left your lips, reminding yourself that there was still time for more people to show up. Even if it was only boys, that wouldn’t be the worst. 

You studied the receives like a hawk and immediately noticed an older boy receiving the practiced serves. He was leagues better than you.

Is there even a point of trying out?

You took a seat in the stands and watched the servers. One boy with messy brown hair caught your eye- he was one of the only kids doing a jump serve. He was handsome, too.

Later, you would learn he had made the team. You didn’t though, not with the third-year talented libero still on the team.

You took the long walk home, blisters forming on your feet. Your heart sank deeper and deeper the more you thought about the day. Was Aoba Johsai really a good fit for you?

Tears began to slip down your cheeks. You knew it was a small chance of making the team as only a first year, but it still hurt a lot. Why had you gotten your hopes up?

“(Y/n)?”

You turned, tearfully, to see who was calling for you. Ushijima approached you on the street, wrapping you up in a big hug.

“Aoba Johsai clearly isn’t working out,” he murmured, “Let’s see if you can transfer to Shiratorizawa.”

You stared blankly ahead. Was your friend right? Should you transfer? It was like the universe was telling you that you were wrong…

“Your potential is wasted at that low-end school,” Ushijima said gently, “Now, we can be together, just like we’re meant to.”

Somehow, you felt those words carried more weight than necessary.

[foreingersgod]

ok hiiii! i’m the anon that asked for nika! sooo maybe a fic where reader is another players sister (or best friend, whatever you think would fit) and the player brings reader to a game and reader meets nika and it’s like love at first sight? maybe not as cringy as i made it sound lol, but i hope you get what i mean!

💗💗

to requester: i saw your other request and decided i’ll do them separately so we can enjoy more nika content!

Best Friends Sister . NM

pairing: nika muhl x reader

synopsis: you tag along with your parents for your sister’s game, not knowing it would be the best decision of your life.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

paigey: are you coming tonight with mom and dad or no?

you: only if you don’t hit me with another basketball then sure

paigey: i said i was sorry, dude. you should come though, i haven’t seen you for a minute

you: yea sorry, been busy and stuff. i’ll be there!

it was rare for you to attend your sister’s games on a regular basis. as much as you loved her and wanted to support, you were slammed with work and school and friends, the whole 9 yards. plus, watching millions of girls freak out over your sister was not your idea of a good time. but you’d been missing paige lately and wanted to show your sisterly support at least a few times this season.

so there you were, sitting outside your apartment on the concrete steps of the building, waiting for your parents to pick you up for the game. clad in UCONN attire, you picked at the weeds growing in between the cracks of stone.

arriving at the stadium, you could already sense the chaos. seeing all the girls there to see your sister play, it was a weird feeling. but once you made your way closer to the court with your family, seeing how happy paige looked out there, it made you feel insanely proud.

UCONN was up by 6 and your sister was killing it. being able to see her improvement throughout the game was truly rewarding to see. you cheered and hollered for each score until the end of the game finally rolled around, UCONN secured the win.

paige celebrated with her team for a few moments, reveling in their success before making her way to where you all sat. she greeted your parents with hugs, mom kissing her on the cheek and dad patting her back. then she maneuvered to you, dabbing you up before pulling you into a hug or your own.

“you killed it out there loser,” you congratulated “glad i got to see you play tonight, i’ve missed you!”

she laughed “thanks, me too”

paige worked her way around the rest of your family, taking time to chat with everyone. then she pulled you aside, motioning for you to follow her back down to the court.

“what?” you questioned, showing up at her side.

“thought i’d introduce you to everyone, plus aaliyah hasn’t seen you in forever and has been begging to see you”

you were always close with a few a her teammates, some of them being in paige’s life for so long that they became a part of your family. aaliyah, you were especially close with. but a lot of her other, newer teammates, you had yet to meet.

when you arrived on the court, paige leading you to the team, you started to spot some familiar faces. aaliyah ran over to you the second she saw you. pulling you into a bear hug and scolding you for not visiting more often. you greeted ice, too, congratulating her on a good game. it was nice to see them all again, catching up for lost time.

while in a conversation with aaliyah about how your job was going, paige politely pulled you aside again. she dragged you through the small crowd saying “i wanna introduce you to someone, i don’t think you’ve met yet”

finally, she stopped pulling you, coming to a halt just in front of the bench seats. paige was right, some girl you didn’t recognize sat on one of the seats, wiping the sweat from her brow and catching her breathe.

“hey, nika, i wanted to introduce you to my sister, YN!” paige said over the havoc of the stadium.

she looked up upon hearing paige summon her, eyes moving from paige’s and then to yours. she caught your attention right away, and suddenly, nothing else mattered once you locked eyes with the girl.

nika, you recalled paige calling her that, was the most beautiful girl you’d seen in your entire life. you studied every feature of her face right in that moment. her hair, you could only imagine how soft it was, pulled back in a near ponytail. her rosy cheeks, flush from exhaustion and excitement. her pearly white teeth that were so bright when she smiled at you. she was perfection if it were a person.

she was examining you as well, you could tell by the ways her eyes flickered between your eyes and down to your lips (triangle method iykyk). for a faint moment, it was just the two of you, lost in each others gaze. there was something about her, you couldn’t place it, but you wished you’d never have to look away.

unfortunately for you, your day dreams were interrupted when paige spoke up, confused by the silence.

“earth to nika” she waved her hand jokingly in front of her face “did you hear me? this is YN”

her eyes painfully pulled away from yours, looking at paige in surprise “right! sorry, i think i’m still a bit light headed”

she stood up, walking towards you and extending her hand out to you “very nice to meet you, YN, i didn’t know paige had a sister!”

your throat fell dry as you took her hand, gently shaking it. her touch lingered as her fingers swept against yours “nice to meet you too! yea i’m kind of all over the place and not around much so the team hasn’t seen a lot of me recently”

she eyed you again as you spoke. she tucked loose hairs behind her ear, smirking in a sultry manner.

“i get it, life’s busy” she bit her lip just enough for you to notice “but i’d..um-i’d like to see you around more”

“yea, hopefully i can stick around for a few more games” you joked, trying to hide how flustered you were.

“i’ll count on it” she said, then turned back to paige as she fumbled around in her bag, getting ready to leave “hey i gotta go catch up with a few people, but i’ll see you tomorrow?”

paige nodded, saying her goodbyes for the evening.

“see you around, YN” nika remarked, shoulder brushing against yours slightly as she walked past you, leaning in to whisper to you “and uh, do you think that maybe…maybe i could grab your number from paige or something? only if it’s ok with you”

you nodded your head vigorously, “yea, yes that’s more than ok with me”

she nodded back, flashing those dazzling teeth at you again before rushing across the court. you turned to face paige and saw the contorted look on her face.

“what the hell was that?” she asked.

“nothing” you suppressed a smile “it’s nothing”

that night, after the excitement of the game had worn off and you were back home, you were tucked into bed about to fall asleep. your phone buzzed abruptly, cashing you to roll over and pull it from its charger. your eyes squinted shut from the bright light of the screen.

unknown: hey is this YN? it’s nika :)

you didn’t have to think twice before responding and creating her contact.

you: it is, hi nika <3

nika: sorry to text you so late, paige was…very hesitant about giving me your number lol, but i was hoping i could take you out sometime if you’d want?

you: haha she’s annoying sometimes i’m sorry!

but i would love to you out with you!

nika: great! are you free friday? maybe 6ish?

you: definitely, it’s a date <3

you couldn’t stop smiling as you texted the rest of the night. who would have thought a basketball game would have changed your life completely?

[whoslai]

seventy two hours - l. heeseung 📓🧑🏻‍🎓

• ₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

↣ lee heeseung x fem!reader (both are 18)

↣ it’s the summer after high school; heeseung has been in love with his childhood friend, y/n. despite his efforts to make her see how he feels, she remains oblivious. with only three days left before they both go off to college, he must find a way to win her heart before it's too late. will he succeed, or will he have to let go of his love and move on?

↣ warnings: MDNI! making out, cunnilingus, fingering, jerking off, voyeurism, unprotected sex, overstimulation, love confessions, creampie, explicit sex, teasing, dirty talk, body marking, & more.

↣ genre: fluff, angst, smut, slice of life au

↣ wc: 4.1k

• ₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

“lee heeseung,” you called, poking your head out of your window to look down at the sweaty boy who just so happened to live next door to you. he’d been bouncing a basketball in his driveway all night and it was driving you nuts!

to your incredulity, heeseung cocked his head to look up at you, smiling from ear to ear as he saw you. “y/n.” he sighed, holding his basketball to his chest. “have you been standing there the whole time?”

“no! unlike you, i’m trying to get some sleep. it’s 2 in the morning and you’ve been bouncing that ball since 7.” you whined, leaning against the window seal as you rubbed your sleepy eyes.

“oh? so you’re keeping track of how long i’ve been out here..?” he smugly remarked, dropping the ball into his yard as he wiped sweat from his forehead. “do i interest you that much, y/n?”

“heeseung.” you glared at him, “please let me sleep.”

he smiled, “you should come out here with me. i can show you how to shoot a 3 pointer.”

shaking your head, you closed your window. you huffed as you laid back in your bed, tiredly sighing as you heard him pick his ball up and bounce it against the pavement again. another day, another night spent trying to drown out heeseung.

• ₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

your next few days were spent dorm shopping with your mother; you’d been accepted into northwestern university to study journalism on a full scholarship. you truly were excited to start a new chapter of your life and explore yourself and the environment around you.

you’d be even happier if you didn’t have a little baby whining in your ear every day about the fact that you were moving across the country. of course, living next to heeseung meant you two were very close, almost too close. it got to the point of him being immensely comfortable with complaining about how it was “odd” if you to look forward to moving away from everyone you’ve ever known.

while yes, moving from a small town in virginia to a larger city in illinois would take some time getting used to, but that didn’t mean it would justify you being fearful. what was there to be afraid of? people move all the time, it wasn’t as though you’d be the first person to leave family for college. heeseung was just being dramatic, per usual.

“you really should just stay here, i don’t see why you can’t just go to school online.” heeseung shrugged, holding his knees to his chest as he sat on your bed, watching you take down the polaroids of you and friends from your walk to pack away for your dorm.

you smiled, shaking your head at him. “heeseung, you’re acting like i’m not going to come back on breaks. it’s not my fault you chose to stay here for college.”

“you’re right, i DID choose to stay here. wanna know why?” he asked.

you propped your hand on your hip and raised your eyebrow at him. “i know you want to tell me, so just go ahead and say it.”

“because…” he trailed off, anxiously biting his lip as he began again. “because everything i’ll ever need is here, virginia is my home; our home. why would you leave all this behind when everything you need is right here?”

you shrugged, “i don’t see what’s here in virginia that i can’t find in illinois. my parents plan to travel while i’m gone so there’s not much keeping me here.”

heeseung pouted. “ouch.”

“aw.” you laughed, “you know im going to miss you when i leave. how could i forget you and that stupid basketball you keep me awake with…”

heeseung smiled a bit, but you could tell there was some sadness behind it. “maybe we could play together?”

“hmmm…” you hummed. “we could, but i’d rather do something else. why don’t we do like a sleepover and binge on a bunch of movies? pull an all nighter or something.”

“a sleepover?” heeseung asked, sitting up and licking his lips. “as in…like me sleeping over here or…you sleeping at my house?”

“either. it doesn’t matter to me.” you smiled, grabbing some tape to close the box of pictures and placed it to the side. “but, you and i both know how strict my mom is about you being over. she would make you sleep on the couch downstairs.”

he slowly nodded, “true…”

“so we should probably just go to your place, yeah?” you asked him, glancing back at him. “i’m assuming you want me in the same bed as you, so we’re better off just doing it over at yours.”

he scoffed, “what?! who says i want you to sleep in my bed?”

“me.” you smiled, tossing the box off to the side. “like helloooo, look at me. who wouldn’t want me to sleep in their bed?”

heeseung married his eyes at you. “you are so…”

“i’m kidding~” you laughed, taking a seat at your desk. “i’d only get in your bed anyway.”

“wait really?” heeseung asked you, his ears perking up. “why only mine?”

“because you’re my bestie. now, go clean your room. i’ll be over in a few hours.” you told him, spinning around to organize the papers on your desk.

he laughed a bit before kicking the back of your seat as he made his way out.

• ₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

a few hours after heeseung had left, you’d found yourself drying your hair after taking a quick shower. you slipped on some shorts and a tee whilst grabbing your bag full of sleepover essentials.

making your way over to his house, you caught sight of his bedroom light being on and reflecting a shadow; a figure all too similar to his own. squinting your eyes up at him, you began to make sense of what you were seeing.

he stood near the window, head lowered while his arm appeared to repeatedly move in a swift motion….was he jerking off?

your heart skipped a beat when his head fell back and you looked down at the ground, contemplating whether or not you could simply walk in and face him after watching his shadow through his bedroom window.

biting your lip, you slowly turned to walk back to your house, his front door opened.

“y/n!!” his mothers voice rang in your ears from behind. you quickly turned back, being met by his mother waving for you to come. “i saw you standing out here! come on in, heeseung told me you were sleeping over…?”

you nodded, walking over to her. “um yeah! that’s um…that’s the plan.”

she closed the door behind you as you stepped in and slipped your shoes off. “well, that’s cute. i’m happy to see you two spend more and more time together, especially with you leaving in a few days.” she sighed, clasping her hands together. “i’ve always adored your friendship.”

“ahhh..” you smiled, nodding your head. “yeah, just a few more days.”

she frowned, “we’re all going to miss you very much!”

“i’ll come back and visit!” you exclaimed. she smiled, patting your shoulder as she signaled for the stairs.

“heeseung is up in his room. i’m not quite sure what he’s doing but he’s expecting you so just feel free to knock. i’ve got food in the kitchen and his father is down in the basement. if you guys need anything, just let me know. okay?”

“yes ma’am, and thank you!” you nodded at her, hurrying up the stairs.

as you stood in front of his closed bedroom door, you inhaled a deep breath, nervous to step in.

after standing there for a while, you brought your hand up to the door and knocked. “hey, heeseung. it’s me.”

you waited a while, hearing him reply, “kay, one sec…”

you rested your back against the wall opposite of his door, placing your hand over your chest as your heart rate began to increase. you wondered if you truly saw what you thought you saw outside or if you were just reading the situation wrong. you wondered if he was done shooting his hot load onto the nearest surface. you wondered if his cock was still twitching in his hand as he helped himself ride out his high by teasing his tip or even continuing to stroke his shaft.

“hey,” he said as he greeted you. his hair was damp and his shirt hung low off his collar bone, exposing some of his chest.

“took you long enough.” you scoffed, brushing past him as you attempted to play it cool, not wanting him to suspect anything.

he closed the door behind you and you sat on his bed, tossing your bag on the ground as you laid back and took your phone out.

“i didn’t prepare anything.” he said, “i’ve been laying in bed since i left your house.”

you looked at him as he sat beside you, awkwardly bringing his knees to his chest. “are you sure about that?”

“sure about what? laying in bed…?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

you nodded, “surely you haven’t been in bed for the past 5 hours.”

“i mean, for the most part.” he shrugged. “what does it matter?”

“it doesn’t…i was just being nosey.” you said, looking away from him and sighing. “it’s hot in here.”

“it’s like 70 degrees…” he trailed off.

you sat up quickly, facing him. “we should play a game, you down?”

“yeah.” he said, “go for it.”

you smiled, “truth or dare?”

he rolled his eyes and leaned back against his wall. “truth.”

“is it true that you’re going to be a big cry baby and have a tantrum on my last day here?” you teased, pushing him.

“bold of you to assume i’m even going to your send off.” he scoffed.

your smile fell, “wait, you aren’t coming?”

“if i go, i’ll miss you too much while you’re gone.” he pouted.

you smiled again, “awwww…stop flirting with me.”

he shrugged, “truth or dare?”

“dare, of course.” you said. “give me the best you’ve got.”

his eyes glanced to the side, then back at you. “mmm, i dare you to tell me one of your biggest fears.”

you flared your nose. “that’s the lamest dare. that’s all you could come up with? make it fun!”

“i don’t know…um…do a handstand or something.” he shrugged once again.

you titled your head to the side, shifting your hips on his bed. “are you okay?”

“uh..why?” he asked you. it was obvious that something was off with him, anybody who knew heeseung could tell that his body language was different than his normal; he was being awkward and he wasn’t talking as much as he usually did. the fact that he wasn’t even making an effort to flirt with you in the grossest ways possible was throwing you off.

not to say you LIKED being flirted with but…come on, you kind of missed it.

“you’re being so weird.” you told him, glancing down at his shirt again.

he sighed. “i’m a bit tired, that’s all.”

you were quiet for a bit. was he tired from cumming a few minutes before? could his orgasm have been so intense that it made him groggy? reserved?

“truth or dare?” you asked him, your eyes fixated on your own. you wanted to know why he picked right before you came over to touch himself. why he’d do it right in front of his window, and most of all, why he was trying to pretend like he wasn’t just making a mess in his room before you came?

“truth.” he said.

“what are you tired from?” you asked him, intensely gazing into his eyes.

he smiled a little, “basketball practice this morning. just the usual.”

“that’s all?” you asked him once again, feeling a bit antsy from the smile that was plastered on his face.

“is there something else you’re thinking i did?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

your tongue slid over your lower lip, feeling a wave of heat fall over your head. “i…”

his eyebrow raised. “you..?”

“i saw you.” you admitted, feeling your once assertive demeanor fade into a timid one.

he bit his lip, attempting to hold back his smile from growing wider. as his eyes trailed down, he leaned his head back against the wall. “saw me doing what?” you looked away from him, reaching back to grab your phone but his hand grabbed your arm. “no, say it. don’t start something if you can’t finish it…”

“dude, i didn’t see anything. i don’t know what i’m talking about.” you told him, pulling your arm away from him and crossing your legs, hoping that he didn’t the arousal that was seeping through your gray shorts.

he stood up, walking over to his window and opening the curtains. “saw me standing here earlier, right?”

you ignored him, staring down at your phone and scrolled through your instagram. before you realized it, heeseung was standing in front of you. he slid his index finger underneath your chin, tilting your head up to look at him. “saw me hand fucking myself, yeah?”

you slowly nodded, entranced at his intense eye contact.

“ah ah ah,” he tsked in a disapproving manner. “use your words, you’re a big girl.”

“yes..” you whispered, feeling small underneath his gaze.

“there you go,” he cooed. “that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“no. i just…why did you do that…right in front of your window? right before i came over?” you asked him.

“why do you think?” he asked, sighing. “isn’t it obvious?”

“no?” you replied, “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

he dropped his hand to his side. “y/n, i like you. i’ve liked you since you moved next door to me.” he admitted, breaking eye contact to look down at your phone that still rested in your hand. “i couldn’t go a whole night stuck in my room with you with a straight face. it would’ve been harder than you think.”

“you like me?” you asked him, shocked.

“you’re so oblivious, i swear..” he scoffed, walking away from you and closed his curtains. “anyway, it’s not like it matters now anyway. you’re leaving in a few days.”

you scooted forwards a bit, “w-why would you just now tell me? i had no idea, heeseung. you couldn’t have told me like…freaking years ago?!”

“i told you because i wouldn’t have to face you when you rejected me. duh.” he weakly laughed, turning away from you and shuffling through some of his clothing.

you held onto the sheets underneath you, feeling completely at a loss at his words.

“i wouldn’t reject you, heeseung.” you told him.

“yeah you would, no need to lie about it.” he shrugged. “i’ve already coke to terms with it, it’s over with.”

tears began to pool in your eyes. you couldn’t wrap your head around the fact that your best friend, neighbor, childhood crush was admitting his feelings to you 72 hours before you moved across the country. “heeseung, i…”

“you don’t have to let me down lightly, y/n. it’s cool, don’t worry.” he sighed, sitting down back beside you as he rubbed his arms. “are you hungry? there’s some f-“

you cut him off with a kiss, holding his face against your own. he was stiff at first, shocked. but soon, he kissed you back and pulled you onto his lap. his hands roamed over your curves, from your waist down to your ass.

but then, he pulled away and held your wrists. “y/n, why…why are you doing this?

tears fell from your eyes as you looked ahead at him, feeling your heart sadden at him; heeseung was so perfect. he had the cutest pair of large brown eyes along with a beautiful smile and a soothing voice. how could you have been so blind before? he was all you could ask for in a guy. he never made you feel uncomfortable, he was sweet, and he went above and beyond when doing things for you. how could you leave him in 3 days?

“because i like you too, heeseung.” you told him. “please don’t push me away. please.”

he looked at you, his eyes reflecting the same sadness you’d felt. he pressed his lips back to your own, holding your chest against his as he gently mended his lips with yours.

he let go of your wrists, using his hand to lay you flat on your back and lay atop of you. your hands caressed his cheeks, melting into the feeling of him. as the kiss deepened, you felt his hands moving up from your waist to your breasts, massaging your erect areola through your shirt. you moaned into his mouth, feeling a wave of arousal wash over you. heeseung pulled away, looking into your eyes.

“do you want this?” he asked, his eyes searching for any doubt or hesitation in your expression.

you nodded, “so bad.”

with that, he leaned back down to kiss you again, this time with more passion and intensity. you felt his hands moving down to your shorts, slipping them off along with your panties. he broke the kiss to look at you, taking in your naked form beneath him.

“you’re so perfect,” he whispered, before leaning down to kiss your neck. “so beautiful, so pretty.”

you whined his name, feeling his lips and tongue working their way down your body. heeseung spent a long time exploring every inch of your skin, eliciting moans and gasps from you with every touch.

he left wet kisses down your stomach down to your thighs, laying between your legs and propping them onto his shoulders. “y/n,” he whispered, “has anyone ever…done this to you before?”

you shook your head, “no, heeseung. no one has.”

he licked his lips, sucking on your dripping outer labia, sticking his tongue inside to flick his wet muscle against your achining clit.

“oh!” you squealed, arching your back at the surge of pleasure that rolled through your pelvis. “heeseung, oh my..”

he continued to pleasure you with his mouth, soon slipping in a finger to add to your pleasure. you gripped onto the sheets underneath you as you felt his rough fingertips rubbing against your convulsing walls, feeling a knot build up in your stomach.

“oh shit, heeseung….” you cried, throwing your head back as he held onto your thighs, forcing you down harder against his mouth. “i think i’m gonna…i think i’m gonna..”

he lifted his head up, replacing his tongue with his thumb as he kissed your thighs. “cum for me, baby.”

you squeezed your eyes shut as your orgasm ripped through your body, making your hips sputter. essense dripped out of your tender pussy as you moaned, closing your thighs over his hand.

he kept rubbing his thumb over your sensitive clit, “heeseung, stop. please, please, i can’t. it hurts…please…”

he crawled back up to kiss you, running his fingers through your hair. “we can stop now, if you want.”

you held his face, caressing his cheek. “no, i..i want to go all the way.”

“have you had sex before?” he asked.

you shook your head, “i’ve only…done other stuff. never went all the way.”

he kissed you once before sitting up. “before we do this, i just want you to know that i’ve liked you for…a very, very long time. even on the days where we wouldn’t talk, all i thought about was you. i couldn’t bring myself to date anyone else throughout highschool when i would go home and see you through your window, looking as pretty as ever. my heart has always belonged to you, and i hope that even when you go off work college, you always remember that i’ll always hold tight onto the thought of you, keeping you close to my heart. forever and always.”

you felt tears welling up in your eyes at his words, knowing how much courage it must have taken for him to say them. you took his hand, squeezing it tightly.

“i will always remember, heeseung,” you said, your voice filled with emotion. “and i will always hold onto the memories we’ve made together.”

he leaned down to kiss you again, his lips conveying all the emotions he couldn’t put into words. you felt his hands moving down to pull his pants down and he tightly held your hand within his, signaling that he was going to begin.

you felt the his cock poke against your pussy, making you gasp when you felt how hot and wet his tip was.

“squeeze my hand if it hurts and i’ll stop right away. sound good, pretty girl?” he asked, looking into your eyes.

“okay, i’m ready…” you told him, glancing down at his length prodding against your entrance. slowly but surely, you felt him slowly begin to push himself into your tight hole, stirring when you subconsciously clenched at the stretch. “y/n,” he huffed half laughed, “don’t squeeze like that. you’re gonna make me cum.”

you smiled a bit, “sorry..”

he kissed you again, glancing down and applying pressure to your tummy. “just relax, let me do the work.”

you complied, biting your lip as he bottomed out inside of you, not moving. you felt stuffed, one wrong move and he would impale your cervix. but something about the whole ordeal was turning you on so much, you could cum again without him even moving.

“feel okay?” he asked.

you nodded, wrapping your arms around his neck as you pulled him down to kiss you. you rolled your hips against his own, itching for some type of stimulation.

he thrusted his hips into your own, starting at a slow pace as he reached down to being your leg over his back.

you moaned with pleasure, feeling a sense of euphoria wash over you as he brought you closer to another orgasm. you wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into you as you met his thrusts with your own.

heeseung picked up the pace, each thrust sending waves of pleasure through your body. you moaned into his mouth, your fingers scratching at his back as you held on for dear life.

heeseung pulled back, breaking the kiss to look down. "shit, your pussy is squeezing me," he moaned. “i’m gonna cum…”

you could feel his cock twitching inside you, signaling his impending release. the mere thought of him coming inside you sent you over the edge, your own orgasm crashing through you like a tidal wave.

you cried out his name, your body convulsing with pleasure as he continued to thrust into you, prolonging your orgasm. heeseung finally slowed down, his movements becoming more gentle as he rode out his own release.

with a final thrust, you felt his hot load shoot deep inside of your walls, panting the pink walls a tinge of white.

heeseung propped himself up, pulling his sensitive cock out of you and taking a deep breath.

he slipped his boxers back on and you claimed your breathing as you heard him walk away, coming back with a damp towel. you felt him wipe down your most sensitive areas and finish off with your face.

he tossed the towel to the side and helped you slip your panties back on along with your top. without a second thought, you held onto him, cuddling into the warmth of his exposed chest.

heeseung cuddled you back, laying beside you as he pulled his covers over the both of you.

“you did so well, y/n.” he whispered, planting a soft kiss against your nose. “was it okay?”

“more than okay…” you told him, closing your eyes and yawning. “thank you..for everything. for confessing to me and for making me cum twice in one night.”

he awkwardly laughed, shifting against you. “yeah…sure. are you sleepy?”

you order, “super sleepy.”

“sleep, we can talk more in the morning.”

and with that, you fell asleep. you weren’t sure what the future held for you and heeseungs relationship. all you knew was that you loved him for him. he was your friend, your first time, and now your first love. only time would tell for your relationship.

• ₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

authors note: here’s another lil fic! got bored and wanted to do a cute lil heeseung story, hope u liked it! 😊

[charmed-quill]

Burrow Bound// B.W x Reader Chapter 9

Authors note at end.

originally requested by @littlegreenteacup

summary: Y/N, an American half-blood witch newly arrived in Muggle London, stumbles into the warmth of the Weasley brothers after a serendipitous meeting in Diagon Alley. Drawn into their world, she finds herself at the Burrow more often than not. Meanwhile, Bill Weasley is learning to navigate life as a single father, relying on his mother’s help to care for Victoire. Though their worlds orbit each other, Y/N and Bill’s paths never seem to align—until one evening when fate finally draws them together. Will it be the start of a love story, or will they be left with nothing but heartache?

Next Chapter

Last Chapter

word count: 2.2k

The late afternoon sun cast warm, golden light over the yard as Y/N sat cross-legged on the grass, surrounded by Victoire and her assortment of new birthday gifts. The little girl was gleefully sorting her dragon figurines into their new treasure chest, her curls bouncing as she moved from one pile to another.

“Look, Y/N!” Victoire said, holding up a sparkling purple dragon. “This one’s guarding the treasure because it’s the bravest!”

Y/N grinned, leaning closer. “A very wise choice. Every treasure hoard needs a brave protector.”

Victoire beamed and carefully placed the dragon at the center of her makeshift scene. Y/N glanced over her shoulder to see Bill and George in the distance, gathering discarded plates and cups from the party. George was talking animatedly, while Bill appeared to be listening with an expression somewhere between amusement and exasperation.

“Alright, darling,” Y/N said, brushing some grass from her jeans. “You keep sorting your treasures. I’m going to grab some water. Be right back, okay?”

Victoire nodded seriously, fully engrossed in her task.

Y/N headed toward the house, passing George, who gave her a sly grin as she went by. She caught the tail end of his comment to Bill

“I’m just saying, mate, she’s brilliant.”

Bill groaned audibly, his shoulders tensing. “Not you too, George. What is it with everyone today?”

George raised his eyebrows, feigning innocence. “What’s what?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Bill replied, tossing a crumpled napkin into a trash bag with more force than necessary. “Charlie, Mum, Ginny, and now you. It’s like the whole family’s conspiring against me.”

George held up his hands, mock-surprised. “Conspiring? Against you? That’s a bit dramatic, even for you, big brother.”

Bill stopped and turned to face him, arms crossed. “You’ve all been dropping hints about Y/N since she showed up. It’s not subtle.”

“Hints?” George said, smirking. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just making observations.”

“Observations,” Bill repeated flatly, narrowing his eyes. “About how great she is? How wonderful she is with Victoire? How I should, what, sweep her off her feet?”

George laughed, leaning on the table he’d just cleared. “Well, I wasn’t going to say it, but now that you mention it…”

“George.” Bill’s voice carried a warning, but there was no real heat behind it.

George straightened up, his expression softening. 

“Look, no one’s trying to meddle, okay maybe Mum is, but the rest of us? We just really like her. She’s... different.”

Bill frowned, picking up a few discarded cups and stacking them absently. “Different how?”

“Different like... she fits,” George said simply. “She’s been around for a few months now, and it feels like she’s always been part of things. She’s kind, funny, doesn’t take herself too seriously. And let’s not forget how she handled the Canary Cream incident. That’s rare.”

Bill let out a short laugh despite himself, shaking his head. “So, what, you think I should, what did Charlie say, ‘open the door’? Let her in?”

George shrugged. “I’m not saying you have to do anything. But I am saying that if you don’t at least consider it, you might regret it later. She’s a good friend, Bill. One of the best I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s not enough of a reason,” Bill muttered, though his voice had lost its edge.

“No,” George agreed, leaning in slightly. “But maybe the way she makes Victoire laugh is. Or the fact that she genuinely listens when someone talks, like she actually cares. Or how, even after a whole day at the party, she’s still out there playing dragons with Victoire like it’s the best part of her day.”

Bill followed George’s gaze back to the yard, where Y/N was now pretending to be a treasure-stealing knight, much to Victoire’s delight. The little girl was squealing with laughter, waving her stuffed dragon in the air as Y/N “surrendered” dramatically.

“She’s great with her,” Bill admitted quietly, his expression softening as he watched them.

“Yeah, she is,” George said, clapping him on the back. “And maybe, just maybe, she could be great with you too.”

Bill sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re relentless, you know that?”

“Part of my charm,” George said with a grin, grabbing the trash bag and hoisting it over his shoulder. “But seriously, mate. Don’t overthink it. Sometimes good things are just... good. You don’t have to question everything.”

As George headed toward the house, Bill stood there for a moment, his gaze lingering on Y/N. The awkward tension he’d felt all day was still there, but now, it was tinged with something else, something warmer, quieter, and far harder to ignore.

–

The kitchen was quiet now, the echoes of the party long faded. Bill sat alone at the table, staring at the dregs of his tea. The steam had stopped rising ages ago, the mug gone cold in his hands. The silence pressed in around him, but his mind was far from still.

Through the window, he could see Y/N in the garden. She was sitting cross-legged on the grass with Victoire, helping her arrange the little treasures she’d collected from her party: tiny dragon figurines, a shimmering plastic tiara, and the little treasure box Y/N had given her. Victoire’s giggles floated faintly through the open window, and every so often, Y/N’s soft laugh joined hers.

Bill closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. The familiar battle in his chest raged again, stronger this time. He’d been so careful to keep his distance, to stay guarded. Letting someone in, even someone like Y/N, felt like opening a door he’d worked so hard to keep shut.

She’s just a friend. She’s good with Victoire, that’s all.

The thought was sharp, a desperate attempt to keep the walls he’d built intact. But it felt hollow, even as he repeated it to himself. Because the truth was harder to ignore now. He wasn’t just watching Y/N because she was good with Victoire. He was watching her because he couldn’t seem to stop.

Her laugh, her kindness, the way she looked at Victoire like she was the most important person in the world, it had all woven itself into his mind, tugging at the edges of his carefully guarded heart. And that scared him more than he cared to admit.

What are you doing?

The question echoed in his head, heavy with doubt. 

What do you think is going to happen? That she’ll just, what? Fall into your life and fix everything?

He shook his head, huffing a quiet laugh at himself. 

Ridiculous.

And yet…

He glanced out the window again. Y/N was leaning forward now, her hands gesturing animatedly as she told Victoire a story. Whatever she was saying had his daughter in stitches, her high-pitched laughter ringing out like a bell. Y/N’s own laugh followed, softer but just as bright, and Bill felt the corners of his mouth tug upward despite himself.

She fits, a small voice whispered in the back of his mind. She fits here. With Victoire. With you.

He clenched his jaw, forcing the thought away. It’s too soon. Too complicated. What if it doesn’t work? What if I let her in and it all falls apart again?

But then another voice, quieter but stronger, crept in. 

What if it doesn’t?

Bill exhaled sharply, the weight of the question pressing against his chest. He had spent so long being cautious, so long holding everything together on his own, that the idea of letting someone else in felt almost impossible. But Y/N wasn’t just anyone. She was kind and patient, and she didn’t seem to shy away from the chaos that came with his life.

Victoire adores her. Mum adores her. Hell, even Charlie’s been dropping hints left and right.

But none of that mattered if he couldn’t take the first step. If he couldn’t get past the fear that kept him rooted to this chair, staring out the window like a coward.

He ran a hand over his face, frustration building. 

You’ve faced dragons. Curses. Death Eaters. And yet, here you are, too scared to walk outside and ask someone to dinner.

The thought stung, cutting through the haze of his doubt. Slowly, his hand dropped from his face, and he sat up straighter, his gaze locking onto Y/N through the window. She glanced up just then, her eyes meeting his, and she smiled, a simple, warm smile that made his chest tighten.

Maybe it’s worth it, he thought, the tiniest flicker of hope breaking through the fear. Maybe she’s worth it.

But as quickly as the thought came, the doubt followed. 

And if she’s not? If this ends like before? Can you handle that? Can Victoire?

His fists clenched against the table, the tension in his shoulders growing unbearable. He didn’t know if he could do it. If he could risk the fragile balance he’d built for himself and Victoire. If he could let himself hope for something more.

But as he sat there, torn between fear and possibility, one thought lingered above the rest, soft but insistent:

You’ll never know unless you try.

—

The house was quiet as Y/N and Bill reached the door, the soft creak of the floorboards beneath their feet the only sound breaking the stillness. Y/N turned to face him, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder. Her expression was warm, but Bill could feel the nerves simmering just beneath his skin.

“Thanks for inviting me today,” she said with a small smile. “Victoire had such a great time.”

“She’s been talking about it nonstop,” Bill replied, his hands buried deep in his pockets. He paused for a moment, his throat tightening as he glanced at her. “And I’m glad you came. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

The words felt heavier than he intended, but he pressed on, his pulse quickening. The moment stretched between them, and for once, the silence felt unbearable. 

Just ask her. It’s not that hard.

Clearing his throat, he tried to sound more casual than he felt. “Y/N, I was wondering… would you like to have dinner with me next Saturday? Just the two of us.”

The words were out, hanging in the air like a fragile thread. For a second, Y/N froze, her eyes widening in surprise. She blinked at him, clearly caught off guard, and her lips parted as if to respond, but no sound came out.

Bill’s chest tightened, the silence hitting him like a blow. 

Oh no. 

This was a mistake. 

You’ve just made it awkward. 

His mind spiraled, each second of hesitation fueling his doubt.

Of course, she doesn’t feel the same. Why would she? She’s kind, smart, and beautiful. What could she possibly see in someone like me, a single dad who barely has time to sleep, let alone offer her what she deserves?

As Y/N stammered slightly, searching for words, Bill felt his stomach drop further. 

She’s trying to find a nice way to let you down. Merlin, why did you think this was a good idea?

He stepped back slightly, forcing a small, tight smile as he glanced down at the floor. “It’s fine if you don’t want to,” he said quickly, the words rushing out in a weak attempt to save face. “I just thought I’d ask. No pressure.”

His heart was pounding now, his breath shallow as the embarrassment curled hot in his chest. He’d overstepped. He’d ruined the easy, friendly connection they’d shared, and now he’d have to watch her walk out the door, knowing he’d made things awkward.

“Bill, no,” Y/N said, her voice breaking through his spiraling thoughts. She shook her head quickly, stepping forward. “It’s not that at all. I was just surprised.”

Her words made him pause, his eyes flicking up to meet hers. The warmth in her expression was unmistakable, a faint pink tinge coloring her cheeks. “I’d love to have dinner with you, Bill,” she said softly, her smile returning. “Saturday sounds great.”

For a moment, he couldn’t quite process her words. “Really?” he asked, his voice hesitant, as though he didn’t quite believe it.

“Really,” Y/N said, her smile widening, her tone steady.

Relief hit him like a wave, the tension in his shoulders easing as her words settled over him. The earlier turmoil in his chest dissipated, replaced by a cautious but undeniable flicker of hope.

As Y/N adjusted her bag and reached for the door handle, she glanced back at him. “I’ll see you then,” she said gently.

“Yeah,” Bill replied, his voice softer now. “See you.”

She stepped outside, the door clicking softly behind her, leaving Bill standing there in the quiet hallway. The air felt lighter somehow, and yet his heart was still racing. He let out a shaky breath, his lips curving into a faint, disbelieving smile.

She said yes.

The doubt still lingered, a quiet voice whispering that he might not be enough, but for now, it was drowned out by the simple truth of her answer. And as he turned back toward the kitchen, a small, hopeful spark settled in his chest, glowing brighter with every step.

tagged: @navs-bhat @neenieweenie @buendiabebeta

a/n: OH MY GOD GUYS!!!!!!! from here on out its just fluff i fear. i know the orginal request asked for some angst and i will definatly try to add that in, but i'll make it more internally.

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

The Thousand Yard Stare Chapter 4

Summary: Bucky Barnes has served his country well, and at a great personal cost.  After being rescued as a prisoner of war, he is struggling as he gets back into civilian life.  His newfound PTSD is severe.  His friends and family try to help, but he needs a lot more than they can give.  His mother signs him up for a Veteran recovery home, where he meets people struggling just like him, and the home director who has her own dark past to deal with.  He might just find love along the way as he searches for peace.

Warnings: mentions of physical assault, violence, being taken prisoner; sexual assault/r@pe; PTSD/anxiety/depression/panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares; suicide/minor character death; eventual smut

Previous chapter Next chapter

Y/N had already left before anyone had woken up the next morning.  Bucky found it odd, seeing as how she always greeted everyone and had breakfast ready, but this time they were left on their own to handle breakfast.  He felt like the house was colder than usual without her there.  He decided to text her:

Hope you have a fun day with your family.  See you later tonight.  Be safe.

She replied shortly after:

Thanks.  See you later.

He thought her response seemed clipped, but decided not to press her on it.  As he read the text Scott looked over.

“Why did you text her?” Scott asked, looking anxious.

“What?” Bucky asked.

“Ugh, I should have told you,” Scott groaned.  Everyone else at the table sighed as they ate breakfast.  

“What?” Bucky asked, more exasperated.  “What’s going on?”

“What did she tell you she was doing today?” Scott asked warily.

“Well, yesterday none of her family showed up and I asked her about it, and she said she’d see them today,” Bucky said, feeling overwhelmed with everyone’s attention on him.

Scott rubbed his face and Wanda hummed.  “She’s seeing them at the cemetery,” she said quietly.  Bucky looked at her confused.  Her head tilted and she sighed again.  “Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, Y/N goes to the cemetery and spends the day alone.  She has no family.  They’re all dead.  Her mom was her last living relative and she died just as Y/N was rescued from Baghdad.”

Bucky’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened as he took in this new information.  He felt like throwing up.  He felt so stupid.  Why didn’t she say anything, or correct him when he asked about her family?

“She doesn’t like to talk about it,” Scott piped up, seeing the question in Bucky’s eyes.  “This home, and anyone she helps in it, is her family.  That’s why it’s her whole life.  We are her soul focus,” he said sadly.  “She’ll most likely have a nightmare tonight, or this weekend.  A loud one,” he added.  “She always does after today.  We should probably figure out who’s going to help her this time.”

“Help her?”  Bucky asked.

“Like she helps you with your nightmares,” Pietro spoke up.  

“I can do it,” Bruce volunteered quietly.  

“You did it last time Bruce, and she nearly knocked you out, don’t stress yourself,” Wanda interjected.  “I can do it.”

After a few back and forth comments Bucky spoke loudly.  “I’ll do it,” he volunteered.  They all looked at him.  “I’m closest to her room, I’ll hear her first.  And she’ll be with me in the comfy room later tonight anyway.  I’ll do it.”

Wanda’s eyes narrowed at him.  “It takes her a while to snap out of it,” she warned.  “She’ll fight you.  Especially because you’re a man holding her down.  She won’t recognize you at first.”

“I know,” Bucky said, remembering the few times she had helped him and he wasn’t fully coherent.  “But I can do it.  I’ve got her.”

Everyone nodded, the breakfast now tainted with a somber mood.

***

A few hours later as Bucky was finishing up helping Scott rake the leaves outside he went inside to shower.  As he rummaged through his jacket pocket for his phone he pulled it out and saw he had a voicemail from Y/N left an hour ago.  He quickly opened it as he sat on his bed and hit play.

“--but everything’s going good, Mama.  We just got a new guy at the home a few months ago.”

It took Bucky a moment to realize that she wasn’t speaking to him.  She had accidentally called him and left him a message, probably after answering his text earlier.

“His name is Bucky.  He’s a real sweetheart.”  She paused.  “He’s gone through the worst thing imaginable, like me.  But he’s doing really well.  Soon enough I feel like he’ll be able to go home, and he won’t need me anymore.”  She sniffled.  “The problem is…I feel like I’m falling in love with him.”

Bucky gaped at his phone, nearly dropping it as she spoke.

“And I shouldn’t be.  I know it’s not appropriate.  He’s there for help, not for me to be lusting after him.  That’s the last thing he needs.”  She paused again.  “You’d like him, Mama.  Funny, kind, headstrong, kinda quiet, he’s got a great laugh when he actually fully laughs.  And easy on the eyes, as you’d say,” she snickered.  “I don’t know.  Maybe someday, after he’s left or something.  It’s nice to just get it off my chest though.”  She started crying, her sniffles getting louder and a choked whimper coming out.  “I miss you so much Ma–”

The voicemail ended.  Bucky sat silently, his brain not fully processing what he just heard.  She liked him back.  Was “falling in love” with him.  The looks he’d seen and the more personal, tender touches weren’t his mind tricking him.  He felt elated and also uneasy.  Requited love was thrumming through his mind, and yet he’d found out this information unintentionally.  She hadn’t meant for him to find out.  Would she have ever said anything?  Would she have ever told him, even after he left the home when he was mostly recovered?  He felt like the answer would be no.  

Bucky was in a funk for the rest of the day, unsure of what to do or how to go about it.  Should he talk to her?  Or just ignore it and let her come to him when she was ready?  What if she never did out of some sense of it being inappropriate or unethical?  Later that night he was still stewing over it as he sat in the comfy building, holding his phone and listening to her voicemail over and over as he waited for her to come in for their session.

He quickly shut his phone off when he heard footsteps coming from outside.  Y/N walked in looking tired as she shut the door behind her and turned to see him on the couch.  “Oh, hey Buck, you’re here already,” she said quietly, giving him a small smile.

“Yep,” Bucky said just as quietly.  

“Well, shall we?” she asked, gesturing to the walled off room.  Bucky nodded and followed her into the room.  She closed the door and sat herself on the couch as he sat on the bed across from her.  “So last week I feel like we made some good progress in trigger points on the body.  Is there anywhere else that you feel like is holding tension in your body anytime we have done these sessions?” she asked as she rummaged through her things and pulled out a notebook.

“I do, but um,” Bucky hesitated.  He wasn’t sure what to say as his hands wrung in front of him.  “It’s in a place that’s not exactly, uh…” he paused, watching her.

“I can’t help you with anything below the belt, Buck,” Y/N laughed as she opened her notebook.  “Though I can give you some resources for sex therapists that could help you with that.”

“No, I mean yes, but no,” Bucky blushed.  “It’s um…it’s my head?”

“You’re head?” Y/N looked confused.  

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.  He decided to just address it now.  Maybe if he got it out in the open now they could work through it, for better or worse.  “I found something out today I wasn’t supposed to.”

“Do you want to tell me?” Y/N asked curiously.

Bucky gulped.  “Well, first of all, you lied to me last night.”  Y/N’s eyes minutely widened, her body freezing.  “You said you were seeing your family today.  You forgot to mention that they’re all gone,” Bucky said, trying to be gentle rather than accusatory.  Y/N stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face.  “Scott told me,” he said.

Y/N closed her eyes as she sighed heavily.  “I’m sorry.  I should have told you, I just didn’t want to put a damper on your day with your family,” she said.  

“You wouldn’t have,” Bucky said, leaning forward.  “As much as you’re helping me, I’d like to think that we’re at least friends at this point, Y/N.  You can tell me things, too,” he offered. 

Y/N opened her eyes and looked at him, her eyes now shining with unshed tears.  “Thank you,” she whispered.  

Bucky held a hand out to her and she reached forward taking it with one of hers.   “C’mere,” he said, pulling her hand toward him.  Y/N laughed a little then stood from the couch and walked up to him.  He moved back on the bed to lay down and pulled her next to him.  She was usually the one to hold him against her when they had cuddle sessions, but this time he was the one holding her, tucking her head into his chest.  

“I’m supposed to be cuddling you, sir,” Y/N laughed again, wiping her eyes.

“This is my cuddle session to do with as I please, ma’am,” Bucky scoffed at her, running his fingers through a part of her hair.  

Y/N giggled and nuzzled into his chest, her hands fisting into his sweater.  They lay together for a while, neither of them wanting to interrupt the quiet.  Bucky wanted to bring up the voicemail, but decided it would have to wait for another day.  She just needed comfort, a friend, and he was more than willing to be that for her.  The rest could wait.

***

Bucky awoke to the sound of whimpering, his chest being hit by something.  He moved away from the offending thing hitting him and tried to adjust his eyes to the darkened room.  He looked down to see Y/N squirming on the bed next to him.  They had fallen asleep in the cuddle room.  As he started to try to sit up Y/N stiffened.  Bucky watched her body go rigid, her hands grasping the blankets beneath her.  Her head wrenched back and she suddenly screamed.

The scream was unearthly and Bucky backed up again.  His eyes were comically wide as she twitched, the scream dying in her throat before she took another deep breath and screamed again.  He jumped into action, desperately wanting that awful noise to stop.

“Y/N!  Hey, wake up,” he said loudly, sitting up on his knees and hovering over her.  His hands gently shook her shoulders but she just tried twisting away from him.  “Y/N!” he yelled this time, more firmly shaking her.  Another scream reverberated through the room and he cringed.  Tears were streaming down her face and she cried loudly.

“NO!” she yelled.  

Bucky started tapping her cheek.  “It’s not happening to you now, sweetheart, come on!  It’s just a bad memory.  Come back!” he yelled, trying to speak into her ear more.  He gave her cheek one harder slap and her eyes flew open.  “Y/N?” he asked tentatively.

Y/N’s eyes turned to him in fear and she pushed against him.  She was surprisingly strong and sent him flying into the wall next to the bed.  “No!” she yelled again, scrambling away from him.

“Y/N, it’s me!” Bucky said, quickly collecting himself.  He moved toward her on the bed.  In her panic she wasn’t able to focus on getting her limbs to do what she wanted so she fell off the bed to the floor and started crawling away from him toward the corner of the room.  Bucky jumped off the bed and tried to help her up but she wrenched her body away.  “Y/N, come on…ugh!” Bucky yelped as she kicked his leg out from underneath him.  He fell on top of her, which made her scream harder.  He used the position to keep her from hitting him as he turned her to face him.  He gripped her hands with one hand and held them on her chest while the other kept himself upright.  Y/N was thrashing against him, trying to get away.  “Y/N!  LOOK AT ME!” he bellowed.

Y/N finally stopped and stared up at him, breathing heavily.  Her eyes flickered across his face, recognition slowly showing on her face.  “Come back to me, sweetheart,” Bucky breathed, staring into her eyes.  “It’s just me, Bucky, okay?  You were having a nightmare,” he slowly released her hands.  “It’s just a bad memory.  That’s what you always tell me, right?  It’s not happening to you now.  You’re here, at home.  You’re safe,” he stroked her cheek with his fingers.  She blinked rapidly at his touch and released a sharp breath.  

“Bucky,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Bucky smiled.  “Come on, let’s get you off the floor.”  He slowly pulled himself off of her and pulled her up by her arms.  Y/N let him guide her and then stood in front of him like she was zoned out, her eyes looking around as she was still grounding herself.  Bucky leaned down to her eye level and cupped her face, making her look at him.  “Hey,” he said lowly.  Her eyes found him again.  “Hey you,” he smiled.  “It’s just you and me, right here, right now.  I’ve got you,” he said, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.  Y/N sagged in his hold, her hands reaching up and grasping his wrists.  “I’ve got you,” he repeated, leaning his forehead against hers.

Next thing he knew she was kissing him.  He froze, his mind short circuiting for a split second, then he closed his eyes and kissed her back.  At first it was soft, neither of them moving.  Bucky pulled away and looked for any hesitation in her face, but only saw a deep desire looking back at him.  He dove back in and kissed her hard, pulling a moan from her.  Y/N’s arms moved to wrap around his neck, kissing him passionately, running her fingers through his hair just how he liked during their cuddle sessions.  

Bucky moved his hands from her face down to her lower back, wrapping his arms around and holding her to him.  Y/N’s nails scratched his scalp, making him shiver against her.  He started moving them back towards the bed, acting on instinct that he thought long lost as he maneuvered her onto the bed until he was hovering over her.  Y/N’s mouth opened and her tongue licked along his lower lip, and he happily reciprocated by tasting her back.  She moaned again, her hands now gripping his shoulders for support.

Bucky’s hands were slowly running down her sides to her hips, his right hand kneading her left thigh as he brought it up around his hip.  His other hand was tickling along her stomach then his fingers went under the hem of her shirt, skimming along her skin.  A small part of his brain was yelling at him to think this through, that she hadn’t confessed her feelings to him yet, that she had just woken up from a nightmare that was a huge emotional toll, what this would mean for them later, but it all felt too good.  Her perfect hands on his face, in his hair, her plushy skin under his fingers, the way her tongue felt on him, the sweet noises she made.  As her nails scratched down his chest he moaned into her mouth.

Y/N stilled, her fingers freezing and then pushing against his chest.  He pulled away panting as he looked at her questioningly.  Y/N looked at him in shock, looking down between them and then gasping.  She pushed him away, making him flop onto the bed next to her and quickly stood up, gathering her things.

“I’m sorry Bucky,” she said, adjusting her clothes.

“What?  Hold on,” Bucky stood, reaching for her arm which she quickly dodged.  “What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N repeated, moving towards the door.  “That was wrong.  I apologize.”

“Y/N wait,” Bucky said, blocking her way to the door.  “Talk to me, hey,” he reached out and held her arms.  

“We can’t do this, Buck,” Y/N said, shutting her eyes tight.  

“Why not?” Bucky asked, squeezing her arms.

“I’m supposed to be helping you, not dating you,” Y/N answered, keeping her head turned toward the floor.  “Thank you for helping me get out of that nightmare.  I’m sorry for my emotional response.”

“I kissed you, too,” Bucky said, cupping her face again and bringing her face up.  “Look at me, sweetheart.”

Y/N’s eyes flew open at the pet name but she shook her head.  “Don’t call me that,” she said, trying to move away.

“Y/N please!” Bucky raised his voice.  “I wanted that, too.  I kissed you back.  I want you.  I got a voicemail from you earlier today.”  Y/N’s brow furrowed in confusion.  “It was you talking to what I’m assuming was your mom’s grave,” he continued.  Her eyes widened.  “You said you were falling in love with me,” Bucky said.  “And I’ve been falling for you for a while now.”

Y/N shook her head again.  “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does,” Bucky said imploringly.  “How could you say that?”

“I can’t have you,” Y/N sniffed, some tears starting to form in her eyes again.  “Not now.  Not like this, when you’re in my care–”

“You’re not my therapist,” Bucky cut in.  “Having a relationship with you is not unethical or a breach of trust or conduct.  I want this,” he leaned in and kissed her forehead.  “I want you,” he said, kissing down her face, making her sigh.  “All I want is you,” he breathed, his lips grazing her lips.

Y/N whimpered as he gave her lips a short kiss, but she quickly took another step back.  “Bucky, please understand–”

“I’ll wait,” Bucky interrupted.  Y/N froze.  “I can wait until my time here is done.  Once you and Dr. Strange feel like I’m healed well enough to leave, then we can do this,” he gestured between the two of them.  “Please don’t push me away.”

Y/N huffed a sharp breath, her eyes flickering between his.  She was contemplating, and he didn’t dare let go of her as she thought it through.

“What if your recovery takes a long time?” she asked.  “You can’t rush yourself through recovery for the sake of a possible relationship afterwards.  You have to do this right–”

“I will,” Bucky promised.  

“Can you honestly wait that long?” Y/N asked.  “And when it is done how will you…your family lives a few hours away, your whole life is there.  How would this even work?”

“We can figure all that out when the time comes,” Bucky said, his hands slipping down to her shoulders.  

She stared at him for another minute.  “I don’t…I don’t know,” she shook her head, looking down.

“Think about it,” Bucky said quietly, massaging her shoulders.  “Either way, I’ll wait for you.”  He lifted her chin with his fingers and leaned in, kissing her deeply one last time.  “Just remember, you’re all I want sweetheart.  And I’ve got you.  No matter what you choose.”  He gave her a sad smile, pulled his hands away then walked out of the room and back towards the house.  He didn’t know what would happen from here, but hoped for the best.

@wintrsoldrluvr @isitbiorisitlesbian @starfly-nicole @s-a-v-a-n-a-34 @buckys-arm-and-rios-dagger @idontknowhowtonormal

[sweetbillwriting]

In The Dead of Night

THE LAST CHAPTER

& EPILOGUE

Characters: AU Eric played by Bill Skarsgård from The Crow (2024)

Setting: This story is set in A WHOLE OTHER WORLD than the movie. Shelley isn't a part of this story. Eric will be different from the movie.

Warnings: 18+, NSFW, heavy themes.

Notes: Thanks to @b-afterhours for helping me with the language. Picture credit to @hiddlelecki

It was obvious Robin had done something to destroy for Eric, and the only thing I could see it could be, was the relationship with Lotti. The relationship with Simone wasn't good enough to feel a victory over by destroying, and it didn't have anything to do with their relationship either. The thing the two of them had fought about their whole lives was the love from their parents, so it must be that Robin had taken away from Eric.

Eric didn't see Lotti; Lotti even believed he was dead, but that seemed to be his own decision—not anything Robin had forced him to, but Eric grieved his relationship with Lotti, even so loudly he cried over her like a little child. Once again I thought back on Eric's hurt look I had inflicted, and I swallowed dryly. I owed it to him to get to the bottom of this, and if Robin didn't want to talk to me, I must find someone else, someone who had been by Lotti's side more than her sons had in recent years.

×××

I had visited Lotti several times at the home and started to get used to the procedure, but that day I wasn't there to visit her but to talk with someone else; Fiona, her contact nurse, who had the closest relationship to her of all the nurses. I didn't know if she would give me anything because of the patient's confidentiality agreement, but I needed to at least give it a try for both Lotti and Eric. They deserved having a functional relationship, and something obviously stood in the way for that to happen—something Robin had created.

At the reception stood a young nurse I recognized, and with a small smile I asked for Fiona.

“She's with a resident right now, but if you want to, you can wait for her here.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ll do that then. Would you let her know I'm here? I just have some questions.” The nurse nodded with a bright smile before turning her gaze back to a laptop. I looked around while waiting and felt my nerves going up by just standing there. Fiona might refuse to talk to me. After ten minutes, I saw her come out from the door behind the reception, and when she saw me, she smiled.

“Here to see Lotti?”

I took a deep inhale and approached the reception again.

“No, I want to talk to you actually.”

Fiona looked at me surprised but then nodded a little.

“Is it a sensitive topic?”

I nodded, and it made Fiona nod too, and then she gestured to me to follow her.

She took me to a little room with a view over the yard and with four armchairs. It felt like the room where they told family members someone had died, and it made me a bit uncomfortable, but I still sat down in one of the armchairs while Fiona fixed coffee from the machine in the corner.

She sat down with a loud exhalation and corrected her ponytail.

“So what can I help you with?”

I looked down at my phone and looked through my phone’s gallery. It was full of pictures of Eric. It wasn't weird; he was so photogenic it would be a crime not to photograph him. I found a picture, modest but sweet, to show Fiona. He sat on the couch, occupied with his sketchbook, brows furrowing deeply. He wore an acid patterned t-shirt; in many of my pictures, he was shirtless. I gave her my phone, and she looked at the picture of him and nodded a little.

“The son she lost?” Fiona said carefully. My gaze lowered into my lap, avoiding the question, but she probably believed it was a yes.

“Did he ever visit her?

Fiona laid my phone on the table and gave me an empathetic look.

“I can't talk about that.”

“But I don't mean to know anything about Lotti, I just want to know if he was here. Fiona looked between my phone on the table and me. My eyes were glassy, and I tried to make my hands stop shaking by dragging them over my jeans-clad thighs. Fiona licked her lips and then nodded.

“Once… Not long before his accident happened. He… He didn't look like he felt so good…” She said everything low, like she was afraid someone would hear her. “Then it was so... It was really awful—his last meeting with his mom, and she didn't recognize him. Robin told me she more or less had screamed at him, and,” Fiona pointed to my phone. “He ran away. I didn't get a chance to talk to him and explain it was a bad day.”

I swallowed hard and dragged my hands over my cheeks. I couldn't even imagine what happened in Eric's head when his mom didn't recognize him, but I could also guess what Lotti saw instead of her youngest son. I had seen the pictures of the unhealthy Eric, thin and pale, hollow-eyed, and then on top of that, all his tattoos. The meeting must have been heartbreaking for Eric. His loving mom screamed in terror at seeing him, the person he loved the most judging him. I laid my hands over my face when I once again could hear my own words to him. Fucking junkie. I was the worst human ever.

“I can't tell you more; I've already said too much…” said Fiona, and I nodded.

“Thank you, thank you…” I said when I had removed my hands from my face. Fiona gave me a small

smile before we said goodbye.

×××

I sat on a bench in one of my town's parks even if the wind blew cold. I looked at Eric's number on my phone. I didn't want anything else than to call him and beg him to forgive me, but I had already done that once, and it felt like it was harder to defend my right to do it.

I wanted to be able to say something real to him—not just whine and beg again, but it also felt like I had something to say.

I tried to paint up a timeline in my head, and for everything I put on it, a more and more clearer picture grew in front of me.

Eric Senior; Robin and Eric's father had died, and it had made Eric lose his footing again. Once again, he started to use drugs. Lotti got in an accident, causing her stroke, and when she met Eric, she couldn't recognize him. Robin got him into rehab, but they also said to Lotti that Eric was dead.

Looking at the timeline, it felt obvious what was missing. Robin had never told Eric it was just a bad day, that Lotti did remember him but just had a confused day. He had let Eric believe his mom saw him just as a druggy guy. Robin had taken his mom away from Eric when he had the chance and left Eric alone, without a family.

I let my tears run down my cheeks slowly while I looked down at the ground. My heart was bleeding for Eric, but I also felt so fooled by Robin. He had been my best friend for two years, and never had I thought he was capable of such an evil crime. I couldn't see another reason to do it than just punish him for being the favorite son, but with this, it became even more understandable why Eric was the favorite. He had a heart of gold, while Robin obviously could let his heart become stone.

Eric needed to know this as fast as possible; he had already missed so much time with Lotti.

×××

It wouldn't be easy to get Eric to listen to me; I knew that, but that didn't make it any less frustrating when he didn't pick up when I called him. I called him every day that week while working in the salon. Robin was sick, but I was quite certain the truth was he didn't want to meet me.

When the weekend came, I had decided to go to Eric, but to my surprise my sister showed up with Odin. I didn't think Robin would keep our schedule, but clearly he would. Desiree looked at me irritated when she just dropped Odin's leash so he could give his wild hello to me.

“Are you fighting again? Come on, you too shouldn't have a dog together!”

I sighed a little while patting Odin's dark fur. It looked like Eric's hair, but Eric's hair was much softer. “He refused to see you.”

“Yeah, because he lied to his mom about Eric being dead,” I said with a pointed look. Desiree looked at me with big eyes; once again, the gossip devil burned in her eyes.

“Seriously??”

“Yeah, because he's jealous. If I could, I would crush his nose!”

“That's insane! But are you and Eric a couple now?”

I gave her a pained look.

“It's so fucking messy, but I will fix it. I know it sounds silly, but I can't live without him. I can't breathe right without him.”

Desiree smiled a little at me and nodded. She probably started to understand Dante wasn't the real deal, Eric was.

“What is your plan?”

“I must go to him and tell him about Robin so he can fix his relationship with his mom. It's a super long story... But his story.”

I meant it wasn't my story to tell, and Desiree nodded, but she looked disappointed. She wanted more gossip.

“But now you have Odin, will you wait-”

I stop her with a head shake.

“No, I'll bring him. Eric loves him. He loves Eric more than anyone else.”

She giggled. “More than you?”

“Totally. I'm the third wheel with them.”

Desiree giggled, then gave me a hug.

“Fix this then. I want to know how dad reacts when you have a boyfriend with Lovecraft on his back.”

I smiled warmly at her but also nervously, not because of my dad's love for gothic literature but because I couldn't mess this up now when Desiree rooted for me.

×××

“Please open Eric! Please!” I shouted outside of his door. I didn't know if he chose to not open it or if he actually wasn't home. “Eric!”

Odin barked twice, but not even that made Eric open the door. I walked to my car again and tried to find a solution. I looked at Odin in the seat next to me, and he looked at me with one eyebrow lifted and eyes full of worry that I wouldn't fix this.

“We will fix something for us to eat and take a long walk and maybe a nap because we will visit someone late tonight…” I said to him and patted his head and ear.

I bought us each a hamburger, not the best dog food, but for one night it was okay, then I tried to make the time pass by walking around; it was boring as hell, but at 00.30 am we could finally go to Jackie’s. I didn't care that it was desperate; I was desperate.

Jackie opened with a smirk. He was obviously high and didn't even give us a confused look. I let Odin's leash go; that way Jackie or anyone else couldn’t easily kick us out. Odin ran into the living room so fast he slipped on the floor. That kind of joy could only mean Eric was there. My heart speeded up at once, and for a few seconds I wanted to turn around and flee.

“Eric is here if you’re searching for him, but I don't think he wants to see you,” said Jackie teasingly. Normally I would answer such teasing with attitude, but now I just swallowed hard and looked down at the floor. Jackie turned to the living room but stopped in the doorway, probably because of my big dog. I looked at myself with the help of the front camera on my phone. I had fixed my makeup and hair earlier in the car, but now, with the nerves, it felt like it all had fallen. After that, I finally brought myself together and walked into the living room. The scene there looked like it usually did. Five guys listening to music, drinking cheap beer, and smoking herbal joints. The air was heavy with the spicy smoke and the mist hung in the air for a long time after someone had exhaled.

Eric had moved down to the floor to cuddle with Odin, and he lay on his back while the dog licked his face almost sensually. I wanted to lay down with them but knew that would be too much, so I sat down on the armrest of the couch. His friends looked at me with big eyes, but none of them would get themselves involved in our mess. Eric sat up and pushed Odin away when he started to get way too excited, and with a snap of his fingers, he got him to lay down on the floor next to him. Odin looked at me pleased, and I envied him for how easy it was for him. When I looked at Eric, he looked away. I had planned to be cool in front of his friends but forgot all about that when he finally looked at me. The sob and tears came from nowhere, and even if I didn't see anyone's expression, I knew everyone in the room was uncomfortable.

Eric didn't let me sit and cry in front of his friends for a long time, he was too kind to do that and took my hand so we could get away.

He guided me out to the hallway and succeeded in having Odin as a tail.

“We’ll take a walk, okay?” He said lowly to me, and then he put on his khaki-colored vans and his long black coat. I put on my outerwear with some struggle, and when I was finished, Eric stood with Odin, leashed by the door.

We walked in silence, the only thing we could hear was my nose that couldn't stop running and Odin's claws landing on the concrete. I looked carefully at Eric, who looked sad and disappointed. I hated the look, and especially that it was me who had caused it.

“I want to say sorry three hundred times for what I said to you—that I accused you of taking those pills, but it isn't why I am here, or not just that reason.”

Eric gave me a quick look but then looked away, uninterested.

“It's about Lotti. Why did you stop seeing her?”

Eric scoffed after a while and shook his head.

“None of your business.”

His answer had some attitude, and even if it was just a little, it surprised me.

“Is it because she forgot you?”

Eric scoffed again and looked down at the ground. He really tried to have a cold attitude, but he was too bad at concealing his real emotions.

“She hasn't forgotten you-”

“Fuck Della! Please, why do you do this?” He said, irritated, and stopped to look straight at me. I stopped just in front of him and looked up at his face.

“She hasn't forgotten you; she misses you all the time-”

“I've met her! She threw a fucking glass at me! She has forgotten me, okay?!” His voice was loud now, but it didn't feel scary because it was such understandable frustration and pain.

“It was just then. It was just that moment. She forgets me too; the next time she's her normal self again. Robin has lied to you. She talks about you all the time and is broken without you!”

My voice was also loud now, to make him listen and shut him up. It worked because Eric stood and looked at me with big, glassy eyes they gave more light than the street light next to us.

“...what?” He said after a while, with a small voice.

“It's a lie, Eric. She hasn't forgotten you. She believes you're dead because that's what Robin said to her, and you believe she has lost the memory of you, but she hasn't! She thinks about you daily!”

I looked at him straight in the eyes, even if they shifted round and round. He dragged his hands over his face and dropped Odin's leash, but he stood by his side anyway. Big tattooed hands covered his face while sob after sob left his mouth. I wanted to hug him but didn't dare, but when he started to cry uncontrollably and was forced to sit down on the ground, I sat down in front of him.

“You can meet her, baby... You can be with your mom again…” I said calmly, and it made him lean his forehead against my shoulder. I took that as an invitation to hug him, and it caused him to unleash his feelings again. He cried loudly in a way I never heard a grown man cry before, and that made it even more heartbreaking. He wasn't a man at that moment, he was Lotti's little boy.

I hugged him hard with Odin sitting close to us, and Eric hugged me around my waist like he was much smaller than he was. I wiped his tears over and over, hushing him, but it took so long for him to calm down. He was shaking when he looked at me with red eyes and nose.

“I want to go home,” he said, wiping his eyes and nose with the backside of his hand. I nodded and dried away a tear on his jaw.

“Let's get home.”

×××

He calmed down quite quickly at home and let me help him take off his clothes down to his boxers and then bundle him up in bed. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought he had a serious cold; he both acted and looked like a sick person, but he was just upset. I sat down on the edge of the bed and forced him to drink a glass of water. He looked at me with his red-rimmed eyes. I was prepared for him to turn his back against me, but instead he pulled my top and pants like he wanted me to take them off.

“Do you want me to lay here with you?” I asked softly, and I got a nod back.

I took off my clothes close to the bed—so close he could drag his hand over my leg while I did it. It was obvious my skin was calming to him, and he tried to feel as much as he could. When I just wore my bra and panties, he looked up at me, then stretched out his arm and pulled in my panties. He did it again when I looked at him pointedly, so I pulled both them and my bra off. He lifted the cover so I could crawl down next to him, but he pulled me up over him. I sat up, straddling his hips to be able to look into his eyes.

“I love you, and we should talk and all that, but... I need you now, please. I need you now.” He said with a low voice while pulling down his boxers. I nodded and leaned down to kiss his lips. After that, I didn't drag it out; I let him slip into me, and I rode him until he couldn't handle anymore. 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

×××

I asked so many times if he had forgiven me, and he said yes, and that he loved me, every time. He could see that both of our emotions had been wild in every way lately, but I still continued to say I was sorry for a long time.

I had hoped he would want to see Lotti at once, but something held him back, so it wasn't until two weeks later he dared to come to my town to visit her. I would talk to her together with Fiona the day before so she wouldn't get a heart attack from the news. Robin hadn't tried anything to stop us from seeing her, and maybe he had given up. I tried to tell myself he wanted to do the right thing, but to be honest, I didn't know. It felt like I didn't know him.

Fiona and I looked at Lotti as she fixed coffee for all three of us and searched for some biscuits, but they seemed to have disappeared, in some sort of way. She was a bit confused that day but still in a good mood, and me and Fiona waited patiently on her to not destroy the good mood. She needed to be calm to be able to hear that her youngest son was still alive.

“I don't need any biscuits; I think just coffee sounds great!” Said Fiona optimistically to not make Lotti sad.

“Yeah, same,” said I, so Lotti would sit down with us. She gave us a bit of a bothered look but accepted what we had said and sat down by the little table with us and took a sip of her coffee. I looked at Fiona to have permission to talk, and she gave me a nod. She had never heard anything like Eric's story before, so neither she knew the best way to do it.

“Lotti, I am here to tell you something, something great, really, really great but strange,” I began and smiled nervously. She looked at me with a bright smile, like she thought I would tell her I had a bottle of wine in my handbag.

“Eric, Eric is alive and wants to see you.”

Lotti stared at me, then turned towards Fiona with an upset face; she probably wondered if I was lying.

“It's true, Lotti,” said Fiona, who had talked with Eric over a video call.

I could see how Lotti's face changed in slow motion from anger and confusion to laughing in disbelief.

“What are you saying? Are you trying to give a sick lady a heart attack?” She said with a laugh while wiping away tears with a plaid handkerchief. I took her other hand in mine and smiled at her.

“Eric is alive, Lotti.”

“But Robin..?” The emotions swam in her eyes, and I could also see disappointment, like she knew Robin had lied. I just nodded a little; she got to interpret that however she wanted, but she didn't seem to have time to because she laughed and cried in a beautiful mix of emotion.

“But where is he then??”

“He's at my place. We thought you maybe needed some time-”

“Time?! You say my son is alive, and you think I need time to calm down?? I need to see him! I'm his mother! I should see him now!”

Now Lotti sounded angry, and Fiona patted her shoulder a little.

“Delilah, maybe you can tell him to come, while Lotti, you can rest a bit on the bed?”

“Rest?! I want to see my son!”

“Lotti,” said Fiona, giving her a strict look. “This is a big thing, so you should be rested when Eric comes here, right? So he can see you at your best.”

Lotti looked irritated and wiped away some more angry tears, but then listened to Fiona and went to bed.

Seeing Eric in the reception of Lotti's home was surreal even for me, and it seemed so even for Fiona. She looked at him up and down like she really was seeing a ghost, but she also smiled a little embarrassed when he took off his long coat and showed off muscular tattooed arms in a black t-shirt that also hinted about the rest of his fit body. I smiled big with every positive feeling in my body but also to calm Eric down, who looked so worried.

“Sometimes you're the only thing she talks about... She has been angry at me now because she can't wait,” said Fiona with a giggle. It felt like she acted differently in front of Eric, and to make things a little more clear, I took Eric's hand in mine. He smiled nervously at Fiona and then at me but didn't say anything. I knew talking to new people wasn't his thing and especially not when he was nervous.

“I’ll go in and see if she's ready,” said Fiona, and Eric gave her a little smile.

When we were alone, he leaned down to kiss my lips, then rested his forehead against mine. I laid my hands on his cheeks and breathed deeply together with him.

“I'm so fucking nervous... It feels like I will throw up…”

“It's Lotti. Your mom, no one else, you will feel better at once when you have seen her.”

He nodded and moved away from me so he could smile at me. I smiled back brightly, high on love, and fixed his hair and played a little with his dagger earring.

“You're so handsome.”

He shrugged his shoulders but kissed me with a smile. I let our tongues say hello a couple of times before I giggled into his mouth.

“I love you.”

“I love you too. Most in the entire world.” He whispered and kissed me again.

I left them alone to have their meeting to themselves. Just like I most often wanted Eric to myself, I knew Lotti felt the same. Eric was everything, after all.

×××

Epilogue

Mine and Eric's lives changed drastically after he and Lotti had a relationship again. He wanted to be close to her as much as he could, so after a couple of months, he moved into my apartment. Robin fled from us to another town but still visited his mother. Odin became mine and Eric's dog. It wasn't anything we discussed; it just happened.

My mom succeeded in finding a job for Eric. He was skeptical at first when he heard it was at a daycare and couldn't understand how my mom could feel that was a good idea, but after just a few months, he went from being an extra staff member to getting himself established employment. The whole thing was so sweet, and sometimes I just went by the daycare to see him play in the sand with the kids or have three of them climb his long limbs.

Life was good for thirteen months, without really any big problems, but then Eric's beloved mother had another stroke and left us without a warning. It led to Eric getting depressed again, but with a stronger, better safety net, he didn't fall down the hole with drugs, but he still ended up sleeping for weeks and weeks while I tried to encourage him to do something instead, but he didn't listen. He just wanted to sleep.

It was a sunny March day, and he finally wanted to leave the apartment. He had lost a lot of his muscles and was a skinnier version of himself. He had moved to the couch from the bed a couple of weeks before but now felt so good he even smiled when we spoke.

“Do you want company?” I asked while he put on his running gear. He shook his head with a smile.

“I just want to clear out my head; I can take Odin, though.”

He gave me a peck on the lips when he had tied his shoes, and I gave him several more after that. He smiled at me and then buried his nose in my neck.

“I can make tartar tonight.”

“Really?” I said excitedly and lifted his head so I could look at his smiling face.

“Yeah, with your help and a better alcoholic-free wine than the last time.”

He didn't even drink anymore, and I glowed with pride when he said it. He had made so much progress. But life has a tendency to break when it is finally good. I wasn't even worried when Eric left our home with Odin. I had been that in the beginning of our relationship, but now I felt sure he wouldn't do anything crass; the only thing I didn't think about was that there were also things like bad luck.

The first thing I noticed was that he was out running for a longer time than usual, but I thought he probably just needed some more time in the fresh air. When he had been out two and a half hours, I started to think about calling him, but it was then an unknown number called me. I thought about not answering, but something made me do it anyway. I regretted at once doing it because the thing they said was nothing I wanted to hear. I knew something had happened as soon as they said they were calling from the hospital and wondered about my relationship with Eric.

“I'm his fiancee; has something happened?” I said worriedly and held on to a chair in front of me. I rarely called myself his fiancee because it sounded a bit silly to me, but I was, he had proposed to me in the October sun, at a farmer's market. It was spontaneous, like he often was, but straight from the heart. He didn't have a ring, so we bought one together instead. I didn't care that he couldn't afford one by himself; that wasn't important.

“We want you to come down here; it's good if you bring a friend with you,” said the nurse.

“What happened??” I asked, upset because that sentence made it seem like something was really, really wrong.

“Eric has been in an accident, but it's best if you come down here instead.”

I started to cry on the phone because if it was good, or at least if there was hope, they would have told me.

I brought Desiree with me, who came and got me in her car. I just cried and cried in panic while she tried to say it was probably not as bad as I thought, but it felt like not even she believed it. At the hospital, they took me to a similar room I had spoken with Fiona in. Desiree hugged my hand in hers because now she couldn't pretend it wasn’t worse than it was.

“Eric came in with a gunshot wound in his chest an hour ago. He had stepped in and tried to stop a fight between some teenage boys without knowing one of them was armed… We did everything we could to stop the bleeding, but... I'm sorry, but he didn't survive.”

..

.

…

How do you react when the love of your life gets taken away from you so fast? How do you react when they tell you how unfair life is?

Eric had come jogging with Odin in one of the rougher parts of town. He didn't think much about it because he had always been in those sorts of areas and people had respect for him. He was tall and built and tattooed in a way that made some believe he was in a gang.

The teenagers were just fifteen, and in his eyes it looked like kids having a fist fight. Other people let them fight; they either didn't care or didn't have the courage to do something, not even when one of the boys lay on the ground, getting kick after kick towards his head and neck. Eric acted on impulse. Fear was nothing that held him back, and if he thought something was wrong, he would jump in, so he did. People around saw how calm he was, how he acted like a safe grown up and got the kids to move away, everyone except one who acted just as impulsive as Eric.

It was his older brother's gun. He had brought it to be cool, but he fired it when he felt powerless, shooting Eric in the chest once and Odin in the neck twice. People around just looked at the mess for several minutes while Eric disappeared slowly from the world. Odin had left it behind at once. My fiance lay several minutes without receiving help until a young couple ran up to them, even if the boy still held the weapon pointed towards Eric. The boy was in shock, seeing the grown man on the ground fighting for his life. Another man succeeded in taking the gun, and others around called 911, but their help was too little, too late.

Eric died in the ambulance. He never even saw the harsh light of the emergency room.

How do you react when a kind soul as Eric dies while he tries to do good? How do you react when someone who has fought his whole life dies in such an awful way?

They showed me his body. They had tried to make the room look nice with dimmed light and him lying on a covered observation table, but it couldn't be nice because then they showed me Eric's lifeless face, pale and relaxed. His face had changed because of the relaxed muscles. He looked much softer but still so regal with his high cheekbones.

How do you react to seeing the man you love not breathing? How do you react when you realize that everything the people have said is true?

Eric didn't exist anymore. The light had left his eyes, his voice just living inside of me. The magic was gone forever, and I was left behind. My whole little unit disappeared on the same day. My fiance and our dog. My whole life. I didn't have a life anymore.

×××

I didn't cry after leaving the hospital. A numbness took over—a feeling of resignation. Crying was for people who were cleansing, that tried to move on, I wouldn't move on. Tears were a relief, making tension disappear. I didn't need that. I didn't have any tensions, I wasn't scared, and I wasn't vindictive because I didn't have a future. I was just as dead as Eric.

I could feel everyone around me staring. I just sat on the couch, looking straight forward. Even Robin stretched a hand out but I didn't give him any response. My family thought about calling the psychiatric hospital but let it be, they thought I would come out of the daze I was in. They were wrong, so wrong. It wasn't even a daze; it was my reality. They believed I was stuck in grief, but I had left all earthly feelings behind. They lay forgotten on the hospital floor.

If there is nothing left for you at the party, you should leave it; you will have it better at home. I needed home again—Eric's warm embrace.

If my family knew what I was thinking, they would have taken me to a hospital, but it wouldn't really matter. It was too late. I would have done it anyway.

They had taken me to my parents house so I could live there. They thought I just needed love and comfort, but I couldn't even understand what they tried to do because I wasn't there; I just searched for an exit. They didn't believe I would go out in the dead of night in my trance-like state. I already had found my exit. I didn't have time to spill; I needed to go to Eric.

The exit was at the central station, the trains came all hours of the day, even in the dead of the night. It was easy. My party was over, and I needed to come home to Eric. It was easy.

.

..

…

I recognized the place at once. I had been there many times—oh, so many times. I was at my old street again, by the playground. It wasn't as dark as it had been the last time I was there; all the streetlights were on, and the sky shifted in a warm peach color. The sun was on its way up. I looked around, seeing if there was someone there; it was, I heard a loud bark. I recognized that bark so well, and it made me shiver in comfort. I laughed when Odin came running, and I sat down on the ground to let him give me a proper hello. While he licked my neck, I heard footsteps in the gravel. I wouldn't even need to look up to know who it was, but why wouldn't I want to do that? I stood up and looked at my tall fiance standing there, looking like he did in the prime of his life. His cheeks were a bit rosy from the coldness in the park, but still he just wore a black t-shirt with his khaki cargo pants.

“Hey,” he said with a warm smile, and I threw myself around his neck at once, without even thinking. His warm embrace caught me. I was home again. He laughed a little and then kissed me. I couldn't stop, and when we had started, we let it become a make-out session. I giggled into the kisses, and I could feel him smile.

“Did you get to decide on a meeting place again? Fuck, I thought it was my turn now!”

I laughed and dragged my fingers through the hair in his neck.

“So you remember this place?”

“Yeah, from when I was in the coma. I didn't remember the girl's face though, but it was you… the whole time.” He hugged my waist while looking me deep my eyes.

“I never dared to tell you about my dreams; I would have sounded like a stalker.”

“More than you already did, you mean?” He teased, and I hit him playfully on the arm, but then we laughed together. He gave me a soft kiss but then looked at me seriously.

“You shouldn't have taken your life, babe. You had so much to live for.”

He looked sad, but I wasn't really. I felt bad for my family, but I wasn't sad; I was with Eric.

“I think it was meant to be. Here we are, the three of us again-”

“Four.”

“Hm?”

He pointed to a light pole, and I looked up at it where Crow sat, looking down at us.

“He has guided me back two times; I know he will guide me away today. To my parents.”

I looked at him seriously.

“And I will follow you wherever you go.”

Eric looked at me examining with big green eyes. The mesmerizing eyes. He nodded and looked up at Crow.

“I love you most in the entire world, you know," I said with a giggle and took his hand in mine. He smiled at me and kissed my hand.

“And I love you most in the entire world and wherever we will go!” He said it playfully. I giggled, because I wasn't afraid. Eric looked at Odin, then at Crow. The bird made a caw and lifted his wings. I knew that was the signal, and when Crow lifted from the light pole, all three of us followed him towards the sun.

×

[amomentsescape]

Bubba Accidentally Hurts You

Bubba Sawyer x Reader

A/N: I guess I'm on a bit of a hurt-comfort kick right now.

Bubba would never hurt you intentionally

He wouldn't even give you a high-five unless you consented to it first

So when he accidentally bumped you into a pile of rusty scrap metal, he about died

Some victim was fighting back a lot more than he had expected them capable of

They had dashed out into the yard and was almost at arm's reach

However, you had heard some of Bubba's yells from outside, causing you to worry

You ran over to where you heard him, wanting to check to make sure he was okay

But during this chase, he didn't see you and ended up bumping his torso into you, causing you to fall backwards

The victim stepped into one of the family's traps during this whole escapade thankfully

But Bubba immediately let out a yell of sadness and worry as he stumbled over to you, helping you out of the metal

Blood was dripping onto the ground as he saw a few cuts on your arms and legs

He whimpered and pulled you into him tightly, trying to apologize the best he could

"It's okay, I'm okay," you said over and over again

Bubba finally believed you after a while and picked you up, taking you back inside the house

The victim was still outside screaming through all of this

He tried his best to clean up your wounds and bandage them

Stopped to give you hugs in between

Afterwards, he sat you down on the couch and made you stay there until he came back

He went back outside with his chainsaw and gave the victim the cruelest death you could imagine

You could hear their screams for what felt like hours

Bubba definitely felt like the victim was responsible for your injuries, and that made him horribly vengeful

Once he was done, he came back inside and pulled you into another hug, this one lasting longer than the others

The wounds weren't that bad so you knew you'd be okay, but Bubba was terrified that you almost died

After a full day of reassurances and cuddles, he finally felt secure

Don't expect him to let you outside during future killings however

He'll go into a frenzy

[reddblight]

I’m being lazy and didn’t proofread this so i’m sorry if it’s not my best, but I wanted Danny and Bart to vibe. Hop y’all still like it. Maybe i’ll post it on ao3 at some point

Danny only really got to see skies like this once a year.

In the deep woods, surrounded by the singing of nocturnal life happening around him it was easy to look up to the stars and get lost in thought. It was one of his favorite parts of camping.

Technically speaking the Fentons didn’t go camping infrequently, often being dragged all over the midwest by his parents looking for some (probably fake) ghost related thing they read about on an online forum. On those trips Danny and Jazz never had any fun. Danny narrowly avoided his parent’s newest contraptions and Jazz mostly tucked herself into the GAV to read. There wasn’t much in the way of family bonding or peaceful moments on those trips.

But once a summer they went on a real camping trip. At the beginning of August they packed up the GAV and took the scenic drive to the same wooded valley in Tennessee where his parents had gone for their honeymoon. Not many would go survivalist camping for a honeymoon, but Jack and Maddie were just cool like that. Danny always finds himself chuckling at that. Anyway, they’d started this tradition around the time when Danny was 8, once he and Jazz were old enough. They’d stay for a whole week. It was always Danny’s favorite week of the year, the one week where his parents acted like they did before the portal had opened.

Normal activities on the trip usually included fishing with Dad while Jazz and Mom swam, going on hikes, and practicing survivalist skills. They sang songs by the fire, told scary stories, and made s'mores. And once the darkest part of night hit Danny would wake up Jazz and make her watch the stars with him from a clearing about half a mile from the campsite.

It was his favorite spot in the whole world, that clearing no more than a hundred or so yards across where a couple boulders sat, smoothed from years of rain and wind. He could feel the grass tickling his ankles from the run there and hear Jazz yelling something about ticks every time he thought of it. It was so quiet there, never truly silent with the sounds of the woods around them, but quiet in that comforting song of night.

The memories brought a quiet smile to his face as his eyes traced Ursa Major from atop his boulder. His trance like focus was interrupted by a small sigh as the soft thud of a head covered in a thick mop of hair fell onto his shoulder. Sitting back to back was the boy he’d met here what felt like forever and a half ago, but was really more like 5ish years ago when they were both 14.

Danny had heard Bart Allen before he understood what his eyes were seeing. A fast talking blur of red winding between trees faster than he could follow. He’d gone invisible when he first heard the odd sound reverberating through the woods, defenses up, was this going to be yet another thing that the portal took from him? But no, when the blur slowed down a bit (never stilled, but slowed) it was just another kid that looked about his age who was about 20% hair complaining about his uncle and a stupid training excursion. His face was kinda scrunched up in a funny way, clearly frustrated and concentrated. Another kid who had been running nearly fast enough to break the sound barrier… So Danny watched him continue running and complaining for probably about 15 minutes before he decided that this probably wasn’t ghost related after the dude clipped his arm on a tree and shouted some sort of unfamiliar expletive.

Not yet dropping invisibility, Danny sort of whisper shouted a ‘hello?’ In the other boy’s direction.

The mystery boy jumped like he’d stepped on a nail, whipping his head around to look for anyone and yelling ‘What the sprock!?’

Danny had felt himself shocked out of invisibility and followed up by asking ‘That dude with the elf ears from Star Trek?’

Bart just stared him dead in the eyes like anything about that had been a normal interaction and went ‘Who?’

Really it all spiraled from there. The boys burst into laughter and introduced themselves, killing any tension. Bart was the first other kid with powers he’d met, the first kid who didn’t look at Danny like he was weird. Bart explained that he was here with his uncle Max to train using his speed in cramped environments with lots of obstacles. He hated it, it was boring and he was far away from his friends and video games. Danny in turn told Bart about the yearly vacation to which the boy responded ‘Oh that’s so crash!’ It took Danny a minute to get used to Bart’s weird slang.

They talked late into the night, trading stories about rogues and adventurers, but also about school and their friends. Danny didn’t tell Bart about his accident, but Bart didn’t tell Danny about being from the future yet either, so it was even. They stayed surface level. They actually ended up talking so long that Jazz came trudging through the woods to find Danny, worried that he’d been kidnapped or killed or something. That marked the end of their first night getting to know each other, Danny heading back to camp with Jazz. Every night for the rest of that week though, they met at the boulder and hung out.

They compared powers (Bart was super jealous that Danny could fly, he loves flying) and talked about their hobbies. Danny even got Bart to sit for a little bit each night to stargaze with him. Bart was bad at sitting still, but Danny telling him the stories behind his favorite constellations seemed to help soothe him for at least a little while.

At the end of the week, the Fenton’s were getting ready to go back to Amity Park, Danny’s Dad packing the car while his Mom checked the routes home. Danny met Bart in the clearing one last time and they exchanged phone numbers, promising to keep in touch.

It wasn’t an empty promise, they did text when they could, but both of them living the hero life was busy. Between Danny juggling Amity Park basically on his own and Bart having both Manchester and Young Justice, they didn’t have a lot of time to talk. Small chats, maybe twice a month. Playing video games together once in a blue moon. It was infrequent, but it was nice when they got the chance.

Before he knew it that first week of August had rolled around again and they were headed back to Tennessee. It had been a long year, and Danny was more than excited for some time away (Sam, Tucker, & Val could hold down the fort for a week anyway).

Danny was excited to see his favorite spot again, to gaze upon the cosmos and see the light dance across the skies. But there was an unexpected benefit, perched atop his boulder, fingers tapping and legs swinging, was Bart. The moment he saw Danny he threw up a Star Trek peace sign and Danny knew it’d be a great week.

Since then, every year without fail, Danny and Bart have seen each other once a year for this trip. They caught up on everything, shared some secrets they never thought they would and strangely enough, they found someone who understood. As much as he loved his friends, Danny felt mostly isolated in his ghostliness. And while Bart had more of a community, he didn’t really feel like people understood him.

Danny revealed his transformation, eventually divulged the lab accident, and even discussed Dan and Dani with Bart. He told Bart how he felt so isolated from humanity the more he slowly changed. Bart met him at his level every time. He told Danny that he felt like no one would ever meet him at his speed like Max did before he went missing, that as much as he loved his other YJ friends part of him worried they just put up with him because he was useful. He shared his conflicting feelings about his own clone, Thad, and how weird it was to adjust to the 21st century.

Both boys related in the fact that neither really felt human enough to belong, but with each other it was easier. Danny’s core understood Bart’s vibrations, and Bart understood Danny’s fear of human experimentation first hand.

Of course there were lighter moments too. Danny told Bart how Clockwork always complained about the Flashes meddling with time, and Bart told Danny all the hilarious places he’d found Rob trying to nap when he thought no one was paying attention. They weren’t heroes responsible for the world here, they were just two dumb teenagers sitting on a big rock, looking up at the sky and finding comfort in a like mind.

“Yo, Danny. You in there?”

He found himself snapped from his thoughts once again by the speedster at his back. Why was he feeling so nostalgic anyway? Weird ass exposition…

He leaned his head back onto Bart’s shoulder, mirroring the other. “Yah, sorry. Just thinkin.”

“Oof, try not to hurt yourself bro.” Danny shifted his eyes from the stars, finding a smirking freckled face with golden eyes meeting his own, wreathed in auburn hair. Bart had a slight accent that transfixed Danny. It wasn’t because he lived in Alabama either, it was that he was from the future. His voice lilted and vibrated in a way that was mesmerizing when he put emotion in his words.

“Shut up dude,” Danny scoffed, playfully shoving back against Bart, who squawked in surprise. Bart shoved back against Danny in retaliation and they both chuckled. “What’s up?”

“I’m zoning out, but I wanna keep watching the stars with you. Tell me a story so I can stay engaged.” Bart met his eyes earnestly. The speedster had trouble keeping his focus on one thing, which Danny could totally relate to. If space wasn’t his one of his obsessions he’d probably be strugglin too. But ADHD be damned, Bart tried to do this with him, to take interest in the things he loved unironically and wholeheartedly.

Danny could hear Bart’s feet tapping faster than an Olympic sprinter as he thought. “How about Hercules? And no, not the Disney movie Bart.” The speedster’s mouth closed almost as quickly as he’d opened it, falling back into that easy impish smile.

“Sounds good to me.” Bart responded in a sing song kinda voice, fingers tap dancing atop his knees.

Danny had probably told Bart the stories of all the constellations in this sky over the years, but he’d do it again hundreds of times for him. He’d quickly figured out that Bart always responded best to casual conversational stories rather than monologuing. He’d only complained so many times about his cousin wally bossing him around before he put two n two together. He could relate, Danny much preferred Sam’s explanations of lit to Mr. Lancer’s lectures.

Hercules wasn’t exactly one of Danny’s favorite heroes though. The fall from heroics to madness always hit him hard. If even someone like that couldn’t keep himself from hurting the ones he loved…

Danny paused the story, taking a stuttering breath. It felt stupid that even after all this time he was still afraid of turning into Dan. He knew it was illogical, he just wished his brain would figure that out too. Instead here he was, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders in the one place he was supposed to feel light and free, throat suddenly a little tight remembering his family stuck to a reactor about to blow.

A soft hand was on his forearm, rubbing it lightly, and Bart’s lilting voice whispered in his ear. “Hey, hey, it’s alright remember?” This wasn’t the first time one of them had helped to soothe the other. “You worried about Dan? Grife, I should let you stop telling this type of story, I always forget it triggers you…” It wasn’t even the first time this particular scenario had occurred. Danny tried to focus on his friends voice instead of the red, burning eyes in his mind.

“I’m here dude, remember? Breathe. We talked about this. If I’m here, it means you can’t have destroyed the future. As long as I’m here Dan will never happen. Not that you’d destroy the world without good reason anyway, I’d probably have your back if you decided to. Could definitely get Rob, Kon, and Cassie on our side. Oh, sorry, rambling.” Bart muttered to himself quietly at super speed before shaking his head and refocusing. He turned from their back-to-back position and wrapped himself around Danny. It probably looked kinda funny from an outside perspective. Danny, who’d grew into his Dad’s height being basically big spooned by Bart’s 5’4” ass.

The thought was enough to shock Danny into a bit of laughter, pulling air back into his lungs. He felt bart smile into his upper back at the nape of his neck. “There ya go dude, breathing is super crash. Can’t laugh if you don’t breathe and that’d suck because I’m hilarious.”

Danny let himself unwind, leaning back into Bart as embarrassment flooded him. He buried his face in his hands and groaned, “Duuude, I’m so sorry. I feel like an idiot.”

Bart hooked his chin over Danny’s shoulder before responding. “It’s chill dude. Like Carol tells me, ‘emotions ain’t logical.’ Besides you’ve done the same for me.”

“Yeah, I know… still though.” Like bart had said, they’d talked about this before. Danny liked Bart for a lot of reasons, but one of the most selfish was the reason Bart had supplied. For him to come back from the 31st century, Dan couldn’t have razed the earth. There was a deep comfort in truly solid proof that he wouldn’t burn it all down in the end.

“Nope. No excuses.” Bart started braiding bits of Danny’s hair with dexterous prestige. “You’re too smart to be that dumb.”

Pff, what a wordsmith. “You wanna hear a different story?”

“Only if you’re up to it.”

A smile found its way onto Danny’s face. His eyes traveled skyward again as he set his sights. “Lets try Ophiuchis.”

[pixeldistractions]

When Nessa came home from work, they all sat down to dinner. And no, this was not Thanksgiving dinner, but even a weeknight meal in this house was a generous spread of leftovers repurposed into something easy and delicious.

After dinner, the kids retreated to a magical movie setup in the backyard, while the adults lingered nearby at the backyard bar. A mist blew over the yard from the bay. It was days away from December now, but there wasn’t the same nighttime freeze they knew from Wisconsin, or even the northern desert where they camped most often. Only a mild evening chill, easily solved with a sweater.

Nessa was the most vivacious of the table, on top of all the latest politics and global news, peppered in with a little neighborhood gossip for interest. She was mindful not to lay too heavily on the financial topics, feeling that none of them were particularly interested in money as she was. Sophie offered up old family stories and celebrity drama. Then Jack and Jordan changed the topic to their daydreams of future adventures, of course, all of the highest mountains and the longest cross-country trails. While Maria asked everyone what kind of music they liked, happy to find that Sophie knew all of her favorite concertos. There wasn’t an awkward silence the whole night. 

And In the midst of their conversations, occasionally Jordan would look over to Maria, to check in, to see: Is this okay? Only to find her glancing back at him with the same idea—how did we get here, and isn’t this wild and incredible and the most fun ever? Yes, it is. And, yes, I know.

Finally, the table had to disperse. Nessa picked up sleeping Harper from the movie tent and brought her inside. Sophie wanted to show Maria some tricks at the bar, leaving only Jack and Jordan at the table. Jack chattered on about everyone who was coming to Thanksgiving in a couple days. The house would be overflowing with more family and friends. Jack’s brother, Hayden, would come with his family, and his big girls would want to bring friends. Half of the climb clubbers were coming. Tyler and Maya had their own family gathering to attend, but Darren was coming, and Kristoff had finally answered yes, and he was bringing his wife. “Did you even know Kristoff had a wife!?!”

“No, I didn’t,” Jordan said. But nothing would surprise him about that guy. Jordan suspected he was up to some sketchy business, but they didn’t ask and he didn’t tell. Jack was a cop, and nobody wanted to bring it all out in the open and make the group ugly. 

“Isn’t that too much?” Jordan asked, “You know, for your mom? After everything?” 

“Nah, it’s what she wants,” Jack said. “I guess it’s her widowhood project. There’s a hole in her heart, so she needs more people to take care of. A whole house full. And you two, man,” Jack glanced over at his mother and Maria having an enthralling conversation about cocktail mixers. “You guys are practically adopted now, whether you like it or not.”

Adopted. Huh.

Jordan appreciated the sentiment, while at the same time it was only a hard kick in the memories—don’t forget, you’re a big fat orphan. Who was his family supposed to be? The dead father he missed dearly, the mother he never even got to know, or maybe the love of his life whom he might convince to marry him someday if he could stop being such a loser, or her wild little girl who never knew her own father—or here, whether he liked it or not, a grieving old woman who just wanted more people to love? What about the two whole little boys you left back in Wisconsin, your own flesh and blood. What about them? Why aren’t you here, you asshole?

But Jordan forced an appreciative smile, since the comment was meant in kindness. “Whatever helps is good.”  

There were worse families to be part of, perhaps. 

It had gotten late and they were all getting drowsy now. Time to call it a night. 

When they told the kids it was bedtime, they were met with an onslaught of begging. “Can we have a sleepover? Please, please, please!”

“We’re not ready, monkey,” Maria said. “You don’t have your pajamas, and your unicorn, and your nighttime undies.” Maria whispered to the adults, “Because somebody is still hit or miss with the nighttime potty.”

That excuse was flimsy at best, since their entire home and all its contents were parked in the driveway. Really, Maria just wasn’t ready for her baby’s first sleepover with anyone who wasn’t her parents or sister. 

“You know, it’s not a bad idea,” Jack said. “Maybe tomorrow night. Have you explored around yet? It’s hard not having family around. I bet the two of you haven’t been alone for weeks. Make it a date.”

True story. Johanna was a delightful child and their life was full of fun and adventure, but alone time was scarce. 

Maria thought about it, and there was a pleading look on Jordan’s face that said, Please say yes! And Maria shrugged, and the children started to squeal, and it was a date.

— boxes and squares #5.3: hindsight is a bitch, part 6.2/10

next -> // 5.3 start // index

[void-wolfie]

Memorial Day

summary: You spend Memorial Day with your family and Jenna. However, the mention of your father brings back some unwanted feelings. [request]

pairing: Jenna Ortega x fem!Reader

words: 2.4k

tw: loss of a parent, brief mentions of drinking

a/n: hope this is okay anon, once I started writing it kind of just took a life of its own. I'm not super satisfied with it, but this is as good as it's gonna get right now, maybe I'll revisit the prompt one day if inspiration strikes.

You slammed the can down on the table, wiping your mouth and chin with the back of your sleeve, "Beat that, losers! Woo!" You spun around, arms up in the air in victory. You noticed Jenna smiling at you from across the yard, watching you and the boys as she chatted with your mom and aunts.

Your older brothers bet that you couldn't beat them at shotgunning beer. Not only did you prove them wrong, but you were twenty bucks richer for it.

Memorial Day weekend. One of the few weekends of the year when your whole family would gather for a barbecue. The dads would grill out while the moms sat by the pool and chit-chatted, which gave the kids time to get into trouble goofing off. Uncle Mike would even go out and buy a bunch of fireworks to let off at the end of the day. All in all, your relationship with the holiday was very much love-hate.

The force of someone jumping on your back pulled you from your thoughts. Despite the lack of warning, you managed to hook your arms under a slender pair of legs as a set of pale, freckled arms wrapped around your neck.

"Ducky!" You shouted excitedly, greeting your younger cousin who was hanging off your back, "What're you doing back there, troublemaker?"

"I missed ya!" Your cousin, Devon was his actual name, hugged you a little tighter as you carried him.

"I missed you too, buddy,"

"Airplane?"

"Of course, hold on tight," you made sure to hold his legs tight before zooming around the backyard. You ran around the yard, making loops and different zigzags as he made little airplane noises behind you.

You didn't have to look behind you to know he was having the time of his life; his little giggles and shouts were confirmation enough.

You were twelve when Devon was born. He wasn't the biggest kid, always a little smaller than the other kids his age. But something about his scrappy attitude wormed its way into your guarded heart. He was by far one of your favorite cousins.

You slowed to a stop, breathing heavily after so many laps with Devon on your back. "I'm getting tired, Ducky. How about we rest for a little?"

"Okay," he chirped, hugging your back a little tighter, refusing to get off just yet.

You trotted back over to Jenna. She'd long ditched the conversation between your mom and aunts, instead choosing to watch you give Devon his piggyback ride, which he clearly adored.

You didn't miss the way Jenna's eyes followed you the whole time, watching as you carried Devon around, laughing and making airplane noises. You found it adorable how she couldn't take her eyes off you.

"Dev, you remember Jenna," You watched the way Jenna smiled at Devon. You noticed over the years she was always great with little kids, always knowing just what to say or how to act.

"Hi," Devon gave a shy wave, hiding behind your back as you still carried him.

"Hi, Devon," Jenna waved back to him. You could feel him smile as he buried his face into the crook of your neck.

"Hey, Ducky, why don't you see if Trevor wants to go swimming with you, yeah?"

"Ok!" Devon hopped off your back and raced inside to find Trevor, another one of your cousins just a few years older than Devon.

You wrapped your girlfriend in your arms, kissing her before burying your face in the crook of her neck.

"I love you," You whispered, your lips lightly brushing against her skin.

"I love you too," she placed a chaste kiss on your temple, letting you relax in her arms.

"Get a room, you two!" One of your older brothers shouted, ruining your little moment of peace. Instantly all eyes were on you and Jenna; you couldn't help but shoot your brother a deadly look.

"Sure," you smirked, untangling yourself from Jenna, "just as soon as you get a girlfriend."

There were snickers and laughs from the adults. Everyone loved to pester your bother about when he was going to get a girlfriend of his own. He was, as you liked to word it, chronically bitch-less. You were ahead of him in the girlfriend department, and he was five years older than you. The glare he sent was enough to put you six feet under, but you'd gotten your retribution and that's all that mattered.

"Dinner!" Uncle Josh shouted from the patio, disappearing back inside to help dole out the food. In an instant, everyone headed inside, racing to get food while it was still hot and fresh.

"Alrighty, go dry off," You watched as your cousins made a dash for the pool steps, climbing out to go grab their towels.

They were the youngest of the family, Hailee and Kate, twins just a few years younger than Devon. "And don't run!" You yelled after them, making sure they made it inside without slipping on the wet concrete.

With the twins inside, that left everyone inside but you and Jenna in the pool and your mom by the patio table.

You didn't have any warning as a pair of arms wrapped around your waist. Even if you weren't the only ones outside, you wouldn't have to look to know who it was.

"Hey, baby," You interlaced your fingers with hers as she rested her chin on your shoulder.

"You're so good with your cousins, you know that?" She mused, watching the door where the twins had run off.

"Really?" She hummed, nodding the slightest, "Maybe, one day, we could have a little family of our own?"

You were nervous. You'd never really talked about the future before. The two of you were so caught up in the now, you hadn't stopped to think about it. But you knew more than anything you wanted to spend it with her... if she'd let you, of course.

"I'd really like that," You could feel her lips pressed against your shoulder blade, a smile a mile wide as she nestled against you.

"y/n," You looked up to see your mom by the edge of the pool, calling you over.

"Give me one second, love," You made sure to place a kiss on her hand before wading over to your mom, curious as to what she wanted to talk about.

"She's a good one." Your mom nodded to Jenna, who was watching the two of you with curiosity. "Be good to her."

"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way."

She nodded, smiling at you. You both knew you had meant what you'd said. You loved Jenna. You were utterly and completely enamored by the girl; you'd walk through hell and fight the devil himself for her.

"There's something your dad wanted you to have. I left it on your bed for you."

That confused you. What could he possibly want you to have? And why now? Why today of all days?

"I'm proud of you," She paused as if debating whether to say what she was thinking, "He would be so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom," you tried not to choke on your words, unsuccessfully so.

You tried to ignore the lump forming at the back of your throat. Your chest tightened at the mention of your father, at the mention of how proud he'd be.

She smiled at you, placing a light kiss on your forehead before heading inside.

You took a deep breath, trying your best to quell that feeling in your chest. You could tell from the rock in your throat and the ache in your heart that you had maybe a minute at most before you would completely break down.

Jenna could sense the shift in your mood. Whatever your mom said upset you. Your head bowed as you stared at the ground, and your shoulders sagged.

Jenna made her way over to you slowly, not sure what to do. "y/n?"

You took another deep breath, rubbing your eyes in hopes she wouldn't notice the tears beginning to form.

"You, ok?" She reached out tentatively, placing her hand on top of yours.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." An obvious lie, but one she decided not to call you out on. "Um, there's something I need to go check, it should only take me a minute or two. Do you mind?"

"Of course not," she could tell you were upset, even though you were doing your best to downplay it.

You weren't one for vulnerability, often hiding your feelings behind a joke or a smile. Despite all the times she reminded you that it was ok not to be ok. If you were this upset, it must be important. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"Uh, I'd rather do it alone if that's okay with you. I can wait if you don't-"

"No, you should go. I'll be fine. I can hang out with Devon and the twins."

"You are the best, you know that,"

"I've been told a time or two," she joked, wrapping her arms around your neck and pulling you in for a kiss.

"Ewwwww!" The two of you pulled away from each other, turning around to find Devon, Trevor, and the twins spying on you two with grossed-out looks.

Jenna was worried about you. After clambering out of the pool, you went into your room, and you hadn't come out since. You promised only a few minutes, but that was nearly half an hour ago.

"You should go check on her," The sentence pulled Jenna from her thoughts. She hadn't even noticed she'd been staring at the hallway leading to your bedroom door.

She was supposed to be helping your mom with putting away leftovers and cleaning dishes, even though your mom had insisted she'd be fine. She wasn't sure when that had turned into zoning out to think about you.

"I don't know," Jenna wrung her hands nervously, "She asked to be alone..."

Your mom stopped what she was doing, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"She didn't have it easy… growing up. We moved around a lot, and it's hard being the only girl out of four kids."

Jenna nodded, soaking up all the information. You'd talked about your childhood here and there, but not like this. You never really mentioned the nitty gritty details like moving around or how it was to have three brothers.

"What'd she tell you about her father?" Your mom asked. She wasn’t trying to poke or prod at your love life, but that didn't mean she didn't hold a genuine interest.

"Not much," Jenna spun one of the rings on her finger around, a nervous habit she'd picked up over the years, "Just that he was in the military, he'd passed away a few years before we met."

Your mom nodded. She didn't want to tell Jenna everything, that was for you to do in your own time. But that didn't mean she had to leave the poor girl in the dark.

"She's a lot like her father, those two were like two peas in a pod. She might seem tough and strong, but she's just a big teddy bear at heart."

Jenna didn’t know you were more like your father; she’d always just assumed you were more like your mom since you never really brought up your dad. The strong and tough part, though, Jenna had known for a while. You could definitely hold your own if it ever came down to it, but you really were one of the softest, most gentle people she knew. It was one of the many reasons she adored you.

"Just because she asks to be alone, doesn't mean she wants to be alone."

You were sitting crisscross on your bed, tear stains running down your cheeks as you looked at the items spread across your bed.

Your mom had left a letter and a box, no bigger than a shoebox, on your bed. The letter was a note from your dad, one he'd written before being deployed. It was one of those, "if you’re reading this, that means I'm gone" type letters. It was painful to read, bringing a new wave of tears each time you scanned the slanted cursive.

The box was a different story. It had some of his things from before he'd died. His dog tags, the army knife he always kept on him, a bunch of pictures of you and your brothers that he'd taken with him, and a few other things.

You stared at it all, everything splayed across the comforter of your bed. You wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and fall asleep at this point. All the crying had tired you out and your thoughts seemed to run in circles, coming back to the same thing again and again.

You didn't hear Jenna knock on the door. It wasn't till you felt the soft dip in the bed and her hand on your knee that you finally noticed her presence.

"What're you thinking about?" Jenna's words pulled you from your thoughts.

"My dad." You whispered, your voice a bit hoarse from all the crying, "It's not fair... It's not fair that he's gone, and I'm stuck here without him."

"I know, love," she gently pulled you into her lap, letting you bury yourself in her arms as the tears resurfaced.

The two of you stayed like that for a while. She rubbed small circles into your back with her thumb while you cried your heart out.

She hated that you had to go through this. She couldn't even imagine what it was like to lose a parent, one you were so close to at that.

She didn’t know much about your dad, but she could tell he was a good man. She wished she could've met him while he was still around.

It took a while, but eventually, you were out of tears to shed. But you didn't want to move, you just wanted to be with Jenna.

"You wanna lay down?"

You nodded, too exhausted for anything else. Jenna put the stuff back in the box gently, setting it off to the side, on your nightstand. You let her get comfortable on the bed before burying yourself back into her arms. It didn't take long for you to fall asleep, your head nestled under her chin as she held you close.

Your mom would peek her head into the room a little while later only to find the two of you fast asleep, curled up in each other's arms. She tossed a blanket over the two of you before leaving, making sure to shut the door on the way out so you wouldn't be bothered.

a/n: this is my longest post yet, and there were so many details I cut out simply because they just felt out of place or weren't necessary. I mean, I could write a whole post on all the behind the scenes details I didn't include. anyways, I absolutely loved writing this family dynamic. Devon is adorable and I love his tiny ass.

[forrest-dunn]

The evening sunset cast a golden haze over the Dunn family porch, the kind of warm Tennessee light that made everything feel slower and softer. 

Forrest parked the truck at the edge of the gravel driveway, his hand resting on Anissa’s thigh. She gave him a small, nervous smile that he returned with a quiet, steady one of his own.

“They’re gonna be okay,” he said, more to her than to himself. “They might just need a minute.” Anissa nodded, but her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her sundress. “They’re your parents, Forrest. I want them to be happy for us.”

“They will be,” he promised, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “They just love big and loud. It might come out sideways at first.”

Shari greeted them at the door, apron on, her hair pulled back in a loose bun, flour on her cheek. “Well, look who the wind blew in,” she said brightly. “Y’all coming in for dinner or just stopping by to make me nervous?” Bert appeared behind her with his usual slow, deliberate steps. “A visit this unannounced? Somebody’s pregnant.”

“Dad,” Forrest groaned, scrubbing a hand down his face.

“Alright,” Shari huffed with a smile. “Come in then. Let’s sit down before I start making wild assumptions.”

The four of them moved to the living room. The old leather couch squeaked under Forrest and Anissa as they sat side by side, knees brushing. Shari took the armchair across from them, while Bert lowered himself into his recliner with a grunt and a raised eyebrow. “Well?” Shari asked, hands folded neatly in her lap. Forrest looked at Anissa, then back at his parents.

“We got married.”

The words dropped like a stone into still water. A beat of silence. Then another. Shari blinked. “I’m sorry… what?”

“We eloped,” Anissa added gently. “Just the two of us. A few weeks ago.”

Shari’s eyes welled immediately. “You mean… no church? No dress shopping? No bridal shower?” Her voice cracked on the last word, and she brought her hand up to cover her mouth.

“I’m so sorry,” Anissa said softly, shifting forward. “It wasn’t about keeping anyone out. It was just about… us. We wanted it to be simple and personal.”

Shari stood, her face twisting in emotion, and Forrest braced himself for disappointment. He’d experienced plenty of it recently. Instead, she came straight to Anissa and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I hate that I missed all of that,” she whispered. “Hate it. But I’m so happy for you. Both of you.” When they pulled apart, Shari’s eyes were still glassy, but her smile was warm.

“You have to promise me something though,” she said, pointing a finger between them. “We’re doing a summer celebration. Here. Tents, food, music… the whole nine yards. I want to see my son twirling you around in the grass, Anissa. I want to toast the two of you under the stars.” Anissa laughed, already nodding. “We’d love that.”

Shari sniffled and waved toward the kitchen. “Come on, come help me finish dinner. I need to catch up on everything I’ve missed.”

As the two women disappeared into the kitchen, Forrest leaned back against the couch cushion with a quiet sigh. Bert handed him a beer from the cooler he kept beside his chair and cracked one open for  himself. “You sure about her?” he asked.

Forrest didn’t even hesitate. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.” Bert nodded, taking a long sip. “Good. Then I’m happy for you.” Forrest smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

“But don’t ever do it like that again,” Bert added, deadpan. “Your mama’s been dreaming about that damn bridal shower since you were fifteen. You’re lucky she still has her chance with Hen or she’d be hell on wheels right now.”

Forrest chuckled, lifting his beer. “I know. This is it for me though. One marriage. Forever.” Bert clinked his bottle to Forrest’s with a grunt of approval. “That’s how it should be.”

The soft clatter of dishes and easy laughter drifting in from the kitchen wrapped around Forrest like an old quilt. For the first time, he felt like he didn’t have to choose between the life he was building with Anissa and the family that made him who he was. He could have both. He could bring her in, roots and all, and still grow something new right alongside what had always been.