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dazzlingjaeyun · 23 days ago

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𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐬 - 𝐬𝐢𝐦 𝐣𝐚𝐞𝐲𝐮𝐧

boxer!jake x nurse fem!reader

୨୧ genre: exes to ??, mostly angst, a little fluff | words: 5.3k | cw: mentions of bruises, blood, heavy injuries and surgery, probably poor medical references (pls bear with me) ୨୧

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"can we get a nurse to the ER immediately, please?" you heard the charge nurse's firm demand through your communication device. you exchanged a quick glance with your colleague, and with a slight nod, she indicated she could handle the task alone. without hesitation, you used your pager to notify the ER that you were on your way, then dashed through the hallway and down the stairs to reach the emergency department.

"sorry, we're completely short-staffed," the charge nurse murmured in apology, ushering you toward a room. "male patient, twenties, just some bad bruises – likely needs stitches. we just got a family from a car crash, and we can’t tend to him right now."

with that, she left you at the door and hurried down the hall toward another room.

you pushed open the door, heading straight to the sanitizer dispenser. you rubbed it into your hands, then pulled on a pair of gloves from the box beside it, and added another layer of sanitizer.

"hello, my name is–"

the words caught in your throat as you turned around. the sharp scent of sanitizer seemed to sting your nose, burning your airways and stealing the breath from your lungs.

you froze, staring straight into a pair of familiar brown eyes – eyes you had learned to both love and hate. once filled with warmth, they now held an icy coldness, mixed with a flicker of surprise at the sight of you. just like you, he was sure you'd never meet again.

"y/n," he finished your sentence.

your throat tightened as your name rolled off his lips. you gulped down the lump in your throat as if you could swallow the whirlwind of feelings right down with it. you shook your head slightly, trying your best to focus on the situation at hand and staying professional.

"yes. i'll be your nurse today," you finished the rehearsed introduction you'd used at least a thousand of times during your two years at the hospital.

with another shaky breath, you slowly stepped closer to where he was sitting, waiting for any type of response from him but there was none.

"can you take off your hood, please?" you asked in the most professional tone you could muster. you nodded slightly when he pulled down his hood and leaned a little closer to examine his face. a pang of hurt rushed through you seeing him in the exact state you'd found him in many times before.

you were sitting on the sofa in the tiny apartment you shared with jake, your knees bent and pulled to your body as if that state could hold together the feelings that dared to overflow. you checked your phone again and again. nothing. as your head started to spin, wondering if tonight would be the night that he wouldn't come home, the sudden creak of the front door finally pulled you out of your daze, and you immediately shot to your feet, rushing toward the door. jake stumbled inside, his gaze on the floor and his hood hiding what you expected to be another field of bruises. "jake..." you whispered, your voice trailing off in a lack of things to say. you carefully took his shaking hand in yours and guided him to the bathroom, where you gently pressed down on his shoulders to make him sit on the edge of the bathtub. "i'm fine," he tried to reassure you the way he always did when he looked anything but fine. you stayed silent as you started cleaning up his bruises. the only sound breaking the silence was jake's occassional hiss when he clenched his fists as the antiseptical burned on his wounded skin. "you don't have to–", the words stuck in his throat with another sharp intake of breath as you cleaned up his bleeding lips with a cotton swap. "i can take care of it," he mumbled, and although he avoided your eyes, you could see a hint of regret flashing through his. "if you took care of yourself, you wouldn't keep coming home like this in the first place," you replied, your voice laced with a mixture of anger and frustration. you threw away the tissues and cotton swabs he'd bled through and faced him again to apply ointment to his bruises and patch them up if necessary. "what if one day you come home and i can't fix it, jake?" you asked, your voice barely louder than a whisper. for a second, you stopped your movements, just standing in between his legs and looking at his battered face. "what if one day you don't even come ho–" "shh," his whisper interrupted you, "that won't happen, baby." jake raised his hands and brought them to your hips, pulling you a little closer to him. you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and just held him close until your thoughts quieted down. for tonight, he was safe, you thought. you let go of him and took a step back, gently running your hand through his silky hair and examining his face one last time. then, you reached for the chapstick that you kept on the sink, gently applied it to the ripped skin on his lips, and softly brushed your lips against his. after you pulled away from his lips, you cupped his chin between your thumb and index finger and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on each of his bruises. "you need to stop this, jake," you whispered later when the two of you had gone to bed and he was holding you tightly although every muscle in his body hurt. he couldn't not have you close to him.

"you won't ask what happened?" he suddenly spoke up, breaking your thoughts and pulling you back to reality.

for a second, you tensed again. then, you sighed almost inaudibly, lingering by his face for another second before taking a sudden step backwards and turned around to gather all the things you'd need to treat him. you could practically feel the intensity of his gaze, although you had your back to him.

you turned back around, your face as nonchalant as you could manage as you shook your head.

"i don't care what happened," you replied shortly.

his lips twitched into something resembling a smirk, though it was faint and visibly pained him. “still bossy,” he said under his breath.

you clenched your jaw at his remark, but sat down in front of him and ran your hand through his hair in the gentlest way possible to get his bangs out of his face.

"and you're still reckless. now, hold still," you ordered.

for a while, the room was silent except for the occasional sharp intake of breath as you cleaned his cuts. you tried to focus on the task, but you couldn’t ignore the feeling of his heavy gaze on you.

"this one needs stitches," you said, tapping carefully on the skin next to one particularly deep bruise on his cheek, "it might hurt a litte."

as you began stitching the bruise, his hand moved slowly, almost tentatively, to brush against your wrist. the touch was light, but it still sent a shiver through you. you glanced up sharply, but before you could say anything, he caught your hand.

“jaeyun,” you said, a warning tone in your voice, but he didn’t let go. instead, he brushed his thumb across your knuckles. then, in a gesture so achingly familiar it nearly shattered the walls you’d built around yourself, he pressed a gentle kiss there.

your breath hitched. “what do you think you're doing?” you asked, your voice so barely audible that you hated how vulnerable you sounded.

his eyes met yours, and for the first time since you'd stepped into the room, they softened just a little. “trying to remember what it felt like,” he said, his voice low and hoarse, “to have someone who cares.”

the words hit you like a punch to the gut. you pulled your hand back, your heart racing, but despite everything, you mustered the courage to reply. “i don't care. this is my job, not…” you trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

you wordlessly finished stitching up his wound, grabbed his chin in between your thumb and index finger like you'd done countless of times before and turned his head to both sides so you could examine his face.

your eyes trailed to the bruise marring his lips. they were as plump as you remembered, but the familiar softness was gone. they looked slightly rougher now – chapped and marked with faint remnants of past bruises.

you reached for a clean cotton swab, dipping it gently into the antiseptic. his gaze stayed fixed on you, the weight of it almost making your hands falter. carefully, you dabbed at the bruise on his lips, the antiseptic gliding over it. his lips parted slightly at the touch.

the bruises on his lips were always the hardest to see. he was already struggling with sores from time to time, and every other day, a new bruise was added to what had become a painful collection. but jake loved to kiss you. your lips, your cheeks, your knuckles, your forehead, the tip of your nose – he'd kiss you everywhere, again and again, no matter how much it pained him. only once had he not been able to kiss you. and, of course, it had to be your anniversary. he had promised you to not go that day – had promised you to be home for dinner that you'd prepared so lovingly, cooking all his favorite dishes and even bringing out the nice plates his parents had gifted you when you'd first moved in together. the ones you usually only used for guests. but as time passed, and the blue sky outside your kitchen window slowly turned to black, you knew he wouldn't be home before midnight. you tried to be angry, really, but you couldn't stop the waves of worries from washing over you again and again. with shaking hands, you grabbed your phone to call him, certain he wouldn't answer. but after only two rings, you heard his voice. "babe? i'm on my way, i–" "are you okay?" you interrupted, your voice trembling slightly. just hearing him eased the twist in your stomach, but not fully. jake swallowed hard on the other end, the lump in his throat making it hard to speak. "i'm sorry," he replied after a while. "i know i promised." he sounded guilty. "you did," you replied quietly. "please... just come home." the line went silent except for the sound of jake's breathing, and you knew he was searching for the right things to say, but you still hung up. the dinner you'd put so much effort into had long gone cold, yet you couldn't get yourself to empty the table. you waited silently, eyes fixed on the clock on the wall, until the door clicked and jake's footsteps echoed through the hall. "princess?" jake's familiar voice called, a little unsure but loud enough to hear. he kicked off his shoes and rushed to the kitchen where you were sitting in your chair. you looked at him, your heart aching at how tired his eyes looked – at how his face was covered in fresh bruises; one on his jaw, one right below his temple, and a fresh one on his bottom lip. your eyes filled with tears that you quickly blinked away. he didn't say anything as he stepped closer, pulled you to your feet and embraced you in a tight hug, although it made him flinch. you buried your face in his chest, inhaling his scent as you tightened your arms around him. “i’m sorry,” he murmured into your hair, “i should’ve been here. i shouldn’t have–” you pulled away and looked up at him. jake hesitated, his eyes scanning your face. then, he leaned down and kissed your forehead. it hurt him – you could see in the way his jaw tightened and feel it in the way he pulled back immediately. "i'm sorry."

jake's sudden hiss broke the silence another time. "ah– y/n–"

you quickly pulled back the cotton swab from his lips, only realizing then that you had kept it on his wound while deep in thoughts yet again.

"sorry," you mumbled, blinking quickly as if that could erase the image your mind had just replayed, "did it sting?" your eyes flicked up to his.

"a little," he admitted, his voice low.

you pressed your lips together, focusing on your task as you cleaned away the faint streaks of dried blood and dirt clinging to the cracks. for a moment, your thumb brushed the edge of his jaw, steadying his face as you worked.

your hands were itching to pull out the chapstick you kept in the pocket of your coat and soothe his lips with it like you always used to do after cleaning up yet another bruise.

"you used to just kiss them better," he mumbled, more to himself than to you, but his words still made you freeze for a second.

"are you hurt anywhere else?" you asked, avoiding his eyes as you took one of his hands in yours and silently cleaned his bleeding knuckles.

his eyes traced down from your face to his hand in yours, slightly bigger, probably a lot rougher. it reminded him of how you'd often cleaned the blood off of his knuckles before, but also of how you'd loved to play with his hands when you were cuddled up against each other on the sofa or in bed. or how you'd always let him take the leftover lotion from your hands whenever you'd applied too much again. he was sure your hands were just as soft as he remembered them underneath the thin plastic gloves.

"jake?", you asked again, reminding him of the previous question he'd left unanswered.

he hesitated for a second, before slowly pulling his hand out of your hold, internally forwning at the loss of your touch, and reaching for the hem of the shirt he wore underneath the zip hoodie.

he slowly pulled it up until you could see a dark red bruise blooming on his ribcage. you winced slightly at the sight but still leaned in a little closer to get a better look, bringing two fingers up to the bruise and carefully letting them ghost over his skin.

"there's not much you can do for a hematoma. ice packs and... rest," you said, your eyes flicking up to his at your last word. jake lowered his shirt again and just nodded wordlessly.

for a moment, neither of you spoke. you just stood in front of him, not close enough for your legs to brush against his knees but not far enough to feel entirely out of his reach. his eyes met yours and for the first time since you'd seen him sitting in the ER, you didn't look away.

secretly, you hoped he'd see the hurt somewhere in your eyes. that he'd somehow understand how badly he fucked you up, even now that you supposedly didn't care about him anymore.

jake's hand was itching to reach for yours, to graze his fingertips over your knuckles again. hell, maybe to take your hand and pull you into a tight hug – knowing damn well every muscle in his body would hurt too much – but still, holding you so close you'd never leave him again.

but just as his hand moved forward the tiniest bit, you broke eye contact and took another step back, bringing more distance between the two of you.

"you're all patched up," you said sternly, "you'll get your papers and instructions in a few." with these words, you walked toward the door, yet you hesitated to leave.

you turned around to look at him one last time. "take care, jake. seriously, i don't want to see you here again."

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡

the flourescent lights softly buzzed above you as you rushed from patient to patient. your feet were hurting at this point, but you knew you'd only have two more hours left until your shift was over.

you had picked up extra shifts, not entirely voluntarily due to the staff shortage, but you honestly didn't mind. keeping yourself busy kept any thoughts about your encounter with jake almost three weeks ago in the very back of your mind.

you'd be lying if you said you weren't worried deep down, but he hadn't made another appearance in the hospital since the last time, so at least, he was dealing with less severe wounds now.

you were finishing a report on the patient you'd just treated when the charge nurses firm voice made you flinch.

"incoming male patient in his twenties with suspected head trauma and possible internal bleeding. ETA three minutes. notify surgery – likely immediate intervention."

you looked up from the paper, focusing your attention on her and waiting for further instructions.

"y/n, you're prepping," she said, giving you a short look. you nodded, put down your clipboard and followed along as the team moved toward the ambulance bay.

"paramedics said he got injured in a fight," the charge nurse informed. you nodded again, mentally going through the steps you'd have to take now, until you really registered what she'd said.

suspected head trauma. possible internal bleeding. injured in a fight.

the combination of the facts she'd thrown at you and your colleagues so professionally started to ring in your ears like a deafening alarm.

jake.

you felt your heart starting to pound violently in your chest and your airways seemed to swell with every step you took toward where you'd await the ambulance. every worst-case scenario ran through your mind, each more terrifying than the last.

only when you tripped over your own foot, stumbling forward just slightly before catching yourself, you snapped out of it and managed to gather your thoughts again. countless of people got into fights every day. it's not him.

when the double doors of the ambulance burst open, you caught sight of the stretcher, slightly shuddering at the sight of the motionless figure laying on it. it wasn't your first time seeing a patient like this, but that didn't make it more pleasant.

"he's stable for now," one of the paramedics announced, "caller said he hit his head on the floor after a punch. unconscious when we found him. nose bleed, slight swelling of the head, pupils unequal," he rattled off the patient's symptoms.

"we managed to stabilize him, but his vitals dipped twice."

your heart was already in your throat, but when you stepped closer and got a clear view of the patient's face the world seemed to stop.

he looked battered, but you'd always recognize him – in every state, in every lifetime. his skin was pale, sickly so, and blood stuck his bangs to his forehead. a deep gash stretched over his temple, still leaking blood. dried red stains under his nostrils, on his cheeks – everywhere. so. much. blood.

you tried to stay calm but the walls were closing around you, squeezing you tighter until you couldn't breathe anymore. your vision started to blur as you reached for the handle of the stretcher with termbling hands.

"y/n," someone called, but the sound was muffled, like it was coming from underwater.

"jake," his name slipped past your lips in a whisper. you felt your head spinning, every late night thought that had plagued you for so long before you'd walked away from him crashing down on you – revealing reality in its ugliest form.

you didn't realize how much you were shaking until one of the other nurses grabbed your arm to gently guide you away. "i don't think you should–"

"no!" you exclaimed, pulling your arm free and stepping closer again, "i n-need to–"

“y/n,” the charge nurse’s voice cut through, snapping you out of the haze. “step back. now.”

the tone in her voice left no room for argument, but your feet still felt rooted in place. it wasn’t until the stretcher began to roll toward the operating room that you finally stepped back.

the outline of jake's body, all blurry from the tears in your eyes, was the last thing you saw before the doors swung shut behind him.

the charge nurse started to say something, but every noise around you shut down except for the sound of your own heartbeat pounding in your ears and your breath coming ragged.

jake.

you hated him. you loved him. and now, he felt like he was slipping through your fingers for good.

your legs felt numb as you paced up and down the hall, not able to stay still. your body felt exhausted after pushing through your intense 10 hour shift, but you felt restless. time seemed to extend forever as you kept waiting for an update. you didn't know how long the surgery had been going on when the doors finally swung open and revealed the surgeon.

you quickly approached him, although you didn't know if you were ready to be confronted with whatever news he had. his expression seemed calm, but he might as well have looked horrified – you wouldn't breathe until you'd heard the confirming words.

"he's stable," he said finally, and as you hesitated to reply, he added, "he'll be fine. he'll take some time but–"

"can i see him?" you interrupted.

the surgeon furrowed his brows slightly. "he's not awake yet. he needs rest now, y/n."

you should have felt relieved but your terror wouldn't ease until you've seen him with your own eyes.

"please," you pressed, your voice barely louder than a whisper.

he hesitated for a while. your stomach started to drop another time until he gave in and sighed. "i guess you can help out in the recovery room," he mumbled, clearly not fully happy with the idea. you paced off before he could change his mind, only stopping to hesitate for a second once you reached the room. you took a deep breath before opening the door.

your eyes fell on jake immediately, he was lying in bed and although the sight of him wired to all types of machines and with a bandage around his head was worrying, you let yourself breathe for the first time since his arrival. he looked almost peaceful.

your vision blurred as you stepped closer and pulled a chair to his bed to sit down for the first time in hours. you reached out, your hand hovering slightly over his before you pulled it back again.

"i swear to god, jake, i–" a soft sob escaping your throat cut you off.

minutes passed, maybe an hour. you were just sitting next to his bed, blankly staring at him while the tears rolled down your face until you didn't have any left to cry.

when jake's eyes slowly fluttered open, the bright lights above forced him to squeeze them shut again immediately. his head was pounding, the almost unbearable pain forcing a quiet groan out of him.

he took a deep breath and forced his eyes open again, slowly taking in the environment in an attempt to make sense of his whereabouts. as he slowly came to his senses, he started feeling the even rushes of air against his arm.

jake forced himself to move his head to the side, although that only reinforced the pain he now felt in his entire body.

but all the pain melted away when he saw you – your head placed next to him on the matress, your soft breath brushing against his skin. your eyes were closed, your lashes wet and your cheeks slightly flushed. you had been crying for him. and you were here. even after everything he'd put you through.

it was only a few weeks after the ruined anniversary dinner when jake couldn't hold it in anymore. "there's something i haven't told you," he stated when you were cuddled up against him on the sofa. his heart was pounding violently in his chest when you sat up and swallowed so hard that he could hear it. "what is it?" you asked and jake swore the anxiety in your voice nearly shattered his heart into a million pieces. because it wasn't the first time you'd sounded like this, not the first time he'd made you sound like this. and the worst part? he couldn't blame you. when had all of this gone so wrong – when had he stopped being a safe place for you? jake took a deep, shaky breath before he continued, his voice careful as if it could break you. "you remember how i... worked hard, right?" your expression stayed blank, except for the crease that formed between your eyebrows. jake took your wordless nod as a sign to go on. "last week, after one of my boxing sessions," jake began, pausing to gather his courage, "there was this scout. he said he’d been watching me for a while... and that he liked what he saw." your lips parting slightly as you processed his words. "he offered me a chance to go pro." there it was. the sparkle in your eyes. the one thing he wanted to see the most, and the one thing he'd extinguish yet another time. "that's amazing, jake," you said, the relief in your tone only pressing down harder on him. "that means... proper guidelines, more safety?" he nodded slowly, avoiding your eyes as his gaze stayed fixated on the cushions of the sofa. "so...?" you continued carefully. "i turned it down," jake said quickly, as if saying it slower would take away the courage to say it at all. he didn't look at you. couldn't get himself to see the announcement crashing down on you in another wave of disappointment and worry. "you what?" you asked. your voice sounded so unsure – as if you'd only misheard – and jake's heart cracked when he repeated his words. "i turned it down," this time slower. "jake, you said–" "i know what i said, y/n. that i'd take the chance immediately if i got it. but this is not who i am, this–... i don't want to play by other people's rules and–" "do you even hear yourself?" you interrupted. your voice was filled with both anger and frustration and even though jake hated it, you were right. "play by other people's rules? you turned down the chance to do what you want to do, but safely. you've been coming home looking like hell for months. i don't care if you win or not, a body can only take that much," you continued, growing a bit louder with each word. jake knew you were right, and he knew it was wrong when he raised his voice back at you. when he shoved your feelings aside for his pride. "i don't get why you care so much. it's not like you're getting hurt," he replied, his tone agitated. "you're my everything, jake, don't you get that?" you almost screamed, tears of frustration daring to fall from your eyes. the sight of you like this deepened the crack, finally breaking his heart. but he just gritted his teeth, his jaw visibly tensing. you blinked a few times before standing up. "but you're right," you said in a stable voice although jake could see your hands slightly shaking, "i can't keep caring about you when you don't give two shits about yourself." and with that, you left the room – and a few minutes later the apartment.

another low groan stirred you awake. you slowly opened your eyes, blinking away the sleep, and then straightened your back almost immediately when you realized you'd fallen asleep.

your eyes immediately fell on jake and you felt like the weight of the world lifted from your shoulders when you saw him looking back at you. he was awake.

you immediately shot to your feet. "are you hurting?" you asked in an almost alarmed tone, turning around to provide him with painkillers, but the weak grasp on your wrist stopped you.

you slowly turned back around to face jake as he raised your hand to his lips and weakly brushed an attempt of a kiss against your knuckles, just like he'd always done.

"why are you here? i thought you hated me" he said, his voice so faint that it was almost inaudible.

you looked at him blankly, "i... do hate you."

jake didn't reply. the silence between you stretched. you wanted to say it, to admit it. to tell him that you didn't hate him. that you were still so fucking in love with him. that you'd always been, even when his reckless behavior made you lose your mind. that you'd never stopped caring about him.

but you just stared at him, your throat tightening with the words you didn’t know how to say. jake’s eyes, even though they were filled with exhaustion, never left yours.

he broke the silence first, although with only a whsiper, “i’m sorry.”

your breath hitched, and you blinked, unsure if you’d heard him right.

“for everything,” jake continued. “for all the times i didn’t listen. for making you hate me.” his lips curled into a faint, sad smile. “and for breaking every promise i made to you.”

your heart ached at his words. you searched his face for a hint of insincerity, but there was none.

“you’ve got a lot to be sorry for,” you said softly, sitting back down in the chair.

“i know.” he shifted slightly on the bed, wincing at the pain but refusing to break eye contact. “at some point, i didn’t care what happened to me because…” he trailed off, his gaze leaving yours for the first time.

“because...?”

his eyes returned to yours. “because i knew i was losing you, y/n. i know it sounds stupid," he hesitated, "but losing you already felt like i was dead. so i didn’t care what happened.”

the words hit you like a wave, knocking the breath out of your lungs. your fingers twitched, and before you could stop yourself, you reached for his hand. his skin was rough, but the way his fingers curled around yours was heartbreakingly gentle.

"every time you came home like this, i thought i’d lose you, " you said, your voice shaking, "and then i guess i finally did.”

jake shook his head, despite the new jolt of pain that rushed through him. “you never lost me,” he whispered.

the walls you’d spent so long building crumbled, piece by piece. you wanted to hate him, yes. but you also loved him – so much it felt like your heart had never been ready to let go, even when your mind had told you to.

“i don’t hate you,” you murmured. “i never did.”

your eyes met his again, and for the first time in months, it didn't feel like drowning – it felt like coming home.

just as jake was about to bring your hand up to his lips again, the door swung open to reveal the surgeon. you quickly pulled your hand away and straightened your back.

"mr sim?" he asked, to which jake looked at him expectantly.

"i'm sure you've heard this before," the surgeon continued, his eyes flicking to you, before focusing back on jake, "but you need rest. that means no boxing for now. you got severely injured and it will take a long while to heal fully."

your eyes went from the doctor to jake, and as you saw him swallowing, you absentmindedly took his hand in yours again, his fingers gently curling around yours.

jake nodded as best as he could and the surgeon left without another word. as you looked back at jake, you opened your mouth to say something, but he beat you to it.

"no boxing at all anymore," he said softly, causing your eyes to widen just slightly, "i'll stop if it means i'll get another chance to be with you."

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halsteadlover · 1 year ago

Text

Haunted

*Gif not mine credits to the owner*

• Pairing: Jay Halstead x Female!Reader.

• Requested by @lelaartt: So reader and Jay are engaged, her working as a nurse in the ICU. She gets followed by a stranger on her way home for couple of occasions (She doesn't tell anyone) as the stranger becames a main suspect in case that intelligence is dealing with. Jay completelly worried about her safety and she tells him about the stranger following her for couple of weeks.

• Warnings: stalking, cursing, blood, description of violence, brief mention of killing and rape. (Let me know if I missed something).

• Word count: 9530.

• A/N: I know this is a long ass fic and I’m so sorry please don’t come at me 😭. I’m kinda nervous because I really don’t vibe with the fic but I really hope it turned out okay. Let me know what you think and reblog, comment and like if you want. ❤️ thank you again for your support, forever grateful for it. Sending lots of love to you all xx

Your hospital shift was nothing short of exhausting.

That day there were three hospitalizations in the ICU due to a terrible accident that happened in the afternoon. Three patients, all of them brain dead. The ward was short-staffed and it was just you and another nurse, Amanda, on that shift so dealing with these three new patients, along with the other ones, was really exhausting.

After closing your locker, you removed the necklace where you hung the ring and slipped it onto the ring finger of your left hand, which you did at the end of each shift. You didn't want to risk losing it during work, you’d never forgive yourself for it so you just carried it around your neck during the shifts. You looked at it for a moment with a smile on your lips thinking back to the day Jay asked you to marry him.

You took your cell phone from the pocket of your uniform and, as you walked towards the exit, bag on your shoulders, you noticed various texts from Jay, the last one dating back to a couple of minutes prior.

From Fiancée 💍, 7:17 pm

Baby we're still dealing with a difficult case, I think I'll be late tonight. Please let me know when you get home. I love you endlessly. Be careful.

From Fiancée 💍, 7:55 pm

Baby? Are you okay?

From Fiancée 💍, 8.21 pm

Should I send a patrol to the hospital? You know I'll do it love.

You chuckled not doubting about that, you knew he would. Jay had always been very protective of you, which you wouldn't admit but loved it madly. You loved he cared about you, so much he’d leave everything and everyone to come to you if you asked him to.

From you, 8.27 pm

I'm sorry love, it's been a hard shift and I just picked up my cell phone. I'm going home now. How are you? When will you finish? You’ll come home soon, right?

You left the hospital and started walking home. It was late spring and the temperatures were finally starting to warm up a bit, allowing you to finally breathe fresh air. You really needed it after a whole day of smelling the hospital and disinfectants.

Your cell phone started ringing following a call.

“Hi baby! You really miss me that much, don’t you?” You begin, bringing your cell phone to your ear, a smile on your lips.

“I always miss you, you know that,” your fiancée answered on the other end of the phone. “Are you walking home?”.

“Yes, it's a beautiful evening and I felt like walking.”

Jay sighed. “Baby you know I don't like the idea of you walking alone in the dark, you could’ve taken a taxi or waited for me to pick you up.”

“Oh come on Jay, what’s gonna happen. I'll be home in twenty minutes,” you retorted “Where are you?”.

“I'm still in the district baby, I have to finish writing a case report and then I'm finally leaving,” you heard some noise in the background but you couldn't figure out what he was doing.

Jay continued to keep you company on the phone, refusing to leave you completely alone even though you'd insisted that he finish work so he'd get back to you soon.

You asked him about his day and he started telling you what he had done as you listened to him carefully, asking him a few questions from time to time when you didn't quite understand something. You bumped into a person and quickly mumbled an apology before walking on, quickly glancing at the man who reassured you not to worry.

“Everything okay baby?” Jay asked.

“Yeah, yeah, I got distracted and bumped into a guy, no big deal. What were you saying?”.

Suddenly an unease feeling went through your body. You tried to let it go, thinking it was just a figment of your imagination.

You clasped your hand around your purse, quickly picking up your pace when you began to hear footsteps behind you.

They were so loud you seemed to hear them only a few feet away from you.

You turned around and stopped in your tracks, looking around for a few seconds before letting out a sigh of relief.

There was no one walking behind you.

Your heart was pounding and anxiety was eating up your stomach and you forgot for a moment you were on the phone with Jay.

Stay calm, you're just tired.

“Baby? You still there?” Jay's voice brought you back to reality. “Oh yeah, sorry, I couldn’t hear you anymore.” You answered. You didn't want to make him worry about your simple and stupid feeling, you knew if you told him you had the impression someone was following you he would’ve rushed to you and acted like the world was about to end.

You were sure it was just the fatigue speaking, but your senses remained alert until you got to your apartment. You took a shower while you waited for Jay to come back home, ordering food since you knew neither of you would feel like cooking.

You were about to lower the blinds in your bedroom window when, glancing outside, you noticed a figure standing on the sidewalk in front of you.

It was too dark for you to make out who it was and for a few moments you stood paralyzed, your eyes fixed on that dark figure, trying to figure out if it was just a hallucination.

The noise of the front door opening and closing made you jump in place, nearly giving you a heart attack.

You took your eyes off that figure for just a second.

Just for a moment.

And it was no longer there.

You ran your hands over your face in frustration, letting out a deep sigh at the same time before walking over to Jay, deciding you were going to ignore it and just needed a good night's sleep.

The following days went on quietly and the strange episode that happened a few nights before passed into oblivion. But that was before something else weird made your skin crawl.

“Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to work babe?” Jay asked you as he planted numerous kisses on your lips, making you smile between them. It was morning and you were both in the doorway, your arms around his chest as you both struggled to pull away.

“I'm positive baby, just think about resting okay? I’ll see you tonight.”

He cupped his hands over your face, giving you one last long, sweet kiss on your lips. “I'll have dinner ready for you. You be careful. I love you so much.”

“I love you more.“

The day went on peacefully. You had to work a double shift in the hospital as the nurse on the afternoon shift was sick and had to take over her place.

You loved your job, you really did. There was nothing else you would’ve done in your life but sometimes you couldn't deny how difficult and tiring it was.

“Y/N, sweetie!” You heard the voice of your colleague, Becca, calling you from a patient’s room you'd just passed. You sighed, recognizing the tone she used when she needed something.

You took a few steps back, looking into the room and noticing Becca intent on changing the unconscious patient's dressing.

“Becca I was about to leave, why do you still want to torture me?” You whined and she rolled her eyes. “Please help me change these dressings. Pretty please, I can't wait to leave too.”

She put on the sweetest puppy face she was capable of and for the second time you sighed and rolled your eyes. You ended up disinfecting your hands, putting on a pair of gloves and helping her to change the patient’s dressings.

By the time you finished you were dead tired and couldn't wait to get back to Jay and sleep, you probably would’ve just run away if anyone else had asked you any other favor. For this reason, you practically flew out of the hospital after saying goodbye to your colleagues.

It was particularly cold that evening and you found yourself rubbing your hands on your arms in an attempt to get some warmth. Thank God you took the car that day.

You walked over to your car and grabbed the keys from your bag. Before unlocking it, you noticed an object resting on the windshield, held on it by the wiper. You furrowed your eyebrows when you realized it was a rose.

A black rose.

What the fuck?

There was no card attached to it, just the rose.

Your heartbeat began to accelerate and anxiety took over you. You tried to keep calm and not freak out since there was definitely an explanation why someone had to put a damn black rose on your car.

Maybe they were wrong, maybe it was for another person and they got mixed up with the cars.

Who the hell gives a black rose though?

Your eyes scanned the parking lot around you but you didn't notice anyone suspicious or anyone nearby watching you, before dropping the rose on the asphalt, trying not to think about it. There was definitely a mistake.

The car ride was strange.

You couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. You kept looking in the rear view mirror to notice if there were any cars following you, you were probably just getting paranoid but you couldn't keep yourself calm.

When you parked in your usual spot once you got back home, that feeling of discomfort hadn't disappeared, on the contrary, it had increased.

The streetlights hadn't been turned on yet and it was dark enough outside so distinguishing objects or people was pretty hard.

After locking the car you were about to enter the apartment building when your gaze fell on the sidewalk in front of you.

You didn't know if it was just your imagination, but you swore there was someone standing, exactly in front of you and, despite the darkness, you were sure they were watching you.

You couldn't figure out who that person was, only that he was a man.

Your breath caught in your chest as you realized it was the same figure you'd spotted a few days earlier from your bedroom window.

The silence was almost deafening, making everything more frightening and suggestive.

Your muscles were paralyzed as your eyes seemed to be glued to that man.

Suddenly he moved and your heart almost stopped beating.

But when you saw him go away, that was the last thing you expected.

He did nothing, just walked away.

You tried to explain what was happening in your mind. Maybe it was just a coincidence, that man was there for another reason and you had nothing to do with it.

You let out a sigh you didn't realize you were holding and quickly entered the apartment building, rushing to your home where you found Jay on the couch watching a show.

That rose left you with a feeling of anxiety that you couldn't get rid of easily, also caused by that figure you saw standing in front of you. You didn't immediately tell Jay, you didn't want to worry him since you already knew how he’d react and he’d worry to death and go crazy about it.

You just wanted to be sure that something’s happening before alarming him.

But, knowing you like the back of his hand, he immediately sensed there was something strange, that something was bothering you. You tried to convince him otherwise, that you were just awfully tired after working a double shift at the hospital.

“Baby, really, I'm fine. I'm just dead tired,” you said for the hundredth time since you'd set foot inside the house.

“Are you sure? You know you can talk to me. Did someone upset you? Did something happen at work?” He kept going, thumb and forefinger under your chin to keep your head up and make you look into his eyes. Your hands slid under his shirt, caressing his chest as you placed your lips on his, trying to distract him.

“No baby, nobody did anything. Seriously, nothing happened,” you muttered against his lips, “I just missed my fiancé like hell.” You bit his bottom lip and he hissed, his breathing suddenly heavy. “Do you want to take a shower with me?”.

“Fuck yeah,” Jay had said before crashing his mouth on yours and kissing your breath away. His tongue explored every corner of your mouth as his lips moved masterfully with yours. His hands went down your body and he bent slightly before reaching your thighs, pressing his fingers against your skin and urging you to jump into his arms.

You wrapped your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck meanwhile he carried you to the bathroom, never letting go of you. As he kicked the door open, you found yourself completely lost in him, the rest of the world vanishing and all negative thoughts forgotten.

However this sensation of bliss was destined to vanish.

In the following days the feeling that was tormenting you didn’t disappear, instead it only got worse.

You started to sense someone was constantly following you and watching you, that every time you walked in the middle of the street there was someone behind you even if every time you turned around there was no one.

After finding that rose on your car, this kept happening and almost every night for two weeks a rose would appear on your windshield.

Jay knew something was wrong, you weren't acting normally anymore.

You were always jumpy, any sudden noise made you almost have a heart attack, even if you were cooking and he suddenly hugged you from behind you’d be scared to death.

Needless to say Jay asked you a million times what was going on, what was it that was bothering you so much but you didn't want to bother him. You didn't want to upset him, make him worry about some stupid feeling of yours, not when his work was already haunting him enough.

Maybe deep down you were hoping whoever was leaving you those roses would stop and eventually leave you alone.

One evening you went out with your friends, on one of your rare days off, to try to keep your mind occupied and to catch up with them since you didn't always have the opportunity because of your hectic job.

Between laughter, jokes, chatting and various cocktails, the evening went on normally and by 1:00 am each one of you went back home. You headed towards your car, parked not far from the bar where you had all met together, calm and happy for the first time in weeks.

However, this feeling of calmness faded the instant your gaze fell on a damn black rose sitting on your windshield, again.

A wave of anger took over you.

You were tired, so damn tired of this little game that whoever it was was playing against you.

Who the hell was this person? What the fuck did they want from you? Why were they targeting you?

Whoever that person was they following you, they knew what you were doing, who you were with, and it scared the shit out of you as well as infuriating you.

You tore all the petals off that rose that would haunt you forever before throwing it angrily on the asphalt and getting into the car. You started it and quickly drove away from there, intending to go home immediately.

You wanted Jay, you wanted your fiancée. You wanted to hug him, feeling safe again in his arms and forget about all that shit that was going on.

As soon as you got home, however, your heart skipped a beat when you saw Jay laying on the sofa, asleep. The TV was on and he had his cell phone resting on his stomach, holding it close in case you called him. A smile was born on your lips and for an instant all negative thoughts flew away as your attention focused on the sleeping figure on the couch.

You leaned towards him, leaving a sweet little kiss on his forehead, also gently stroking his hair with your left hand. He stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes at the same instant, looking around before looking at you, a sigh of relief to see you were back home safe and sound.

“I’m sorry I woke you up baby,” you whispered, kissing his forehead again “Let's go to bed so you can sleep again.”

He mumbled something you couldn’t catch and rubbed his eyes before flashing a smile that nearly made your knees buckle. He nodded and then stood up, stretching his arms before pulling you into a hug. “How are you my love? Did you have fun?”.

The memory of that rose returned to your mind but for some reason, seeing his eyes so red and tired, you decided not to worry him about it and you’d talk to him about it the following morning.

“Mmh,” you muttered nodding your head “I really had fun, we needed this girls night out even though I missed you a lot.”

He chuckled, placing his hands on your face and giving you a kiss on the lips. “I’m glad darling, you deserved it since you’re working so hard lately. And I missed you so much more,” he kissed you again “Come on, let's go to sleep now.”

But that night you couldn't sleep given the thousands of thoughts that were going through your head. You couldn't help but think who would do something like that, what the hell those roses meant. Was there anyone who had it in for you? Did you do something to someone? Maybe an angry patient?

You thought again and again about who could be doing this but none occurred to you. Jay told you about his cases so many times you knew that whoever did this was doing it to torture you, to keep you on your toes, to make you live in fear.

And the fact they were succeeding was infuriating you.

Fear turned into pure terror when, while checking your cell phone, you noticed a text from an unknown number.

So pretty. Can’t wait to meet you.

How did they get your number?

You were so immersed in your thoughts you didn't notice it was morning and that Jay had woken up in the meantime. He literally jumped out of bed when you told him the time after he asked you, realizing he was late. You had the afternoon shift so you didn't have to worry about getting ready for quite a while longer.

“Baby can I talk to you about something?” You had asked him, not being able to hold it in anymore even though you knew you picked up the worst time to do it.

How smart were you for wanting to talk to him about something so delicate as he was hurring to get dressed and going to work? Not much.

“Can you tell me about it later? I'm so sorry, but I'm super late…” he replied frantically as he ran from one part of the room to another looking for the keys. He stopped for a moment in front of you, placing his hands on your face, analyzing your features. “Is it something important though? If…”

You shook his head, placing your hands on his chest and giving him a reassuring smile even if anxiety was making you nauseous. “No, it's not urgent baby. I'll tell you tonight. Now go.”

He smiled at you and made sure to leave you a long, sweet kiss on your lips before saying goodbye and literally flying out of the front door.

It could wait, right?

You tried to keep yourself busy all morning, cleaning every corner of your apartment and keeping your mind from the negative thoughts.

You couldn't deny the slightest noise made you jump, even when you accidentally dropped something on the floor. You hated this feeling, you hated having to be afraid in your own home, you hated whoever was doing this to you, you hated them so fucking much.

You nearly jumped for joy when you realized it was time to get ready for work, the thought that for few hours you'd be safe made you especially happy to go to the hospital.

You took a shower before quickly putting on your uniform and packing your bag. You checked that everything you needed was there, house and car keys and hospital locker keys, a bottle of water, tissues, tampons, some snacks, pepper spray and a small knife. Jay had forced you to carry them around constantly, asserting you could never be too safe and he’d be comfortable with the thought you had something to protect you in case of need, and never as then as then you were grateful to him.

Once you left the apartment, you made sure you locked the door at least three times. The anxiety that had been living with you for weeks was now gripping your stomach, forcing you to constantly look around and keeping you alert to any individual passing by you.

You forcefully clutched your purse to you, walking briskly to your car and unlocking before climbing in and locking yourself inside. You let out a breath you didn't realize you were even holding as your eyes continued to scan the perimeter for any type of threat.

Did you already mention how much you hated this?

“It's okay Y/N, it's okay, just take it easy,” you whispered to yourself, taking a deep breath before putting on your seat belt and starting the car.

As you drove to the hospital you couldn't help but constantly look at the rear view mirror, almost as if you expected someone to be following you but they weren't, there was no car that you repeatedly noticed behind you.

Your cell phone started ringing and you took it from inside your bag, not taking your eyes off the road. Without even looking who it was, imagining for a moment it was Jay, you answered.

“Hello?”.

The smile on your lips instantly disappeared when instead of a voice you started to hear a heavy sigh, almost a pant.

“Hello?”.

You took the phone away from your ear and glanced at the screen, noting that it wasn't Jay, or anyone else you knew, but an unknown ID.

“Who is this?” You continued, hoping whoever it was would answer and maybe you'd recognize the voice. The person on the other end of the phone just kept sighing heavily, making your heart beat so hard you thought you were about to have a heart attack at any moment.

“What the fuck do you want from me?! Leave me alone!” You screamed, in the grip of fear, anxiety and anger that this person was forcing you to suffer. You closed the call and threw the cell phone on the passenger seat, not caring if it had bumped into something or was broken.

Your vision began to blur with tears fearing for your safety. They had your number. They knew where you lived. What kept them from taking you and killing you?

Your hands were shaking on the wheel as you parked at the hospital, palms sweaty. Your heart was still pounding and there wasn't a muscle in your body that didn't shake like your hands.

You took a few minutes to compose yourself, not wanting to cause questions from colleagues about the reason of your emotional state.

You took a few deep breaths and wiped your tears away, constantly telling yourself that everything was fine, that you'd be fine, that no one could hurt you in the hospital.

You never felt the need to have Jay with you like then. God you were stupid, so fucking stupid for not telling him about all of this before, for keeping everything inside you and hoping it’d eventually just go away, for underestimating what was happening. You were being stalked.

You texted him, telling him you'd arrived at the hospital and asking how his day was going, determined to tell him about the person who was stalking you as soon as you got off work.

You never thought you'd say it but you were never as glad you had a hard shift as you were that afternoon. Four patients arrived, one after suffering a stroke, two from a car accident and another after falling from the roof of his house.

The entire shift consisted of you and your colleagues running back and forth across the ward, treating patients, resuscitating them after one of them went into cardiac arrest twice. Your mind was focused on nothing but your patients and in treating them, everything else was left out of the hospital. You wouldn't let whoever was stalking you ruin your job, ever.

At the end of the shift there was no need to say you were dead tired and couldn't wait to go to sleep and although it was only 8:00 pm, the lack of sleep of the night before starting to take a toll on you.

As you placed your stethoscope in the locker and grabbed your bag, you removed your engagement ring from the chain around your neck and putted it on your finger. Your cell phone rang following a text notification and your heart skipped a beat for an instant.

The anxiety, which you managed to not to think about during the afternoon, returned stronger than ever to grip your stomach and for a moment you considered to throw the phone away.

But you thought it’d Jay and when you realized that it was indeed him, you breathed a sigh of relief. He said he'd be late that night because of a particularly difficult case and to let him know when you'd be done and went back home.

You tried to hide your sorrow, not wanting to be alone, especially in that situation.

You quickly typed a text back, asking him what he’d like for dinner, and put your cell phone in your bag. You said goodbye to your colleagues and walked towards the hospital exit.

You took a deep breath, praying to God to go home safe and sound.

Although spring had arrived it was particularly cold that evening due to the wind blowing and you cursed yourself for not bringing a jacket with you.

You walked, actually, almost ran to your car.

Anxiety was eating you alive and your heart was pounding, fear flowing like a river through your veins.

After taking the keys from your bag and unlocked the car, you quickly looked around, a sigh of relief leaving your lips when you saw no one was around you.

But suddenly the keys fell out of your hands as a slimy hand placed over your mouth and an arm around your hips.

Your bag fell to the ground as you began to squirm in an attempt to free yourself from whoever grabbed you.

Adrenaline coursed through your veins as the fear of dying made you fight like never before.

You screamed, your throat burning, even though because of the hand your scream came out muffled.

“Stop fighting it, it had to happen sooner or later, you knew it was going to happen sweetie,” A man's voice came hoarsely to your ears and you suppressed a gag.

You managed to hit his side with your elbow, hard enough to loosen his grip on you and you tried to push him away with all the strength you had in your body.

“You fucking whore!”.

You threw yourself to get the car keys on the asphalt but the man was faster than you and grabbed your arm, pressing his fingers into your skin with such force you were sure they’d leave a mark.

A searing, stinging pain radiated up your face as his fist hit you full-on, knocking you to the ground. You put your hands forward to try to cushion the fall, but it caused you scratches and minor lacerations on both your forearms.

“We're meant to be. I know you want it. I saw it.”

You glanced at him and almost fainted when after few seconds your recognized him.

You had already met him. He was the guy you bumped into two weeks ago.

What the fuck?!

He tried to grab your wrists but before forcing you to get up, you managed to kick him in his genital area, using all the strength you had in your body. A sound of pure pain escaped his mouth and he backed away, leaning forward and gripping the sore area with his hands.

You took advantage of that moment of weakness to get off the asphalt. You weren't going to let him hurt you, not anymore.

You grabbed his black hair in two fists and you didn't care about the damage you would’ve caused him, you didn't care you were a nurse, that you were supposed to be the one to treat people and not hurt them, but you kneed him in his face and the horrible noise his bones made, suggested you most likely broke his nose.

You pushed him to the ground, ignoring the way he grunted in pain and the blood pouring profusely from his nose, kicking him in the stomach with such force that even you were stunned.

You never fought in your entire life, never kicked anyone or punched someone, you hated the idea of hurting people but at that very moment your life was on the line and you had to protect yourself.

The man was laying on the asphalt grunting and muttering some curse word and you took advantage of it. You had to run away, that was your only chance.

You quickly grabbed your car keys and purse off the ground before opening the door and getting in. You locked yourself in before you started fumbling to get the vehicle going.

Your hands were shaking and your vision was still blurry from the punch he had thrown at you.

You gave him a quick look, terrified he’d get up and kill you on the spot.

You didn't know how but you managed to start the car and without even looking back you drove away from that parking lot. You knew you couldn't drive in those conditions but you just wanted to get away from that monster.

You didn't know where to go, you didn't want to go home, the terror of being attacked there would’ve killed you so you went to the place where there was the only person you wanted to see, the only one who could make you feel better, safe.

The journey to the district was awful.

Your body was driving but it was as if you were experiencing everything from the outside, as if your soul had left your body and was looking at you from afar.

You didn't know how you managed to drive and not run over anyone or crash yourself.

Your breathing was still quickening, your chest rose and fell as if you'd run a marathon, your trembling hands struggling to hold onto the steering wheel. Your vision was blurred due to copious tears flowing from your eyes and streaming down your face, not even realizing you were crying desperately.

Your face was in pain and you were sure a huge bruise would appear on your cheek, although you didn't care, grateful you were still alive, that you managed to escape.

When you arrived at the district, you didn’t care about parking your car properly, or to take your bag or lock it after getting off. You just wanted Jay.

A smile appeared on Sergeant Platt's face the moment she saw you walking up the stairs, but when she noticed the way you were running, it immediately disappeared.

“Oh my God Y/N!” she exclaimed as soon as she saw you up close. Your face was streaked with tears, an expression of pure terror and fear contouring your features, your uniform stained with dust. She ran towards you, placing her hands on your arms. “What happened to you?” She took a look at your body looking for any other injury. “Oh dear. It's okay, whatever happened you're safe here.”

You kept breathing hard and your eyes were so full of tears you could barely see her.

“Shh it's okay. Come on, let's go sit down.”

She put her arm around your shoulders as she took your hand with her free one as a sign of support. She led you into one of the break rooms, making you sit on the couch and sitting next to you.

Her hand kept squeezing yours meanwhile the other stroked your back, trying to calm you down.

“Do you want some water?” She asked and you nodded, not being able to speak at the moment. Trudy got up and ran to get a bottle of water.

She handed it to you after opening the cap and it broke her heart to see the way you were shaking. “T-thanks,” you stammered, your chest shaking with sobs. “J-Jay.”

“I'm going to call him right away, don't move from here,” she said, seeing the way you needed him. She got up and ran upstairs, where Intelligence was still busy working on the case.

Everyone turned to the sergeant, who was at the top of the stairs with an expression that did not bode well. “Trudy, did something happen?” Voight asked as soon as he saw her but her gaze fell on Jay, who was standing by the whiteboard, arms folded across his chest.

“Jay… It's Y/N…” She spoke, saying nothing else. “She's downstairs now…”

Jay's eyes widened at the sergeant's words, his eyebrows furrowed in an expression of worry and fear. He knew something was up, by the way Platt looked at him and a wave of anxiety hit him, his mind now focused only on you.

Without even letting her finish the sentence, he quickly moved away from the others, running down the stairs, almost tripping on his feet. Trudy followed him, giving no explanation to the rest of the team who just exchanged a worried look.

“Where's she?” he asked hurriedly and Trudy pointed him to the room you were in.

He burst into the room and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw you sitting on the sofa but immediately worrying when he saw the state you were in. Trudy closed the door behind him, leaving you two alone and not giving any other cops a chance to snoop.

You had your elbows resting on your knees, your hands on your face as your leg bounced up and down almost obsessively.

“Baby!”.

His voice made you snap your head to him and before you knew it, you were rushing into his arms, squeezing yours around his torso with so much force you were almost afraid he’d disappear.

Jay was surprised for a moment but immediately returned that hug, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and hugging you like he never did. He had no idea what had happened, but whatever it was he knew it was serious and that was enough to make his heart race.

“I'm here baby, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. It's okay,” he whispered, placing a kiss on your head, stroking your hair. You cried in his arms, with relief because he was finally there with you.

His heart sank as he heard you cry like that, feeling helpless like never before. You kept shaking and, without even knowing anything, Jay promised himself whoever had done this to you was a dead person.

“Baby you're making me worry to death. Please talk to me,” his voice coming out desperately. You broke away from his embrace, but still remained very close to him. “Darling, look at me. What happened?”.

His hands rested on your face and inevitably on the bruised cheek. You winched in pain and this didn't escape Jay, who was on the verge of losing his mind by then. “Y/N. Look at me,” he urged and you did as he said, lifting your head and making eye contact with him.

His breath caught in his chest as his gaze fell on the clear purple bruise on your cheek.

“What the fuck? Y/N…” he stammered, an incredulous and horrified look on his face as he looked at you. He took his hand away from your wounded cheek, placing two fingers under your chin and turning your head to inspect it better. “Shit baby… What happened? Who did this to you?”.

His heart was pounding in his chest and as his eyes looked at every single inch of that bruise that lined your cheek, every single cell in his body lit up with rage. Seeing the desperation on your face, the look of pure terror with which you were looking at him, the way your eyes were so full of tears, Jay felt as if he had stabbed and someone had twisted the knife over and over again.

“I-I… H-he…” you stammered meaninglessly, sobbing between words clearly still unable to speak.

“Oh baby come here,” he hugged you again, this time even harder than he had before. “My beautiful princess. It's okay, it's okay, you're safe now do you hear me? You're safe.” He tried to comfort you “I'm here now, I'm here. You’re not alone anymore and I will never let anyone hurt you again. You’re safe with me my love.”

“I-I was…” another sob “So… S-so scared…” you cried into his shirt, wetting it with your tears.

“I know, my baby, I know,” he whispered, placing lots of little kisses on your head. “I'm so sorry. It wasn't supposed to happen, not to you. But you're safe now, I'm here with you, you’re safe with me.” He kept repeating to you.

You both sat on the couch and he continued to hug you indefinitely, holding you and cradling you in his arms until you calmed down. “Sorry,” you muttered, your voice weak as you pulled away from his embrace, gesturing at his tear-stained t-shirt.

“Don’t even say it,” he replied. He raised his hand and stroked your hair, tucking it behind your ears as you kept your gaze on your hands. He was about to continue speaking when his eyes fell on the bruises on your arm, visible outside of your uniform.

His fingers lifted the sleeve to take a better look of the bruises on your skin. He immediately understood they were finger markers, a sign that someone had violently grabbed your arm.

“Oh darling,” he whispered, shattered at the sight of those horrible marks on your beautiful skin “What have they done to you?” His fingers caressed you gently, being careful not to hurt you further.

He was furious, like he had been a few other times in his life, and he still hadn't heard the story.

“Tell me what happened, please.”

You sighed and with still trembling voice, started talking. You told him about everything, about the roses, about the feeling of being followed, about the text, about the call and about the man who attacked you, the fact you already saw him for few seconds weeks prior, how he hit you and how you defended yourself.

“Why the hell didn't you tell me about it sooner?!” Jay snapped, when you finished speaking “This was never going to happen dammit! I would’ve killed that fucking son of a bitch.”

He leapt to his feet, running his hands over his face and pacing around the room. He didn't want to pick on you, it wasn't your fault and he knew it, but he was so damn angry, so angry you had to go through this, that he wasn't there to protect you.

His eyes landed on you noticing how yours quickly filled with tears again at his words and the tone of voice he used. “No, no, no baby, don't cry,” he rushed over to you, kneeling in front of you and wiping away the tears with his thumbs. “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to blame you. It's not your fault, please don't cry.”

His hands rested on your knees as you looked at him with sad, broken eyes, making his heart break over and over again. “You’re right I should have told you about it…”

“No, baby, don't get this into your head okay? It's not your fault, I’m so sorry for snapping like that I’m just so fucking furious for what that piece of shit did to you. It’s his fault, he hurt you and make you go through all of this. I hate you had to go through this alone and I wasn’t there to help you,” He sighed “I knew something wasn't right, I should have…” Jay stopped his eyes suddenly widening as you looked at him confused.

“Oh my god, that's… That's what you wanted to tell me this morning, isn't it?”. You didn't answer, effectively giving him the answer he needed.

Jay scrambled to his feet again, as if he'd just been given an electric shock. “Fuck!” He tried to keep control but you jumped as he kicked a chair in anger before placing his hands on the table and bowing his head, his back towards you.

“Jay…” you mumbled, standing up and walking towards him. You placed a hand on his back even though he didn't move from that position.

“It's my fault, this…” he choked on his own words “If I had stopped and listened to you this morning… Shit… It shouldn't have happened… I’m so sorry…”

“Hey, hey, no baby,” you interrupted him “Don't be hypocritical and tell me to not blame me and then do the same.”

He turned his head to you and it broke your heart to see his eyes full of tears. “I was late Y/N… I… This happened to you because I didn't stop for five fucking minutes to listen to you!”.

“Jay, listen to me,” you spoke to him softly. You lightly pulled his arm, causing him to straighten his back. You cupped your hands over his face, stroking his cheeks. “It's that crazy bastard's fault okay? Not yours, not mine.”

“If something happened to you… God…”

“No. Let's not do this. No ifs and buts. I'm here and I'm fine, I was scared shitless, I'm still scared shitless, but I'll be fine. You’re here with me and you’re all I need baby. These are just bruises and they'll be gone in a couple days,” you croaked “You should’ve seen how he looked then.”

He sighed before letting out a chuckle though the tears, hugging you for the third time, his hand stroking your hair. “We'll get him okay? And I'll fucking make him pay for what he did to you.”

You and Jay went upstairs, not wanting to let you disappear from his sight for even a second, after reassuring Trudy and telling her what had happened. Needless to say, she threatened to kill the bastard herself if Jay didn't. The way he answered told you that there was no need and that he’d certainly sort it out.

“I'll get you some ice for the bruise,” Kim had offered. The rest of the team didn't take it quite well either and Voight promised you they’d catch the bastard who hurt you. You and Jay had been together for a long time and you were part of the group now, an attack on one of them was an attack on all of them.

“Thank you,” you thanked her with a warm smile, placing the bag of ice on your face. The cold sent a rush of shivers up your spine.

“Come on baby, let's go in the break room,” Jay had said, his hand resting on your lower back. However, your gaze fell on the white board on which various photos and sentences were hung.

At first you didn't notice, but when your eyes saw a particular photo, you did a double take, stopping in your tracks and lowering the hand that was holding the ice.

“Baby? Are you okay?” Jay immediately asked alarmed, then following the direction of your gaze. “Oh. That's the case we're investigating.”

The photo just on the blackboard wasn't clear enough, it was a frame taken from a surveillance video but you could distinguish the features of the man it portrayed.

You stopped breathing for a second and your mind retraced in those brief moments your aggression, still fresh and imprinted in your memory.

“Y/N?” Jay pressed, worried about your reaction as his hand caressed your back.

“It-it… Jay…” you breathed out “It's him…”

“What?!” Jay's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and everyone in the unit couldn't mask their surprise.

“It was him… H-he attacked me… Oh god…”

Your hands start shaking again and you thanked that Jay was there to hold you or you would’ve probably collapsed on the floor.

Your eyes moved from that frame to the other hanging photos. There were four photos depicting four different women, more or less your age and similar in appearance to yours. Alongside these were other photos portraying instead what were unmistakably the victims’ bodies.

You were in complete shock.

What were the odds that the man stalking you was the same Jay was investigating on?

“C’mon let’s go,” Jay put his arm around your shoulders, leading you to the break room and closing the door behind him.

You weren't even crying. You were just completely shocked.

“Jay… He…” you stammered as if you were having trouble coordinating your thoughts. He put both of his hands on your shoulders.

“Baby, just breathe okay? Do it with me, take a deep breath.”

You shook yourself out of his grip, now in a panic. How could you calm down?

“He was… He would’ve killed me Jay, like… Like those women… Holy shit…” you continued to babble. You couldn't believe it. You understood that bastard was to be locked up somewhere, but you never, ever imagined he was a serial killer, that he’d done that before to those poor women. What if you didn't fight? What if he managed to overpower you?

Jay closed his hands into a fist, pressing his nails into his palms in an attempt to let out even a tiny bit of the anger, rage and fear he was feeling at the moment.

He didn't even want to imagine it, the thought was enough to make him sick. He didn't want to imagine what could happen to you. He run the risk of losing you forever without even realizing it.

Jay couldn't exist in a world where you weren't there. He couldn't even pass the idea of not having you next to him, the pain from this thought alone was unbearable and it was enough to make his heart shatter to pieces. Damn it, he asked you to marry him, you were his fiancée, his soon to be wife, the future mother of his children. You had to start a family together, buy a bigger house to raise your children and you’d live and grow old together, forever.

He couldn't accept some son of a bitch threatened to take you away from him, the most beautiful person he'd ever met, the love of his life, his anchor and his salvation.

“What happened to those women?” You asked, afraid to hear the answer.

“Baby…”

“No Jay, please, just… Just tell me. What happened to them?”.

Jay took a deep breath, knowing that telling you would only make you feel worse. “No, love. Listen to me now,” he walked over to you, placing a hand on your healthy cheek and stroking your skin with his thumb. “Don't torture yourself like this, it won't do you any good to know, please trust me. You were so brave and you managed to knock out that son of a bitch and now you're here with me, safe, so just think about this okay? I beg you. I don't even want to think about what happened to those poor women, I don't want to think something like that could’ve happened to you and I don't want you to think about it either.”

He was right. You didn't want to know, sometimes it was better to live in the unknown.

“I'm so proud of you,” he whispered, kissing your forehead as his fingers wiped away your tears with excruciating delicacy. “I would’ve died if anything had happened to you baby, I love you so, so fucking much. I couldn't have survived without you.”

“I love you so much Jay,” you too replied in a whisper before sharing a soft, sweet kiss, your nerves starting to finally calm down. “What happens now?”.

“You’ll stay here and we’ll continue to work non-stop until we catch that bastard.”

“Are you sure I can stay here?”.

“Is this even a question?” He looked at you as if you were an alien “Yes baby, of course you can. You have stay here. I need to know you're safe or I won't be able to think of anything else and I know nothing can happen to you if you’re here. If you need anything call me and I’ll be here okay? Try to get some rest, and put ice on your cheek.”

You nodded, knowing that even you wouldn't feel safe anywhere else but there in the district.

After sitting on the small sofa in the break room you eventually fell asleep, tired and worn out from the shift, the day's events and the lack of sleep from the previous night.

Jay and the rest of the team worked nonstop to try and locate the suspect whose name was still unknown. After learning you had hit his nose and you had probably broken it, they called the hospitals in the area and within a radius of about 20km – deducing he wouldn’t be so stupid to go to the hospital where you worked – with the hope that he’d go to get treated.

This hope turned out to be a reality when Kevin was told by a hospital just outside the city that there was a patient matching the description who was still there waiting to be treated for his broken nose.

When Jay went into the break room to warn you they'd found a lead, his heart skipping a beat seeing you asleep. Your head was resting on the back of the couch, your arms folded across your abdomen as your chest slowly rose and fell.

A sad smile spread across his face as he approached you with silent steps, his chest tightening at the sight of that horrible bruise on your cheek. As his eyes roamed on your body, he then noticed some scratches on your forearms and his stomach dropped again for the thousand time that night. He’d never forgive himself for not being able to help you, for failing to realize sooner what was happening, allowing someone to hurt you, he was hating himself for not being there to protect you.

He decided not to wake you up and he leaned over you, gently stroking your hair and tucking a strand behind your ear that had fallen in front of your face. He kissed your forehead, taking an extra second to savor the moment, grateful to still being able to do it.

“I love you so much my baby,” he whispered, “Everything will be okay, I promise you.”

After telling Trudy to stay by your side and never leave you alone, he headed towards the hospital where the suspect was supposed to be, his blood boiling with anger, his hands shaking with the frenzy of being able to have that son in his hands.

The stalker, however, after seeing the cops coming, didn't hesitate for a second to run away. Jay chased after him, determined not to let him get away.

“Chicago PD! Stop now!” Jay shouted as he quickly descended the emergency stairs and followed the man, skipping a few steps at a time in an attempt to reach him first. The fact the man was injured went to his advantage as Jay took the opportunity to jump on his back, causing both of them to fall heavily to the ground.

Jay's vision immediately blurred with anger.

He punched him in the face, using all the strength he had in his body to hurt him. “Son of a bitch!” He exclaimed through clenched teeth, punching him again and again. He didn't care about anything, he didn't care about the consequences there could be. He just wanted to see him suffer, to see him writhe in pain and fear, just the way you did.

“You made a fucking mistake tonight,” Jay spat, standing up and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him up like a sack of potatoes before slamming him heavily against the wall. The man coughed, letting out sounds of pain even if Jay couldn't care less. “You'll wish you’d never met her when I'm done with you, you worthless piece of shit.”

He hit him in the face with another punch, not caring about the blood splattered on him after each blow.

He didn't even realize he wasn't alone anymore. Voight was there and watched the scene without batting an eyelid. He deserved it, he deserved everything Jay would do to him, not just for you but also for those poor women who weren’t lucky enough to survive. He knew there was no way to stop him, even if he wanted to, especially since you were involved.

Jay hit the man's head against the wall, then pushing him to the ground. He approached him and without any mercy and without even acknowledging the man's suffering, he kicked him in the stomach.

“Fuck…” the man murmured weakly.

“Look at me you son of a bitch!” Jay cursed, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt again and punching him in the face. “You thought it was fucking fun to hurt my fiancée?!”.

Another strong punch.

“Answer me!” He shouted, knowing he’d not receive a response.

Jay had completely lost control.

His mind was only picturing your wounded and tear-stained face, your terrified expression, your eyes full of tears, the bruises on your arm, on your face, the scratches, the way you hugged him so tightly because of the terror you felt, the fear you must have felt in those weeks.

“You thought you’d get away with it huh?! Making my future wife's life a fucking hell?!” He growled again, kicking this time the man’s face. “Making her scared of her own fucking shadow?!”.

Another kick in the stomach.

He was about to kill him and he didn’t give a fuck.

He bent over the man who was then barely breathing. “Did you like putting your useless dirty hands on my girl, huh?” he hissed as his foot stepped on one of the man’s hand with so much force until he heard his screams and his bones cracking.

He didn't move anymore, now unconscious and covered in his own blood.

Voight intervened at that point, not even knowing if he was alive or not. “That's okay Jay, calm down now.” He placed his hands on his shoulders, pulling him away from the unconscious man. Jay was breathing heavily, as if he had just run a marathon, his angry eyes still focused on the bastard lying on the ground.

“Now get away from here. Go out from the emergency exit and drive back to your fiancée, you were always there with her okay? I’m sure she needs you now.” Voight had ordered him but Jay didn't respond at first. “Halstead.”

At that point Jay focused his gaze on his boss and nodded feebly, casting one last glance at the stalker before walking away.

He wiped his face and hands with a handkerchief he had found in the car, trying to ignore the pain in his swelled hand, his knuckles red.

He never regretted what he did.

He had always condemned the brutal ways some cops used, like his own boss did sometimes, but in that moment he didn't stop to think about how he’d not hesitate even a second to do it again and make suffer anyone who’d hurt you.

When it came to you he’d lose his mind, his judgment clouded. You were the most important person in his life, the most precious of treasures, and he’d protect you with his own life if he could, if it meant keep you safe forever. It may have seemed an exaggeration, it may have seemed crazy, but he didn't care, God, he would’ve burn the entire city to the ground if it meant protecting you.

And as he drove to the district, eager to see you again, only one thought ran through his mind: how much he regretted not making that piece of shit suffer more.

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ducktoo · 4 months ago

Text

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

1. New life…as what now?

Note: primary vs secondary acc issue, repost it now to the right place. Enjoy!

Masterlist here

It had been years since Y/n left the relentless grind of trainee life behind him. It was a chapter he thought they'd never revisit—especially not from the outside looking in.

His new life had a quieter rhythm.

No more sprinting to dance practices or losing sleep memorising lyrics. Instead, Y/n had been picking up odd jobs in the entertainment industry—small gigs, freelance work, and most recently, running errands for people still in the idol bubble. Heck, he even finished his mandatory services the moment he left his early days.

Y/n stretched, basking in a rare moment of peace as he sat in a quiet café. The iced Americano sweating in front of him was untouched, but that wasn’t a surprise.

He weren’t really there to drink coffee. More like he was trying to figure out what came next. The timeframe of unemployment is real…

Sure, there were opportunities, but nothing that screamed "this is it!"

Just as his thoughts began to drift into existential territory, their phone buzzed on the table.

"SM CEO."

Y/n’s brow furrowed. SM? What could they possibly want? He hadn't stepped foot in that building since—

No time to dwell. He swiped to answer.

"Hello, sir?"

A crisp, professional voice on the other end greeted them, and Y/n immediately recognized it—the CEO he occasionally met during their trainee days. "Y/n, it’s been a while."

Y/n nodded, as if the person on the phone could see them. "Good morning sir. What’s up?"

"Ah, nothing too stressful. I just want to ask how would you feel about rejoining the team—"

Y/n’s heart skipped a beat. "Wait, wait, wait," he interrupted, half-joking, half-anxious. "With all due respect, you’re not trying to re-sign me as a trainee, are you? I don’t think my back can handle another round of choreography."

The voice chuckled lightly. "No, no. Not as a trainee. We actually have a bit of a different proposition for you. It’s related to aespa."

"aespa?" That name hit Y/n like a sudden gust of wind.

aespa. The super rookies who had been making waves all over the industry and one of the biggest girl groups leading the 4th generation of K-pop.

And Winter… his mind went there instinctively.

While they still regularly talked to each other, he remembered he was adamant about leaving his past trainee life behind and pursue blue collar jobs. Winter was someone Y/n had trained alongside before she debuted.

Y/n felt a pang of nostalgia—mixed with a little guilt. He didn’t want to be a disappointment to his childhood friend. "what about them?"

“Wait, hold up… what?”

The words felt stuck in Y/n’s throat, awkwardly lodged between disbelief and mild panic. The fluorescent lights above the SM CEO’s office flickered softly, adding to the sense of surrealistic reality. Y/n’s palms felt clammy as the director continued with that calm, almost amused smile, the kind that said, "Welcome to the deep end of the pool—good luck swimming."

“You’re going to manage aespa,” the director said again, this time like he was offering Y/n a cup of coffee, not rearranging his entire life.

Y/n blinked, their mind working overtime to piece together what was just said. “Manage… as in… manage manage?” He tried to keep their voice steady, but the end of the sentence squeaked out a little too much. It didn’t help that the director just nodded, nonchalant as ever.

"Yes. You're aware we're short-staffed, and your background as a trainee means you're already familiar with how the company operates. Their current manager had to step down suddenly due to health reasons, and we need someone to step in on short notice. Someone familiar with the company’s ways and preferably, someone who’s worked with Winter before. That’s where you come in."

Y/n’s heart did a weird flip. Of all the things he had expected—maybe helping out behind the scenes, doing some coordination work—this was not it. Y/n was barely done figuring out their own path, and now he had to figure out the path for one of K-pop’s biggest girl groups?

The panic was rising, but Y/n swallowed hard, trying to keep it together. “B-but, I was just a trainee before this.. I've never took any management courses before?”

The director leaned forward slightly, folding his hands together. “Yet, that experience as a trainee means you know about the idols' health and wellbeing more than everyone else. Everything else you can definitely learn on the job.”

"B-but-"

"And we think it will be better as well considering you and Minjeong auditioned together and got in together."

Ah right, Winter and Y/n were childhood friends. Sure, managing her wouldn't be too hard considering god knows how long they hung out together, but the rest of the members? Just the thought of it made Y/n gulped.

"Don't worry, the other managers will teach you your role. Red Velvet's manager will brief you after our talk." The director stood up, signalling the end of the conversation. “Your first day starts tomorrow. Get some rest tonight.”

Leaving Y/n alone in the room, he thought "…Minjeong will have a fcking field day with this…”

Y/n hadn’t slept a wink. The alarm clock was practically taunting them as it beeped at 6 a.m., the early start not unusual in idol life.

If the old Y/n—back when he was a trainee—had thought the pace of idol life was fast, stepping into a manager’s shoes was like jumping onto a bullet train already at full speed. There was no time to get acclimated, no luxury of easing into the role. Y/n showed up to the SM building the very next morning, and the minute he stepped through those familiar glass doors, the whirlwind began.

"Y/n, good to see you again!" One of the staff greeted them, barely pausing for pleasantries as she handed them a clipboard. "Here’s aespa’s schedule for the next two days. Red Velvet's manager will teach you today, but from tomorrow onwards, it’s all on you."

Y/n blinked, scanning the clipboard. Music show rehearsal. Commercial shoot. Dance practice. Fan sign event. And that was just before lunch on day one. "Wow… this is… intense," he muttered under their breath.

The staff member laughed. "Welcome to the life of an idol manager. You’ll get used to it."

He wasn’t ready for this. Hell no.

Yet, somehow, at 8:45 a.m., Y/n found himself standing outside aespa’s practice room, a bundle of nerves in the pit of their stomach. Through the glass window, Y/n could see the four girls, laughing about something, stretching, and getting ready to practice, while Red Velvet's manager briefing them their schedules and began to introduce their new manager.

This was going to be weird. Y/n hadn’t been around the group since the trainee days, and even then, he had been on the outside looking in. Minjeong… oh god, Minjeong. He really didn't tell her anything about this new role, just hinting that he got a job.

"Deep breath," Y/n muttered to themselves. It was just a job. Just another day.

As he opened the door, the laughter in the room died down almost instantly. Four sets of eyes turned to Y/n, and the tension hung in the air like fog. Karina stood in the centre, arms folded, eyebrows raised slightly as if sizing up an opponent.

"So," she said, voice cool and composed, "you’re our new manager?"

Y/n nodded stiffly, offering a small wave that felt ridiculously out of place. "Uh, yeah. That’s me. Jung Y/n. Lovely to meet you all.”

Winter, who had been doing some light stretches, straightened up when she recognized Y/n. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she let out a small laugh. "Wait, Y/n?!"

Y/n tried to relax, giving Winter a sheepish smile and a peace sign. "Y-yo"

Winter’s easy laughter filled the room, lightening the mood, if only slightly. "Ya, idiot! Is this why you didn't say anything about your new job?."

"Yeah, well, I guess." Y/n shrugged. "How are you doing tho?"

"More happy now that I know that you're working with us!" Winter beamed. "This is really too funny kekekeke"

While Winter was dying in the background at the revelation, Karina’s sharp gaze hadn’t shifted. She looked Y/n up and down, her scepticism almost tangible. "No offense, but… how much experience do you have managing?"

Y/n inwardly winced but kept their face neutral. "Well, this is my first time officially managing, but I’ve trained with the company for years. I know how things work on both sides, so…"

Karina didn’t seem convinced. She didn’t say anything, but the silence spoke volumes. Ningning and Giselle exchanged glances, sensing the subtle tension in the room.

Giselle, always the bigger person, stepped in, trying to ease the awkwardness. "It’ll be fine, unnie. Y/n’s got this. I mean, he survived SM’s training system, right?"

Karina shrugged, finally breaking eye contact. "We’ll see."

Y/n’s phone buzzed for what felt like the thousandth time, and He resisted the urge to hurl it into the nearest trash can. "This cursed fing- I mean, object"

This is fine.

Everything is fine. Sure, his first official day as aespa’s manager had turned into a whirlwind of chaos, but Y/n had told himself he’d survive the day. It was all about staying calm.

Except, calm was nowhere to be found, and the more he tried to navigate their new responsibilities, the more everything spiralled out of control.

The morning had started deceptively smooth. He arrived at SM early, clipboard in hand, ready to tackle the day. A smile even broke out when he saw the group filing into the van, chirpy with coffee and morning energy. But, as soon as Y/n opened the daily schedule on their phone, his stomach sank.

Wrong rehearsal room.

The worst way to f*ck it up as well. Misread the number 7 for 1.

"Uh... okay, small problem," Y/n muttered to themselves before looking at the girls. "So, it turns out I booked the wrong practice room this morning."

Giselle, who was squished between Ningning and Winter in the van, looked up from her phone, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, you’re telling me we’re going to a room that doesn’t exist?"

Y/n winced. "No, it exists. It's just... not available.”

Ningning leaned forward with a smirk. "So what, we practice in the parking lot? That could be fun. Maybe film a TikTok."

"That's actually a fire idea" Y/n thought.

"Please don't give her ideas," Karina groaned from the front seat. She glanced at Y/n through the rearview mirror. "So... what’s the backup plan, manager-nim?"

Y/n felt the weight of the title more than ever in that moment. Being called "manager" was still weird, like wearing a jacket that didn’t quite fit. "Uh, we’ll use one of the smaller rooms for now, just for today. I’ll sort it out. Sorry about that, team."

"Just for today?" Giselle echoed with a teasing grin. "Good to know we’ve got a professional in charge."

Y/n sighed. This was going to be a long day.

By the time they arrived at the practice room, the energy had shifted. The smaller rehearsal space had a cozy feel, but "cozy" was just a nice way of saying cramped. The mirrors barely covered one wall, and the air-conditioning was struggling to keep up with the summer heat.

The girls, to their credit, didn’t complain much—well, except for Giselle, who Y/n could always count on for a sarcastic comment or two…and Karina who didn't need any words but Y/n knew he would be skinned alive after bed.

"Well, I guess we’re all gonna sweat out our souls in here," Giselle said as she dropped her bag onto the floor and stretched her arms above her head. "Thanks, Y/n. Really starting the day off right."

Winter shot Y/n a glance, her mouth twitching into a faint smile. "It’s fine, don’t worry. We’ve practiced in worse places."

Y/n appreciated the attempt at reassurance, but the guilt still gnawed at them. He was supposed to make things easier for aespa, not complicate their day with rookie mistakes. Even worse with him thinking his trainee days would help.

So much for better understanding of the girls.

As the group started their warm-ups, Y/n made a mental note to double-check all bookings going forward. He couldn’t afford to mess up again—not with Karina giving them those mildly skeptical looks every few minutes. It was like she was silently judging every move Y/n made.

"Great. Just what I need—her thinking I’m completely useless." Y/n sighed.

Things hit a new low when Y/n tried to connect their phone to the rehearsal room's speakers, but the Wi-Fi password wasn’t working. Panic started creeping up their spine as they stared at the screen.

Y/n wanted to hit his head into a wall right this instant.”

"Hey, Y/n, we’re ready for the playlist," Karina called out from across the room. "Are you good?"

"Yeah, uh... Just a sec." Y/n tapped the password again, slower this time, but it still didn’t connect. "What the—"

Giselle leaned against the wall, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the show. "Let me guess—you forgot the password? Or did you set it to ‘password123’ like a true professional?"

Y/n shot her a look, trying to hide the growing anxiety. "It’s the building Wi-Fi. I swear it’s not my fault."

"Sure, sure." Giselle’s grin widened. "No problem. We’ll just dance in silence. You know, like marionettes."

Winter chuckled softly, while Ningning chimed in. "Oooh, I love silent discos! We could start a trend."

While Y/n cracked a smile at Ningning's genius revelation once again, Karina sighed, crossing her arms. "Just use the Bluetooth on the portable speaker for now. We don’t have time to waste."

"Un-unnie" Winter whimpered, sensing that her leader began to get frustrated. "We don't need to rush, Y/n's just getting used to it."

"Jeong, it's ok." Y/n reassured. "Karina, good idea. I got the speaker just in case."

Y/n scrambled to connect his phone via Bluetooth, heart racing as the group exchanged amused glances. As much as he tried to take the ribbing in stride, Y/n couldn’t help but feel like every little mistake was another nail in their managerial coffin.

First the wrong room, now this…

Finally, the music blasted from the portable speaker, and Y/n sighed in relief. The girls began running through their choreography, their focus quickly shifting back to the dance routine. As the familiar beats filled the small room, Y/n retreated to the side, trying to steady their nerves with a big gulped.

By midday, Y/n was juggling three things at once: updating the afternoon’s schedule, figuring out lunch arrangements, and fielding a call from the media team about an upcoming interview. He was so deep in thought, he didn’t even notice Ningning creeping up behind them.

"Boo."

Y/n flinched, nearly dropping their phone. "Motherf- Yizhuo!"

She laughed, hands on her hips. "Relax, Y/n-oppa. You’re doing fine. We’re all still alive, and no one’s collapsed yet. I’d say that’s a win."

Y/n exhaled, rubbing their temples. "Yeah, barely."

"Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. This job isn’t easy. Plus, we’ve all made mistakes. I mean, did you know I once went to a music show wearing mismatched shoes? Like, two completely different shoes."

Y/n blinked. "Huh, seriously?"

"Yep," Ningning grinned. "And no one noticed until halfway through the performance."

"Is there a fancam of it at least?"

"Oh, there are plenty of that for you."

Y/n couldn’t help but laugh, the tension easing just a little. "Okay, maybe that makes me feel slightly better."

"Good." She clapped Y/n on the back. "You’ll get the hang of it, oppa. Just remember—you’re not the only one winging it half the time. We are too."

Before Y/n could respond, Karina’s voice interrupted them from across the room. "Y/n! Can we confirm the interview time for this afternoon?"

Y/n checked the schedule on their phone, tapping quickly before calling back, "Yeah, it’s at 2:00. I’ll make sure we’re on time."

Karina nodded, her expression unreadable as she went back to the group, but Y/n caught the faintest flicker of something that might’ve been approval.

"Okay, maybe I haven’t totally screwed up yet." Y/n did a small dance in celebration.

As the morning stretched into afternoon, Y/n found himself slowly settling into the role. Sure, it was still overwhelming, and they felt like they were constantly playing catch-up, but Giselle’s light-hearted teasing and Winter’s quiet-not-so-quiet encouragement kept them going. Even Ningning, who couldn’t resist poking fun at Y/n’s blunders, made the chaos a little more bearable.

By the time the group wrapped up their rehearsals and headed to their interview, Y/n felt a small surge of relief. They had made it through the first half of the day without any major disasters. Maybe this whole manager thing wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

As they entered the interview room, Y/n stood near the back, watching as the girls took their places on the set. Cameras clicked, lights flashed, and the media team buzzed around them. Y/n checked their phone one more time, going over the rest of the day’s schedule. Double checking always works.

Karina, standing just off camera, glanced over at Y/n with a small, almost imperceptible nod. It wasn’t much, but it felt like a step in the right direction.

The clock on the wall ticked past midnight, and the hallway lights cast a soft glow over the exhausted aespa members as they stumbled into the dormitory. Their faces were flushed from the intensity of the day’s rehearsals, but there was a shared sense of relief in finally being off their feet. The practice room doors creaked open, revealing the calm haven of their living quarters.

Karina immediately went into her room to get changed.

Giselle frantically searched for a protein bar in their pantry.

Ningning plopped on the couch and groaned about the schedule.

And Winter noticed Y/n immediately headed to the kitchen. Already had a smile, she knew tonight will be a feast.

During his trainee days, the kitchen had become a sort of sanctuary for Y/n, a place where the clamour of the day’s chaos could be momentarily forgotten. Tonight, the giant pans of cheesy instant ramen unveiling the moment the lid opened was a beacon of comfort. The rich aroma of sauce and steaming noodles wafted through the air, promising a moment of respite.

Of course, it got the members' attention, and their tired eyes lit up at the sight of the pans of ramen. It was a welcoming sight, and their stomachs growled in unison.

Y/n’s presence in the kitchen, with his sleeves rolled up and a focused look on their face, was a stark contrast to the frenetic energy they had witnessed throughout the day.

“Y/n, you rock,” Giselle said, her voice filled with gratitude as she took a seat at the kitchen table. “I didn’t think I’d make it through the day without something like this.”

Ningning, always enthusiastic about food, followed suit and perched herself on a nearby stool. “Seriously, we owe you one. Our kitchen doesn’t usually get this kind of late-night love.”

Winter, the resident annoyance to her childhood friend, leaned against the counter and eyed Y/n with a playful smirk. “So, did you have this bougee ramen this much when you were a trainee too when I wasn't around? Or did you just eat instant noodles and subconsciously dream about becoming our manager?”

Y/n chuckled, stirring the noodles with practiced ease. “Oh, shush you. Buldak was basically my best friend during those days. It was either ramen or cereal for dinner.”

Karina, intrigued, raised an eyebrow. “Cereal for dinner? That’s a new one. What was your go-to flavor?”

“Plain old,” Y/n admitted with a grin. “It was the closest thing I could get to comfort food. Plus, it’s surprisingly filling when you’re too tired to care about anything else.”

Winter burst into laughter, nudging Y/n playfully. “I can just picture you in your trainee days, sitting in a tiny room, eating cereal straight from the box, dreaming about making it big. Did you ever think you’d end up here with us?”

"Hell no." Y/n’s expression softened, a nostalgic glint in their eyes. “Honestly, I had my doubts. It was a tough time, but moments like these make it all worth it. I’m just glad to be here with all of you.”

As the ramen finished cooking, Y/n ladled the pan into plates and handed them out. The group gathered around the table, their laughter and chatter filling the room. It wasn’t just about the food; it was about the camaraderie, the shared experiences, and the understanding that they were all in this together.

Giselle took a generous slurped and sighed contentedly. “This is exactly what we needed. I didn’t realize how much I missed simple yet fancy comforts like this.”

Ningning, already twirling noodles around her chopsticks, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, the practice room is great and all, but there’s something about a late-night cheesy ramen session that just makes everything feel right.”

Y/n took a quick slurp as well, and he banged the table in excitement. "That's how you live the life, man!"

Winter’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Anyway Y/n, give us some bed time story and let us hear your side of our trainee stories.”

"You don't tell them? Unless the early days wasn't unveil yet."

"Yep, and they can hear it directly from you."

Y/n laughed softly, shaking their head. “Oh, where to begin? Let’s just say my trainee days were filled with a lot of ramen, cereal, and endless hours of practice with this doof" He pointed at Winter. "There were days when I’d practice with Minjeong for so long that I’d fall asleep in the studio…. While my childhood friend here just left me and went home.”

While Ningning laughed at the last remark, Karina’s eyes widened in surprise, but regained her distance. “You’d fall asleep in the studio? That sounds rough.”

Y/n nodded, smiling at the memory. “Yeah, I’d be so exhausted that I’d just crash wherever I could. Sometimes, I’d wake up to find the other trainees laughing at me because I’d fallen asleep on the floor in some awkward position.”

Y/n sighed, thinking about those days "Also, I cooked for Jeong here like all the time. We’d spend hours in the practice room, and when the sessions were over, we’d retreat to the dorm’s kitchen. I was always the one cooking because this girl saw the recipe online and wanted me to make it.”

Winter chuckled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Ya, you're my eternal lab rat, Y/n. Remember that time you tried to cook a proper meal for us, and I ended up almost burning the place down?”

Y/n laughed, shaking their head. “Jeezus, don't even get me started. You were determined to help, but your idea of ‘helping’ involved a lot of questionable seasoning. It was a proper experiment gone wrong. I vomited all of that after I lost the rock-paper-scissors, and Minjeong laughed like a maniac."

Karina leaned in, clearly intrigued. It was the first time Karina took interested in the new manager today. “Wait, so Y/n was cooking for Winter all the time? What did you cook for her?"

Giselle nodded, her curiosity piqued. “Damn, girl, you got a private chef all this time?" She poked Minjeong's cheek, who was totally flustered at her statement.

Y/n smiled, lost in the memories. “Jeong and I had this routine. After a long day of training, we’d both be starving and exhausted. I’d take over the kitchen because I never trust her for….well, ever. She’d stand by, throwing whatever she found online while I tried to save whatever we had.”

Winter laughed, nodding in agreement. “Y/n was actually really good at cooking. He’d whip up something edible and often surprisingly delicious. I mostly just munch and tried not to set off the smoke alarm.”

Giselle’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “That sounds like something I’d do. Ya, remember when Ningning tried to make ramen on her own and ended up setting off the fire alarm?”

Ningning’s cheeks turned a shade of red, but she laughed along with the rest. “Hey, in my defence, I was trying to add some ‘extra’ ingredients. Let’s just say I got a little carried away with the chili flakes.”

Winter’s eyes widened in mock horror, slapping Y/n's back aggressively as she remembered something. “Oh, and Jimin-unnie's cooking experiment that ended up with the entire dorm smelling like burnt popcorn for days.”

Karina rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. “I was trying to make popcorn, okay? It was my first attempt at cooking.”

The group burst into laughter, their earlier exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Y/n joined in, their laughter blending with the sounds of the group’s mirth. The kitchen, usually a place for quick meals and late-night snacks, had become a space for shared stories and genuine connection.

As the conversation flowed, the stories grew more personal. Karina recounted her struggles with maintaining a rigorous training schedule while trying to stay connected with her family. Ningning shared her experiences of adapting to life in Korea and the culture shock she had felt when she first arrived. Giselle talked about the pressure of being one of the older trainees and the challenges of balancing expectations with her own ambitions.

Y/n listened intently, their heart swelling with appreciation for the group’s openness. The whole day was genuinely suffocating for Y/n and he glad his cooking opened up to them. It was a moment of vulnerability and camaraderie, a chance for everyone to connect on a deeper level.

Winter leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. “You know, it’s crazy to think about how far we’ve all come. Sometimes, it feels like just yesterday we were all trainees, struggling to make it through each day.”

Ningning nodded, her eyes reflecting a mix of nostalgia and determination. “Yeah, but look at us now. We’ve made it through the tough times and come out stronger.”

"Well, you four did for a while." Y/n pointed. "I just started."

"Aish, you know what I'm saying" Ningning brushed it off.

As the last of the ramen was devoured and the plates were set aside, the group settled into a comfortable silence. The kitchen, once filled with the noise of preparation and conversation, now hummed with a quiet sense of contentment. It was a moment of peace, a pause in the whirlwind of their busy lives—a small, perfect slice of normalcy in their extraordinary world.

Winter, sensing the serene atmosphere, broke the silence with a softer tone. “Thanks for doing this, Manager. It really means a lot to us.”

Y/n stared. "Ya, you're just gonna tease me and call me manager after that heartfelt dinner?"

"I'm being serious, this guy.." Winter glared. "We know that the sudden career change is rough for you. But all things considered….you aced it."

Y/n smiled at the thumbs up from everyone, even including the hard-to-approach Karina.

As the night wore on, the group slowly began to disperse to their shared room, their energy restored by the comforting presence of good food and good company. Y/n watched them go, their heart full with a sense of fulfillment. This was what it was all about—connecting, sharing, and growing together.

With the kitchen finally quiet, Y/n began to clean up, their movements slow and deliberate. The pot was washed, the plates stacked neatly, and the remnants of the meal cleared away. The kitchen, now returned to its usual state of order, seemed to hold the echoes of laughter and conversation, a testament to the bond that had been strengthened over a simple late-night snack.

As Y/n finished tidying up, he glanced at the clock and realized it was nearly 2 a.m. The day had been long, but it had ended on a high note. With a contented sigh, Y/n turned off the lights and began to head out to go home.

However, as he was heading towards the front door, a hand tugged his sleep. It was Winter.

"Hey, are you ok?" Her voice was full of concern. While she didn't say much, she knew today was tough for Y/n, especially under the eyes of her leader.

"Yea, I'm ok. What's wrong?"

"I know that Jimin-unnie has been…rough on you…but please don't hate her too much" She held on Y/n's hand, clearly whimpering and shaking from her hand. "She was just looking out for us. Things were especially tough these days even with our old manager."

"Aish, cmon I'm not that petty." Y/n wiped her tears. "Normal person would've been angry with me already considering how many times I fcked up. So Karina was already being the nicest possible she can be."

"B-but I don't want you to feel down and leave again…"

Y/n swore his heart skipped a beat after that confession. "Aish, I'll never leave you like before, Minjeong. Trust me on this."

"Really?" Winter hiccuped.

"Yes, crybaby." That made Y/n earned a kick to the shin from Winter, who cackled afterwards hearing her nickname.

#aespa #aespa x reader #aespa karina #aespa winter #aespa giselle #aespa ningning #kpop #karina #winter #giselle #ningning #kim minjeong #yoo jimin #aeri uchinaga #ning yizhuo #x reader #aespa x you #aespa x male reader

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nolita-fairytale · 2 years ago

Text

Meeting Pastry Chef Luca from The Bear For the First Time Headcanon

a/n: inspired by @superhoeva, i thought i'd take a crack at writing a chef luca headcanon because we're all dying rn for will poulter as a sticker-sleeve tattooed chef. would anyone read this as a fic?? let me know.

edit: (7/3/23) i turned this into a fic called 'burn your life down.' feel free to read if you'd like!

you own a small restaurant in copenhagen. it's only been open for a year (this could potentially change if i write said fic). it's nothing fancy, but the food has soul. the food is an extension of yourself -- it tells the story of you.

inspired by noma, you grow some of your own produce outside of the restaurant in raised garden beds.

you begin to notice (as it's an open kitchen) and a smaller spot, that a tall, blonde brit has become one of your regulars. he comes in the same day each week at the same time. he always looks tired, like he's unwinding from a long day's worth of hard work, but he's always kind to your staff, and he has a quiet, powerful confidence to him.

week after week, he's there. he always orders one dish and one glass of wine, before paying the bill and leaving for the evening without a word.

your staff speculate about him: who is he, what must he do, that he's so handsome that he must have a partner. you don't pay much attention to the gossip, but it's hard not to notice that it's become part of his routine.

he always orders something different -- eager to try any new kind of special that you have on the menu that day.

it's not till one slower night of service that you finally meet him. you're short staffed that night and so you end up running plates out to tables -- finding it a great opportunity to connect more with your diners on a personal level. it's a very american hospitality concept, but since you have the time, you figure, why not?

he comes in at his usual time on sunday evening and you're curious to learn more about your weekly diner. you introduce yourself after walking his plate out and he's surprised that it's you who's serving him this evening.

"you're the chef?" he asks. "yes." "i can't think of the last time i saw a head chef work front of house..." he shakes his head in disbelief. "we're a little short staffed tonight." he seems impressed, raising his glass of wine to you. "cheers."

at the end of dinner service, one of your servers hands you a handwritten note that luca's left for you, inviting you to the restaurant he works at. the note reads: "thank you for all of the great meals. i'd like to return the favor, that is, if you're open to it," followed by a time, a date for tomorrow, and an address.

as soon as you realize which restaurant it is (much fancier, michelin starred, held in high regard) you only panic a little, but decide to go anyways. since both of your restaurants are closed on monday, you're even more nervous about the fact that you're meeting him at his tonight, while it's closed, considering you've barely had a conversation with him and how intimidating of a reputation the restaurant has.

he greets you at the door, right on time, and he leads you past the closed dining room, back to the kitchen where he's created a few dishes for you to try: two from his regular menu and one inspired by a dish of yours he's had.

"all of this... you did all of this for me... why?" you muster up the courage to ask. "your food is inspired and i don't think i've had something this inspired in a long time. and as chefs, this is what we do. we feed each other." and it's the beginning of, you're not quite sure what, but whatever it is, you're glad he walked into your restaurant however many weeks ago.

#chef luca #will poulter #luca the bear #the bear season 2 #the bear headcanon #luca x reader #the bear hulu #the bear fx #the bear fanfiction

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sexy-monster-fucker · 3 months ago

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Hi sweet,

Would you ever write a vampire fic of Lee Russell?

I have not been able to stop thinking about this ever since I read this ask, it’s an absolute YES from me

Vampire!Lee Russell x Reader

Summary: Reader is one of the Vice Principals at North Jackson High. Lee Russell has recently been appointed Principal, and suspicious things keep happening. Teachers are going missing left and right. Now that they are lacking in staff, Reader and Gamby are forced to help chaperone the Halloween dance.

cw: blood (of course), choking, biting, car sex, oral f!receiving, p in v,

"That's the third one this month," Neal Gamby, your coworker and Vice Principal of North Jackson High, grumbled crossing his arms over his chest.

"Maybe they all just found better jobs," you shrugged your shoulders.

"No letter of resignation? No reports of anything? I just don't believe that, Y/N," he squinted his eyes. He always was the most suspicious one out of the three of you. Even more so now that your other coworker, Lee Russell, had been given the job as Principal. Gamby's jealousy manifested itself as paranoia.

"It's more of an inconvenience than anything. Especially with the Halloween Dance coming up. Lookin' like we're gonna end up chaperoning," you sighed.

"Can't believe all you care about is having to watch the kids at some stupid dance! What about our fucking teachers? They keep going missing! I need you to brainstorm with me on this, Y/N," Gamby stamped his foot on the ground, spitting through his teeth. You rolled your eyes, heading inside. Gamby followed closely behind you, rambling about how he had been listening to some paranormal podcast. You zoned him out as you walked down the hallway to your office. Lee Russell leaned out of his office catching both of you before you could retreat into your offices.

"Well, hello, Ms. Y/N. And Gamby. Can y'all come in here for a minute?" His chipper attitude was never a good thing.

You and Gamby sat in the two chairs facing him. Lee locked his door behind him, sitting in his chair. "Alrighty. A good ole Principals Meeting! I'm gonna level with y'all, we are short staffed. We have lost ten faculty members this semester alone. I'm not sure how much more North Jackson can take. We're all gonna have to step up our game," Lee leaned back in his chair.

Neal blew his breath out, jumping up from his chair. "What the fuck is going on, Russell? How is no one snooping around here trying to figure out what the hell is happening? It's not fucking normal for this many teachers to 'quit' or whatever lie we're telling everyone now! You have to be concerned!"

"Gamby, I know. I'm working on keeping the heat off of us. I don't know what's going on, but honestly why should we care? You hated all those fuckers anyway," Lee waved his hand. Leave it to Lee to not give two shits about people you had all worked with going missing. More worried about how everyone perceived your school.

“Do you think we should be worried?” You questioned Lee.

His brows furrowed as sharp eyes kept on yours. “Neither of you need to be worried about a thing. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” Lee’s voice darkened. Pulling the entire atmosphere of the room with his words. Something about that sat deep inside you.

Lee always did make you feel safe. Keeping you company on late nights. Walking you to your car each day after school. Always keeping an eye on you. He always made sure you were taken care of. Letting quiet compliments slip. A kiss of a hand here or there.

“Whatever, Russell. As Principal, you should be more worried about this! It could be any one of us next!” Neal Gamby stomped his foot as he aggressively exited his seat. Storming out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

You looked over your shoulder as Gamby left. Blinking heavily at the loud sound of the door. “Man, what’s got his panties in a knot?” Lee laughed trying to break the tension with you.

“He’s just worried about everyone. He really does care,” you smiled at Lee. Rising from your seat and going around the side of his desk to be closer to him. Taking a seat on the desk directly next to his chair. Lee’s eyes scanned your every move. Eyes dancing up from your legs to your face. A grin painted his expression.

“You trying to say you aren’t worried?” Lee questioned with a cock of his eyebrow.

“I know you can keep me safe,” you said.

Later That Night…

You adorned a store-bought bat costume. Doing your makeup dark to match the Halloween theme of the dance. Walking back into your work place, meeting Gamby in the hallway. Dressed with some cheap werewolf costume.

“Have you seen Lee?” Gamby questioned you without a greeting.

“No, I just assumed he would be here already,” you shrugged. Walking into the gymnasium together.

“He better not back out on us. I’ll be madder than hell if he pawned this off on me and you,” Gamby grumbled through his mustache. You rolled your eyes at him. Looking around the decorated gymnasium. Admiring all the spooky decor that had been hung up by the remaining teachers. You felt a sudden weight behind you, like someone was trying to sneak up on you.

“Boo!” Lee Russell grabbed you and Gamby by the shoulders. Causing both of you to jump and scream. Turning to see him dressed in a vampire costume. Fangs, red eyes, pale skin, collard cape, the whole nine yards. You softened your posture seeing him smiling in front of you.

“You look great, Lee!” You smiled admiring the craftsmanship of his costume.

“Thank you, sweetheart. I love this bat costume,” he spun you around.

“Glad to see you didn’t abandon us here for the night,” Gamby grinned, his attitude lightening up.

“Oh, lord, Gamby. You should’ve known better,” Lee placed his hand on his hip.

“I’m gonna have you two working the table tonight. But for now, Gamby go in there and make sure everything is getting set up right,” Lee commanded him. Gamby headed into the gymnasium, his immediate screaming orders echoed through the tall room. Lee’s attention coming back around to you. His hands immediately finding their place on your hips, long fingers massaging close to your ass.

“You look good enough to eat, sweetheart,” Lee growled in your ear. Cheeks heating up with his compliment.

“Thank you, Lee.”

The time had arrived for the students to pour in through the doors. You checked off each students name as they entered, Gamby stamping their hands to keep track of them. “If I was these kids parent, I wouldn’t be letting them out and about without me. Not with everyone who has gone missing in town,” he leaned over whispering to you. You nodded. An uneasy feeling about the night washing over you.

“Where is your daughter tonight?”

“Made sure she’s with her mom and Ray. No parties, no trick-or-treating, NONE OF THAT! I want my baby girl to be safe,” Neal proclaimed. Love for his daughter shining through.

The night continued and the list of remaining names grew shorter. Students dancing it away in the gym as you and Gamby sat on your phones. You checked your makeup in your camera. That familiar weight behind you again. You looked up to see Lee Russell standing behind you. A bright smile painting his face. Jumping slightly as he caught you off guard. “Jesus, Lee. You have to stop sneaking up on me tonight,” you breathed out.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I just came to check that y’all got all the names marked off the list,” Lee questioned Gamby.

“You know it,” Gamby responded not looking up from his phone.

“Well, Gamby I need you to man the table solo for a bit. There’s something going on outside and I need Y/N to come with me. Can’t tell if it’s some kids snuck off drinking or a girl sobbing over a boy. Either way, I’m gonna need you,” Lee ran his hands from your shoulders down your arms. Chills danced over your skin. His lips were next to your ear, “You coming?”

“Y-Yeah,” you swallowed. Arousal pooling in your stomach at his deep tone.

Lee led you outside. Following closely behind your boss. Chill from the Autumn air swept over your skin as the outside door opened. Walking around the building to a dark spot hidden away from any cameras.

His strong grasp pinned you against the wall by the throat. Practically inhuman strength with how easily he moved you. Choking around his grasp. Dark eyes fixated on your face. A small amount of fear coursed through you. Lee’s demeanor changing so suddenly set your alarm off. His sharp teeth reflecting off the glow of the night. You noticed how there was no distinction between his real ones and the fangs.

“What’s going on, Lee?”

“I just wanted to be alone with you,” his thumb played with your bottom lip, his hand never leaving your throat. Lips pressed into yours. You melted into him slowly. Hands wrapping around his neck as you pressed your body into his. Your tongues explored each other mouths, deepening the kiss you shared. Teeth clanking together, noting how realistic his fangs felt.

“Ow,” you pulled away, your hand covering your lip. The metallic taste of your blood filled your mouth. Pulling your hand away to see the small diluted drop of blood on your hand. “Your gang hooked my lip,” you smiled, “Think you can take them out if we’re gonna keep doing this?”

Lee stared at you silently. His eyes darting between your lips and your eyes. The chill of a breeze hitting you.

“I… I can’t,” Lee whispered. You raised an eyebrow confused by what he meant. Maybe it was the type of adhesive he used or maybe he just didn’t want to put them in his pocket.

“Why?”

Lee coughed, pulling away from you. Tension forming between you. Something that needed be said, but obviously wasn’t.

“Lee—“

“They’re real,” he confessed, red eyes meeting yours.

You felt your heart sink into your stomach. Had Gamby been right? Going on and on about supernatural beings suddenly making an appearance lately. Was Lee one of them? What did he mean? What was going on?

“Wh-what?”

“I need you to stay calm,” his hand wrapped back around your throat holding you still against the wall, “I know this sounds crazy— and it is crazy— but I am a real Vampire.”

Your jaw hung open. Confused. Concerned. Scared. Feeling tears wallow up in your eyes at the realization.

"Di-Did you kil-kill all of them?"

Lee stared at you, sighing unsure if he should tell you the truth or tell you what you want to hear. Red eyes slightly glowing in the moonlight. Eyes darting between yours, noting the glimmer of fear behind glazed eyes.

“You’re not going to like my answer,” Lee gritted his teeth together.

“I need you to tell me,” you stiffened your posture.

“I did,” he admitted. Tongue coming out to wet his bottom lip. Tears poured from your eyes as you tried to catch your breath. Lee’s thumb wiped away some of the tears on your cheek. “I didn’t know how to tell you,” he whispered softly. Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked at him. Frustrated that he had kept this from you. Grateful that he had not wanted to hurt you yet. His hand cupped your cheek, lips falling back onto yours. Fear escaped your body as you were suddenly engulfed in your feelings for him. Knowing now what he meant about keeping you safe.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“I would never,” Lee kissed you again.

One of his fangs grazed down your throat, a small trickle of blood forming where he had punctured you. Red eyes stared into yours, fighting his desire to completely devour you. He was salivated at the sight of your red blood dripping down your jugular. Fighting off the feeling rising in his pants as well. Adoring the sight of you before him.

“If you can’t handle this… I need to know now,” Lee whispered below your ear. His tongue flattening against your neck as he lapped up your blood. “I promise I won’t hurt you not matter what,” he reassured you. Trying to give you a genuine choice so you did not say yes out of fear.

You ran one of your hands through his hair. Staring at the man you had known for quite some time. Wondering if the version you knew was real, or if it had all been a facade to get you close to him.

“I’m in love with you. That doesn’t mean you have to say yes. But no matter what happens, know I will spend the rest of your life protecting you,” Lee promised into your skin.

You blushed. His eternal commitment to you had been spoken into existence. Loving his dedication to you. Slightly aroused by the thought of him being dedicated to you not matter what. Forever.

Lee sucked at the small wound on your neck. Tasting you like you were his last meal. Leaving a deep purple mark from his lips. Marking you as his own.

“Lee,” you whispered into his ear.

“Hmm?” He vibrated into your skin, unable to pull himself away from your delicate taste.

“Til Death?”

“And even after that,” Lee wrapped his arms around you. Feeling your heartbeat throughout his body. Adoring how you fit perfectly against him. His semi-hard cock pressed into your stomach.

“Take me,” you huffed.

Lee swiftly picked you up, as if you weighed absolutely nothing. Carrying you around to his car. Opening the back door and letting you get in first. You laid on your back with your legs propped up, Lee kneeled down still on the outside of the car. He pulled you to him, propping your legs over his shoulders. Kissing over the tights that adorned your legs. Biting softly at your tender flesh. A soft moan fell from you. Lee kissed your soaking clothed core. Smelling arousal dripping from you, turning him on even more.

One of his fangs grazed across the fabric covering your pussy. Ripping them just enough for him to get his finger through. With his long fingers, he tore the fabric of your tights and panties, revealing your plump mound. Begging for any attention he was willing to give. Bright red eyes stared intently at your core. Flattening his tongue and licking a stripe up your opening. Your hips arched for him pushing you further against his tongue. “Tastes so fucking good,” Lee growled into your core.

Chills danced along your skin. Hands tangling in his hair as he lapped at your opening. Lips attaching onto your swollen nub. Sloppy sounds pouring from the backseat of his car. His name a scream on your lips. You grinded your hips into his face. “You sure are greedy,” Lee cooed, eyes staring up at you while he still worked your core. One of his fingers slid inside you, pumping itself slowly. Curling as it felt your walls spasm.

“Getting close, pretty girl?”

You nodded aggressively. He really knew how to get you there. Your legs began to shake as you approached your unwinding. Looking down to catch his glowing eyes staring into yours. Throwing your head back against the seat as you came undone. Walls fluttering around his finger as he pulled away to watch how you gripped him.

Lee crawled on top of you in the car, hooking an arm under to help you scoot back in. Closing the door behind him. A small glimmer of moonlight danced across his face above you. Admiring how handsome he was. The sharp teeth decorating his smile. He shimmied his pants down to reveal his erection. Eyes asking permission. You softly nodded.

He lined himself up with your entrance, easing himself inside half way. Pulling back out before sliding in again. Watching how your face contorted at the feeling of his cock penetrating you. Sighing as your walls morphed around his member. His thrusts moving at a generous rate. Your head was thrown back against the seat, moaning his name over and over again.

Lee’s lips attached to your exposed neck. Kissing and grazing his teeth down your pulse. The heat of blood flowing through your veins driving his hunger. “I’ll fuck you til the end of time,” Lee growled with a groan, “Keep you forever. My love. My girl.” Growing more aggressive with his thrusts. Hips snapping into yours with the loud sound of skin smacking together. Sloppy as your juice combined.

“Lee,” you moaned when he hit a certain spot inside you.

“Let me make you mine. I can have you forever. Please,” Lee pleaded against your neck. Hot breath touched your skin. Panting as he fucked you.

You realized what he was asking. A small pit forming in your stomach. Unsure of it was fear or another orgasm.

“Please, Y/N. You can be my eternal love. I love you,” he huffed against you. Teeth breaking your skin softly.

“Lee-“

“All mine,” he praised, licking your skin.

“Yes,” you moaned.

Teeth punctured your skin.

[END]

// Happy first day of October everyone! I hope you enjoyed this story because I adore this request! Thank you so much for reading! //

Thank you @megangovier for this awesome request 😘🖤

@vaultdwellingghoullover ~ @asgardian1023 ~ @toogaytofunctiondangit ~ @nerdypinupcrystal ~ @nerdragenewvegas ~ @theeverlastingspirit ~ @dichromaniac ~

#lee russell #lee russell x reader #vice principals #walton goggins #walton goggins x reader #au #vampires #october 1st #october #writing #fanfic #sexymonsterfics

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melodic-haze · 8 months ago

Note

heyy, may i request some natasha content? she's so underrated i swear 😩😩

☆ — SONG TITLE: Acts of service

☆ — PAIRINGS: Natasha x Reader

☆ — TYPE: Fluff, SFW

☆ — CONTENT WARNINGS: None

☆ — NOTES: No NSFW for this one cuz I've been doing a lotta that 🫶 hope you don't mind!!! Also idk what colour to give her :(

☆ — WORD COUNT: 1,609 words

Visiting Natasha became something of a routine for you. Despite everything that you did in the day, you never failed to visit the doctor—it was usually during the afternoon, around the time you had lunch, because then you asked her to have a bite with her every time, to which she always agreed to.

Half of the reason why was because you had wanted to spend time with Wildfire's true leader as.. well, not Wildfire's leader. You wanted to get to know Natasha, nobody else, at first.. but then it went from getting to know her to having each other's presence become something of a constant in both your lives, and then to something even more.

The other half of the reason, though, was because you were concerned.

She was the Underworld's best doctor, so naturally everyone relied on her. While she did have a massively good reputation, unfortunately that came at the cost of a decrease in the time for her to relax.

Such a thing was evident to see when it was moments like these—you had just stepped into her clinic and already you are witnessing the blue-gray-haired woman rush back and forth, patient to patient. After all, you had waited for.. what was essentially an hour before you decided to just stop waiting and to go to her yourself to see what was happening.

You had to take your time in actually approaching her, worried that you might somehow disturb her flow, and only actually decide to try to gain her attention when she seems to have slowed down.

Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, you softly called out to her, "Natasha?"

You hear her sigh the slightest bit, tired and weary, but when she turns her head and sees you she pushes herself upright on her desk as if startled. She quickly downplays her surprise with a laugh, however, "Oh! Dear, you gave me a quite a shock. What are you here for? Are you sick?"

"No, no," you shook your head, "I'm not on death's door or anything like that. Seems like you've got your hands full of the people that are, though."

She let out a small yet exhausted laugh, the lines on her eyes particularly evident today, "I suppose I am, aren't I? ..Though not to be hasty, and I do love to see you and your face, but if you aren't here to get treated, then is there another reason why you're here?"

The clinic was so particularly hectic today that she forgot.

"..Nat."

"Yes?"

"We were supposed to meet up a bit more than an hour ago."

You see her take her phone out of her pocket to check the time and--

"Oh."

Her eyes widen at the realisation before darting back to you with furrowed brows, "I hadn't realised... Were you waiting this whole time?"

You shrugged with a sheepish grin, "I didn't really want to leave in case you were just late. I see that you're really busy, though."

You see her sigh out and look at you apologetically, "Dear, you should've called me. I didn't mean to lose track--"

"Hey, no, I'm not mad or anything, don't worry about it." You reach for her hands to hold them tenderly as you got a little closer to her, "I can see that you're absolutely swamped with work, I get it. I wouldn't have signed myself up for dating you if I didn't accept it."

"Be that as it may, this is practically routine for the both of us."

"Yeah, but this is still your job." You gave her a light shrug and a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about it, yeah? We can just postphone it for when you go off the clock."

She huffs out gently with a small shake of her head, "A doctor never fully gets off the clock."

"Even when the Stellaron's gone?"

"Mhm. Not only that, but some of the others have caught an illness so we're short-staffed and I've been scrambling left and right. I'm afraid I had no time to think about anything else... Or, well," she draws a hand back from your grasp to cup your cheek with such a soft, affectionate look, "until you came along. Now I feel like I can't seem to think of--"

"Natasha?" The both of you turn to look at the nurse calling out to your lover, her touch on you breaking away at the disturbance, "Sorry to disturb you but, um, we need you here."

Natasha fully lets go of you now, easily getting herself back into work mode, "He's woken up?" And when the nurse nods, she answers swiftly, "Alright. I'll be there in a second."

Then she turns back to you, work mode off for a brief moment. While her affectionate look is still there, you could easily see how much today's exhaustion's getting to her, "I'm sorry that I'll have to leave you like this. I don't think I really have time to spare so.. I'll meet you when I'm done?"

"Mm." You briefly go to squeeze her hand and press a quick peck on her cheek, "Good luck with work, yeah? I'll be waiting."

She nods, and then she turns to make a beeline over to the waiting patient, leaving you alone in the middle of the clinic. You supposed that you should probably go so you make your way over to the door...

But when you put a hand on the doorknob, suddenly you're hit with a revelation.

You rush back over to her (the desk she owns, specifically) and wait for until she's finished with her current charge. It takes a while, but eventually she turns to walk over to said desk, to which she sees you and makes a confused yet amused expression, "I don't believe I'm off the clock yet, darling. Anything you need?"

"No, actually." You shook your head at her, "On the contrary, I think I have a little solution to your problem."

She crossed her arms as she hummed in curiosity, "Hmm? And whatever may that be?"

"I can help. Like, as some sort of assistant."

"..Go on."

"I know I'm not necessarily trained to be a doctor like you, or a nurse, or anyone in the professional health field, but I can do the other stuff like book-keeping and supply pick-ups. And maybe fetching stuff for you," you shrugged, "but I can't promise that I'll know what they look like."

You had expected her to accept the help—you have to use whatever resource you have in the Underworld, even when the passage between here and the overworld has been opened up. However, instead you see her shaking her head with slightly furrowed brows, "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"Why not?"

"I can't ask that of you. I wouldn't want you to sacrifice your day to help me with my job..." She looks to the side, pensive, "And I'm afraid I can't pay you either; I don't want to monopolise you just because we share a close bond.

You waved off her concerns, "Don't worry about that. One, I already get paid by spending time with you. And two, you're not monopolising anything—I'm offering to help. So let me?"

She looks at you, looks back towards the patients behind her, and then looks back at you again, her face showing clear contemplation. She's silent for a while and the lack of an answer plays with your nerves, but she eventually gives you a small, teasing smile, "It will probably take up the entire rest of your day. Are you sure you can hold out for that long here?"

"Ah, but you underestimate me—I can do anything when you're with me."

She laughs, and it's the most beautiful sight you've ever witnessed, "We'll have to see, won't we?"

You both get straight into work after that; Natasha tends to the patients with the other nurses as you dutifully do exactly as you said, taking care of most of the documentations and fetching the needed supplies for her and everyone else (without touching the chemicals in case you mess something up, of course). The amount of work was, quite frankly, insane for such a small clinic but you supposed that all places had their busiest days, medical locations included.

It was tough, and it sure as hell was exhausting, but eventually you pulled through the day and finally you were off the clock. You left a little earlier per your girlfriend's request, waiting outside for her to come out instead. And once she walks out the door, you two walk back home in companiable silence.

It's only when you reach your house when she speaks up, guilt tinging her tone, "I'm sorry we didn't end up having lunch as per usual, dear."

"I told you so many times, Nat, I seriously don't mind. I wanted to help!"

"Not that I'm ungrateful, and I know you offered, but are you sure you were okay to help? Treating people and helping them recover is something I love to do, but you could have done something else."

"I could have," you paused in your steps, opting Natasha go do the same. "But I wanna spend more time with you. Plus, hospital intern dates aren't exactly the worst dates ever."

She laughs again, and you can't get enough of it, "I suppose it isn't. Now come," she nudges her head towards your house's direction, "I'll make up for the whole of today, starting with a delightful meal. Care to join me, Y/N?"

Yes. Yes, you'd very much like to.

#hazy songs!#natasha #honkai star rail natasha #hsr natasha #natasha x reader #hsr natasha x reader #honkai star rail imagines #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail #hsr imagines #hsr #hsr x reader

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lovelytsunoda · 2 years ago

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flower power // yuki tsunoda

summary: he has so much love in his heart, and finally there’s someone he can share it with. or, all the times yuki almost asked y/n to marry him, and the one time she said yes.

pairing: yuki tsunoda x female reader

warnings: mostly fluff! very flirty at the beginning, talks heavily of marriage.

the alarm had gone off three times. first, she pressed the snooze button (twice) but after that, just switched the clock off. as much as she loved her job, she could think of little she wanted to do less than drive from her cozy apartment into the cold, unfeeling city that she worked in.

she groaned as the bed shifted around her, scrunching up her face as her boyfriend pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"yuki, no." she warned. "i'm not getting up."

"baby," yuki tsunoda frowned. "don't you have work today?"

"i don't want to go." she whined, rolling over and pulling the comforter over her head, drawing her knees into her chest. "i'm just going to be stuck in back to back meetings all day, and it's going to be very boring and i would rather be here with you."

yuki sat back on his heels, the golden sunlight streaming through the blinds making him look ethereal, like an angel sent from heaven as his lover looked up at him.

"come on, since the season started it feels like we barely get to spend weekends together any more. i know it sucks that i can't always travel with you, but i want to enjoy the time that we do have."

can't argue with that, yuki thought to himself as he grabbed one of the bamboo pillows in his lovers bed, gently hitting her side with it. "then don't. don't go to work. stay here with me."

"you changed your tune fast." y/n giggled, sitting up to hit him with her own pillow, a giggle escaping her throat. "but we have a really important client meeting today."

"stay." yuki whined, continuing his side of the pillow fight before he found himself on top of y/n, the sheets pulled up over his bottom half, and his thigh in between her legs. "stay with me today. call in sick." he encouraged, pressing kisses to her neck as she hummed softly, tangling her fingers in his hair.

"but we're short staffed this week. and i can't just not go, especially with our biggest client coming in today.' she said sadly, disappointed that she had her lover wouldn't be able to continue with their morning jaunt in the sheets.

"it's okay." yuki reassured her, sitting up and knocking two pillows off the bed in the process. "go for a shower, and i'll make you lunch."

"you don't have to do that. i'll just go out with samra and milo."

yuki silenced her protests with a kiss, not minding her morning breath one bit as he held her close. food was his love language. he loved cooking things for the people he loved, his girlfriend included. "go for your shower. i'll make a pot of hot chocolate while i'm at it."

"you're the best." she smiled, pecking his lips before clambering out of bed, her sleep shirt riding up to give her lover a glimpse at her patterned panties (patterned with lemons and daisies no less) as she picked up the bamboo pillows. "i love you." she called, slipping out of the bedroom and down the hall to the full-sized bathroom.

"love you too!" yuki shouted, quickly making the bed before he slipped out to the kitchen, still wearing his pajamas.

it was a quiet, simple kind of love that they shared. the kind that songs were written about. yukis status had never been important to y/n.

he heard the radio turn off upstairs, cutting off mid-song. minutes later, she came bouncing down the stairs, dressed in silk dress pants and a short-sleeved lavender button down, her still-damp hair held back by a plastic clip shaped like a butterfly.

she was beautiful as always.

the kitchen smelled like ginger chicken dumplings as she came up behind her lover, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder, kissing his neck softly.

“thank you, baby. that smells great.”

“don’t worry about it. I’ve already packed you a bento box of dumplings and rice, and there’s french toast on the table.”

“what did I do to deserve you?” she said softly, kissing his cheek before grabbing the small plastic container, wrapped in a hello kitty patterned cloth. “do you want me to pick up a pizza on the way home?”

yuki shook his head, taking a seat across from her at the kitchen table. “I’m going to order ahead, get it delivered. should I rent a movie?”

“of course. I love you.”

“love you, too.” yuki grinned. “have a good day at work, sweetheart.”

and as he watched her walk out the front door, a bright smile on her face as she waved to him, she was struck with a simple, alarming, thought.

I want to marry that girl.

she sat on the plastic seat in the airport terminal as she watched a series of flights come and go. she had insisted that they do this trip her way: an econo flex flight to tampa on a commercial plane, no airport lounge before a balcony cabin on a carnival cruise up the panama canal.

yuki smiled as he stared at her from across the terminal, a styrofoam starbucks tray in his hand and a freshly-bought paperback in the other. he knew how much this trip meant to her, how hard she had to beg for the time off work.

how she had insisted on doing the trip her way when yuki could have easily booked a resort and gotten a private charter flight anywhere in the world. it was just something that made him love her even more.

“hey, beautiful.” he said, sitting next to her and passing her a starbucks cup as she curled into his side, her head securely resting on his shoulder. “I got you something.”

he passed her the paperback lauren asher novel, watching as her eyes lit up. “baby, I brought my ereader. you didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to. I figured you’d go through most of the books on your ereader before the cruise was over anyways.” yuki laughed, leaning in to kiss her. “I know you’re always happier when you have a book with you.”

“thank you.” she smiled before kissing him again.

she sat back in the plastic chair, resting her head against her lover as she opened the paperback. the driver kissed the top of her head, gently running his fingers through her hair as she began to read, a content sigh leaving her lips.

he almost said it, unplanned and unromantic in the middle of manchester airport terminal two.

we should get married.

the words had been on the top of his tongue, and he was so sure that he had muttered the words under his breath.

but of course, she didn’t hear him, so wrapped up in the letters printed on pages in front of her.

he could have stayed like this forever, had their flight not been called for boarding fifteen minutes later.

iii

his entire body ached. triple headers were relentless, and yuki tsunoda felt beat. he’s barely moved from the couch all day, watching reruns of law and order: special victims unit all morning.

“baby, I’m home.” y/n called softly, opening the front door. “I brought fish and chips, and I stopped at the drug store to pick up a new heating pad. I think the cord in the old one is broke.”

“ugh, you’re an angel, sweetheart!”

y/n smiled, coming over to the living room with the rolled up heating pad in one hand and the takeaway in the other. “you would do the same for me, babe.”

she plugged the heating pad into the wall, lifting up her lovers shirt so she could rest the pad against his sore back. she leaned over him, kissing him softly as yukis hand came up to rest against her ass, her cleavage staring him down from the collar of her fitted dress.

“oi.” she laughed, pulling away to get plates for the takeaway. “you need to rest up. you have another race in a week.”

“can I just not go? can liam take this one?”

y/n laughed, rolling her eyes as she emptied the styrofoam container onto a ceramic plate. for an athlete, she had never met someone who hated physical activity as much as her boyfriend did.

“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response, love.” she placed the plates on the coffee table, wiping her greasy hands on a tea towel before turning towards the staircase.

“where are you going, pretty girl?” yuki asked, almost whining as he reached for the tv remote. “i need cuddles.”

“just let me change, babe! if I get gravy on this dress, the dry cleaning bill might just kill me.”

she ran up the stairs, yukis eyes trained on her ass as she went. as he thought about y/n, and how pretty she was, and how loved she made him feel, and how she put up with him even when his work schedule was crazy.

how she made him feel like the luckiest man alive.

he asked himself: why haven’t I proposed to her yet? this is the woman i want to spend the rest of my life with.

the sun was slowly sinking over the horizon as the happy couple sat at the wrought-iron patio table. yukis hand rested softly against the table, with y/n tracing shapes on the back of his hand as restaurant goers chatted in french around them. the south of france was the one trip that y/n had let yuki pay for in full, private jet and all.

she had a feeling that he had something planned, but she wasn’t sure what. it was their third anniversary, after all.

“babe, you’re staring again.” y/n giggled, looking over at her lover. “whatcha thinking about?”

“I’m not staring! I’m just admiring you. thinking about how much i love you.”

she looked over the flickering candle in the middle of the table to smile at yuki, resting her hand on top of his. “i love you too. happy anniversary, my love.”

the waiter came back with their dessert: two small plates of cheesecake, placing them in front of the couple before bowing gently and backing away from the table. the dirty dancing soundtrack was playing on the radio, fairy lights twinkling in the air above them, and yuki knew what he needed to do.

he could feel his palms getting sweaty as he slipped his hand out of y/n’s, reaching into the pocket of his cargo shorts.

y/n could hardly believe her eyes when yuki placed the small red box on the table, opening the lid to reveal the small diamond ring.

“u/n, these last three years have felt like a fever dream. the good kind, the kind that you never want to end. you make me a better man, bring me back to life when there’s no gas left in the metaphorical tank. i want you, in the best of ways and the worst of ways. i need you by my side. i don’t want to spend another minute of my life without you. y/n, will you marry me?”

“yes, of course I will!” she sobs, mascara running as she allows yuki to slide the ring into her finger.

“happy anniversary, darling.”

BONUS

yukitsunoda she said yes! I can’t wait for our next adventure ❤️

Tags:

@magnummagnussen @libraryofloveletters @cl16version @sidcrosbyspuck @scuderiamh

#yuki tsunoda #yuki tsunoda x y/n #yuki tsunoda x reader #formula one x reader #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #lovelytsunodas eclectic music taste

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danieyells · 7 months ago

Note

Hi Danie! First of all your work is highly appreciated so thank you very much for feeding us tdb-obsessed people!

I was wondering if besides home screen chats you can access text chats as well. I reached affinity 8 (not very high) with Haku and PC just went with him on a date. I noticed a kind of pattern among texts so perhaps it works that way with all characters? Upgrading the damn affinity takes forever though!

Glad you’re feeling better than yesterday! Chicken & rice is good, please don’t be a Subaru ad eat regular meals (feel free to tell me I should mind my own business) 🫶❤️

Hellohello! It's no problem at all! If not me, someone else would've done it and I've tried to share a bit on how to do it so even if I lose my hyperfixation somebody else can come after me lol. I'm just glad we're all having a good time <:

Yes, I can see character stories! I thought all of the characters had patterns like that as well, but there isn't really one on closer inspection. Most of them have at least one interaction with another character(Romeo yelling at Taiga, Ren getting annoyed at Towa, Subaru apologizing to Haku and Zenji. . .) and two in-person interactions(except Kaito, he has one.) Haku's date, however, is off screen at this point. Maybe an on-screen one will be added at higher affinity.

Somebody asked me to post Jin and Tohma's chats, but it'll take a while because the formatting there is different from the home screen chats and I'm more tired after work or busy with certain things lately haha. Hopefully soonish. I have work homework I may need to buckle down and do on my day off though. . . .

The Affinity 8 chat is usually a prelude to the affinity 10 mini story. A quick overview of the Affinity 10 character stories/chats:

You help Jin while he's sick

You try and give Tohma some paperwork

You have a sort of study date with Kaito in his room

You help Luca with a speech he made for the welcome party the Frostheim general students are throwing him

You follow up on the story mission with Alan

You go to Leo's room to tell him things he asked you to ask Dante

You go to Sho's room to give him a gift from a certain someone

You help Haru make food to wean Peekaboo off of formula

You find Towa tormenting the zipper crocs instead of working

You sneak into Jabberwock late at night to watch a horror movie with Ren in his room

Taiga embarrasses you in public

You help Romeo when he's short staffed due to internal conflicts in Sinostra

You stalk investigate people with Ritsu

You have tea with Subaru

You wrap up the story mission with Haku

You watch Zenji perform in a concert

last I checked the Obscuary ones aren't in yet(probably today, tomorrow, or on release day.) the Hotarubi ones were in a day or two before the chapter came out.

And no worries about talking about whatever personal life things I talk about haha this is my personal blog after all. I try and eat somewhat regularly, but it's a little hard! Definitely doing better than Subaru and Haru though I can at least say that much for sure. . . .

#tokyo debunker spoilers #datamining cw #danie yells at tokyo debunker #danie yells answers #2flowerz

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simsinlowspace · 1 year ago

Text

Animals & Animals - 50 Sheep & Sheep Recolors + Default Replacement

Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well! I guess it's been a hot minute lol. I'm not quite ready to officially come out of hiatus yet, but I saw it was TS2's birthday so here's a little something to celebrate. :)

These were requested about a billion years ago, but I can't find the message now, so I hope they reach the requester! 😅 These are 50 animal-themed recolors for the Sheep & Sheep painting. There is also a default replacement (recolor 32 on the swatch). If you already have the DR from my Bugs & Bugs recolors, you'll need to pick one!

I don't know why the swatch is so gritty; I've been back for twenty-two seconds and Tumblr is already screwing with me lol

Animals are from this pack by Freepik over at Ye Olde Flaticon. The rest of the icons used are also by Freepik! Many thanks as always! I used Fantasy Floss, Dark Fantasy and Autumn Valley for the artwork colors, and colors from The Woods are Lovely for the frames.

As always, if you'd rather have a different DR, please let me know and I'll add it as an alternative. My response time will probably be a little lackluster; we're short-staffed at the library right now, and it's a much crazier job than I expected (not complaining! I love it).

And of course, if I borked anything, please let me know! I'm definitely out of practice. 😅

DOWNLOAD (SFS) Recolors are ~1.15 MB

Lots of love, Spacey

#s2cc #ts2cc #ts2 download #ts2 custom content #ts2 default #ts2 defaults #ts2 default replacement #ts2 cc #sims 2 custom content #s2 cc #ts2 art #ts2 #ts2 paintings #ts2 wall decorations #happy birthday

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incorrectkakagaiquotes · 10 months ago

Text

Gai: we're short staffed today. Kakashi: That sounds like a problem. Gai: Yes, so we could use some extra help Kakashi: Yeah I'm sure you could. Kakashi: Wishing you the best of luck.

#kakashi hatake #kakagai #maito gai #might guy #kakashi #incorrect quotes #naruto

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fuck-customers · 1 year ago

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Bruh fuck work in general.

SM hands me a post it note while I'm talking to a customer asking me to pick up a shift Wednesday circle yes or no (haven't seen that since elementary school lol) also like can't it wait til the customer leaves? I circle no.

Coworker texts me begging me to pick up her 8+ hour shift Sunday (closing, so it usually goes late), and I'm like I'm sorry I can't.

SM calls me first thing in the morning to ask me to pick up a shift THAT DAY after I worked yesterday late (because id picked up someone's shift btw) and I'm like I'm sorry I can't and she's pressuring me and I have to be like no I literally can't.

Abt once or twice a week I get pressured to cover. I know it's cause I'm part time and most of the others r full time but I am part time because I'm disabled and it's as many hours as I can do already.

Shout out to me for standing my ground on this but like??? How long til it affects my job security that they're pissed at me for not picking up every shift they need done. Pls just hire another person we're so short staffed 😭

Posted by admin Rodney.

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shabeeboothedrawingender · 4 days ago

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Stupid stuff that I would put in a gacha video but I'm too lazy at the moment. Featuring a lot of Egos from my AU and TEoS Dave probably who knows. It's kinda like incorrect quotes.

Dark: Wilford, do you know where half of our staff are?

Wilford: Well, our androids are plotting world domination, the Jim's are sitting in the yard trying to find something interesting to report, Yancy and Illinois are usually in a corner shoving their tongues down each other's throats and I don't even remember anything about anyone else.

Dark: ...So we're short staffed?

Wilford: Precisely.

Dave: So you sleep? Without the risk of death?

Wilford: Pretty much. If we're not overloaded on caffeine or sugar.

Dark: Sips his coffee

Wilford: ...He's special.

Engineer: Could you pass me that wrench?

Murdock: Hands him a knife

Engineer: This is a knife…?

Murdock: Same thing.

Wilford: I'm so glad that my husband has finally made friends, like honestly he was such an isolated man before now I mean look at him-

Dark and Dave are just passed out on the floor

Dark: Murder is okay.

Engineer: Mr Whitacre, they only got your order wrong-

Dark: Hah. Hahahahaha. You dare to challenge me?

Actor: Of course I do! I'm practically your god!

Dark: And I'm a politician. What the fuck do you bring to the table, asshole?

Wilford: Hey Dark, did you know your sister is alive in space?

Dark: Haha, very funny-

Ms Whitacre: Hello!

Dark: AAAAAAA-

Dark: points to Ms Whitacre My belief for this woman being real is the same as my belief for Hatsune Miku. She's a fake ass bitch whose only purpose is to taunt me.

Mack and Actor high five

✨ The friendship of two people being jealous of others ✨

Dark: You know, I really appreciate you paying for this dinner.

Wilford: Don't mention it!

Dark: Though it seems you couldn't afford anything other than ice cream.

Dave: Hey Wilford! That was your name right?

Wilford: Yes.

Dave: I taught the office crow a sentence!

Crow Dark flies in

Wilford: ...Go on Darky?

Crow Dark: I have ptsd.

Wilford: Wow-

Crow Dark: I depend on caffeine.

Dave: Now before you ask-

(Time Travel back to before wkm)

Celine: Damien?

Walks into his room

Celine: Da- Huh?

Dave is sat trying not to sleep and Damien is zonked out on sleeping pills

Celine: Who the heck? (she doesn't say hell, not very ladylike at this point in her life)

Celine: I'm here to pick up my brother's medication?

Doctor: The antidepressants, three different types of sleeping pills and painkillers?

Celine: ...

Doctor: Ma'am?

Wilford: Your dad is a crow now, how do you feel Chi-Chi?

Chi-Chi: Meow.

5 minutes later

Chi-Chi: HISSSSS!

Crow Dark: CAW?!

(Chi-chi is Dark's cat)

@side-blog-for-reblogs

@silly4goose20

I dunno I thought you'd enjoy them

#markiplier #markiplier egos #incorrect quotes #kinda #funny skits

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jamilviperswife · 1 year ago

Note

Jack howl stole my heart and also sorry, idk any writer words so I have no idea what I'm asking for, but remember when Jack works at a restaurant as the "I lift heavy stuff" guy. Can you write something about him having a crush on a waitress there?? Go wild on what you think should happen or be said!! Tysm if you take my request ❤

Hello Hello! Yes I think I do, I believe it's in his Port Fest vignette? Unfortunately I don't know much about the Port Fest since I'm on the EN server and ended up missing the event when it came out on EN 😭 but I'll try my best from my knowledge! I'll write this as a one shot/drabble ^^

Warning(s): None

Content/Character(s): Jack Howl, fluff, Jack gains a cute little crush on a waitress.

"Thanks again for offering to help with these boxes Jack! With your muscle we should be done moving these boxes within no time!" Said an older man with a joyous laugh. This man was the owner of a restaurant near the Port. He was currently trying (and failing) to lift some heavy boxes that just arrived inside the restaurant, before Jack came along and offered to help, seeing the older man struggle to carry the shipment in.

Jack scratched his neck sheepishly, a light dust of pink coming to his face. "It's no problem really. You looked like you needed help, so I offered."

"Oh don't be so sheepish boy! If it weren't for your kindness, I'd probably be on the ground with a broken hip, hah!" The man said letting out another laugh as he watching Jack pick up another crate and bring it inside.

Jack sweatdropped at the comment, setting the crate down inside the back of the restaurant where everything was stored. Brushing wood particles off his hands he let out a sigh, "Ah, that should be the last of it."

"Splendid! Oh, before you go, would you mind helping me with one other thing?"

"Huh? Sure, I don't mind. What do you need help with?" Jack asked with a tilt of his head. Helping out some more shouldn't take too much longer, he didn't see any harm.

"Well you see, the Port Fest is coming up soon, and we're quite short on staff. I was wondering if you'd like to help me out with that problem temporarily! You'd be payed for your time of course! And you wouldn't be working long, just an hour or two. What do you say?" Asked the man as he gave Jack a pleading look.

Jack contemplated it, he said they were short on staff? Around this time? That definitely wouldn't be good for the workers, they would be so stressed. And he did have experience working in the Mostro Lounge, albeit only a little. And the look the manager was a giving him wasn't helping either. With a scratch of his head and a loud sigh, Jack caved.

And that's how he ended up here, currently working back and forth from taking orders and seating people. The manager wasn't kidding when he said they were short staffed, there seemed to be only 4 other people working, excluding himself. The restaurant was getting rather crowded. The day of the Port Fest was tomorrow, and some people had come by early to take everything in. Said people also just had to stop by and eat at the restaurant Jack was currently helping at. He sighed to himself, wondering if it was a good idea to take up this job. But seeing how stressed the other staff were, even with his help, cleared away his doubts.

Jack had just come back from taking someone's order and was on the way to the kitchen. However his mind began to be occupied with other mindless thoughts. Unbeknownst to him, he was so distracted he didn't see a little waitress holding a tray of drinks rushing over to some unhappy customers.

The two of them ended up colliding, the drinks spilling everywhere as the waitress fell on her bottom. Jack too a few steps back to balance himself after the collision, eyes wide from surprise.

Said waitress rubbed her side in pain, muttering a few curses to herself. Just great, this was her second time on the job and she has already to make some customers unhappy, run into someone, and spill the order of said unhappy customers all over the floor and herself. She was going to get fired for sure.

Jack knelt down to her level and offered her his hand, "Hey! Are you alright??." He asked her, eyebrows furrowed in worry. He waved someone over to clean up the mess and take care of the customers who just lost there drinks before turning back to the waitress. "Let's go to the staff room and get you cleaned up."

'Do I look alright!?' She thought, taking his hand with a huff as he brought her up from her sitting position.

Jack didn't know why, but he suddenly started to feel queazy. His face seemed to flush lightly at the feeling of her hand being placed in his as he lifted her up and brought her to the staff room. 'Her hand is so small compared to mine...' he thought before shaking his head with a face redder than before.

Once in the staff room, Jack handed her towels and napkins to wipe herself off with, which she thanked him for and used with little progress. "Ugh, my uniform is soaked with sweet tea, I have fruit chunks stuck in my hair, and I smell like a cocktail! This is the worst." She said with frustration, throwing the used napkins away before burrowing her face in her hands.

Jack bit the inside of cheek. She was clearly upset, but he didn't have much experience with comforting people, much less girls. He awkwardly patted her back, "I'm sure it's not the worst, there should be another uniform you can wear."

"No, you don't understand!" She pulled her hands away from her face, teary eyes looking up at Jack, who looked back at her in surprise. "You saw how angry those customers were! It's only my second day on the job and I've already made a mess of myself, I'm going to be fired! And I really need this job!" She cried out.

You felt foolish, here you are looking like mess, crying Infront of some random boy. Could your day get any worse? On second thought, better not jinx it.

Jack started to panic, now she was crying! What was he supposed to do?? He took the time to examine her, she seemed to be around his age, maybe a year older. He'd be lying if he said she wasn't attractive. He felt himself flush again. After a few seconds, Jack finally spoke up. ".. You're not going to be fired." He mumbled out.

You blinked at him in confusion, did he not hear what you just said? All the reasons why you would be fired? "What?"

This time Jack looked at her with determination. "I said you're not going to be fired. I know the owner, he'll understand. I promise. I'll make sure you keep your job, so!...please don't..cry.." He mumbled the last part,but you still heard him.

You stared at him for a few seconds before bursting out laughing, "Hahahaha! You barely even know me, and yet you're determined to help me keep my job? Your something else." You couldn't help but let out another laugh as you smiled at him.

Jack flushed once again, his tail wagging involuntarily. Your laughter sounded melodic to him, your smile was so bright. "..." He decided he was going to keep that smile on your face, he wanted nothing more than see you smile again. "Well of course, I wasn't going to let some pretty girl get fired over a little thing, and you said you needed the job right? I don't know your situation, but I don't mind helping you!"

This time your cheeks dusted a light pink. He thought you were pretty? You grinned at him,"So you think I'm pretty? How bold, I don't even know your name~." You teased him, letting out a little giggle at his surprised and flustered reaction as he tried to explain himself. 'How cute..' you thought to yourself.

A few minutes had passed by at this point, you had managed to get all the fruit chunks out of your hair. Though you still needed to change, your uniform was dry. Albeit a little sticky from the drinks.

"Jack Howl."

You turned to the big wolf, confused. "What?"

"You said you didn't know my name. Well, my name is Jack Howl." Said wolf responded, shyly rubbing the back of his head as his tailed swayed behind him.

You grinned up at him, "It's nice to meet you, Jack. I'm Y/n." Grabbing an extra uniform you turned away from him, waving bye as you went to go change. "Thank you for helping me Jack, I really appreciate it."

Jack waved back before leaving the staff room, a small grin on his face. Y/n huh? The name suited you well.

The rest of his shift had ended before he knew it. Handing the uniform back over to the manager before grabbing his stuff and getting ready to head out. Something caught his eye, a piece of paper seemed to have fallen out of the locker he was using to put his stuff in. It was a little note.

Picking it up Jack looked around to see if anyone had mistakenly put it in his locker. But he saw no one, and reading the front of the note, his name was in it. Confused, Jack opened it up and read the contents.

'Just in case I don't see you again, here's my number, xxx-xxx-xxxx, call or text me sometime!

-Y/n'

Jack's tail began to wag behind him, a small dopey smile made its way to his face as he stuffed the note in his pocket and headed out. He really hoped to see you again.

#twisted wonderland #jack howl #fanfic #jack howl x reader

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fieldbears · 8 months ago

Text

Person of Interest fic snippet

I'm thinking about the opportunity for a ton of OCs, to inject some more "New York" into this New York-centered show, and also how Fusco is the underrated queen of this whole outfit. Anywhere here's something that may not go anywhere:

--------

Fusco's balancing the two shopping bags, the pastry bag, and the cup of coffee, so he uses his shoulder to push the shop door open and edge inside. The place is even smaller than it looked from the street. Crammed full too. It could be one of those seek-and-find books he used to look at with Lee.

"Welcome, please don't let the storm in," someone says from the back room.

"Yeah," Fusco mutters. With nobody else around, he lets the shopping bags plunk onto the floor with a noisy metallic clatter and finally sets the coffee and pastry bag on top of the nearest display cabinet. Under the glass, pretty much what he expected: men's watches, rings, cuff links, a mixed bag of stuff all crowded together. Whenever Lionel's gone into one of the really high-end shops after they get knocked over, he always sees the displays are kind of spread out from each other, like they don't have enough merchandise to fill the place. One bracelet, then the matching necklace, the earrings, and a long walk before you got to the next stuff.

"The door," someone says pointedly, and Fusco looks over - it hadn't fully closed behind him. The gale winds are still going. Okay, fair. He should have noticed it hadn't gotten any quieter.

"Sorry." Remembering he's supposed to be making a good impression, he pushes it shut without slamming it and gives the handle a little pull to make sure it's really shut right. When he turns back, a woman much younger than he expected is easing herself onto the stool behind the counter. "You're Francesca Cattaneo?"

"Yes." Her accent's faint, but she does sound like she grew up around here. Early thirties, dark hair to her shoulders, a bit of muscle tone, but otherwise very wiry. Dark clothes. She looks less like she should run a hole-in-the-wall jewelry and watch repair shop and more like she should be working in the coffee place he just came from.

Or, maybe, she should have Finch's job. They could switch places pretty perfectly. He'd fit in perfectly here.

"Can I help you?" She's looking down at the stuff he's put down on her counter, clearly wishing he hadn't.

"Those are yours, actually." Fusco says with his chest out a bit. "Kind of a peace offering from the department."

Cattaneo's brows come together immediately - Finch warned him about this. "You're with the NYPD?"

"Detective Fusco." He holds his hand out. She takes it and shakes it in a way that means she is only doing it because leaving him hanging would be even more uncomfortable for her. No ground gained yet, he can see.

"You're the new guy on burglaries?"

"I'm... pitching in." Fusco see-saws his hand. "We're short staffed right now, if you haven't heard."

Her expression softens a little and she lets out a gust of air. "Yeah. Congratulations on getting some really bad apples out of there." When he waits for a moment, she finally looks back down at the pastry bag, nudging it open with a finger and then glancing on the scribbles on the side of the cup. Her brows come back together. "How-?"

"I just went across the street and asked for whatever the watch lady always gets." Fusco shrugs. "They seem to like you over there. Perked up when I said I was bringing this over."

Francesca has a look like she needed to go have a talk with these loose-lipped baristas. Man, like a croissant and a mocha are personal information - this woman's clearly interested in her privacy, at least from cops.

"I heard," Fusco says delicately, "that your friendly working relationship with Detective Paola fell apart when he started hassling your customers." He says it in a way that doesn't directly trash talk a fellow man in uniform, but also doesn't defend that piece of shit.

"Hassling is really an understatement. Wait. Was Paola part of HR?" She leans in with clear interest. It sounds like she'd feel seriously vindicated if he was.

"He married and settled down in Wilmington a few years ago, so I doubt it." Wanting to give her some satisfaction, though, he adds, "I never knew the guy personally... but he really had a reputation for how he felt about anyone who'd done time. Real 'once a crook, always a crook' kind of attitude." Which, the less said about Fusco's history in relation to that mindset, the better.

Rebecca looks at him one more time before pulling the croissant out of the bag and beginning to eat it. Between bites and behind her hand, she asks, "So what're you asking for?"

"Same deal as we used to have." Fusco puts his hands up. "We bring 'em in, you check 'em out. No subpoenas, no paperwork, just a first glance from the local expert. Five dollars for each, right?"

"I mean, yeah," Her eyes dart over to a large laminated poster with prices, "but I never charged you guys." A moment passes. "Was Paola saying I charged him? Was he getting reimbursed?"

Fusco leans back a little. Thinks back to the reports he reviewed. "That little fuck."

Francesca stares at him a moment, and then barks out a laugh. It seems to clear some of the tension between them - okay, maybe this will work out. Fusco bends over and lifts up the black shopping bag, and when she gestures for him to, he tips its contents delicately as he can onto the counter. Nine men's watches altogether, in a messy little pile. She doesn't put her croissant down, eating with one hand and scooting the watches into two piles with the other.

Fusco's already forgotten which belong to Glasses and which ones he grabbed from the evidence locker, but it looks like Francesca here is figuring it out pretty fucking fast. Or at least, she's got confidence. Once four watches are in one pile and five are in the other, she ignores the far pile and picks one of the other ones back up to hold to the light and admire.

"I'm glad you're helping me out, here, Ms. Cattaneo, but I can't be here all day."

Her lips quirk to the side in disappointment. She puts one down and picks up another - they all look mostly the same to Lionel. Some have metal straps, some leather, that's really it. "You seem nice, Detective, so I'm gonna give you some friendly advice - if you want to test me again, if all the legit ones are owned by the same collector, that means they're all sized the same." She taps down at what must be the 'Finch' pile she keeps picking things out of and ogling. "This guy has great taste. A Rolex, expected, but a good choice of one. And a La Cloche, I don't get to see many of those around here."

"Uh huh." Lionel pulls out his phone and takes a quick photo of the piles and texts it back to Finch. "So in about twenty seconds, you've really confirmed which are real and which are fakes? That's what you're saying?"

"The band circumferences are a giveaway, but hypothetically this medium-wristed guy could've gotten scammed once, or, you know, some people intentionally have knockoffs in their collection..." She leans on her elbow and picks up one of the fake-pile watches out with one finger, letting it dangle like it's trash. "This is a knockoff Versace watch. What a pointless fucking thing. It's a quartz movement to begin with."

All Greek to him. Fusco's phone beeps, and he checks the text: 100% accurate, Finch is confirming.

Well, shit. Maybe this woman really was some kind of savant who could help. "Okay, that was nine watches, so it's forty-five bucks on my tab so far? Let's go one more round before I cash out." He swipes the watches back into the black bag and pulls up the second one, tips it out - the ladies' watches are a little more glittery, a little more petite-looking, otherwise pretty similar. Something about the pile seems to interest her almost immediately.

"Okay, okay." She leans in and picks up a few up in turn. "Last bag, that was one multimillionaire guy's collection combined with a bag of halfhearted Chinese knockoff trash you could by for $20 on the street. This is..." She puts two to the side and picks up a third, turning it over and staring at the back for a while and then focusing back on the face. "All the same collection. A woman... who is not as rich as the first guy, but she's still loaded."

So far, correct, but not an impressive cold read quite yet. Fusco lets her paw through the stuff and hold things up to the light, pull out a magnifying thing, the works.

"She started collecting in the late 90s - this early '70s Cartier is a outlier, it was probably a hand-me-down from mom or someone, so I'd guess she was born into money. Decent taste. Just like the first guy, she's not flaunting it, she just has really, really good shit. Buuuuut..." She holds one with a big diamond-studded face away from her a moment, then brings it back in. "Yeah, I recognize some of these."

"Recognize?" Fusco echoes. Doesn't she recognize practically all of them? Doesn't her weird jeweler brain clearly have some sort of database of every watch ever made?

Cattaneo sighs and seems kind of bummed out. She sets two aside, then glares another down and makes it the third. Then a fourth. Then she pulls out her own phone, takes a photo, and presumably texts it to someone.

"You phoning a friend on these?"

Cattaneo points to the pile. "I know Dan Nowak, he runs a place downtown. You know him?"

He runs one of the bigger pawn shops. Cops are in there all the time about stolen shit. Dan usually seems exhausted about it. "Yeah, I know him."

"Well, least last week when I saw him," she lines the four watches up toward Lionel, "he had three of these in his main display case." She waits a second, then continues. "Like, these exact models. The legit versions."

Fusco's starting to get the picture. "You're saying you think someone stole some of this woman's collection and replaced them with knockoffs?"

Francesca shrugs and sighs. "Does she have a new partner? Maybe a house cleaner, but it's usually a partner. Someone who can get near her jewelry and whatever else when she's not around?"

Fusco thinks Reese mentioned something about a girl their number had been going steady with for a few months, but this is only circumstantial evidence, and getting caught stealing your girlfriend's valuables isn't necessarily going to lead to a life-threatening circumstance. "You said some people buy fakes on purpose, though."

"It'd be a real coincidence if she'd always only had these fakes, and the real versions are all in the same pawn shop cabinet. Less than five miles from where a cop is coming and showing me these fakes."

Yeah, okay. "And it's not possible she's got money problems and took them over to Dan herself?"

Francesca tilts her head. "It's possible," she allows, "and I've seen it happen, but. It's usually less mega-rich folks. And when it does happen, they usually didn't have the time or interest in buying top-tier fakes to replace them." She glances at his expression. "Listen." She softens her tone a bit. "Watches, diamond earrings, these things get thrown at people like me or Dan all the time when shit goes wrong and someone needs money fast. This woman," she taps the good pile, "I'd be real surprised if she needed money fast. And if she did, and she wanted so badly to replace every good watch she sold... those fakes shipped to her from China really freaking quick. What would make way more sense in my experience is that someone got her trust, researched her collection, invested a couple hundred bucks in buying copies of every single watch you showed me that currently has solid fakes for sale... and swapped them out as soon as they had those fakes in hand."

"You see this happen a lot," Fusco hazards.

"Not a lot a lot," she admits. "It's a long-term gig and you gotta put down some decent money for the fakes before you can make money selling the legit ones. That only makes financial sense if you're putting down, I don't know," she gestures dismissively. "Two or three hundred dollars per fake so that you can flip a ten thousand dollar watch, fifteen, something like that."

"Each of these little things is that much?"

"Or more." Francesca picks up the old-fashioned one. "Major brands only ever appreciate in value... so 70's Cartier here is worth more than your car and mine put together, I'd bet."

"Jesus."

"You said it." She pulls out a small unbranded paper bag with twine handles and sweeps the legit watches into it, handing it back. "Ten of these and nine from the other bag, nineteen times five is ninety five bucks. Let's call it ninety since you got me a snack."

"What, no tax?"

"You wanna pay tax?"

Lionel pulls out his wallet.

#person of interest #lionel fusco #ficbears #i just think he's neat #don't buy versace watches

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