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ssahotchnerr · 2 months

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speculation - aaron hotchner x reader

aaron confides in you his suspicions haley is cheating on him.

cw: bau!reader, takes place in s3 timeline - before the divorce, angst, mentions of adultery and unfaithfulness, aaron's sad but not really showing it (naturally), light foreshadowing that someday aaron and reader get together <3 wc; 1.2k

aaron's hands gripped the steering wheel and his stare was pointed forward, the atmosphere heavy in the car. grey clouds had been rolling in all morning, and now the rain was just beginning to fall, a light sprinkle pattering on the windshield.

the two of you had just frequented a crime scene, departing after a rather tense situation - one of the investigators had nearly disrupted the crime scene in a lazy wake, and aaron had thoroughly allowed him to know his mistake.

while aaron was always stern, it was... different this time.

"hotch?"

at his name, you managed to pull him from of his thoughts - you could tell by the way his jaw moved, his grip on the wheel ever so lightly loosening.

aaron didn't respond though; figuring he wasn't too keen on sharing whatever was on his mind, you put your focus out the window, watching the rain begin to slowly collect on the road.

"haley's cheating."

your head turned towards him in an instant, a sickening dread beginning to pool in your stomach at the blunt confession. "what?"

"haley's cheating on me." he fought against the brokenness that dared to ache in his voice, remaining solid and firm in his words. he released a breath, as if saying it out loud made it real; the final confirmation he needed himself. "i may just be paranoid, creating something out of nothing. but things have been... strange."

"oh." your shoulders slumped, the back of your head hitting your headrest.

"strange enough it's been noticeable."

"what's been going on?"

"weird phone calls." he bit his lip as he gazed off to the side, as if he were recalling an instance internally, his hold tightening once again. "she's been more distant. uninterested. sometimes, when she comes home, she won't look me in the eye."

ouch. "i'm sorry."

it was rather surprising, in an odd way. to the naked eye, aaron was someone who was well put together; phenomenal at his job, a clear key-in for potential director of the bureau someday. from an outsider perspective, one could infer he lived a perfect life, and therefore had the perfect family to go along with it.

if he wasn't confiding in you, that's what you would've thought.

aaron didn't talk about his personal life - that's one thing you quickly learned upon your addition to the team, a month or two ago. you could recall what penelope had for breakfast, what books spencer had read in a day, what color underwear morgan had currently on.

anything about aaron, nothing.

whether it was because he was your boss, or because he wasn't an openly expressive person, you always went back to the guilty thought - has anyone at least ever asked?

while you all went out for drinks after a long day, aaron never usually attended. but he had a family at home, of course he would go home to them - that's where his priorities laid.

the constant secrecy surrounding him was the reason you've been so intrigued by him since day one - spending so much time with someone you knew nothing about.

and if you learned anything now, he wasn't going home to the home you had previously thought. it was barely a home, he was more so a guest. you were slowly beginning to understand more why he rarely smiled.

aaron hotchner was just as human as anyone else.

even now, he wasn’t showing much emotion. it was evident he was extremely hurt, and had all the emotions one could imagine. but would he distinctly let that on, letting his vulnerability show - no.

aaron opened his mouth to respond, slight hesitation before he spoke. he began to deflect, "but i could just-"

"no. listen to your intuition." you interrupted softly, grounded. "like you said, if you're taking notice, something's going on."

he nodded in agreement, the motion of his head strained. he did force out a chuckle, a terribly sad laugh. "part of me doesn't blame her-"

"don't say that. she's your wife."

"exactly." aaron sighed out, eyeing the wedding ring on his left hand. "there's something i could've done to prevent this. to keep her interested. to solidify i'm still here for her despite the long hours and schedule. instead i'm the husband and father who's never home. and it's difficult to be the husband i want with the possible betrayal."

"she's your wife." you repeated, solemnly. "so she should know you. you're the husband and father who stops at nothing to catch the criminals who walk amongst us. you're this job, and asking for understanding on that isn't wrong. regardless of what you say you're doing wrong, or have done wrong, it doesn't give haley the excuse to... do this."

you didn't want to say cheat. not for his sake - the depth of the word felt harsh and prominent in your chest.

"i appreciate you saying that." his eyes met yours briefly, the tone of his voice genuine. "but i messed up. i guess what they say about getting needs met elsewhere is true."

you quieted.

aaron also added after a moment, in an exasperated near-whisper. "and besides... i don't think she's known me in a while."

silence filled the car once more, and you let out an exhale. you felt for him, and his marriage. you couldn't imagine what it felt like, or how he felt: the person who you thought was your forever slipping through your fingers - like trying to catch smoke. it was there, you just couldn't grasp it.

you hoped you weren't overstepping boundaries with your next question. "does she know..."

"that i know?" aaron asked, and you nodded. he kept his stare forward, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment. "i believe so, yeah."

you waited for him to speak again, while he was confiding in you, you didn't want to pry - none of really this was your business. you at least hoped it was clear you were offering support within the silence.

and you must've, because he continued. "i feel sick to my stomach it could be happening in my house. in my bed. with our son in the next room over." he shook his head angrily with the last sentence, in disbelief as he clicked the windshield wipers on, the rain falling more heavily now. "i lie awake at night when we're gone, just thinking what's going on at the moment."

"i wouldn't do that." you offered quietly, although you knew that advice was nearly impossible to follow. "you will make yourself sick."

aaron vaguely shook his head again, defeated. "i don't know what else to do."

you weren't sure what to say, or exactly why he was telling you all this. again, you didn't know him well. and not only, in a way, he terrified you, in more ways than one. the only way you could describe it - when he looked at you, he really looked at you. you were terrified of what he could make you realize about yourself.

"so, what are you going to do?"

"i don't know."

#aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner fluff #aaron hotchner x you #aaron hotchner x fem!reader #aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotchner imagine #criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds x you #criminal minds drabble #aaron hotchner drabble #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds fanfiction #hotch imagine #criminal minds x fem!reader

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fredwkong · 11 months

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Himbo Maker: Aaron

Aaron could admit to himself that he had always been a nerd. He was smart enough that he had skipped grades through high school and sailed through his degree. Now he was working as a civil engineer. He wore a solid colour button up shirt, corduroy pants, and tighty whities every day, just because he found them comfortable.

As an engineer, Aaron had more than a bit of the tech nerd in him, and he wasn’t immune to the AI craze. When all of his friends on an online forum started raving about some new AI chatbot, Aaron was curious.

Him-br.AI was marketed as an AI chatbot that helped you to make big changes in your life. It appeared to be some kind of self-help assistance bot. Aaron signed up for the free trial and loaded up a chatroom. He didn’t notice that, since he was on the free trial, he didn’t get to decide what the bot would help him to change. After a few seconds of loading, he received his first message from the bot.

Himbo_mkr: Hey bro, what’s up?

Eng-boy: Uh, hi. What’s up?

Himbo_mkr: Bro, I had a sick workout, huhuhu. My muscles are all pumped up and covered in sweat. Hot, right?

Aaron couldn’t deny that did sound hot. His dick chubbed up in his corduroys. This bot sounded a bit like an idiot, but it wasn’t like he was real. Aaron could play along and get off. Tons of guys were probably doing it.

Eng-boy: That does sound hot! Since you’re so sweaty, you’ve probably got a lot of musk coming off your body, right?

Himbo_mkr: Yeah, bro! My hot pits, crotch, and asscrack give off a totally rancid stench, lmao. It gets me hard knowing that I smell like such a man.

It was a bit surprising that a bot could talk about getting hard, Aaron thought, but by now he was getting too into it. He rubbed his bulge through his pants and typed another message.

Eng-boy: Sounds like you’re a pretty dumb muscle bro, huh?

Himbo_mkr: Bruh, I’m a himbo, of course I am! You’re not the sharpest knife either, lol.

Aaron was a bit offended, but then he thought back, and he decided that the bot was kind of right. He wasn’t, like, a dummy, but he wasn’t valedictorian, either. He’d had a solid B average, which had gotten him an okay engineering degree. So he was stuck in a dead-end permits office, whatever. The money was good.

Eng-boy: Guess you’re right, haha. I always thought I could have been smarter.

Himbo_mkr: Bro, why? You’re a proud bro. Brains are, like, your lowest priority, huhuhu.

For an instant, Aaron felt light-headed. He was no… bro, right? But as he looked around the room, it seemed like that was true. His engineering degree was surrounded by pics of himself and his bros partying at school. There weren’t any fantasy novels on his shelf, just gay porn magazines. The sheets on his bed weren’t crisp and fresh, but kind of a sweaty mess.

Aaron scratched under his skinny armpit and sniffed the mild scent he gave off. He had to wear the cords and the button up for work, but he was definitely a bro, through and through, despite his skinny physique. He was kind of a dumbass, but he was good enough at his job, even though dealing with shipments wasn’t exactly what an engineer should be doing.

Eng-bro: Of course, bro. When I’m off the clock, I’m all for the bros. Who needs smarts?

Himbo_mkr: Exactly, bro! Dumb bros like us have no inhibitions and we’re worry free!

Aaron was properly jacking his hard, if average, cock now. He was feeling warm and horny, and thinking about how big this himbo bro’s ass must be. He vaguely remembered something about a bot or something, but he didn’t care.

Eng-bro: I wanna play with your big muscle tits and asscheeks, bro.

Himbo_mkr: That’s so like you, bro. I bet you’re sweating like a pig, too. Your shirt’s probably covered in musky sweat stains.

Aaron looked down and chuckled. The himbo was right again! His button up shirt was soaked through and translucent, showing off his skinny chest. He had yellowing pit stains that were totally dripping with salty, musky sweat.

His whole room stank from all his sweat. In spite of his nerdy stature, Aaron had always had overproductive sweat glands. He’d given up on controlling it in high school, instead choosing to embrace his natural musk. These days, he cultivated it.

Sweat-bro: You know it, bro. Bet you wish you were here to peel it off me, bro.

Himbo_mkr: Strip, bro! Your thick, dumb chest muscles are probably too big for a button-up, anyway.

Aaron started unbuttoning his shirt. It was hard, with his thick, sweat- and pre-slicked fingers. After a moment, he gave up and ripped the shirt open, chuckling, “Huhu, Superman!” as he did. As he peeled the soaked fabric off his skin, it felt like Aaron was seeing his massive pecs for the first time. They were perfectly rounded with big, dark nipples. He rubbed a hand over his sexy musclegut, too.

Himbo_mkr: Don’t forget those giant arms of yours, either.

Aaron paused in the action of licking the sweat off his peaked, solid bicep. He was such a dumbass sometimes, he’d totally forgotten he was in a chat! Hopefully this bro wasn’t too mad.

Sweat-bro: Dude, I gotta take off these cords, they’re getting smelly from all the pre and shit.

Himbo_mkr: Don’t forget to take off your underwear, too, bro! You don’t want it to snap around that dumptruck ass of yours.

It took Aaron several seconds and lying down on his bed to pull off his corduroy pants and tighty whities. The closure was too complicated for his dumb bro brain to figure out, plus his huge ass and thick thighs had been crammed in there like sausage meat. Huhu, sausage. Once he was naked, he started jacking again, his little dick almost invisible in his huge hand. He moaned so loud in his deep, dumb voice that he missed the next notification.

Himbo_mkr: Yeah, jack that big Korean cock. Don’t forget to pay attention to your big bull balls and slutty hole, too.

All the blemishes and acne scars on Aaron’s skin vanished as his skin smoothed out and lightened. His hair turned black and straightened out. His pubes darkened too, growing out into a real forest along to frame his dick and balls. He grunted and groaned even more as he tugged on his balls. He started to bounce his big, jiggly ass up and down to better feel the huge plug filling up his hungry asshole.

Himbo_mkr: You’re wearing a white tank, right, bro? And those slutty little jean shorts are around your ankles with your musky jockstrap as you jerk. And those big, smelly feet of yours. You’re wearing your Converse, right?

As a musky Asian himbo, Aaron always wore a sweat-soaked white tank, which showed off his bulky pec shelf and protruding musclegut. His favourite pair of booty shorts were down around his ankles, along with the jockstrap he’d worn today. Aaron swung his legs into the air to get better access to his hole, showing off his boat-like white high-tops, which were stained with sweat because he never wore socks.

While Aaron kept on jacking off on his unwashed, cum-crusted sheets in his messy, musky room, the Him-br.AI chatroom closed itself. Another window opened an instant later, starting up a video stream. Now anyone on the internet could see Aaron, the dumb, sweaty Korean himbo, pleasure himself and lick up his musk. For a fee, they could even control the size and vibrations of his plug to pleasure his slutty himbo hole.

Idea with assistance from a bot of my own creation. EDIT: Format inspired by Codename: Bear_mkr by @biggerchanger . Thanks to @imsrtman for catching that.

#himbofication #dumber tf #male transformation #musk tf #chat tf #race change #reality change #korean tf #himbo maker #nerdtojock #male tf #all fwkong #asian tf

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14buddy22 · 1 year

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How You Get The Girl

Part 1: You’re Losing Me / Masterlist

AARON HOTCHNER REDEMPTION ARC WC: 2.9K

Based off “How You Get the Girl” by T.Swifttttt

6 months.

That’s how long you’ve been without Aaron and Jack in your life. It was the worst. You knew he was happier without you. You weren’t holding him back anymore.

But you weren’t happy. You thought you would be happy without Aaron and Jack. But losing them was the worst thing to happen to you. You gave Aaron the ultimatum because you wanted to be happy, you wanted him to be happy, but it came back to hurt you.

The few dates you went on with the owner of the bar were wonderful, but he just wasn’t Aaron. Everything the guy did, you only thought about how Aaron would’ve done it. When you told him you weren’t ready for a relationship, he understood. He just asked that you told Aaron how you felt.

But you couldn’t. How could you just “waltz” into Aaron and Jack’s life again. Jack could never forgive you. You had been in his life for almost 4 years, and you left. You were a mom to him and you left him.

You had seen him one time, on the playground. You were going to walk over and say hi but then you saw Rossi and Aaron and decided to go against it. You couldn’t just show back up in their lives, especially after leaving them.

You missed Jack dearly. He was just a child. You always wanted to be a mom. Being a mom to him for 3 and a half years was the best thing ever. You and him had a special bond, and you were a complete asshole because you let your “happiness” get in the way of that. You were never happy after you lost Aaron and Jack.

While you missed the early morning breakfasts, the spontaneous dance sessions, the rainy movie days, and everything else with Jack, you’ll never forgive yourself for not staying, for not fighting harder for you and Aaron. Something had to give in the relationship, you had just wished that it wasn’t you.

You wished you had given Aaron a different ultimatum. Maybe you should have tried and compromised. But you didn’t, that’s on you. This pain your dealing with is going to take forever to get over. Everytime you see a father and son in the store or on the street, you could only think about Aaron and Jack. Everytime you went shopping, you couldn’t help but go down the office supply aisle and look for the refillable ink for Aaron’s pens. But you could never buy them, you didn’t have Aaron in your life.

Every little thing reminded you of those two boys in your life. You were so much happier with Aaorn and Jack in your life. Aaron was trying, yes there were the missed dates and the broken promises, but you’d rather have the missed dates and broken promises all over again than feel the way you do now.

Alone, Upset, Miserable.

You had still been living with Penelope, both of you decided that it was the best living arrangement. You tried to move out but she insisted you stayed. She had a personal chef, especially because she was not good at cooking, she had a gossip buddy, and you two got to remain friends, even though you and Aaron were broken up.

Penelope filled the voids of your emptiness. She did everything she could to make you happy. She was home every night with you. While she worked for the BAU, she very rarely got to travel, but, you think that after you explained to Aaron why you were breaking up with him, he made her stay back even more, especially when he found out you were living with her.

**** Earlier that day ****

Penelope had barged into Aaron’s office. Not caring what he was doing. He looked up from his paperwork and he said, “Penelope? What’s the problem?”

“Sir, I need to be honest with you. You need to go after Y/n. You love her? Don’t you?”

“Of course I do, but I want her to be happy. That’s my number one priority. She was not happy with me, so, I did what was reasonable. I let her go. I will always love her, but I will always want her to be happy. Even if that’s not with me.”

“But, sir, it is with you! She still loves you. Yes, she’s gone out on a few dates with that guy but they never had sex yet! That’s a sign she still loves you.”

Aaron rolled his eyes and shook his head. He couldn’t believe he was listening to this. As he shook his head, he looked down at the pen in his hand. His heart stopped for a brief moment. These were only the pens he had kept in his home office. He doesn’t know how they got here.

“Penelope. I don’t care if she’s had sex with them. I lost her. There’s no coming back from this.”

“Yes there is. Trust me. She still talks about you and Jack. Her room is decorated with pictures that Jack had drawn her. There are framed pictures of you kissing her cheek. She still wants you. She’s not happy. She’s alone. She’s miserable. She needs you. She was happy with you.”

“She left. I lost her. How could she be happy with me. Something had to give, Penelope.”

“She just wants change, Aaron. That’s all she wants. She thinks about what went wrong and we talk about it every single night. She still loves you, Aaron. She just will never come into yours and Jack’s life again because she doesn’t want to cause you two any more pain than you’ve already been through.”

Aaron thought back to what you and him had talked about during your fight. He scoffed and said, “She’s a people pleaser. She’ll suffer just to make others happy. She needs herself to be happy.”

“Aaron. You make her happy. I promise, if you were to ever talk to her again. She’ll take you back. She’s only thought of a million scenarios where you and Jack come back into her life. I promise. If you think about this, think about how you want to change to be in a better relationship the second time, now’s your chance, Aaron. I can’t stand to see her miserable anymore. If you don’t want her in your life, you need to let me know now so I can be honest with her and help her come back to reality that you won’t be in her life anymore.”

Aaron couldn’t stop Garcia fast enough from talking. He needed to get you back. He had a second chance. Well, that’s what she was telling him. When she walked out of his office, he sat there contemplating how he was going to get you back after how he lost you.

It wasn’t long before it was storming, he didn’t realize how bad it was, but if he wanted you back, he needed to do it today.

****

It was storming really bad out. Streets were flooded, some parts of town were out of power, luckily the BAU wasn’t on a case so you were thankful Aaron was home with Jack. Jack still wasn’t a fan of bad storms. He thought they were cool, but he still loved to be cuddled up on a couch or sleep in bed with Aaron. And at one point, he loved to be with you.

Penelope was making popcorn as you two decided to have a movie night. We heard the crack of thunder and it began to downpour even harder. You didn’t realize how hard it was raining until the TV went silent for a split second, the lights flickering.

“Geez, it’s really raining out there. Anybody who is out in this weather right now is insane.”

As you and Penelope got settled in on your respective seats on the couch, she handed you a bowl of popcorn and a napkin.

“Thank you, Penelope. And not just for the popcorn, but everything. From helping me and giving me a place to stay so I don’t have to look for a new apartment, for being my therapist and listening to the problems Aaron and I had, for telling me how he’s doing at work and how Jack’s been doing. I mean it. It’s been 6 months without them, I want him back, but I can’t go back. I gave him the ultimatum, he needed to realize that I was serious. If I run back to him, what does that show? That this whole thing was my fault, especially when I’d go crawling back. I wanted him to realize when I moved out that he lost me and I wanted him back, I never realized that he would actually be better off without me.”

“Oh sweetness, he hasn’t been better off without you. He’s been taking it hard. He’s not the same person he was when he was with you.”

Part of you wanted to break down and cry. You caused his heartbreak, yet all you wanted him was to be happy. You assumed that letting him have the BAU would make him happy, he didn’t have to come home to a fiancé who complained about his broken promises.

“Let’s begin the movie before we’re both sobbing.”

As Penelope found the video, there was a knock on the door. You stood up, immediately making your way to the door and looking through her peep hole. When you looked through you saw Aaron shaking from the rain, he was cold.

You threw open the door, looking at him, he looked handsome, even if he was soaked from the rain, he looked beautiful. But that’s not what you cared about.

“Aaron! Are you insane?”

Penelope sent a picture to the BAU (minus Aaron) of Aaron and you at the door and said, “Operation get those two back together is in the final stages.”

“It’s been a long six months and I was too afraid to tell you what I want.”

What was going on? Aaron’s at Penelope’s door. You hadn’t talked to him in 6 months, but he’s here. He must have realized that he had lost you. He had to be holding on to some type of hope or faith to think it’s how he’d get you back.

“Aaron, let’s get you out of that suit, you’re gonna catch a cold. And is Jack home alone? He hates storms, Aaron.”

Aaron didn’t budge. He just grabbed your hand and pulled you into the hall.

“I want you for worse or for better. I would wait forever and ever. I broke your heart, I know that. But I’ll put it back together. Like I said, I would wait forever and ever. I was sitting on our couch the other day, in our sunroom, just remembering how it used to be. How the last good memory I have of us was from that morning 6 months ago. It hurt taking down those pictures of us, me kissing your cheek. Those were my favorite ones that I had framed, because you were so caught off guard in them. They were my favorite pictures because that was always my chance to surprise you.”

You couldn’t help but look at him with the most empathetic eyes you ever had. He must have come to his senses that he lost you, or, got close to losing you forever.

“When you told me that I was losing you, I couldn’t believe. I didn’t want to believe it. I lost my mind when I left you all alone and I never told you why. That’s how it works and that’s how I lost my dream girl. God, I miss you. I miss your scent in the morning. I miss when Jack used to be happy to come into our room, now he won’t even step foot in there. I missed that I had someone to come home, too. Someone who told me I was doing my best job, nothing more could have been done. I miss the one who put me above herself. I’m not saying that to be selfish, but I miss it because the date I went on, she only cared about herself. I compared her to you. No one will ever be you. I want you. I want the girl who notices what my favorite brand of pens are and secretly refills them. I want the girl I can come home too and not be screamed at even though I messed up and should be yelled at. I want you. I want all of you. I know I might have lost you for good. You told me that. I’m willing to compromise and cut back on my hours and if we schedule a date, I’m going to make sure you and I go on that date. Because i saw what you looked like on a date with another guy. I saw how happy you were as a live band was playing. You were dancing in the street and I want to be the one to spin you around. I want to be the one who dances with you when no one else is dancing. I want you for worse or for better. I’ll wait forever and ever just to get you again. I broke your heart, I’ll put it back together. I promise you that. I want to get you back.”

Just as he caught his breath, you stepped forward and kissed him. Wrapping his arms around you, he pulled you closer to him. The kiss was 1000 times better than your first kiss. You know Aaron meant every word he just confessed to you right now. That kiss proves he knew he lost you the first time, and he would never lose you again.

“I’m not going to lose you anymore. It’s you and me until the end of time. Those 6 months were hell without you in my life, I never want to live through that again.”

“I love you, Aaron.”

As you pulled him into Penelope’s apartment, he shut the door behind him and he said hello to her. You excused yourself and apologized to Penelope but she stopped you before you could even say anything else.

Closing your door behind you and Aaron, he pushed you back up against the door, kissing you again. You began to take off his wet suit and as you got him stripped out of his clothes, you stopped just as he was in his boxers.

“Who has Jack?”

“Jack is with Jess. He wanted to have a sleepover there. You know, he misses you.”

You pushed him back against the bed and made him sit down. You moved around the room, grabbing a pair of his sweatpants and tshirt that you had stolen and never gave back after the break up.

As Aaron put his sweatpants on, he pulled you onto his lap, kissing you once more.

“6 months was a long time without you. I never want to be without you for that long ever again. Please come home. Jack misses you, I miss you. I still want to marry you. It’s our 4 year anniversary today, in case you forgot.”

“How could I forget?”

You ran your fingers through his soaking wet hair. You took him in. It’s been 6 whole months since you got to be with him. But it’s probably been over a year since you were having an emotional, vulnerable, intimiate moment with him right now.

“Aaron, I love you. If we do this, we get back together, get married. Things have to change. I can’t go through that again. I can’t do the broken promises. I can’t have a baby with you if you won’t help be a parent to them. I want to have a baby with you because I know you’re an amazing father with Jack, but I want our baby to have those moments with you. Maybe even more moments that you missed with Jack. You told me that was your biggest regret in your life, was not being there for the little things. If we’re going to do this, let’s do this right.”

“I told you. I’m going to fix your heart that I broke. I’m going to do everything to change. I’m going to do it the right way. Thank you for bringing me to my senses. Thank you for giving me a second chance, well more like the millionth chance. But thank you.”

As you and him made your ways onto your respective sides of the bed, you got under the covers with him. When he pulled you into his arms, he waited until you were long asleep in his arms before he decided to close his eyes.

He lost you the first time, he sure as hell would never lose you again. Confessing his love, he wanted to get you back. He wanted to get his girl back, and he did. He would forever be grateful for it.

****4 years later****

As you and Aaron celebrated your 3 year wedding anniversary, 8 years of being together, you were sat around the dinner table with Jack and yours and Aaron’s twins. Within 4 years, you and him had your twins, a boy and a girl, and countless memories with your family.

As you were looking through the photo album, there was a note that had slipped out. When you grabbed it, Aaron tried to grab it from you. You opened it and read, “How You Get the Girl T. Swift”

“Aaron Hotchner. You did not win me back by acting out a Taylor Swift song in real life.”

Aaron smiled and took the note back from you. He kissed you, leaving Jack scrunching his face up and the twins clapping.

Aaron said, “That’s how it works. It’s how I got the girl.”

Tagging: @matcha70sugar @rosesinmars @imnotsiriusyouare

#aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner fluff #aaron hotchner fic #aaron hotchner x you #criminal minds fanfic #jack hotchner #aaron hotchner #HAPPY HOTCH HOURS #aaron hotchner angst #aaron hotchner x female reader

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soulaires · 6 months

Note

If your still taking requests then can i request a hc for Aaron Warner with a reader thats like the total opposite of him?

Here comes the sun.

pairings: grumpy!aaron warner x sunshine!reader.

summary: you were his sunshine, his light, the reason of living and his beautiful sweet girl.

warnings: grumpy x sunshine trope!!, soft aaron warner, violence and killings (🤭), you guys are in LOOOOVEEE, power couple, this is love actually, chivalry is NOT dead

notes: I actually love doing hcs

(Aaron Warner) tag list 🏷 : @ravisinghs-wife @ab-baybay @aaronwarnerobsessedmylove @cosmicswan

Everyone in the sector was mostly confused than shock that you and warner were dating

i mean everyone know that Aaron Warner Anderson, chief commander and regent of Sector 45, son of the supreme commander of The Reestablishment, has a soft spot for you. You only.

everyone sort of figured out that he was absolutely and immensely devoted and in love with you when he spoke to you with much more gentle and soft tone, looks at you like you are his entire universe (spoiler alert: you are), and of course, how he is very protective of you.

but yet it was such a foreign concept for them to grasp—Aaron Warner? The cruel monster and madman (who also appears to be devilishly handsome) is dating you?

you who is the smart, sweet, charismatic and the poster child? What on earth did you start dating him?

what a typical bad boy and good girl cliché

but of course, while everyone saw the typical cold, snarky, mysterious, commanding leader, you saw your Aaron.

your Aaron who fall first and falls harder every damn time

your Aaron warner who opens the passenger seat at you every time (there’s a rule between you guys that he should always the door for you even when mad or in the middle of the war)

your Aaron who keeps a piece of flower with him every time he gets you a bouquet of your favorite flowers so he would know when it’s dead so he can buy you a new one

he loves listening to you whether it’s something you think it’s dumb, he just encourages you to speak because he loves every little detail of you and just overall love the way you got excited to little things. He also love knowing everything about you.

you sometimes think he doesn’t really listen despite his assurance but he will just randomly say something about it and you goes “aww you remembered”

and he’s just ???? What do you mean he remembered? you and his souls are literally cosmically intertwined and destined to be together in any lifetime of course he remembers!

he is just obsessed with your existence

oh that man is in agony and suffering when you are not with him. his eyes just searching for you.

his emerald eyes lighting up and a smile creeping up to his face when he saw a sight of you

kenji said Warner has become more tolerable because of you

because every time your boyfriend said something sarcastic and insulting, you give him that look and he fixes his attitude and body language and got his shit together.

his first priority is your safety and happiness

“If anything happens to y/n I’m going to kill everyone in this room and myself”

you and Aaron got along really well and he thinks you are always right

and if you’re wrong he will simply reshape the reality so that what you said is correct

you can do no wrong In his eyes

whenever you have a new clothes (that he probably bought) he ask you to do a fashion show for him while he compliments you

“you look absolutely gorgeous, my love”

“that color suits you, love”

“you..you are so…hauntingly beautiful, angel”

he once bought a whole store for you. Literally bought everything you want. The new released book? You have the first copy and it’s signed. Want that dress? It’s yours in every color. Want that bag you saw? It’s on the desk the next day with a flower. New nails? Well, c’mon then he will with you to the appointment. Want that food? He will cook it for you.

“Whatever you want, love. It’s your world.”

aaron who cooks while you look cute on the kitchen counter.

he lets you wear whatever you want even if it’s reveling. He have his gun and machete and is not afraid to use it if someone touched you, looked at you like you are a prey, or when he feels some lust and attraction towards you, well...it wouldn’t be a good thing.

you once gave him a bracelet with a moon jewel twinning with your sun one and boy he absolutely ADORE IT.

he doesn’t let anyone touch it or he had never took it out of his wrist. (you’ll have to kill him before you got that bracelet)

he’s just very protective of his sunshine, one click on the pager and he is RUNNING.

shamelessly threatening everyone that gave you a nasty look.

“every tongue that rises against her will face a consequence of me cutting it and i will gonna make each one of you swallow it.”

“don’t even think about hurting her or I will cut your throat open like a fish.”

he let you practice your eyelining skills on him while you sit on his lap

love to match clothes with you!

he have your eye color made into a beautiful ring

he have your doodles on him tattooed actually

love hearing your thoughts about the book you are currently reading.

he anotates a book for you as a gift

reads every book you ever loved

he does not remove your lipstick stain on his cheecks, hand, lips or even in his blond hair.

after all, he hates everyone except you.

#reader insert #rie answers 🦦#shatter me series #shatter me #aaron warner x reader #aaron warner #aaron warner x you #riewrites 🫀#aaron warner anderson

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strawbeerossi · 11 months

Text

I Can See You

18+ Content. Minors DNI

Pairing: Fem!Reader x Aaron Hotchner

Description: When a new agent joins the team, she's beloved by everybody and Aaron admires her dedication. He admires it so much that he fantasizes about her in every possible scenario to the point where he has to distance himself. One day, she confronts him.

Content Warnings: Power imbalance with leader/team member , reader is flirty with Hotch and loves seeing him flustered, he gets tired of her running her mouth, exhibitionism kink (kinda?), spanking, reader is gagged with a necktie, praise, degradation, fingering, unprotected sex.

Word Count: 2.6K

Navigation || Masterlist || Taglist || Request

Tags 🏷️ @beardedhotchh @pastanoodles11 @morgthemagpie @x0xonatalie

This has been rewritten twenty times. I had to post this before I deleted it all over again. So, I'm sorry in advance if it isn't like my usual writing.

Aaron Hotchner was the stoic, fearless leader of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He took pride in his strength and dedication to his career, even if most people didn’t understand how he could pull countless hours in a career field that took a physical and mental toll.

His life revolved around his job, his son being his other top priority, even though he really couldn’t very well balance things the way he intended. His loyalty to his career took a good amount from him as well. It could drain his sanity and a divorce came out of it.

He was tough, keeping his composure through some of the worst things imaginable when most others would crumble under all the pressures of a demanding career as well as a failed marriage. However, it numbed him from the horrors, making him tense all the time.

That is, until Y/N showed up at the BAU for an interview to take over an available position. She was the top of her class at the academy. She was physically, academically, as well as mentally strong enough to handle the job and she had a backlog of receipts to prove it.

Her life was spent with training, her father being a general in the United States Marine Corps, wanting his daughter to follow in his footsteps.

Imagine his shock when she used every piece of knowledge she had in order to get into the FBI.

It was a smart career choice for her. She could handle herself in the toughest of situations, being trained how to get through the most intense of scenarios. She also liked putting in her thoughts and ideas to a group who openly accepted them, nothing being shut out because she was the youngest of the team.

She was an asset.

Aaron had told her plenty of times how lucky they were to have her, how she was a tremendous addition to an already powerful group of profilers. She had a lot to learn but she was pretty well off.

Y/N loved her career and her team. However, Aaron Hotchner piqued her interest. He was well known as the leader of the BAU who has had a rich career and he had many written articles and other pieces of information that retold the stories of the most intense cases he ever had to get into.

It didn’t help that the man was sex on legs.

He was attractive, the smallest things he did captured her attention in such a way that there were vivid fantasies and daydreams of things they could do. She liked to think that she could show him things he hadn’t seen in years, if ever..

So, that was when she was planting subtle seeds. There were lingering touches and flirting that would make Derek Morgan blush. It was innocent enough, the casual flirtatious remark that would have the unit chief flustered, cheeks a shade of dusty pink.

The idea of being with a member of his team seemed wrong. Not only was it a ton of paperwork but it was also an H.R. nightmare.

It couldn’t stop him from fantasizing though. All the ideas he had about bending her over his desk, his tie forced into her mouth in order to muffle the cries and moans that would spill from her lips.

This was dangerous territory to tread. Yet he liked the game, the risk of it all. The problem was that he couldn’t very well just come on to her, the biggest risk factor being the word spreading across the office. That was the last thing either of them needed.

These vivid fantasies forced him into hiding, his office being the place he’d be able to be alone in. The same office where he’d glazed his knuckles with cum just thinking about the sheer idea of having Y/N under the desk, her lips enveloping his cock like she was made for it.

It was one of those days where he had to hide away, the quiet nature of the office being contributed to paperwork being caught up on and files being put away. Aaron was doing his best, gazing at an open file while he was tapping the back of the pen against the desk.

His mind was quite adventurous today, his cock hard and luckily concealed by the desk he was positioned at. All Y/N did was sip her coffee from a straw, her lipstick staining the metal straw from the tumbler as she was enthralled in her own paperwork.

Somehow, that was enough to have him trembling in his office chair.

It was pathetic, like he was reliving the times of being a horny teenager who got turned on by damn near everything in sight.

However, it wasn’t long until he heard a knock against the door, gaze tilted upwards. That was when his worst fear entered the room. Y/N. The one who had him hard as a rock at his desk, the one who had been giving him hell for the months she’d been working there.

“Y/L/N. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to drop off a file for your review.” Her words were soft as she held it up. “Also, can I talk to you?”

Fuck.

“Of course. Shut the door.”

The minute the door was shut, that was when that suffocating sexual tension was filling the room, so bad that he was sure he wouldn’t be able to breathe until she left. “What’s the problem?”

“Are you mad at me? Because you haven’t spoken to me. You actively ignore me.” Her boldness was something he expected, the woman not being one to lightly word anything.

“Of course I’m not mad at you. I don’t see why you’d think I’ve been avoiding you.”

“You run straight to your office! Don’t bullshit me, Hotchner. What did I do?”

“Nothing! You’ve done nothing.”

She didn’t believe him, eyes narrowing as she leaned back in the chair behind her. She was sure why he ignored her. Or maybe it was just a delusion she had where he actively wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.

“I see the way you look at me, Aaron.”

“Excuse me?”

“You think I can’t tell? You think I didn’t notice the way you make it a point to brush against me? The way that you wait for me before you even attempt to walk down the hall?”

Fuck. She was a better profiler than he gave her credit for.

“I don’t know-”

“You think I also didn’t notice the way that you looked at me when I was sipping my coffee? The way that you just had to run into your office before anything could be noticed? Aaron, you’re a profiler. You should do better at hiding your reactions.”

The words had him flabbergasted, mouth open in disbelief from the indication that he’d be turned on by something as small as her sipping a straw. Too bad she hit the nail right on the goddamn head.

“This isn’t appropriate. I advise you to leave my office.”

“Walk me out. Or are you too afraid to show me how right I am?”

The silence after that was loud. It was like Aaron had to collect himself.

“That’s what I thought.” Y/N taunted, making the male finally stand up from his desk. That was what caused her to shut her mouth entirely, looking at her boss wide-eyed as if she’d just gotten in trouble.

“What? You’re not gonna talk anymore? I think you’re getting too smug with this.” He spoke, voice low as the tone of authority took over. He walked to the office door to lock it, lowering the blinds soon after to avoid the whole office looking inside.

“Nothing to say?” He asked, arms tucked over his chest as Y/N was slowly looking away. “W-well..”

“Pathetic. I knew you were all bark and no bite. It’s a shame.” He tsked, head shaking with disapproval. “Now get up.”

Y/N was slow as she was standing up, her face flushing as she could feel arousal soaking into her panties at his authoritative tone, his eyes dark as he watched her body rise from the chair before her arms were behind her back.

“You’ve been pushing my buttons ever since you started with the flirting bullshit.” His veiny hands were moving to remove the tie from his neck, eyes watching her figure as she seemed frozen; a deer in headlights.

“I think it’s time to give a cocky little brat what she wants. Open your mouth.”

With an eyebrow raising, Y/N slowly let her mouth fall open. The moment she felt the tie being stuffed in her mouth, she barely had time to process what was happening before she was being bent over the desk.

There was a mess of files and other items that she’d landed on, head tilting to the side as she let her eyes stay on Aaron.

He looked at her with hunger, like a predator stalking its prey and ready to pounce at any given point. The normally beautiful honey colored irises were clouded over with deep lust, his hands running down her hips while he was situated behind her.

“You need to be taught to respect your unit chief. I’m not gonna tolerate your behavior any longer after this.”

The woman was keeping her eyes on Aaron, body making an effort to push back against his for any ounce of friction. “Ah! No ma’am.” The man began, hand roughly coming down to give her clothed ass a rough slap.

The sting had her moaning around the tie in her mouth, tears brimming her eyes from the pleasurable pain, body jerking when three more hits were coming down. “You’re not getting what you want. You are too entitled and I’m sick of it.”

His hands were moving to grip her hips, thumbs running over the skin under her shirt just to feel the warmth of her soft skin. “Let me know if you want me to stop at any point.” He spoke, tone hard yet his demeanor softened.

Last thing he was going to do was do anything that she was uncomfortable with.

When there was an indication that she wanted him to keep up with his motions, his hands were moving to bunch up the skirt around her hips. Aaron’s eyebrows raised in curiosity. “Look at how wet you are.. I haven’t even done anything to you yet.” His hand was running up the back of Y/N’s thigh, continuing onward until the palm of his hand was flush against her clothed cunt, the warmth radiating against his hand as he was adding pressure, chuckling at the muffled whine.

“So desperate. Gonna fuck you with my fingers, think you can handle that?” He asked, finger slowly moving to push her wet panties to the side, thumb making its way to her clit, eliciting another muffled moan. As his hand was pulling back, he let his middle finger slowly run through her folds, the arousal generously coating his finger before he was slowly pushing it into her tight heat.

He could’ve came in his pants right there, mouth open slightly as he was greeted with warm, velvety walls that were tightening around the digit from just how desperate the woman was. “Keep still.” He warned, watching the hips try and rock against his hand.

“You were talking so much shit earlier. Now look at how desperate you are,”

The words caused Y/N’s body to shudder with anticipation of getting more than one finger, playing his game and cooperating.

“There we go. See what happens when you listen and you’re not combative and smug? I just might like you better with my tie in your mouth.” He snickered, a second finger slowly sliding into her dripping cunt as he worked on scissoring her open. “Fuck, you’re such a pretty little thing.” He praised, unholy sounds of squelching filling the room from her wetness.

As his fingers curled upwards, he couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips as soon as she was gasping around his tie, his fingertips pushing the spongy spot inside of her that had her eyes fluttering shut, drool from the corners of her mouth due to the tie starting to run down her jaw.

Thankfully, Aaron had an extra so this wouldn’t be suspicious when the other profilers were surrounded by Y/N after the deed here was done. If anything, this appeared to be a typical conversation between one of the team members and their leader.

When her walls were spasming around his fingers, he took the opportunity to slip both fingers out of her cunt while chuckling at her whine in response to that. “Such a needy little slut. Don’t worry.. I’m gonna take care of you. Just gotta keep quiet.”

The words made Y/N’s pussy clench around nothing, a muffled moan filling the office as the sound of his belt being undone chased behind it. After tossing the belt to the side, he pushed his pants down along with his boxers.

“Shh, I know.” He whispered as if it were a secret between them when he could hear her whines of impatience, his hand wrapping around his hard cock, hand giving it a few lazy tugs to prepare himself. He let his thick tip tease her folds, spreading her slick around as if the two needed lube. “Alright. Ready?”

With one hand on her hip, he was slowly pushing his cock into her tight cunt, groaning lowly as he watched her pussy envelope his shaft, swallowing him to the hilt while her hands were holding onto the desk tightly.

He waited a solid minute for her to adjust, his hand rubbing her lower back in an effort to soothe her, wanting to have her as comfortable as possible.

When she was giving him the sign she was ready, he was rolling his hips slowly, the man letting out a soft breath that he didn’t know he was holding in. Bringing both hands to grip her hips, it wasn’t long until he was doing deeper, faster strokes.

“Fuck, bite my tie harder, darling. You’re being too loud.” He murmured, hips continuing to slam into hers as a thin layer of sweat was collecting on his forehead. With the desk rocking at a rhythm with Aaron’s thrusts, it was no surprise when some papers or files were falling to the ground around the desk.

He wasn’t gonna worry about that now.

Currently, he was too focused on the rough snap of his hips against Y/N’s, the sound of skin crashing against one another as well as their combined noises filling the office, the desk making its own audio debut as he got a bit rougher as he was fucking her pussy raw.

“Fuck. I’m gonna cum.” He growled, cock twitching as he could feel Y/N’s tight cunt clench him in place, his hand now reaching down to find her throbbing, desperate clit to bring her to relief.

As soon as he could feel her velvety walls pulsating around him and the feeling of her creaming on his cock, that was it for him. His nails dug into her hips, no doubt leaving crescent moon marks while her cunt was milking all the cum that Aaron had to offer.

“Y/L/N,” He spoke, chest rising and falling as he was working on catching his breath, his hand moving to her mouth to retrieve his now soaked tie.

“You need some lessons on manners for that fucking mouth of yours.” His voice was low as he was pulling his cock from her warmth, watching his cum leak out of her pussy before slowly pulling her panties back up.

“I think I know just the way to help you though,”

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cindersfireplace · 4 months

Text

4town Valentine's Day 💘

Jesse, Taeyoung, Aaron T, and Aaron Z walk through the hallway to their hotel room after taking a stroll around the neighborhood:

Taeyoung: There's nothing like bird watching on a calm afternoon.

Aaron T: I'm just glad there was an ice cream truck. That was one of the best chocolate cones I've ever had. Thanks for helping me chase it down Z.

Aaron Z: *walks behind him exhausted* Anything for you buddy 😊

Jesse: You good Z?

Aaron Z: *gasping * Yeah when I catch my breath next week I'll be able to function again 😮‍💨

Jesse: I wish Robaire came with us. It's good to get outside once in a while.

Taeyoung: I'm sure he has his reasons.

*Jesse opens the hotel room door*

Jesse: Yeah probab- sweet cheese and crackers! What's all this!?

*The room is decorated with heart, banners, balloons, pillows, roses, and LOTS of candles*

❤️🌹🕯️🕯️🕯️

Robaire: Welcome home my friends! I thought I would put up some decorations for Valentine's Day. *Sigh* Love is in the air.

Aaron Z: I didn't know love smelt like *sniffs* vanilla and *picks up a candle* … Late winter breeze. Whatever the heck that smells like.

Jesse: We were gone for like an hour? How?

Robaire: I'm very efficient when I'm passionate about something.

Taeyoung: So that's why Jess is always yelling at you to do your taxes.

Aaron Z: Were you not efficient enough to get any cookies or candy?

Robaire: That will be for the gift exchange.

Aaron T: Why can't we just buy cards?

Robaire: Because first of all the 4town best friend Valentine's super special gift yearly extravaganza exchange -

Aaron Z: I still say we should shorten the name.

Robaire: -is a time to appreciate each other's gifts and is a testament to how well we know each other. I love giving gifts and I put a lot of thought into them.

Jesse: And I very much still appreciate those custom ‘Art Dad’ oven mitts, but shouldn't we be focusing on our gig that day? The 4townies are so excited to see us perform One True Love live for the first time next week, and after the show I want to go to bed.

Robaire: Then go right to bed on another day of the year but you have to be there for the opening of gifts. Besides we've already drawn names for it so no going back now.

Jesse: Fiiiine if I must.

Robaire: That's the spirit.

Jesse: Uh I think a spirit is what we'll be if all of these candles stay lit. This is most definitely a fire hazard. I'm only agreeing if I get to put half of them out.

Robaire: Fiiiine. If I must.

Aaron T: We've known each other for a while shopping for each other should be easier. Right Z?

Aaron Z: Totally….

*Skip to the day before Valentine's Day at the mall*

Aaron Z: …Not.

Jesse: Come on Z it'll be fine.

Aaron Z: Not when I'm shopping for Robaire it won't. I don't know what to buy and he's definitely gonna try to one up us with his amazing gift.

Jesse: Does anything else in this world motivate you quite like your need to be better than Robaire?

Aaron Z: Absolutely, this is just a continuous priority of mine.

Jesse: So no then. Got it.

Aaron Z: I will search through every isle of this mall if it kills me. I will be victorious.

Jesse: Or you could breathe and let it go…and he's gone. Valentine's is gonna be fun.

*The next day*

Taeyoung: That must have been our best performance yet! Everybody was so excited, and despite my mild fear of heights trying to convince me otherwise, the rising heart platforms weren't so bad after all.

Robaire: Told you it would be incredible!

Jesse: Anyways now that that's over we can open gifts now.

Aaron T: Yeah guys the sooner we get this over with the sooner old man Jesse can take his nap.

Jesse: I'm not ol-

Aaron Z (whispering to Aaron T) You just want to get candy from your gift don't you?

Aaron T (whispering back): Shhhh I just care about Jesse's health…and my blood sugar.

Robaire: Anyways, who wants to go first?

Taeyoung: Me! I got T! Here you go! *Shoves present box into his hands*

Aaron T: YESSS! *Opens package* *gasp* It's a book of skateboard tricks! These are some of the most advanced out there and….a box of chocolate. Thankyou *hugs Taeyoung and whispers* This is why your my favorite.

Taeyoung: No problem at all.

Aaron T: So I guess it's my turn to give and I got Jesse *gives him a very messily wrapped package with 50 bows on it*

Jesse: Geez this looks interesting *opens the box* *gasp* ITS THE SUPER SMOOTH 3000! I've been trying to find this blender for months! My fruit smoothies will be so much better now! Thank you *lifts Aaron T off the ground in a hug*

Aaron T: Your *cough cough* welcome. Could you please put me down now?

Jesse: *Drops Aaron T* I'm next and I got Taeyoung. So here you go?

Taeyoung: *Carefully takes the box from his hand and opens it* Woah! Bird watching goggles! They even have little doves on them! Thanks Jess. I'm gonna have so much fun taking these to the park.

Jesse: I'm so glad you like them. They were some of the best I could find.

Aaron Z: I guess Robaire and I are last. You can go first Ro 😊

Robaire: No, I insist. You go first 😁

Aaron Z: Well this day means the most to you so you should go 😊

Robaire: And I like to share that joy with my friends so you should go 😁

Aaron Z: You.

Robaire: You.

Aaron Z: YOU.

Robaire: YOU!

*While these two keep going back and forth Taeyoung and Aaron T give each other a look and then open the presents themselves (whilst Jesse has too little sleep in him to deal with this)*

Taeyoung: Wow Robaire this is a really nice Destiny ‘s Child record.

Robaire: That's the exact one we listened to when we first met 🫢

Aaron T: Dang Z you got this cool basketball trophy. It even says ‘best basketball player I know ‘. Nice Sentiment.

Aaron Z: That was one of the first things I told you that I dreamed of receiving 😯

*They hold the gifts in their hands for a moment appreciating them*

Aaron Z: *clearly struggling* Th-th-th-

Robaire: Are you trying to say thank you?

Aaron Z: Nah I'm trying to say ‘That's all folks’. Yes I'm trying to say thankyou. Anyways thank you … for … this.

Robaire: Then I guess I want to say thank you too…I guess.

Jesse: Awww this is too sweet.

Aaron T: Maybe it wasn't about who got the best present after all?

Robaire: Mhm. Even though we all know it was me.

Aaron Z: Wh- if anything it was me!

Robaire: No you didn't!

Aaron Z: I got you the record that you sorry self was too BROKE for when we first met!

Robaire: I got you a CUSTOM TROPHY 🏆! Do you know how much that is in this economy?!

Aaron Z: But did I ask-

Robaire: But my-

Aaron Z: No but Robaire answer the question. Answer the question! Did I ask though? Did I?

Robaire: No but you can't just throw that in my face when I'm trying to be nice.

Aaron Z: Clearly not nice enough to admit I'm better…

*Senseless arguing continues in the background*

Jesse: T! They were this 🤏🏻 close to having a nice moment.

Aaron T: Sorry, I was just trying to bring some positivity.

Taeyoung: I'm positively sure they will be arguing for a while so I'm just gonna go now.

Jesse: Agreed. *yawn* 🥱 I'm going to sleep.

Aaron T: And I shall consume all this chocolate within the hour. I love Valentine's Day!

*Later that night Aaron Z and Robaire go to bed setting their gifts down on their night stands smiling at them and then turning the lights out to sleep*

❤️

#Happy Valentine's Day 4townies #Hope this is a nice and remember to love yourselves #(Seriously Robaire has a problem he lit like 48 separate candles)#I guess this could also serve as a Christmas special if you change the holiday a bit #Sorry if it feels rushed (which could just be a flaw in my writing) I made this literally the day before Valentine's Day #Anyways I'm gonna go eat candy now #4town #4townie #4town aaron t #4town aaron z #4town jesse #4town robaire #4town taeyoung

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aboutnavi · 1 year

Text

I was brushing my teeth, reflecting about life, & my mind went back to AFTG and there is a scene on the first book that it has been stuck on my brain since I read the trilogy again this January and it's about Seth. Now, I know the fandom -in general- barely talk about Seth because Nora decided to kill him off for shock value and when people try to talk about him, it always comes back to 'he was a homophobic, disgusting piece of shit' which yes, valid but also, are we forgetting Aaron? The babyfication of Aaron in this fandom had everyone collectively forgetting he was exactly like Seth (even worse: towards his family!!!). Two wrongs doesn't make one right & I'm in no way justifying Seth's action but if we never talk about characters on AFTG just because they were problematic, we are not talking about any of them, ever (ok maybe some of them, but still).

My point is: the scene. Neil is confused as to why Seth hates Kevin -specifically him- so much, since Seth could get along with most people if he wanted and tried hard enough but he refused to give ground to Kevin & his answer is just so humanly heartbreaking it goes to my list of moments Nora did something right in AFTG. The scene goes like this:

Neil: Why do you hate him?

Seth: Because I'm sick of him getting everything he wants just because he's Kevin Day. Do you know what fame gets you, shitface? Everything. All he has to do is ask for it, and someone will give it to him. Doesn't matter what. Doesn't matter who. The world is dying to give him anything he wants. When he broke his hand, his fans cried for him. They flooded our locker room with letters and flowers. The amazing Kevin Day can't play anymore. Their lives were over. They'd grieve the loss forever. But tell me when's the last time anyone cried over you? Never, right? They're there for Kevin every step of the way, but where were they when we needed them?

Neil, stupidly: So you're jealous.

Seth: His life is not more important than mine just because he's more talented.

Neil first instinct is to say jealousy because jealousy is something he understands (he felt jealous of Kevin for having a future, for being able to play, for the talent, for the life he never got to live when his mother ran away, etc.) but for me what Seth is trying to portrait is more like the painful awareness that you get when you realize you're also worthy of love and care. Seth is such an unexplored character who had so much potential if Nora hadn't killed him for the sake of showing how Riko could be/was dangerous (and she could have done that in so many different ways!!!) & you can see that on, for example, Nora's post about his life. Seth was always the no-priority person, the kid no one payed attention to, the boy that if killed, not even his mother would come for the funeral. He was every aspect a Fox and he spent his entire life being told he was no one and to be able to say his life is not more important than mine shows so much development; the chance he had put on himself for being open to love, to care, to second and third chances... it was all there. It breaks my heart that he never got the chance to become something. & I do not believe he was an inherently bad person? They are so young in AFTG, all of them. Maybe Seth wasn't bad; maybe he was just twenty-two, you know?

& on the extra content when they tell Allison he died and she goes 'He called me not even an hour ago! He was drunk and rambling but he was happy for the first time in weeks. He was talking about how he finally thought graduating would be okay, about how he wanted me to help him look into grad schools. He wanted to go into social work and help people like he helps us. I know he wanted to die! Everyone knows he wanted to die! Every time he said he was done with life I walked away from him and every time he came chasing after me. This is the first time--he wanted to live.' breaks my heart.

Because, ok, Seth dies. Let's pretend it was a good idea for him to die to set some sort of impact on the story for a second. Except his death goes without much fuss. The shock Nora wanted is felt for maybe three seconds, in one paragraph in the last page of TFC and then we barely talk about Seth on TRK and TKM. Neil can't even understand how impactful was Seth's death - he only cares about how it will affect the game & his guilt is more about how Allison would feel towards him then sadness over losing a teammate - and this insight we get from Allison is from the extra content and not everyone goes on to read those so if Nora wanted something out of his death - pity, shock, sadness, or whatever - she should have put this scene IN THE BOOKS.

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codename-mom · 2 months

Text

Around an ice cream

Summary: Jessica went to the park with Jack when Hotch was working and the little boy has a curious reaction when he saw her with an ice cream too.

Characters: Jack Hotchner and Jessica Brooks (and a tiny bit of Hotch in the end)

Contents: TW this text is really, really angsty but there is an happy ending. Indeed, Jessica is explaining what grief and guilt are to her five years old nephew, so it's not funny at all

This is a text written for the KidFic CM challenge organized by @imagining-in-the-margins.

PS : English is not my mother language so they are necessarily mistakes. Sorry about that.

___

“You get an ice cream?”

Jessica was caught off guard by Jack's questioning. His small hand in hers, her nephew looked at her as if she'd done something exceptional. At five years old, he still had a lot to learn, but the query was still surprising.

“Yes. Adults like ice cream too, you know.”

Taking care of the little one in place of his father – who worked all week from very early in the morning to very late at night – she had taken advantage of the fine weather to take him out for some fresh air. The sight of the ice-cream truck had prompted her to offer one to the toddler, whose eyes lit up as he retrieved his cone. At the same time, she had decided to treat herself too, and had set her sights on a coffee ball.

“Dad, when we go to the park together, he never takes ice cream,” continued the boy, intrigued.

“Really?” she reacted with a twinge of sadness.

“Yes.”

A dizziness seized her furtively and she breathed in hard to keep from wavering. She knew that, despite his fake smile, her ex-brother-in-law wasn't well, but she didn't know it was this bad. However, she felt the child was far too young to know any better. So, she opted for a white lie:

“… Maybe he doesn’t like that. Some people prefer to eat salty foods rather than sweet ones.”

“But…”

His fine eyebrows furrowed as he pondered what to say while giving his chocolate ball a lick.

“Dad, when we do groceries together, he always asks me what I want and he never takes things that he wants.”

Which didn't surprise her in the least. For as long as she'd known him, she'd consistently seen Aaron bend to the desires of others and wish for nothing for himself. What he needed had always been the last of his priorities, but she had the feeling that it went further than usual. But, once again, she evaded the question so as not to worry the cherub any further.

“He just wants to please you, it’s normal.”

“Why?” bounced the youngster, licking his ice cream again.

“Because it’s what daddies do. They look after their children before themselves.”

“Why?”

“It’s to show them that they love them. And your dad loves you very much.”

She had absolutely no doubt about it but was aware that it wasn't really for this reason that Aaron was ignoring his desires.

“But I also want him to eat things he wants to eat, moaned her little neighbor. It’s always things that I want to eat he eats.”

Jack had inherited the generous, benevolent nature of both his parents, and his father's lack of impulses obviously unsettled him greatly. She understood his concern and wondered whether she shouldn't discuss it with the giant face to face, but quickly realized that he would agree to reassure her without changing his behavior. He was, yet, in no emotional state to give himself a break. At least, it was obvious that her words wouldn't reach him, even if she was right. But if…

“… Have you told him yet?”

“No.”

“Maybe you should tell him.”

He opened his eyes wide, completely forgetting his ice cream melting on his sleeve, and suggested, hesitantly:

“Can’t you tell him?”

“I think it'll work better if you tell him.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

She took his hand again and smiled to calm him, then they walked to a shady bench. Jack ate his ice cream almost reflexively. He wasn't at all enjoying this pleasure his aunt had wanted to give him. A reaction that gripped her heart. She would have liked some levity in the daily life of this little boy who had just undergone a terrible ordeal, but the mini wheels of his developing brain cluttered his mind with a multitude of questions, and it was her duty as an adult to answer them.

“What's the matter, sweetie?” she asked, not without some trepidation.

“Why does he do that?” he reacted right away, raising his hazel eyes to her.

“Why does he do what?”

“He always does what I want, he clarified, his small legs swinging in the air. When we play a game, I always choose.”

She could already see what he was getting at, and an answer immediately formed in her head, but she pushed it away with all her might. It was inconceivable to discuss such things with a toddler barely five years old.

“Games for adults are too complicated for you to understand, darling.”

“I also choose the evening movies.”

“You wouldn't be able to see the movies he can. They're too violent or too complex for a child your age.”

“On weekends, when we do an activity, it's always an activity for me. Never for him.”

“But you'd be bored in an adult activity, dear.”

Jessica crossed her fingers that this would be enough to make him think that everything was fine, that his father was simply adapting his behavior in the presence of his offspring.

“But... hiccupped the latter, his eyebrows furrowed; he could go with some friends of his and I'd go to your place, or Grandma Ada's, or Grandma Helen's.”

It was a failure. Clearly, Jack had also inherited his father's foresight and propensity for not wanting to disturb those closest to him. If he was allowed to do things and have fun with other children, then it was only right that his sire should be allowed to do the same. Which he didn’t. And she knew why. But explaining it to someone so young without frightening, shocking or saddening them was a daunting task. But she had already realized that she wouldn't be able to ignore it completely, as this inquiry had been burrowing into her nephew's mind for too long.

She then took a deep breath and, swallowing to try and get rid of the knot in her throat, she launched herself into her own words:

“… Okay. Have you ever felt that unpleasant sensation in your body when you know you've done bad things, but nobody knows it yet?”

“Yes,” he admitted, shaking his head.

“Well, it’s what we call guilt. And your daddy, he feels that a... – she couldn't bring herself to say: "all the time", even though it was the truth – very often.”

Jack stared at her with an attention that required her to concentrate harder than ever to conceal her emotions. She didn't have Aaron's mastery of this exercise and felt she would struggle to get to the end of her talk without letting out a tear. She was very attached to her ex-brother-in-law despite everything that had happened, and knowing he was in such pain crushed her insides.

“Why? Does he do bad things?”

“Actually, he doesn't, but he thinks he does.”

“I don't get it,” confessed her nephew, pouting.

Which was hardly surprising. Even for the people around him, it was a phenomenon difficult to understand. But the fact was, that's exactly what it was: he blamed himself for things no one blamed him for. There must surely be a technical term for this, except that she didn't know what it was. The people around him who were aware of this aspect of his personality downplayed his fears – perhaps with the idea of appeasing him and getting him to move on to another subject – or made fun of them without investigating the origin of this negative attitude. She wasn't an expert on the subject, but she'd been around the giant long enough to be able to claim to have a pretty good grasp of the character. And what her sister's son told her worried her greatly.

“It’s… it's a bit complicated to explain, sweetheart,” she declared, hoping this would encourage him to give up the game.

“Just explain it in words for small ones.”

“What?” she croaked, surprised.

“That's how Dad explains things to me. With words for little ones,” he said, dipping his tongue into the cone to retrieve the melted ice.

She could add stubbornness to the list of things he'd inherited from his parents, Haley and Aaron having been and being quite stubborn on certain points, never wanting to budge despite an informed counterargument. Jessica sighed and tried to organize her thoughts, putting the darkest ones at the bottom of the list, and hoping she wouldn't need to pull them out.

“…Your dad feels guilty because he's not there to take care of you.”

“He is. He was here last night, affirmed the youngster, before continuing. And the night before. And the weekend before. And many other days before too.”

She couldn't help smiling at the simplicity of the boy's reasoning. He didn't see his father every day, but he had no problem with that. If only Aaron could see it that way...

“Yes, but he thinks he should be with you all the time.”

“But he can't, he has to work. He's got to catch the bad guys,” Jack objected in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Yes, but in his head, he thinks he should take care of you first before dealing with the bad guys. And… - she hesitated, aware that she was venturing onto a slippery slope - he thinks I mind taking care of you.”

Anxiety took shape on the spot on the little boy's very expressive face, with chocolate all around his mouth and even on the tip of his nose.

“You mind?”

“Not at all, angel, she reassured him immediately. I love taking care of you. You’re my nephew, it’ll never bother me.”

It would have been a lie to say it wasn't a heavy load, but she had no children of her own and, with Haley gone, she was left with only her descendant to deal with this early and brutal grief. Jack was the glimmer of joy that encouraged her to get up every morning and showed her the way. He still had so much to learn and so much to discover that she didn't care how much energy she had to expend to accomplish her mission. She was happy to be there, by his side, at every new step he took in his life as a human being. Seeing him smile and hearing him laugh nourished her body with new strength every day.

“So why does Dad think it bothers you?”

“Because that's the way he thinks. He thinks he's annoying everyone; she attested as a vise tightened around her ribcage. He… he thinks he is a bad father.”

And she hadn't had to guess, since he'd told her so openly. Multiple times.

“No! It’s not true!” shouted Jack, outraged.

“I know. I never cease to tell him, but… he doesn’t listen much.”

He didn’t listen at all. This was one of the subjects on which his obstinacy made him deaf to any attempt to make him return to other feelings.

“Why?”

The young woman felt tears welling up in her eyes as she realized she had no other option but to get to the heart of the matter. From her point of view, it was too much for the toddler to grasp, but it was the key to understanding the strangeness of his father's behavior. It was up to her to find the wording least offensive to him.

“…You know, your dad blames himself a lot for what happened to your mom.”

“He didn't hurt her!” the boy defended him on the spot.

“I know, and deep down he knows it too, but he still thinks he's the reason why you don't have a mom anymore. He…”

She had to stop to take a deep breath and push back the pain that was crushing her ribs. The tragedy had burned a hole in her memory, and just thinking about it again, however briefly, was torture. She couldn't imagine what it was like for someone who had experienced it from the inside.

“The bad man who did this was someone his team was looking for, she managed to resume. They found him, put him in prison, but he escaped. And because he was so angry with your dad, he decided to hurt him. And… and that's how it all happened,” she abbreviated, both for him and for herself.

She struggled to breathe and could no longer bear the steady gaze of her miniature interlocutor, stressed by seeing her in such a state. But she has to go on. Getting to the bottom of her explanation, with all the emotional burden that entailed.

“So, your dad thinks that... without him... you'd... you'd still have your mom.”

The tears overflowed and ran down her cheeks at full speed. She didn't even have the reflex to chase them away, hurt by her own words.

“And he… - she sniffed, her voice trembling beyond her control – he often thinks that... that he would have preferred that... that your mom was still alive, and him, not.”

“NO! No! exclaimed her nephew, starting to cry in his turn. No, I don’t want! I want Dad! I’m sad for Mom, but I want Dad!”

Jessica immediately put her arms around him to reassure him. He nestled his little head against her chest and his fingers clung to her blouse.

“Of course, sweetheart, she said, blowing kisses into his hair. But… that's why he doesn't want anything for himself. He… he thinks he doesn’t deserve it.”

“It's so sad!” moaned the toddler, his face still buried between her breasts.

“Yes, it is. You know, your dad loved your mom very, very much. For him, it's very hard to go on without her.”

It had already been very difficult for him to accept the request for divorce – he had seemed thinner every time he rang her doorbell to see his son –, so losing her forever seemed like an interminable ordeal for him.

“Did Mom love Dad very, very much, too?” inquired Jack, looking up at her.

She noticed the chocolate stains lining her top but decided not to hold it against the culprit. The question he had just asked required her to weigh her words. Love stories in cartoons were always very simple, but reality was far more complex.

“… In the past, yes. Then, one day, she stopped loving him and, as you may not remember, they ceased living in the same house.”

Barely two years old at the time, he had moved from one home to another, before returning to the first, always with the familiar presence of his mother by his side. His father's absence hadn't troubled him any more than that. For Haley, this had been further proof of Aaron's lack of involvement. Jessica had put it down more to his age, which didn't allow him to grasp that having only one parent wasn't necessarily the norm. According to her, he was satisfied with the mere fact that someone was providing for him, without worrying about who was doing it. But maybe it was a combination of both.

“Why did she stop loving him?” the little boy wanted to know, chewing his cone.

“That’s just the way things are. For years, you love something and then, one day, you stop loving it. It’s life.”

“But I don't want to stop loving Dad, he whimpered, panicking at the prospect. And I don't want to stop loving you.”

She was touched by his words and felt the vise loosen its grip around her torso.

“Don't worry, you'll always love him, I'll always love you and we'll always love you, she assured him, kissing him on the forehead. It's just for people who don't know each other before that it happens. But know this: if your mom stopped loving your dad, it had nothing to do with you.”

This was the most important detail he had to remember about their separation. It wasn’t his fault. His arrival had only brought to light the dissensions that had already existed between them for several years. Sooner or later, with or without him, they would rise to the surface and drive them apart, despite all the love he still had for her.

“… Is it because of what happened to Mom that he never laughs?” Jack noted, rubbing his hands full of crumbs on his pants.

“Yes, she nodded. But, with time, it will come back. He’ll laugh again.”

“I can’t wait.”

“We all can’t wait, she revealed with a smile, before bouncing back. You know what?”

“What?”

“You should tell him right away, as soon as you see him, that you want him to eat things he wants to eat. It should speed things up.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.”

The boy's mouth stretched from ear to ear. The idea of making his dad happy again seemed to give him the courage to face him, and he pulled her arm most of the way home. And they were surprised to discover that the giant was there, back from Quantico. Not long, since he was still wearing almost everything in his suit, only his jacket having been hung on the back of a chair. He held the mail in his hand and immediately looked up when the door opened.

“DADDY!”

A shy smile appeared on the narrow face of the owner of the premises, who knelt to welcome his son as he should have done:

“Hey! Hi, champ!”

Jack jumped into his arms and Aaron gave him a kiss on the temple. In return, the toddler gave him a peck on the cheek and clung to his neck. The BAU director got to his feet without letting go, as if he weighed no more than a feather.

“You were at the park?”

“Yes. We even had ice cream,” his son told him with undeniable pride.

“That’s good. Do you like it?”

“Yes, he said before he screamed into his ear. Dad!”

“Yes?” he replied, suppressing a grimace.

“Next time we go to the park together, I want you to have an ice cream too.”

The injunction obviously baffled his progenitor, who watched him, eyebrows furrowed.

“… Why?”

“Because you deserve an ice cream too.”

Unsettled by the determined look on his face, he turned his attention to Jessica, who shrugged her shoulders in feigned ignorance. For the subterfuge to work, it was preferable that he didn't know that the plan had been drawn up by her.

“O… okay, I'll have an ice cream then,” he announced, still puzzled.

“Deal?” insisted his descendant, staring intently at him.

Aaron cast a brief, frightened glance in the direction of his ex-sister-in-law, who pretended to wait for his reply, then returned to his budding inquisitor.

“… Deal.”

“Yeah!” exulted Jack, brandishing both fists skyward.

His aunt smiled, relieved. A small step had been taken, now all the others remained to be done.

___

I had this idea when, doing groceries, I heard a young boy saying to his father that: "it doesn't matter". I didn't know what they were talking about but this young kid telling his (single?) father that it was okay, made me think about the relationship between Jack and his father.

Because Jack does care about his father a lot (the way his father does care about his team) and we all know that scene where he won't talk about his mother because it makes Aaron sad.

So, Jack worrying about the fact his father doesn't want anything for himself could be thing too. Then here it is. :)

#criminal minds #aaron hotchner #hotch #agent hotchner #criminal minds fanfic #code name mom #jack hotchner #jessica brooks

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vulnonapix1234 · 10 months

Text

I am not immune to the Trans Girl Miles propaganda and I also won't finish this.

I adore the spider family, so I wanted to draw them as being supportive. Jess is there in spirit.

I think that Miles realized that she was trans after she met 42 (rip).

42: I am miles morales. What are you?

Miles: Certainly not cis.

(Aaron and 42 had to listen to her having a mental breakdown because of everything that happened. They decided to help her if she helped them with overthrowing the sinister 6. )

Anyway, they go back, defeat the spot and everything is great. 42 punched Miguel when he showed up after everything was done.

So yeah. Life is good.

Except that Miles wasn't able to come out to anyone (not counting 42 and Aaron) because she had other priorities.

Her friends knew that something was wrong, but she didn't know how to bring it up.

Except for Pavitr, who is extremely good at reading people and had vowed to look after Miles, after "he" changed his fate and saved him.

He made sure that Miles knew that he would help her in any way that she needed and helped her come out to their friends.

Her friends were extremely supportive and that helped her a lot.

#miles morales #atsv miles #chaiflower #atsv #miles spiderman #atsv miles morales #arachnikids #spider family

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ssahotchnerr · 2 years

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can you imagine going house hunting with aaron and jack?? looking for a place to call all your guys’ home??

no because this makes me so 🥰🥰🥰

cw; none!

first, you and aaron would do a ton of research when it comes to buying a home. a safe neighborhood is absolutely top priority, and the house must have/get installed with an extremely good security system (after foyet, aaron was a lil paranoid 🥺 he's not taking any chances when it comes to you and jack's safety). it also must be in an area with a good school, maybe even walking distance to a park, a backyard and overall it's in a neighborhood that's pretty quiet and not overcrowded. heheh both you and aaron have a lil list of must-haves <33 aaron wants a home office and a big kitchen, you want an open floor plan and a walk-in closet, and jack's one condition is that he wants a bigger room for his toys hehe <333

but house hunting itself with aaron would be so fun!!! the two of you will make a day out of it, visiting potential homes together while jack is over at jj's playing with henry <333 the two of you will visit a home, and visualize what would go where or what room would be what 🥹 the office, jack's room, a future nursery!!! the whole process makes the two of you a bit giddy, because this is your future you're talking about🥰!!!! it's a new chapter of your lives together; there's so much to look forward to and this house is just the beginning <3

aaron's lawyer side really shows when he's asking the realtor questions about the homes as well - making sure it's up to code, checking on appliances, no harmful toxins hidden deep in the walls, etc.. he definitely uses his negotiation skills to his advantage too <333 honestly, he kinda freaks out the realtor with how intimidating he is >:) and meanwhile it's giving you butterflies 🦋🥰💕 it results in the two of you getting so many good offers too, - all below asking price, having appliances included, things like that.

after seeing what feels like a hundred houses, you and aaron finally find one that you both collectively think is just perfect. it has everything on the must-have list; it's in a safe neighborhood, and it even has a pool!!! but before a conclusion is reached, you'll take jack to the house and ask him what he thinks (and if it's suitable for all his toys hehe <3) and he gets so excited!!!! he's going on and on how big it is compared to the apartment and how there's so much room to run around and play!!! heheh while he's running around from the kitchen to the living room and back, you get a bit teary eyed at his happiness and excitement 🥹 and because now that jack is there, it truly feels like home 🥹 you can see you and aaron raising a family there, the bau coming over for lil get-togethers, and everything else that goes inbetween <333 aaron sees you get emotional, and he pulls you to him so he's able to wrap his arms around you and give you a kiss 🥰 because he's thinking the same thing 🥰 the two of you have found your forever home and it's going to be filled with so so so so many memories <333

request something -> here!

join my taglist!

tags: @sylvieofasgard @hotchgirlsummer @ssamorganhotchner @greg-montgomery @sannunah28 @anlin2058 @14buddy22 @thebaileybugle @GothWifeHotchner @dungeons-are-too-cold @RousetheMouse @louderfortheback @mulattomoon @itseightbeats @gspenc @reidsbookclub

#aaron hotchner #criminal minds #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner fluff #hotch x reader #aaron hotchner imagine #criminal minds imagine #aaron hotchner fanfiction #criminal minds fanfiction

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caufield193 · 2 months

Text

I’m gonna say something super controversial. Stay with me though….

Judith’s reunion with Rick was very underwhelming. STAY WITH ME! That’s to be expected though.

I think people need to remember that Michonne adopted Judith which is why she is so close to her and priorities her. I think a lot of folks expected a Rick and Judith reunion to be u underwhelming becauee Rick and Judith never bonded. I’m not one of those trolls who are always reminding people that Judith is Shane’s child, but after Andy confirmed Lori and Shane moved on in literally three weeks… Rick didn’t adopt Judith in the sense that Gracie is adopted… Aaron sees her, and see his child. Rick sees Judith and sees two people who betrayed him in 3 weeks. Of course he learned to love her, but he said it himself he HAD to. And let’s be honest, that is a vey human thing to do as an average person would not bond with the child their partner had with their bff… I think it speak to the level of the kind of man Rick is. I expected an underwhelming reunion between those two because

- the second Judith was born Rick couldn’t even look at her. He checked on Carl but not her. Daryl took care of her. Yes Rick was grieving, but does grief only make you check on one child?

- he saw a bloody car seat shed a tear and started making sure Carl was safe

- when he told Michonne judith wasn’t his, he goes, “ I had to accept that… so I could keep her alive.” His only priority was keeping her alive, an obligation as Rick is very loyal and dutiful. He didn’t say he had to do that to bond or love her, it was simply to keep her alive.

- Rick had dreams about Carl and Michonne at the CRM. He didn’t know about RJ, but he knew about Judith and never once… the whole time his driving factor was Carl.

- whenever he spoke of his children in episode four, he very much personalized RJ’s presence… “ for our children… our son.” You don’t need to say son if you said children. “ for Judith, and our son.”

- both Judith and RJ are half siblings to Carl yet Judith only ever talks about Carl and rj doesn’t. In the few scenes RJ was able to speak, he only spoke of his dad, and he had t even met him yet. It makes sense that Judith would speak of Carl as Carl was obsessed with his little sister. Shouldn’t she speak of Rick though, more than RJ atleast because she met him? No she shouldn’t, because his focus was always Carl. Rj spoi of him because that’s his namesake and their are prepping him to be really close to his dad

Please don’t think I’m being a troll I just think it’s very complex. The reunion of the century will be Judith and Daryl because he prioritized her and loved her and didn’t need to learn to do that. Even Judith called him dad once… RJ would never call Daryl that as Daryl didn’t prioritize Rj, much in the way Rick interacted with Judith. I am in no way saying Rick is a bad person… I will always love him as he is my favorite character, but I think he is a human and what makes TWD so fascinating is people having real issues and real problems. This is a show where people watch throats being bit out, so I 100% think it’s okay that Rick isn’t close to a child who will always carry a piece of her bio parents. It makes sense that Michonne is obsessed with Judith because michonne one didn’t know Lori and Shane… they didn’t betray her. Judith is Michonnes little girl and I think it’s beautiful that she’s got Michonnes katana and RJ’s got Rick’s hat and his own little hatchet like his dad

#richonne #rick and michonne #rj grimes

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bluenet13 · 1 year

Photo

The lightnin' in my heart makes it worth it

Written for @badthingshappenbingo

Fandom: The Rookie

Characters: Tim Bradford, Lucy Chen, Angela Lopez, Nyla Harper, Aaron Thorsen, John Nolan, Wesley Evers

Prompt: Taking you with me

Summary: Tim and Lucy planned to keep their newfound relationship to themselves throughout the holidays then talk to Grey in the new year. It was a perfect plan that should have worked. Really, there was no reason not to. Except for near-death experiences and Sergeants that can’t keep their hands to themselves.

AO3

"There's a hurricane in my head But the lightnin' in my heart makes it worth it." 'Nervous' by John Legend

After an initially awkward but ultimately successful first date, an even better second date and a third where they finally crossed the line at Tim's house (choosing to forsake the continuity of Lucy's apartment because the worst that could happen at the Bradford residence was Kojo crashing their moment, but neither were ready for Tamara to interrupt them again), Tim and Lucy decide to keep their newfound relationship to themselves until they're ready for everyone to know.

The last time someone had tried to keep a secret at Mid-Wilshire every officer at roll call already knew before the briefing had even started, by lunch it had spread to the detective's floor and by the end of shift even Bailey was texting Nolan about it. So, they were more than happy to remain a secret during the holiday season and would talk to Grey in the new year.

Since making the decision they had continued to be their professional selves at work, while making sure Lucy was not assigned to ride with Tim. They had remained friends but nothing more when they went out with their colleagues, sharing glances but not touches, fries but not kisses, while most nights they followed each other home. And they only spent the night when Tamara stayed at a friend's house.

It was a perfect plan that should have worked. Really, there was no reason not to. Except for near-death experiences and Sergeants that can't keep their hands to themselves…

-x-x-x-

Tim arrives on scene and the first thing he notices is Lucy's shop parked on a side alley. And even in the midst of an active shooter situation he can't help but smile when she comes jogging to him.

"Hey, you. What are you doing here?" Lucy asks. Her hand naturally gravitates closer to him, but she shakes her head before making contact and busies herself checking her gun instead.

"Hi," Tim whispers, in that soft tone of his, the one reserved only for Lucy. "I'm responding to a high priority call." He tries for a no-nonsense tone but judging by Lucy's raised eyebrows he doesn't succeed.

"You're a Sergeant at one of the busiest districts in LA, I'm sure there's more than one important call at a time." Seeing the way his face falls, Lucy adds in a softer tone, "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but if you keep showing up at all my calls, we will raise more than a few eyebrows".

"When dispatch calls an active shooter and my girlfriend is the closest responding officer, and she's riding alone, I'm bound to come running," Tim says, not even trying to sound apologetic. Lucy nods and the corner of her mouth ticks slightly upward but she still looks concerned, and Tim wishes he could run his fingers through her forehead and smooth the crease there. Or kiss it away, whatever. Sue him for being in love.

"Your girlfriend, eh?" Lucy can't help but tease, doing her best to still keep a straight face. "I don't remember ever agreeing to that."

"I thought that was established the last few times we made out. Otherwise, what we have been doing is very inappropriate. IA would have a field day with us," Tim throws back as they start to make their way towards the building the shooter was seen running to.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Lucy scolds, even as her eyes shine with mirth at the memories. "I'm serious, Bradford. We agreed we would keep our distance at work until we took care of Grey and the paperwork."

Knowing when he's beat, Tim raises his hands in a placating gesture, even as he adds under his breath, "But I'm not apologizing."

Lucy shakes her head but still reaches for Tim's hand and squeezes once as they enter. The space is deserted except for desks and boxes left behind when life moved indoors during the pandemic and the office building stayed empty after its previous occupants decided to keep working from home.

They search in perfect harmony; arms, legs and minds in sync as they check room after room, floor after floor. Their lingering worry about what they're keeping secret is replaced by complete focus on their surroundings as they strain to hear the lowest sounds and catch the faintest movements. And almost as an afterthought Tim realizes that it will really be a loss to the City of Angels if the LAPD eventually decides they can't ride together anymore. The thought, however, brings a loopy smile to his face, and Lucy obviously notices.

"What got you smiling like that?" Lucy asks, tone soft, and equal parts absentminded and knowing.

Tim blushes from the neck up but his smile still becomes more pronounced. Old Tim would have resented anyone that could read him so well; new Tim is only glad that someone cares enough to want to read him at all. "Nothing, just thinking."

Lucy hums her understanding and is about to respond when it occurs to her that it's weird that Tim showed up alone. "Are you on your own today?"

"Yeah," he answers simply, letting out an affronted huff when Lucy only snickers in response and lifts an eyebrow expectantly. "What? I'm perfectly capable of riding on my own." He glowers at her, but she's never been one to back down when it comes to him, and he can still feel her waiting gaze. "I dropped Thorsen at the back before coming to join you. He was waiting for Nolan and Juarez who were 10 minutes behind."

"That sounds more like Grey," Lucy says with a laugh but quickly sobers up as something crashes on the floor above them.

Tim turns around to make sure Lucy heard it too and finds himself smiling proudly when she's already looking at him, waiting for his lead. He signals for her to take the elevator on the right and he will take the stairs on the left, hoping to come at whoever is upstairs from both sides.

He takes the stairs two at a time and continues his uneventful search for a few more minutes until he hears another crash, closer this time, then a grunt and a shriek that's unmistakably Lucy. He tightens his finger on the trigger and takes quick strides in the direction the sounds came from.

The image he sees when he turns the corner slices through him like the knife the suspected shooter is pressing to Lucy's neck as he holds her in a chokehold. There's a bruise already forming on her temple and her lip is split and Tim instantly sees red, even when he also swells with pride because the man is sporting a black eye and bloody nose, both courtesy of one Lucy Chen.

Tim raises his gun even if he knows he can't actually hit him without shooting Lucy first. "Drop the knife and slowly raise your hands," he directs, taking a step forward.

"I don't think you're in a position to demand anything," the suspect says and proves his point by pressing the knife a little deeper, stopping with the first red droplet.

To her credit, Lucy doesn't make a sound, but Tim still feels the shallow cut tenfold. His hands tighten on his gun but he's still powerless to do anything that won't hurt Lucy first. Before he can make up his mind about what to even say or do, a second offender comes out of nowhere and tackles him against a wall. "Tim!" He hears Lucy shout but even the one syllable is cut short as the man tightens his hold on her throat.

Tim cries out as soon as his back hits concrete. He would be stunned, if not for a fist making contact with his face, forcing his mind back to the present and away from fears of paralysis and the possible dangers of another spinal surgery.

By the time a second punch comes, Tim has regained his senses and he ducks, rising a moment later and pistol whipping the guy on the side of his head. The hit is enough to stun him, and Tim is able to connect two more times, before his divided focus costs him and the man gains the upper hand. Worried about Lucy, he never sees the hit to his ribs coming and only realizes his mistake when he's on the floor with a gun pointed at his chest. He points his back but knows the effort is pointless.

"Now, now, officer, that wasn't a good idea," the man holding Lucy says, smiling wickedly when Tim can only grunt in response. "We just wanted to talk, and you had to go and get violent."

Right, like they weren't the ones to shoot up a nearby strip mall and attack both Lucy and Tim. But he can't say any of that, so Tim nods reluctantly and gets back to his feet, still pointing his gun at the man holding her. He looks at Lucy out of the corner of his eye and feels a small measure of relief because she doesn't seem to have any new injuries. The relief is short-lived as a moment later he sees Lucy's gun on the ground and realizes it must have flown out of her hand during the scuffle.

"So, officer-"

"Sergeant," Tim interrupts, against his better judgment, then spits blood on the ground in front of the guy with the gun.

"Sergeant, whatever. I don't see how your title is relevant when we're the ones in control. You can shoot me, but my friend here will shoot her. Or you can shoot him, and I'll slice her neck. Either way, it's a win-win for us." As if to punish Tim for speaking out of turn, he nods to his friend, who steps forward and punches Lucy in the stomach.

Lucy tries to suppress her grunt, but Tim can still hear, or sense, her discomfort and it only adds to the anguish he's already feeling. He wants to curse the guys for deciding today was a good day to rob a store while Lucy was patrolling nearby, or possibly pray to a God he hasn't believed in since his divorce and bargain for her life.

Apparently, Tim's taken too long to acknowledge his words because Lucy lets out a little shriek and he sees a new crimson line running down her neck. He opens his mouth to reply but hesitates, instead turning to look at her directly.

Like he's come to expect from her, Lucy is in total control. Face schooled to indifference even as her hand holds the man's arm, trying to keep the knife from digging further into her skin. Tim sighs and focuses on her eyes. He asks a silent question and she, almost imperceptibly, shakes her head. Don't give him, she's saying, but his heart disagrees. "What do you want?" he manages to ask through gritted teeth.

"Now we're getting somewhere, I knew you looked like a reasonable man." He smiles widely and Tim knows he won't like whatever comes out of his mouth. "So, you're going to drop your gun and walk downstairs. Once we're in the clear, we will drop off your friend where she can find a payphone so you can go get her. And before you think you can disagree, just remember her life is in my hands."

With that request, Tim's world starts to go slowly out of focus. He can feel Lucy's eyes trying to bore a hole through his head, but he can't turn to look at her. He can barely breathe, and the entire world feels like it's spinning off its axis. Because where Lucy goes, he goes; it should be an easy decision. But this one is out of his hands.

"Tim." Lucy's voice cuts through the fog on his head. "Look at me." But he can't because he knows what she's about to say. Because now she's as scared as he is, and he can hear it in her voice. Not that anyone else would, but years of working together has allowed them to develop a seamless rhythm and unique understanding of each other. It's how he knows what she's about to ask. "Please."

The anguish in her voice does it and Tim reluctantly lifts his head to look at Lucy. This time her face is pinched and full of worry lines, she's looking paler and is biting down on her bottom lip. The sight makes his heartbeat skyrocket because for Lucy to lose her composure then their odds really must be shit.

As if reading his mind, they're interrupted as the universe seems to really want to prove his point. "I don't have all day, Sergeant." The tone is mocking, and Tim really wants to shoot the bastard in the head. "Just remember we're giving you a choice but can just as easily shoot you, and then shoot her, or better yet, take her as insurance, then shoot her."

"Tim, go. I'll be fine." Tim's eyes snap back to Lucy and he almost wants to laugh, or cry, because how dare she ask him that.

Lucy presses her lips together as she seems to make a decision. The intensity in her gaze sends a shudder down his spine because her previous fear is replaced only by determination, and he recognizes that look.

"No." Tim takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. His eyes blink rapidly as he tries and fails to stop the tears welling up in his eyes. He looks at Lucy and mentally apologizes because he might have just doomed them both.

Two shots ring out before the expected pain, but it never comes. Tim's on the ground thanks to a combination of pure instinct and adrenaline and there's a hole on the wall near where his head must have been, but he's thankfully still in one piece. Which must mean-

Tim turns quickly, scared out of his mind of what he will find but it's the second man who's on the ground with a gunshot to his head, a gun discarded to his side, alongside a shell casing. Lucy is still alive, but her attacker is now pressing her against the wall with an even more murderous look on his eyes. "Last chance," he says slowly. "You're lucky you didn't just kill a friend, but a man available for a job. But you won't be so lucky if you disobey me again."

The last part is directed to Lucy and Tim only then registers that she must have somehow jumped out of reach of the knife and recovered her gun long enough to shoot the guy that was about to shoot him. He was too busy trying not to question a miracle, but now he can't help but smile when he realizes it wasn't a miracle at all, just Lucy saving him again.

"Tim. Go. Now."

He hesitates. He can't. He can't just leave her. Not when she just saved his life. Not when she's been saving his life ever since they met. But Lucy still has a knife to her neck and her body is blocking the guy he very desperately wants to shoot.

"Tim. It's okay. Go. Whatever happens it's on me," she whispers. Her tone is different now, equal parts anxious and heartbreakingly resigned. But Tim still shakes his head, bull-headed as always. "I've been living on borrowed time; and it's been great, especially the last few weeks. I'm at peace and you should be too." One of her hands is still trying to push the suspect away, but Tim is focused on the other; on the fingers grazing the skin on her side, over her ribs, where he now knows her D.O.D tattoo still is.

At once, Tim remembers that Lucy has been here before. Not too long ago forced to accept the inevitability of her own death. And while all cops have to entertain the notion of their own mortality at some point, most never have that moment of taking what you're sure is your last breath. It had only been a miracle that saved Lucy from Caleb, and Tim fears they're all out of those now.

Tim knows he would be as adamant that she leaves if their positions were reversed, but they're also equally stubborn, and he isn't willing to back down. "No," he says again, trying to channel some of Lucy's stubborn optimism.

"Tim," Lucy says softly, and in just his name, Tim can hear everything they have never said.

Unable to break eye contact, he just stares at her, and she gazes back at him; and as blue meets brown everything around them fades and all that is left is the two of them in this room. It's them at roll call and the shop, at the food trucks and the bar, at Lucy's apartment and Tim's house; it's hikes, dances, dinner dates and shared breakfasts. It's a partnership that became a friendship and relationship. And it's the knowledge that it took them a long time to get to where they are now and the certainty that they're not ready to give it up. "I'm sorry, Luce. But I can't do that. I'm not leaving you behind."

Tim sees the moment Lucy's demeanor changes and knows she's noticed something he missed. Belatedly he sees the shooter loosen his hold on Lucy and grab a gun from the waistband of his jeans and point it at him. "I don't have time for this; she's all the insurance I need," he says, his finger beginning to pull the trigger.

He turns back to Lucy then, expecting to see his own fear reflected on her face but she just looks sad. And more than a little bit pissed. "I'm sorry, Tim." The brokenness in her voice catches him off guard, but Tim has no time to do anything before Lucy is pushing herself off the wall, against the shooter.

"What are you doi-?" Both men begin to ask; Tim in equal parts wonder and terror, while their attacker just sounds surprised and overpowered.

"I'm taking you with me," Lucy croaks, pointing at the shooter, her voice breaking at the last word. "But you're not taking him with us," she adds, turning back to Tim.

She closes her eyes briefly, memorizing every detail that makes Tim him, and then flings herself back against the building's broken window. She uses the sudden movement to lock her hands on the arm holding onto her and uses all her remaining strength to push the man off the window, but her momentum carries her with him over the edge.

Tim didn't think there were many non-catastrophic ways for this situation to end, but Lucy sacrificing herself never even crossed his mind. Beaten and exhausted he falls to his knees as a tear slides down his cheek. But then he hears what's unmistakably Lucy's voice calling his name and he jumps to his feet, not believing his eyes when he gets to the window and sees Lucy hanging onto the windowsill by pure will power.

Tim grabs Lucy's hand and pulls her over until they're both back on solid ground. He hasn't experienced a fear this visceral in years and he feels his legs giving out until he's back on the ground. But then Lucy slides down the wall next to him and her proximity is enough to begin softening the sharp edges of his panic.

He isn't sure who moves first, but suddenly they're both looking each other up and down, making sure there are no life-threatening injuries they missed. And just as suddenly Lucy's arms are around his shoulders, her forehead resting over his chest, and Tim's clinging to her for dear life. And then they're both crying, holding onto each other too tightly for it to be comfortable most days and even less now with their current injuries, but neither one is ready to let go.

When their desperate cries stop, Tim pulls back and wipes her tears away. "I thought-" he chokes out, but the thought is too haunting to say out loud, so he just stops, blinking a few times in quick succession. He's had more than a few close calls between his years in the military and the force, but never before had he been so certain there would be no positive outcome.

"I know," Lucy answers hoarsely and buries her face on Tim's chest, like she does every night they share a bed. The gesture is so simple yet already familiar that it's enough to bring Tim's world back into focus. Because she's hurt and equally exhausted, but alive.

"Don't ever do that to me again," he says instead, smiling through a sigh when he feels her nod against his chest.

Finally getting back to their feet, Tim glances around the space, making sure it's still deserted, and kisses her gently. Lucy fists her hands in the front of his shirt and rises onto her toes to deepen the kiss. Unlike their last frantic hours, the kiss is sweet and tender. Kissing each other feels right; it feels like home and the promise of a future that until just now was looking quite bleak. And it's enough for them to momentarily forget what just happened as they create some distance between them and slowly make their way downstairs towards their friends.

-x-x-x-

The next few hours happen in a blur.

They reach the street and find all their colleagues waiting for them: They hug Angela back as she promises that she was already organizing a SWAT team and snipers to get them out, they accept Thorsen, Nolan and Juarez's apologies for not being able to help as they were kept busy by the other two robbers, and they smile at Nyla's gruff but relieved tone when she berates them for scaring the crap out of them.

Then they have to get checked out by the waiting paramedics, barely avoiding a trip to the hospital as they mostly had bumps and bruises, except for a cut on Lucy's arm she got with the glass of the window which was closed with butterfly bandages.

When they finally get back to Mid-Wilshire, they have to sit through an hour of debriefs and it isn't until after midnight when they finally take a shower to wash the day away.

-x-x-x-

"I'll see you all later today," Tim says, standing at the station's lobby.

"Not so fast, Timothy. We need to talk about what just happened." Tim sighs and closes his eyes to avoid staring at Angela's shit eating grin. He can still feel her expectant gaze, but she couldn't possibly know anything, so he chooses to play dumb.

"Ignoring us won't work," Nyla says, unhelpfully, when his pause draws out too long and becomes awkward. Tim opens his eyes only to level her with a stern glare, but he should have known that never seems to work with the women in his life.

"Start talking, Bradford." Angela doubles down, looking at him expectantly.

He does his best to look puzzled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Angela only crosses her arms over her chest and pins him with a serious look. "We saw you with Lucy today."

Puzzlement turns to fake annoyance. "So what? I just reacted like I do when any officer under my watch gets hurt," he shoots back, purposely misunderstanding her.

"Man, I hope you're not actually kissing my wife after every case that goes wrong," Wesley says as he comes into the station, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I'm not kissing anyone." Tim lets out a sigh of long-suffering.

"Well, you're kissing Lucy," Wesley says matter of fact.

Tim opens his mouth to deny it, but instead finds himself rolling his eyes as he grumbles, "What are you even doing here, Evers?"

"Angela called. Says it's finally happening," Wesley explains cheerfully.

Tim inhales sharply; this day is not going at all the way he expected. He opens his mouth to deny whatever they think is happening but Angela cuts him short. "Tim, we saw you kiss Lucy today." Nolan gasps, surprised by her bluntness, meanwhile, Thorsen just looks incredibly relieved.

Tim's mind freezes. This can't be happening, he thinks, wondering if there's any way to salvage the situation. He turns to Lucy for support but she's actively not looking at them. He takes a moment to consider Angela's words and concludes that he's beat. "That's none of your business."

Angela simply smiles in response but continues to wait him out. Tim knows his best friend is not above showing up at his house in an hour demanding answers, so, even if he's certain he'll come to regret it, he says, placatingly, "What do you want to know? You get one question."

"You don't make the rules, Timothy." Angela fixes him with a smug look, and he groans. "But okay, I'll take it. For now. Was that your first kiss?"

"You already know we kissed during the uc op," he says too quickly, before Angela's not on the job clarification, followed by Nolan's clueless you kissed while undercover? Tim blushes and tries to look away, but his gaze falls on Lucy and a big, loopy smile spreads across his face. It is the happiest expression they had ever seen on him.

"Holy shit, you have. I'm your bestie and not even I knew you could look so soft!" Angela smirks and Tim narrows his eyes, but he looks far too happy for it to be effective. He tries to tone down his smile but fails spectacularly.

"Damn, who would have thought? Tim Bradford, stoic hardass, fell for his rookie," Nyla snorts, but her smile is laced with amusement.

Tim's face falls and he realizes he's just outed them both as Angela and Harper watch him triumphantly. Panicking and at a loss, he does the only sensible thing he can think of. He draws in a fortifying breath and slowly nods, then turns to Lucy and extends his hand to her. Lucy turns it over and puts her in his, twinning their fingers together. Tim uses the contact to pull her to him and kisses her sweetly before turning back to look at the group.

"There, happy?" Tim says gruffly and rolls his eyes, but the smile on his face betrays him.

"Yes. See, that wasn't so hard," Angela says, pleased. The look on her face is one of fond exasperation but Tim also sees something else there. It's a look he recognizes from Angela when she looks at Jack, and one he's given Genny many times when he's been proud of her. And now more than ever he's sure that life has given him not one, but two annoying, little sisters.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you. We didn't mean to keep it a secret," Lucy whispers apologetically, still holding onto Tim's hand. "We just wanted to keep it to ourselves during the holidays and planned to tell Commander Grey after New Year before sharing with the group."

"Hey, you don't have to explain, alright?" Nyla interrupts, intrigued but also feeling protective of the younger woman. "Besides, I've a more pressing question. Why don't you look surprised?" She asks, looking directly at Thorsen.

"Because I am not," Aaron says, without missing a beat, but the detectives' suspicious looks have him clarifying. "Are you? We all saw it coming before them. We have a group chat about it and I'm sure Grey already pre-filled the paperwork."

That whole sentence catches Tim's interest but he doesn't want to bring the conversation back to himself, so he stays silent.

Angela takes a moment to consider his words carefully but then shakes her head. "No, it's more than that. You already knew?" But it's more of an assertion than a question.

Nyla nods her agreement, getting closer to the P2. "You have been holding out on us."

Aaron had been warned his new sergeant was a real hardass, but it only took him a week to figure out it was the two detectives he needed to fear, so now he takes a couple steps back and nods, doubtfully.

"Since when?" Angela questions, eyes narrowed.

"A week," Aaron admits, voice shaky and small. "But they didn't tell me, I found out on my own!"

Tim takes pity on their P2 and intercedes before the detectives can further gang up on him. "Ang, give him a break. I, we, didn't tell him. We ran across each other outside the station. I promise you would have been the first to know when we were ready to share."

Aaron snorts. "If you call almost having to arrest you two for public indecency while on a "hike" running across each other, then yeah sure, by all means, that's totally what happened." He speaks under his breath, but everyone hears him anyway, and if Tim's look could kill Aaron would have just spontaneously combusted on the spot.

"Whoa, that's my cue to leave, see you all in a few hours!" Nyla waves goodbye and walks out of the station, followed by Nolan who was smart enough to stay silent during the conversation, and Thorsen who wisely makes a quick retreat.

Then it's just Tim and Lucy, and Angela and Wesley. "Satisfied? Can we leave now?" Tim questions, hoping Angela is done with her inquisition.

Angela hums her accent and links her arm with Wesley, heading for the door. She stops short of the exit and her head snaps back to look at her best friend. His expression is one she's never seen before; there's the expected annoyance and some irritation, the usual Bradford staples, but he also looks more at peace than she's ever seen him.

"Bradford," She calls back with a smirk, but then her smile softens. "Happiness is a good look on you. You both deserve it." She walks back to envelop Tim and Lucy in a hug, then turns to follow Wesley to the car.

"Well, that was a lot," Tim says, when they're finally alone.

"Which part?" Lucy questions, tipping her head to the side. "The one where we almost died like three times in just one call or our friends interrogating us for an hour?"

"Us? I seem to recall you being awfully quiet through the whole thing," Tim teases, waving his finger accusingly at her.

Lucy gives him her best innocent-looking smile and tries to look apologetic.

"You're lucky you're cute," he says, smiling back and dipping his head to kiss her blush away. And Tim will never understand how this woman can be so brave and sexy, yet so adorable and easily flustered.

The kiss feels heated in a whole new way but it's not the time or place to deepen it. Tim knows if he allows himself any more Lucy, he won't ever stop. And they at least need to make it to one of their cars.

When they break apart, Lucy turns and steps into him and Tim catches her easily. Her arms slide around his neck, and he buries his face on her hair, smiling at the familiar smell of her lavender shampoo and relishing in the feel of safety and home.

"I'm indeed the lucky one," Lucy says eventually, words against his chest. "Thank you."

"For what?" Tim whispers. "Doing my job?"

Lucy steps back to stare into his eyes and clarifies, "We both know you always do more than that. Thank you for saving my life."

"We save each other," Tim says easily, knowing that in no way has she done more than by giving him her heart. "Ready to go home?"

Lucy nods. And for the first time they walk out of the station hand in hand.

#the rookie #Chenford #tim bradford #lucy chen #bad things happen bingo #taking you with me #secret relationship #angela finds out and they all find out

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sleuthy-scientist · 9 months

Text

Like Mother, Like Daughter.

When Emily returned from the dead, her mother's house had been the first place she went to after she knew everyone was safe. Once the corner collected Ian Doyle's body and Declan was in Tom Kohler's capable hands, that had been her first stop. She had gone with the intent to clear the air and mend fences with her mother.

Emily came to learn three things from that visit. First, her mother had been told the truth of her faked death from her boss. The second thing being that even before learning she was alive, her mother hadn't felt it was necessary to attend her funeral. And thirdly, she couldn't fix a relationship that never was.

Even if it was a need to know matter and Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss didn't have the exact level of security clearance needed, she found out Aaron told her mom a week after the funeral. He knew she could be trusted to keep a secret, and he felt as a parent himself, thought it would be cruel to let her suffer and grieve, when her daughter was still alive.

Aaron had known when they got Emily back, it would be hard enough for her, trying to pick up the pieces and reclaim her life. Even if he couldn't admit it then, the real reason he had told Elizabeth the truth was for Emily's sake. He knew they didn't have the most stellar or close relationship, but he didn't want this to be the thing that broke the camel's back.

It hurt Emily finding out her mother missed the funeral of her only child, truly showing how little she cared. Emily could've understood if her anger was coming from a place of hurt or betrayal. Especially because her faked death had been a matter of national security, and her mother hadn't been made aware of the truth right away.

But it hadn't mattered what Emily said, Elizabeth hadn't been willing to listen, or consider her side of things. Emily knew it went deeper than that, but even then, she hadn't wanted to accept the truth of their relationship that never was.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

Elizabeth had shouted those exact words, venom laced with vitriol and spite, the last time they spoke. Emily hadn't seen her mother in almost a decade since.

Yet, she could still clearly recall the conviction her mother's voice held, revealing the harsh but truthful implication in her words. It was just as Emily had always suspected, to her mother, she had always been a disappointment, something Elizabeth Prentiss saw as some sort of punishment. Like she couldn't understand what she possibly had done to deserve a daughter like Emily.

When she was younger, she had actually tried to make an effort to be the perfect little political puppet for her mother. For so long she thought she had been just that, but it was never enough. It didn't matter how good her grades were, how she dressed, or how well she behaved, Elizabeth always found fault in her.

Emily was done waiting, holding out hope for a day that would never come. Her mother was never going to be the mom she would always yearn for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

The mantra repeated itself for months after their feud, haunting her for far longer than she ever cared to admit. Elizabeth's words may have been meant negatively, but she never knew how much Emily actually craved to be a mother herself. But, she wanted more than that, for her child(ren) to grow up with two parents, doubling the love and affection they deserved.

If she was ever blessed with the opportunities to have a family, Emily vowed to never take it for granted. If she was lucky enough to find that for herself, she would make them her priority and find the balance between parenthood and work that her mother hadn't even attempted to strive for.

But, Emily knew as it stood, it was still too soon after Doyle. She was too damaged and lost, to consider the possibility, not knowing if she even had a place to call home anymore. With her insecurities and need to mend friendships, she wasn't sure when she would be ready.

She couldn't help contemplating if the life she wanted would ever happen for herself. Or, if she had missed the boat, that ship has sailed long ago without her on board. Leaving her now to pay her penance, destined to be alone, never knowing the full joy of parenthood.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

In some ways she got her wish two years later when she officially became Jack's stepmother, eleven short months after her and Aaron finally took the plunge. He wasn't a daughter obviously, but it renewed her hope that one day she might have a daughter too. To give Jack a best friend for life, she just had to beat the tick of her biological clock first.

~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

It was the sentence she heard in her head three and a half years after those words were first uttered to her. When the timer finally dinged indicating her test results were ready. It gave her cause to pause and wonder if she was ready, regardless if the test was positive or not.

~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

The words once again brought forth her insecurities when the doctor revealed their baby's gender at her twentieth week's scan. It was the outcome she had wanted to hear, but she couldn't stop the way it created a pit in her stomach. She was worried she would never be able to connect to her daughter, and her mother would be right about her.

It gnawed at her for days, growing uncontrollably, until Aaron convinced her to talk about whatever was bothering her. She knew he would have laughed, at her ridiculousness, had he not been able to see how troubled she truly felt by it. With each reason he listed, it was his unwavering faith, made in her defence about abilities to be a mother, that won her over in the end.

~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

If her stubbornness to come out was anything to show, Emily had no doubt her little girl took after her. While Aaron was stubborn too, Emily had always beaten him when it came to battles of the will. Twelve days after her due date when her doctor decided to induce her, her daughter had already proven she was a worthy opponent.

~~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

Emily knew appearance wise Grace took after them both, but to be fair they all had similar colouring. But, it was more than that, it was the way her daughter stubbornly fought off sleep as long as it was possible. Until her exhaustion overpowered her, just like both her parents were notorious for, especially during cases.

The moment that proved she was her mother's daughter however, came with Grace's first word. It wasn't mama, dada, Jack, or even nono (her title for Dave). No, her first word was Tesoro, the affectionate nickname Dave exclusively used to address Emily whenever he greeted her.

Although Grace pronounced it ''Tethro'', until she eventually caught on how to correctly say her 's' sounds. Either way, it was obvious very early on to her family they would have another polyglot on their hands.

If her ability to babble in English, French, and Italian, by the time she was in her terrible twos wasn't indication enough of her parentage, her attitude, facial expressions, and her natural compassion for others, made her a dead ringer for her mother.

~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

For awhile she stopped hearing the words meant as a curse. It no longer haunted her as it once did, because the love she had for Grace was limitless.

If anything, it made her smile anytime someone compared her daughter to her, proud of every aspect of her little girl. From her sassy and stubborn demeanor to her larger than life personality, and insatiable thirst for knowledge.

It wasn't until she heard news of her mother's passing shortly after her baby girl turned six, that the last words her mother spoke to her plagued her dreams once more.

~~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

The morning of her mother's funeral, those words played on a loop, a foggy haze in her mind, as she showered and dressed on autopilot, preparing herself to look presentable.

Knowing her mother though, if she had still been alive, she would have found some fault in appearance. Anything really, Emily had never passed her scrutiny unscathed. If Elizabeth was in heaven watching, she knew the woman was certainly judging her once more.

Emily had been dreading this morning for the days leading up to it, knowing she had to put the infamous compartmentalization facade she learned from her mother to good use. That is, if she wanted to have any hopes of getting through the day in tact.

She was glad Jessica had adamantly insisted on watching Grace for them, not wanting Emily to have to worry about her. The two women had grown extremely close, their bond had long ago transcended past their unspoken agreement to fulfill Haley's dying wish for Jack and Aaron.

They were genuinely very good friends, and Jessica knew Emily deserved to mourn the loss of her mother on her own terms. The wake and funeral however, would be easier to navigate things without having to split her focus worrying about her young daughter.

Jessica like Aaron, understood Emily didn't see it fair to subject Grace to attending a funeral for a woman she never met. It wasn't explaining the subject of death she was worried about. Emily just felt Grace was too young to understand the dynamics of the relationship her mother had had with her grandmother. Emily was trying to shield Grace by doing what was best for her.

She agreed to letting Aaron join her, knowing there was no way he would have even willingly considered ever leaving her to deal with something of this magnitude alone.

When their thirteen year old Jack insisted he attend as well, he reassured both Emily and Aaron regardless of how boring and long it might be, he wanted to be there for his Emmy. Emily didn't bother to even try to hide the few tears that slipped out at his gesture, she just pulled her sweet boy into a thankful embrace.

In the end most, of the actual day went by in a blur. Yet, Emily had never felt so out of place then during her mother's service. All the people who came up to her to pay their respects and reminisce about how amazing Elizabeth was. Emily could see their side of things, why they all saw her mother as an impressive and influential force of nature.

It was the most painful, psychological torture listening to all those in attendance spout on about her loss. She hated hearing everyone say she was lucky to have had such a wonderful mother and role model. To have them go on about how proud Elizabeth was of her, how she often spoke of her brave and selfless daughter, busy off saving the world. That she should never doubt how much her mother loved her in life.

Each well intentioned word they spoke, felt like sharp lies made of barbed wire. Only they couldn't see the damage they were doing, not when they truly believed what they were saying. And that hurt more, knowing her mother could fool everyone into believing she was Supermom, collecting that title on top of all her other accolades.

In the end, Emily wasn't even sure how she had managed to get up infront of the masses and lie through her teeth. She could only vaguely recall a few faces of the hundreds of people she interacted with. She knew at some point the team had stopped by to pay their respects as well.

Emily couldn't help but wondering, that it must have been through dumb luck and the sheer force of God's Grace that she got through her eulogy with both dignity and grace.

Now she stood at her mother's final resting place, ready to say goodbye.

~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

Emily knew Elizabeth had known of Grace's existence, that she kept tabs on her life through mutual acquaintances, yet she never attempted to get in touch. But she knew in Elizabeth's eyes, she had gotten her spiteful wish meant to be a vindictive curse.

Her mother was right about one thing, Gracie was her through and through, not that Emily needed anyone to remind her of that. But, watching Grace and Jack grow up, happy and healthy knowing they were given the love and attention they needed gave her peace. They had all the things Emily never got, it was like watching a movie of how her own life could have played out.

Yet, Elizabeth would never know, to her, being Grace's mom was a healing balm from her own childhood. The greatest blessing of her life, one Emily cherished, but never felt truly worthy and deserving enough to have. The moment she held Grace in her arms, when her little girl opened her eyes, allowing them both to see each other for the first time, her whole world changed for the better.

She finally understood her dreams from years before. The recurring nightmare with the hill, and the little six year old girl dancing at the top with a carefree feeling and the warmth of the sun radiating down on her.

In her dreams the hill always got steeper and steeper as she tried to reach the top. Yet she kept climbing, knowing she needed to save the girl, because she was all alone. Only for the inevitable panic that set in at the top when she realised the little girl was gone. Emily knew the reality of all the horrors and possibilities that caused her to vanish. what that could mean. She had seen, heard, and experienced the horrors first hand.

The adult version of herself only knew a little girl was waiting all alone. She had wanted to protect the innocent girl from the horrors of the world. So she could never be robbed of sense of wonder, innocence, and her ability to see the beauty that surrounded her in the world.

For years she had theorized the purpose of her dream and the psychological meaning behind it. But now, Emily realised she was never meant to actually reach the girl at the top. It was an impossible task, her subconscious's way of trying to make sense and push her to deal with the trauma she internalized.

Because Emily knew the girl was her, and she never stopped waiting for her mom to save her. Some part of Emily was still wishing and waiting, dreaming of what she wanted most as a child, her mother's love, affection, and approval. Yet it had never come true, and living with the reality of that, even now, was a tough pill to swallow.

And now as a mother herself, it was even harder to wrap her mind around what she could have possibly done to make her mother feel that way. Why she had never been enough, not even for a second.

Not when Grace and Jack were her whole world. Emily knew she would do anything for them, even if she had to sacrifice herself or resort to murder to protect them.

It was still a bittersweet moment, but Emily wasn't devastated as she should have been, had their relationship had been different. She wished she could say she had been sad that her mother had never gotten to meet Grace and get know Jack. But she wasn't, she was glad she never gave Elizabeth the opportunity to hurt the most important and precious part of her life, her family.

But, Emily hoped if her spirit was somehow watching her, that she knowingly died with regrets. Not because she was vindictive or glad her mother died alone, but because she would finally know what it was like to wait, hope, and be let down. To know she pushed away the only person who had ever truly loved her unconditionally in life.

And now Emily stood ready to give the real eulogy her mother deserved. The eloquent one she had read back in church, had been her final performance as the perfect politician's puppet.

Listing off her mother's contributions to the world along with some sappy anecdotes of a childhood she never had. There hadn't been a dry eye in sight, when she was finished telling the tale of the woman, Elizabeth had always woven for them all to see her as.

But now without an audience present, she could speak the truth in her heart.

~~~~~~

"I hope you have a daughter just like you".

"You got your wish mom, and I'm sure you thought you had the last laugh. Grace is exactly like me, everyone makes comments to that effect".

"She has my laugh, but hers always carries to the next room, without the fear of being scolded for being heard".

"She has my unruly hair, but with a little care, patience, and attention, her locks are easy to tame".

"She has my affinity for languages and her imagination is as wild as mine once was. Yet, I refuse to dampen her spirit or discourage her insatiable curiosity as you did to me".

"She's got my humour and attitude, she's fiery, filled to the brim with thoughts and emotions, her passion always ready to spew out. But, she will never have to fear being seen as weak for showing her feelings, or feel the need to wear a mask as armour to protect her".

"She's all the things, you always criticized about me. So maybe your wish came true Mom, because she's exactly like me. But, you were wrong about one thing, loving her is the easiest thing, it's like breathing air".

"And, unlike my relationship with you, she will never not need me in her life, because I will never give her a reason to believe I don't want to be a part of her life. I will never not be grateful to have a daughter just like me. Being a mom to her and Jack is the best, most rewarding and successful thing, I've ever done in my life".

"And even if you were still here today, your words can't hurt me anymore. Nothing you could have said would ever be able to change my mind about the life and family I made for myself".

"I will never not be glad I had a daughter just like me, and I promise you I will never take her for granted. I'm just sorry you never felt that way for me".

From where she stood at the top of the hill she could see everything in the distance. Emily looked back to where her husband and stepson were waiting, and she knew she was ready to go home.

Emily peered down at her mother's grave once more feeling the comfort of the sun's warmth dance down on her back. She didn't feel sad, if anything she felt at peace. Emily had already spent her life mourning for what Elizabeth Prentiss had never been to her. It was time to let her go for good.

"Goodbye mother".

#criminal minds #emily prentiss #aaron hotchner #hotchniss #elizabeth prentiss #parenthood #a mother's love

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cogentranting · 2 months

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Actually I think the main thing that feels off about this season of the Rookie is that Nyla and Angela (and Wesley) kind of drew the short straws and just don't have much of their own thing to do.

Nyla and Angela are usually pretty involved in the plots as the two main detectives but they don't have their own arcs going on. Wesley is around but pretty minimally. (Do we know the name of their second kid? And I think James has only appeared at the wedding, but then again he's always been more tertiary).

And I get WHY. I would say it's completely because of the strike shortening the season. It's less than half the number of episodes that the last two seasons got. And with an ensemble as big as theirs and half the space, you have to make cuts somewhere. Nolan's the main character (ostensibly) so his storyline gets priority (and this season that means Bailey too). Lucy and Tim are both the most dynamic couple (here I don't mean in terms of appeal, just stage of their relationship. Their relationship is developing more than the other couples) and probably the biggest draw. Aaron had his story line teed up last season and it wasn't one you could just drop. Celina is the newest character and therefore has the most untread ground (along with Aaron), and also is a priority because A. her stories are extensions of Nolan's story. and B. the rookie training is a key aspect of the show.

And so it makes a sort of sense that Nyla and Angela might get less focus (and honestly with some of the stuff those women have been through the last couple seasons, let them rest). So it's not like I'm mad at the show or criticizing the writer's, but I do feel the loss of that angle of the show and the greater presence of those characters.

But that absence of those arcs with them also affects what are essentially the two main season story lines-- Bailey and Nolan on the one hand, and Lucy and Tim on the other. A normal season of the show would do pretty much everything that this season has done with those characters, but it would be spaced out way more. In between you'd have the low stakes/light-hearted episodes, or just episodes focusing on different characters. But without those other twelve episodes, everything has to be compressed. And that's where we get a sense of: a LOT of big things happening in these characters lives (Bailey and Nolan got married, went on a honeymoon and got kidnapped, fostered a child and started trying to have a baby within six episodes); a narrower focus on certain characters than previous seasons; things feeling a bit rushed (I don't feel this too bad, but I've seen others say it).

This isn't so much to complain about the season (I've been enjoying it for the most part). Just to kind of evaluate how the shortened season has affected it. (And also to reaffirm my general stance in favor of 18-23 episode seasons).

#the rookie #the rookie spoilers

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ceterisparibus116 · 2 years

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What do you think of Matt as lawyer? I know we don't really get to see much of that side of him on the show and I'm not really into the comics (are you?) but still 🤔

Ooh this is such a broad question.

If we count the Frank Castle trial, then he's terrible. I hate to say it and I personally find that entire situation out-of-character. I think it was terrible writing. Matt wouldn't turn his back on a client like Elena or Aaron James or even Jessica Jones, and we're supposed to believe he wouldn't bother to prioritize Frank Castle's case? Why, because Frank Castle's a murderer? Congratulations, that destroys the significance of Matt's belief in redemption...y'know, one of the key parts of his character.

So yeah, I hate it and I honestly think it was so inconsistent with the rest of his character (at least in the show; comics!Matt can be more of a jerk) that I don't count it.

Also, the writers seemed to, like, actively disregard trial procedure. I don't know how else they could fail at things so spectacularly. So that's another reason I'm disregarding it, because otherwise I'd have to say Matt, Foggy, Reyes, Blake, and even the judge are all just awful.

Ahem.

Aside from that, I think he's at least decent. No defense attorney worth anything would agree to waive discovery the way Matt and Foggy did in S1E3, and that would be their call, not their client, since tactical decisions are always the lawyer's decision (even though the client can decide certain other things, like whether to take a deal or whether to take the stand and testify). And given that Matt was interested in that trial for investigatory reasons, demanding discovery could have been really enlightening. But the show had different priorities. Given that, I think his closing argument was about as good as you can expect (more on that in response to another ask). He didn't hammer on the specifics of the law as much as I think he should have (he should've spelled out each element the State had to prove and pointed the jury to their jury instruction explaining self defense), but I think he did a good job laying the facts out objectively and zeroing in on the reasonable doubt issue. He didn't try to make the State look evil, he didn't try to make his client look like an angel. He stayed objective. Doing this earns and keeps a jury's trust.

It was fun getting to see him look for other complaints against Tully (what is that, S1E5?) even though we didn't get to see the fruit of it. That kind of investigation is so key because it means you no longer just have your client as a witness; you now have all these other potential witnesses and all their written statements.

The Aaron James cross-examination gives me utter delight. Technically he didn't follow all the proper procedure (you have to "lay more foundation" before you admit a document into evidence, and you can't just ask for something to be admitted and then keep asking questions; you have to wait for the judge to decide whether it's admitted into evidence or not). But I can overlook that because I love the argument he was making: arguing from what isn't there. That just takes some sideways thinking that not everyone is capable of, and even those who are capable of it may not think to go there.

One last specific scene I'll point out is his "cross-examination" of Ray. I LOVE IT. As far as I can tell, Matt is doing three things here:

Figuring out if Ray really is a good person at his core (which isn't a strictly legal question, although it's still relevant because Matt and Foggy will have to live with whatever happens during Ray's case);

Testing Ray to see if he can withstand harsh questioning (always good to know because a witness might tell a great narrative in your office, and then take the stand and absolutely fold, and now you're worse off than if your client had taken a plea deal); and

Identifying the best argument for use in advocating for Ray (because in addition to letting Ray tell his story, Matt and Foggy also have to be able to tell Ray's story).

And I just love it because all of those are things you have to do in real life when you're dealing with a witness.

Aside from specific scenes, I want to highlight three general traits of Matt's. The first is his studiousness. Law is all about details and it's all about research; you can be a great public speaker, and you'll still be a terrible advocate if you don't know how to interpret statutes and look up case law showing how similar cases have been decided before (and why). Matt's a nerd, so I have no reason to believe he wouldn't be good at this.

I also think Matt's a good writer. (Comics!Matt, canonically, is not lol.) And writing is key for practicing law! Netflix!Matt's manner of speaking is similar to how lawyers are supposed to write: he puts the conclusion first, and then logically unpacks it. This is different from Foggy and Karen, who both tend to jump around from Point A to Point C to Point F sometimes. Which isn't to say that Foggy and Karen aren't also good writers; it's just that one reason why I think Matt is a good writer is because the way he organizes ideas when he talks proves that he knows how to organize ideas well in general, and I see no reason why that skill wouldn't be applied to writing.

Finally, we do have to touch on his charm, confidence, and conventional attractiveness. Sure, we know he's a human disaster. But put him in a courtroom, and he generally seems very cool and collected, and let's be real, he looks amazing in a suit. Cases shouldn't be decided by any of these factors, but jurors are human, and they're swayed by biases.

An interesting contrast to me is Foggy's opening statement in the Healy case vs Matt's closing argument. True, this was given at a point when Foggy was less confident in his abilities as a lawyer. But he was not nearly as charismatic as Matt. He got right up to the jury box and jammed his finger on the railing to make his points. This kind of behavior might be warranted in a particularly contentious case, but in an opening statement (when no witnesses have even been presented yet), it's more likely to come across like the attorney is overcompensating.

Vs Matt, who gave the closing argument. This is after all the evidence has been admitted, the witnesses have testified, and the prosecutor has given their closing argument. If there's ever a time to mask defensiveness with offensiveness, it's a defense closing argument. But Matt's body language doesn't communicate any defensiveness. He stands a comfortable distance away from the jury with his hands loosely grasping his cane. He's not stiff, but he's still, and speaks in an even tone. He doesn't give any indication that he feels threatened at all by the prosecutor or the facts of the case; he appears calmly certain that the jury will do their jobs and find his client not guilty. This kind of demeanor is generally way more effective at persuading a jury than Foggy's.

That said, Matt does need to watch his facial expressions. He has zero poker face when he's sitting down, and he'd better hope the jury doesn't look at him. (They are looking at him, though. The jury is always looking.)

But overall, although I don't think we have enough information to know if he's technically a great lawyer, I do think Matt is...

wait for it...

a Really Good Lawyer.

#matt murdock #daredevil #legal #asks #ask me things i'm friendly

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