#writing this broke me and i’m probably gonna start this year’s first reread tonight

[allforminyard]

andreil x francesca lyrics parallels

so hozier just released a new song (although i think he’s played it live before) and the lyrics immediately screamed andreil to me so i decided to put the parallels in a post (and who knows maybe later a fic)

i hope you’re ready for an essay bc here it goes

do you think I'd give up

that this might've shook the love from me

or that I was on the brink

how could you think darling I'd scare so easily?

from the start neil and andrew exchange truths to size each other up and confirm that the other will not be a threat. they know they could most definitely be a problem from the moment they meet in arizona. neither of them can be sure of the other’s intentions without these exchanges, the willing surrender of information that eventually leads to deals and trust, trust that the other will step in and hold them up if necessary. on thanksgiving neil is the first to notice andrew’s absence and the first to act to protect him, going as far as to stashing his knives and promising to look out for kevin, not backing away from the ugliest of andrew’s past entering the present. in baltimore andrew barely lets him go from his protection (at neil’s request) and is the only one that notices that neil says goodbye, can see it so clearly in his face. he knows something’s wrong but can’t do anything about it and then neil is gone gone gone and comes back to them broken. andrew says “you are at one hundred (percent)” and “you aren’t going anywhere”, a promise to stand his ground beside him no matter what. they’re not scared after seeing the worst parts of their trauma, they won’t back away so easily.

now that it's done

there's not one thing that I would change

my life was a storm

since I was born

how could I fear any hurricane?

andrew and neil both had their share of trauma throughout their lives. what with being put in the system as a newborn, growing up in all those shitty read abusive foster homes, going to juvie to protect his new found twin brother from his latest abuser, and being put on medication that fucked up his physical and psychological wellbeing for the sake of being more palatable to others is a lot to say the least. not to mention a lifetime on the run from an abusive parent, multiple run ins and near death experiences with said parent’s gang, and the callous upbringing from another parent whose one goal was survival above all, to the point of having to bury that parent and try to get a semblance of a life together when all he ever knew was gone in an instant. their lives were storms from the moment they were born. how could they look away from the other’s trauma when they knew they could weather that and more?

for all that was said

of where we'd end up at the end of it

when the heart would cease

ours never knew peace

what good would it be on the far side of things?

no one ever bet on andrew or neil fully until wymack recruited them for the foxes. neil was taught to run no matter what because being caught was not an option. andrew had to learn to fight for every piece and parcel he could get before it was all eventually ripped away from him anyway. no one thought they would ever amount to anything and fuck if they wouldn’t die trying to not fall into what was meant to be their destiny. what else was neil supposed to be if not his father’s embarrassment that had to be sold to the mafia just so he didn’t cause any more trouble? what else was andrew supposed to be if not a cast off neglected child who would be forced to turn to drugs, violence or worse? they couldn’t turn into what was expected of them so they never stopped, always running, always fighting, always surviving. it’s in each other that they finally knew they could stay.

but it was too soon

when that part of you was ripped away

a grip taking hold

like a cancer that grows

each piece of your body that it takes

they both hit rock bottom and almost surrender. neil says “I'm tired of being nothing," and “Neil had seen this look on Andrew's face once before. the darkness in Andrew's stare … was perfect understanding. Andrew had hit this point years ago and broken. Neil was hanging on by a fraying thread and grabbing at anything he could to stay afloat.” andrew is forced to take back control however he can, starting with his body and later by getting himself sent away to juvie. he reaches the point where he has to give and receive explicit consent for physical touch, in response to what was taken from him so many times before. time and time again neil is offered a future so bright he can hardly believe it can be his. the more the year goes on the more he refuses to let himself hope, knows he’s as good as dead the moment he decides to stand up to riko and he finds out the truth. if it weren’t for andrew, neil would’ve run away and who knows what would’ve happened then. neil says “it's not the world that's cruel, it's the people in it,” and both of them know all too well just how many parts were ripped away from them in their struggle to survive.

if someone asked me at the end / though I know my heart would break

I'll tell them put me back in it

darling, I would do it again

if I could hold you for a minute

darling, I'd go through it again

we know andrew and neil are fighters through and through. andrew keeps his family in place by promising the only thing he thinks might be beneficial for them: protection. neil stays at palmetto even though he knows he should run before his past catches up to him. in the raven king neil says “he was their family. they were his. they were worth every cut and bruise and scream.” and in the king’s men, the first time andrew takes him to the roof after easthaven, neil confesses to spending christmas at evermore because “I had to try. if I had the chance to stop it but did nothing, how could I face you again? how could I live with myself?” they go to impossible lengths to protect each other, even if the other doesn’t ask for it, and neither regrets it, no matter if “Neil could tell himself all day long what the smart thing to do was, but if he really cared that much about what was smart he wouldn't have come here in the first place.”

I would still be surprised I could find you, darling

in any life

if I could hold you for a minute

darling, I would do it again

i don’t think this is explicitly mentioned in the books, but i think it’s something the fandom has accepted unanimously. andrew and neil are soulmates. they see each other for what they are and accept each other no matter what. they understand each other in a way no one has ever tried to before. neither of them thought they were ever gonna connect with someone they way they do. it was a surprise to have the love be requited and it made it all the better.

I would not change it each time

heaven is not fit to house a love like you and I

this final incantation is what truly sold the parallels for me. even after repeatedly trying to follow his mother’s dying wishes, neil can’t make himself put an end to his and andrew’s dynamic and in the end he doesn’t regret any of it. he says “thank you.” He couldn't say he meant thanks for all of it: the keys, the trust, the honesty, and the kisses. Hopefully Andrew would figure it out eventually. "You were amazing.” and “he'd hit the end of his rope before he wanted to and he hadn't accomplished everything he'd hoped to this year, but he'd done more with his life than he'd ever thought possible. That had to be enough.” it is also repeatedly said that “andrew regretted nothing”, meaning every word and action he exchanged with neil was intentional and true. and for all their unconventional methods, at the end of the day neil and andrew care deeply for each other (read the whole fucking essay before this) and know and trust the other like no one else ever has. i think the perfect example of this is after their first kiss when andrew says “this isn't yes. This is a nervous breakdown. I know the difference even if you don't … I won't be like them. I won't let you let me be." Neil opened his mouth, closed it, and tried again. "The next time one of them says you're soulless I might have to fight them.” their love is something that only they understand, and maybe even heaven would not be fit for it.

[seijorhi]

asks :)

once again, i’m terrible at answering things :)

First off, your newest Kuroo story WRECKED ME. OMMMMMG LIKE IT'S SOOO FUCKING GOOD. You are one of the most incredible writers ever, like professional style writing. These should be books and you should get paid for it, honestly. Your skill is totally unmatched, my friend. I just adore everything you write. I had two questions thou about the story, just because I am totally obsessed by it- so has Kuroo been obsessed with her since he saw her, I'm like curious how his obsession started 

like is it because she's young and he's interested? Cuz I totally got the vibes at the party that he was showing her off like she was his girlfriend and he seems like he has been wanting her for awhile. I was just curious about how it started cuz god I'm a simp for yandere kuroo- boss man Kuroo would make me weakkkkk. My second question is so is he like obsessively in love with her or is it like just a this hot piece of ass is mine to fuck kinda thing? Like does he want a relationship?

anyways, I love you and I love your writing. Everything you write is legit perfection! Thank you for all your beautiful stories you share with us! - Kai

first of all, whomst gave you the right to be so damn sweet???!?! dsgsjkl thank you, bby!

so, like with all my fics i kind of have a ‘read into it how you want’ thing going for it. whether or not kuroo actually has ‘romantic’ (i use that word loosely) feelings for the reader or whether he just enjoys fucking her because he’s in a position of power and she’s easily manipulated is left a little up to your interpretation and how you’d prefer to imagine it. however, having said that there are little hints throughout the fic that imply that there’s a little more depth to kuroo’s feelings. you’re not wrong with the whole ‘showing her off’ vibe at the party, and there’s mentions of confessions that kuroo gives while he’s fucking the reader - also the title of the fic, invidia, means envy in latin. so take that how you will 🤷‍♀️

and as far as how it all began, i like to think that it was kind of a slow build. again it’s implied that kuroo has met the reader (however briefly) a few times before - at games as nekoma’s manager, when she initially was introduced as his girlfriend and she has stayed over at their place in the past. it wasn’t so much a singular moment, but kuroo’s definitely been paying more attention to her than she realises. 

WHAT WHAT WHAT???? RHI UHMMM WAS KUROO IN LOVE WITH THE READER???? 👀👀👀👀 HOLY SHIT. I'm honestly mind blown rn like I have a lot of questions like did Shin know? Was he also into it? Omg the idea of Father and Son sharing reader...

(also I def did not hope that Bokuto was also there cuz that would have be fun....oppsss)🙊

hehehe

no, shin didn’t know but oh can you imagine the betrayal if he did? if he willingly set up the reader to be fucked by his dad 👀god damn

adsfgdhjfkfl there was a moment i genuinely considered having something more happen at the christmas party where bo would stumble across and one thing would lead to another.... but i decided not to go that route. this one needed to be solo kuroo haha

Rhi, what can I say, amazing as always!

ahhh thank you sm, bby!

Hi i absolutely love the kuroo fic at first no one would actually notice he was into and then story actually rises nicely however i would like to ask like what happens later im sorry im a little burnt out from my mountains of assignments that i cant think of a possible aftermath since the story had an open ending but yeah what happens later after the whole scene does y/n stay there for the 7 days and get r*ped again or she goes home early and like what happens to kuroo and shinsuke im sorry for annoying you with questions its fully up to you whether u would like to answer or not :-)

aw, thank you! I hope your assignments and stuff are all done? And pls bby, you’re not annoying me at all 💕💕💕

Honestly again, it’s kind of left up to what you like to think would happen, but personally I think that the reader stays, because there’s no easy way to get out of that situation without raising suspicion - which means that she then has to spend the next week trying unwittingly playing cat and mouse with Kuroo who’s gonna use every damn opportunity he has to push your boundaries 👀

Duuuuude invidia fucked me up! Like fuck, lol! The build up was so spectacular! It makes me wonder two things: how did kuroo’s obsession start, and what would shin have done if he caught them (and why do I feel like he’d join in... I guess it runs in the family lol).

I loved it sooooo much and im also so creeped out lol. Can’t trust other people’s dads. Everything about it was perfect!

glad you liked it, bby!!

shin’s a good boy and he genuinely loves the reader, but i think if he did stumble across the two of them he’d just shut down and walk away. it’d be the biggest betrayal in his eyes - it wouldn’t matter if you were drunk or he was, who came onto who - the two most important people in his life going behind his back would just break him :( and i think he probably wouldn’t give either of them a chance to explain

but if we’re talking degenerate shin... 👀👉👈

imagine if invidia! reader gets pregnant and Shin thinks it’s his, but its actually his dad’s 🤭

oooh kuroo would be such a smug little shit - he’d get extra touchy feely with the reader, drop ‘casual’ hints, basically doing everything outside of straight up admitting it to him, just to see how far he can push until shin starts to doubt whether he’s actually the father - when it’s just the two of you though... i think he’d be a little softer - but equally as possessive - you’re his, and so’s the kid growing inside of you

Kuroo: son do you know what a cuck is? Shinnosuke: no? Kuroo: wOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND OUT - @south-korea-cakes

dagshjskl i snorted when i read this but you’re not wrong lmao

hi rhi! i have a question about Lion’s Den! did oikawa purposely set the reader up to witness his true nature? or was it chance that she saw him kill?

no - i think he’d rather have kept you in the dark a little longer and tried to let things develop ‘organically’ but he’s not upset that you did find out the truth - gives him an excuse to move things along and take what he wants 👀

hey rhi:) soo my boyfriend of two years just broke up with me and so far a major comfort has just been rereading your stories. something about feeling desired, ya know? anyway, thanks for making me feel a little better <3 - @theofficialhufflepuff

aw i’m sorry to hear that :( i’m glad my fics can help make you feel a lil better - sending love bby! 💕

omg i adore everything in the soulmate series hello !! would any of the soulmate pairings ever end up feeling lowkey competitive w/ the other?? like all of them seem to mutually respect the other but would there ever come a point where smth pushes them into trying to outdo ur other soulmate when it comes to ur affection?

also have i mentioned how much i love ur writing bc i love ur writing

hmmm, not so much with oikawa & iwa or ushijima and tendou because i think they have pretty rock solid relationships with each other prior to the reader coming along - if they did it would only be minor stuff

the twins on the other hand - good fucking luck with them because they’ll turn everything into a competition. the moment one twin thinks you’re favouring the other too much expect to get dragged across the room and forced to spend ‘quality time’ with the other. it’s all very petty and exhausting and there is no possible chance for you to win. but thank you sweetheart!!

tonight im thinking about The Final Girl! boys forcing you to share a bed with them for the first time. With Kuroo’s face buried in the crook of your neck, one big hand palming your breast for good measure, Bo holding onto your waist, and Kaashi’s legs tangled with yours. its suffocating, really😪😓

asdgdhjdkdl suffocating? yes. now where do i sign up?? 🥺

you are so talented in writing it's crazy!! just the way you articulate things is ugh *chef's kiss*. i hope you are doing well and not receiving hate 🥺 ily pls

ahhh thank you so much, messages like these always make me so happy! ily bby! 💕

more karasuno first years soon? 👀

who’s to say?? i don’t have any full fics planned but maybe some concepts and thirsts??

if you make a yandere msby fic i’ll literally lose it i love your writing

👀i am considering it

[killmongerkink]

11:37 PM - Part 3.

Summary: Erik and you meet up at an unlikely location. 

Pairing: Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens X Black!Reader

Warning: oral sex & fluff. 

Length: 5k

BTW: i really wasn't planning on continuing this series. i kinda fell out of love with it, but then i reread my work and it made me want to write all over again lol. i’ll try not to take so long with writing these next few parts :/. enjoy and sorry for any typos!

CATCH UP: part 1 / part 2

MASTERLIST

"So, who's that broad you been chillin' with?"

Erik's attention was momentarily pulled from the game as Aaron questioned him. Him and his boys had been in the house for most of the day, deciding to meet up and chill since they didn't have shit else to do on a Saturday. It was Erik's day off at Acuity Brands where he was the lead data engineer, Lo had pulled a double shift to get the day off and Aaron didn't know the definition of a job, so it was a unanimous decision to link up.

"Chill with that broad shit man, she got a name."

"Well you won't tell us her name, so what the fuck else are we supposed to call her?" Lo replied, his head still stuck in his phone as he watched some rap battle on Twitter.

"Y'all ain't got to know her name, just know it ain't broad. Have some respect."

Aaron gave Lo a look in which Lo returned, before they both busted out laughing. Erik sat back, unamused by the two men. They had been questioning him since they got to his crib about the new girl he had been seen walking home a few times. He should've known niggas on the block couldn't mind their damn business. It's not that he had a problem with people seeing you with him, he just didn't want others knowing about what he had going on or trying to get to know you. You were the only thing in his life that he didn't have to share. When it came to his job, he shared that with his co-workers and uptight boss. When it came to his apartment, he shared that with the few close friends he had. When it came to you .. you were his. Not in the sense of you being his girl or anything like that, but he appreciated the fact that he was the only person you really knew here besides your Uncle and classmates. He was the one that got to walk you home, take you to all the dope mom and pops shops and show you the hidden foot spots around Harlem. The last thing he wanted was you getting close to someone else because then he'd be on the back burner. No longer would you need him to walk you home and he wouldn’t be able to see your face light up when he showed you something new due to someone else beating him to it. He'd be damned if that happened. His eyes shifted over to Aaron doing a broke down version of the woah and Lo hyping him up, especially not these niggas.

Erik wasted no time pulling out his phone and searching for your Instagram. It had been a while since he saw you, a week and a half to be exact. He didn't hit up the gas station these past couple days because he didn't really have anything to get, and he could only eat so many donuts and snickers before his body would start paying for it. During those days, he kept up with you via social media which wasn't much since you barely posted. Neither did he, but shit ... he wanted to know what you were up to. He could've just DM'd you since he didn't have your number. The realization making him pause, why didn't he have your number? He was gonna make sure he got that shit the next time he saw you. He could see you now, being all shy and awkward after he asked and the thought made him chuckle.

"What's so funny? Yo' ass being all quiet and shit. You lookin' at titties?" Aaron eyed Erik suspiciously, leaning back and craning his neck to look at his phone screen. 

"Yo, you ever mind your business?" Lo quipped back. "Now you know E private. I'm surprised his ass even got us in his crib, you know he be acting like he got the secret formula and shit in here." Lo shook his head, eyes still glued to his phone. 

Since Lo had been cool with Erik before Aaron, he knew him better. Erik didn't like people in his personal business or space, close friend or not, and if you began to ask one too many questions, he'd get suspicious quickly. Everyone knew that, but there were some people that just couldn't get the hint or just didn't give a damn and that was Aaron.

"Y'all so sensitive, acting like my gotdamn momma. I just know y'all better change them attitudes by tonight. You know his girl Tae having a kickback and we gotta be in there.” He pointed towards E, a quick “she ain’t my girl” leaving Erik’s lips. “She bringing all her homegirls from her campus and you know what that means." Aaron rubbed his hands together, a sly grin on his face as all three men exchanged a blur of ayeeeee's and yeeerrrrrr's. 

The apartment was pretty packed when Erik and his boys arrived. Most people already had drinks or a blunt in their hand, some boo'd up on the couch while others played dice and beer pong. When a few eyes noticed their presence, they were met with daps and laughs. A few random girls came up, offering to make them drinks and they nodded along, not dumb enough to refuse being served. 

They all made their way through the numerous bodies, standing by the kitchen entrance where Tae was talking loudly to a few friends. Erik had met her at a party a year or so back, and since then she’d been around. He threw her one of his signature smiles, knowing that it would make up for him curving her for these past couple weeks. It wasn't as if he was doing it on purpose, he just had more important shit to do with more important people. She acknowledged his smile by rolling her eyes and turned back to her conversation. He stayed put, knowing that she was trying hard not to walk over to him. He was pretty sure she already dogged him out to her friends, hence why they were all trying to look at him without being obvious. All it took was one of the randoms to hand him a drink before Tae was walking up.

"Hey Neicy, the girls in there need some help. Would you mind?" Her eyebrow rose, silently challenging the girl to not obey.

"Uh, sure thing." She nodded, looking at Erik one last time before shuffling back into the kitchen. 

Tae turned to him, sighing heavily as if the last place she wanted to be was here. While she was busy putting on a show, he took the opportunity to really look at her. It was easy to write her off since she was away at school, but now that she was back for the weekend he was planning on making it up to her. It didn't hurt that she looked even better than the last time he saw her.

"You been giving my shit away?"

Tae gave him a confused look before catching onto to his comment. Her shoulders bounced, her drink sloshing in her red solo cup. She knew that he wasn't one that was fond of someone else being in his shit, something he had made known when they first fucked. Word got around quick here and since he hadn't heard anything, he figured she was behaving herself at college. Tae looked over her shoulder, pleased that everyone was occupied in their own little world and looked back at Erik, saying nothing as she grabbed his hand and walked him back towards her bedroom. 

Erik relaxed at the end of the bed, careful not to spill his drink on himself while he leaned back and rested his weight on his elbows. He stared up at the ceiling for a second, wondering what you were doing. Probably home, catching up on work or watching Netflix. Tae's hands made quick work of his belt and jeans, pulling them down to his knees along with his boxers. A few seconds later, she made herself busy by licking a broad stripe along the length of his dick, going back and forth with no hands. She craned her neck to the side, using her tongue to lift the weight of his head before his dick was sinking into her warmth. Releasing a sigh, he felt tension flow from his body and into her mouth. It had been a minute since he got some head. He wasn't one to just lay down with anybody, so he kept a select few around that he could depend on. One of his favorites was Tae, but that changed when she started handing out ultimatums. She knew what it was since the beginning and that he wasn't in the correct mindspace for anything too serious. All Erik wanted was a girl he could chill with and fuck, all that extra shit didn't interest him. When he was told "either you cuff me or I'm not fucking with you anymore", he took that as his hint to dip on her, but it wasn't long before she was right back where she always was - on her knees.

Erik wondered if you were the type to do that, force someone into something that you knew they weren't interested in ... nah. If anything, you would be the one getting pushed to do something. Your quiet and shy nature was enough evidence to prove that, but he did notice that more of your personality was starting to show. Maybe it was because you were finally getting comfortable around him, maybe it was because he didn't allow you to shut down and crawl back into your hole when you were with him. He could see that you were goofy as hell, true to yourself and actually educated on various topics. He was just waiting for you to realize that. 

His attention was brought back to Tae when he felt her by his balls, her hand resting underneath them and her fingers wrapping around his dick, holding the two together in one hand. Her attempts to deep throat caused his hips to raise on their own, his girth making it nearly impossible for her to swallow it all, let alone get his nuts. That didn't deter her from making sure to give an adequate amount of attention to all of him though. He appreciated her efforts and enthusiasm, her watery eyes proving that she was really trying to go all out tonight. She dragged her mouth up his length, a loud pop resonating in the dark room before her hand jerked him slowly, Erik's low grunts mixing with the sounds of squelching due to a mixture of his pre-cum and her excessive amount of saliva. 

The image of you replacing Tae's form popped into his head and he felt his body jerk. Had you ever even done this before? He wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't, but the thought of you eagerly wanting to prove yourself as you kneeled in front of him had him ready to bust. Your lips were always glistening with that damn lipgloss he would see you use every now and again. And he could tell you had a long ass tongue from the times you would randomly stick it out after saying something funny. Shit would probably feel like heaven.

"Erik, what's wrong? Why are you being so nice?" She pouted, sticking her tongue out and slapping his head against it hard before sucking it to her mouth, only paying attention to his tip as if it was a lollipop. 

Her comment made him freeze, looking off to the side and realizing what she was saying was true. Usually, he was rough when it came to anything sexual. He got off to it, taking control and spitting out obscenities. There was no time to be soft and sweet, it just made the nut take longer to come in his opinion. So why the fuck was he being so laid back all of a sudden? A part of him was ticked off as he thought about it, raising up from the bed and gripping Tae's hair in his fist, earning a cry from her. 

"Ow Erik, that hurts.." Obviously not enough since seconds later she was back to doing her job. 

Now he was annoyed. He didn't even know why he bothered coming in here with her. He wasn't feeling it anymore and he just wanted to go for a drive, maybe stop by a place that he hadn't been in a couple of days. But he couldn’t pass up on some quick head so he sat back and let her do her thing, calling her out her name and holding her head in place so he could fuck her mouth. He ignored her hands trying to push against his thighs and watery eyes, his dick staying in the back of her throat as he fed her, dick draining his kids into her mouth before letting her go. With a deep sigh, he leaned back against the bed and relaxed. Tae quietly walked off to the adjoining bathroom, the water running filling the relatively quiet room except for the heavy bass vibrating through the walls. A few minutes later she was back, a warm feeling casing his dick as she wiped him carefully, planting a kiss on his head when she was done. 

“You must’ve really missed me huh? That was a big one.”

Erik ignored her question, raising from the bed and setting his cup on the dresser before pulling back up his clothes, Ferragamo belt buckled as he checked himself out in the mirror quickly. He chugged the alcohol down, discarding his cup back on the dresser for her to clean up.

“You know, you could visit me at school sometimes. My roommates are always out so we could have the place to ourselves. I hate that we only see each other when I come back home.” She shuffled out the door behind him, huffing when she realized she was being ignored.

Before they could reach the main area where the party was being held, he turned around and backed her into the wall. She looked up at him with desire in her eyes, hands smoothing his shirt across his chest as she eagerly waited for him to continue. Erik knew the hold he had over her, he could throw her to the side and she’d still come running back. Some would say he was trash for playing with her heart, but Tae knew what it was and she could make her own choices. Since she was going to be around for a couple of days, he wanted to keep things between them on a good note. He was way overdue for a good fuck and wanted to hit it at least twice before she went back to campus. He looked at her for a moment, her eyes slightly wet and still red from her tears earlier.

“How long you gon’ be in town again?”

“Until Tuesday. That gives us four whole days to do whatever we want. I could come over one day, maybe cook for you?”

Yeah, that wasn’t about to happen, but Erik wasn’t that much of an asshole to turn her down so bluntly at her own party. He just rose his brows, acting like he was thinking it over before shrugging, letting her know that he’d think about it. As he walked away, he knew the only way they were gonna meet up was if he came to her place. No one knew where he stayed except for family and those he considered family, and he was trying to keep it that way. He really just wanted to know how many days he had left until he could link up with you. With Tae in town, it would be next to impossible so he had to play it smart. He didn’t want you knowing about her and damn sure didn’t want her knowing about you. 

The house party had got crowded in the time they were away, more bodies littering the living room and kitchen. Erik made his way through the few people standing in the hallway, head turning slightly to his left when he saw some new people that wasn’t there when he came. It was a couple of girls and he didn’t really pay them any attention until a certain one caught his eye. Her hair was down in front of her face, slightly hiding her from his view. She looked good from the side, not as dolled up as the rest of the females surrounding her, but that just made her stand out more. He liked that she wasn’t trying too hard, she was just chillin’. Oversized baby blue t-shirt, black biker shorts and some Jordan 1 UNC patents on her feet. He nodded his head to himself, silently approving her fit.

Fly lil thing. Ass fat too.

If it wasn’t for Tae on his heels, then he would’ve tried to shoot his shot. Just as he was about to keep it pushing, Tae’s loud shrieking made his face screw up as he looked back her, confused at her loud ass outburst. She told him to wait there for her and brushed past him, running up to the new group and wrapping her arms around their shoulders. He begrudgingly listened, hands stuffed in his jean pockets as he looked on. She turned around and skipped over to him, wrapping her hands around his forearm and pulling him over to where she was once standing. 

“Guys, this is Erik. Erik, these are my friends from school.”

He nodded his head and went to reply until baby blue turned her head in his direction, the room around him pausing briefly as his eyebrows lowered in confusion before raising in disbelief. 

The last thing you expected was to see Erik at Tae's party. 

Tae had invited you about a week or so ago, along with a few others girls from your sociology class. She was having it at her cousin's apartment, which was where she stayed when she wasn't on campus, and made sure to make all the girls promise that they would come. Claims of it being the best party you’d ever go to and not wanting to come off rude, you decided to go. You could tell early on that keeping up with appearances was a big deal for her. You couldn't recall a day where she wasn't looking her best or even seemed stressed. How she did it? It was above you. There were moments where you saw the real her, but they were few and far between. Whenever she would realize she was dropping this 'confident bad bitch' persona she liked to put on, she would quickly tighten up and go back to being the girl everyone knew her as. On campus, she was the IT girl. Guys wanted her, girls either wanted to be her or fight her. She was one of those people that you would rather have as a friend than an enemy for sure. So you knew you had to show your face, she’d feel some type of way if you didn’t. 

You didn't know if you should say hi to Erik or not with the way Tae was holding onto him. It was very territorial and knowing her, she wouldn't appreciate the fact that you two already knew each other. The girls all said hi after she introduced him, yours coming out a little later than everyone else's as you looked at him a little confused. Were they dating? He hadn't pushed her off or said anything since she brought him over and with the way she was going on and on about him, they obviously had some type of relationship. He nodded his head and mumbled a low "wassup" back, his eyes passing over your classmates before resting back on you. So this was why you hadn't seen him lately. He was spending all his time with her.

"You guys having a good time? Happy you came?" Tae smiled brightly, eagerly looking at you all and waiting for a response. 

"It's lit, your cousin is so cool for letting you have it at her place." "Girl duh and you got some fine ass friends, introduce me to some." "Hell yes. If not, I would've been stuck in the house being bored." Everyone spoke over one another.

She nodded her head, catching on that you hadn't spoke yet and looked at you, raising her eyebrow. 

"It's great." You smiled brightly. "I’m happy I came."

"Uh, I'm so happy you guys are having a good time. Well, I need to go make a couple more rounds. Someone here was occupying my time and I couldn't say hi to everyone." The smirk she threw Erik when she looked up at him had your eyes desperately wanting to roll, but you stopped yourself. 

There was no reason for you to be mad. It's not like you guys were close friends or anything. He was just a regular that you'd ring up. The same regular that made it a routine to walk you home from work. The same regular that had been introducing you to some of the best food spots that you ever could've imagined. You couldn't even begin to think about all the good food that you'd scarfed down in the past week. Either way, it was obvious that the Erik standing before you and the Erik at those times were different people. You could feel his energy and it wasn't the same sweet flirty one that you were used to. Instead, he had this confident air that was clouding over him and you would've thought it was attractive if it wasn't for him standing next to Tae. 

You all nodded and told her you'd catch up afterwards, your eyes not bothering to look back at the man before you started to make your way into the kitchen. A red solo cup later, you were perched on one of the barstools and listening to some funny story that Marissa was telling, or at least trying to. From where you were sitting, you could see Erik and Tae perfectly. She was sitting on his lap as she talked to some people, his hand on the couch armrest before she was pulling it around her. He kept his arm around her waist, his head slowly looking around the apartment until he was looking at you. Making eye contact was inevitable, since you were too slow to look away or play off your obvious staring. You gave him a small smile, the corner of your lip raising quickly before going back down. He returned it, eyes casting downward before he was turning back to those around him. 

The next hour and a half flew by. The company of your friends mixed with some of your favorite songs and a funny ass dance battle between some guys had you enjoying yourself. Somehow you ended up joining a group of people playing Never Have I Ever and you felt a little left out as everyone knocked back shots while you just held yours. The questions started off fun, but quickly turned sexual, making your lack of experience obvious when you could do nothing but watch everyone drink. You lied on a few, and laughed off others, all while unknowingly being watched. When you realized it was around 1:30 am, you decided it was time to dip. It was pretty late and you had work tomorrow, along with an essay to type up. You didn't want to regret it in the morning, so you bid your friends a goodbye and promised to text them when you made it home. 

As you got up and hugged them all, you made eye contact with Erik’s back as he laughed loudly at something. Surprisingly you didn’t spot Tae anywhere near him. You didn't really want to talk to him, annoyed that he hadn't spoken to you the entire night and instead decided to stick to Tae as if he was on a leash. It seemed like he was fine when it came to walking you home in the dead of night, but couldn’t be bothered with a simple “how are you?” now. You couldn’t even lie to yourself and say this was shocking. This wasn’t the first time a guy had ignored you around his friends and you were sure it wouldn’t be the last.

The walk home was going to take you about 15 minutes, which wasn’t too bad you guessed. It was late so the sun was long gone now and there’d be a nice breeze to accompany you. You had your little pepper spray if anything went down and a baby taser your Uncle pretty much forced you to carry. Exiting out the building, the lights from neighboring apartments and the corner stores kept the block lit for you. You were happy that you decided to get out a little, but couldn’t deny that being alone was ten times better. You could finally breathe and walk freely without worrying about bumping into somebody or vice versa.

After 6 blocks, you were starting to feel the repercussions of walking in shoes that weren’t broken in. Your heel was starting to throb, but you did your best to ignore it and adjusted your bag over your shoulder. The sounds of cars here and there weren’t out of norm, but you started to get nervous when you realized that one was driving suspiciously slow for no good reason. You hadn’t been paying attention so you had no clue how long they’d been there, but as you heard the slow and steady rumble of the engine trail behind you, you began to wish you had stayed at the party. Or at least gotten an Uber. Nonetheless, you kept walking and looking forward. It wasn’t until you stopped to let a car pass that a deep voice met your ears.

“You know I could’ve kidnapped your ass if I really wanted to right?”

You clicked your tongue, head shaking slowly as you recognized who it was. Of course it was him. With your arms crossed over your chest, you turned your body towards the car and slowly walked over. This was the first time you had actually seen it and it actually fit him, intimidating and sexy. You held back your smile as you watched him tilt his head at you, before knocking his head back, inviting you to get in without words. As much as you wanted to, thoughts of him and Tae together held you in place. They had something going on, you were sure of it, so you didn’t want to continue getting too close to him just to end up with your feelings hurt. You were also still salty that this was the first time he was speaking to you this night. 

“Shouldn’t you be getting back to Tae’s? I’m sure she’s probably wondering where you went.”

“Who says she doesn’t know already?”

“Based on the fact that she wouldn’t let you out her sight, I highly doubt that.”

Before Erik could respond, his phone started ringing. As he was going to answer it, he whispered a quick "get in" that you didn't obey. You could tell he was getting annoyed, but it was funny watching him roll his eyes like a spoiled child. The noise around you guys unfortunately prevented you from hearing his conversation, so you were stuck using your context clues to figure out what was going on. 

"Sup?"

"My bad bro, I had to dip out real quick. Something came up."

His thumb pointed towards the passenger seat and you shook your head, amused as he sucked his teeth and sat back. He stared at you as he continued to talk and you tried your best to look everywhere but him. At the stop light, at the LED open signs that blinked in the business windows, even at the empty trash bag that was currently rolling down the sidewalk. Literally anything to stop your eyes from landing on him. 

"Catch a fucking Uber my nigga, the fuck?"

"Not tonight. I got important shit to handle. I'll hit you tomorrow."

From your peripheral, you watched him hang up and stick his hand out the window, reaching for you. He was definitely trying to be cute, small pout on his face as his fingers finally brushed against your arm. 

"Why you playing hard to get?"

"I'm not. I'm just trying to figure out why you're so adamant about me getting in your car when I'm literally like 5 blocks from my place."

"A lot can happen in 5 blocks and if you don't get in, I'm just gonna follow you the rest of the way."

"That's really ... stalkerish."

"I don't care." He said bluntly, shrugging his shoulders. 

After some time, you finally listened and got inside. Deep down you wanted to hop in as soon as you saw him, but you wanted to see if he was gonna be persistent. His eyes followed you as you slipped inside, purse now in your lap as you protectively held it against you. It was being lifted off you and onto the floor with a huff seconds later, Erik’s hand pulling the seatbelt around you, unaware of how his knuckles were brushing against your breasts. He was too busy going on about how you shouldn't be walking late at night to notice. You stayed quiet, stomach now in knots as he tried to find the buckle that your thighs were hiding. You lifted up some, assisting him and trying not to overthink when you felt his hands on your hips. Finally he clicked it in and you were able to breath, relaxing into the seat as he took the car out of park and rolled up to the now red light. 

"So, what important shit do you have to handle?" You questioned innocently. 

"You."

* * * * *

taglist: those below are people that asked to be tagged, i saw in my notes on part 1/2 or mutuals :). if you don’t wanna be tagged in future updates then please let me know!

@hearteyes-for-killmonger @erikaintdead @chaneajoyyy @james-heaven-barnes @iamrheaspeaks @raysunshine78 @kimpossible1977 @twistedcharismaaa @janelledarling @thadelightfulone @thehomierobbstark @purple-apricots @yoyolovesbucky @journeytomeee @wakanda-inspired @l-auteuse @ghostfacekill-monger @hidden-treasures21 @eye-raq @enigmaticaphrodite @junesbride @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @werkoutbliss @imagine-n-shit @honeytoffee @michaelsgoldengurl @theblackblackwidow @destinio1 @eriksprincess @blowmymbackout @melaninmarvelgirl62 @savagescorpion @blackgirlreadsfanfic @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @vikkidc @maddiestundentwritergaines

[davidcarner]

Sarah vs The Unexpected Life, Ch 4, Save You Now

A/N You like this...you really really like this...thank you all so much!  I didn't know if this would get done today, three schools in three days and a lot of personal stuff going on today, but it turned out I need this.  For those of you waiting, we find the Intersect, but you have to pay attention.  Again, I can't thank you all enough, now for bad news.  I don't see anyway I can get a new chapter posted tomorrow, hopefully some time Friday, but I can't promise.  My daughter requires me to be Daddy Uber for a few days.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy Save You Now

Disclaimer:  I don't own Chuck, but I am certain Han always shot first.

Sarah entered the small building of Intersect Games, and was greeted by the receptionist.

“Hello,” the redheaded receptionist said in a thick New Jersey accent.  “How can I help you today?”

“Is Morgan available?” Sarah asked.

“May I ask who’s asking?”

“Sarah Walker, his girlfriend’s boss,” she replied.  The lady nodded, picked up the phone, and punched a few numbers.

“Morgan, a Sarah Walker is here to see-” she held the phone away from her ear.  

“What was that?” Sarah asked, having heard the sound.  Suddenly the door opened, and an out of breath Morgan was standing there, trying to appear professional.

“Daphne,” Morgan said, trying to get his breath.  “Anytime Mrs. Walker shows up, you let her just come right on back.”  Sarah smiled at him and entered down the hallway.  

“Interesting choice to be the receptionist,” Sarah said.

“We got her through a work release program,” Morgan explained.  Sarah looked surprised.  “We were having a cash flow problem early on.  We didn’t have any cash to flow.  So, if we let her work here, her salary was paid by the state.  You should always make sure you have your valuables after you talk to her though,” he said.  Sarah looked at him.  “She was in jail for conning people as a wedding planner.

“What makes you think she’s a pickpocket?” Sarah asked.

“Are there many in the con game that can’t pick someone’s pocket?” Morgan asked.  Sarah had to admit he was probably right.  They came to his office and he offered her a chair. She sat, and he sat across from her at his desk.  A large smile covered his face, and he steepled his fingers together in front of him, bouncing them together.  

“I’m so very glad you came here today to win my approval,” he said.  Sarah gave him a curious look.

“Who says I’m not here to make sure you have my approval,” she countered.  Morgan’s face fell, and Sarah couldn’t help herself and grinned. Morgan laughed.

“Okay, I deserved that,” he said.  “I’ve watched over him for several years, and I’m very protective of him.  Probably overprotective.”  He held up a pad and a list of questions he had made a copy of. “I’m made a questionnaire to make sure he has the right person.  I just don’t want to see him hurt.”  Sarah watched Morgan during his admission.  She thought he was genuine.  A little strange, but genuine.  

“Okay,” she said bouncing a shoulder and grinning.  “Hit me.” Morgan’s eyebrows raised in surprised. He quickly pulled out a pencil, licked the end, and prepared.

“If you’re on a deserted island what type of sandwich would you bring?”  Sarah blinked once, not sure she had heard him right.  Morgan noticed the look on her face.

“Okay, okay, maybe a little much for the first question, toss up, which is better Star Wars or Star Trek?”  Sarah had no idea.

“Who says either should be better than the other, they both have their own redeeming qualities.” Morgan nodded.

“Nice, I like it,” he said, making notes.  “Okay, marathon video game session with boyfriend’s best friend; feelings?” Sarah leaned in close.

“Probably the same that said best friend’s girlfriend feels, and that if we felt like we were being ignored, we might go do something we enjoy, like getting dressed up, drinking, and dancing.  All. Night.  Long.”  Morgan dropped his pencil on the desk and gulped.  Sarah sat back.  “Let’s skip to the big ones, I’m ready.”  Morgan nodded and found one.  He looked up, and locked his gaze on Sarah.

“Bad things I should know,” Morgan said, pencil ready.

“Did CIA wetwork,” she began, Morgan looked up over the paper he was writing on, his eyes huge. He drew his thumb across his throat. Sarah nodded, and Morgan gulped. Sarah smiled to herself and continued. “Father was a con man-”

“Two things, first, no offence meant by the pickpocket remark earlier.”  Sarah nodded it was fine.  “Second, you know I said bad things, right, not cool, impressive, things.”  Sarah smiled.  She shouldn’t be surprised with this reaction, but that meant he’d probably have the same negative reaction about some things.

“I dated Bryce Larkin, in fact, he is the last guy I dated since I started raising Molly.”  Morgan did not looked pleased, but then his eyes narrowed.

“Are you saying he broke up with you because you raised a baby?”  Sarah thought for a second.

“He thought he did, what he didn’t know was I was over him already,” Sarah replied.  Morgan nodded.

“I’m not gonna lie, the Bryce thing hurts you, I have been known to keep things from Chuck that have to do with Bryce,” he said, making notes.

“Like what?” Sarah asked, honestly intrigued.  Morgan thought for a second, and then head nodded like, ‘why not’.

“Five years ago, Bryce emailed Chuck on his birthday, and I deleted the email.  It was something stupid about Zork anyway,” Morgan replied. Sarah looked a little confused. “It was a text based Role Playing Game, or-”

“RPG,” Sarah finished. Morgan’s eyes lit up and he made notes. “Of course sometimes that does mean Rocket Propelled Grenade.”  Morgan was writing quickly, and his eyes were lit up like it was Christmas and he was a kid. “You were saying about the email?”

“Right, I deleted it, and the next day his computer was stolen.  We got another sent to us a few days later, must have been some strange replacement plan.  Listen, I have only one more question on here that matters.”  Sarah looked at him, ready.  “Why him?  He’s no one.” Sarah gave him a look.

“He’s your friend,” she said, sitting up straight in the chair, starting to get upset.  Morgan shrugged.

“Let’s be honest, he got kicked out of Stanford, it took every trick in the book to get him to finish up, he worked at the Buy More foreeevvveer, it took me, ME, Mr. allergic to work, to get him to work on our game, and we’ve only gotten one actually out, the other goes gold next week, and he’s a single dad raising a baby that’s not even his.  Loooooser.” Sarah slammed her hand on the desk, making Morgan jump back.

“That is the kindest, most giving man I have ever met!  He has put his life on hold for his niece!  He took the time to help a child he didn’t even know to get over one of the worst days of her life, when I, her MOTHER, didn’t even know how upset she was. How dare you speak of him like that! I thought you were his…friend….” Sarah noticed Morgan was smiling, glowing, and bouncing.  He ran around the desk and hugged her.  She knew over 100 ways to kill him, and he knew it.  He had done it all to find out exactly how she felt about him.  He let her go, and she was watching him, fighting a grin, afraid he might do it again.

“I’m going to need you to sign a few waivers-”

“You do know I know over 100 ways to kill you?” she asked.  Morgan tossed all the papers over his shoulder.

“Paperwork is very overrated, plus there’s the possibilities of unseen paper cuts,” Morgan said. Sarah stood, bent, and kissed him on the cheek.  Morgan’s eyes got wide and he touched where she had kissed him and looked at her.

“I wish I had someone who cared about me as much as you do him.”

“I think you do,” Morgan answered.  Sarah smiled and started out the door.  “He’s probably asleep in his office.  Clara was teething last night.”  Sarah turned and looked at him.  “He wouldn’t let anyone help. Alex and I offered to watch her so he could sleep, but he refused.  He’s been burning both ends of the candle trying to get the code right and the bugs out so the game can be certified.  He thinks he’s done with it.  Last night was supposed to be his sleep night, but Clara…”  Sarah nodded.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“I completely believe you. Take care of him, Sarah.  He’s a good guy.”

“Morgan, he’s a great guy,” she said smiling, “And, so are you,” and with that, she walked down the hall to Chuck’s office.  As she walked, her phone went off, she looked down, reread the message twice, and rolled her eyes.  She walked into the dark office and saw Chuck, stuffed on a couch that was too short for him.  She bent down in front of him, and for the first time since she met him, he seemed completely at peace.  

How can this guy affect me this much, this quickly?  She couldn’t help herself and ran her fingers through his hair.  There’s been no one to share my life with, so why him? She looked at him and smiled. Why not?  And with that, she made a decision.  She said she could be his baggage handler, and tonight she was going to be that. She pulled her phone out, and shot off another quick text.  

“Morgan,” she said softly, never having moved.

“Yep,” he replied from the hall, where she knew he was listening.

“Do you need him for the game for the rest of the day?”

“Nope.”

“He’s going home, for the day, he needs to sleep, but I need him to get his daughter.  She’s having teething problems.”

“If anything comes up, I’ll call him.”

“Morgan, call me if anything comes up,” she said.  “I know you got my number off his phone.”

“Am I in trouble?” he asked, his voice quaking.

“Are you going to use it wisely?”

“Yes,” he squeaked. Sarah smiled.

“Then no.”  She ran her fingers through Chuck’s curls again. He shifted and she saw him smile. “Chuck,” she said softly.  “Time to get up.”  His eyes opened, and he got the biggest grin on his face.

“Oh, it’s a good dream,” Chuck said.  “You’re so pretty.”  

“How do you know it’s a dream, Chuck?” she asked.

“Because you’re in my office, and you don’t know where I work,” he answered, with a sleepy grin on his face.  “Seriously, the pictures your mom showed me didn’t do you justice, you’re so pretty.” Sarah leaned in close.  Chuck’s grin got bigger.

“Chuck, I’m former CIA, how hard do you think it would be for me to find out where you work and get in here.”

“She’s got you there, buddy,” Morgan yelled from the hall.  The grin on Chuck’s face fell off.  

“I wouldn’t dream Morgan’s here,” he said with a panic on his face.  Sarah still close, grinned.

“I certainly hope not Mr. Bartowski.”

“Uh-oh, I’m in trouble. No one uses Mr. Bartowski unless I’m in trouble or they’re my teacher.”

“Maybe I’ve decided to teach you how to be happy, Chuck,” she said, unable to help herself. Chuck’s brain may have short-circuited with that one.  “As much as I’m enjoying this, I need your keys, we need to go get your daughter.” Chuck came out of his stupor quickly. “She’s fine, teething, and causing a small ruckus.  My daughter is causing a huge ruckus because of said small ruckus.”

“Do we have a problem with those two?” Chuck asked.  Sarah began to stand and offer him a hand to get up off the couch.

“I have it on good authority that some people believe helping others is what makes them tick,” she said, smiling at him.  “So we’d have to be a hypocrite to say anything.  Besides, how much of a problem could a five year old really be?”  Chuck’s face had a look of horror.

“You don’t watch movies, do you?” Sarah kind of shrugged, confused.  “You NEVER say something like that.  It’s like saying, one last mission and then someone dies.  It’s like saying what could go wrong and then you’re shocked when the water pipe breaks in the bathroom and ruins your floor and you have to move out of your house for a minimum of three weeks.”

“What.  Could.  Go. Wrong.” She said.  Chuck nearly fell off the couch in horror.  He covered his head, waiting for the roof to fall on him.

“Protect yourself, Sarah!” he shouted.  She rolled her eyes, grabbed him, and drug him out of the room.

}o{

“I still don’t understand why we’re in my car,” Chuck said.

“Because we need your daughter’s car seat, and yours is bigger,” Sarah replied.

“Why am I not driving?”

“You’re tired.”

“If, I was completely awake?”

“I’m a trained CIA agent.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I’m more qualified to get us all home safer.”

“I think you’re just a bit of a control freak,” he said, grinning.  Sarah shut the car off and turned toward him, a slight grin on her face.

“Would that be so terrible?” she asked softly.  Chuck’s brain seized.

“That’s really not fair,” he wheezed.  She arched an eyebrow, the grin growing.

“Whatever do you mean?” she asked innocently.

“You know what, I’ve not slept much, and I think I misunderstood what you said,” he said, getting out of the car.  Sarah did as well, and as they both got to the front, she placed her hand on his arm.

“Maybe you didn’t,” she said, as she smiled and headed into the preschool alone.  Chuck was stuck in the parking lot, brain overheating.

“What does she see in me?” he mumbled to himself.

“Same thing Molly does,” Emma said from behind him, scaring Chuck half to death.  He calmed down, and started to ask why she was here when he realized he didn’t have a car seat for Molly.  “You’re a great guy, Chuck.  She’s been waiting for a long time for a great guy.”

“A guy, who breaks down, who’s wallowed in misery for years, a guy who’s out of his league with her?” Emma smiled.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret.  She thinks you’re too good for her.  In fact, if she wasn’t so happy and have her roots planted in her family, home, and job, she’d probably keep everything bottled up inside.”  

“I can’t ever imagine her like that,” Chuck replied, looking at the door Sarah just went through.  He looked back at Emma who shook her head. “What about you, Mom?” he asked with a smile.  “Am I good enough for your girl?”  She walked up to him, and hugged him.

“Chuck, you’re perfect,” she said.  She released the hug and patted his arm to get him to come in with her.  “Listen, Sarah is probably going to want you to fill out paperwork to let the two of us pick up Clara if you need someone else too.”

“I’ve got Morgan and Alex,” Chuck replied, a little surprised.  Emma nodded.

“I know you think the world of Morgan, but is he the best at handling a baby?”  Chuck realized that even though Emma didn’t really know Morgan, that she nailed his friend.  “And if Molly see’s Alex picking up Clara…”

“I asked you this morning if I had a chance against her, and you said no.  I asked Sarah if she’s going to be a problem and she answered, how much of a problem could a five year old be.  Which is the truth?”  Emma smiled.

“Sarah really didn’t answer your question did she?” Emma said and went inside.  Chuck followed, and saw Clara being held by Sarah, and Molly waiting for him.  Molly handed him papers to sign.

“Sarah, what is going on?”

“Chuck you need someone you can trust with your child, and Molly right now is determined to be a big sister.  If you don’t want this, it’s fine, but please don’t think it’s a bother.”

“Sarah, you barely know me.” Sarah smiled at him.

“Chuck, you’re wrong. I know you, we may not have known each other long, but I know you.”  Chuck couldn’t help but grin.  

“Okay, should I,” he began, but paused not wanting to step out of place.

 “The third form is for you to be added to my pickup as well,” Molly said, growing a little impatient. He looked at Sarah, who was trying to hold in a laugh.  She blinked a few times as if that would hold the laughter at bay.  Chuck pressed his lips together, blew out his cheeks, nodded slowly, and then shrugged.  He went through the papers signing them.  Mrs. Wood beamed at Sarah, and Sarah grinned back at her.  Chuck looked down at Molly.

“Don’t you dare try and pull something to get me to pick you up, Missy,” he said pointing at her.

“He’s not joking, Molly,” Sarah said backing him up.  “If you pull something, whatever punishment Chuck says, goes.”  Molly nodded, smiling like she had won the lottery.

“Okay, Mom,” she paused and looked at Chuck.  Chuck had a bad feeling what she was about to say.  “And, Mr. Chuck.”  Chuck let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.  A look at Sarah told him she was wondering the same thing.  “Let’s all go home,” she said, taking Emma’s hand and leading her out the door.  “I’ll ride with Granny and you two can bring the baby.”  Chuck and Sarah shared a look.  

“I guess we’re going,” Chuck said, opening the door for Sarah and Clara.  Sarah shrugged, and took Clara out to the car.  He saw the look on Mrs. Wood’s face.  “You aren’t going to believe me if I tried to explain this would you?”

“Chuck, I don’t think whatever you’d try to explain, you believe anymore,” she said.  “I guess I’ll see the four of your tomorrow?” and with that she turned and went to the other kids, giggling.  Chuck shook his head and headed to the car.  When he got there he saw that Sarah already had Clara buckled in. Chuck joined them in the car.

“I like that seat,” Sarah said.  “Those ones when Molly was a baby were so difficult to fasten sometimes.”

“Sarah,” Chuck began. Sarah let out a breath, knowing what was coming.  “Thank you,” he said softly and reached out and took her hand.  Sarah was surprised, but happy.  She squeezed it, and decided in for a penny, in for a pound.  She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.  

“It’s my pleasure,” she said.  Chuck couldn’t help but laugh, and the two drove away, happily.

}o{

When they got to Sarah’s they decided to do something easy and had pizza delivered; vegetarian with no olives, of course.  Clara started to fuss, and Chuck started searching for the gel to relieve the pain.

“You trust me?” Sarah asked. Chuck was surprised.

“Yes,” he replied not sure where this was going.  Emma handed Sarah a bag from a local store.  In it was a bottle with little pills.  She picked up Clara, and gave Chuck a chance to read the label.  He shrugged not seeing anything that could hurt her.  Sarah bounced Clara as she softly hummed.  Chuck thought he might fall asleep standing up listening to her it was so soothing.  Molly had disappeared and a terrible racket had come from another room.  Emma went off to see what was going on.  Sarah took one of the tablets, and gently placed it under the tongue of Clara.  In a few seconds she stopped fussing and smiled at Sarah.

“Mama,” she said. Sarah’s eyes got huge as she looked at Chuck.  He just laughed.

“Sarah, it’s no big deal,” he said.  Sarah gave him a look.

“Who’s that?” she asked pointing to Chuck.

“Dada,” Clara answered. Sarah turned toward Chuck, smirking, but when she saw his face, she knew she had messed up.  He wasn’t mad, just sad.

“I’m sorry, Chuck,” she began.  He waved it off, but went over and sat on the couch.  “Clara,” she said turning back to the little girl.  “I’m Aunt Sarah, and that’s your Uncle Chuck.”  Clara yawned, and put her head on Sarah’s shoulder. Emma came out into the room with something Chuck had never seen before.

“Is that a swing?” he asked. Emma smiled.  Sarah got Clara in the swing and turned it on.  Molly came into the room with an old bunny and started to give it to Clara.  “Sweetie, she’s teething and she’ll chew on it.”

“I know, but it’s her turn to have it now.”  Chuck looked at Sarah who shrugged at Chuck but smiled at her daughter.  “Okay,” he relented.  Molly handed the bunny to Clara who inspected it for a minute and then began to chew on the bunny’s ear.  In about 20 seconds, she was asleep.  Sarah turned toward Chuck, which was good, because he had just caught her in a bear hug.

“Thank you,” he said, sounding almost desperate.  “Thank you,” he whispered.  Sarah held him and patted his shoulder.  “I just hate I’ll have to wake her when I leave.”  Sarah pulled back and gave him a look.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked.  Chuck just stared at her.  “Clara is sleeping with Molly and Emma tonight.”  Chuck looked at Emma as she whispered, “good night,” and took the swing carefully back to her room.  Chuck gulped.

“Sarah,” Chuck began.

“Chuck, I’m going to stop you before you spiral.  Tonight you need sleep.  That’s all this is.  You’re half-crazed and sleep deprived.  Now you can sleep in your old room, which would make the most sense, or you can give me all the reasons why you can’t.”

“I can’t take your bed!”

“Who said you were?” Chuck’s eyebrows raised.  “Chuck we’re two adults, we can sleep in the same bed without having sex.”

 “I’m aware that we won’t be having sex, I just don’t want…” he trailed off, and lowered his head. Sarah took his hand and rubbed it with her thumbs.

 “Chuck, look at me,” she said softly.  He raised his head to see her smiling.  “I don’t think tonight will be the last time you’re in my bed, or I’m in your bed, but we certainly aren’t ready for that.”  Chuck blushed furiously.  “Furthermore, while I am very confident in myself, I’m not sure how my ego would handle it you falling asleep in the middle.”  Chuck laughed softly.  “You need sleep.  Tomorrow we’ll take the kids to school, take you home to change, and then you can take me to work.  And, if I have time you can take me to lunch.”

“What if I have something important to do?”

“Morgan already said you didn’t need to do anything.”

“Well, as long as it’s cleared by Morgan,” Chuck replied, grinning.  Sarah led him over to the couch.  She sat down, and patted her lap.  “Lay your head down.”

“Are you-”

“Chuck,” she said a little exasperated, cutting him off.  She did have a smile on her face though.  Chuck did as she asked, and he had to admit it was quite comfortable and quiet and….  Less than a minute later, Sarah heard his breathing change; he was asleep.  “What am I gonna do with you, Chuck?” she asked softly as she played with his curls.  She picked up the remote, found some program to watch with the sound down, and sat there, more content than she had ever remembered being.  She heard soft footsteps.

“Is he okay?” Emma asked. Sarah didn’t even bother trying to hide the fact she was playing with his hair.

“I think he will be,” she said with a smile.  “Mom,” she began.  Emma shook her head and chuckled.

“Sarah, just go with it,” Emma said smiling.  “Why shouldn’t you two be happy?”  Sarah looked at her, and tilted her head as is to say “why not?”  Emma went back to bed and Sarah continued to watch TV.  A few hours later, Chuck began to toss and turn.

“It should have been me,” he mumbled.  “It should have been me!”  Sarah hugged him the best she could.  “Ellie, it should have been me,” he said softly as tears rolled down his cheeks. Sarah shook him to wake him.

“Chuck,” she said softly. He opened his eyes and looked around, and saw her.  He sat up, wordlessly, looked at her for a second, and his eyes threatened to break again. She hugged him, and he sobbed quietly. “You’ve never had a chance to grieve, have you?”  He shook his head on her shoulder.  “Let it out, Chuck,” and he did.  For thirty minutes he cried.  He let out all the hurt, anger, and frustration of ten long years and the loss of his family.  When he was done, he pulled away, a look of embarrassment but gratitude.  

“Sorry, I think your shirt is soaked,” he said, wiping his eye. Sarah laughed, she couldn’t help it. How come in his worst moments he could make her laugh?  She stood up and took his hand.  She led him to the kitchen where another bag was.  She handed it to him and pointed to the bathroom.  He looked down, seemed to almost freeze up again, when she gave him a look and nodded her head toward the bathroom.  She went in her room, changed into a tee shirt and her sleep shorts. She pulled back the covers to the bed, and waited outside the bathroom until the door opened.

“Go pick your side,” she said as she headed to the bathroom.  She stopped, not able to help herself.  “Just remember, this will set a precedent,” she said softly.  She thought she heard Chuck’s brain lock up.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he muttered.

“You’ll enjoy every second of it,” she said as she shut the door.  Chuck went into his old bedroom, got in the bed, and waited.  He wasn’t sure what he should do so he just stared at the ceiling.  Sarah walked in, not even hiding the grin on her face.  She got in her side, and scooted as close as possible, leaned down to his ear, and spoke very softly, her breath hitting his ear.

“Good choice,” she said. Chuck didn’t know if he’d sleep at all tonight.  In five minutes, he was asleep.

}o{

Chuck opened his eyes as the sun came in the window.  He had missed this, there was something about that window, the sun coming in, the blond hair laying on his chest…wait, what?  He looked down, and there was Sarah, wrapped up with him, her head on his chest.  He should probably get up, things would be awkward enough with Molly.  He felt something to his right.  He turned his head and there was Molly watching him.  

“How long until I can call you Daddy?  I would like a little brother to go along with Clara,” she said as she skipped out of the room.  Chuck noticed the weight wasn’t on his chest anymore.  He turned his head slowly to see Sarah looking at him.

“Remember yesterday when you asked if we had a problem with her?”  Chuck nodded his head.  “I think we have a problem.”  

A/N I REALLY like Molly.  Can you tell?  Hope you enjoyed it!