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#I’m away from my shitty job for 11 days and from my shitty home for 8 days
raeathnos · 2 years
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tranquil-ivy · 1 month
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Okay—I really need to know this because it’s been keeping me up all night pookie…This is just my guess! But we can alter the story any way! MENTIONS OF ABUSE (KINDA)!!!
I feel like Chris’s now wife was in one of those situations where she got married extremely young, I’d say about 20-22? Maybe even a little older. But I feel like that’s one reason she was in such an abusive and toxic marriage. Her and her now ex husband were still young, probably had a baby not to long after, and that’s when I think the abuse really started.
It wasn’t long after their little ‘honeymoon’ which was really them just having time off from work and staying home all day. He’d start getting a bit manipulative and toxic, then as you advanced into your pregnancy, I feel like that’s when all of the real serious things started to happen. It would be over the most random and small thing too. She accidentally dropped a glass while washing the dishes? He’d get into his screaming fit, going on about how she was useless while she stood there like a scared puppy, trying her hardest to apologize and defend herself only to be met with a slap on the face.
Ollie was only a year and a couple months when you finally had enough, dropping everything and leaving your shitty husband. You’d spend all day working, taking extra shifts to make enough to atleast put away for a tiny apartment for you and Ollie. Yelling at Redfield all night for him to take your orders and STOP GETTING HIMSELF IN TROUBLE!!!
Chris was born in 1973, technically making him like…51 or something in 2024 😳. (I ❤️ Peepaws.) He’d be 48 in RE8 and around 40 for Death Island. I feel like him and his wife would have an age difference. Let’s just say she got married at 24, + 1 year for the pregnancy with Ollie and how long it took to conceive. 25 + 15 (Ollie’s age basically) she’d be around 39/40ish in 2024? Correct my math and lore if I’m wrong yall…
AND GIVE OPINIONS!!!!! If you don’t agree, I totally understand! <3
- Anon! 🎀
(Jesus Christ this is so long I'm sorry I went crazy 😅)
(Edit: fixed some timeline inconsistencies and pin pointed that Chris and his future wife physically met sometime between August-October of 2010.)
Correction: Chris is 42 in DI cause it's set in 2015.
If your math is matching right and by the ages of the kids they met sometime in 2011ish, So he'd be 38 and if she got married at 22, waited to have a baby at 24+1 for the pregnancy and 1 more year for the time frame of her leaving Turner (yes her ex-husband gets an ugly name). She'd be 26 when they met.
11 years difference
(fun fact, my parents were 11 years apart from each other lol)
So if our girl math is girl mathing yes, it be 51/40 (Cradle robber Chris. Jkjk that's not even that big of a gap imo)
Which is hilarious because that would mean she's younger than Claire too... By 5 years. But y'know. People can find love at any age. Plus there's benefits to loving an older man. They know what they want (most of the time)
As for the previous marriage! (CW: Baby trapping and abuse in a varieties of ways) (Also, there's literally no excuse to abuse your partner...)
They definitely got married young, probably met in college and decided to get married after she graduated (he's like a year or 2 older than her). Turner's got some fancy business job that makes him stressed constantly and he's away a lot so she didn't get to see him often.
She's got a degree in Public Relations and knows a few languages as she took elective courses to make her resume look all that more sparkling when graduating. And so she shot high, applying for a lot of jobs (it's about 2006 at this point so the job market isn't that bad) she gets a lot of offers.
She ends up taking some assitant position at a relator office and the market crash is 08 pretty much made her job vanish. So she's unemployed and solely relying on Turner. Which is fine, he's doing well and they have a good income. Nothing to worry about too much. But for ages now they've argued and it got really heated. Got in each others faces. But she loves him so she stays. But her patience is waring thinner and thinner by the day.
She gets pregnant and he's just... Awful. Manipulative and making everything out to be about how this is going to solely affect him. (Even though he most definitely got her pregnant on purpose so she'd have no choice but to stay) But she debates on keeping the baby and eventually Turner tells her she is. Doesn't even let her think otherwise after that, love bombs her because it's noticeable she has one foot out the door. But even after that she's on edge constantly. Flinching at the slightest knock or slam of a door because she thinks something's wrong immediately.
Turner still argues with her, has escalated to calling her a worthless cow by now. Telling her all she's ever been good for was giving him the son she's pregnant with. Eventually he goes away for business and she tries gaining some sense of independence. So she gets a shitty marketing job where she basically calls people all day and gets hung up on. July 2009 rolls around and Ollie's born. Turner makes her quit her job so she can take care of the baby. Complaining about how they can't afford daycare right now.
So she complies... Quiting her job. Things got worse and worse from that point on. This is when the physical abuse starts. They're fighting in the kitchen and Ollie's asleep in his room. Turner comes in from work and they start going at it. Ollie wakes up and starts crying over the baby monitor. Immediately she's going to see what's wrong and the argument shifts to her mothering skills and how Oliver seems to be getting too reliant on her. So she spits back at him about how if she had some help it wouldn't be like that.
Turner slaps her, she's shocked. He actually put his hands on her. He wedges her between the babys bedroom door and his body. His hands gripping her hard enough to bruise. Gritting his teeth as he threatens her. Telling her if she ever talks to him like that again he'll do a lot more than just a simple slap. He let's her go and tells him to shut the baby up.
So she goes into Ollie's room and consoles him and she starts silently crying herself. Realizing the severity of everything now. She can't stay, that was just the first time and if he'd do that feet away from the baby imagine what he'd do in front of him...
So she start slowly warming him up to the idea of getting a job again. To help get Ollie in daycare or even a nanny so they can get out of their apartment and into a house with enough space. Turner agrees, letting her look for a job. She applies for a job as a communications team lead at the BSAA. It sounds like an easy enough job. And she's over qualified. Saving up for nearly a year all while taking countless instances of abuse verbally or physically.
She gets the job easily. Ends up setting up her checks to go into her friends business account and transfer her paychecks into a separate account because she lied to Turner and told him she got a job with her friend so it be "more secure" and less likely to be fired. He buys it. She slowly pulls money out of her second account and hides it in the babies room until he goes on a business trip for work.
Literally packs all their stuff in the back of a moving truck and goes to Bella (her best friend since highschool) begging for the help she needs and of course she takes them in...
She's finally out of that hellhole. Slaps him with a divorce filing not long after. Getting a push from the countless police reports they'd had filed over domestic disputes. No need to wait to separate. But the divorce takes time itself.
She takes night shifts, switching spots with the night shift lead because it's higher pay. The only thing that she hates about the job is the people she has to deal with. Especially with the Alpha team leader who frequently talks over her or orders his men to shut comms off in enemy territory when it's literally her job to relay information. You strictly deal with this Redfield guy only...
Well each team lead needs to join a special meeting with the BSAA'S UN ambassador to go over how each department is doing. So you're all sat around this long table and they slowly introduce everyone as each department or team head stands up and talks about everything. It's your turn, you stand and introduce yourself. Talk about everything that's been happening since your shift change and each teams performance could use improvements. But this absolute brick wall of a guy 3 seats down is just staring... Intensely...
Everyone is staring, they're supposed to when someone's presenting. But his feels different. Almost like you're an exhibit and he's a patron of some kind watching you in your natural habitat. You sit, being thanked by the ambassador as he moves along the table. Eventually landing on the massive guy.
The words "Alpha team leader" leave the ambassadors mouth as this bear man stands up. He's so tall... Built like a buff rectangle... He talks, introducing himself as Chris Redfield.
Of course... His name would be something douchey like Chris. He's just talking and you can't help but dig your nails into your hands he's so irritating. Eventually the meeting ends and you're saying your goodbyes as you leave the meeting room and who's waiting at the elevator.
Redfield... Of course.
You really can't help yourself at this point, this man's been on your nerves for the past 2 months now. You need to say something. So you stomp towards him, pulse beating in your neck the longer you look at him.
"Hey asshole." He turns his attention as you walk up to him. He looks down at you, the size difference being almost laughable as you glare at him.
"H-"
"You got a lot of fucking nerve talking to me like you do sometimes." His eyebrows raise and lips part, about to say something when you cut him off.
"Whatever you're about to say, save it... My job is to relay information to your TEAM, not it's captain. I'm supposed to keep you and your squad safe and informed. You aren't letting me do my God damn job."
You jab a nail into his chest, poking hard.
"I need this job. My money goes straight from my wallet into my babys mouth and I'm not gonna be the one explaining to him why mommy can't feed him because some... Some giant, steroid obsessed... bear looking man can't keep his mouth shut! So do us both a favor, shut the fuck up and let me talk to your team."
You take in a breath and he stares wide eyed and almost amazed by your display of forwardness. The elevator dings next to him as he makes some kind of "um" sound. But you don't care what he has to say, you just push past him and decide to take the stairs down.
Your next shift you come in to your desk to a bouquet of flowers and a hand written apology from Chris himself. At the bottom his phone number is scribbled next to his signature. With a 'P.S. If you ever need anything, don't be scared to reach out.'
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m-jelly · 2 years
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Chapter 8
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Pairing: Demon priest! Levi x Reader
Genre and tags: Modern AU, fluff, romance, falling in love, teasing, flirting, cute, plot building, relationship development, demon turning.
Concept: Levi takes his final stand against Edith with you before taking you to the demon world for good. You meet the Kind of demons and learn a few things about Levi. You take part in the ritual and turn into a demon to start your new life as an immortal being with Levi.
TW: Mentions of blood, body changes, reader in pain.
Important notice: Due to comments made to me as I planned this story, I have chosen to create a brand new religion to avoid causing any offence to those reading this fic. Some terminology is similar to other religions and inspired by them too.
AO3 Link
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 The end
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Levi looked down at you as his black shirt hung open to reveal all his muscles. He panted and smiled down at you, his hair a mess from your fingers being tangled in it. “I love you.”
You slipped your hand over his back and under his priest shirt. “I love you too.”
He leaned down revealing the religious paintings above him that you’d almost finished. He captured your lips and continued to kiss you passionately on your scaffolding in the temple. He lay his body against yours as he moaned in delight at being able to kiss you. He loved kissing you and touching you. He was looking forward to taking you home and just having you as often as possible and being able to hold you all day and night long.
“Father Levi?”
Levi pulled back from your lips at Mrs Primrose’s voice. “Tch, shit.”
Edith looked around as she fixed her dress. “Father Levi? I just want to talk.”
You smiled a little at your lover. “You better talk to her.”
Levi rubbed your cheek. “I’ve had enough of how she treats you, I really have.” He tapped his forehead against yours. “Want to split from here for good? Do you want to be my demon bride?” He ran his thumb over your bottom lip. “Want to be with me for eternity?”
Your cheeks heated up as your heart raced. “I do. I want it all. I love you and I want to be with you.”
He kissed the end of your nose. “Today is the day then.”
You gasped as he climbed off you and moved down the ladder. “Wait, your shirt!”
Levi jumped down with a loud echoing thud behind Edith making her jump. “Edith.”
She turned in her glamourous with a smile on her face but seeing Levi with his shirt open made her cheeks turn pink. “F-Father!” She gasped but didn’t turn away, she kept her eyes on Levi. “You are partly dressed.”
“Yes, for a reason and you interrupted a wonderful kissing session with my soulmate.”
She blushed as thoughts entered her mind. “Soulmate?” She glared at you as you climbed down the ladders. “You! I should have known a whore like you would do this! You ruined EVERYTHING.”
Levi burst into his demon form with black fire wrapping around him. “ENOUGH!”
Edith dropped to the floor in pure horror. “F-Father?”
“I was the one who tempted HER. I was the sinful one. ME.” He snarled at Edith. “I’ve been here for five years having a break from my job. I hunt down the worst humans and demons out there and make them suffer! I work for the demon KING.”
She shook a little. “You’re a demon?”
“I have been all this time.” He grabbed your wrist and yanked you against him. “I fell for this cute human and showered her in all my love. I’ve been here feeding on your sins.” He glared at Edith. “You have been the most sinful person of all. What a meal you’ve been making for me. It’s time to put it all to an end. I’m taking this cute human into my world and turning her into a demon. We will have eternity together.” He held your chin and kissed you. “I love you.”
You smiled softly. “I love you too.”
“You ready to go to my world for eternity?”
You nodded as excitement filled your heart. “I am.”
He released you and walked up to Edith. “Firstly, I want to show this woman just what her shitty ways will get her.” He grabbed Edith’s head and showed her the afterlife waiting for her due to her ways. He felt joy seep into his heart when she began screaming in terror. He released her and returned to you. He yanked you against his body and clicked his fingers to create a doorway. “My love, it is time.”
You grinned. “I’m more than ready.”
He led you through the doorway and into his demon home. “This is our place.”
You squealed and ran around the temple as memories of having sex all over the place and dates came to mind. You jumped into the air before bouncing on Levi’s bed. “Mm, comfy.”
Levi walked to his kitchen. “I’ll talk to my King about you. There is a chance you might be offered a job or a position here. Oh, but first I need to make you a demon.”
You sat up on his bed. “I wonder what demon I’ll be!”
He walked over with a cold drink and snacks. “Well, I need to prepare for it.”
“Prepare?”
He nodded. “I don’t know what you’ll become, so I need to get things in to prepare for the turning. You might be a fire, ice, shadow, or fear demon.” He sat on the bed as he watched you eat. “A sin specialist.”
You gulped down your food. “What’s a sin specialist?”
He sipped his drink as he tried to gather his thoughts. “Well, it is someone who becomes a sin or is made due to that sin. So, someone who is made with wrath or has wrath within them, then they will influence people with that or feed off that sin the most.” He frowned a little. “Does that make sense?”
You nodded. “Perfect.”
He smiled at you. “There’s also a ranking system with demons. The King is on top, but then you have the archdemons. They are your strongest and have a speciality. So, my friend Erwin is one and he is the persuader. He can talk people into anything and advise others. Hange is intelligent, she knows almost everything about the world and beyond, and she can drive people mad with knowledge. Mike is a tracker. No one can escape him and he can find anyone in the world.”
You licked your lips. “What are you?”
“Strength is mine. I’m the strongest demon there is. I can destroy and stop anyone really.”
You clapped your hands. “My hubby is so strong!”
Levi blushed at your pet name. “Yeah, I am.”
You smiled at him. “So, I could be anything.”
“Well, when a demon turns someone two things can happen. You can turn into something due to the intention behind turning you or turn into something depending on what sins you did a lot of in your human life.”
You frowned a little in thought. “Well, my biggest sin in life was having sex with a demon. The turning of me has the intention of love. So, what are you thinking?”
Levi stared at you. “Well, there is one demon that comes to mind, which means I need to prepare a lot.”
You blushed. “Really? What is it?”
He gulped hard. “A succubus.”
You gasped in delight. “Really? I’ll be so pretty!”
He hummed a little laugh. “You’ll have small bat wings, a little demon tail and these small horns.”
You dove at Levi. “I want that!”
He lay back a little with you. “I need to bring in a lot of food.”
You frowned a little. “Food?”
He nodded as he rubbed your back. “Yeah. A succubus eats a lot of food but never gains weight. Food gives you a lot of energy to keep going, but there is something else that feeds you better.”
You sat up on his hips. “Sex?”
He nodded. “The more sex you have the more energised you are.”
You giggled at the thought. “That sounds fun.” You purred at him. “We get to play all the time.”
“You’re right.” He squeezed you. “I also need to warn you, the turning process can be painful. It will be only for a moment, okay? Your whole body structure changes and your life energy leaves you. So, it is a bit traumatic. I’ll take care of you. If the pain is too much, I will give you the medication needed. Also, don’t be alarmed by any blood.”
You stared at him. “I’ll be okay. I want to do this. I love you.”
He let out a long sigh. “Alright.” He rolled onto his side with you. “I’ll start preparing tomorrow. For now, we cuddle and have snacks.”
You nuzzled against him. “Yeah.” You smirked. “I think Edith might have pissed herself when she revealed the truth.”
“Highly likely. Fuck her.”
You rubbed Levi’s chest. “You’re incredible.”
His cheeks burned as he felt happiness consume him. “Thanks.”
You kissed his chest and hummed in happiness. “So, once I turn into a demon then there will be no more pain, right?”
“It’s just the turning part that’s painful and then I have my hands full for two weeks.”
You leaned up a little and looked down at your lover. “Two weeks?”
He nodded. “Yeah. You’ll be a young blood demon, which means your powers will be out of control a little and you’ll have mood swings and be very hungry. Which is why I need to prepare a lot.”
You grinned at him. “I can’t wait!” You hummed a little laugh. “It’s going to be perfect.”
He let out a long sigh. “It will. First, we need to talk to my boss, okay? He needs to meet you and give us the okay with it all.”
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Snow white hair reflected the light causing cheeks to dust pink with lust and sinful thoughts. The long hair cascaded down the man’s back with curls and flicks within it that gave it a gentle bounce. Two thick long pieces came over his shoulders and down his front. A slight fringe hid part of his forehead. His eyebrows were thin, white and shapely to give him a dark and yet alluring look. His red piercing eyes could bore into anyone and read them for filth. His jawline was smooth and model-like.
He let out a deep chuckle making the female demon blush hard. He was tall compared to most, except for Mike as the two matched in height. His fingers were long and elegant, his skin pale as he reached forwards and gently played with the woman’s hair and spoke in his deep charming voice. He shifted a little on his slightly heeled smart shoes. He leaned over her and grabbed her shoulders as his lean muscular frame with a small waist overbore her.
He grinned as she screamed at the blue and black flames consuming her. The last thing she sore was the insane look in her leader’s cold red eyes and the diamond cut-out of his shirt to reveal some of his plump pecs. He hummed in thought as she fell apart into ash in his hands. He pulled back and admired the golden ash in his hands slowly slipping through his fingers.
“My King?” Erwin moved closer to his king. “You have a visitor.”
The King clenched his fist tightly. “I am busy.”
“It’s Levi and he has someone with him.” Erwin studied his kind in a black shirt lined with red and gold decorations and a diamond cut-out. Above the cut-out was a pendant of the Gods. A black blazer-like jacket rested on his shoulders and a long black and red cape flowed from his shoulders. “A female human.”
The King perked up at the information. He cast his gaze on his advisor. “Female human?”
“Yes. Levi has informed me they are a couple.”
He waved his hand making the grand doors to his throne room open to reveal Levi, his prized warrior, and you, the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid his eyes upon. He walked closer to you smiling at Levi in your figure-hugging dress. “Captain, welcome home.”
Levi pulled you close. “King Haleth, it’s good to see you again.”
“And who is this divine creature with you?”
You locked eyes with the King and felt something shoot through you. You gripped Levi’s arm tightly. “Levi?”
Levi gave the King your name. “She’s my lover. We came to talk to you about that.”
Haleth kept his eyes on you. “And what, pray tell, is it you require from me?”
Levi looked down at you and smiled softly making you smile up at him. “I want to make her a demon. She has agreed, but we want to get your blessing.”
The King pulled his gaze from you and looked at Levi finally. “She wants to be a demon and join you for eternity?”
“Yes.”
Haleth felt that cut him deep. His first love gave up on him to live, but you were willing to give up a mortal life to spend eternity with Levi. He locked eyes with you. “Is that true?”
You nodded. “Yes. I want to be with him and Levi wants your blessing. Please?”
Haleth walked right up to you and held your chin. “Such a sweet and delicate thing.”
You pulled back from his touch. “Do we have your blessing?”
“Of course. I would never deny two lovers getting the chance to have eternity together.” He smiled at you and Levi. “How about we have something to eat and drink? We can talk and get to know each other.”
Levi held you against him as he growled. “Tch, make it quick. I have to prepare for the turning ritual.”
“I understand. This won’t take long.” The King eyed you. “I simply want to get to know the woman my prized warrior is going to spend eternity with.”
You blushed a little. “Ah, there’s not much to know.”
He hummed a laugh and led the way. “Nonsense. For someone to capture Levi’s eye, you must be someone truly interesting. His two previous lovers failed in keeping him.” He turned to you. “Perhaps you will do better.”
You went a little pale. “Huh?” You gazed at Levi. “Two others?”
Levi paused a moment. “I have two exes, both demons and it didn’t work out.”
You nibbled your lip. “What if when I become a demon you don’t want me anymore like you didn’t want them?”
He cupped your face. “Shh, that’s not true. I adore you. You’re my future.”
Haleth smirked at planting a small seed within your heart. “If it does not work out, I will take you under my wing and look after you. It’s hard being a demon, especially if a lover has rejected you. Some become corrupt demons and those are the ones Levi has to kill.”
Levi knelt before you. “I love you. I will never leave you, okay? Ignore these warnings.”
You nodded. “Yeah.” You gave Haleth a strained smile. “Can we take a rain check on that dinner and a drink?”
Haleth placed his hand on his chest. “I have offended you.”
Levi stood and picked you up into his arms. “You’re a real fucking asshole sometimes Haleth.”
“I’m not the one who didn’t tell their lover about others, or that you abandoned your exes.”
Erwin frowned. “Levi did no such thing.”
You hugged Levi. “I’m confused.”
Levi carried you along. “Ignore that piece of shit, okay? I love you and yes, I have exes but I didn’t abandon them.”
You blushed a little. “I know that. I guess I felt close-lined by him. It was just a lot of information coming at once.”
“Do you still want me and to be turned?”
You nodded as you looked down at him with your fingers playing with his hair. “More than anything. I want to be with you. I love you. I want to be a demon with you.”
Levi stopped in the grand royal gardens. “Really?” He put you on your feet. “You still want me?”
“I do.” You kissed him and moaned against his lips. “I adore you. I want to be with you and I know that there is a risk, but that’s okay. I will adore the time we had together, the love we shared and I will try my best not to murder the next woman you fall in love with.”
Levi’s pupils widened as he growled. “You’ll murder for me?”
You backed up as you linked your hands behind you and pushed your breasts out. “Maaaaybe.”
He moaned. “Will you torture them and tell them to leave me alone ‘cause I’m your mate.”
You nibbled your lip. “Yes.”
He growled at you. “Oh, darling, you are so sexy right now.”
You giggled. “I’m already a little devil as a human.”
He purred at you as he stalked closer. “I can put a little devil in you if you want.”
You blushed red. “Levi.”
He moaned your name. “Run, little rabbit, run.” He licked his lips. “Your teddy bear is hungry.”
You squealed in delight and ran for it. You looked back to see Levi chasing after you. You giggled at the poor joy in your heart and being playful with the man you loved. You knew he could easily catch you, but he was delaying it to make it fun for you both. You laughed as he grabbed you and flew up. You giggled as he shifted you in his arms and held you.
Levi kissed you and hummed. “Mine.”
You kicked your legs and smiled at him. “Yours.”
“There is one issue.”
You frowned at him. “What’s that?”
“There will be women coming into my life whom I will fall in love with and I really hope you don’t murder.”
You growled. “Who are they!?”
He smiled softly at you. “Our daughters.”
Your cheeks burned at the thought of being a mother and Levi a father. “I umm…I will only shower them in love.”
He nuzzled your neck. “Good.”
You hummed in thought. “We should get food to prepare for my turning.”
He nodded and kept flying until he reached the shops. “Alright.” He landed and smiled at you. “I have a lot to buy.”
You giggled as he sat you inside the trolly. “Levi, I can walk.”
“What and let anyone grab you and steal you? No. You stay in the trolly as I push.”
You sat back in the trolly and hummed a little song as Levi pushed you along. “All this stuff is so different.”
He leaned over you and spoke. “Demon food is so much better than human food. Oh, but nothing compares to your cooking.”
You giggled. “Well, maybe I can cook with demon food?”
“That would be wonderful.” He grabbed a few things and handed them to you. “We need a lot of food, just to warn you.”
“Got it.”
He leaned down and kissed the top of your head. “We’ve got to make sure you get the energy you need when I can’t please you.”
You blushed hard as you inspected the food you’d been given. “Y-Yes.” You took more food from him as he put it in the trolly. “So, when are we doing the turning?”
“When you’re ready. This shopping trip will give us all the supplies.”
You let out a long sigh and stared at a bag of crisps in your hands. “Well, I’m ready.”
Levi blushed. “You are?”
You nodded and turned a little. You looked up at your lover. “I am. I’m ready to commit to you.”
Levi leaned down and kissed you. “I want to take you home right now and show your body all my love.”
You giggled. “Levi…”
He skidded around the corner making you laugh. “I love you with everything I have. I’m so excited to spend eternity with you.” He blushed a little. “Our babies are going to be so cute.” He cleared his throat. “One step at a time. I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I?”
You reached up and lightly touched his cheek. “You’re so cute.”
“I’m not.”
You smiled softly. “I want all that and yes I agree about taking some time for sweet little babies.”
He purred at you. “You’re adorable. I just want to eat you.”
“We have to get home for that.”
He hummed and ran around the shop with you. “We need more food!”
You laughed at how sweet your lover was. “So, you turning me…”
He put the shopping on the till as you spoke. “Mm?”
You put more things on the till and smiled at the punished human working at the till. “Does that mean we’re married?”
“Yes. It means you’re mine for life.” He pushed the troll to the human packing the bags for him. He leaned down and whispered against your ear. “That’s not a bad thing, right?”
You shook your head and took the packed bags from the punished human. “No. I want to be with you for eternity. So, knowing that us doing this means we’re married makes it even better!” You grinned at him. “Hubby.”
He leaned down and kissed you. “I love you calling me that. Sweet wife.”
You waited for him to push you outside before lifting your arms up. “Help.”
Levi lifted you out of the trolly before grabbing the bags. “Let’s head home, dear wife.” He clicked his fingers to form a doorway. “After you.”
You ran through the doorway and into your home with Levi. You skipped to the closet area and changed into something comfy. “Need help unpacking?”
Levi shoved everything in places where they needed to go. “No, I’m good. You cuddle up in bed, okay?” He looked over at you and saw you were pouting. “You’re cute when you pout. Cuddle up in bed and I’ll come over in a bit. We’ll snuggle, okay?”
You climbed onto the bed and wrapped up. “Okay.”
He hummed a laugh when you flopped onto your side. “You being like this just makes me think you’re super cute.” He put the last thing away and walked over to you. “Knock, knock.”
You put the blanket over your head and stared at Levi. “Mm?”
He held your hands before leaning closer and capturing your lips. “I love you.”
You smiled at him. “I love you too.”
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You inhaled deeply as your body slowly woke up. You pried your eyes open to see Levi was not next to you. You sat up as you held the sheet to your chest. You looked around the home to see Levi in the middle of the temple home drawing a big red circle within another. “Levi?”
Levi flicked his gaze to you. “Morning.”
You smiled at him. “What are you up to?”
He blushed. “Making the turning circle.”
You crawled to the edge of the bed and looked at the red circle within a circle. “Today is the day, huh?”
He started drawing symbols of demons, angels and the Gods between the two circles. He did them in key spots on a compass so there were eight in total. “I’m just setting this up, my love. We don’t have to, okay?”
You climbed off your bed and wrapped up in your long soft dressing gown. You moved to your lover and smiled. “I want to do it as soon as you’re finished here.”
He looked up at you. “You sure?”
You crouched down. “Very.”
He smiled at you. “Wonderful. I’ll finish this off and then I’ll start the ceremony.”
You stood up. “Do I need to do anything?”
“Go to the toilet and have something to drink, but no food in case the pain makes you sick.”
You paused a moment. “Oh, right.”
Levi locked eyes with you. “You don’t have to do this, okay? You don’t have to turn.”
You smiled softly. “A small moment of pain in exchange for an eternity of love and happiness? I think that’s a great trade.”
Levi welled up with a smile on his face. “Really?”
You nodded. “Really.” You pointed. “I’ll go to the bathroom and then I’ll be ready.”
“Okay, my love.” Levi winked at you and carried on drawing the symbols. He let out a long sigh and grabbed a wooden chalice with carvings of the story of the demons on it. He poured different vials of liquid in as he muttered a spell under his breath. He sighed and sliced the tip of his finger with a blade. “Tch, damn thing.”
You walked over in your dressing gown. “Did you cut yourself?”
“It’s part of it. Step into the circle, okay?”
You stepped in and sat in the middle. “Do you need my blood?”
He nodded and offered his hand. “I do.” He took your hand and cut your finger before squeezing your blood into the cup. “Thank you.”
You sucked your finger as you watched Levi. You hummed a little as Levi poured something into the cup making a spiral of black smoke move up from the liquid in the cup. “Is it done?”
Levi nodded. “It’s done.” He let out a long sigh and placed the cup down. He opened a book up and began speaking in a language you didn’t understand. The circle around you and the symbols glowed red around you. He looked up at you as he said your full name. “Do you give your mortal life to me, Levi Ackerman?”
You nodded. “I do.”
He placed his hand on the floor as the wind rushed around you. He kept speaking in his tongue and looked up at you. “Come closer.”
You shuffled towards Levi. “Yes.”
He lifted the chalice in one hand. “Drink. Make sure you drink all of it.”
You cupped the drink in both hands. You let out a long sigh and downed the whole drink. You shivered and groaned at the taste. “Mm, all gone.” You handed the chalice over. “Now what?” You gasped as your chest glowed. “Levi?”
Levi reached for your chest with his demon-clawed hand and paused. “This will hurt a little, okay?”
You nodded. “Do what you must so I can join you.”
He plunged his hand into your chest and winced at your cries of pain between gritted teeth. “I’m sorry.” He welled up as he saw blood trickle out of your mouth. “I’m sorry.” He grabbed your mortality and ripped it out of you causing blood to pour on the floor. He looked at your mortal light and crushed it before eating the remains. He pulled out some of his soul and plunged it into your chest before grabbing part of your soul and taking it. “This will link us for eternity.” He pushed the small part of your soul into himself and sighed. “Together.” He looked up at you. “You’re doing so well.”
You panted and smiled. “I can feel you inside me.” You laughed as tears ran down your cheeks. “We’re together.”
“We are.”
You lunged forwards a little and vomited up blood. “Levi.”
He shifted outside the circle. “I’m here, okay? I’m right here.”
You screamed in pain as your bones felt like they were close to breaking and your veins burned. You fell against the wooden floor and cried. Tears streamed down your cheeks as blood poured from your mouth. You threw your head back at a snap of your body. You gripped your head as your head felt like it was being crushed. You yelped as horns broke through your skin and grew up and curled a little to form two small sweet horns on your head.
You gripped your neck as your gums hurt and felt like someone was pulling your teeth out with pliers. You coughed up blood and four teeth. Once your teeth were gone, knew canine teeth grew in their place. You cried and whimpered at the throbbing pain going through your body. You looked up at Levi as he lay on the floor gazing at you. You could see he badly wanted to be with you, but he couldn’t enter the circle until the turning had finished.
You rolled onto your front and screamed in back as your back bubbled. Your skin ripped causing two bat wings to pop from your back and spread out. You knelt up and threw your head back. You screamed to the heavens as your spine cracked and popped causing a black tail to grow from the top of your bum and out and a heart grew on the end.
You stared at the painted ceiling and panted as a cold tickling washed over your body. Your pupils shifted and changed into little pink hearts. You smiled as you felt at peace. You felt alive. You felt strong. You felt powerful and you felt hungry. Your ripped dressing gown fell from your body to reveal black underwear. The underwear shifted and formed a dress on you.
You fell to the floor as the red light from the symbols faded. “Levi.”
Levi grabbed you and yanked you out of the circle and cradled you. “I’ve got you. I’m here.”
You panted as you lay in Levi’s arms. “I’m…okay…”
He kissed your forehead. “Has the pain gone?”
You nodded and hummed in response. “Yes.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
He stood up with you and carried you to the bathroom. “Let’s get you washed up. You’re covered in blood, my love.”
You inhaled deeply and felt overwhelmed with Levi’s divine scent. You moaned a little and nuzzled his neck. “You smell incredible.”
He blushed at your words. “Thank you.” He eyed your outfit. “I need to take this off so I can wash you.”
You purred at him. “It’s a power. I can make any outfit I want with it.”
“Well, you need to be naked right now for a wash.” Levi watched the black dress fade to a bra and underwear before going up into your black horns and little bat wings, so you were finally naked. “Interesting.” He lowered you into the water.
You sank under the water before sitting up and smiling at Levi. “You coming in?”
Levi saw the pink hearts in your eyes. “Your pupils are pink hearts.”
You moved towards him. “Cause I’m looking at something I really love.”
He smiled at your words. “Cute.”
You pouted at him. “Come join me.”
He stripped his clothes off and climbed into the water. “No sex, okay? Your body is fragile.”
You pounced into Levi’s arms. “I promise.”
Levi felt his body tingle as his soul sewed itself to the piece of yours he took from you. He whined a little as he fought his arousal of being with you for eternity. “I love you.”
You looked up at Levi. “I love you so much.”
Levi kissed you and felt himself being fed by the contact as well as you being fed by him. “I need to clean you. I have to focus.”
You giggled and chased him. “Come give me naked cuddles!”
He grabbed a sponge and started scrubbing. “I will tie you up.”
You moaned at him. “Please do.”
He blushed at your words. “Oi, stop it.” He scrubbed all the blood from your face. “Behave.”
You whined. “So rough.”
He let you go. “Sorry, but I have to get the blood off.” He inspected you. “All clean.”
You ran your hands up his chest. “I’m hungry.”
“I’ll make you something in a bit.”
You leaned up and kissed him. “I want another kind of food.”
Levi threw you over his shoulder and carried you out of the bath. He put you on your feet and wrapped your hair up in a towel, then your body and finally put a fluffy dressing gown on you. “Go sit and behave.”
You eyed him. “How can I when you have a semi?”
Levi blushed and hurriedly dried himself before dressing. “Nothing to see!”
You ran after him. “I wanna play.”
Levi grabbed a massive bag of crisps and tore it open. He shoved them into your arms. “Eat.”
You pouted. “I don’t wanna! I want you.”
Levi shoved a handful into your mouth. “Eat! Do as I say. I know what’s best for you right now.”
You crunched on the crisps. “I don’t…” You stared into the bag. “Mm, tasty.” You sat on the floor and began shoving crisps into your mouth. “So good!”
Levi let out a long sigh and began making cheese toasties, along with some pigs in blankets. He looked over at you to see you happily eating. He smiled softly at how cute you were. He glanced at the ritual circle and saw the blood. He winced at the memories of your screams of pain. He clenched up and began sinking into dark thoughts.
“I wanted it.”
He looked back at you. “Huh?”
You gulped down your food. “I said, I wanted it. I wanted to become a demon. So, don’t think horrible things, okay?” You smiled at him. “We get eternity together now. If I didn’t do that, then I would have gotten old and died, or I could have gotten sick or been in an accident. A moment of pain for a lifetime together. I love it.”
Levi smiled at your comforting words. “I love it too.” He carried the food over and sat with you. “You’re more like yourself instead of a horny mess.”
You downed some water and gasped. “Oh, I’m still really horny, but the food is taming it a bit. It’s wild the feelings in my body right now.” You licked your lips and started eating the cheese toastie. “Mm, perfection. Anyway, I feel incredible. All the body pains I get? Gone. Oh! Do I get periods?”
Levi shook his head. “No, you’re always fertile now.”
Your eyes sparkled. “Awesome. So, tell me a bit about what my kind is?”
“You’re very powerful. I think it’s because you were turned by a powerful demon.” He ate some of his toasties. “Mm, basically you feed off of sins easily. You can get anyone to do anything thing for you, except me. Due to me having part of your soul and part of mine in you, we cannot be affected by the other’s powers much.”
Your eyes widened. “So, I can get people to do anything for me?”
“Yeah, you release this pheromone and you can weaponise it and direct it at people. I’ll teach you, don’t worry.” He licked his lips. “As for you being able to make your own clothes? That is new to me. I’ve not seen a succubus or incubus do that before. So, you are probably a Queen of them or something.”
You giggled. “I just wanna make nice clothes without much of a fuss.”
Levi licked his fingers and heard you moan at his actions. “It’s a useful power. I don’t know what else you can do though, it’ll reveal in the next two weeks. You can either use shadows to tie people up, summon little imps to help you or it might be something different like summoning possessed cuddly toys.”
You gasped. “That’d be so cute!”
Levi reached over and cleaned your face. “Feeding you will be easy after the two weeks. These next two weeks are going to be interesting. I can give you lots of food, but the best way to stop your hunger is to give you love.”
You nibbled your lip. “Kisses, cuddles, sweet words and?”
Levi eyed your body slowly. “Fucking my love into you until your full.”
You squealed in delight. “So exciting!”
Levi hummed. “I’ve prepared a lot for this.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” He kissed you before standing up. “I need to clean up. You eat up and I’ll be right with you, okay?”
You nodded and shoved food into your mouth. You moaned in delight as you ate everything Levi made you. You squealed in delight as Levi picked you up from the floor. He carried you to the bed and held you tightly in his arms. You wiggled closer to him and curled up in his arms. You were happy you were starting a new life with him, you just hoped you would make it through the next two weeks okay without exhausting your lover too much.
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Yesterday I had gotten home from work at 2 am because I was dealing with a complicated case and I had to document everything very carefully to make sure we had a record of the whole situation. Finished my notes at midnight when I’m supposed to be getting out of work at 11 pm. There weren’t really any more doable options to get home via public transit at that time, so the one supervisor approved a coworker who was on the overnight shift to step out and drive me home. It took until nearly 1:30 am before I got out because she had some other stuff to deal with. On the bright side, they didn’t make me clock out until I actually left the building, so I got one hour of overtime pay while finishing my notes and nearly another hour and a half just sitting in the back listening to music and reading.
Unexpectedly, the bartender who opens for matches had posted on Twitter and on his Facebook story that he was going to open the bar for the Spurs match at 7:30 am. I didn’t know how many people would come out, so I decided I would go to make sure he at least had someone, plus I’m missing more matches than usual this month due to a shitty schedule. My sleep is also mostly terrible, so I got about one hour before I had to leave around 6 am to head out. There ended up being about 5 of us that came out to watch, eventually at least. I was the first one there. Ended up being not so fun of a game seeing Spurs struggle to beat Portsmouth but was still nice to get a chance to go.
But then I had to go to work later in the day. I had to catch a bus around noon to get to work before my shift at 1 pm so no time to go home and sleep more. Just ended up downing hella caffeine, grabbing some kimbap for lunch, and making my way in. Was running on fumes most of the evening and ended up being busy. I often get overwhelmed on a *good* night, so I felt really close to just screaming, throwing down my clipboard, and storming out forever, and previously I might have ended up in the supervisors’ office close to tears ranting about how I don’t think I can do anything and saying awful things about myself to the point where they all but force me to go to the hospital because they’re concerned about me 😬
But I didn’t do either thing. I stopped, I thought, and I did what needed to be done. I realized that maybe I couldn’t do everything perfectly with how things were at the time, but they still needed done. I found the strength to get through and complete everything. Then I got to close out the night by being assigned a task that I feel like I’m good at and is one of the aspects of the job that always makes me feel a sense of mastery when I do. I checked in with the last consumer I’d still needed to talk to. He told me he was going to be leaving the next day to go to his housing program. He said he’d wanted to let me know because he was probably leaving in the morning and he knew I usually come in during the afternoon. He thanked me for helping him and expressed appreciation for everyone who’d worked with him. Was nice. (Then at the end of the night when my first bus was late leaving from work to downtown and the bus from downtown to home was about to pull away, the driver of the second bus saw that I had just gotten off the first bus and was trying to head over, so he stopped and let me on and didn’t just ditch me downtown to wait 30+ minutes for the next one for not having actually been at the stop when he went by.)
Been a lot, but I’m trying. And doing, I guess.
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asterlark · 3 years
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ok. samwell college of music au. i wrote all four years let's go babey
eric bittle is this lovely southern tenor (sounds kinda like mitch grassi or ben j pierce) who posts covers (& sometimes originals, but always with neutral or no pronouns because he can't post anything that says he or him ☹) on his youtube channel and has major stage fright but is very talented; he also plays ukulele
he got into samwell college of music on a voice scholarship and his dad doesn’t exactly approve but eric was never the 6′2″ masculine football player he wanted anyway so why not go for his dreams
he auditions for the very competitive samwell men’s contemporary chorus (there’s like 20 choirs; chamber choir, jazz choir, a cappella groups (lax bros do a cappella), combined choirs, etc- smcc does contemporary pop/rock music) and while he’s very very nervous and shaky as he auditions, directors hall & murray see a lot of potential in him (with major grumbling from student director jack)
(the rest of this ridiculously long au under the cut)
the group is small, for a chorus, because the point of the group is not a wall of sound but a focus on all of the very talented guys’ voices coming together in these gorgeous harmonies and basically they’re like one of the best choruses on campus and all the male singers want in
so there’s jack zimmermann, who of course eric knows because everyone knows who he is, he’s the son of bob and alicia zimmermann, both incredibly talented and famous musicians, and basically those genes were in his favor because he’s mega fucking talented
(jack was supposed to sign a recording contract to be in a band with his best friend kent parson when he was 17 but something happened between them and the pressure was too much and jack overdosed on something- there’s so many rumors no one knows what’s real- and kent signed solo in LA & went on to win grammys for his albums about a mysterious ex and jack disappeared for a few years to be a counselor at a music camp and reappears at samwell, knocking everyone’s socks off again like he’d never left, except with a renewed vigor and intenseness that freaks everyone out)
jack is a contemporary writing & production major, freaky talented and sings like a modern day frank sinatra, and he plays like 20 instruments and can read music like breathing air and writes songs like if he stopped he’d die; his music is folksy and mournful and he plays all the instruments on his tracks himself- guitar, piano, strings, drums- it sounds like a full band but nope. just jack. he’s intense
“we all get nicknames in this choir,” justin informs eric on his first day, “we’re those kinda guys.” so he’s bitty, which he finds vaguely offensive (bc he’s not that short!) but still cute, & the rest of the group is introduced to him:
“shitty” knight (voice like colyer) is a musical education major and an enigma of a singer with this awesome, earthy, raspy voice that’s really interesting to listen to and a very.... unique style & look; he writes cheesy but shockingly good raps about social justice topics and he will sing-lecture you if you’ve said something offensive (he also plays banjo)
justin “ransom” oluransi is a music business & management major with an angelic voice you can’t help but listen to; he’s sultry and has an incredible range and does runs like nobody’s business (with a voice like daniel caesar or leslie odom jr UGH)
adam “holster” birkholtz is a voice performance major, wants to be on broadway and it’s all he ever goddamn talks about basically, he’s a belter and has a lot of charisma and starpower and he’ll charm the pants off of you within one note; can also play piano and irritates everyone constantly because his regular volume is like a level 11 (voice like the frontman of my brothers and i combined w/ x ambassadors lead singer)
larissa “lardo” duan is at the local art institute because performing arts is not her jam and she’d much rather paint; she’s a barista at annie’s and supervises open mic nights and keeps the annoying choir dudes from driving away all her patrons
“i’m not even in your dumbass choir,” she says when the group gave her her nickname. holster just told her that she was an honorary member and then started sing-shouting a song at her about how good she is
bitty’s first year is hard because he’s talented and he works hard but he shies away when anyone asks him to sing outside the group and like, he can sing to a camera by himself but being on a stage with everyone looking at you and the sole responsibility of the song on your shoulders is terrifying and no thanks
jack does not. understand this. he’s been performing practically since he came out of the womb and he doesn’t really get performance nerves (what he gets is anxiety about how he did after he gets off stage that follows him home and makes it so he can’t sleep) - so he bothers bitty about it constantly like “you just need practice, you just have to sing by yourself a lot and then you’ll get over it” which like.... that’s true but it’s also hella scary and bitty’s like “no thanks!!!!”
but jack’s annoying and intense so he makes bitty do open mic with him every saturday night and it’s going okay and bitty loves his choir and loves his school and these new friends he’s making and he finally feels comfortable enough to come out to them during his second term
then during their spring choral showcase at the end of his freshman year bitty has a solo and he’s worked really hard on it and he’s feeling good- okay he’s completely freaked out but he’s trying to feel good- but when he gets up on stage there’s so many people and the stage lights are so hot on his face and he flips out a little and maybe he passes out from anxiety and stress right on stage and it’s terrible and he’s so embarrassed and ashamed that he ruined their set at the showcase
of course jack blames himself because “we shouldn’t have given you a solo before you were ready, i misjudged it, i’m sorry” - and they all feel kinda bad bc holy fuck they didn’t know his stage fright was that bad like they didn’t know someone could pass out just by being anxious to sing
he practices all the time over the summer and goes to his local open mic at jack’s insistence and it actually helps a lot because instead of a sea of strangers judging him it’s a bunch of people he knows and they’re all smiling at him and when he finishes his song they cheer for him and it boosts his self-confidence a lot
his sophomore year they have three new members- chris ”chowder” chow (voice like ieuan), an excitable music education major with impressive rapping skills, derek "nursey" nurse (frank ocean or leon bridges type), a songwriting major who can also play violin and guitar, and will ”dex” poindexter (like tom west), a production & engineering major who tried out with chowder bc he needed moral support and didn't expect to get in but impressed the directors with his voice
the year’s going pretty good, bitty’s still pretty scared of singing alone but more confident now and the open mic nights with jack haven’t stopped, so he’s getting better. and one night they’re hanging out at annie’s after closing waiting for lardo to be done so they can walk her home, and bitty suggests that jack sing with him one of these nights, and jack says he doesn’t know any of bitty’s songs and bitty says they can write one together half jokingly but then jack is like “yes.” with that Intense Look
SO they get together a couple days later in jack’s room at the house they all live in together (bitty moved in at the beginning of the year after previous smcc member john johnson called him- how’d he get his number?- and told him he could take his room if he wanted), jack with his guitar and bitty with his ukulele, and it’s a little awkward until bitty says jack should play him one of his songs
and, okay, he doesn’t really know what to expect because the only music jack ever released to the public was that one single he did with kent parson when they were 17 so bitty doesn’t even know if he has anything to play him, but he does- he starts playing these soft, sad notes on the guitar and opens his mouth and sings about being lonely and scared and unsure, about false starts and shaky ground and not knowing where you stand with someone, about expectations and lying awake at night and wishing so hard you were someone else, and bitty watches him sing and just kind of... realizes he’s head over heels for this boy and internally Freaks Out a little
he tries to put that aside and they start to write this song, at first it’s weird because jack’s like “all your songs are love songs i can’t really relate to happy love songs” and bitty’s like “listen... i’ve never even had a boyfriend i just write a bunch of sappy love stuff because it’s not about me it’s about whoever’s listening to it, they’re gonna project their own experiences on my music anyway so it doesn’t matter if it’s my real life or not” and jack’s like “alright while fake af that’s smart and i respect you” (what bitty doesn't say is that he writes about what he really wants which is to fall in love & be in a happy relationship)
they say they’re just gonna write this kinda vague sad song but they both secretly write lines about their actual lives so it ends up being really personal and real and raw for the both of them
they sing the song at open mic that saturday and the crowd at annie’s is never that big but they’ve never got a standing ovation here before, and some girl shouts “MAKE AN ALBUM” (it may or may not be lardo) and they both blush furiously and bitty’s like “... that was really nice, jack” and jack’s like “... yeah it was good good job you’re really getting some confidence out there nice work” (bitty: “THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT AAAAH”)
around this time jack’s really thinking about what he’s gonna do when he’s done at samwell, talking with his parents and his agent and looking into different record companies and deciding if he wants to sign with anyone or possibly start his own company- the head of a small company called falcon records in rhode island has been talking to him a lot, and jack talks to bitty about how he thinks it’d be nice to start small, and the record exec georgia and the producer marty had both been really nice and welcoming, and bitty’s so happy for him but also just... sad that he won’t be around jack every day after he graduates
THEN at a haus party celebrating their win of a local choral competition, who shows up but none other than pop star kent parson to Ruin The Fun
bitty sees the way jack pales when kent walks in, notices them disappear upstairs together and feels a little sick worrying about jack but chalks it up to the highly alcoholic concoction shitty and lardo had cooked up but nonetheless decides he’s sick of the party and goes up to his room and hears.... a little too much
and YIKES he’s standing right there and kent parson, pop star, two-time grammy winner, is looking a little rumpled and staring right at him and he puts his hat on and clears his throat and snaps at jack- “hey. well. call me if you reconsider. but good luck with rhode island. ...i’m sure that’ll make your parents proud.” and jack’s shaking, and bitty doesn’t know what to do but jack goes back into his room and bitty’s just kind of standing there like What The Fuck
so.... he kind of stews over winter break but tries not to think about it too much and he and jack text a bit and jack tells him to practice and bitty’s like “oh, you” and jack’s like “im serious” and bitty’s like “>:( it’s christmas”
spring semester starts and they're doing well in competitions and they go to semifinals and then finals for a prestigious collegiate choir competition and the pressure is mounting but they all are so optimistic and really feel like they're on the same page and bitty’s confidence is better than ever and then.... they don't win
jack especially takes it very hard, but then he also has signing to worry about, which everyone helps him with and he decides to sign with falcon records and start work on an album after graduation
speaking of graduation, shitty and jack graduate and it's hard for them but harder for bitty who feels like he's losing jack in a way, he knows how intense jack gets when he's making music and it doesn't feel like he'll have any time for bitty anymore so when they say goodbye bitty goes back to the haus and listens to his and jack's song and just cries
but, like in canon, dadbob has words of wisdom to impart and jack has an "oh" moment and races across campus to kiss bitty
they get together and the next few months are spent with jack working nonstop on his album (which tbh, he'd had many of the songs written already so it's mostly recording and producing) and texting bitty constantly and coming to visit him and playing him demos of all the songs
jack also asks bitty if they can record the song they wrote together & have it as a bonus track on his album & bitty says of course, so when jack visits they set up an impromptu studio and record vocals in the guest bedroom and this deeply personal song they wrote before they were ever together means so much more to them now
and bitty is so happy but so scared and sad too because jack is playing him these songs telling him "they're all for you bits, & a lot of them are about you" and he just doesn't know how he's going to keep all this love inside even though it feels like jack's career is at stake
he tries to shove it down and stay strong though, especially since he's now an upperclassman and they're taking on new members- connor "whiskey" whisk (voice like finneas or the male singer in valley), a music business/ management major who seems to hate bitty's guts and tony "tango" tangredi (like chaz cardigan), a jazz composition major who astounds everybody with his endless questions but also his ridiculously impressive composition skills & naturally perfect pitch (he can also play saxophone??)
i want ford in this au so fuck it she is a composition major with dreams to write scores for musicals and she stars training as a barista at annie's (aka training to corral the smcc)
the pressure of it all proves to be a lot and bitty and jack have their hi, honey moment where bitty's like i can't be this deep in the closet!!! and so they tell the smcc and also jack's label that they're together and that eases things a bit
jack's album comes out to much critical acclaim and shouting in the groupchat ("#1 ON ITUNES BRAHHHHH!!!!!!!!") and several months later, when smcc has already been eliminated from choral competition in an earlier round, jack is nominated for SEVERAL grammys including best album, song of the year, and best new artist
when the time comes he takes his parents and bitty on the red carpet which, everyone keeps being like "who are you here with jack?" and he's like "my family and my good friend :)" and yes it is awkward
jack wins... all three awards. it's the comeback everyone is stoked to see and when his third win is announced, he and bitty are so elated that they kiss before he goes to accept the award
his speech is basically just "um... wow. thank you. i just kissed my boyfriend on live tv. this is amazing and i'm so humbled. i'd like to thank my boyfriend and georgia and marty and my parents and my friends and my boyfriend"
obviously the press has a FIELD DAY with this but bitty & jack are honestly vibing and so happy that it doesn't matter untiiiillll bitty's mom calls and he has to tell her "mama i'm gay and i'm going on tour with jack this summer okloveyoubye"
the last few months of bitty's junior year pass quickly and he's voted student director which is a huge honor considering how much he struggled with stage fright and confidence & how he'll now be stepping into ransom & holster's shoes
r&h and lardo all graduate (the smcc basically crashes the art school graduation and all scream when lardo gets her diploma lmao), which is a bittersweet occasion and they all do a bit of tearing up
that summer bitty goes on tour across the u.s. & canada with jack and his touring band (snowy is a bassist, tater is a drummer and poots does backing guitar, he also brings nursey to play violin on a few songs) as well as georgia who's there to manage logistics
and tour is so fun & chaotic with many bi and rainbow flags in the audience that end up thrown on stage and draped around jack's neck and they spend so many nights in the bus drinking and laughing and fooling around on the guitars and bitty's uke and exploring new cities bitty has never been to before and it's the freest bitty has felt in a long time
summer ends though, and jack leaves for the uk/europe leg of the tour, and with the new school year brings a few new members- river "bully" bullard (voice like gregory alan isakov), a music therapy major who draws his own cover art for his songs, lukas "louis" landmann (like jr jr), an electronic production and design major with a penchant for EDM, and johnathan "hops" hopper (like keiynan lonsdale), a film scoring major who wants to write music for movies and video games
bitty meets and befriends some of the other student directors- shruti, sd of the women’s contemporary chorus; sharon, sd of the chamber choir; and edgar, sd of jazz ensemble (even chad l., sd of the all-male a cappella group)
senior year passes similarly to the comic; coach visits and sees one of bitty’s competitions, jack comes to madison for christmas, smcc does well in competition and goes to regionals etc
however… bitty keeps putting off and putting off gathering the songs for his senior recital
he has a hard time doing that because he’s so focused on the group and making sure they’re performing well and as they advance in competition, everything else starts to fall away
eventually the rest of the smcc has to lock away his uke and change his youtube password and FORCE him to choose songs for it and start preparing because he cannot graduate without doing this recital and doing well on it
he chooses (of course) a beyonce song, a few of his own songs, an ellie goulding song, and an adele song
with all that his breath hitches and his hands shake before he goes on stage, he does really well and his voice instructor prof atley tears up a little in the audience as does his mom
meanwhile smcc goes to semifinals, then finals, of the national collegiate choral competition they participate in
and i imagine bitty faces somewhat less homophobia in this au because i mean, he’s in the performing arts, but i think it’s still there and he also faces a good amount of classism from richer students and performers who think they’re better because they had the resources and money to be performing professionally from a very young age, and he has been practicing via filming himself on a shitty camcorder and posting it to youtube
but they still get there! and the national finals are fucking HUGE and a big deal and a little overwhelming
bitty’s stage fright is Present because this is the biggest stage and the biggest stakes he's ever had and he has a big solo in one of their songs so if he fucks up, he fucks up a national championship for his whole group and school
luckily though, when he steps on the stage with his best friends and sees his boyfriend and family and smcc alums in the audience and they perform their first song, a high-energy pop medley that always gets the crowd going, everything seems to melt away and it's just him living in this moment and singing his heart out
when it gets to the next song and his solo, he forgets to be nervous and belts it out, getting screams of approval from the audience when he finishes
(dex and nursey do have a duet together that they had to practice for many long nights in the practice rooms alone but that's neither here nor there)
their time on stage seems to last both hours and no time at all and then they're done, the crowd gives them a standing ovation and it's at least 30% r&h & shitty's hooting and hollering and jack's enthusiastic clapping that makes bitty & the others beam with pride
then it's just waiting, giddy and nervous beyond belief in their green room, for the judging to be over
after what feels like forever they're back on stage, arms linked together waiting and hoping for their name to be called and it is, they win and it feels like years have built up to this moment, and bitty tears up because years ago when he was fainting from anxiety at having to perform in front of people he never could've imagined that he'd do this, that he'd be the student director that led them to a championship
they get the trophy and a ridiculous amount of flowers from their loved ones and they all are just in giddy disbelief that this is happening, they're national champs!!! they are the best choir boys in the nation!!
they come home and the rest of the school year passes by so quickly that it's very suddenly graduation and bitty can't believe his college career at samwell is over 😢
(he and ollie and wicky take pictures together, o&w talk about how excited they are to devote full time attention to their band & wedding planning and bitty's just like wait you're gay??)
bitty got plenty of offers from record companies but he likes his freedom of creativity and he has a built in fanbase from doing youtube all these years so he decides to make an album independently (jack helps him produce & master it 🥰)
when bitty's album comes out about a year later, full of bops about being gay and in love and having struggled but come out the other side more confident than ever, it doesn't get any grammy nominations- and he didn't expect or need that.
what it does do is it resonates. it makes the rounds in youtube and queer internet circles; people his age reach out to him saying this is the music they wish they had as a kid and kids reach out to him saying he's a role model and they're so glad to have his music to listen to. his album is written about as an underrated gem that shines with queer brilliance and is sure to start a party when it comes on.
his parents may not fully understand the road he's chosen for himself but they're still so proud and promote the album as hard as any of his loyal fans (especially the one country-inspired song on the album that he wrote and dedicated to them).
and jack, jack who saw this album from its infancy to its release date, who took the film photo that ended up being the album cover, who worked with bitty to make sure his vision was realized exactly how he wanted it to be, is proud beyond words.
jack starts using his semi-abandoned twitter again to tweet "stream [album name]" every day and bitty retweets them sometimes, with just a "this boy. ❤"
and they're happy. they're good. they have come so far and they are reaping the rewards of all the hard work they put in to make the music that they truly love.
the end :)
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peculiarlylost · 3 years
Text
Amberprice Fanfic Compilation
To whom it may concern,
I've been felling quite shitty lately and nostalgia is the only thing keeping me breathing, therefore I'll be providing you the best Amberprice fanfic recommendation you didn't ask for.
Previous warnings before you proceed: a. Amberpricefield it's not my cup of tea, so you won't find any here; b. This was made completely based on my own literaly taste (don't come for me if you hated it all); c. I've been struggling with keeping my focus for long periods of time, that's why you won't find a lot of multichapter works here. I'm really sorry, but a long history requires a lot of brain cells and I've burned them all lately; d. Huge thanks for all the amazing authors who wrote this pieces, you've been doing Gods work; e. Fell free to recommend all types of Amberprice fanfic that I missed out. I've made this thinking that someone could be felling as shitty as I'm felling right now and could use some escape from reality to help cope with everything else.
START OF THE LIST
1. Buried Childish Qualities by Scorpion_Queen (https://archiveofourown.org/works/27196012/chapters/66428533) Amberprice + Summer Camp = pure nostalgia. This fanfic fells like those endless summer nights where you would stay up until dawn doing absolutely nothing simply cause you could. It reminds me a little bit of "Looking for Alaska" by John Green which only added for the nostalgia felling.
2. Castles in the Air by Scorpion_Queen (https://archiveofourown.org/works/19161673/chapters/45544687) When I started my marathon of reading Amberprice Fanfic until my eyes stopped working, something that really pissed me of was the over-the-top romanticization of Chloe and Rachel. For me, the beauty in their characters was the visible flaws, that's what made them "touchable". No one is completely good or bad (except Mark Jefferson, fuck him), and this author understood beautifully this assignment. Definelly a must read if you like the nuances of their relationship. Chloe and Rachel are actually Chloe and Rachel in this one.
3. Slumber Party Rules by Scorpion_Queen (https://archiveofourown.org/works/28055220) At this point you must think that I'm in love with Scorpion_Queen. Well, you're completely correct! It's been a while since I loved so much an authors work that I wasted long hours reading all their pieces. I couldn't thank Scorpion enough for that. Basically, this one shot involves a game of truth or dare from Max pov. It was very interesting seeing how other characters interpret the relationship between Chloe and Rachel.
4. Coward by Mogatrat (https://archiveofourown.org/works/11067531) Smut + Angst = pain. I'm a huge simp for authors that shows the ambiguous relationship between them. It's a very quick read, ideal for poop time (that's me trying to be funny).
5. Every Move Just for Herself by Mogatrat (https://archiveofourown.org/works/15923051) Mogatrat do a FINE job when the business is Smutt + Angst. Also, the internalized homophobia is *chief kiss*. This is a very quick read, so you know...
6. Pink Bubblegum by Danganphobia (https://archiveofourown.org/works/13155687) This one just fells like home. It's the type of reading that just fells right, you know? It's easy and uncomplicated. Do you remember how I said it that i hated over-the-top romanticization of Chloe and Rachel? Well, my hatred does not apply to this one. HAPPY ROMCOM AU Y'ALL. Just accept this gift without further explanation.
7. Yours by craashintome (https://archiveofourown.org/works/13210812) Another gift without further explanation. HAPPY ROMCOM AU Y'ALL!
8. Strawberry by Danganphobia (https://archiveofourown.org/works/12627669) Here's the thing: after a while, reading fanfic and pretending that the real world is a mirage got me quite happily alienated. Therefore, that's my excuse for all the fluffy one shots in a role. So, you know, enjoy yourself :)
9. Notice Me by lunargrrrl (https://archiveofourown.org/works/13505091) The format of this one fells like a poem. Honestly, I never thought that something like this would captivate me at all, but it definely did. Pleasant surprise to say at least.
10. So, You're a Fatalist Then? by Dandybear (https://archiveofourown.org/works/12434655) After I read this one, it took me a while to read another Amberprice Fanfic. I have this theory that most of us reads to live a life that do not belong to us. We have the privilege to simply escape. And I loved to escape the fact that Chloe and Rachel never left Arcadia Bay. This piece reminded me what actually happened.
11. Can't Complain About Much These Days by breezered (https://archiveofourown.org/works/13267965) Do you remember the cutscene in the end of Before The Storm where Chloe paints her hair completely blue? Well, I hope you do, because Rachel helps her out in this one. Believe me when I tell you that you need a little bit of fluffy after the last one.
12. Please Don't Be My Valentine by Ghost_In_The_Hella (https://archiveofourown.org/works/18082052) Conversation Hearts by Ghost_In_The_Hella (https://archiveofourown.org/works/29562945) No need to call me Santa or, in this case, Cupid (ba dun tss). Valentine's Day Special y'all!
13. Tonight I'll Lie Awake, Felling Empty by orphan_account (https://archiveofourown.org/works/4583376) If there was a Life is Strange Before the Storm part II, this piece would definely be a part of the plot. If you need more persuasion to read this masterpiece, I will leave you with this quote: "For Rachel, who doesn't believe in past regrets, it will probably be like it never happened."
14. Alright in the Evening (Baby With You) by breezered (https://archiveofourown.org/works/13214394) That's the euphoric felling that Rachel tried to describe to Chloe the night after the play, where everything is possible and running away is the easiest thing in the entire world. This piece fells light.
15. And the Forest Burned (You See Smoke) by breezered (https://archiveofourown.org/works/13153557) This one destroyed me in the most beautiful way possible. I've been staring at my computer screen for a embarassing amount of time trying to describe how this made me fell so I can indoctrinate you to also read it, but I'm failing horribly. Do you know that book that list 1001 things you have to do before dying? Well, if I've written that book, reading this fanfic would be one of those things. If that's not enough for you, stay with this GENIUS quote: "No, loving Rachel Amber doesn’t kill you. It never burns out, not really. Her absence doesn’t make the fire fade or dwindle, it stokes it and stokes it until the passion and the heat from loving a ghost burns you up and leaves you empty. You spend every second of every day painfully loving Rachel Amber until there’s nothing left for you to give, no more energy and no more attention." (I'm also in love with breezered. What can I say? I'm a whore).
16. The Way You Kiss me (Will Work Every Time) by breezered (https://archiveofourown.org/works/13343250) This author is just *chief kiss*.
17. Gone by orphan_account (https://archiveofourown.org/works/16579007) I've never seen a single soul in this Earth that doesn't love Smut + Angst. Have fun kiddos :)
END OF THE LIST
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Just so I could call you mine part 2 - Aaron Hotchner x fem!reader
It's finally here! I'm sorry for the wait, I've only really been able to write at night - my day's have been kinda busy at the moment. But it's finished. It's quite long so sorry about that. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as you enjoyed part 1:)
Also (following a theme here) this is loosely based off of the song 'Enough for you' by Oliva Rodrigo
* = time skip
Warnings: Swearing
Word Count: 3503
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It had been a month since the argument. Well, I say argument, but I think downfall of the one thing that made me want to get up in the morning would be more accurate. After I’d broken down on Emily’s shoulder that night, she took me back to her place. The whole time I was there, part of me kept wishing for the phone to ring and for it to be him. It didn’t feel real. For the first few days I clung to the shred of hope that he might pull me aside at work to apologise, tell me he was wrong and wanted me back. But seeing as this is my life, that opportunity never came. We hadn’t spoken since that night. Even on cases, he would find ways to avoid talking to me. I can’t say I blame him, he’s a shitty man. And when shitty men do shitty things, they tend to run from it.
I walked into the bullpen laughing with Garcia. All the girls had really looked after me and I couldn’t be more grateful.
“Hey there pretty ladies” Morgan said, sauntering over to us.
“Why hello there handsome. Here to make us yours?” Garcia replied playfully.
“Only if you’ll have me.” Morgan bantered. Garcia just laughed before heading to her cave.
“So how are you gorgeous?” He said throwing his arm round my shoulder.
“I’m doing good. In desperate need for coffee. Don’t get me wrong I love Garcia but after only 3 hours of sleep, her bubbliness this early on has taken it out of me” I explained as we headed to the coffee machine. Derek dropped his arm and stood next to me, allowing me to make my drink.
“Only three hours huh? You having trouble sleeping?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“No, I just choose to run on as little energy as possible.” I retorted sarcastically, prompting an eye roll from him.
“You know what I meant.”
“Yeah I do, it’s just” I sighed looking down at my coffee.
“Hey.” Derek nudged my arm slightly. “What’s on your mind?” I chewed at the inside of my cheek nervously before answering.
“I guess I’m still adjusting to sleeping by myself.” I admitted. Derek nodded, wearing a sympathetic look on his face. “It’s so stupid, I should be over this by now. I mean I am over him but it’s just certain things like…ugh I don’t know. It’s just stressful.” I ranted.
“It’s normal baby. You went from, what was it nine months?”
“Eleven.” I corrected.
“Right so you went from 11 months of having someone next to you all the time, to suddenly nothing. It’s bound to take some getting used to.” He reasoned. I knew he was right. But something about the way Hotch had essentially picked up where he left off with Haley made me feel so stupid for still being hung up over him.
“Come on, let’s go see if boy genius can tell us something fun.” Derek joked as we walked back to our desks.
***********************************************************************
The day was almost over, and we’d had no cases, which allowed us to sort through old case files and tidy things up. As boring as that may sound, it was actually a nice break from the horrors we see on a daily basis.
“Right.” Emily said, stretching back in her chair. “I think I’m gonna head out.”
“And leave me here with the men?” I replied, pretend fear laced in my voice.
“I’m so sorry honey. You can do it I believe in you” Emily joked. The boys just swapped an annoyed look. “Sergio awaits me, so I’ll see you all tomorrow.” She said collecting her things.
“Bye Em.” I called after her. But just as she was about to leave JJ rushed into the bullpen.
“Emily stops where you are.” Emily groaned and turned around.
“Jayje I swear to god if you tell us we have a case, as much as I love you, I will be hurling my bag at your head.” Emily said. JJ just laughed at her.
“No, it’s nothing bad guys, but Rossi has invited us to dinner.” She said smiling. The way she looked at us made it seem like she was looking for some type of reaction.
“Okay? Something special about today?” Derek asked.
“Yeah that’s nice of him and all JJ but I’m really tired. Sitting in a crowed Chinese restaurant really wasn’t really what I planned to do tonight” Emily replied. JJ sighed.
“Fine. I mean if none of you want to come back to Rossi’s mansion for a bite to eat then I get that. Have a nice night with your cat Em.” JJ turned to walk away but at the sound of us all scrambling out of our seats, she turned back and laughed.
“Screw Sergio I wanna explore this guy’s house.” Emily said walking over to JJ.
“God you lot are so nosy” She joked as we all walked down to the parking lot.
“What do you expect? The guys a mystery so if there’s an opportunity to snoop of course we’d take it.” I chuckled.
“I just wanna see if he has a first drafts of his books lying around. I can almost imagine how much he left out.” Reid piped up.
“Of course, that’s what you wanna see pretty boy” Derek said patting Reid on the shoulder. We all hoped into our separate cars to go home and change before re convening at Rossi’s.
******************************************************************
The night was going great. It was so nice to be able to just take a night off – eat, drink, chat – without the stress of a case looming over our heads. Not to mention Rossi’s house was incredibly impressive. I mean if I could somehow make this man my sugar daddy and inherit this place, I’d be on it in an instant. Aaron was here, which didn’t surprise me. But what did is how relaxed he was. I’d seen it all the time when we were together but somehow seeing it tonight felt strange. Almost as if he’d dismissed the whole situation.
“Okay I wasn’t that bad guys.” Emily protested, snapping me from my thoughts.
“You told Spencer you were going to kill him if he didn’t stop being so loud.” Hotch said.
“That’s understandable on a hangover.” Emily reason.
“Em, I was just turning the pages of my book.” Spencer replied laughing. Emily spluttered over her words, but nothing came out causing the rest of us to join spencer. Suddenly the doorbell rang out. We all looked around confused.
“We’re not expecting anyone else are we?” Garcia asked.
“Um” Aaron cleared his throat.
“I think I might know who that is.” My heart sunk as he got up and walked to the door. Everyone swapped a look, trying to catch my eye but I just starred ahead of me. He wouldn’t have actually invited her. Right?
“Hey honey.” Her voice travelled through the halls causing my heart to not only sink even further, but completely shatter in the process. At least at work I could block out the fact he was with her but now he was just rubbing salt in the wound. Emily finally caught my gaze and shot me a supportive look. I just nodded, offering a tight-lipped smile. Eventually the pair of them came back.
“Hey guys, you know Haley.” Hotch said, looking slightly uncomfortable. Everyone greeted her politely enough, but it didn’t take a profiler to feel the shift in the atmosphere.
“Let me get you a chair.” Rossi said, going to stand up. “No, it’s fine, I’ll just sit here” She stated before promptly positioning herself in Aaron’s lap. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I couldn’t watch this. The seven of us sat in a cripplingly awkward silence for a few moments before JJ finally spoke up.
“So, um Haley, how’s jack doing?” She asked politely. “Oh, he’s doing great. Very happy to have his daddy around a lot more now.” Haley responded in a smug tone. As she spoke, she glanced over at me. Clearly noticing my appearance, she threaded her fingers through Aaron’s hair. I averted my gaze, opting to study the details of Rossi’s floor. I heard Hotch clear his throat, almost as if he wanted her to stop. “
I’m glad he’s happy.” JJ replied.
“So am I. Before it was just so hard what with his job and, well – other arrangements – Aaron barely had time for his own son you know. But luckily that’s all been dealt with now.” Haley leant forward and I heard her placing a kiss on his cheek. I couldn’t take this anymore; she was clearly taunting me and as I much as I hated giving into her games – this was so much worse.
“Excuse me.” I said, standing up and heading towards the garden. It took everything inside of me not to break down right then and there. But the minute I reached the garden I lost it. The tears streamed down my face as I tried to quiet my sobs. My heart ached. It felt like everything was crashing down around me. My chest felt hollow. I thought I was over this, over him. I could feel my knees growing weak under me so opted to sit by the edge of the pool, in the hopes to grab some sense of normality. It was a nice night out. It was summer so still warm, but there was enough of a breeze to keep it bearable. I’m sure if looked up I would’ve been able to see the stars, but I was transfixed on the water. Suddenly I heard the back door open. I didn’t turn around, not wanting to face whoever it was.
“I’ve always wanted a pool.” Emily’s voice came from beside me. She sat down, placing her legs in the water next to mine. “I’d love to have this house too.” She stated taking in her surroundings. “What do you say, wanna take Rossi down together and claim all this for ourselves?” She asked nudging my arm. I let out a stiff chuckle but didn’t say anything. Emily took a deep breath before she spoke.
“I’m sorry you had to sit through that” Her voice was sincere. “I don’t know if Hotch invited her, or she just rocked up, but it was out of order either way.” I nodded not trusting my voice right now. “You should know, the rest of us were just as angry. Derek left a few moments after you. He went into the kitchen, but he didn’t come back. I had to send Spencer after to him just to check he wasn’t tearing the place up.” She said light-heartedly. That gave me some comfort, to know I wasn’t being overly sensitive. She let her words hang in the air for a moment and we enjoyed the stillness of the night.
“I just thought.” I began, my voice rough from crying. “That maybe it wasn’t real. Maybe they weren’t actually back together you know?” I turned my gaze towards Emily. She understood. That was one of my favourite things about her. No matter what the situation, whether she’d experienced it herself or not, she was always so deeply empathetic that it helped.
“Listen, nothing I say right now is going to make this any easier. Sure, I could sit here and tell you what a douche bag he’s being” I smiled at her words. “But I know that wouldn’t change anything for you. So, I’ve just come to let you know that we’re all here for you. Take as much time as you need, and when you feel comfortable, come back and join us inside.” She said squeezing my hand.
“Thank you Em. For everything.” She just smiled before standing up and heading inside. By this point I’d stopped crying. You know that moment of calm you experience right after you’ve stopped crying, just before the headache or tiredness kicks in, that is probably my favourite feeling. Which sounds somewhat depressing, but everything just feels so at ease in that moment. Unfortunately, I could not bask in it for long as I heard the back door slide open once again. Thinking it was Emily I called out to her.
“Please don’t tell me I’m going to come in there and see you forcing Rossi to sign us into his will.” I joked, turning around. But instead of being greeted with my friends’ heart-warming chuckle, I saw the man who’d caused this little escape to the garden. It was Aaron.
“Hotch.” I said surprised, scrambling to stand up.
“Hi.” He replied. He looked nervous, relentlessly fidgeting with his hands. It wasn’t normal.
“Why are you here?” I didn’t bother trying to make small talk. What would be the point?
“Um, well I…I just wanted to…” His voice trailed off as he looked to the ground. “Can we sit down?” He asked after a moment. I nodded and made my way over to the beautiful table Rossi had. Aaron sat down but didn’t say anything, just starred ahead of him.
“Are you going to talk or what?” I said bluntly. He looked surprised at my tone but cleared his throat before answering me.
“I just wanted to check on you.” His voice was low, almost as if he didn’t want me to hear what he was saying.
“Check on me?” I replied clearly irritated.
“Yeah I mean you just took off back there, so I wanted to make sure you were okay” He said literally looking anywhere but me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He’d spent a whole month doing the most to avoid talking to me and now, not only he dangles his happiness in my face , but he also has the audacity to ask if I’m okay?
“Yeah I wonder why that is?” I shot back. Hotch went to reply but I cut him off. “No no let’s think about it. What could have possibly made me leave? Was it the fact that Derek telling a story? Nope that doesn’t seem to be it.” I said sarcastically. “Oh, maybe Spencer was rambling about something random? No doesn’t sound right? Gosh I just – I don’t know what it could have been. You got any ideas” I continued. Hotch starred at me, annoyed by my games but not enough to reply. “Wait I remember, it was the fact that my ex-boyfriend just wanted to shove the fact that he’s moved on and obviously didn’t give a fuck about me or our relationship further down my throat!” I concluded, standing up to leave.
“That is not fair.” He called after me. I stopped in my tracks, the anger growing inside of me.
“What? What about that is unfair to you?” I replied folding my arms over my chest.
“For you to say I didn’t care about our relationship” he said, his voice laced with annoyance. I scoffed at his words.
“Really? I think it’s perfectly fair considering how you’ve acted. It’s clear that you have no respect for me or what we were.”
“Just because I spend more time with Haley now doesn’t mean that I’ve just disregarded our entire relationship.” He sounded exasperated.
“Spend more time with her? Hotch she was practically fucking you on the chair in there.” I yelled. I’d tried so hard not to lose it but his lack of understanding right now was getting too much for me. “I loved you so much. I gave everything I had into that relationship, and you’ve thrown it all back in my face over one twisted story that your wife decided to spin.” I ran my fingers through my hair trying to calm down. The last thing I needed was for the rest of the team to hear this. Although I didn’t care if Haley did. That bitch. “I don’t know what I did wrong to make you choose her. Maybe I just wasn’t as interesting as her, but you could not have cared less about someone who loved you more. She dragged you down, manipulated you into believing it was your fault that she fucked those other guys. Or when she made you feel bad for choosing to stay in a job that literally makes the world as safer place for people like her or Jack. All I ever wanted was to support you and be there for you to lean on. I wanted to be that one person you could turn to when you felt like the world was crumbling down and you would feel okay. I just wanted to be enough for you. Because that’s what you were for me.” I ranted. Unfortunately, this time I’d been unable to hold back my tears, but I was hoping the darkness of the garden would hide that. Aaron looked crushed, almost guilty. Part of me hurt to seem him like that but another part reminded me he deserved it. I’d say he broke my heart, but he broke much more than that.
“You were that to me too.” He mumbled. His voice was so quiet I wasn’t sure I’d heard him. Clearly noticing my lack of response, he continued. “You meant so much to me and I can’t tell you how painful it’s been without you.”
“Doesn’t really seem like that” I scoffed. He sighed before walking over to me.
“Listen the thing with Haley-“
“If you’re about to tell me why you’re back together with her, please don’t. I can’t handle that right now.” I begged.
“No listen. We aren’t together.” His words took me by surprise.
“What?”
“The night everything kicked off, I’m not going to lie – I did believe her. I mean when she told me that you’d told JJ everything about the divorce, yeah I was mad. It took me so long to open up to you about that, you know the insecurities and the fact I thought Jack was going to resent me or not want me in his life. I trusted you and you just threw it out the window.” I starred at him in shock, unable to speak. Hotch being who he was picked up on my reaction. “What is it?” He asked.
“I can’t believe that’s what she told you.” I said utterly blown away by the fact that Haley was able to lie about something so huge with such ease.
“What do you mean? Are you trying to tell me that’s not what happened?” He sounded apprehensive.
“It couldn’t be further from the truth. She called me to ask where you were and when you’d be home. She must have thought I was lying because then she called JJ. JJ told her she knew she’d rung me and then she hung up.” I explained. Hotch looked just as confused. “I would never tell anyone those things Aaron. No matter how much you hurt me.” He didn’t reply. He looked so torn. “I tried to explain that to you on the night, but you weren’t listening.” I spoke. That caught his attention.
“I know I just felt so betrayed I guess it blinded me.” He replied. “The only reason I’ve stayed as close with her as I have recently is because she was going to keep me away from Jack. I know she had no solid grounds to hold that to and we could have taken it to court if it had gotten that bad, but fathers hardly ever win full custody. I didn’t want to risk it.” He explained. I nodded.
“I understand.” I got it. Jack was his world. And losing him might have just broken him. “
I can’t begin to explain how sorry I am that I let her get between us. I should’ve known, I-I should’ve trusted you.” He rambled. He begun pacing back and forth.
“Hey.” I reached out a grabbed his arm. “Yes you should have trusted me, I’m not going to act like what happened didn’t hurt. But you’re not a mind reader Aaron. You believed the first story you heard. I get it.” I reasoned. Tentatively, he reached out and took my hands in his, rubbing gentle circles with his thumbs.
“I missed you. Everyday.” He whispered.
“I did too. I loved you.” I replied softly. His gaze caught mine.
“Loved?” He asked his eyes wracked with worry.
“Part of me still does. I can’t just shut those feelings down. But what you did broke me. And I don’t want to risk that happening again.” I confessed. He nodded.
“I guess I’ll just have to prove myself to you. Because trust me, you’re all I want. And I’ll wait however long you need me to.” He replied. I smiled up at him and wrapped my arms around his neck as his arms travelled to my waist. Maybe we would get back together or eventually just drift apart, but right now I had my best friend back. And that’s all I cared about.
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Text
Three Strikes (A Halstead Brothers + Halstead Sister! Imagine
When you moved in with Jay and Will after your dad had died, they had devised a three-strike system for punishments. Seeing as you were only fifteen and had lost both parents, they knew that they'd be dealing with some teenage angst. So, they had decided on this...and it would help them not be super overprotective, while still allowing you to be a teenager. But, make no mistake, Jay could turn what you saw as one strike into three strikes with a snap of his fingers. Much like his day job as a cop, he could find another thing or two to charge you with that you hadn't thought of before. And, well, bad luck comes in threes. If you thought your first three strikes of this week were going to be bad, you were in for a ride when another two came along.
***
Strike One
"How's it going, kid?" Hermann asked as you walked through the back entrance of Molly's.
"Good, school's normal," you answered, setting your backpack down and then going over to the sink to wash your hands. You brought your backpack in case it was slow because then you could get some reading or studying in.
"How close are you to getting those tickets?" he asked, grabbing a crate of glasses.
"I've got $350 so far, so halfway there. Mind if I listen to music back here?"
"Knock yourself out. But, you know the rules, one headphone so if I need you out there--which I shouldn't and can't because you're too young, but you know what I mean-- if we're slow and I need you to clean tables, you'll be able to hear me."
"Copy that, boss," you joked.
Hermann left with his crate of glasses and went to the front of the house, while you put in a headphone and shuffled one of your favorite playlists to work to. Then, you turned your attention to the dirty glasses and snack plates on the counter that needed to be washed.
***
You were hurrying to put some glasses away on a shelf behind the bar when you heard a voice you knew all too well.
"One of your finest IPAs, Hermann."
Shit. If he was done for the day, then that meant...
"Sure thing, officer," Hermann joked as you quickly pushed through the door and into the back, nearly knocking into Stella.
"Whoa there, Y/N, slow down. What's got you all in a hurry?"
"I just remembered I have a geometry test tomorrow," you lied. "You mind if I slip out now so I have a bit more time to study?"
"Yeah, no problem. I'll let Hermann know. Good luck on the test and don't study too late!"
"I would never!"
Then, you quickly slipped on your jacket and hat, grabbed your backpack, and walked out the backdoor.
All you could think on your three-block walk home was that Jay better not be home, because if he was,  you were so dead.
Jay typically got home around 11pm, and your shift at Molly's ended around 10:30...and your curfew was 10pm. And, because you were only fifteen and couldn't drive yet, it took you about fifteen minutes to walk home, so you'd get home around 10:45 and get all situated to make it looked like you had been studying for at least an hour before Jay got home.
You slowly turned the doorknob to go into the house, hoping that he'd be at the gym or out with Hailey. When you got inside and saw that all the lights were off, you breathed a sigh of relief and started up the stairs to your bedroom.
"I don't know where she is, Will! If I knew where she was I wouldn't be calling you now would I?" you heard Jay yell into his phone from his room.
Shit, shit, shit.
You were starting to walk back down the hallway and go back downstairs, maybe walk to the 24-hour coffee shop near your house and call him and tell him that you had lost track of time studying when you heard a door being forcefully flung open.
Run outside or freeze? Run outside or freeze? He'd see me either way and if I ran it would just make me look guilty, but maybe--
"Where have you been?" You were snapped out of your thoughts by Jay's loud voice booming down the hallway. He marched closer to you as you just stared at him with wide eyes. He crossed his arms across his chest. "Well?"
"I was at the library." But, it came out sounding more like a question.
"Wanna try again? Tell me the truth this time."
"I..." You sighed. Here goes your perfect plan of surprising your brothers with hockey tickets. "I was working at Molly's."
"If you're gonna lie, at least put some effort into it, for me," Jay groaned, throwing his head back.
"I'm telling the truth!"
Jay snorted. "Yeah right. Phone now."
"I'm telling you the truth, Jay! I was there because..."
"Because, why?"
"Uh, forget it." At least, this way you wouldn't have to ruin the surprise.
"Yeah, I knew you were out somewhere you shouldn't have been."
You held your phone in your hand. "I only have one strike. I get to keep it." You raised your eyebrow, daring your brother to challenge your logic.
Jay shook his head and looked down and laughed.
"What's so funny?" you demanded.
"That you think you're right." You opened your mouth to reply, but Jay stopped you. "Strike number one, breaking curfew. But, you knew that. Strike number two, lying to me about where you were because you told me two different places, so at least one, if not both places, were lies. And strike three--care to turn on your phone?"
"Why?"
"You hand me your phone and it turns off or is dead because you ran out of battery, you can keep it. If not, and you turned it off so I wouldn't know where you were, then I get to keep it for a while. Now, hand it over."
You sighed and handed it to Jay. He pressed the home button and when it didn't turn on, he looked at you. "Anything you wanna say?"
"No."
He held down on the power button and the screen became illuminated. When it turned on, he saw the battery percentage. "61%. Guess this is mine for the time being."
"Jay," you whined.
"Don't Jay me. You brought this on yourself. Now, you might wanna get to bed since you have school tomorrow."
"When will I get my phone back?"
"When I say you can have it back."
You groaned and turned around to go to your room and get ready for bed.
"Goodnight to you, too!" Jay yelled at your retreating back.
***
"Grounded, huh?" Will asked when you walked inside after school the next day.
"Jesus, Will!" You jumped. "You scared me." Will chuckled. "What are you doing here?"
"I am babysitting you."
"Jay put you up to this?"
"Yup."
"God, I'm 15," you whined. "He can't trust me for a few hours until he gets home?"
"He did trust you. But, then you snuck off and broke curfew and turned your phone off so he couldn't track you, so you needing a babysitter is warranted."
"Really? You're supposed to agree with me here!"
"No can do. I'm with Jay on this one. Where did you go anyway?"
"I was working under the table at Molly's."
Will scoffed. "Yeah right. If it's so bad that you have to pretend to be working, maybe I don't wanna know. But, Jay's a cop. He'll find out eventually."
"There's nothing to find out. I didn't do anything wrong!" You turned on your heel and started up the stairs. "I'm going to my room to do homework...since I obviously can't do anything else because I'm grounded."
An hour later, Will told you that he had gotten called in to work since there was a multi-vehicle crash and he was needed at Med ASAP. So, he left you home. And, since it was only 5:00, you figured you could get a few hours of work in at Molly's. After all, Hermann didn't know you were grounded.
***
Strike Two
You started your walk home around 10:30 as you normally did. You hadn't seen anyone from Intelligence (or Med) at Molly's when you left, so you hoped Jay wasn't home and that Will was so busy that he hadn't had time to come back and check on you. It's not like Will could call you because Jay had your phone. And, he had it at work with him. He wasn't that stupid that he'd leave it at home because he knew you'd tear the place apart in search of it.
Everything was going fine, except for the fact that you were checking over your shoulder every minute because it was dark and you didn't have your phone. Everything was fine...until you got halfway home.
You started to climb up a snowbank like you had when you were little when you, Jay, and Will would play king of the mountain and push each other off. (Well, they pushed each other off. If they so much as tried to push you, your mom would drag them in by their ear.) Everything was fine...until you got to the top of it.
Whoever had plowed the past few days had done a really shitty job of making sure all the snow was there because, before you knew it, your foot sunk into the top of the snowbank, which was two times your height, and then you fell. When you tried to use your hands to push yourself up, all the snow came falling down around you and you plummeted to the bottom of the snowbank, the sides of it wrapped around you.
You tried to grab on to mounds of snow and use them as leverage to pull yourself out, but it didn't work. The minute you thought you were getting somewhere, it would just fall down and you'd be back where you started. You tried to carve out spots to put your hands and feet, like a rock-climbing wall, but the minute you'd get your foot in, it'd break because of the weight and more snow would fall. You thought that if enough fell from the sides, that eventually it'd get shallower and you'd be able to get out, but then a plow came. It pushed more snow on the pile, making it so that you were standing up straight and barely had room to turn around now.
You took off one of your gloves and threw it out and onto the pile. Hopefully, someone would find you by seeing your glove and looking there. But, you knew it was a long shot as neither Will nor Jay knew you had been at Molly's. And, no one at Molly's knew the route you used to walk home.
"Help!" you yelled.
God, it was so cold.
***
Jay entered the house fully expecting you to run up to him and beg for your phone back...not that he'd give it to you anyway. But, when he got there, all the lights were off. He ventured upstairs and into your room, which was dark as well. It was 11:30, an hour and a half past curfew even if you weren't grounded.
Will had texted him earlier that evening to tell him that he had to go into work because there was a big car accident, and since Jay was suiting up to go into the field, it's not like he could just call someone else to watch you or go home himself. So, he decided to trust that you wouldn't leave the house. Apparently, he was wrong.
Jay pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Will's number. "Will!" he yelled into the phone. "Do you know where Y/N went? She's not here!"
"Shit," he muttered. "I have no idea. Track her-- oh yeah, you took her phone."
Jay rubbed a hand over his face. "Did she at least tell you where she went last night?"
"She told me that she was working under the table at Molly's. So, I assumed that she was doing something really bad if she had to lie that she was working. I shouldn't have come to Med. I'm sorry, man."
"No, it's your job. I should've found someone to stay with her that wasn't on call. I'm gonna go look for her."
"I'll keep my phone on me. Call if you have any updates."
Jay clipped his badge back onto his belt and reholstered his gun. Then, he walked out to his car and got in, intent on finding you.
As he was driving, he called another person who he knew would calm him down in times of stress: Hailey.
"Hey, Jay. What's up?" she asked as she answered the phone. After all, they hadn't been apart for half an hour at this point.
"Hails, can you call the team for me?"
"What? Why? What's going on, Jay?"
"Y/N. I told you that she was grounded and Will was watching her and then he got called into work. So, he left her at home and when I got home, she- she was gone."
"Okay, I'll call everyone. Did she give you any hint of where she went? Maybe mentioned it to you last night or Will today?"
"Yesterday she told me she was at the library and then she told me she was working at Molly's...which I'm pretty sure are both lies. But, then today she told Will she had been working under the table at Molly's. So, I honestly really don't know where to start."
"I know it's a long shot, but start at Molly's. If you don't get anything from there, we'll regroup at the district."
"Okay, thanks, Hails. If I get anything at Molly's, I'll call you or send a text to the group chat."
"No problem. We'll find her."
Ten minutes later, a very determined Jay Halstead walked into Molly's.
"Hey, Jay," Stella said. "What can I get for you? Adam just left if that's who you were looking for."
"No, I'm actually wondering if you've seen Y/N? She told me and Will this BS that she was working under the table here, so it's the first place I thought I'd check."
"She didn't tell you?" Stella asked, sliding a beer down the bar to Kelly.
"Tell me what?"
"She was working here, Jay. She'd work until about 10:30 and then she'd go home."
"What? You can't be serious."
"I've seen her around a few times," Kelly supplied. "Thought you guys knew about it. Good way for her to make some extra cash and since it's under the table, no taxes."
"So she did tell me the truth last night. God, I'm such a jerk."
"Why are you looking for her?" Kelly asked. "She not at home?"
"No, I got home and she wasn't there. And, I grounded her because she broke curfew and I thought she was lying about where she was last night, so I took her phone. Any chance either of you has seen her tonight?"
"She just left around an hour ago," Stella said.
"She did? You know where she went?"
"I think she just went home like she normally does. You need help looking? We can help. I can close since there's not many people here and we can help you."
"No, no, it's okay. My team's on it. Don't want Hermann to chew me out over lost business."
"I'll help," Kelly volunteered. "I'll also call Casey and Brett so if something happened and we need a medic, Brett's there."
God, Jay hadn't even thought about the fact that you might be hurt. He just assumed you had gone out partying.
"Okay, thanks. I'm gonna give Hailey a call and we'll go from there."
"Hailey," Jay started after walking to a secluded part of the bar. "Stella and Kelly both said that they had seen Y/N working at Molly's. And, that she got off work tonight at 10:30 and they assumed she just went home."
"Okay, the team's here. I'm putting you on speaker."
"Kelly said he'd call Brett and Casey to start looking for her, so I guess we just look for her. I don't know where she would've gone." He sighed. If he would've just believed you, this wouldn't have happened. If he would've just let you keep your phone this wouldn't have happened. It was all his fault that he couldn't find you.
"We can't put out a missing persons report yet since it's only been a little over an hour since someone last seen her. We'll meet you there. Start searching. One of us will find you and give you a vest. She couldn't have gotten far."
"Thanks, Sarge."
"Hey, Casey and Brett are on their way. They're stopping by the firehouse to grab jump bags just in case," Kelly said, finding Jay in a secluded corner.
Jay nodded.
"I've got some flashlights in my car," he supplied. "They should help us until your unit and Casey show up with more." He clapped Jay on the back. "We'll find her, man. If she was heading home, she couldn't have gotten far."
"Yeah, yeah, thanks, Kelly."
The two walked to his car and grabbed the flashlights. "We'll just start towards the right I guess. That's the quickest way to get home from here if she was walking."
***
"Jay!" Jay turned when he heard Hailey calling his name, running up to him with a vest in her hand.
"Hailey," Jay breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his girlfriend. At least she'd be here with him.
"Here." She handed him the vest. "You have your gun?"
"Yeah. And Severide gave me the flashlight."
"Brett! Casey!" Kelly yelled as he saw two more figures coming toward them, Brett carrying the two jump bags and Casey carrying more flashlights...which weren't needed now that Intelligence was here.
"How are we doing this?" Casey asked.
He looked to Jay, but this wasn't Jay's decision. It was Voight's. And Jay was glad his sergeant had recognized that because there was no way his head was clear enough to put together tactical plans.
"Hailey, Jay, and Severide take the way that you two were previously going. Take a jump bag. Adam, Kim, and Brett start going slightly to the right in a diagonal off of Jay and Hailey. Take a jump bag. Me, Kevin, and Casey will go to the left off of Jay and Hailey. Since there are only two jump bags, if we find her, we'll radio you for it."
"Copy."
The three groups started walking, all their attention on finding you. Jay put his hands in his vest, trying to keep them warm on this cold night. He didn't think he'd be out in the freezing cold searching for you, so he didn't have gloves or a hat with him.
"I, um, I should call Will," Jay said, breaking the silence. "Just to let him know that we're looking for her and that she wasn't lying to us."
"Hey, any sign of her?" Will asked as he picked up his phone on the second ring.
"No. Um, she wasn't lying to us. She was working at Molly's and she went there tonight when you left to go to work."
"And?"
"Stella said that she usually just goes straight home. So, we're looking with some help from Severide, Casey, and Brett."
"We?"
"Intelligence."
"Need me to come help? I'm sure they can find somebody to cover for me."
"No, no. I think we've got it under control. But, if we need more bodies to find her, I'll call you."
"Okay. Find her, Jay. You have to find her."
Jay hung up his phone with those words echoing in his mind. You have to find her. You have to find her.
"What's that?" Hailey asked as they approached a snowbank five minutes later.
"Looks like a glove," Kelly said as he walked closer.
He and Hailey started to slowly climb the snowbank, being careful not to fall through while Jay just stood there. He knew that glove. You had one just like it. But, it had to be a coincidence, right?
"Oh my God," Kelly said as he looked into the small hole in the snowbank, seeing you squished up against the edges, the hand that didn't have a glove blue. Your eyes were closed and your lips were a shade of blue.
"What?" Jay yelled, rushing up the snowbank.
Hailey was quick to stop him. "Jay, I need you to take a step back, okay? We have to get her out of here and we need to be rational about this."
"Get her out of this? Out of the snowbank?" She nodded. "You're telling me she fell into a fucking snowbank and she's stuck, half-frozen to death?"
Hailey nodded. Jay just stood there, staring at the hole you must've been in. Severide laid on his belly and started to reach in when Hailey stopped him.
"No sudden movements. We've gotta get her out slow with minimal movement."
"I know, I'm on squad. But, can you radio Brett for me? We might need her here so that she can take a look at her."
Severide reached in and slowly placed his hands under your armpits. Then, with slow movements, he pulled you out, careful not to jostle your body and pull you straight up and out.
"Jay, can you come and grab her legs? Help me lay her down?"
"Uh, yeah," he replied, snapping out of his trance.
He crouched down and grabbed your legs just as Brett, Adam, and Kim came running over.
"Keep her steady," Brett ordered. "No sudden movements." The two boys started to lower you to the ground when Sylvie stopped them. "She can't be in direct contact with the ground. I need something warm on the ground first. A jacket or something."
As soon as Sylvie said that, Adam ripped off his vest and took off his coat. "Will this work?"
"Yeah, that should work. Just set it down and then they can carefully lower her."
They did as the PIC told them.
"I've got a pulse. It's slow but it's there," Sylvie said after she had pressed her fingers to your neck.
Jay crouched down and put his hands over his mouth to stop a sob from tearing through his body.
Somehow though, he found enough of his voice to speak into his radio, "This is 50-21 George. I need you to roll an ambo to my current location. We have a fifteen-year-old female hypothermia victim."
"Okay, whoever can brave the cold and take off your jacket, I need you to do it now. We need to keep her covered until an ambo gets here. Kelly, pass me the warm, dry compress from the jump bag."
While Jay shed his coat and Hailey radioed the rest of the team to let them know that you had been found, Kelly helped Sylvie with the compress. "I'm going to lift her head and then I need you to put the compress under her neck," Sylvie instructed.
"Okay," Kelly said. Sylvie gently lifted your head and Kelly slid the warm compress underneath. Then, he laid your head back down.
She turned to see Jay rummaging through his jump bag, activating two more compresses.
"What are you doing?" she asked him, stepping away from you and to your very worried brother.
"Putting more on her. What does it look like I'm doing?"
She was taken aback by his tone, but didn't take it personally because she'd probably do the same thing if it was her sibling in this situation...and he also wasn't a trained paramedic.
"If you're gonna put one on her, just place it on her chest."
"What about the rest of her body? Her arms? Legs?"
"Jay, I know you're worried about her. But if you put them on her arms or legs, the cold blood will go back towards her heart and lungs, lowering her core temperature even more. We need to try and increase her core temperature, not decrease it."
"Here." He handed her a compress. "For her chest."
"Thank you."
Then, they heard sirens in the distance. Jay just hoped this was enough for now.
***
"Incoming!" Maggie yelled to the already overrun ED. "Fifteen-year-old female, hypothermia. Fell into a snowbank. Used dry, warm compresses in the field, and paramedics put warming blankets on her in the ambo, but they said they need something more than that with how low her core temperature was."
Will ran towards the doors as they opened and revealed the paramedics, followed by none other than his little brother. And, on the gurney, there you were, eyes closed, breathing slowly, a nasal cannula underneath your nose.
"Get her into treatment two," Will said.
"Will, you can't treat her," Maggie said.
"You see another doctor that's free, Maggie?" She raised her eyebrows at him. "I didn't think so. It's not like I'm performing surgery. Hopefully, this will be standard rewarming and shouldn't take that long."
"Fine."
Will entered treatment two just as they moved you from the gurney to the bed. He listened to your heart and determined that that was fine, as were your lung sounds. Then, he moved on to taking your temperature.
"Ninety-three degrees Fahrenheit," Will declared. "Monique, start an IV of one unit of warm saline and we'll get more re-warming blankets."
"Yes, Dr. Halstead."
"Jay," Will said and motioned for him to follow him out of the treatment room. "What happened?" he asked once the two were out of the room.
"We found her in a snowbank. She must've climbed it on the way home and fell in. She couldn't get out. Kelly pulled her out and then Brett came and-- Oh God. If she wasn't there, I could've killed her, Will. I could've killed our little sister."
"Jay, take a breath. She's okay now. She's in good hands. What do you mean you could've killed her?"
"Brett started to get those compress things out and I thought I was helping, so I started getting more. And- and, I almost put them on her legs and arms. If Brett wasn't there to stop me, I could've stopped her heart. God, I could've killed her, Will. It would've been all my fault."
"Jay, listen to me. You didn't do that. So, stop thinking about it. She's fine." He looked up and saw all of Intelligence coming into the ED waiting room along with Brett, Casey, and Severide. "Now, I think you should go tell them that she's gonna be okay. Tell Brett good job for me, too."
Jay nodded and walked away from his older brother, trying to will the tears in his eyes to go away.
"How is she?" Kelly asked when Jay entered the waiting room.
"Her temp is 93, so she's still got a ways to go. But, Will just mentioned standard rewarming, so hopefully, that's a good sign. Brett, he said to tell you good job."
Sylvie nodded and Jay took a seat next to Kelly. He put his head in his hands.
Kelly placed a hand on Jay's shoulder. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. Sounds like it's not anything too serious."
"Yeah, but if I wouldn't have taken her phone or I would've just believed her, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"It's not your fault. She was trying to keep it a secret from you anyway. Wanted to surprise you."
This piqued Jay's interest. "Surprise me? What do you mean?"
"She was saving up money to buy you guys opening night tickets to the Blackhawks next season, that's why she didn't want to tell you because she wanted to surprise you and Will with them."
"God, she was trying to do something nice and I grounded her for it."
"Jay," Hailey started, walking up to him with two cups of coffee, "you did what you were supposed to do with the information you had at the time. This isn't your fault. It was a freak accident. It could've happened to anyone who climbed that snowbank. Hell, it could've happened to us when we climbed it tonight."
"I guess you're right. Thanks for the coffee, babe."
"Wait. Are you two...?" Kelly trailed off.
"Yes, it's no big deal. We signed the HR forms and everything," Hailey answered as Jay sipped his coffee and tried to stop blaming himself for what happened.
***
You slowly opened your eyes and your first thought was I'm cold. Why am I so cold? You pulled the blankets closer to you, but then you realized that they weren't the blankets from your bed, but thick, heated blankets.
"W-What?" You started to talk, but your teeth chattered while doing so.
"You gave us quite the scare earlier," Will said as he walked over with a thermometer. "Now open."
"Why am-am I--"
"Jay can explain all that while this thermometer takes your temperature. Now open and lift up your tongue."
You did as your doctor brother told you and opened your mouth and he placed the thermometer in. You looked at Jay expectantly.
"God, you scared me so much. When I found you in that snowbank..."
"I'm s-sorry," you said with the thermometer still in your mouth. Will gave you a pointed look and you clamped your mouth shut until it beeped.
"Ninety-five. That's the cut-off for me letting you go against medical advice...but lucky for me, you're minor, so me and Jay get to decide when you can go home," Will started after he removed the thermometer. "And, I think we're keeping you here until you reach at least 97."
"Will," you whined.
"Sorry, Y/N. Will's the doctor here, so what he says goes," Jay said.
"Please remember that next time you inevitably end up in here," Will retorted.
"Not a chance." Then, Jay turned back to you. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I know you were just trying to surprise us."
"I was scared," you said. "I thought I was gonna die there."
"I wasn't gonna let that happen. You want me to get you something warm to drink while you tell Will why you were working at Molly's?" You nodded. "Decaf caramel macchiato? No way are you getting caffeine."
"Yes please."
Jay left and Will turned to you. "What were you trying to surprise us with, Short Stack?" he asked, using your nickname.
"I was trying to save up money to get us tickets to the Blackhawks home opener in October." You shivered. "Can I have another blanket. I'm still c-cold." Your teeth chattered once more.
"Of course." He retrieved another heated blanket and wrapped it around you. "Why didn't you tell us you were working at Molly's under the table?"
"I thought you g-guys would be m-mad because it would get in the way of school. So, I d-didn't tell you. I didn't want t-to wreck the surprise. I was-wasn't lying to you when you asked me where I was."
"I know that now. I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. You just have to see it from my and Jay's perspective though. You working was the last thing on our minds, so we just assumed the worst."
Jay came back with your large decaf caramel macchiato. "I got it extra hot."
He went to hand it to you, but you yawned. "I'm t-tired."
"I know you are. It's past one in the morning," Will replied, looking at his watch. "But, I want you to drink at least half of this before you go back to sleep, help you get your core temperature back up."
"Okay." You took the coffee from Jay and set it on the tray in front of you.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for everyth-thing."
"I know. It's okay. I'm just glad you're safe." He pulled your phone from his pocket. "I believe this belongs to you."
You took it from his outstretched hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. It'll give you something to pass the time while drinking half of that."
***
"You called in reinforcements?" you hissed at Jay when you, him, and Will walked into the house around 8 am the next morning...well, the same morning, but you considered 1 am to be nighttime.
"Hey!" Jay protested. "They just wanted to see how you were doing. Kelly was the one who actually got you out of the snowbank and Stella was about ready to shut down Molly's to help us look for you."
"I bet Hermann would've been thrilled about that," you said sarcastically.
"That's what I said! And, Hailey's just here because, well, she's Hailey."
"And they love each other," Will chirped, earning himself a smack on the back of the head from Jay and a glare from Hailey. "You guys are no fun!"
"My house, my rules," Jay remarked.
"I thought that only applied to Y/N."
"Nope, applies to you, too. Speaking of Y/N..." Jay trailed off and turned to you. "Go park it on the couch."
"Fine. Just let me go get changed first."
You walked into your room and changed into your favorite pair of joggers and a hoodie along with some kitty cat slippers. You then grabbed your favorite blanket and wrapped it around you and grabbed your phone charger, too. Your temperature was still about one degree below average, but Will and Jay had agreed to let you come home on the condition that you'd just stay on the couch and drink warm beverages and relax.
"Do they meow, too?" Severide asked as you sat on the couch.
"Do what meow?"
"Your slippers. Do they meow?"
"No, no they do not, Kelly. They're just comfy."
"And for a four-year-old," Will chirped.
"Honestly, at this point, I wish you guys would've just left me in that snowbank. Then I wouldn't have to deal with your annoying asses."
"Jay!" Will yelled.
"What?" he hollered back from the kitchen where he and Hailey were busy concocting your mom's famous chicken soup recipe.
"Y/N swore! She needs to put money in the swear jar!"
"The swear jar?" Kelly laughed. "Jay actually does one of those? Because if you could've heard him last night, he'd be putting at least twenty bucks in there."
You smiled at Kelly and made your way into the kitchen, the aroma of chicken soup hitting you immediately.
"Smells good in here," you remarked, causing Jay to turn around from where he was stirring the soup at the stove. Then he moved a few feet and reached up on top of the fridge where the swear jar was located and held it out to you. You shook your head. "No."
"Did you or did you not swear?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Hailey just stood next to him with a small smile on her face and it was clear that she was trying to stop herself from laughing.
"I did, but--"
"No buts. You either did or you didn't."
"Jay, be nice," Hailey scolded. "She just got hypothermia from falling in a snowbank. The least you could do is let her off the hook for swearing."
"Yeah, listen to Hailey. And, Kelly said you swore a lot last night when you were trying to find me, so if I have to put a dollar in there, he said that you should have to put twenty dollars in there."
"That's not how this works. The rule is if you swear around us or we swear around you. And, if I recall correctly, you weren't there because we were freezing our as- our butts off looking for you."
"Ooooh, good catch, Halstead," Hailey laughed. "You almost had to put even more money in the swear jar."
"Even more money? What are you talking about?"
"I'm with Y/N on this one. If you make her put money in, you have to put at least a twenty in for all the swearing you did last night."
"Fine," Jay whined. "You don't have to put any money in, but just this once. Now, would you please let me finish making the soup? And, you need to go lay on the couch."
"I love how Will didn't yell at me for getting up, but you, the non-doctor of the family, are."
"Technically, I didn't yell. Yelling was what I did when I took your phone away."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going, going." You waved him off and headed back to the couch.
"You really suck, Will. Do you know that? At least Kelly and Hailey have my back because if Hailey wasn't in there, he would've made me put money in there."
"Hey, don't blame me. You were the one who said it. I just ratted you out."
"Snitches get stitches."
"I'm the one who actually knows how to perform stitches, you, on the other hand, do not."
"My God," Stella laughed. "It's like watching a reality show seeing you three all in the same room."
"Child," Jay said as he handed you a bowl of chicken soup along with a spoon.
"Good Lord, Jay. I'm fifteen."
"I know. You're still a child though since you're a minor."
"You're a minor," you mocked. "And you both are annoying, so I say we play a game."
"See? Like I said, reality show," Stella reiterated. "What game?"
"Never have I ever." Everyone groaned when you said that. "Hey, I'm the one who was stuck in the hospital, so I think you can all put up with this game."
"Fine," Kelly agreed, and then the others did, too.
"We'll go youngest to oldest," Will stated. "So, you start, Y/N."
You smirked. "Never have I ever gotten married in Vegas."
"Low blow, Y/N!" Jay yelled as both he and Kelly put a finger down and Kelly threw his head back and laughed.
***
Strike Three
That night, you quickly fell asleep. It felt like you had been asleep for hours when in reality it had only been two. You hugged your blankets tighter around your body as you started to shiver. You laid there and tried to fall asleep for who knows how long as a cold sweat started to break out on your forehead, back, and chest. God, you didn't want to get up, but you felt like something was wrong, so you slowly got up--still wrapped in a blanket--and made your way over to the guest bedroom where you knew Will would be sleeping.
"Will," you whispered as you walked into the guest room. He didn't stir. "Will." You tried again, this time louder, and you stepped closer and shook his shoulder.
"Hmmm," he groaned as he rolled over and fluttered his eyelids open. But, the minute he saw it was you, he knew he needed to be awake. "Short Stack?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Are you okay? You don't usually wake me up at night." He sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. Then, he saw your sweaty face. "Are you feeling sick?"
You nodded. "I feel really cold, but I'm sweating."
Will reached over and put the back of his hand to your forehead. "You feel a little warm. C'mon, let's go take your temperature. Your legs hurt?"
That was one of the tell-tale signs of you having a fever, your legs hurting.
"Not yet," you answered.
Then, you went to the kitchen--as Will had left the thermometer and his medical bag at the kitchen table--and sat down. You took the thermometer from Will and put it under your tongue.
When it beeped, you took it out and handed it to him. "100.5," he read.
You groaned. "What is going on? First, my temperature was too low and then it stabilized and now it's too high. I just wanna sleep, Will. I'm so tired."
Will shushed you. "The lovebirds are sleeping."
"You know, if Jay heard you say that, he'd hit you, right?"
"Well, good thing he's sleeping. Now, go back to bed and I'll check on you in a few hours. Come get me if your legs start hurting, though."
You nodded and went back to bed. You tossed and turned and tried to get comfortable. You stuck one leg out from under the covers, but then you were too cold, despite half your body still being covered, so you settled on just letting your foot stick out. But, after forty-five minutes of that, you got super cold again and got up to retrieve the extra blanket you had set of the chair of your desk.
The first thing that you noticed when you stood up was how much your legs ached.
"Shit," you muttered.
You grabbed a blanket from your bed and wrapped it around you and grabbed the one from your desk chair and did the same thing. Then, you walked down the hall and to the guest bedroom.
"Will," you whispered as you poked your head in the room.
"Yeah?" he asked as he rolled over and turned on the lamp. He must not've fallen back to sleep after you had woken him up the first time.
"My legs hurt."
"Okay, let's go back to the kitchen and re-take your temperature, see if it went up."
You nodded tiredly as he got out of bed.
"You gonna fall over? Need me to help you get to the kitchen?" he asked as he approached you still standing in the doorway.
"No, I think I can walk," you answered.
You made it to the kitchen without falling over and then took a seat at the spot you had been just an hour ago. You stuck the thermometer in your mouth once more and waited for it to beep.
Will was rummaging around through the cupboard--and making a lot of noise, so he'd probably be the one who ended up waking the lovebirds up as he liked to call them--so you read the reading on the thermometer to him. "101.1 Went up point six degrees."
"Ah, found it." He grabbed the bottle of Tylenol and filled a glass of water and handed the two things to you. "Here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna take this, drink the entire glass of water and I mean the entire glass, and then you're gonna take a lukewarm bath. Hopefully, that'll lower your temperature."
You nodded, your eyelids heavy. You did as you were told and then handed him the pill bottle. When he closed the cupboard, his hand slipped, resulting in the door of it slamming shut and it echoing throughout the house.
"Fuck," he muttered.
"Swear jar," you whispered.
"Yeah, yeah," Will replied with a way of his hand. "I don't keep money in my pajamas, so I'll put a dollar in, in the morning."
"The hell was that?" Jay asked loudly, rushing into the kitchen with his gun raised.
Will threw his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Whoa, man! Don't point that thing at me! What do you think I'm trying to do? Rob you?"
Jay set his gun on the counter. "Sorry about that. What are you two doing up? It's--" He checked the time on the microwave. "--2:11 in the morning." Will motioned towards you. "Did her temperature drop or something?"
"It didn't drop, it increased."
"Well, that's good, right?"
"It was good when she hit the average temperature, but now she's got a fever of 101.1."
"Shit."
"Swear jar...for both of you."
Jay groaned and Hailey entered the kitchen. After explaining to her what was going on, she offered to help you into the bath because your legs were so achy.
But, you knew that Will would want to periodically check on you even if Hailey was in there, so you changed into a pair of spandex, a sports bra, and a crappy tank top while Will started the bath.
"Have her stay in here for about twenty minutes and then I'll be back in to check her temperature," Will told Hailey and then he retreated back to the kitchen to talk to his brother.
Hailey knocked on your bedroom door and you said she could come in. "How do you want to do this?" she asked. "Want me to keep you steady on the way to the bathroom, or do you just need help getting the tub?"
"Just need help getting in," you told her. But, as you walked out of your room, down the hall, and into the bathroom, she stayed right next to you in case she needed to catch or steady you.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Jay was feeling like an idiot with all the medical talk Will was doing.
"So, how'd she get a fever if she was just in the hospital with hypothermia less than 24 hours ago?" Jay asked.
"It's the rebound effect. It's rare, but it's a pathophysiological thing where some people get pyrexia after hypothermia especially if ischemia occurs."
Jay blinked rapidly. "English please?"
Will sighed, he sometimes forgot that people around him didn't know all the medical terminology like the back of their hand like he did. "It's a rebound effect, which is rare. And, it's when there's a disordered process in the body after a disease or injury. In Y/N's case, it's a disordered process that's happening in her body after her temperature had regulated after the hypothermia. So, some people get a fever--which in the medical world is called pyrexia--when ischemia happens, which is a fancy for an organ not getting enough blood supply. Didn't you say that Y/N had a faint pulse when you found her?"
"Yeah," Jay answered. "Brett took her pulse once we pulled her out and she said it was slow."
"Okay, so because the heart was pumping slower, it meant that less blood was circulating, which could mean there was less blood to her other organs, so we could be looking at ischemia."
"Could?"
"That, or she could have a mild case of pneumonia. That happens more with patients who are treated for hypothermia. Ischemia happens more in patients whose hypothermia went untreated for a longer amount of time."
"But, I didn't hear her cough at all."
"You can have pneumonia without a cough. It's not common, but it can still happen. We just have to wait and see if she starts hacking up a lung or if her fever gets up to 103, then we'll bring her in."
"Hey guys," Hailey said as she walked into the kitchen. "We have a problem."
Jay's eyes widened and he sprinted to the bathroom, ever the overprotective brother. Will retrieved his medical bag and followed him.
"You have got to be kidding me," Jay whispered. "It takes her like half an hour on average to fall asleep each night, but she falls asleep in ten minutes here? In the bathtub of all places? What do we do?"
"We have no choice but to wake her up," Will said.
"But she's been saying she's so tired."
"I know, but we can't let her sleep in the bathtub."
"You said what, twenty minutes before you have to take her temperature again?" Hailey asked and Will nodded. She checked the timer on her phone. "She's got a bit more than seven minutes left. How about we just let her sleep until the timer goes off and then we wake her up, take her temperature, and get her back to bed?"
"That is actually a good plan. And, not getting her out of the tub until the timer goes off could help her fever go down a bit more."
"I'm full of good ideas," Hailey joked.
Seven minutes later, you squeezed your eyes tightly shut and then opened them when you heard the sound of an alarm go off. "Hmmm. What happened?" you mumbled, rubbing your eyes with your wet hands.
"You fell asleep is what happened," Will answered. "Now open."
"But I'm in the bathtub. How did I..." you trailed off. "Oh."
"And I thought Jay was terrible at remembering things," Will chirped.
"Shut up. My body's fighting something. My energy isn't going to my memory or common sense at the moment."
You put the thermometer in your mouth and waited until it beeped for the third time tonight. Then, you handed it to Will.
"101.1 still," he read. "No change. Are you feeling any better worse? Legs hurt more or less?"
"I feel the same. I don't know about my legs because I'm sitting down."
"Here," Hailey said holding an arm out. "Grab on to me and I'll help you. Can one of you grab a towel?"
Jay went to the closet to grab a towel and you grabbed on to Hailey's arm. As you stood up, your legs ached a bit, but not more or less than before. But, you were only standing up. You hadn't taken a step yet.
You placed a foot on the ground and walked a few steps to where Jay was standing, holding a towel out to you. As you took those steps, you felt the familiar ache in your calves. It was stronger than it had been when you had gotten in bath.
God, it was like someone was rolling a rolling pin up and down your calves and pressing it into your muscles.
"Will," you whined once you had successfully wrapped the towel around your wet body. "It hurts. My legs hurt so bad."
Will all but shoved Jay out of the way and crouched down a bit. "Tilt your head back for me." You did as he said and Will moved his fingers to feel around your neck, specifically in the area of your lymph nodes. "Quite a bit more swollen than I would've liked to see them, but we'll check back in the morning. Any sore throat, coughing?"
"No, I just feel hot and cold and--" you stifled a yawn "--tired."
"Lean on me and then Hailey can help you get changed. If that's okay with you?" Will asked, turning his attention from you to Hailey.
"It's no problem."
"And then you can go right back to bed."
"Okay," you mumbled. And then, slowly but surely, you got down the hallway and into your bedroom.
Once you were changed, both of your brothers came in, Will bearing the disgusting "bubblegum" flavored liquid Benadryl and a small cup with blue liquid. Jay held a water bottle and a bowl.
"I know I gave you Tylenol about an hour and a half ago," Will started, "but, it was a low dose and since your fever didn't drop at all in the bath, I'm going to need you to take this."
He held the tube that contained the thick pink liquid out to you. "No," you whined. "Just give me more Tylenol."
"Y/N, this will make you tired so that you're able to sleep. And, Jay's out of Nyquil, so this was the only option I had. Please, just take it. You can chase it with this blue Gatorade I stole from Jay."
"You didn't steal it...this time. I let you have some," Jay clarified.
"Whatever. Point is, just please take the medicine."
"Fine," you mumbled and took the tube from him. You downed the medicine and made a face, immediately reaching for the Gatorade to wash the nasty taste out of your mouth. "That was gross."
"Sorry," Will apologized.
"Here's some water and a bowl in case you have to throw up," Jay told you as he set them on your bedside table.
"I don't feel nauseous."
"It's just a precaution. Now, we're gonna go back to bed. Need anything else?"
"No. Goodnight guys. 'Night Hailey. Thanks for helping me change. Probably would've fallen over if you weren't here to help."
***
"It's 10 am," Will said as he stood up from the couch the next morning. "I'm gonna go wake her up."
"Shouldn't we just let her sleep if she's sick?" Jay asked. "Thought you'd know that much since you're the doctor."
"Shut up. I have to take her temperature again. That Benadryl must've really knocked her out."
"It'll do that to you. Why do you think Mom would give it to us the night before school started? So we could sleep."
"Aww, did you guys get nervous?" Hailey joked.
"No. You know how most parents have their kids start to go to bed earlier about a week to two weeks before school starts back up?" Hailey nodded. "Yeah, our parents didn't do that. We just took some Benadryl and then we slept like babies and were well-rested for school," Jay explained.
"Well, I'm gonna go check on Y/N. Be back in a bit."
Will walked into your room to see you still fast asleep with your arm hanging off the bed. As he got closer, he noticed some discoloration on it...right where the IV had been.
"Shit," he muttered. He lightly touched your shoulder, causing you to stir a little. "Short Stack." You groaned. "Short Stack, you gotta wake up. It's past ten and I need to take your temperature."
You rubbed your eyes and sat up in bed. Then, you pulled your right arm close to you. Without looking at it, you started to scratch it.
"No!" Will grabbed your arm.
"Why? It's itchy." Then you looked down at it and saw that it was all red and had little bumps on it. It looked a little bit swollen, too. "Why's it look like that?" You shivered and pulled the blankets up around you.
"Still cold?" You nodded. "Legs still hurt?" You nodded once more. "But, to answer your question, it could be an infection from the IV. Or you could be having an allergic reaction to the meds...but we only gave you warm saline, so that wouldn't happen."
"Is that bad? And, can you take my temp--" Your teeth chattered from shivering. "--temperature so I can go back to sleep?"
"Yeah, don't know if you're gonna be able to go back to sleep." You reached for your arm to start itching the IV site, when Will clamped his hand around the spot. "No. You can't itch it. Because, if there's an infection in it, I don't want you tearing the skin and getting it even more infected."
"Then put some anti-itch cream on it from your medical bag. I'm sure you have some in there."
"I have some, but I don't know what you have, so I don't know how it will react. But, I can put some medical tape on it."
You rubbed your eyes and threw your blanket off of you. "Why am I so hot? I was just super cold two seconds ago."
"Because you have a fever. I know it sucks, but I need you to hold your arm out to me so I can tape it up."
You held your arm out and reluctantly allowed him to tape it.
"Are you hungry?" he asked. "I can make you something cold like a smoothie?" You shook your head. You didn't want anything cold. "Please? I'll make you a small one and I won't put any spinach in it. I know Jay puts spinach in them and it's huge and you have to drink the whole thing."
"Fine," you sighed. "Can you put mango chunks in it?"
"I can do that. No itching."
You sat on your bed and tried to go back to sleep, but you were stopped when Will came back in. He didn't lie. The smoothie was small and from the color you could tell he put mango chunks in it. He also held a thermometer.
"Before you drink this, I need to take your temperature."
You took the thermometer from him and waited for it to beep. And, you made the mistake of looking at the numbers when you took it out of your mouth. "Is this bad?" you asked as you held it to your oldest brother, your eyes going wide. "Am I gonna die?"
Will looked at the thermometer. "102.7 is high, but you aren't going to die. But, since your arm is itchy and it broke out in a rash at the IV site, I'm bringing you in. Drink your smoothie and then Hailey will be in to help you change." You opened your mouth to protest, but Will held up a hand to stop you. "And, yes, Hailey's going to help you because I don't want you falling over."
You nodded and picked up the smoothie. And, Will went back to tell your brother and Hailey what was going on.
"She getting better?" Jay asked as he poured himself another cup of coffee.
"Worse."
"Worse?" He set his coffee cup down and turned his full attention to Will. Hailey, who had been sitting at the table eating a banana, turned her attention to him as well.
"I think she has an infection at her IV site, which could be what is causing her fever. Her fever's 102.7 right now. I gave her a smoothie and I told her after she finishes that, that Hailey can help her change, and then she can get ready and we can go."
"Shouldn't we go now?" Jay asked.
"She's still fully conscious, not delirious, so I think that we can let her wash her face and brush her teeth before we leave. If she starts acting that way, we'll leave earlier. For now, I think it's okay as long as someone's with her when she's doing these things just because of how sore her legs are so she doesn't fall over."
"Alright. Second hospital visit in 36 hours? Med needs to give us Halsteads a frequent flyer card."
***
"Jay, do remember anyone else who gave Y/N an IV other than Monique? Monique's the short blond nurse, looks younger than she actually is." Will asked as he, Jay, and Hailey were sitting in the waiting area while you got your blood drawn.
Jay looked up at the ceiling and scrunched up his face. "Uh, I know there was someone else. I just don't remember the name or what they looked like." He closed his eyes and thought for a few more seconds, trying to conjure up an image. "Oh! It was a kid."
"A kid?" Will asked. "Man, I don't think you slept enough last night."
"Kid as in he was younger than us. He said he was a med student."
"Any more details? Know what he looked like?"
"Jeez, Jay. I think we might have another Halstead detective on our hands. He might even be better than you," Hailey joked.
"Babe, you're supposed to stroke my ego, not crush it," Jay replied with a fake pouty face. "But, to answer your question, second detective Halstead, the kid was white, kinda scrawny."
"Okay, I'm gonna go check with Earl, see if I can get him to pull up the security footage from two nights ago. You remember what time the med student came in?"
"Two, three in the morning maybe? I was in and out at that point."
"Okay, thanks. Be right back. And, Y/N should be coming out soon. I got Mags to draw her blood just to know it would be done right. And, according to Monique, she's got really small veins."
"And this matters because...?" Jay probed.
"She might have to draw her blood from the big vein in her forearm, not one in the crook of her arm. But, Mags is good at this, so hopefully, she won't have to. Be back soon. Text me if they put her in a room."
"Got it." Jay turned back to Hailey. "How was she this morning? You know, when you helped her change?"
"She said her legs were sore. I had to help her get into her jeans and even help her get out of her t-shirt and into the shirt she's wearing now because, when she put her arms up, she said that they hurt to stay up...especially the right one, which is the one Will taped because she kept trying to itch it."
"So, her entire body is sore basically?"
"Essentially."
***
"Hey, Earl," Will greeted as he walked into the security office.
"Doctor Halstead, what can I do for you? And, why are you in your street clothes? Heading out early?" Earl asked, spinning around in his chair to face Will.
"No, I actually had to bring my little sister in because I think she got an infection from her IV. I was wondering if you could pull up the security footage of the ED two nights ago around two, three in the morning? My little brother, Jay, said that a med student changed her IV around that time and I need to find out who it was."
"So you can fire him?"
Will chuckled. "I don't have the kind of authority, Earl, and you know this. Only Ms. Goodwin can fire someone. I just need to know who it was so I can tell her what happened."
"If you say so." Earl started pressing buttons on his computer until he got to the ED and the specific timeframe Will mentioned. "Any specific room?"
"She was in treatment two I think."
Earl nodded and continued pressing a few buttons. Then, he played it in fast forward and told Will to tell him when to stop.
"There." Will pointed at the screen when he saw a med student, whom he didn't even know the name of, changing your IV. "Can you back up a few minutes? Just so I can watch and see what actually happened?"
Earl did and Will started to watch the footage. "You've got to be kidding me," he mumbled as he pieced together what happened.
This med student had came from a room where he had given another IV and had missed the vein. He wiped some of the blood away with his gloved fingers and then patted the blood dry on the patient's IV site and then bandaged it. But, he walked into your treatment room without changing his gloves. Then, he went right on to changing your IV. And, since you had small veins, he missed the first time, causing a tiny bit of blood to come out of your vein. He wiped it away with the same finger he had wiped the previous patient's blood with, with the same glove which contained a smear of said previous patient's blood.
Whatever that patient had, Will was fairly certain that you now had it, too.
***
"What's the verdict?" Will asked when he got back into the waiting room and saw you, Maggie, Hailey, and Jay.
"She has Mono," Maggie said.
You yawned and turned to Will. "And can you please tell him--" you thumbed towards Jay "--that I haven't been--" You yawned again. "--making out with a bunch of boys because he keeps asking for names."
Will let out a small laugh. "Well, it is caused by swapping spit mostly, but Y/N got it because that dumbass med student didn't change his gloves when he came in to change her IV."
"Wow, she must really be tired," Jay remarked. "She didn't even mention the swear jar."
"Just get me a snack on the way out and we'll be even." You put your arm on the armrest of the chair and laid your head on your hand.
"I don't know if you'll be awake to get that snack, Short Stack."
"How long until I'm not tired?"
"Symptoms should clear up in two weeks at the earliest, a month at the latest," Maggie answered. She turned her attention to Jay. "I know Will will probably tell you this too, but I'll tell you now. Even though it came from an IV, it's still technically a viral infection, so there's no antibiotics for it. The best course of treatment is just rest and fluids. And, if she's achy or her throat gets sore or the rash persists, ibuprofen will do just fine."
"Can I put itch cream on this?" you mumbled, motioning to your bandage on your right arm. Maggie had to draw blood from your left arm since the right one was bandaged up. Hopefully, you wouldn't get a rash on this one, too. But, you trusted Maggie and knew that she was the best nurse in all of Chicago Med, probably all of Chicago even.
"Yes, you can do that."
"Thank God."
"You know this med student's name, Will?" Maggie asked.
"No, but I had Earl pull up the security footage so I could figure out what happened. I'm sure he could go back so you could take a look at him and tell him off. Or talk to Goodwin."
"You want him fired?"
"I wouldn't go that far. But, he needs to be held accountable. And, Mags, don't take this the wrong way, but you're scary when you're angry."
"So is Jay," you mumbled, cracking your eyes open for a few seconds.
"Okay, Short Stack the Secret Spiller," Jay joked, "let's get you home before you tell Maggie everybody's business in this family."
***
2 and a half weeks later:
"God, I forgot how nice it is to not have to take a nap," you said as you sat on the couch reading a book for your English class.
"I will say, it was nice to have some peace and quiet around here," Jay said as he handed you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"Thank you. And, I'm am not that loud!"
He snorted. "Yeah right."
"At least I don't have PDA with my girlfriend when my little sister's in the room."
"In my defense, I thought you were taking a nap."
"So, you and Hailey decided to have a full-on makeout session--which probably would've progressed into something more had I not come out of my room to get a glass of water--on the couch instead of in your bedroom where you can lock the door. Sounds a little suspicious to me."
"We would've--you know what, never mind. You don't need to know."
You were about to try and get him to tell you when you figured it was probably about sex. "Yeah, I don't need to know. You two are nasty."
"Keep thinking that way until you're thirty." You rolled your eyes and took a bite of your sandwich. "How much more you have to read?"
"Five pages. Why?"
"We have to be at Molly's in an hour."
"Why?"
"We just have to be there, okay? And, wear your Hawks jersey."
Technically, it was Jay's old Brent Seabrook jersey, but he got a new one with Toews' name on the back, so he gave it to you. It was in good condition. The only caveat was that the jersey went down to your knees; you practically drowned in that thing. But, you didn't have to pay for it, so you'd take it.
"Why?"
"Just do it. And, no more questions. This is starting to sound like an interrogation."
***
"Why are you wearing your Hawks jersey?" you asked Jay as you walked into the living room forty-five minutes later.
"What did I just tell you? No more questions, kid. No more questions."
Then, there was a knock on the door and Will entered, sporting a Duncan Keith jersey. "Okay, so we're going to Molly's...in Hawks jerseys...but there's no game on tonight. I'm thoroughly confused."
"And that's how we want you," Will joked.
You rolled your eyes. "I just want to know what I'm walking into."
"And you will," Jay started, "...when we walk into Molly's. Now, c'mon, let's go."
When you got to Molly's it looked like any normal day from the outside. But, then you opened the door.
"Surprise!"
Inside the bar was all of firehouse 51, some people from Med, and all of Intelligence plus Trudy. But, the stars of the show were Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, stars of the Chicago Blackhawks, who stood in the middle of the bar.
"How did you-- What-- How?" you stammered, trying to piece together everything with a gigantic smile growing on your face.
"Kelly's pretty great," Jay supplied. "He knew that you were saving up for tickets. So, he called Clarke, who just so happens to be really good friends with these guys."
"And he explained everything," Seabrook walked up to you and volunteered. "I gotta say, going behind your cop brother's back to save up for tickets takes some guts."
"Yeah," you agreed. You were talking to a famous NHL player? What did you even say?
"You excited for the game tomorrow?" Duncan Keith asked.
"It's a rivalry game? Who wouldn't be excited?"
"Well, lucky for you, I just happen to have three center-ice lower bowl seats for tomorrow's game. And a season ticket holder package for you and your brothers to meet the team."
"For-For me? Are you being serious?"
"Hey, someone who falls into a snowbank and then gets sick just from trying to get tickets, well, that's the least you deserve."
"You know, if my cop brother would've just believed me when I told him I was here, I wouldn't have fallen in that snowbank."
"Hey, I would've been worried, too."
"See, Y/N? Even Duncan Keith agrees with me!"
You smiled and rolled your eyes at Jay. "You have a sharpie?" you asked him. "I need to get this jersey signed."
And, while Jay had a good reason for implementing the three strikes rule, after that whole fiasco he was reluctant to take your phone away. Because this could've all been avoided if Jay believed you and hadn't taken your phone away. But, you got Blackhawks tickets out of it...and you got to meet the whole team, so it wasn't all bad.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Sorry, I haven't updated in a while, school has been very hectic. But, the good news is I'm done in two weeks and then have a six-week break, so hopefully, I'll be able to crank out a bunch of Seasons of PD/Med then. Anyway, thanks for reading! I did a ton of medical research for this imagine, so if anything's inaccurate, I blame google or the research articles I read. Also, please like/reblog and comment! I love hearing what you guys think! As always, if you want to be added to my tag list, just tell me and I’d be happy to add you!
Taglist:
@theambracer88 @virtualreader @kelelas-life @celyndavies @brookerz122493 @musicismyescape27 @anotherfan07 @thexplosivegirl @dreamingwithlens @xoxmariaxox @onechicago18 @iamasimpingh0e 
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creatingnikki · 3 years
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What 2020 has taught me
1. Those things that seem like content for sci fi or pure fiction are actually things that can happen. To the entire world. Like a pandemic. And to you. Like a seizure.
2. Everyone is sad. Everyone is struggling. In different ways and in different measures. Makes no one special. But you still get to feel sad for yourself and be compassionate towards others. But it's also okay to draw boundaries because you're everyone too. Remember, not special? You're sad and trying to deal with it too.
3. Every job you have will not add value to your life. It will not teach you new things or give you people you'll want to stay in touch with. Sometimes some jobs will only be a season of your life. Even if the season lasts for over a year. It's okay.
4. You know how you thought picking a college and picking a major and picking your first job and picking a specific industry were all the career decisions you had to make? Yeah, no. It's never a one time thing. You could have a job as a marketing strategist for two years and then want nothing to do with it. And then you'll have to make another decision and work towards it. So I'd like to call it moves. It's like chess. You always have to make a move. And it always has to be strategic, yes. But the truth is in your 20s it probably won't. Even if you try. And as long as you're trying, you'll be fine.
5. You may have different sorts of friends like the one you only talk to about kdrama with or the one you met when you went book shopping alone and the friendship is all about books really. That's normal. But irrespective of why and how you became friends with them, if you consider them a friend then there has to be this basic sense of care, respect and empathy for each other. I don't care what people want to say. If you're faced with the worst trauma of your life, the least your friends can do is check up on you regularly. On text. And if they don't even do that then guess what? They aren't friends. They are acquaintances. Social media and quick promises make everyone seem like your friend. But they are not. They are just nice people who will be nice to you for specific periods and then wander away like you are a speck of dust floating in their journey.
6. You speak a lot and write and you express yourself and you’re emotionally mature but oh my god. You still hold in so much. You’ve known that at a subconscious level and over the last year people - experts - have told you that. You have also realized that you make your pain and sadness about pettier things because dealing with them, admitting about them, sharing that with your friends, is easier. You do that so that you don’t have to deal with the real stuff. Because it’s so damn painful. And you don’t know how to do it. Yet. Acknowledging is the first step anyway right? I know you’re confused about how exactly to let go of all this pain and sadness and feel lighter, and you know that talking to people really isn’t the solution, but I also know you’re smart enough to figure it out. 
7. Talking about being smart...you know you’re different than others. Better. Special. Smarter. None of these are the right words. And you never voiced this out until this year because you knew it would make you come across as narcissistic. Some would say it’s because you’re an INFJ. But my mother once said that this may be the first time we are consciously living life but our souls are old and so our instinct and the things we know but can’t explain are because this isn’t the first time for our souls. The connections we feel with certain people, the reason we are so different from our siblings who grew up in the exact same environment with the exact same opportunities, our sense of right and wrong...it’s all because our souls learn and grow with each time and that’s why we are who we are. I think that’s probably how I can explain what I have always felt. That I am living in a different universe than everybody but I have to pretend to be in this one and dumb my emotions and thoughts down. Maybe that’s because my soul has lived through thousands of years while most around me are living their 100th life. Or maybe I’m just narcissistic, who knows?
8. You shift between talking in first person and second person but that’s because that’s how you think in your head and talk to yourself and live your life. You ask yourself things and you accuse yourself of things and you apologize to yourself and you comfort yourself. I think that seeps into your writing and the changing of the voices. 
9. You always genuinely thought that you’d not be afraid of dying. And then what happened this October proved you shockingly wrong. I know it’s not so much being afraid of dying but the unbearable pain of knowing what that would mean to your family. So you have to be more prudent and less reckless with your life and the choices you make. 
10. Regret is not something that plagued you but this year the realisation and pain of giving away your favourite books from your own personal collection to people you care about as a show of affection and them turning out to be ass holes or losers has hit you so hard. So, yes. No more of that shit. I really fucking want my copy of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower back. UGH. With the childhood picture of me inside it! 
11. Sleeping at 5 am in the morning stops being fun or romanticised when you realise just how much harm it does to your body and mind. Literally every single disease and disorder can be traced back to a shitty fucking sleep schedule. It’s not just the hours you sleep but also the quality of sleep and the time you sleep at. So yes sleeping for 8 hours is healthy but not if that 8 hours is from 5 am to 12 pm. ‘Not a morning person’ is just another construct of capitalism and you don’t realise how many industries profit from having you believe that and staying up late or all night. Entertainment. Food. Alcohol. Pharma. Biologically and naturally you are a bloody morning person. And you don’t need 3 cups of coffee to begin your day or your phone notifications to get you to open your eyes and brain to wake up. 
12. Sometimes you really have to stop taking people so seriously. I know the idea of treating people as casual friends or entertainment makes you want to fight that concept but you know what? Some people like Pineapple are ever only going to be good for that. No matter how much they ‘grow and change’. So keep them in the background for whenever you want some entertainment or drama. But please don’t clear up your busy schedule to meet them or send them gifts on their birthday. 
13. If you don’t have the fruit juice or green juice within half an hour of making it then you are losing out on its most optimum health benefits. Or when you remove the white stringy stuff from oranges. That’s where all the actual nutrients are.
14. I am privileged and so are most of the people I interact with. The global pandemic has been hell for a lot of people around the world. Health wise. Financially. Losing people they care about. But I was blessed enough to be safe at home and have a job that I could smoothly do from home and not have a pay cut or 4-hour long Zoom meetings. So honestly when my friends tell me 2020 has been bad I have to stop and ask them why? Yes, the crippling uncertainty and anxiety is not something that can be undermined. But most people I know had very great positive life-changing milestones this year like moving away to another country for college or taking their first solo trip or getting married. So I have to ask them. Because I am not going to agree that everybody’s 2020 and pandemic narrative is the same. 
15. Money gets spent really quickly. When I left my job earlier this year because of personal issues, I thought I had enough savings to last me a year. Full disclosure - I mean to last my personal expenses because I live with my parents. But it didn’t even last me 3 months. And so to use money wisely and buy things that provide utility than instant gratification is something to follow. Also buying one pair of really expensive but quality shoes is better than buying 5 pairs of affordable but low quality shoes that will have a very short life and force you to buy more. I know that higher price doesn’t always mean better quality but sometimes it does. And as an adult now I want to do the whole quality > quantity thing even with things and not just people. 
16. Everyone in their 20s went through a crisis of what they should do with their lives and their careers and it’s not unique to the 21st century and the challenges of today. Whether it was Vincent Van Gogh in the 19th century or Sylvia Plath in the 20th, every single person, as brilliant as them went through the torture of making these decisions and living with their consequences. You may think I picked wrong examples for they both killed themselves but you know what? They were the people who really want to live more than anyone. They knew what life meant. And maybe if mental health help was more accessible back then their lives would be longer and more peaceful. 
17. Telling people everything is overrated. You don’t have to talk about every single thing that’s on your mind or that’s going on in your life. The good and the bad and the mediocre. You have to be mindful about how much of yourself you’re giving away. 
18. Re-watch Suits when people at work feel intimidating because the confidence + negotiation tactics that they show can actually work irl cos at the end of the day no matter in what position you’re dealing with people who have emotions and fears and insecurities and desires. You understand how to leverage that nobody can get the better of you. 
19. You belong to yourself. No matter how much you love someone or how much they have done for you or how much you owe them - you belong to yourself. You can’t live your life for someone else. Everyone belongs to themselves first. No relationship, no promise, no circumstance should make you feel like you have to give up your life and make it all about them. If and when the time comes to die for them, go ahead. Take a bullet. Donate that kidney. Write them in your will. But live your life for yourself. And let them live theirs. 
20. Twenty three was a challenging year. When it started you claimed the age 23 sounds boring and insignificant. Guess it proved you wrong. It hurt so much now. But that only means you’ll look back on it later and see how it added so much wisdom and resilience to your being. It doesn’t mean that it makes all the bad things that happened to you okay. Or that you should be grateful to them. Fuck no. It means that you should be kinder to yourself because at the end of the day, your mind and body find it in themselves to deal with whatever is thrown their way. They have your back. It’s time you learn to sit straight. 
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Long Gone - Bucky Barnes x Reader
After weeks of a strained relationship, one fight and a surprise is enough for Y/N to run away and not look back.
By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be long gone. Don’t look for me, you won’t find anything.
You suck in a deep breath and tuck the note into the door. No turning back now.
Sure, you and Buck had your ups and downs but last night was different.
You were dealing with a depressive episode when he came home to the compound. You tried not to bother him with your sour feelings and it worked. He didn’t notice, though you weren’t sure how he could have when he didn’t wander in until well past midnight and smelt like cheap rum.
Then he had the nerve to try and crawl into your bed without a word.
“Are you joking?” You finally muttered.
“What?”
“Are you that drunk or just that clueless?” You demanded. “You left a shitty note about going to check out a terrorist threat and then ignored my texts all day. And then followed it with a trip to the bar before letting you fiancée know you’re alive? I’ve been worried sick for hours!”
He stopped pulling on the covers and rolled his eyes, “Sorry I didn't text you back, doll. I was busy saving the world. And who cares if I went for a drink?”
You knew it sounded like an over reaction but it went much deeper than that. You’d been having panic attacks left and right the past weeks over his job and he knew that. He had sat on the floor with you in his arms and assured you he’d check in when possible. Told you how he’d call you after every fight to tell you he was okay. You came to find there was no substance behind his words. They were just sweet nothings to calm you down.
“Why would Steve be returning my calls before you? I’m not worried about a stupid night at the bar! I feel like I’m losing you and you don’t care!”
A part of you knew you were looking to start a fight, to feel something from him other than indifference and annoyance. It had been a couple weeks since he’d shown any sign of giving a shit about you. You needed to know if there was anything left before you told him the latest news. You didn’t want Bucky if it was just for the baby. Sure, you knew he would step up but you didn’t know if that was for the best. An avenger for a father and parents that didn’t want to be together? You were pretty sure the baby inside you would be better off raised by a single mother in the middle of nowhere, far from the long list of enemies Bucky had.
He glared for a long second before snatching a pillow, “I’m not dealing with this tonight. I’ll be on the couch if that overbearing urge to check up on me gets to strong.” He slammed the door behind him and you broke into sobs.
You allowed yourself five minutes to be upset before wiping your tears and setting off to pack a bag. You didn’t grab much, only a weeks worth of clothes, a gun, and the running away back pack Tony had made for you. You tucked the duffel and the back pack underneath the bed.
You were faking it when Buck crept in the next morning to get ready for the job of the day. He hesitated in front of you and for a moment you were ready to throw your plans out the door. He shook his head and moved on and your resolve grew. You were leaving and it would be for the best.
Once he was gone you scribbled out the note and fiddled with the engagement ring on your finger. You knew you should leave it but you couldn’t bring yourself to take it off. You still loved him even if he didn’t love you. It wouldn’t hurt to bring one part of him with you. You glanced at your still small stomach, well, two.
Pepper didn’t bat an eye at your request to borrow a car. You snagged the keys to one of the nondescript SUVs and took off. About a mile down the road you pulled over and ripped out the tracking software on the car. You threw it in the dumpster behind a 7-11 along with your cell phone.
You drove, only stopping for gas, until you hit a small town in Virginia. You knew the town well but no one would know you. Every summer from the ages of 5 to 15 was enough to make an impact on you but not the town. You pulled into the drive of your grandmother’s old house. You had inherited the place when she died a couple years ago but due to working with the Avengers you didn’t have a need for it. The key slipped right into the deadbolt. The place looked just how you remembered it, only with more dust. The furniture was still there but you found what was all. The small knick knacks and mementoes were gone, likely claimed by other family members after her passing. 
The old clock on the wall said it was 5. Plenty of time to get started on cleaning the place up.
It was a long and hard pregnancy. The super soldier serum running through your son added a couple complications. He grew fast and was much stronger than he should be. He did a number on your body from the inside but it was all worth it when you held him in your arms. You cursed your luck when he came out with a head full of dark hair and winter blue eyes. 
You found work at a diner, making a living in tips. The great thing about tips is they tend to be paid in cash and it’s hard to trace cash. You were careful. No one was going to find you or your son. Andrew became the light of your life
Life was peaceful, a bit repetitive but safe. The biggest threat was your neighbor Travis. You would take a borderline stalker over Nazis any day. 
“You have got to be kidding me,” You mutter to yourself when Travis saunters into the diner. He was your typical tool. Peaked in high school playing football. Can’t handle rejection. Full of himself. 
“Good afternoon, table for one?” You put on a sweet smile.
“Just me, babygirl.” A chill runs down your spine but you shake it off and lead him to an empty booth. 
“I’ll give you a minute to decide what you want but can I get you a drink?” You hand over the laminated menu.
“I already know exactly what I want and I think you do too.” He gives you a smirk and you have to resist the urge to jam your pen into his eye. 
“Bacon cheeseburger?” You ask innocently.
He laughs it off but hands you his menu so you turn to put his order into the kitchen. You can feel his eyes on you as he walks away. 
The day drags on and Travis sticks around. First for an order of fries. Then a shake. By the time that’s gone it’s late enough for a couple beers. He finally pays his tab and leaves ten minutes before closing. You’re relieved until you notice his Honda still in the parking lot when you leave. 
You pat the holster in the waistband of your pants before making your way to the SUV in the back of the parking lot. The silver car tails you and it takes four right turns before you could go to pick up Andrew from his sitter. 
Travis was back home when you finally pulled in. You double checked that the door was locked behind you before you went upstairs with Andy. He toddled around your room while you got ready for bed. Tonight you didn’t feel like fighting him on sleeping in the crib so you tucked him in you arms in your own bed. 
Around two in the morning you woke up to the sound of glass shattering. You jumped out of bed with Andrew in your arms and grabbed the gun next to your bed. 
Creeping down the stair you hear someone in the kitchen. You’re only ten feet from the front door. You take a deep breath, set Andrew at your feet, and bring the gun up. You were trained by Avengers. You wouldn’t miss the shot as long as you didn’t hesitate. You wait for the figure to come into view and pull the trigger. The deafening bang goes off and he hits the ground. You snatch up Andrew and run for the door. Travis is next to you before you can get in your car. 
“What’s going on? I heard a gun?” He’s half naked and more alert than he was when he left the diner. 
You’re scrambling for your keys when your front door flies off the hinges and the man you just shot steps out. 
“This isn’t happening! How is it still following me?” You’re breaths are struggling to come and go. You push Andrew into Travis’ arms and aim at the man again. It doesn’t seem to do any damage. It just pisses him off. You take another shot and get the same result. You’re about to try again when a blur of a figure tackles the man. The moonlight catches on one of his arms and you’re frozen in place. 
You grab the toddler and turn to run but Travis is a little too ready to play hero. He picks you up bridal style and runs.
He doesn’t make it fifty feet before a blond wall of muscle stops him. “Y/N?” Steve mutters after pulling you out of his arms. “What, what are you doing here?” Andrew begins crying louder and clinging to you. Steve finally looks down and has to take a step back. 
“I can explain,” You start. Suddenly, you’re pushed to the pavement and Travis is throwing a punch at Captain America. Steve’s head turns with the force but his body stays planted. You kick yourself at the satisfaction you feel when Steve shoves Travis back. He crouches down in front of you and offers a hand.
“Let’s try that explanation now.” 
You hear Bucky scoff behind him, “This will be good.” He freezes in his tracks when he takes in the site. You’re wearing a silk slip on the ground clutching a child that can’t be much more than a year old. 
He stares for a long moment before shaking himself out of it and shrugging off his jacket. He wraps it around your shoulders before helping you to your feet. 
You’re caught off guard by the rush of emotions when you look at him and hot tears well in your eyes, “I am so sorry Buck.”
He tries to be mad but can’t stop himself from pulling you into his arms. He buries his face in the crook of your neck, relishing in the feeling of you in his arms again. Andrew reaches his arms up and around your neck protectively, finally catching Bucky’s attention. 
He steps back suddenly, “Who’s this?”
You swallow hard, knowing the storm that’s coming. “This is your son. Andrew James Barnes.”
“My what?” He looks at you in disbelief then back to Andrew.
“Let’s go inside?” You suggest.
Bucky stops inside the doorway and admires the wall of pictures. The majority of them Andrew at every stage so far. You were in a few with him but there was only a handful of just you. They’re different stages of your pregnancy. He swallows hard when he takes in the sight of you in the third month. That’s when the toll started being taken. He broke the first rib kicking right around that time. He was delivered at six months, the serum making him grow much faster. As the pictures got closer to delivery you looked more and more like a corpse. Bucky hated that he wasn’t there for you for any of it, that he didn’t even know you were dealing with it. 
“He definitely takes after you. The serum is in his DNA.” You say quietly. 
“Why didn’t you tell me? How could you just leave and take my child with you?” You can hear the emotion behind each of his words.
“You didn’t want to be with me and I wasn’t going to make you feel obligated to.” You knew it sounded pathetic, “And you have enough enemies to worry about. I didn’t want that for our son.”
“Our son,” He repeats quietly. “How is he so big? You’ve only been gone for a year.”
You rub and hand over his cropped hair, “His development is a lot faster than  a normal childs. He’s only about seven months old but he compares to children almost twice that, but even then he’s much stronger.” 
“Can I hold him?” He seems unsure of himself but you happily hand him over.
Bucky extends his fingers to Andrew in his lap. Andy curiously takes two in his small hands and you flinch, knowing how tight his grip can get. Bucky watches him, unfazed by the ridiculous strength. He holds Andrew close to him for a few minutes before Andrew tries to climb back to you.
“You’re both coming back to the compound.” Bucky stands up.
“Like hell we are! This is our home. This is where we’re safe. And I won’t let you feel obligated to take me back because we have a baby.”
He gives you a serious look, “Bullshit. That ring on your finger says you’re still mine. And in what world is this safer than the compound? An alien broke in tonight!”
Before you knew it you were in the quinjet headed back to the base. Bucky never let you out of his sight. On the bright side, the ride provided plenty of time for apologies. Neither of you were happy with the others choices but you could understand them and move past them.
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reidgraygubler · 3 years
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out of the ordinary (chip taylor/reader)
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Title: Out Of The Ordinary
Request: no
Couple: Chip Taylor/Fem!Reader
Category: smut/angst
Content Warning: SEXUAL CONTENT (penetrative sex, fingering, oral (fem), sex while someone is injured, breeding kink, groping, praise kink, multiple orgasms, hair pulling), swearing, blood and other bodily fluids, graphic descriptions of violence(!!!!), mentions of sexual acts, 68 Kill Spoilers, mentions of a dead partner, mentions of drugs (unknown), guns and gun violence, talks about kids (in the very far future),
Word Count: 9,562
Summary: Reader works at a hotel where she sees a lot of things out of the ordinary… Including a man running across the parking lot wearing nothing but a small towel around his waist. If only she knew her day was about to get weirder
A/N: day three of what might have been the biggest mistake of my life. But i had fun! Idk how april does it bc i was struggling. Anyways, here is some chip smut. I didn’t edit this too super well, so please pardon any of the editing errors/grammatical issues. The next ones will/are beta’d and edited… thank you so much for sticking with me on this! Tomorrow is something i had a lot of fun writing!  Here is the masterlist for 7days 7fics! And here’s my main masterlist! Thank you all for the love and support! 
{***}{***}{***}
I wish that even though I lived in a small town, in the middle of butt-fucking nowhere, I would see normal things. You know? Things that happen in small towns in the middle fucking nowhere. But, because it’s in the middle of nowhere, and the highway goes right through the middle of our town, we get a lot of… interesting guests. Which makes my job a little entertaining, sometimes. 
Sitting behind a window at a tiny, run-down hotel early morning to mid-afternoon was what I did for a living. 90% of the time I spent my time just sitting there, reading a book/magazine, messing around on my phone, or working on an assignment for my class. That other 10% is checking people in or out of their rooms. 
My day was so close to coming to an end. 11:30… I just needed to be here for one more hour, and then I can go home and go to bed. And, surprisingly, nothing weird had happened. It was a successful day, praise the fucking Lord or whoever is watching down. 
Until, I jinxed myself…I thought I had hit the one allotted out of the ordinary thing for the day. That was until, as I was finishing up this essay, and I heard something from out in the parking lot. When I looked away from my laptop to investigate. And what I saw was not what I was expecting, at all.
A tall man was running across the parking lot, coming right towards the check-in/out window. Now, you might be wondering why this was out of the ordinary. Well, you see, he was running across the parking lot wearing nothing but a face washcloth around his waist. Let’s just say it left little to nothing to the imagination. 
“H-hey! Hi,” he spoke, coming right up to the counter. I was more than happy that there was a counter and window between the two of us. I’m happy he was attractive, in all sense of the words. He was very attractive.  “Do… Do you have a phone… That I could borrow?” he asked, looking at me with actual worry and terror in his eyes and face. I stared at him with a raised brow.
“What happened to the one in your room?” I moved away from my laptop and leaned on the counter beside it. He looked over his shoulder at the room he stayed in. I cocked my head to my shoulder and stared at him. “What room number are you?”
“Uh, that… That doesn’t really matter? Um, I’m running late,” he cringed as he looked back at me. I blinked slowly before looking down at the clipboard with the most recent check-ins. 
“Sure,” I looked right at the last name and noted the time he checked in, “Mister Delacroix?” I slowly looked back at him.
“Chip,”
“Well, listen, Chop,” I paused my words as I walked over to the door to let him in. I was just happy he didn’t correct me when I called him the wrong name. I could have corrected myself, but I was just annoyed that I’d probably have to take care of the mess in his room.
“The owner’s son texted me, telling me that the people in your room had a rager last night… So, if I have to go clean that room and see cum and piss all over the room, and a coke tray on the counters, I’m charging you double,” I looked up at him as he entered the office. He was a lot taller standing in front of me. I don’t know why I thought he was shorter. Maybe its because he was standing on lower ground and I was inside.
  “I… Rager?” He stared at me with a confused crease in his brow. I stared at him before slowly nodding. “Do… Do you know who came over? Do you know who it was?”
“I… Uh, I’ll have to ask the owner’s son. But, by the sounds of it, it was a little rough. I’m surprised you’re still up and walking without a limp,” I chuckled. I slowly looked up and down his body, taking in how he looked. He was slightly muscular, and though he had abs, his tummy was slightly pudgy. Which I could get with. I could appreciate a bit of a tummy on a guy like him. 
“Listen,” he started, his words showing more urgency than before. I looked up, away from his body and at his face. It was probably his urgency that got my attention because I definitely almost went a little lower than the towel. “I need to know-Do you have any clothes? This is slightly distracting,” he looked at me. I wasn’t too sure if he was talking distracting for me, or for him. But I do agree, it was very distracting.
“Uhm,” I furrowed my eyebrows as I pulled my stare off him and went to look for the lost and found box, “There’s not much in here, but I’m sure there’s something,” I glanced at him as I placed the box on the counter. 
“Right, thanks,” Chip looked at me before going to dig around in the box, “Do you know who came to my room last night?” 
“I think… Hold on,” I muttered before rushing to the counter, shuffling some papers to find a random sticky note with some sloppy hand writing, “Christ, I forget he doesn’t speak english,” I shook my head as I stared at the writing. “Some goth chick and her boyfriend, or whatever. Uh, yeah, he told me about it this morning before he left. Like, 6 other people I think,” I swallowed roughly and shook my head, “It sounds like they roughed the place up?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” he looked away from the box for a brief moment. I watched as he pulled out a white and red t-shirt (that was left behind by a group of younger women) and a pair of sweat-shorts. “Great, now I gotta go back to that fucking gas station. Fucking fuck,” he muttered to himself as he dropped the towel to the ground. I widened my eyes and couldn’t help but stare at his ass.
“Gas station?” I asked, keeping my eyes on his body as he turned to face me. That was when I got a view of the full frontal package. I swallowed roughly.
“Are… Are you going to turn around?” he looked at me with nervousness in his eyes as he held the pants and shirt close to his body, lower towards his crotchal region. I smirked, raising an eyebrow and cocking my head to the side.
“Nope,” I looked up at him with a smile. When I noticed that he wasn’t going to move to get dressed, I dropped my shoulders before turning around.
“Which gas station are you talking about?” I asked, looking at the ground. I wasn’t entirely sure why I asked which gas station it was he was talking about. There was just one gas station in the whole town, and I knew he was in a bit of trouble.
  From behind me, I could hear Chip muttering strings of profanities to himself. Part of me wondered if he needed help with anything, or if I was just a disposable person in his day. Probably the latter. 
“The one down the street,” his voice was low. I wondered what he was thinking about and what his urgency was all about. “You can turn around. Can I use the phone,” he asked as I turned to face him. I looked at him and held back a laugh. Which, in turn, earned a glare from him. 
“Yeah, yeah, you have to dial 1 before the number you’re calling,” I went to move the phone closer to him, nearly pushing/pulling everything off the counter. 
“Thanks,” he looked over at me before picking up the phone and dialing his number. I watched as he turned away from me. He wasn’t on the phone for very long, and it didn’t sound like it was a good call. 
“I… I gotta go. Can I use your car?” Chip asked as he looked out at the only car in the lot. I followed his gaze at my shitty 2001 Saturn. I furrowed my eyebrows before looking back at him.  
“I can just give you a ride, you know… And, it’d probably be better if you had a partner with you. That phone call didn’t sound good… At all. And, no one will take you seriously dressed like that,” I nodded at his attire. He looked down at what he was wearing before looking back at me. “Back up just in case? No one will notice I’m gone,” I let out a dry laugh. 
“It’ll be dangerous,” he looked at me with worry in his eyes. I shrugged before looking at the ground.
“I could use a little danger in my life,” I laughed before looking back at him, “I’ve been sitting in this stupid office, doing this stupid job since I was 16. The hundreds of people I’ve seen is crazy. This job is boring, I need something risky.” I explained when I noticed he needed more information.
“You could die,” he pointed out. I shrugged like it was no big deal.
“I could die just sitting here. Let me help you,” I stare at him with wide eyes. He looked at the ground and sighed. I could tell he wanted to fight with me, to get me to stay. But I could also tell he really needed help, and really needed to get out of this stupid town and state. 
“Fine, you can come. But, you can’t ask any questions,” he pointed at me. I smiled before closing my laptop and grabbing for my car keys.
“Fine, let’s go,” I looked at him before pushing past him and leaving the office.  
Chip was close behind me, still muttering to himself. From what I did hear, I heard the number 68,000 and then the word dollars. 68,000 dollars??? And he’s in a shit town like this?! What the fuck? What the fuck am I getting myself into? Fuck, this is a mistake… Fuck. 
The ride to the gas station was quiet. Chip must have been thinking of what he was going to say or do when he got there. Let’s just hope it wasn’t Monica there. Bitch is crazy.
“Stay here, I have a feeling what I need isn’t here,” he muttered as he got out of the car. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 
“W-w-wait, you don’t want me to go with?” I asked as I slipped out of the car too, “Listen, I know the family that owns this gas station. They’re crazy. They’re nuts.”
“I got it. Just… just wait here,” he looked over at me one last time before going in. I stared at the door that he disappeared into before slamming the door shut. I leaned against the side of my car, patiently waiting for Chip to come back out. 
I don’t even know how long he was in there for. But, it was a very long time. Worry took over as I began to overthink things. That dumb bitch probably killed him. 
My worry melted away once he stepped outside with nothing but shame on his face. I raised an eyebrow, watching as he walked closer to me and my car. 
“You look like you saw a ghost or something,” I chuckled as I pushed myself off my car and back around to the drivers’ side of the car.
“No, no it was much worse than a ghost,” he muttered before getting in the car himself. I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked towards the doors of the gas station. 
“Whatever,” I shook my head before slipping into the car, “Where to now? Monica’s trailer?” I raised an eyebrow as I glanced over at Chip. I watched as he pulled something out of his mouth and wrinkled his nose. 
“Yeah, yeah,” he looked over at me before looking around my car. 
“Do you have a plan? Or… Or a gun?” I asked as we got closer to the trailer park. He looked at me with a little terror in his eye. No plan or gun? Seriously? Good thing there’s a gun in my glove box. “You can’t go to these guys with just luck, Chip. That’ll get you killed,” I glanced at him as I reached over for the glove box, pulling it open and pulling out the gun.
“What the fuck! Where did that come from?” he asked, watching as I placed the gun on my lap. I glanced at him as I pressed down on the gas, speeding down the highway. “Jesus! Slow down,”
“You’re the one who fucking lost $68,000 to fucking Monica! You go in and get her money-”
“It’s not her-”
“It’s her money now, Chip. Jesus, she stole 3 of my bikes when we were little,” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Chip looked at me again and nodded. “You’re lucky you have help,” I muttered as I kept my eyes on the road. 
“You know this bitch?” Chip stared at me. I swallowed roughly and nodded.
“She’s my, like, second cousin. My Dad’s niece’s kid,” I shrugged before shaking my head, “She’s a cunt. A fucking cunt,” I scoffed as I remembered my childhood with her. Chip was silent as I pulled into a driveway and parked the car. 
“Oh good, looks like there’s a metal baseball bat in the yard,” I smiled at him. Chip looked at me with wide eyes, actual terror sitting in his eyes. I watched as he unbuckled his seatbelt and rested his hand on the latch to my car. He stayed still for a moment before turning to face me. I could tell that there was a moment of hesitation. I don’t blame him, do be honest. I hesitated to bring him here. Taking him here is basically signing his death warrant.
“Stay… Stay here… If I’m not out in an hour… Call the cops,” he looked at me before slipping out of the car. I watched as he walked up the driveway, picking up the metal bat, and walked towards the door. I almost got out of the car and went after him, but I didn’t. I’ll listen to him. He must have a plan worked out if he didn’t need my help yet.
I swallowed roughly, watching him knock on the door and wait for it to swing open. And when it did, a familiar looking guy stepped out of the trailer. It was obvious he was sizing Chip up, mocking him as he spoke. Chip looked over his shoulder at me, silently pleading for help of some sort. I shrugged, pretending like I didn’t understand what he was asking for. 
A bell ringing came up the driveway and passed me. A familiar blonde riding a bike rode up the driveway. 
“Oh, you again,” Chip spoke out loud at the blonde woman. Amy… Of course. Of course she shows up. She’s probably the one who told him where that bitch, Monica, even lived. I was just happy she didn’t even see me when she rode past me. I didn’t want to be a part of any of that bullshit.
Then he was pulled into the trailer. 
“Fuck, this… This isn’t going to be good,” I muttered as I slouched down into my seat in the safety of my car. I wished there was something more that I could do to help him. Because just sitting here for an hour and waiting to call the cops won’t help me or him, specifically Chip. Fucking around with Monica and her… I don’t even know what to call the people she hands out with. 
I grabbed for my gun again, pulling out the magazine and looking at how much ammo I had. Just as I put my hand on the handle to get out, a loud bang came from near the trailer, causing me to nearly jump out of my seat. I sat, frozen, paralyzed in my spot, staring at the trailer. They’ve just killed Chip. Or, Chip just killed them 
“I don’t know what… What do I do…” I whispered to myself as I stared at the door from the safety of my car. I wasn’t prepared for this at all. What I should have done was follow my own advice to Chip and come up with a secondary plan… I can’t exactly go in there guns blazing… Unless, that’s exactly what I do. They won’t expect Chip to have a partner with him. 
Okay, that’s it… That’s my plan… Bust into the trailer, and just go for it… But, I think… Should I wait the hour Chip told me to wait? What if he’s in trouble? Who am I kidding, he’s totally in trouble. 
{***}{***}{***}
I just wish I hadn’t fallen asleep. Because, the next thing I knew it  was morning and Chip was still in Monica’s trailer. Chip was still in danger.  
I quickly fumbled my way out of the back seat and into the front. It was even worse as I rushed to get out of the car, my body nearly falling to the ground. When I was finally out of the car, I recollected myself, hyping myself up as I walked towards the trailer. 
 I had my gun tucked into the back of my pants as I walked. I didn’t want to be quick, but I also didn’t want to be slow. Chip could be in danger, and it was a little bit my fault. He’d be out of that situation if I hadn’t fallen asleep.
My fist carefully knocked on the door, hoping someone would answer sooner rather than later. When the door flew open, Monica was standing in the door frame, looking down at me with slight disgust.
“We don’t want girl scout cookies,” she looked down at me. I swallowed roughly and nodded.
“Good thing I’m not a girl scout, Monica,” I took a deep breath before pulling the gun out from my pants. I lifted it up and pointed it right at her chest. “Where’s Chip,” 
“You want him?” Monica asked, cocking a hip as she leaned against the door frame. She wasn’t even bothered by my weapon being pointed at her chest. It was like she was used to it. “He brought you as back up? Oh that poor boy?” she looked down at the gun. I took a deep breath as I stared at her.  
She knew I wasn’t going to use it. She knew me well enough to know that I just had this stupid gun for looks, and that I wasn’t going to shoot anyone. But, what she doesn’t know is that I’m not afraid of her anymore. She may have tormented me when we were kids. But I’m taking it all back now. 
“Where’s Chip and the money, Monica,” I spoke, my voice low as I spoke. I slowly cocked my gun as I stared at her. 
“Oh, you know about the money too?” she asked before looking into the trailer at her friends and, I’d assume, Chip. “Did you hear that? This slut knows about the money,” she spoke, looking at everyone. I swallowed roughly as she looked back at me, “Is she replacing that other slut we killed last night?” 
“Just go! Get out of here!” I could hear Chip yell from somewhere in the trailer. Monica stared down at me, watching me as my hands shook with the weapon in hand. 
“Too afraid to use that gun?” she mocked in a whiny tone. I blinked slowly as I moved my finger to the trigger. Everything happened so fast, when I opened my eyes, Monica was stumbling back, her hand over stomach where blood was spilling out. Blood was being coughed up as she fell against the couch, looking up at me with wide eyes. “You actually did it,” she coughed, staring at me terror in her eyes. 
“I’m not scared of you anymore, Monica,” I spoke as I stepped into the trailer. I smiled as I looked down at her, cocking my gun and pointing it down at her again, “You terrorized me when we were kids… But not anymore… No,” I took a deep breath before as we made eye contact.
“You don’t have to do this,” she whimpered, looking at me, struggling to move as I got closer to her, “Listen, you can take Chip, and… and the money and go… I’ll leave you alone now…” 
“Sorry just isn’t going to do it, Monica, not this time… Not ever,” I shook my head, “You can burn in hell for all I care,” I scoffed as I stared at her. Blood was dripping down the sides of her lips as she pleaded with me, but at this point I didn’t care about anything she was saying. 
Chip called my name, causing me to look over at him. They really did a number on him. I wonder if they would have gotten this bad had I actually called the cops and did something last night. 
My hands and shoulders dropped as I looked at him. I didn’t even bother with the others around me, I’d take care of them after. 
Or, so I thought… One of Monica’s friends stood up and charged after me. I stumbled back, fumbling to cock the gun before pulling the trigger at him, getting him right in the head. He fell to the ground with a thud, a slab of meat just on the floor. 
“Anyone else?” I looked at the others around me, really feeling my sudden anger and annoyance come through for everyone. The people around me backed away from me. I looked back at Chip, appreciating the way he was looking up at me. Just as I went to my knees to help him, the sound of a shotgun being cocked came from behind me. I froze as the barrel of a gun was pressed right to my head.
“Whatcha doin’ there, Sweet Heart?” a woman’s voice asked from behind me. I took a deep breath as I dropped my gun to the ground. I looked back at Chip and noted how the adoration he had in his eyes slowly turned into terror and fear. “Where’s my money, Chip?” the woman asked. There was a certain fakeness in her words that scared me a bit. 
“I… I don’t have it!” Chip shouted as he struggled to stand up. I cringed as Liza pushed the barrel into my head a bit more. I swallowed roughly as I looked at Chip. 
“L-liza? H-h-how did you… How did you find me?” Chip exclaimed as he looked past me and at the woman.
“I told you, Chip, I always know where you are,” her fake sweetness really struck a chord in me, pissing me off more than I was before. “Now… Where’s my money?”
Someone from the sidelines jumped to their feet and instantly charged at Liza. It was terrifying how quick Liza was to turn and shoot the gun at the man. I quickly moved away and grabbed my gun from the ground. I felt a little bad for moving behind Chip, using him as a shield from this new woman.
“You’re so quick to move on, Chippy,” Liza spoke as she looked back at me. I appreciated that Chip actually covered me instead of cowering away like I half expected him to. “First the whore from last night and now her?” 
“I’m not a slut or a whore,” I stared at her. She cocked her head as she looked over at me. Yet, again another one of Monica’s people came after us, only to be stopped by a different person, their arm being sliced off in one swift motion. If you blinked you would have missed it. 
“Jesus fucking Christ,” one of the three girls shouted front he couch. Liza turned to face the person behind her before saying something else. 
“What… What do we do, Chip,” I whispered as I tugged gently on his shirt. He looked over his shoulder at me before lifting his finger to his lips. I stared at him for a moment, watching as he thought of a plan. The level of chaos in the building was starting to stress me out. I wasn’t expecting two terrifying people to show up at an already terrifying place. 
“Go have fun with that one, Dwayne-y,” Liza pointed towards one of the girls on the couch. The guy looked over at the girl before grabbing her and pushing past Chip and I. I fell against the wall and blacked out for a moment. 
When I came too, Liza was standing in front of Chip, talking to him about something. It was eerily quiet in the trailer now, other than Liza and Chip’s voice. My guess was Liza took everyone out. But, why’d she keep me alive? Chip probably bargained for my life. I’m honestly just a bystander in this whole thing, wasn’t I? 
“You can let him run away… you can hunt him down, and kill him… Or… Or you can discipline him.. Teach him to heel or whatever he’s supposed to do,” Liza cocked her head as she looked at Chip. I took a deep breath, looking at the ground and noticed the gun on the ground right behind Chip. “So, Chip, what option do you want?” her tone was filled with that sickening sweetness, and it made me want to beat the shit out of her. 
“Violet said there’s always another option,” Chip spoke softly as he looked at Liza. I carefully moved and grabbed the gun. 
“Oh, she… She did? Well, I don’t see her here… Because she’s dead, Chip,” Liza scoffed. I took a deep and shaky breath before moving around the chair and aiming the gun right at Liza. “Oh, look who’s got the balls now,” Liza looked past Chip and at me. I stared down at her, feeling nervousness in the form of bile rise up my throat. “Are you gonna shoot me? Baby’s gonna sho-” her statement was finished short by a bullet to her head. I closed my eyes and looked down at the ground. 
“Jesus Christ!” Chip shouted as Liza’s body fell to the ground. I took a deep breath before looking down at him. “She’s dead!” 
“She was going to fucking kill both of us, Chip!” I shouted back, looking at him with wide eyes. Chip looked up at me as he stumbled to his feet. 
“Okay, okay,” Chip looked down at me, placing his hand on my shoulder to steady himself. I looked up at him with wide eyes. “$68,000… My clothes, and then we fucking ditch this fucking place,” he pointed towards the door where the creepy man from before dragged a girl. I swallowed roughly as I looked towards the door.
“Here,” I handed him my gun before nodding towards the door. Chip looked down at me, a slight glare in his eyes before he took a step forward. I followed behind him, staying close to his body. He pushed the door open and immediately fired the gun, killing the guy instantly. 
“I’m never going to sleep again, holy fucking shit,” I muttered as I looked at the horrors in front of me. He fucking ripped the girl a part. 
“Stay here for a minute,” Chip muttered before stepping away from me. He didn’t seem bothered by everything. I was impressed that he was able to step into the room more and move stuff around. One he found what he was looking for he came back beside me.
“Let’s fucking go,” he muttered, holding a shoe box under his arm. I looked at the box as I followed behind him. I could kill him right now, and take that 68grand. I could start a new life on my own… 
“Yeah, let’s go,” I looked down at the ground, “Shouldn’t we clean up the place first? Our fingerprints and DNA is all over the place,” I looked around the trailer and at all the dead bodies. Is it bad this didn’t phase me at all? 
“You’re right. Hold this,” he muttered as he shoved the box into my hands. I looked down at it with wide eyes before looking back at Chip. He had a bottle of straight whiskey in his hand and was splashing it around the room, going into the other rooms before coming back. “You think this will be enough?” he asked, looking down at me with a certain exhaustion in his eyes. I tried to look past all the injuries he had earned, but it was hard when they covered his whole face. 
“Hopefully,” I shoved the box back into his arm before leaving the building. I waited just outside as he lit a lighter and tossed it to the floor, causing the whole building to be engulfed in flames. 
“Where to?” Chip asked as we walked back to my car. I looked over my shoulder at the blazing trailer and shrugged.
“Somewhere away from here. But first, we should get you a first aid kit,” 
{***}{***}{***}
We drove for a long time. A very long time. I think we both wanted to make sure we were away from Monica’s trailer before we rested for the night. Which also meant we had to wait a long time before Chip could get the proper care he needed. It wasn’t fair to either of us that this was the case at the moment. I wasn’t ever expecting this to be what happened to me the other day when I woke up. I was just happy that after the second day of driving, he was actually okay.
“I’ll go get a room, you stay here,” I looked over at Chip. It looked like he was asleep, which I was expecting, so when he lifted his head and looked over at me I was a little confused. 
“No, no let me,” he mumbled as he fought to get his seatbelt undone.
“Chip, you look like you just got out of Fight Club… Let me go get the room,” I placed a hand on his to stop him from moving anymore. He looked up at me with a little bit of terror in his eyes, “I’ll be right back, I promise,” I kept my voice low as I spoke to him. 
“Okay, you’re right,” he mumbled before moving his hand away from the buckle. Chip rested his head against the head rest before closing his eyes lightly. I sighed deeply before sliding out of the car and towards the entrance of the hotel lobby. 
I kept my voice low the entire time as I spoke to the front desk manager. It was hard when I also looked like I just got out of a war and the manager kept looking at me like that was the case. When they finally handed me the room key, I let out the deepest sigh of relief and returned out to the car. 
“We have a room… Two days…” I looked over at Chip as I drove to a parking spot near our room. 
“Two days… Nice, nice,” he murmured and nodded. I looked over at him and watched as he slowly unbuckled. 
“You go into the room, I’ll grab the food and first aid kit,” I handed him the key before we both got out. Chip nodded before leaving and going towards the room. I made sure to be quick as I grabbed the stuff from the back.
“Should I shower?” 
“No, no, let me clean your wounds up first,” I nodded towards the bed. Chip looked over at the bed before going to sit on it. I was relieved when he laid back on the bed like nothing mattered in the world. He opened his eyes and looked at me.
 “Are you going to play nurse with me?” he asked, looking at me with a playful smirk on his lips. I laughed and nodded as I approached the bed. 
“Unfortunately, I think I’m all you got,” I laughed as I sat on the bed beside him. He sat up and moved closer to him. We were both quiet as I pulled out alcohol wipes and gauze. I looked at his face, trying to figure out where to start. Thankfully the swelling in his eyes went down, but I cracked an ice pack to help. 
“This is gonna sting,” I looked at his face as I lifted the wipe to his face. He winced as I began wiping the wounds on his face.
“Are you okay?” I looked up at him as I carefully placed butterfly band-aids and regular band-aids over the wounds. He looked back at me, a certain softness in his eyes. I was happy that he’d probably just need a few band-aids on his face instead of gauze and stitches like I’d thought. We both didn’t want to go to the hospital… 
“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay,” he whispered as he tried to not move away from my touch. I frowned looking at his face. “You didn’t have to do this, you know,” he added. I looked down at his hands and nodded. 
“Did you want to go to the hospital and tell them the truth?” I raised an eyebrow as I shifted closer to him with an alcohol pad. He cringed as I pressed it to the open wound on his hand. “Sorry,” I cringed as he flinched.
“You’re right, though… I don't think I could make up a believable lie in the hospital,” he looked at me, watching me clean the injuries.. 
“Was it worth it?” I asked, feeling a small smile grow on my lips. Chip shrugged a bit like he wasn’t too sure what I was talking about.
“Was… Was what worth it?” he asked, trying not to furrow his eyebrows. I laughed lightly and shrugged.
“The 68 grand that you risked your life for, Chip,” I laughed as I grabbed a bandage and picked it open, “Is it okay if the band-aid is pink with butterflies?” I held it up to show him the design. He swallowed roughly before nodding.
“Yeah, it was worth it,” he whispered, causing me to look back at his face. I furrowed my eyebrows when it became my turn to stare at him. “Because if I didn’t lose the $68 thousand... I probably wouldn’t have met you… And you saved my life,” 
“Oh please, don’t compare me to Violet,” I laughed and shook my head. I felt a little bad for bringing up his dead friend, but I personally felt like he was comparing me to her. Just a little bit. 
“I’m not,” he looked taken aback by my sudden statement. I shrugged, not entirely believing him. He knew that too. I looked at him, noting the cut and bruise across his nose. Who knows how long that was going to take to heal, but I hope it didn’t hurt him too much. “I’m being serious,”
“That makes me feel better,” I smiled as I began cleaning up the first aid kit we had bought when we pulled into a new town, “I should probably let you go your own way, come morning. I don’t want to get in the way of you while you’re trying to flee everything” I laughed as I clicked the first aid kit shut, “I’ll let you have my car,” 
“Please stay,” he whispered, watching as I stood and walked across the room. I almost didn’t hear him. But I was preoccupied with my thoughts, trying to figure out how I’d get home if I had given him my car to leave. I was 2 days away from home… That’d be a long way back. “I probably would die if you didn’t come with me,” he added as I turned to face him.
“I’d be pretty useless if I came with. Is your life always like that, Chip?” I asked, placing my fists on my hips. He stayed quiet. “Because if it’s always like that, running from danger and shooting guns…”
“You’ll go back home, I get it. What happened the other day was-”
“I never said that,” I cut him off, “Yeah, what happened the other day was terrifying, Chip. But, I don’t think I’ve ever had such an eventful day in my entire life. I just don’t think I would be able to do that again. That parts gotta go,”
“Consider it gone,” Chip shook his head, watching as I slowly walked back over towards him. I looked down at him, appreciating the way he looked back up at me. “Forgotten. We can… We can buy a house in… In Iowa. Have kids, have a family. Get as far as we can from that place,” he moved his legs and allowed me to stand between them. 
“Iowa?” I scoffed, wrinkling my nose at the thought of moving to Iowa. “And… You want to have kids? After everything that happened? You want to bring kids into this world?” I sighed deeply as I looked down at him. I left out the part of how we just met 4 days ago. He doesn’t even know me. 
“Yeah, but if you were their mother, I think they’d be pretty safe,” Chip laughed as he reached up to grab my hand. I stared at him, feeling my heart swell in my chest. 
“You don’t even know me, Chip,” I laughed lightly. He furrowed his eyebrows before shrugging. “And you already want to have kids with me?”
“I don’t think… I don’t think it matters. You saved my life,” he pointed out. I bit my lower lip as he brushed his thumb across the back of my hand. 
“Yeah,” I paused, taking a deep breath as I stared at him, “You saved mine too, Chip,” I smiled at him, “I think Liza might have killed me if it wasn’t for you,” I laughed lightly out my nose. And, it was true. She probably would have killed me after she knocked me out...
“Well, good thing Dwayne was easy enough to take care of,” he returned the laughter, “Can’t believe I dated that bitch,” he sighed as he looked up at me. 
“Yeah, I was about to say…” I smiled softly. Chip smiled as he carefully tugged my hand so I would fall forward slightly. 
“Kiss me,” he whispered as I braced myself on his shoulder with one hand. I furrowed my eyebrows, looking down at his lips. The cut on his upper lip had thankfully stopped bleeding. 
“Is that a good idea,” I pulled my hand off his shoulder and gently held his face. He wrinkled his nose and closed his eyes. “Chip, I’m serious,” 
“I am too,” he begged as he looked at me, “I could di-”
“You won’t die tomorrow. You’re safe now,” I smiled softly as I looked at him.
“So, what’s stopping you from kissing me,” he asked, pointing out the fact that there was indeed nothing stopping me from kissing him. 
“Why you gotta be like that?” I asked, moving my hand up his face. I carefully brushed the wound on his temple before carding my fingers through his hair. 
“Be like what?” Chip asked as I pushed my hand through his hair and rested it on the back of his head. 
“You’re so… nice. You’re not like other men, the ones who look at women like objects,” I laughed and shook my head, “You wouldn’t even hurt a fly.” 
“You do know I killed, like, bunch of people yesterday,” he asked. I smiled and nodded. He pulled his hand from mine and rested both his hands on my hips. I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at him.
“Okay, yeah, that’s fair…” I sighed deeply and cocked my head, “You won’t regret it, will you?” I asked, my voice hardly a whisper.
“Regret what? Kissing you?” He asked, his thumbs playing with the hem of my shirt, just barely touching the skin of my hip. I nodded lightly. “Why would I regret kissing you?” 
“Wouldn’t be the first time a guy regret kissing me,” I whispered as I looked away from him, “The last guy I dated… He dated me as a joke… It wasn’t till after we… Well, we did a little bit more than kissing, did he tell me that it was all a joke,” I whispered before looking down at the ground.  
“Nothing about me asking for a kiss is a joke, I promise,” Chip replied, his voice causing me to look back at him. He lifted a hand and rested it on my shoulder. “We don’t even have to do anything… You don’t have to ki-”
“I do… I do want to kiss you, Chip,” I whispered softly, “I’m just scared, that’s all,” I stared down at him.
“You don’t have to be scared,” he smiled softly, running his hand down my arm before grasping my hand. I swallowed roughly before moving to straddle his legs. He took a sharp breath as I adjusted myself on his legs.
“Sorry,” I cringed as I tried to get off his legs. Chip looked at me before resting his hands on my hips, keeping me in place on his lap. 
“It’s okay,” he whispered, bringing a hand back to my face. I stared at him, feeling a small smile grow on my lips.  
After a moment of just staring at each other, I moved forward, closing the space between. Our lips connected, and it was the softest, gentlest kiss ever. Although my lips were still dry, his lips felt dry, drier than the sand on the beach. The blood that was on his lips dried slightly, but it didn’t bother me at all. 
Chip placed his hand on my lower back, moving me closer to his body. My arms wrapped around his neck, my body willingly moving closer to him as if it couldn’t get enough of him. I could tell that he craved me too, his other hand moving hastily around my body. 
“Is this a good idea?” I murmured against his lips. I was careful as I pressed my forehead to his, feeling a small smile tug on my lips. “You’re like… Seriously…” I stopped myself from saying ‘seriously injured’. 
“I’m okay. I’m fine with it if… If you’re fine with it,” he whispered, his hands going back to the hem of my shirt. I closed my eyes and let a deep breath of air out my nose. A small smile grew across my lips as his hand finally slipped up my shirt and up to my bra. “Please tell me your fine with it,” his voice wavered slightly with his words. I swallowed roughly and nodded, our noses brushing together as my head moved.  
“Yeah, yeah it’s… I’m fine with it…” I nodded, taking a deep breath before opening my eyes, “I’m more than fine with it,” I whispered as I looked at him.  
That was when he kissed me again. It was different than before. Because, before it was gentle and soft, like he didn’t want me to melt away. But also it was soft because we both had mild- not so mild injuries, and I knew he didn’t want to hurt me. The differences between this one and that one is, fervent and passionate, it took my breath away.
Chip’s hand on my back fiddled with my bra as he tried to unclasp it. I couldn’t help but laugh as he began to struggle. It was clear he was getting frustrated with the struggle, so when I went to help him, he let out a sigh of relief. 
“Sorry,” he muttered as he fought to pull my shirt off. I laughed and shook my head.
“No, it’s okay,” I whispered before lifting my arms in the air. Chip smiled before pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it somewhere behind me. I sucked in a sharp breath as the cool air hit my bare chest. Chip was careful as he pressed his lips back to mine, then on the side of my mouth, before trailing down my neck. It was gentle, and soft, but it was enough for me to notice him sucking soft spots on my skin. My hands went back to his head, carefully pulling at the hair on the back of his head.  
My head tilted to the side the further down my neck he went. A small gasp fell from my mouth as he attached his lips to my breast. My fingers gently pulled his hair, causing him to hum lightly. It was hard not to react to him and his touch. I needed him more than I needed air.
“D-don’t stop,” I whispered, my words wavering with each syllable. It was so hard to concentrate on anything as he placed his lips around my nipple. A shiver went down my spine, causing me to arch my back into him more. 
Chip stood up, causing me to latch on to him so I wouldn’t fall, before turning around to put me on the bed. I looked up at him, my breathing picking up slightly as he stared down at me. His lower lip was pulled between his teeth as he looked at me.
“Don’t hurt yourself,” I whispered, lifting a hand to his face. He could hear the worry in my words as I spoke, letting his lower lip fall from his mouth. “Your lip is bleeding.” I left out that it was only bleeding a little bit, but it was enough to notice the red. 
“It’s fine,” he whispered, bringing his hand to rest on my cheek. His thumb brushed against my lower lip. My body shivered slightly before I opened my mouth slightly. He smirked before slipping his thumb between my lips. I swirled my tongue around his thumb as I stared at him. 
“Good girl,” Chip hummed, resting his other hand on the mattress by my head. I swallowed roughly before grabbing his shirt and pulling him down to my face. He moved his thumb from my mouth and looked down at me.
“Please don’t make me ask more than once,” I whispered, releasing my hand from his shirt to lift it to his face. He flinched away slightly as my hand barely touched his face. I could feel my face soften as I looked at him. “I won’t hurt you, Chip. You’re safe now,” I whispered as I moved my hand from his face.
“I know, I know,” he shook his head before lowering his face to mine, lightly pressing his lips to mine. I hummed, wrapping my arms around his neck again. “You won’t have to ask more than once,” he murmured against my lips. He looked down at me before pressing his lips to mine again, slowly kissing down my neck and chest. 
Although he was quick to move down my chest, he was slow once he got to my hips. 
“Hold on,” he stepped away from me, rushing to the bathroom real quick. I sat up, resting back on my hands, as I waited for him to come back. 
“What… What are you doing, Chip?” I asked, my patience starting to wear thin as the seconds ticked by. I swallowed roughly as he stepped back out of the bathroom.
“Cleaning my face a little bit more,” he looked at me with a small smile on his lips. I furrowed my eyebrows as he came back to stand between my legs. 
“I-I’m confused,” I looked up at him. Although, I really shouldn’t be confused. I’m the one who said ‘Please don’t make me ask more than once.’ and he obviously wanted it as badly as I did.
“You know,” he smiled as he lifted my hips a little bit before pulling my pants off my body. I suddenly couldn’t control my breathing anymore, and I was left trying to control myself. “Wouldn’t want to get blood everywhere,” he looked up at me as he dropped my pants to the ground.  
I stared at him watching as he lowered to his knees between my legs. He was gentle as pressed his lips to the soft skin on my inner thigh. I took a deep breath, trying so hard to regulate my breathing. My elbows and arms gave out, causing me to lie back hard on the bed. 
“So beautiful,” Chip whispered before blowing softly at my core. I gasped and pressed my head into the bed beneath me. My hands and fingers got knotted up in his hair again, slowly pulling his head closer to my body. 
Chip laughed at me before peppering butterfly kisses over my pussy. I gasped, tugging lightly on his hair. He looked up at me before grasping both of my hands and holding them down on the bed. 
“Ch-chip, don’t stop, please don’t stop,” I whimpered pulling at his hands. He hummed before licking a stripe right up my cunt. I swear, I couldn’t even breathe. He squeezed my hands as he kept licking at me. After a moment, his lips attached around my clit, sucking softly at the sensitive bundle of nerves. 
“Fuck,” I cried out as he pulled a hand from one of mine. I didn’t even notice that he pushed a finger into me. My free hand went over my mouth as a moan fell from me. Chip obviously enjoyed that sudden reaction, causing him to moan too. The vibrations from him caused me to moan again. 
“ ‘m so close. Please, Chip, so close,” I moved my hand to his hair and pulled on it a lot harder than before. It was like I couldn’t breathe, the wind being knocked from my lungs like I was punched in the gut. “Fuck, Chip,” I moaned, my hips jerking at him. He pulled his hand from mine and placed it firmly on my stomach, holding me down. 
“You’re doing so good, Princess,” he murmured against my body. I cried out when he pressed his lips back on me. 
My mind went fuzzy and my vision turned white. I could feel my toes curling against the rough, scratchy comforter beneath me. My hands gripped his hair and the blanket so tightly I was sure my knuckles would blanch. And the only thing I could say was his name as I came.
My chest heaved as I tried to breathe. When I opened my eyes, Chip was back over me. He smiled, clearly enjoying what had just happened. 
“That was… That was good,” I laughed lightly. Chip returned the laughter before pressing his lips to mine. I hummed following after him as he pulled away from me. 
“That was, like, barely the pregame,” Chip laughed as he looked down at me. I furrowed my eyebrows and smiled softly. “If at all the pregame,”
“Well are you going to get started on the actual game or just leave me alone?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow as I stared at him. Chip laughed again before standing up right to rid himself of his jeans. I quickly moved so I was lying up by the pillows. 
“Are you sure this is okay?” He asked once he was back over me. I swallowed roughly and nodded. 
“Yeah, yeah, I’m positive. If I wasn’t… I wouldn’t have let you eat me out the way you did,” I laughed as I brought my hands to his face, “I appreciate you cleaning your face a bit before you did that though. I don’t really want the staph infection or STD,” I laughed harder than I should have. But that in turn caused Chip to glare at me.
“Well, now I don’t think I want to have sex with you,” he looked away from me before sitting up right. I stopped laughing before sitting up to look at him. 
“C’mon, Chip, I was just joking.” I moved so I was closer to him, “I’d love to get a STD from you,” I bit back my laughter as I looked at him. He glared at me again. 
“Shut up,” he muttered, looking down at the bed. I smiled before lifting a hand to his face.
“You’re the one who wants to fuck the girl you just met 4 days ago,” I pointed out as I moved to straddle his waist. He looked at me as I sat on him. “But, to be fair, I also want to have sex with the guy I met 4 days ago so it’d be a little hypocritical of me to judge you,” I shrugged. I tried really hard not to look at his cock, but it was right there… It was obvious that he was painfully hard. “Use me, Chip,” I swallowed roughly as I looked up at his face. His eyes were scanning my face as his hands were resting on my hips. I could feel his fingers digging into my skin, and I was more than happy to let that happen.
What he did next surprised me. He lifted my hips up so I was hovering over him, before slamming me on his cock. A shout came from my mouth as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I pressed my face into his shoulder as I tried to breathe properly after the sudden intrusion. 
“Fuck,” I panted before looking up at him after a moment. My muscles clenched around him as I slowly got used to his size. Chip pressed his lips to mine before carefully thrusting up into me. My hips slowly moved, meeting him at the perfect spots. His lips hardly left mine, and when they did it was only for a few moments.
“Gonna fill you up,” Chip mumbled as he pressed his lips to my neck, “Gonna put a baby in you,”
“Please! Don’t stop, fuck,” I cried, rolling my hips against his. My mouth opened around his shoulder, my teeth carefully sinking into his skin. “God,” I whined looking back up at him, “Do it, please, do it,” 
“Yeah? You like that?” Chip groaned as he brought a hand to my chest. I let out a shaky breath and nodded as he massaged my breast. “Being filled with my cum, carrying my child,” he looked up at me. I pressed my lips together and nodded, feeling myself get closer to the edge. 
“Fuck, Chip, please,” I placed my hands on either side of his face and pulling him closer to my face. I pressed my lips to his as he pulled me closer to his body, my chest pressing against his. 
My breathing grew raged as he picked up his pace. His hand dropped to where our bodies met, his finger encircling around my clit. I was pushed right to the edge, calling out his name as he called out mine. His hips faltered slightly as he filled me with his essence. 
My head dropped to his shoulder and my arms wrapped around his chest. It took a while for either of us to move, the intensity of the moment catching up with us. Although, the last few days in general were catching up with me. 
“I gotta clean you up,” Chip finally whispered after a moment. I swallowed roughly before I struggled to get off his lap. 
“You really do want to have kids with me,” I laughed as we finally broke a part, “I mean, yeah I want kids too. But not for a while,” 
“I told you, we gotta get to Iowa first,” Chip looked over at me as he got off the bed. When he noticed that I was a little nervous about that, he came over to my side, “We don’t have to go to Iowa,”
“No, no, I know… It’s just… The thought of leaving… And going with you. The other day was terrifying, with everything th-What if I just left?” 
“I know you're nervous. You have every right to be nervous. If we leave, we can get as far from that place as possible. We can find a safe place and be safe… Together,” he knelt on the ground beside me. I looked down at him and nodded, “Besides, you had the most boring life in that stupid motel,”
“True, true,” I laughed and shook my head, “You’re not going to, like, murder me… Are you?” I looked at him as I carefully grasped his hand.
“No! I wouldn’t do that! After the shit I just said to you with my cock in you? You think I’d kill you?” Chip nearly fell back on the ground, causing me to laugh again. I smiled and nodded.
“Okay, I… I guess if the worst thing you’ll do to me is get me pregnant… Then I think I’m safe.” I looked at him with a small smile, “And that’s not even bad,” I shrugged as I looked at the bed in front of me.
“I won’t murder you if you won’t murder me,” he spoke, lifting his hand and showing me his pinkie. I looked back at him and nodded.
“Promise,” I whispered before interlocking my pinkie with his. 
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yslkook · 3 years
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#deep dive (11)
#corporate masterlist summary: you receive some surprising news at work and you and jungkook go on your first mini-trip together in tokyo. word count: 11.2k warnings: cursing, alcohol, smut, a fight, discussions of mental health smut warnings- handjob, blowjob, fingering, guided masturbation, penetrative sex, overstimulation, a lil crying, excessive use of pet names lol a/n: another chapter that got away from me... our couple is moving along ladies!! as always ty @cutechim for ur inspiring enthusiasm!!
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Surprisingly, after your outburst at work, you hadn’t been reprimanded at all. Despite being nervous to show your face to your boss and your coworkers, there was apparently no need to be nervous.
Because your boss was out on “leave”. Which, as Seokjin and Namjoon had informed you, was really just a way for the senior leaders to tell your boss and his boss to get their shit together.
Much more aggressively, of course. 
You’re surprised to see your boss’s office empty and his boss’s office empty as well. And then guilt begins to seep into your bones- had you gotten them fired? It was hard enough to land a job these days, and had you done that to them?
Jungkook catches your forlorn gaze and squeezes your hand subtly as he walks with you to your cubicle. Your side of the floor is relatively quiet today, as many people were out of the office or working from home.
He sits with you in the chair in your cubicle and pulls his laptop out to do some work on this breezy morning. You quite like these impromptu working sessions with him- even if you’re (halfway) in love with him, you both know where to raise the lines of professionalism.
But you hold his hand for a second longer, and he squeezes once more.
“What if I got them fired,” You whisper, careful to keep your voice low.
“Even if they did get fired, they deserve it. For creating a toxic workplace environment,” Jungkook says, so full of conviction that you almost believe it.
“Okay,” You say uncertainly, “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” He murmurs, giving you a sweet, bunny smile, “I’m sure.”
You nod, sighing heavily. “I’ll book a conference room, can you ping Sana and let her know we have to finish those deliverables for the workshop in August? So Namjoon can get his eyes on it…”
“Can’t believe it’s already May,” Jungkook mumbles, shaking his head, “Fucking crazy.”
“I know, right?” 
You pack up your laptop and your notebook in your bag and gesture for Jungkook to follow you to the conference room. He walks behind you, wanting to catch a glimpse of the way your dark green pencil skirt hugs your hips and your ass.
Nice.
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Midway through your working meeting with Sana and Jungkook, you receive a ping from Hae-Ri herself. Jungkook raises an eyebrow at you when you stop speaking mid-sentence, your eyebrows furrowed in perplexity.
“Uh, I gotta step out for a few minutes. Can you two finish this off in the meantime?” You ask, pulling your green blazer on shoving your laptop in your bag.
“Yeah, I think we’re almost done anyway,” Sana says, eyeing you and Jungkook with suspicious eyes. She’s long suspected something was going on with you both. She’s not blind to the not so discreet heart eyes you both send each other, but she assumes you both are keeping whatever it is a secret.
Jungkook sends you a text right away. You tell him Hae-Ri asked to speak with you and that you’ll text him later.
Your heart is in your throat as you walk the two minutes to her corner office with a view but you keep your face as neutral as possible.
She’s already ushering you inside and closing the door behind her, telling you to take a seat.
“Do you want coffee or tea or water?” Hae-Ri asks, pouring herself a large cup of coffee.
“No, I’m okay, thanks,” You say, straightening your back as you try to calm your racing heart.
She sits in her big, fancy leather office chair (it looks like it costs more than the outfit on your skin) and she just looks at you, with her unnerving eyes. You say nothing, only meeting her gaze with the same intensity.
Hae-Ri breaks your impromptu staring contest first with a wide grin. 
“So,” She starts.
“So…”
“Do you know why I asked you to come in here?”
You bite your tongue, wanting to ask her “how would I know why you called me in here” but you refrain. “No…”
“Being the head of business development means that I have visibility to everything,” Hae-Ri says matter of factly, “And I’m sure you know that Namjoon and Seokjin sing your praises every chance they can.
“The reason I called you in here is because there’s an opening for a new team that’s gonna be managed under both Hyo-Jin and I. It’ll be a hybrid approach for managing new products, submissions and being part of the business strategy. The position would have a direct line to Hyo-Jin but a dotted line to me. And we think you would be a great fit for it. It’s an associate director level position…”
Associate director? You can’t help your jaw from dropping, that’s three levels up from your current position. It’s a promotion on top of a promotion.
Holy shit. Nobody’s ever recognized you in this way. You swallow a ball of emotion down your throat- of course, you complain about work, about your shitty boss. But never in your wildest dreams, could you have imagined that two of the heads in this area would recognize and recommend you.
“It’s a lot to think about and consider. The position will be posted on the internal career portal in about three weeks to a month. It’ll be a challenge, but I think you’re up to the task. Of course, there is no pressure if you choose not to apply. But talent and leadership should not go unrecognized.”
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When you tell Jungkook what Hae-Ri said to you in the safety of your car, he’s far more excited than you are. He kisses your cheeks, your forehead, your lips and you can’t help but laugh at his antics.
“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” Jungkook breathes, “About time these people got their shit together-”
“It’s a lot to think about,” You muse, “A promotion of three levels? That hardly ever happens…”
“That just shows how incredibly amazing my hot, sexy, girlfriend is,” Jungkook says, earning himself a swat of his shoulder by your hand, “And it shows how shitty your boss was to let you fly under the radar for this long.”
You give him a small smile. “I have a few weeks to think about it before it gets posted. Hae-Ri said it should be up in mid-June…”
“We gotta celebrate,” Jungkook insists, dropping another kiss to your glossy lips. You laugh, feeling a little giddy along with him.
“It’s not premature?”
“We’re only celebrating the mere possibility.”
“Okay,” You nod, “Let’s go for drinks tonight with our friends? But can we just keep it between us? I don’t want to jinx anything.”
“Yeah, it can be our secret for now,” Jungkook winks, his hoops shaking as he laughs with you, “Stay the night tonight?”
“Maybe, I’ll see if Grandma is okay,” You murmur and Jungkook nods. A squeal (one that you’ll later deny) leaves your lips when Jungkook pulls you into his lap and presses kisses up and down the column of your neck.
“Now lemme show my girl how proud I am of her.”
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It’s another night, a warm sticky night in June, where Jungkook stays over your house for the weekend. You don’t like leaving Grandma alone, despite her insistence that you have your own life. Jungkook understands, and it was actually him who had suggested spending the weekend at your place.
Your heart flutters at the thought of him. He had a late Friday meeting and had told you he’d meet you at your house around seven or eight that evening, and had subtly squeezed your hand in your cubicle in goodbye.
That was a few hours ago, and Jungkook had texted you letting you know that he was on his way. He had stopped by to bring flowers, a bottle of wine and some pastries for you and Grandma. They were Grandma’s favorites.
Grandma had insisted on making dinner for you and Jungkook, despite your protests. Your favorite aromas linger in the air and you contemplate having a few bites before Jungkook even arrives. You try to reach for a piece of mandu but Grandma swats your hand away, admonishing you for trying to eat before your boyfriend and guest even arrived.
Boyfriend. What a strange word.
A series of knocks. You eagerly step towards the front door, ignoring Grandma’s not so quiet snicker. 
“Hi,” You breathe out, feeling a little flustered. As if you hadn’t just seen him a few hours ago at work.
“Hi, sweet girl,” Jungkook says with a small upturn of his lips and you press a chaste kiss to his lips. It surprises him, how often you kiss him in front of Grandma. Even if they are quick, chaste kisses.
“You gonna invite him in or just stand there and let him get cold?” Grandma says from the dining room, peering over to you both with a hand on her hip.
“Yeah, you gonna let me get cold?” Jungkook asks with a wink and you groan. They always tag team you, but you don’t mind. In fact, you love it. You love that your boyfriend and your only remaining member of your family get along.
You pull him inside and take his bag from him, finally seeing the flowers, bottle of wine and box in his arms. 
“What’s all this?” You ask with widened eyes, “You didn’t have to, Jungkook…”
He always brings something when he comes over, and you always say those words to him. 
“His parents raised him better than to come to someone’s house empty handed,” Grandma says in approval, making Jungkook’s heart soar. Whenever Grandma gives an inclination that she likes him, it makes him smile. It’s endearing. You rub his cheek with your thumb affectionately and he scrunches his nose at your touch.
“I’ll go put your stuff upstairs,” You murmur, rubbing his back warmly and leaving him with Grandma. Jungkook pulls the sleeves of his sweater to his elbows to help Grandma put the food on the dining table, and your heart constricts at how well he fits with you in your cozy home.
You return to find three glasses of wine filled and a plate already set for you across from Jungkook. 
“Food’s so good, Grandma,” Jungkook moans, after nearly inhaling his entire plate. And then some.
“No thanks to your girlfriend,” Grandma snorts and shoots you a teasing smile when you protest loudly.
“Hey! You insisted!” 
You pout at both of them when they laugh at your expense, but their laughter makes you smile. Grandma asks Jungkook how work is going, how his family is. You only smile fondly at both of them, taking a backseat from the conversation. It amazes you, how quickly he’s taken to Grandma. You thought it would’ve taken a little more to pull him out of his shell. But he surprises you, as he usually does.
You clear the table and pour another glass of wine for you and Jungkook, who’s turning on your television to browse what movies or shows are available for watching. 
You sit next to him after dimming the lights, careful with the two glasses of wine. He’s careful about touching you, not wanting to offend or make you or Grandma uncomfortable. 
It’s endearing. You only smile at him, pulling the blankets up to cover you both and lean your head on his shoulder. He tenses up immediately, wanting to reluctantly move away from your touch but you squeeze his forearm in reassurance.
Grandma says nothing as she watches you both, only casting a knowing look to Jungkook. 
His cheeks flush at her gaze and he sinks deeper under the blankets, hiding his warm cheeks from Grandma. Grandma only chuckles to herself and you’re oblivious to both of them, eyes focused on the movie.
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Grandma had long gone to bed, and you and Jungkook are cuddled under the blankets. Jungkook watches the movie raptly, oblivious to your stolen glances and almost touches. You sigh, wrapping an arm around his bicep and nosing at his neck. You absently push his hair away from his eyes, the pads of your fingers dancing over his scalp. It takes a few moments of you nipping his neck, your lips wet and warm against his skin for him to turn his gaze to you.
“Can I help you?” Jungkook asks, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Yeah,” You breathe, “Let’s go to bed, baby.”
“But the movie,” Jungkook protests, his lips breaking into a wide smile at the furrow of your brow, “I’m only kidding. We can watch the movie in bed after all, right?”
You roll your eyes, shoving his shoulder playfully but he acquiesces. 
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You get through all of ten minutes of the movie once you settle in between his legs in your bed. Jungkook’s chin is over your shoulder, arms wrapped around your waist loosely. You wonder if he can hear your heart beating right out of your chest. He holds you so easily, as if he was always meant to fit between the spaces of your body.
You’ve changed into your pajamas, just a shirt and some shorts and Jungkook has as well. Into an oversized shirt and his boxers. 
Jungkook fully looks like your boyfriend, your baby, and it sends a wave of affection through you. Turning your head and shifting to look at him. His cut jaw calls for your attention and you press your lips there, to his neck and finally to his own lips.
“Can’t believe you’re mine,” You mumble, running your fingers through his dark hair.
“Are you mine?” Jungkook asks, pressing his forehead to yours. A smart comment is on the tip of your tongue, but it disappears from your mind quickly. The way he’s looking at you, as if you hold all of his warmth, makes you curl further into him and drop another kiss to his lips.
“Yes,” You exhale and your cheeks heat up when you pluck the courage to run a hand over his chest. Jungkook finds your shyness endearing- for someone a little rough around the edges, he’s not surprised at your softness.
“Baby,” Jungkook murmurs, the term of affection still making your heart lurch, “You can touch, sweet girl. ‘M all yours.”
You swallow, a little nervously. “Me too,” You say softly, “Want you to touch me, baby.” You lean your head on his shoulder, tugging him down to you and meet his lips eagerly. You deepen the kiss quickly, a moan slipping out of your mouth without realizing. You could kiss him for hours, the soft feel of his smooth lips against yours is addicting. Flurries of butterflies erupt in your belly when he nips your bottom lip playfully and you moan again, the sound shooting straight through Jungkook.
He pulls away for a breath, looking at you with hooded eyes. You’re about to dip your head for another kiss but he ducks his head to plaster his lips to your neck. The wetness of his tongue slides along the column of your neck, before he gently kisses you behind your ear. If you were standing, your knees would have buckled surely. Jungkook cups your face gently, rubbing your cheek as he buries his face in your neck.
“Jungkook,” You breathe and he coaxes an unexpected moan from your throat when he sucks and soothes your collarbones.
Jungkook pulls away with reddened lips and you immediately push your lips to his without missing a breath. He’s itching to let his hands roam, to squeeze and hike your shirt up around your waist before peeling it off altogether.
You run your tongue over his bottom lip teasingly and press your chest flat against his. He’s been so patient with you, taking it as slow as you had needed to. Jungkook has been following your lead this whole time, not wanting to overwhelm you. But you’ve been ready for him to take the lead and teach you. The last thing he wants to do is make you feel pressured.
And honestly, all Jungkook wants to do is make you feel good. And learn what you like and don’t like. He doesn’t think you even know what you like. He has a feeling of a few things that he is excited to explore with you.
Jungkook is not surprised when you take his hand and pull it under your shirt. The pads of his fingertips, brush lightly against your sides. You gasp at the sudden spark of his hands against your skin and impatiently slide up against him for more friction.
His hands are so big, so much bigger than your own, dotted in tattoos. You can hardly believe these are the hands that are squeezing you so gently and adoringly. But you’re impatient, and you pull your sleep shirt up and off of your frame to toss it to the side.
You want more. You want more of him and you don’t want slow. You want soft, but you’re ready for something a little more.
“My pretty girl,” Jungkook purrs, thumbs flitting over your tits, “Does my pretty girl want somethin’?”
“Just want you,” You mumble.
“Tell me,” Jungkook murmurs, fingers tracing over your tattoos with a featherlight touch.
“Want you to touch me,” You nearly whine, and he grins in satisfaction. One of these days, he’ll teach you what it means to beg. But not today. He palms your breasts, moaning into your neck just at the feel of your soft flesh in his hands. 
The sight of his tattooed hands on yours, his tattooed arms around you sends another bolt of arousal down your spine.
Your eyes close of their own volition when he pinches your nipple, a silent sound caught in your throat. And then his pliant mouth replaces his fingers, warm breath fanning over your chest. Arousal shoots down your spine and you squeeze your legs together without realizing it. 
It’s clear that he knows what he’s doing- not that you had any doubt in your mind about that. He’s told you that he’s had two serious girlfriends in college and the beginning of graduate school. You’re certain there were hookups in between and after. 
Your hips buck up, grinding into the air as you squirm in his arms. “Stay still,” Jungkook murmurs. You can’t help it, not really. But you try to listen anyway. “Open your eyes,” He coaxes you.
When you meet his eyes, they’re slick with desire and adoration. For you.
“Good girl,” He says, his voice low. The low timber of his voice sends a shudder through you and your eyes widen. Jungkook’s lips twist into a smirk.
“Will you let me make you feel good?” Jungkook asks, his hand ghosting over your thighs. Your hips jump at the sensation and he squeezes your waist. You nod eagerly. “Tell me, baby,” He says, his lips leaving trails of kisses down your chest and your belly.
“Yes,” You gasp, “Jungkook, please-”
He gives you a bright, bunny smile and your heart skips a beat. Adjusting you so that your back is flat against his chest, he kisses the back of your neck. His touch is constant on you- your belly, your waist, your breasts.
Jungkook palms your clothed pussy and you gasp sharply at the buzzing sensation suddenly filling your head. You reach behind him to wrap your arm around his head and tug on his hair impatiently as he rubs against you with quicker paces. 
You wonder if he even knows what he’s doing to you. From the wetness staining your panties, he just might find out soon enough. 
“Show me how you touch yourself, baby,” Jungkook murmurs, his voice husky in your ear. You’re certain cotton is filling his brain, because there’s no way he just asked you that.
“What?” You ask, and Jungkook chuckles at your speechlessness.
“Didn’t hear me?” Jungkook says, “Show me how you touch yourself.”
You’re stunned into submission, peering up at him with hazy eyes. Keeping your eyes on him, you shrug out of your shorts and your underwear in one fell swoop, leaving you completely bare for his gaze. Goosebumps rise on your skin when he says nothing, only drinking you in with wide, thirsty eyes.
Jungkook swallows. “Fuck.”
“What?” You ask, beginning to panic at his lack of a reaction. You close your legs instinctively but he pushes your knees apart, giving him a view of your glistening folds.
“Had such a big crush on you in school,” Jungkook mutters, “You didn’t even know, baby. And now I get to see you like this. Because you gave us a chance.
“And you’re so fuckin’ pretty,” Jungkook says, tugging your jaw to him and dropping a deep kiss to your lips.
“Thought you wanted a show,” You quirk the corner of your lips up and he chuckles against your neck. His hands tighten around your waist, pulling you closer to him and you feel something hard poking at your ass.
It makes your stomach flip. You bring your knees up to your chest and spread your legs wider. Jungkook’s breaths are staggered in your ear and he squeezes your tits as your hands slide down your chest to your pussy. You rub your clit, your hips jolting immediately and Jungkook holds you steady. 
You tease yourself, your touch barely there as your clit throbs. “Look at you, pretty girl,” Jungkook murmurs. You circle your clit with your middle finger, gathering your wetness before Jungkook seizes your hand.
It appears he’s growing impatient, too.
His much longer fingers replace yours, the touch sending another bolt of electricity through you. You imagine what Jungkook’s fingers feel like against you almost all the time, but reality is so much better than your daydreams. He rubs you lazily and you whine, wanting him to go faster. You put your hand over his as he circles your clit.
You don’t even realize that you’re moaning and squirming, pushing back against his hard cock purposefully. “Be quiet, baby,” Jungkook whispers, nipping your earlobe, “Grandma’s only a few doors down…”
Jungkook makes you feel like you’re in your own world, thoughts filled with nothing but sinful honey and him. You whimper as he rubs your clit faster and faster, your thighs beginning to close to lock his fingers in place.
“Jungkook,” You moan, cheeks heating up at the pitchiness of your voice. Jungkook hums in response, only pressing his lips to your neck and his other hand to your chest. You push back against him harshly, back pressed into his chest as if you’re trying to mold yourself into him.
You writhe in his hold, not used to the feeling of his long, thick fingers rubbing your folds. Jungkook pushes a finger into your throbbing pussy once you’re slick and you shiver, a broken sort of noise escaping your lips. Your moans are loud, and Jungkook is pleased but he presses his lips to yours to swallow your soft noises.
Your grip around his wrist is tight, as if to tether yourself to him. “Hey,” Jungkook says softly, nipping at your earlobe again, “Look, baby. Watch me, look how your pussy was made for me. You’re so wet, sweet girl…”
Glancing down to where his fingers were gliding in and out of your wetness easily, you let out another choked noise. He slips another finger into your pussy and you let out a shuddering gasp of his name, your nails digging into his wrist. The lewd sounds of his fingers in your wetness fills your bedroom and if you weren’t so consumed by thoughts of him, you might be almost embarrassed.
“Kook,” You mumble, your hips grinding into his touch to feel as much of him as you can, “Kook, feels so good…” You snake a hand behind you to sink into his dark hair and tug lightly, pulling a soft groan from him.
“Good girl,” Jungkook murmurs, leaving hot, open mouthed kisses down the column of your neck, “My good girl, my dream girl-”
Another rush of wetness floods his fingers at his words and he smirks into your sweaty skin. Your ass is pressed up against his hardened cock, but he wants to make you feel good first. He can worry about himself later. He bucks his hips into your ass and you push back at the feel of his clothed cock against you.
Your thighs begin to shake, a coil beginning to snap in your belly. It’s more powerful than it’s ever been- your own fingers had never brought you to the edge like this.
“You’re close, right?” Jungkook nearly slurs, high off of the sound of your noises, “My pretty girl’s gonna cum all over my fingers?”
You tug his hair harder and nod furiously, hips still bucking into his fingers. It only takes a few more rubs of your clit and pumps of his fingers for you to gasp and arch your back off of his chest. Jungkook immediately plasters his lips to yours to silence the sound of you cumming.
He’ll have to hear them fully. He needs to. But not tonight.
You pull away to gasp for air and your chest is heaving, eyes wide at the force of your orgasm from just his fingers alone. “Jungkook,” You mumble, wanting to see him. You turn in his hold, finally facing him and he’s just as lust blown as you.
You give him a lazy smile and wrap your arms around him, nosing at his neck. Before he can say anything to you, you roll your hips into his, meeting his clothed hardness. Jungkook drops his head against the headboard, groaning softly. His hands are planted firmly on your bare hips and you seemingly don’t mind that he’s fully clothed while you’re not.
“Rock with me, baby,” He murmurs, burying his face in your chest. Your legs are on either side of his hips and you comply easily, your breath hitching when he kisses marks soothingly over your breasts.
You wonder if you’re about to have the pleasure of seeing Jungkook cum again- it’s always beautiful, like the rest of him. Your hips feel like home to him, he squeezes and swats your ass gently. You only grin at him, pressing your forehead to his. His eyes nearly close in pleasure but he keeps them open, wanting to see you moving with him. A wet spot forms on his boxers from both of your arousals and he knows he’s about to cum soon-
And you do, too. 
“Y’r g’nna make me cum in my pants, like I’m fifteen,” Jungkook pants, eyes straining to stay open to watch you.
“Or like you’re twenty-one and you’re obsessed with your mentor,” You breathe, earning yourself a pinch to your waist, “Kook, ‘m close again…” You never cum this quickly after the first time. Jungkook brings out the best parts of you, it seems.
“Me too, baby,” He grunts into your skin, harshly covering your lips with his own. A spark blooms in your belly, slowly spreading and warming you up from within. It’s much slower and less intense than your first orgasm, but just as delicious. You’re sensitive as he rocks his hips into yours and you whine softly at the feeling.
You move to sit on his thigh and your hands shake for a moment before scratching his chest with your freshly done nails. Then his abs. Then his navel. 
“Can I?” You mumble.
“Can you what, baby?” Jungkook asks, amusement still in his eyes. You huff. He’s really going to make you say it.
“Wanna feel you, baby,” You murmur, meeting his eyes, “Wanna feel your cock in my hand-”
“‘M yours, pretty girl,” He replies easily, taking your wrist in his hand. You palm him from outside his boxers and you both groan- you from how big he is, and him from how warm your hand feels against him.
You shyly dip your hand down the waistband of his boxers but he stops you for a second. He wordlessly moves you from his thigh to the bed to slip out of his boxers so that he’s bare to you as well. After all, it’s only fair.
You can’t stop the soft gasp that leaves your lips or the way that your eyes zero in on his leaking cock. He’s so big in your hands and you can’t help but lick your dry, parched lips. Your cheeks are warm and for once, you have nothing to say- no quip, no snarky remark. 
You tug on his shirt impatiently- how had you allowed him to be wearing clothes for this long? Pulling his shirt off of him and tossing it to the floor, you allow yourself the luxury of letting your hands roam his honeyed skin. He’s somehow both cut and soft, tight and supple.
Despite the number of times you’ve seen him like this, you can never get used to it. Even if it’s not the first time his cock is hot and heavy in your hands, you can’t help but trace his tattoos with your free hand and feel a little in over your head.
“Kook,” You murmur, curling close into his side and drawing your knees up to your chest, “Baby, teach me.”
Jungkook groans, the sincerity in your voice making his stomach flip. He takes your hand and squeezes before guiding you to the tip of his reddened cock. You experimentally palm his cock, smearing his leaking pre-cum over his cock and he gasps, burying his face in your shoulder.
You stroke him slowly, watching and listening for his breaths. They’re heavy against your skin and he tightens his grip around your waist, trying to melt into you. 
“Faster, baby,” Jungkook says, his voice wrecked, “‘m so close-”
You pump him faster in your hands, making sure to be gentle with your grip. Jungkook looks down, marvelling at how big he looks in your hands. 
“Am I doing okay, Jungkook?” You whisper, dark eyes wide and unsure. With hooded eyes, he groans and kisses you, and you feel his moans vibrating through your body. He’s so close- he can feel himself starting to come undone, and with another few pumps, he comes all over your hand. Some of his cum splatters on his belly but he pays it no mind, only focusing on regulating his breaths. Without thinking, you lick at the tips of your fingers and swallow the little bit of his cum that landed on your hands. 
“I’ll go get a tissue to clean you up,” You whisper, searching for your shirt. When you find it, you stand up on shaky legs, only for him to yank you back towards the bed.
“Jungkook,” You scold lightly, and he presses his face into your belly.
“You believe me when I say you’re my dream girl,” Jungkook murmurs, ignoring your noise of protest. He looks up at you with bright, sparkling eyes. You swallow nervously, unable to handle the sudden bubbling of adoration you hold for this man.
“Put your boxers on, Jeon,” You mumble, pushing yourself off of him. You hear him laugh fondly. He knows you too well, he knows you’re repeating his words in your head. You emerge from the bathroom, looking a little unsure but still determined. Your hands tremble a little as you attempt to clean him up and he covers your hand with his own to guide you. Jungkook watches you flit around the room before standing up and tugging his boxers on.
He stands up and wraps his arms around your waist, his hands dipping under your shirt. Being in his arms immediately calms you down in gentle waves. He’s become such a calming pillar, a welcomed force in your life. You don’t think even your wildest, most romantic dreams could have ever conjured up someone like him.
Maybe he’s your dream boy, too.
Jungkook drops a kiss to your cheek, walking you back to the bed and laying you on top of it. He pulls the covers up over both of you and is half on top of you. You lean in for a kiss, stars shining in your eyes as you look at him. His legs tangle with yours when he meets your lips and pulls you in close.
“Goodnight,” You whisper when you pull away, “I think you’re my dream boy that I didn’t know I was dreamin’ about.”
With that, you turn your head so he doesn’t see how flustered you are. Your cheeks meet the cool material of your pillow and you pretend not to hear his low chuckle. He only squeezes your waist and murmurs a soft ‘goodnight’ to you.
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You’d submitted your application for the associate director position that Hae-Ri had recommended you to apply to. You’d already had the first round of interviews, with the person who would be your direct manager and with Hae-Ri herself. And then you had another interview with Hyo-Jin.
You felt at ease and it felt more like a conversation than an actual interview. Which Jungkook and Jin tell you is because you made the smart decision to get to know them both months ago, before you decided you wanted a shift in your career.
But then Hae-Ri dropped the bombshell on you after the series of interviews. To be in the position, she recommended you finish your masters program at the graduate school you dropped out of (or any grad school that had the same degree). She said the company would pay for it and you could do it while you worked.
But still. It left a sour, angry taste in your mouth.
Jungkook knows, somewhere in the back of his mind. That the words that are about to spill out of his mouth are going to upset you. But he says them anyway, because he thinks you need to hear them-
“If Hae-Ri said that she had a spot for you if you went back to school while working for her,” Jungkook says slowly, “Then isn’t it a no brainer? Your boss sucks, you complain about him and you deserve-”
“Back to school?” You scoff, “Everyone’s gonna be so much younger than me-”
“What does that matter? It’s just a year, and you’ll have your masters degree! Yeah, it’ll be hard to do it with work but you can-”
“I don’t wanna go back!” You exclaim (maybe a little childishly), and cross your arms over your chest. Annoyance seeps into you and you try your best not to get irritated at Jungkook. You know there is truth in his words but you don’t want to hear it just yet.
You’re not ready to face school again. You’re not ready to be at the same place that you had found out Appa had passed away. You’re not ready. Or are you?
“Why not! You don’t need to go back right away, Hae-Ri said-”
“I know what she said,” You say sharply, pinching the bridge of your nose with your brows furrowed, “You don’t need to repeat to me what she said, Jungkook.”
“I don’t understand,” Jungkook says flatly.
You start to notice his eyes losing its usual warmth, reminding you of the days when he would look at you so coldly.
You shiver. He instinctively reaches for you and you let him hold you close for a minute.
But the words come tumbling out of you, your cheeks blazing and ears burning, before you can stop them. 
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” You mutter and he drops his hand from your waist as if he’s been burned.
Ice crawls through your veins, dousing you in something cold and unforgiving. You’re hurting him (again), and you can’t stop yourself. You can hardly stand yourself.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jungkook whispers, looking a little lost and a little heartbroken.
“It means you wouldn’t understand being too unable to take care of yourself to go to school,” You say, eyes narrow and jaw steeled, “It means everything’s come easy to you, Jungkook- fucking school, this fucking job-”
“That’s not fucking fair,” Jungkook says with a frown, “You’re deflecting and you’re being mean-”
You laugh. Mirthlessly. The hollowness seeping into your eyes makes Jungkook’s skin crawl.
“That’s me, baby. All I’m good at is deflecting and being mean. You haven’t caught on yet?”
“Stop,” Jungkook says firmly, hurt seeping into his voice as he levels his watery gaze at you, “You’re pushing me away. Stop it, baby.”
“Am I wrong?” You sneer, pressing your nails into your biceps. It hurts. You’re hurting him, it’s hurting you and you can’t stop running your mouth. You can’t stop the acid on your tongue or the daggers in your eyes.
You’re reacting this way just from the mere mention of going back to school. Pathetic.
“You have an opportunity to move ahead and you’re being stubborn about it because you don’t want to go back to school? I’m sure there are a lot of fucking hard memories associated with grad school but don’t take that out on me for wanting better for you,” Jungkook says coldly. While his eyes are icy, you still see the shine of unshed tears in them.
“I’m not being stubborn-”
“From all of this, that’s your response? That you’re not being stubborn?” Jungkook struggles not to raise his voice at you, feeling his chest burn with hurt.
“What else do you want me to say, Jungkook?” You throw your hands up in frustration, “I can’t make you understand-”
“I’m not telling you to make me understand,” Jungkook says, “I’m telling you to consider your future and your capabilities, you’re the one who fucking complains about work all the time-”
“Oh, well, sorry that we can’t be everyone’s fucking golden boy at work-”
“If you’re not gonna do anything about it, then don’t fucking complain-”
“Seriously? I can’t complain to my boyfriend now?”
“You’re missing the point, baby,” Jungkook sighs in irritation, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I can’t talk to you right now, not when you refuse to listen, and when you’re being spiteful.”
“W-what? What does that mean?” You say, nearly all of the fire extinguished from your belly at his words. He starts to put his jacket on, unable to look you in the eyes because if he does, he knows he’ll cry.
“W-wait, Jungkook,” You mumble, tugging his hand but he pulls it back as if you’ve burned him again, “Baby-”
“I can’t-” He squeezes his eyes shut, not noticing a few tears leak out. Your heart breaks in front of you- clearly you were too wrapped up in your own spiral of defense to realize how much your words were hurting him. “I don’t wanna be around you right now. Not if you’re gonna hurt me like this.”
“I’m-”
“I know you didn’t mean it, but you said it for a reason,” Jungkook says. His words make you tear up. “We can talk when you figure out why.”
“Jungkook,” You mumble, wanting to touch him but afraid he’ll reject you again, “Wait, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry-”
He looks at you long and hard, heart cracking a little bit at the sight of your sad eyes. But you did this and you need to figure out why you were so defensive over going back to school. He deserves better than you lashing out at him for the mere mention of it. He knows it and you know it.
Jungkook wants to kiss your tears away, but he’s hurting, too.
You want to ask for a kiss, for a text when he gets home. But you don’t, and he’s almost out of the front door before he turns on his heel and brushes his lips over your hair. 
You feel salty tears drop from your eyes with his touch as he leaves you with an unspoken ultimatum.
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You end up texting Jungkook an hour after he left your house, just wanting to make sure he got home safely. It takes him ten minutes from when you sent the text for him to respond with a simple ‘yes’ and you’re too nervous to text him anything other than a simple ‘okay’.
You hold your head in your hands and groan to yourself, rubbing your temples. 
How could you say the things you said to him so easily, without regard for how it might hurt him? Just because the topic of school always set you off- and it always has for the last five years and change. No matter how much time has gone by, how far you’ve come in therapy… there’s always something.
You bury yourself under your covers and sniffle, finally letting yourself cry. A hole starts to unzip inside your chest and all you want to do is bury yourself in it. Your words to him, to the man who always has treated you with nothing but kindness and smiles, ring heavy in your ears.
He’s too good for you. He’s too good for you- he’s too golden and good for you. You’ll only bring him down, won’t you? With all of this baggage that he didn’t sign up for. There was no reason for you to verbally spit in his face like that.
His cold, hurt eyes are haunting. You can’t believe you put that look on his face. You’ve been on the receiving end of it because of your own actions too many times now.
It makes your heart ache and it makes you cry harder into your pillow. You don’t know how long it is that you lay there, but at some point, Grandma crawls into your bed with you and holds your head in her lap. She rubs your back as you cry and sniffle your heart out.
By the time Grandma gently coaxes you to tell her what happened, your chest hurts and your eyes are puffy and rimmed red. She only sighs and lays with you in silence, until she sighs again in that way that you know she’s going to voice her opinion to you.
“He only wants you to have a future that you deserve, even if that means confronting things you don’t want to confront,” Grandma says wisely, “Even if you don’t want to hear it for him.”
“I know. Shit, I know. I hurt him, I hurt him bad,” You mumble, fresh tears pooling in your eyes at the thought of his big, brown eyes looking at you in that heartbroken way.
Another forlorn sigh. “You can fix it. Just talk to him, sweetheart.”
“I know. I will. I don’t think he wants to talk to me right now. I think I should have a therapy appointment first,” You groan, rubbing your eyes, “I don’t know why the thought of school sets me off so easily. And Kook is the last person… I hate that I hurt him.”
“I think you know why the thought of school sets you off,” Grandma says, giving you a knowing look.
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It takes you a few days of self reflection (and actively not spiraling into the very tempting black hole of self loathing) to finally understand your reaction to Jungkook suggesting you go back to school. 
It’s not like you haven’t had a similar explosive reaction before- Jin has always tiptoed about it with you. And Grandma has stopped bringing it up because you always shut down when the topic arises.
Perhaps now is a good time to examine why- after all, you’d only hurt your boyfriend’s feelings so much that he can barely stand to speak to you apparently. You both have been speaking normally, sharing chaste kisses when you can but you can tell he’s holding back a little, to give you both the space you need.
It’s only been a few days but you’re so sad without him. Knowing that you hurt him the way you did.
Jungkook feels like he overreacted a bit. He doesn’t want you to figure this out alone- he didn’t mean to just leave. But he couldn’t stand it, he couldn’t stand how… mean you were being. Mostly, he couldn’t stand how he knew you were doing it on purpose, to get him to drop the topic.
He hopes you can come to an understanding with yourself. But he wants you to lean on him when you need to as well.
So when you text him asking if you can come over later that evening, he immediately says yes.
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You don’t text Jungkook when you arrive, only knocking at his door. He greets you with surprised eyes and pulls you inside immediately, pulling you into a tight hug right away.
He feels as if it’s been forever since he held you last.
“Hi, honey,” You mumble, feeling tired with longing, “These are for you.” 
It’s a bouquet of some of his favorite flowers, his favorite purples and pinks in your hands and he wants to kiss you in gratitude, but he follows your lead.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Jungkook replies and takes your bag after putting the flowers in a vase and takes your hand, leading you to his bedroom. You feel a little nervous, afraid of how much you might have hurt him. Afraid of what he thinks of you now.
But he pulls you into his arms and cradles your face in his hands, the tips of his fingers melting into the warmth of your skin. Your eyes well up with tears for no reason and it stuns you that this man affects you to this degree. Maybe you should be a little more surprised, but you’re not. Not really.
“Hi, baby,” He says quietly and your heart seizes. Jungkook says your name again and pulls you into his chest for another longer hug and you hum into the warmth of his torso. Your hands are hesitant, yearning to touch his arms, his chest, his face. But you have a lot you want to say before any of that so you pull away reluctantly and sit on his bed.
“C’mon, let’s lay,” Jungkook murmurs, pushing his black and grey duvet and squeezing your hand. You feel a little lightheaded but you follow his lead, relaxing in his embrace as he cuddles you from behind. His chin is hooked over your shoulder, arms tight around your waist, lips brushing over your neck. You hold his tattooed forearm, mindlessly drawing lines and circles over his skin.
“I have to say something,” You finally mumble after a few minutes and turn in his arms to face him. His touch is never too far, always around you- always gravitating to you and making you feel warm and safe.
“Okay,” Jungkook says, eyes wider than you’ve possibly ever seen him. You can’t help but want to kiss him, but you hold back. Just until you say what you need to say.
His hands are soothing over your back as he encourages you. So you tell him- you tell him how your last therapy appointment went. You tell him how you’ve reacted this way to anyone who bothered to bring school up to you whether it’s Jin or Grandma. You tell him how the thought of graduate school instantly takes you back to the day you were in class and you received a phone call from the hospital telling you that your father had passed away. 
You tell him how sometimes it feels like you’re living in a movie, a never-ending reel of the worst thing to happen in your near 30 years of life. But…
“It doesn’t feel so terrible these days,” You murmur, “It feels like an ache most times. But not as overwhelming as before… I think maybe I didn’t- I didn’t handle my grief in the best way. And it took me this long to realize it.
“You know, I started realizing it when I saw you that first day. In the office. When I was such a bitch to you-”
Jungkook stops the self-deprecating spill of your lips with a chaste kiss.
“You… you’ve changed me in a lot of ways, Jungkook. And I know we haven’t been together all that long,” You whisper, your voice choked and low, “I always want to be better for you, with you-”
You sigh, squeezing your eyes shut as your throat closes up. This is hard for you, to bare your heart out like this. But if there’s anyone you want to be vulnerable for, it’s Jungkook.
“What I’m trying to say is… you’re right. I can’t keep living in the past when I have opportunities to be better and it’ll be hard work to dissect those feelings but… I want to do it. And I’m sorry for what I said, for taking all of that out on you. You didn’t deserve that-”
“I’m sorry, too,” Jungkook murmurs, surprising you, “For telling you that you shouldn’t complain. Of course you should complain. And I want to be the one you complain to. I’m sorry for just… leaving when you were clearly going through something.”
“Jungkook, no,” You shake your head and push his hair back, thumbs gentle over his cheeks, “If you need space from me or for anything… you never need to feel bad or guilty for that.”
“Okay,” He says almost shyly, “I know it must have been hard to talk about this. So, I’m proud of you.”
“Yeah, but… I want to make this work with you more than I’m afraid of facing those memories and fears. And just in general, I mean, I just want to try to be better. And you’re worth it, Koo-”
He holds your face in his hands, eyes drawn to yours- stars meeting stars and you sink into his sheets at the calm, welcoming fire in his gaze. His lips are on yours before you can blink, swallowing any potential noise of protest that might come out of your mouth.
It’s only been a few days but you missed Jungkook, you missed his warm smile, the heat of his hands, the comfort of his broad shoulders and the way he fits against you. His nose is pressed to your neck, large hands instantly floating under your shirt to feel as much of you as he can.
“Koo,” You mumble, pushing lightly at his chest, “Are we okay? Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Jungkook mumbles, pressing his lips to the corner of your mouth. He tastes a bit like his mango chapstick (his current favorite). He leaves his lips near yours, pressing his cheek to yours as much as he can. You thread your fingers through his hair, dancing along his scalp and he sighs contentedly. “We’re okay and I’m okay. I wanna be here with you while we get through this together. Are you okay?”
You hum in agreement and wrap a leg around his waist, suddenly feeling very, very tired. His shirt is loose in your grip- he can tell how exhausted you are. Because he’s exhausted, too. Jungkook only holds you close under his covers and waits for your breaths to even out before falling asleep, too.
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When August comes around, the final workshop for the big submission does, too. The last workshop will take place in Tokyo, which you’re excited about. Because you and Jungkook had decided to go to Tokyo to spend the weekend together. Meaning you’d be leaving on Friday evening to reach Tokyo around 9:30 PM.
You’d made sure Grandma would be okay, insisting that she call you or call Seokjin if anything happened. She scoffs at you but reassures you that she will. She says she’ll be spending most of her time with her close friends in the area, anyway.
You’ve only been dating Jungkook for four or five months now, and teetering on the edge of something more for maybe six months. You wonder if it feels too fast- the speed with which you open your bleeding heart up to him should scare you, but it doesn’t. It feels natural with him. 
You’ve both voiced your concerns to each other- fear that you were moving fast and would tire of each other. Or that you were moving too fast to properly assess your feelings.
But both of you agreed that you both felt comfortable and trusted each other enough to speak up if you were uncomfortable. So traveling together for a weekend didn’t feel terribly out of your comfort zone.
You were excited to be with him completely alone, too. Without the stress of work or Taehyung or Grandma to hear you.
Jungkook thinks you both need time alone, too. To see how you’d work as a pair. 
You’d taken it upon yourself to plan a few things around Tokyo for the weekend. You wanted to take him to a few places that Appa used to take you to. Maybe it was too much for a fresh relationship, but you want him to see the parts of you that grew up here, too.
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You feel incredibly exposed, your heart and soul on display as you hold Jungkook’s hand in yours. Old memories of Appa and of this park spill from your lips fondly and Jungkook only listens with wide, sparkling eyes. Vulnerability drips from your tongue and he swallows it up eagerly.
A light breeze ruffles through his hair and you stop him mid-stride to stand by the lake. The clear water glimmers with the sun, blue and purple petals floating over the water slowly. You lean over the railing and Jungkook encases you with his arms on either side of you, his chest pressed to your back.
“We used to fly kites here,” You say wistfully, “Right over there-”
You point at the other side of the lake where trees shroud the corners with brightly colored leaves. “And always get food from the food carts right outside the park.
“And this is where I was that one time we were here for the workshop. I came here before that happy hour, too.”
Jungkook kisses your cheek and you lean back, letting your head rest over his shoulder as his arms snake around your waist. There’s nobody around, even though it’s relatively early in the morning. The only sounds that can be heard are your own breaths, and the softness of the birds chirping and the wind whistling.
“The happy hour when the night before I hurt your feelings,” You murmur, “I’m sorry I said everything I said to you. And I’m so sorry I was so… mean and bitter to you in the beginning. You didn’t deserve that.”
You turn in his arms, wanting to see him, and cup his cheek. Letting your thumb trace the mole below his lip and over his cheeks.
“I’m scared,” You confess, “I’m scared that I’ll ruin you and break your heart. Because I’m still in pieces sometimes. I like you so much but shouldn’t I seek love from someone else only after I learn to love myself?”
“I can love you as you learn,” Jungkook murmurs, kissing your forehead, “Self-love doesn’t mean you don’t have to accept love from others, baby.”
Another strong breeze tickles your face, caressing Jungkook almost tenderly. “Sometimes I like to pretend like winds like that are Appa and he’s saying hello,” You say sheepishly with a watery laugh, “I think he likes you.
“I’m scared, Jungkook. But I want to be scared with you,” You exhale, tears dotting your eyes and a small smile on your face. 
Jungkook pulls you close to his chest, wrapping his arms around you tightly and rubbing your back soothingly. “‘M gonna take care of your heart, princess. You’re always safe with me.”
You immediately burst into tears, because you trust him with your soft heart and you believe him. He only smiles at you, tears rolling down his own cheeks as he thumbs yours away. Jungkook kisses you softly, squeezing your cheeks together and you can taste the saltiness of your tears on your tongue. You deepen the kiss quickly, pouring all of your trust and respect for him onto your lips.
He drinks you up easily and bends his knees a bit to scoop you by your thighs and lift you up, even spinning you a bit as his lips stay pressed to yours. You pull away first with a dazed, watery giggle and push his hair away from his forehead to press a kiss there.
You feel weightless and airy in his arms, your hands steady on his shoulders as he spins with you.
You could love this man- you already love his wide, crinkly-eyed smile, the way the tips of his ears turn pink when you fluster him, the way he is so considerate and charming. 
“Jungkook,” You mumble, pushing his hair back again, “Take me back to our hotel, baby.”
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Jungkook can’t keep his hands off of you, not with the dim lights of the hotel lobby making your hair shine, not when you stand in front of him in the elevator and lean into him as his arm lazily wraps around your waist to pull you closer. His nose tickles your neck as he drops kisses to your cheek, smiling against your skin when you laugh lightly. 
The elevator dings. You both stumble out, holding hands as if you’re love drunk on each other and it’s not 7:30 in the morning.
You push him against the door once you key yourself inside, impatient and hands wandering. A choked noise escapes his lips but it melts into a moan when you press into him. 
Jungkook can’t keep his hands off of you, not with the way you breathe his name out as if it’s spicy honey on your tongue. Your legs remain wrapped around his waist as he holds you by your thighs, his hands digging into them. You’re secure in his arms- the fact that he can hold you up so steadily, so easily has you rolling your hips into his and moaning into his mouth unashamedly.
“Shit,” Jungkook groans into your ear, a little desperate, “I want you so bad, baby.”
You hum in agreement, lips pressed to the spot behind his ear. The spot that you had quickly discovered in your relationship that he liked. He stumbles for half a second before dropping you to the large bed and hovering over you.
Jungkook impatiently tugs at your blouse, trying his best to unbutton it as carefully as possible. He curses under his breath, shooting you a playful glare when you giggle at him. He unclasps your bra easily and once you shuck it off to the side, his mouth is warm and wet against your bare chest. Your giggles turn into soft sighs of his name.
Ever since he had realized how much you like the feeling of his mouth on your tits, he couldn’t get enough. You’re so sensitive, almost all the time, and this time is no different.
You always try to push him away but coax him back for more.
Your small hands are ghosting over his chest, glazing over the ridges and dips of his abs and of his pecs. You tug on his shirt and pull it up and over his head, tossing it to the side to join your own clothes. His fingers are heated as you lightly scratch over the trail of hair dipping into his shorts from his navel, but you only tease him and palm him through his clothes.
You’re so impatient. You unbutton his shorts clumsily and gently yank his boxers and his shorts down his thighs, always surprised that he’s almost completely hard already. But it doesn’t take much for him to get hard with you. 
You spit into your hands and wrap a hand around his cock, lazily stroking him.
Jungkook’s eyes are wide, breaths staggered at the sight of your freshly painted glossy lilac nails around his cock. 
“Koo,” You mumble, “So big, Koo…”
Your face is warm as you meet his darkened, lust blown eyes. Jungkook catches the sliver of determination in your own eyes as you continue to stroke him- you’re determined to have him in your mouth.
The last few times you’ve tried haven’t gone so well- every time you’d tried taking him in your mouth, you’ve always coughed and gagged heavily to the point of your eyes watering and Jungkook felt bad and told you that you didn’t have to blow him.
“You don’t- oh, baby,” Jungkook groans, biting his bottom lip and struggling not to close his eyes when you take him past your lips. You try your best to control your breathing through your nose and alternate between teasing him with kitten licks and stroking him.
You look up at him from your spot on your knees and take him a little deeper, just like he taught you. Your eyes are already watering, vision starting to go blurry but you’re nothing if not determined. Your hands are loose around his strong, muscular thighs and you squeeze.
“Like that, princess,” Jungkook mumbles, watching you with half lidded eyes, trying to stop himself from fucking your mouth.
But maybe you want that.
“More tongue, baby,” Jungkook encourages, “Don’t forget to breathe through your nose.”
You hum around his cock, the sound inadvertently causing him to thrust into your mouth. But you squeeze his thighs in encouragement, wordlessly telling him that he can fuck your mouth if he wants to.
“Mmm, you feel so good,” Jungkook moans, hand cradling your cheek and wiping a stray tear, “Look so pretty like this…”
“You can take me, princess,” Jungkook murmurs, and you take a few more inches of him down your throat without gagging, “Good girl…”
Your belly flips at his praise and you’re eager for more to spill from his pretty, reddened lips. Jungkook curses, his voice low as his thighs tremble with each stroke of your hand and each pull of your mouth. He can’t get enough of you like this, you on your knees with wide, watery eyes just for him. Just for him.
His dream girl.
Jungkook abruptly pushes you away from his cock, saliva trailing from your lips with a pop! You look at him in confusion but he unbuttons your shorts quickly and tugs your panties away, hardly appreciating the new pretty purple panties you’d bought specifically for this trip. You hardly have an opportunity to pout about it, before he sharply kisses you, molding his hips to yours.
He swipes his hand over your pussy, getting a feel for your wetness. You’re so wet already, just from kissing him and from having his cock in your mouth.
Jungkook groans into your neck, biting your skin lightly and you gasp when he slides into your wet warmth easily. Wrapping your legs around his waist and reaching behind him to squeeze his ass, you kiss moans of his name into his heated skin.
“Koo,” You mumble raspily, breath hitching when he stills inside you, “I want you-”
“Gonna take care of you, my dream girl,” Jungkook says softly, cupping your face. Your heart stutters in your chest at the sincerity of his kiss, the stars in his eyes and the adoration in his touch. 
Something sweet is at the tip of your tongue but you swallow it down, instead losing yourself in his touch along your hips, your tits, your thighs. Anywhere he can reach you.
Jungkook presses his forehead to yours and rocks into you, again and again and again.
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“One more, princess,” Jungkook says hoarsely, thumbing away your stray tears, “Gimme one more-”
You whine but it quickly turns into a broken moan of his name when he gently rolls his hips into yours and rubs your clit with his thumb. Your eyes are glazed over but focused on him, a thin sheen of sweat coated over your soft skin.
“I can’t…” You mumble, wrapping your arm around his shoulders and turning your face to the side. But you both know that you can. Jungkook’s eyes dip to the place where you’re both connected in between your legs and marvels at your puffy pussy. You widen your legs further despite the slight soreness already settling in for him to get a better look. His fingers ghost over your pussy and you shiver at the oversensitivity that his mere touch brings.
“Yes, baby, you can,” Jungkook says softly, “Nice and slow, just like this.”
“O-okay,” You reply, tipping your chin up for a kiss. You feel like jelly, like you’re floating on a cloud, with Jungkook right by your side. When you finally do cum, with soft, sinful murmurs of his voice in your ear, it’s quiet and warm. Leaving you buzzing from head to toe.
You clench around him, the feeling of his cock inside you becoming almost too much to bear. But you don’t want him to pull out, just yet. After all, your baby hasn’t cum and you can feel how hard he is.
“Koo,” You murmur, threading your nails up and down his very defined back, “Baby, you feel so good, make me feel so good…”
You won’t lie, sometimes the dirty talk feels clumsy to you as it comes out of your mouth. You think Jungkook is better at it than you are, and you’ve told him that, too. He only denies it.
You pull him down closer to you, your breath fanning across his cheeks. You squeeze around him despite your own sensitivity and he groans out loud, eyes closed. Jungkook sits you up and brings you into his lap with his cock still inside of you, throbbing with the need to cum.
You wrap your arms around his shoulders, fingers gentle against his scalp. You lean forward and nip his earlobe, giggling when his hips stutter. Your mischievous touch dips down his chest, scratching at his navel.
Jungkook abruptly cums into the condom, possibly harder than he ever has, with your gentle, feathery touches and your soft murmurs in his ear. He moans your name and holds you close, arms tight around you and keeping you plastered against his chest as he rides his high out.
“Holy shit,” You breathe with a slow smile. Jungkook hums and lays you on your back, laying with you for a second before pulling out of you and discarding the condom on shaky legs. You’d make a comment about how cute his ass looks, but you’re too tired to. You get cozy under the covers, watching him flit around the room with sleepy eyes. 
It’s hardly ten AM and you’re ready to go back to sleep.
You must have drifted off at some point, because Jungkook is wrapped around you, his head on your chest. He’d cleaned you up, too and you drowsily kiss his forehead before slipping back to sleep.
After all, the rest of the weekend is still yours. Work doesn’t begin in Tokyo until Monday.
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tags: @koo-zy
206 notes · View notes
prettyboybarzal · 4 years
Text
Dancing with Our Hands Tied
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Pairing: Pierre Luc Dubois x Reader
A/N: this is a multi-part fic for PLD!!! we all simped over him for a hot minute and i decided to capitalize on it because i mean......... look at him. so, enjoy a little enemies to lovers trope w/ one of my favorite frenchmen. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!! and thank you to @bandgirlsclub​ for all the help w/ my lil writers block. love u bb. she elevated my dialogue so much. if you don’t follow her, please go follow her now. and then enjoy chapter one!
Word Count: 2.6k
Masterlist // Next Chapter
Pierre didn’t like you because you didn’t like him and no one disliked Pierre Luc Dubois, especially in the city of Columbus. He was a legend. He was the star player, the future of the Blue Jackets. Everyone loved him, except you, so he hated you.
The feud started during his rookie season. He marched into the city of Columbus with his shoulders squared, his head held high, and his ego the size of Nationwide Arena itself. On his very first night out with your friend group, he’d gotten you kicked from a club after starting a fight and then poured his entire drink down your back as you waited for Ubers on the curb.
Out of frustration, you ended up foregoing the car to walk home, despite the protests that came from the other boys. And Pierre laughed as you walked away, amused by the liquid stain on the back of your favorite going out shirt.
No apology ever came, and that was a wrap on any potential friendship with him.
Three years later, nothing changed. Though these days, as Pierre’s comfort around you rebounded, he didn’t avoid you and instead made it his job to antagonize you whenever you were around. He made comments about your outfits, flirted with your friends that had clearly been told to steer clear of him, and fucked up your drink orders whenever he bought rounds for the group. Mostly, you took it in stride with a few choice curse words slung his way, but over time you started to antagonize him right back.
“Asshole at three o’clock.”
It took a moment, but your eyes followed the metaphorical clock of the bar and fell on the group of Blue Jackets pushing their way through the crowd. Leading the way was Pierre sporting a cocky smirk on his lips. He made his way around the group of girls, hugging each one before reaching you and ultimately opting not to say hello and just head for the bar. As soon as he stepped away you were making retching noises with your mouth.
“Back at it again, I see,” Josh Anderson spoke as he wrapped his arms over your shoulders. “You two would get along really well if only you tried.”
“I don’t want to try,” you responded. This earned the laughter of their other teammates, Seth and Boone, as they sat in the open seats at your bar top and joined the conversation that had been on hold for hugs hello.
When Pierre returned to the table, he was toting a tray of drinks. One by one, he placed each glass down with its rightful owner until the last two remained. And then he placed a Shirley Temple in front of you.
“It’s virgin.”
“Just like you,” you spat. While the table erupted in laughter, you stood to get a drink of your own. Preferably one that was heavy on the liquor.
---
Despite everything else, going out with him wasn’t all bad because after a while he just got distracted. He would slink away from the group and find himself surrounded by a bunch of local university students and you were free to enjoy your night without him chirping in your ear. While Pierre and Seth scouted the bar for hot single girls, you stayed back at the booth with your girlfriends, Josh, and Boone.
Drinks flowed as easily as the conversation, as usual, and up until about 11 p.m. there was nowhere else you’d’ve rather been. Until Charlie texted you.
“Uh oh, Chuck’s at it again.”
Josh was peaking over your shoulder.
“Would you stop being nosey?” you growled, angling your body away from him so he couldn’t read your texts—most of which were ‘u up’ texts. “And stop calling him Chuck. It makes it sound like I’m sleeping with a father of three.”
“You might as well be,” Boone said. He dodged the rolled-up napkin you sent his way with a chuckle.
The boys always liked to chirp you for your taste in guys, but Charlie was by far their favorite to make fun of because of the eight-year age gap you shared.
“Remember when YN would stay out past midnight?” Boone mused.
“Yeah, I do,” Josh sighed dreamily. “But then she got wifed up by a silver fox.”
“A silver fox?” you asked, trying your hardest to suppress the grin on your lips. “He has black hair.”
“That’s because he probably dyes it.”
More giggles fell from their mouths until you glared at them and their mouths snapped shut.
You met Charlie on a dating app and while things hadn’t progressed past that one night of dinner and drinks, you didn’t mind the casual sex that resulted from it. It was exactly what you needed at this point of your life—no strings attached.
I just called you a car. Should be there in 10 minutes.
You took the final swig of your drink and stood. The boys’ eyes followed your movement, knowing smiles on their lips.
“I’ll see you guys later this week, yeah?”
You said your goodbyes, ignoring the last-minute jabs the boys wanted to get in, and began to search the bar for Seth. You spotted him at a table across the bar with a gaggle of petite girls and Pierre by his side. The moment you looked over at them, Pierre caught your eye.
You started walking over as he checked the time on his watch. 11:45 p.m. You never left before midnight.
Seth opened his arms as you approached and you folded into them as you said your goodbyes. Something about the interaction had Pierre turning away to talk to the girls they’d met. It was the same pit in his stomach type of feeling he got whenever you were around, whenever you embraced the other boys with a quick peck on the cheek or laughed at one of their shitty jokes.
He heard you say your final goodbye to Seth and your shoulder brushed against his back unknowingly as you avoided saying goodbye to him. He almost let you go unbothered, but his need to talk to you just once more was overwhelming. At the very last second, he turned and caught your elbow.
“Who’s got you running off before midnight, Cinderella?”
“It’s funny you think you deserve an answer to that question,” you growled, pulling your arm out of his grasp in disgust. He leaned back against the table with a smile. Your eyes flickered to the girls behind him, one with a glare set on you as she sipped her drink. 
A lightbulb went off above your head.
You stepped forward, squeezing yourself between Pierre and Seth’s bodies to get a word in with the girls around the table. 
“Can I offer you all some free advice?” you asked, even though you were going to give it to them anyway. “This one,” you spoke, nodding to Pierre. You dropped your voice to a whisper and the girls inched forward to catch your words. “He’s been around the block, if you know what I mean. I’d make sure he wraps it before he taps it. Who knows the last time he’s gotten tested?”
You slipped out from between the boys, ignoring the curses that fell from Pierre’s lips as you walked away.
---
You left Charlie’s at 7 the next morning. Although you tried not to make a habit of sleeping at his apartment, there were some nights that you ignored the voice inside your head. You dressed yourself in the outfit from the night before and stepped into his bathroom to check your make-up and fix your hair before allowing the world to see you in all your one night stand glory.
Last night was one of the worst nights you’d spent with him. He was off from the moment you got in the door to the moment he fell asleep after finishing. You ended up completely unsatisfied and if you hadn’t been as tired as you were, you probably would’ve gone home to bring your own self to orgasm since he so clearly couldn’t.
As you shut his front door behind you, another door in the hall shut. You looked up to see which neighbor had entered the hallway and immediately felt your stomach drop.
“This? This is the place you ran off to last night?” Pierre was standing at the next door over. He looked astounded, eyes flickering between you and the door you’d just come out of. “You’re fucking my neighbor? Isn’t he like 40?”
“You live here?” you asked, eyes wide as you took in the sight of Pierre in front of you. His hair was still messy from sleep, but he was dressed in his Blue Jackets workout gear and on his way out the door.
“I moved in at the beginning of the season,” he answered. He stepped forward and you stepped backwards in response. “But you wouldn’t know that because you didn’t come to my housewarming party.”
You didn’t think he was serious when he extended the invite, and you were almost positive your response was along the lines of ‘I’d never step foot inside your house.’  
With a scoff, you turned and continued down the hall. He was hot on your heels the entire way to the elevator and slowed to a stop to wait beside you when you pressed the down button. You were surprised when he didn’t immediately start digging deeper about your night. He was more preoccupied with whatever was on his phone than you, thankfully, though you were certain once he had you in the enclosed space of the elevator he’d start prying.
When the doors of the elevator finally opened, Pierre stepped in and held his hand out to keep the doors open for you. You stayed put.
“I’ll wait for the next one,” you said stubbornly, crossing your arms over your chest. He let out a dry laugh, eyes rolling before grabbing your arm and pulling you into the confined space with him.
The doors shut.
“You’re fucking dramatic.”
The elevator began its descent to the lobby and, all the while, you could feel him watching you.
“Can you stop?” you spat, shooting him a glare from the other corner of the elevator.
He studied you for a moment before asking, “Quiet in bed?”
“Excuse me?”
“Are you quiet in bed?” he asked, slower this time, like you were too stupid to understand what he said before. You couldn’t find the words to answer, jaw ajar as your brain tried to catch up to his question. “I’m only asking because I’m pretty sure Charlie and I share a bedroom wall, and his place was completely silent last night.”
“You’re a pig.”
Pierre chuckled, satisfied with the reaction he’d gotten out of you, and continued talking, “Unless he can’t get you off.”
“Familiar with that problem, huh?”
“Not in the slightest,” he answered.
“As far as you know,” you muttered under your breath, just loud enough for him to hear. The last place in the world you wanted to be was with Pierre in this elevator and you wanted him to know that.
“Not that you will ever get the chance to experience it yourself, but I know my way around the bedroom,” Pierre countered easily. Too easily. 
“Mmm,” you hummed, “I’m sure, what, with your body count in the hundreds probably. Statistically, you would have to have gotten at least 50% off.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know how many girls I have in my bed every week,” Pierre grinned, his ego oozing out of his every word.
“Not even a little bit,” you sighed. Your fingers came up to your temple as you tried to rub away the migraine that was beginning to take form. “Where you put your dick is of no concern to me, unless you decide to put it in a blender. Then, and only then, will I give a shit.”
“See, I think you care an awful lot more than you let on, princess,” Pierre said. Your face twisted in disgust at the pet name. “And I think that no matter how much you want to hate me, you really don’t. You’re just jealous that I’m not fucking you.”
That pushed you over the edge, the ounce of patience that you had left in your system had been blown to pieces with that comment. 
“Would you pull your head out of your ass for once in your life, Pierre?” you spat. “I wouldn’t let you touch me with a ten foot pole, much less your filthy dick. My sex life is none of your god damn business. Actually, scratch that, my life is none of your business. I only put up with you because we run in the same group of friends, so don’t try and get cute with me. If I had things my way I would never have even met you, much less learned your name.”
Pierre opened his mouth to speak, likely to try and counter everything you had just said with a dig, but you held your hand up to silence him. 
“We don’t have to like each other, Pierre, but you don’t have to be such a raging asshole about it. I thought at some point you might get tired of being a complete dick but your endurance is impressive, I’ll give you that. So listen to me carefully when I tell you I want nothing to do with you.”
The elevator stopped at the lobby and you made a beeline to the front door of the lobby to begin your walk home in silence. Beautiful, peaceful, Pierre-less silence.
---
The silence didn’t last long. 
You were halfway through your skin care routine when your phone rang, piercing through the otherwise quiet apartment. Across your home screen, your sister’s name flashed over a goofy photo from New Years.
“What do you want?” you asked after swiping to accept. Your sister’s face filled the screen with a fake offended look on it. You giggled. “Listen, Sadie, the only time I’ve heard from you since you moved back to school has been because you needed me to do something for you.”
“Okay, well,” she started. You raised your eyebrows at her in amusement. You knew this was coming. “It’s not really me who needs something.”
“Which one of your friends needs something then?”
“Mom,” she said with a laugh. Confusion flashed over your features, so she continued, “My friends are all going home next weekend and I decided I’d do the same because why would I want to be here without them, right?” You nodded as she rambled on. “But when I told Mom I wanted to come home, she told me that her and Dad are going to be out of town.”
“They’re going away?”
“Yeah, and she doesn’t want me home alone.”
You laughed out loud. It was so typical of your mom to not trust Sadie to be home alone for a few days. She turned 21 months ago and yet she still wasn’t trusted by your parents. You couldn’t say you blamed them. Sadie wasn’t exactly the most responsible. 
“Stay at school then.”
“See, I was gonna do that,” she trailed off. “But she already bought me a plane ticket to see you.” Your jaw dropped, but you closed it at the sight of your sister’s apologetic face. “I’m really sorry, but on the brightside, I can finally party with you and all your boy toys! Especially the French one you hate so much,” she said his name in a French accent, “Pierre Luc Dubois, or whatever his sexy ass name is.”
And that was exactly what you were worried about.
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zaharadessert · 3 years
Text
The Roommate (3/11)
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Summary: Two pacts between friends, one Wedding, a change of plans and a Best Man who is not what Emma was expecting.
In other words, what happens when you make a marriage pact with your roommate, and he falls in love with your best friend when she brings over the wedding dress you bought together nearly ten years ago.
Rating: Mature (things do get saucy)
Notes: Huge huge thank you to @motherkatereloyshipper​ for the prompt for this fic. We ended up with a more cake situation, and this is the link to her fic… Another thank you to @ultraluckycatnd​ for being my beta once again, you do such an amazing job! Without you my commas would be so all over the place it isn't even funny! All art by me! I tried to keep it fluffy but I'm unable to contain the angst... sorry?
Tagging: @jrob64​ @xhookswenchx​ @kmomof4​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @superchocovian​ @lfh1226-linda​ @teamhook​ @jonesfandomfanatic​ @tiganasummertree​ @onceratheart18​ @snowbellewells​ @karlyfr13s​ @itsfabianadocarmo​ @ouatpost​ @winterbaby89​ @thepirateandhisson​ @xarandomdreamx​ @xsajx​
As always, let me know if you’d like me to add you to my taglist for future fics :)
Also on AO3
- - - - -
Over the next two years, Emma didn’t dwell on the pact she’d made with Liam. Life continued, as did their relationship as friends who occasionally worked together. They had moments where they were more open than they had been before, they kissed more than once, and they were suddenly each other’s go to plus ones for everything.
What they had was nice; they had fun and it was safe and comfortable and nothing about it made Emma think twice or think that maybe it was all too much. She wasn’t scared of this, and it was good. They cooked together, they cleaned the flat together, they teased each other, and argued just like they always had.
Really, nothing had changed.
His brother was still a blank space in their lives, he was supposed to have come over for Christmas last year, but he’d pulled out at the last minute. Liam had been visibly disappointed, and he’d always found the holidays difficult anyway. He’d confessed that their father had walked out just before Christmas when he was fourteen and Killian was eight. Honestly, Emma thought it was pretty shitty of his brother to have cancelled on such short notice and as much as he’d apparently insisted that something had come up at work, Emma wasn’t so sure. She was a little indignant about it on Liam’s behalf if she was being honest. But he was her friend and he was disappointed, so how else was she supposed to feel? Especially when she seemed to be around for more of his life than his so-called best friend of a brother was.
By the time it got to her thirtieth birthday, Emma assumed that her present from Liam was the surprise party at the Rabbit Hole. All her work friends were there, the friends she’d made at his work, and a couple of artists she’d become really good friends with over the years. She’d been totally stunned, not expecting it at all, and she’d had an amazing evening. Laughing and joking, singing along to songs being played by the DJ and dancing the night away.
She wasn’t normally one for huge gatherings, being a bit of an introvert; spending all day every day dealing with lots of disadvantaged children and parents for work, her personal life tended to be on a smaller scale. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have a lot of friends and people who cared about her.
Apparently, Liam had wanted to show her that, remind her how many people were on her side.
But, feeling pleasantly warmed right down to her core from the alcohol and the love in her heart, she and Liam headed home just after one in the morning.
“Thank you, for tonight,” Emma said with a smile as she kicked her shoe at the shoe rack just inside the door. She stumbled a little and Liam caught her elbow. She let out a snort of laughter as she leaned into him for support as she kicked off her second shoe.
“You are most welcome, lass,” he replied, his voice low and smooth.
Emma sighed and straightened herself up, heading for the kitchen and putting the kettle on.
A few moments later, Liam joined her, leaning against the counter as he watched her making hot chocolate.
“What?” she asked, looking across at him and taking in the somewhat intense expression.
“Would you like your birthday present now?” he asked.
“I thought the party…”
“Well, originally I thought I might ask at the party but… I realised that’s not really our style…” he said cryptically, heading for the fridge and pulling out a small box.
Emma frowned, wondering what the hell was going on when he set it on the side and fished about in one of the drawers, pulling out a box of matches. He shielded his activities for a moment and then turned, holding a cupcake with a single star candle on the top, and resting around the base of the stick was…
“Time’s up on our agreement, lass. Will you marry me?”
Emma’s jaw dropped and for a moment, she was stunned into silence. She’d forgotten about the deadline they’d set in their pact and even if she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have expected him to pop the question tonight. But the fact that he’d remembered, had clearly thought about when and how he was going to do it, made a warmth settle in her gut.
The ring wasn’t anything fancy, a small diamond on a gold band, but it was beautiful in its simplicity and Emma found herself nodding.
“Yeah, I will,” she said, a soft smile gracing her lips.
Liam grinned and there was an almost awkward pause.
“You need to blow out the candle so I can…”
“Right, sorry,” Emma leaned forward and pursed her lips to blow out a puff of air and extinguish the candle.
Liam set the cupcake on the side and hooked the ring off the top of the frosting, wiping it off before holding it up. Emma held out her hand and he slid the ring onto her finger, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing her knuckles.
It wasn’t heavy, but she felt the weight of the ring like the weight of her decision; it felt foreign, but not unpleasant as she looked at it.
“Thank you, it’s beautiful. You didn’t have to…”
“Aye, but I wanted to do it properly, as we’ve done so little else the traditional way,” he said seriously, and Emma was touched by how sincere it all was.
Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and she leaned in, her hands moving to his chest and sliding up to his shoulders, one moving into his hair as she brought her lips to meet his.
The kiss was sweet, tender, and she hummed against his lips as his arms moved around her waist, his hand splayed against her back pulling her closer.
She kissed him harder, pulling herself up on her toes to balance out the height difference a little more and his tongue pressed into her mouth. Their tongues started a languid dance against each other and she could taste the lingering alcohol on his breath.
After a long moment, she pulled back, smiling. “Who cares about being traditional?” she asked breathily before moving back in for another kiss.
They swayed a little, and Emma put her hand out on the countertop, right on top of the cupcake and she pulled back giggling. She needed to remember that cocktails made her giggly, because this was so not her.
“I think we’d better eat that before you make any more mess,” Liam chuckled.
“I think you’re right,” Emma said, licking frosting off her hand as she poured hot water into the mugs she’d set out on the counter, and thinking herself lucky that she hadn’t put her hand on the hot kettle. Way to celebrate your engagement with a potential trip to the ER.
Liam grabbed the cinnamon off the spice rack and set it next to her mug before opening the fridge again and grabbing the can of whipped cream. Emma pulled out the spoon and Liam squirted generous dollops of cream into the top of the mugs before returning the can to the door of the fridge and hooking his fingers into the handle of the mug that didn’t have cinnamon all over the top of the cream.
Emma picked up her cupcake and mug and Liam slung his arm around her shoulder, guiding them into the lounge where he set his mug on a coaster (he’d bought them for Christmas last year) and settled onto the couch. Tucking her feet underneath her, Emma leaned into his side as he reached for the remote, navigating to the next episode of the Good Place without even needing to ask.
Emma pulled back the paper and took a bite out of the red velvet cupcake. She moaned softly as the flavours hit her tongue and then held it out to him. He leaned in and took a bite of his own.
“Bloody hell, that is good,” he said through his mouthful of cake.
Emma snorted again and rolled her eyes. Liam simply grinned down at her and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Emma kissed him back, tasting the frosting on his lips before pulling back to carry on tucking into her cupcake.
He stole a couple more mouthfuls, amid many protests of indignation that he’d bought the cupcake for her and if he wanted to eat so much of it, he should have bought two. His response was that she should eat it quicker if she wanted it to herself.
Emma stuffed the whole of what was left in her mouth in one go, chewed, swallowed, and stuck her tongue out at him.
“Now that’s just a waste, you didn’t even savour it!” he exclaimed.
“Shouldn’t have goaded me then, should you?” she replied playfully.
“Aye, lass, I should know better,” he said fondly, kissing her on the cheek.
Emma collected her mug and they settled back to watch the episode. It was quiet, peaceful, and once again it felt like nothing had changed. She didn’t want to run out the door and never see him again.
She was happy, and she was glad that Liam was going to be part of that happiness for a long time to come.
Emma knew she could certainly do a hell of a lot worse than Liam Jones.
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therealvalkyrie · 3 years
Text
Through the Mirror: Part 1
my body, my music
Pairing/setting: Detective!Levi Ackerman x Female!Ghost!Reader, modern!AU within the Walls
Summary: When you’re murdered one Tuesday morning, can Levi piece together the true circumstances of your death with your help from beyond the grave?
Word Count: 2.6k
Warnings: dead body, descriptions of blood, swearing, mentions of violence
AN: Welcome to my new series because I have no self control and can’t finish projects before starting others! Lemme just start off by saying updates may come pretty irregularly because I do have a lot of other WIPs to work on, but! I’m really excited about this idea and have a whole lot planned:) I seriously hope you enjoy. After all, who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? Drop into my DMs/askbox/comments/reblogs to let me know what you think! Be kind to yourselves and others. ~valkyrie
“Ah, shit! Hello!? I’m standing right here!”
The woman completely ignores you, stepping carefully over the puddle of blood and across your tiny living room. You cross your arms and pout. She ignores that, too. 
“‘Scuse me, boys, let the experts take it from here,” she quips, gently pushing past the two detectives and crouching next to your body on the ground. 
It’s ugly, but she’s probably seen worse, you muse from where you’re leaning against the door jamb. It’s only been lying there for a couple of hours, so at least you haven’t bloated to something out of an NCIS episode. Must smell horrid, though, judging by the mask the head detective has pulled over his face.
“So, you said the landlady called at about 7 am?” the ME inquires, cocking her head up to look at the detectives, nylon gloved hands held at the ready.
“7:07 exactly. Said a neighbor made a noise complaint, she came up to check it out, found signs of a forced entry, and called us.” It’s the taller blonde who speaks up, reading from an off-brand pocket notepad in his left hand. The kind you’d find on sale at Staples after Back-to-School season.
Interesting. You lean your head against the wall, eyes trained on the trio. You’d pegged the ill-tempered shorter one as in charge. Maybe he’s just the quiet type. 
“Hmm, alright. Moblit, get off your ass and come take the pictures before we move her,” the woman calls to someone behind you, and you turn just in time to get a face full of Moblit’s chest as he walks towards you. 
You cringe back with a “God, seriously?” to no response.
“Yes, sorry, right away, Hange!” Moblit hurries past- no, through -you, sidestepping the ottoman and the blood. It feels weird, like a strong wind, but not altogether unpleasant to have someone walk through you, you suppose. You look down at your chest to watch your misty body re-settle into itself before looking back at the group in your living room.
Were it not for the gruesome accents of blood flecked up the walls and your body riddled with stab wounds, you’d chuckle at how all four of them struggled to navigate the space. It’s cramped enough when it’s just you, fitting only a couch, a chair, a coffee table, your fern (Boris), and a narrow IKEA bookshelf. With the four of them plus a dead body, it’s like watching a freaking clown car.
“Sorry, excuse me, Captain, oh, was that your toe—?” Moblit’s struggling the most, having to move to capture different angles with his bulky camera. When he steps on the shorter man’s toe, he positively blanches, fumbling over himself to apologize while the ME laughs openly.
“God, alright, just,” the Captain pinches his delicate nose between a thumb and forefinger, then decides it’s better to wait in the kitchen. “C’mon, Gin, let’s chat in there.”
The Captain and the blonde detective both pass through you on the way back to the kitchen, but you only sigh and shake the tingly feeling of being incorporeal out of your fingers before following them.
“So,” the man called Gin takes the initiative, flipping back through his notebook and standing by the fridge. “I got statements from the landlady and two of the neighbors, numbers 303 and 304 down the hall. 301, directly across the hall, didn’t answer, but I got contact info from the landlady.” He pauses to read and scratch at his whiskery beard. “It was 304 who made the noise complaint, said she heard yelling this morning at around 5:45, and that she normally wouldn’t’ve said anything but it was, quote, the fourth goddamn time this week and I work the goddamn night shift, I deserve some fucking rest, unquote.”
You grin. Mrs. Sheffield was never one to mince words, something you appreciated when your ex-boyfriend got too loud and she took it upon herself to give him a piece of her mind. You catch a glimmer of a smile on the ornery Captain’s face above where he’s pulled his mask down before he gestures for Gin to keep going, keeping his thoughtful gaze fixed on the floor and his back against your countertop.
“Then after she called the landlady, she went to bed, only to be woken by us two hours later.”
“You said she called the landlady at 5:45 and that she works the night shift?”
Gin double checks his notes. “That’s right.”
“And she works at the hospital?”
“Yes, as a scrub nurse on the night shift.”
“But the night shift at the hospital ends at 6:30.”
“It was her night off,” you and Gin say at the same time before you catch yourself. They can’t hear you, anyway. This’d be a lot easier if they could.
Gin plows ahead. “But she says she keeps the same sleep schedule so she doesn’t, ah, fuck up her circadian rhythm.”
The Captain practically snorts at this, itching for a second under his silk cravat (can someone say pretentious) before settling back into a listening silence.
“303 says he didn’t hear a thing. College kid, looked exhausted. Said he was asleep the whole night after he got in at,” a page flip, “11 o’clock last night. Wasn’t much help, but looked genuinely upset when we told him about the murder. Wanted to know if there was anything he could do. Oh, but he did, uh, hang on,” more page flips, “He did tell us that he heard her and her boyfriend arguing a lot. Which is consistent with what Mrs. Sheffield told us.”
“Ex-boyfriend,” you correct into thin air. 
“A lover’s spat gone wrong, then,” Mr. Pretentious Captain muses. You huff in annoyance. A lover’s spat. If that’s all that this is written off as you’ll have some serious PD haunting to do. Chris may have been an angry, loud, disruptive manipulator, but he wouldn’t murder you. He didn’t murder you. “Any info on the whereabouts of the boyfriend?”
“Ex-boyf—!”
Blondie cuts you off, “Not currently, but we do have a name: Chris Henderson, works in admin down at the University. Lives across town closer to the Bridge.”
“Send some uniforms to bring him in for questioning. No arrests yet, tell ‘em to keep it friendly.”
“Right, I’ll put Dreyse and Bodt on it.”
“Dreyse, really?” Captain Cravat gives Gin an incredulous look. 
“Hey, she may look like a ditz but she gets the job done. And she might get him to let down his guard,” Gin argues, grinning. 
“Fine. I’ll meet them at the station, you stay here and make sure that mousy-haired dunce doesn’t fuck up my crime scene.”
“Hey, who’re you callin’ mousy-haired, short stack?” Hange actually sticks her whole head through yours this time, to butt into the conversation, and you shriek and jump away to the other side of your tiny kitchen, now sandwiched between Blondie and Shortstack. The latter twitches and swats at the air by his ear, as though to dislodge a fly, narrowly missing yours. You give him a weird look then turn back to listen to the ME. She’s leaning into the kitchen at an alarming angle, one hand on the doorframe and the other on the end of the gurney you assume is carrying your body. You shudder at the thought of being toted around in a dark, musty, humid glorified coat bag. Ugh. 
“—takin’ this baby”-she slaps the gurney twice and you flinch-“back so I can get started on the autopsy, Moblit’s staying to take more pictures and collect forensics. If Eld’s stayin’ here with Mob, does that mean you’re catching a ride with me, Levi?” The question is addressed to Captain Grump on your right, who gives a heavy sigh and pushes off the counter. 
“I guess so. I get to choose music though.”
“Ah, ah, ah,” she’s wagging a finger, grinning. “My body, my music!”
“How about my body, my music?” you suggest, following Levi. “I deserve it after the day I’ve had.”
Again, Levi twitches and swats aggressively by his ear, nearly hitting you full in the face this time. 
“You hear that, Gin? This place got a mosquito problem or something?”
“I do not have a mosquito problem!” and “No, sir, I don’t hear anything.” overlap in the air. 
Captain Levi only grunts, then starts spouting instructions, which Gin notes down. “I want footage from any cameras in the building, and from the shops next door and across the street. I want statements from residents both upstairs and downstairs. I want names, addresses, and numbers of next of kin on my desk by noon, and lastly, I want no one, save for myself, you, shitty glasses, and mousy-hair, in or out of this apartment. Are we clear?”
“Crystal clear, sir.”
“Good. I’m leaving you Braus to help and to show her the ropes of this kind of thing. Even though she’s on the case, she will not set foot in this apartment. I don’t trust her not to leave breadcrumbs in the bloodstains.
“Yes, sir.”
“I expect an in-person report before shift-change this evening. See you then.” Then, he’s sweeping out of the kitchen in pursuit of Hange and the gurney, leaving you to scurry after. As you exit your home, he shoots a young auburn-haired woman in a crisp white blouse and wool slacks a look. “Braus. You’re with Gin. Don’t go in the apartment.”
She straightens up from leaning against the wall with a jolt and brushes croissant crumbs off her front. “Yes, Captain Levi, sir!” It’s slightly muffled by the pastry stuffed into her mouth.
“Tch.”
It’s fascinating watching how Levi and Hange manage to navigate the gurney down the narrow, twisting stairs of your walk-up apartment building. They’re both clearly used to this sort of thing, communicating only in short phrases and grunts when they encounter an obstacle. Occasionally, you offer up a pointer and watch as Levi becomes increasingly irritated. 
“Watch out for Mr. Laslow’s cat, he likes to sneak up on ya!”
“Hange, do you hear— shit!” Levi hops to the side, narrowly avoiding the tabby tail as Tubbins McGee whisks past.
“It’s only a cat, Levi, dunno what’s got you so worked up today,” Hange teases, grin echoing your own as you chortle from the landing above them. 
Eventually, they spill out onto the sidewalk and into the bright mid-day, and Hange groans loudly, stretching with both hands on her back.
“Ugh. Remind me not to die in there, I’d hate to put someone else through that.”
“Boof, tell me about it,” you commiserate. 
“Noted,” Levi snarks. 
Hange removes jingling keys from her pocket and unlocks the ME’s van parked along the sidewalk with a beep, then opens the back doors and steps in. You follow, leaning against the cool metal siding to watch.
When they both load into the front seats and the engine turns over, you lean forward between them to listen in.
“So,” Hange starts, smoothly pulling out into the road behind a silver minivan. “I’ll be able to give you a more solid answer in a couple hours, but my initial estimated time of death would be around 5:45 this morning.”
Levi nods, staring out the passenger window while he answers. “That lines up with the neighbor’s story.”
“Theories so far?”
“Well, there’s the boyfriend,” he muses, lifting a hand to rub his chin.
“Too obvious,” you say dully, not bothering to amend the lack of “ex” yet again. “Next theory.”
He’s quiet for a moment, then mutter, almost too quietly for you to catch: “Too obvious, hmm? Next theory....”
You’re momentarily flabbergasted, hand falling through the faux-leather seat back in your shock. Can he actually hear you? You shake out your hand while it re-materializes, tuning in to the conversation as Hange’s responding. 
“—a little far-fetched, don’t you think? I mean, has there been any of that activity in this area recently?”
“Mm, I’ll have to touch base with Petra. If there has been, I think it’s worth looking into.”
“What is? Wait, go back,” you frantically plead, leaning further into his airspace. But Hange plows on. 
“Oh, it’s Petra, now, hmm? Not Raggedy Anne anymore?” Her tone is teasing, and she glances over to Levi for a reaction. 
He doesn’t give her one, just stares out the window pensively before reaching for the radio dial. The stereo blares up into an Oldies station, and you make a disgusted face along with Levi. 
“You listen to this shit?”
“Hey, my dead body, my music, sweetcheeks. Don’t like it, you can thumb it back to the PD.”
“How about my dead body, my music?” you suggest again, reaching for the dial at the same time as Levi does. Just as his slender fingers touch it, your hand passes through the whole front console and the oldies are replaced with a terrifyingly loud static screeching. 
“Christ, Levi, what’d you do?” Hange shrieks, lunging forward to punch the radio off as you remove your hand. 
“Nothing! It just went berserk!”
They bicker while you stare at your offending palm. “Huh. Didn’t know I could do that.”
If you can actually interact with objects, at least to some degree, and if it turns out Levi can hear you.... This whole thing might be easier than you thought.
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tommyspeakycap · 3 years
Note
Uncle Charlie and the Shelby sis?
omg i love this idea !!!!
I actually think that little Shelby would be quite close to Charlie so here’s a sweet blurb! (set in 1920 - so moving towards end of season 1. i also made up charlie’s war history as we don’t know much about it)
“Fucking, shitty, stupid bastard-”
“Oi!”
When you hear the sound of the voice cutting in likely to chastise you for your use of explicit choice language while you were practically beating the shit of the hay you were shovelling for the horses, you turn around to face him. He see’s that you look rather flustered, face a bit red as you blow a sigh past your lips and shove your hair back out of your face. “Sorry, uncle Charlie.”
“Mhm,” he nods his head, “And what’ve your brothers done this time eh?” You sigh again with some sort of disgruntled huff afterwards to display your clear irritation with the behaviour of who Charlie assumed would most likely be Tommy, Arthur at a push but very unlikely to be John. John annoyed you a lot, he knew, but never tended to make you genuinely angry. At least, never angry enough to switch off the sunshine and rainbows girl who sang and hummed while shovelling hay and horse shit.
“Tommy’s being a fucking idiot. Again.” You bite harshly.
“Oi!”
“Sorry, Charlie.”
He shakes his head at you with the very slightest of smiles. “And how’s that? What’s he done?” Your uncle grabs the spair shovel from where it was leaning against the barn door so as to join you in your cleaning of the stables. Charlie can sense the anger that had built in you from Tommy’s seemingly incessant enforcement of all sorts of new and more restrictive rules for the members of the family - especially you and slightly Ada - since he had started to try expand the business into the race tracks. He doubts this time will be any different from the last three times you’ve complained about him in the last week.
“Finn’s 11 and he gets to go with them to the races sometimes, but i’m nearly 17 and i can’t even step out the house without an escort when the boys aren’t in Small Heath. It’s so unfair!” You rant almost desperately. The frustration is clearly heard in your words, and Charlie was no fool to picking up on your feelings by the way you spoke and acted. Charlie very, very much understands your brothers desires to keep you safe; you’re his favourite if he’s totally honest. So he’s incredibly protective himself, he felt quite a sense of fatherly responsibility for you.
Charlie had gone to fight in France for around a year and a half. That definitely did a number on him, but he was transferred home after being shot. It was then that he was appointed a post on the home front as a farmer and some kind of war horse breeder and trainer because he was so good with animals. As a result, it had become his job to look after you during the years of the war that your brothers were away. Polly did your breakfasts and dinner and would make sure you were well looked after, but Charlie took you out to the farm during the day where he would make packed lunches. You would get to pick vegetables, train the sheep dogs, collect wool and the likes of that sort of work. He knew that since you were 12, had you stayed hanging around the factories in Small Heath, you might’ve ended up having to work in one, so brought you to work with him instead. It had brought you extremely close to your uncle.
It’s why now, it was his scrap yard you went to when Tommy and the rest of the family were getting to you. He would often find you there, felt like a sixth sense of some sort that he would just get a feeling you were there - if he hadn’t heard you shouting or singing. Most commonly your troubles were caused by or at least had some distant correlation to Tommy and something he had done. The head of the family does of course think through his decisions and what they’re impact will be, but the one mistake Thomas tends to make when he thinks abouts these impacts is what appears to always affect you.
And that is, that he looks for direct danger. He overthinks and spends nights riddled with fear that his plan will bring harm to those he loves. He fears Billy Kimber will come to try and take from Tommy what he holds most dear in retaliation if he doesn’t act exactly the right way. He fails to look at less direct impacts. He sees your protection escorts as keeping you from being harmed and sees keeping you in the house constantly as ensuring he knows that you’re safe, always. He doesn’t see you missing out on your youth or missing your friends or feeling threatening and anxious at the fact you’re always either in house arrest or practically with a fucking protection detail. He never thinks like that and Charlie knows that is what gets to you so much, because you just see that as he being malicious and not thinking about what’s best for you at all.
“Sometimes i just wish we were normal y’know?” The change in tone of your voice from red hot anger to a timid quite mumble tells Charlie that you’re hurting more than you may ever let on in words. “Just miss my life.” You lament lowly, dropping the shovel and instead opting to drop yourself down on a nearby haybale.
Charlie signs not in annoyance or anger, but in a kind of sympathetic way as he leans himself on his shovel and turns to face your direction. “I know you do, love. Think we all do these days. Missing your brother eh?” Charlie tries to ask you as softly as he can despite having a generally grumpy, grumbling voice. The question marks another change in your demeanour as he immediately notes that your shoulders slump and you begin clenching your jaw to try not to get all upset.
You just nod in response.
“Mhm,” Charlie hums, moving to sit on the hay bale next to you, “Though so.” He pulls you into his side and feels you shaking a little with a few small sniffles to tell him your were crying. It breaks his heart and he know it would shatter Tommy’s if he knew. He had known for weeks that part of your rage and irritation was a smoke screen for the painful fact that you just missed your brother. You missed being little and holding his hand, having him play games with you and look after you, spend time with you and have genuine, actual conversations that weren’t two minutes long, arguments or about business and rules. You were still young and the four years you’d spent without them, plus the trauma you’d gone through in your life, meant that you missed and relied upon them a lot more than most would. Your hurting heart just longed for your big brother to make all things right again, just like he used to.
Things were so much more complicated now than they were before, you knew that. But it didn’t stop the hurt, it only just made it more painful.
“Listen, hey, listen,” Charlie comforts, “It’s alright. I’ll have words with that brother of your eh?” He feels you nod your head. “Yes please.” You whisper, sniffling again.
A silence falls between you as it often does, a bubble created where you could feels your feelings and your uncle would do all that he could in his limited power to move whatever kind of mountains you needed moving so you could feel better again. It was damn near his very top priority that you were provided with a better childhood and better young adult-hood than what he was able to give the Tommy, Arthur and John.
But it just so happened that Charlie Strong made a promise to the woman he loved - your mother. The woman you were so very like. He felt it his duty to protect you like a daughter because that is what your mother would have wanted. He promised to look after you and in doing so he recognised what your brothers often didn’t. Your physical well-being wasn’t everything. Of the same importance he wanted, just as the rest of the family did, for you to be safe, happy and loved in an emotional sense. They did love you, all of them. So much it was painful and so much that it was enough to do you a lifetime; they just had such a bad way of showing it.
Charlie decided it was time now to give your older brothers a wake up call. It was time they learned how to love you in a way you understood. Killing for you and keeping you bubble wrap didn’t tell you they loved you, they had to show you in a true way. They had to tell you and hold you just like he had learned to do to show his care and love for you. He had to change to accommodate how you experienced love, so he did just that; he changed.
Charlie was determined and he held a level of authority with the boys he practically raised. So starting with Tommy, he was going to enforce that same change in order to make sure you knew just how fucking loved you were in that family.
And for Charlie Strong, all of the fighting, the pushing and the moving of seemingly unmovable mountains was worth in to no end when you mumbled, “I love you, uncle Charlie.” Against his shoulder while he hugged you tight.
“Yeah yeah, Shelby,” he sniggers, pressing a kiss on top of your head, “I love you too.”
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