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arachine · 7 months

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yes, i'm ready (to fall in love)

── ˚₊✩‧₊ genre: smut, fluff, mild angst

── ˚₊✩‧₊ synopsis: after reader is persuaded into putting herself back out there by long time friend, shoko, she successfully ends up scoring a date. unbeknownst to her, though, the gods have different plans—and one of them seems especially interested in her relationship with ex-husband, gojo satoru.

or in other words: a failed date results in a night of passion amongst former lovers.

── ˚₊✩‧₊ contents: 13.5k words, ex-husband!gojo + co-parent!gojo, slight dub-con (alcohol use), dumbification, overstimulation, vaginal penetration, unconventional form of contraception (pull-out method - don’t do this), pussy eating + one oc for the sake of plot

── ˚₊✩‧₊ note: i know this is really long and most people don’t have the attention span for it but PLEASE give it a chance! this is literally the longest piece of fiction i’ve ever written and i’m really proud of it :(

songs to listen to for best reading experience: donny hathaway - i love you more than you’ll ever know barbara mason - i’m ready partynextdoor - showing you bryson tiller - been that way

After you divorced your ex-husband, and decided to devote all of your time to being a mother, you never really considered getting back into the dating world. Not that you didn’t eventually want to settle down with someone new, but the dating world now was just so–different.

Different in the sense that meeting people organically was becoming increasingly difficult. It wasn’t like how it used to be in high school or college, and it really didn’t take that much effort then to get a man’s number by the end of your outing.

When you were in your early twenties, a brush of your hand on a man’s arm would’ve worked. An ‘accidental’ bump into someone at a grocery store or cafe might’ve ended in a quick lay. Using these tactics today, though, might earn you some weird looks–have–earned you some weird looks.

You’re on call with a friend from college when you begin recounting something embarrassing that happened to you recently. At first, the conversation started out about all of the professors you would’ve slept with (if given the chance), but then, one thing led to another, and she asked you something that made you wince:

“‘How’s your dating life been since, you know, Satoru?’”

There’s a heavy silence from your end, and she almost thinks you hung up.

“I mean, if you want to share,” she splurts, attempting to approach this gently, “I know that after the divorce, I wasn’t there for you like you needed, but I’d like to make up for that–if you’d let me.”

Shoko’s always been like that. Blunt and charismatic, but gentle and zephyr-light in the way she cares for those closest to her. It’s a trait of hers that you admire, because not so many people would care to treat your heart with such fragility.

“No, it’s okay. You can ask, you know, it’s not this secret thing,” you start, sighing before continuing, “it happened, and it was a mutual decision.”

Shoko hums on the other side, “Well, I’m still sorry. I let us go without talking for far too long…”

“Well, I accept your apology, even if it’s unwarranted. Like I said, it was mutual and…there wasn’t really an intense grieving period for me? The only thing that hurt me is that you distanced yourself. I mean, the girls did miss their aunt Shoko…” you say, trying to make her feel bad but not too bad.

“I know, I know, I’m a bad aunt,” she jests, then the tone shifts to something serious. “I think I was just scared because both of you were my best-friends. I didn’t want to ‘pick sides’, but I see now that it was a mutual decision, so I’m assuming you two are on good-terms?”

Again, you pause, “I mean, yeah. Satoru will always be my best friend. We may not be together romantically but he’s such an integral part of my life, I couldn’t do this–all of this–alone.” After you say it, you feel a weight being lifted off of your chest that you didn’t know was even there.

You think nobody would understand if you told them this. You think they’d question how a person could divorce someone who’s supposed to be their best-friend. And with the way you describe it, they’d probably think you were still in love with him. But Shoko’s different, she gets it. Which is why saying it to her came so easily.

“He is a great father,” she chimes in, “but you two rushed into it so quickly, I don’t think either of you had time to discover yourselves after college.”

Although she can’t see it, you smile. Because she gets it. Even if time did place itself in between the two of you, she was there for most of it, when things were still touch-and-go. When things were fresh, and clumsy.

“Exactly, that was our biggest gripe,” you admit, “We didn’t afford ourselves that time to grow, and I think that hindered our relationship. We weren’t husband and wife first, we were parents–and we were young, way too young.”

“You made it, though,” Shoko tries to brighten the mood, “you’re both amazing parents, and I know those beautiful girls that you created are lucky to have you.”

The intimacy of the conversation sends your emotions into overdrive. You quickly realize how much you missed her, how much you yearned to talk to her. To reconnect on this level.

A single tear cascades down your cheek, and you try not to sound like you’re crying when you say, “Ok, enough about that. You wanted to know about my shitty dating life, right?”

It happened last week, the grocery store incident. You were out picking up a few things for dinner when you spotted a cute guy standing outside of the aisle a few rows from you. He was fit beyond measure, in looks and strength, and was wandering around aimlessly in pursuit of red pepper flakes.

Coincidentally, you just happened to be in the seasoning aisle, and like the good samaritan you were, decided to personally hand-deliver it to him.

You wince as you vividly recall the embarrassing ordeal that ensued immediately after.

“Hey,” you peer from behind the aisle, with a bottle of red pepper flakes in tow. “I heard you mumbling about finding this, and you looked pretty lost, so I thought I’d pick ‘em out for you.”

The man’s brows furrow briefly before his lips up-turn into a grateful smile, “Oh, cool, thank you so much!” As quickly as the conversation started, it ends even quicker. He gives you a final nod of endearment before he’s turning around on his heels to resume his shopping.

“God, could he be any more dense? The men today really make you work for it, huh?” you mumble to yourself, pulling the bosom of your blouse down until a good amount of cleavage is on display. “Okay, alright. You got this, you got this. This always used to work, right? Yeah, men love boobs.”

Walking up to the man again, you try a different approach–a bolder approach. “Not to be a bother but I was wondering if I could-”

“Babe? Oh, there you are,” a new voice interjects. The owner of the voice emerges from around the corner and walks up to the man with a cart and a baby in tow. You’re stunned, to say the least. All you can do is stand there and blink in complete and utter dumbfoundment. As you remain in their presence, you take a moment to analyze the woman. She’s gorgeous, and toned. A real model-type broad, with feline-ish features that make so much sense paired with the man who appears to be her partner.

Oh, you think, and apparently say aloud, too. That’s when the woman turns to you, finally acknowledging your much smaller, and much quieter presence.

“Hi, can we help you?” she smiles, and it’s actually genuine. Toothy and perfect, and totally not jealous. You blink once, twice, before gathering your wits to answer her question.

“Yeah, uh, no. I actually, uhm, was helping your h-husband. He was looking for red pepper flakes,” you mutter embarrassedly, and point to the bottle in his hand. Upon further observation, you notice that she isn’t exactly wearing a ring. You find this odd, especially because his not wearing a ring is what encouraged you to pursue him. Carefully, you prod.

“If I may ask, how come neither of you are wearing rings?” The couple gives each other a look, one that makes you feel like the odd man out. A look that is universally known, and without a doubt, could easily be translated to: ‘did this chick really just ask that?’

Still, you smile as you wait for an answer. The woman takes the initiative. “Yeah, we don’t really believe in rings, isn’t that right, babe?” she says so matter-of-factly. You blink again for what seems like the thousandth time, because of all things, you did not expect that to come out of her mouth. Her husband is quick to validate her statement.

“Yeah, we think rings are unnecessary, you know? You don’t need a piece of metal to confirm your feelings,” he says walking to his partner’s side and wrapping an arm around her.

Disgustingly, the two give each other googly eyes before locking lips briefly. You can tell they’re the type to probably share this information with just about any soul who asks. Today, you just happened to be that unfortunate soul.

“Are you married?” she queries, tilting her head against her husband’s chest.

“I was, now we just…co-parent,” you purse your lips, ready for this entire interaction to be over. The woman frowns at your answer, and this time it’s not as genuine.

“Awe, well, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It was actually a mutual decision,” you quip.

“Okay,” she smiles, widening her eyes at her husband to signal a departure, “well, it was nice meeting you, and thank you for the red pepper flakes.”

The family turns away and heads to the front where check-out is. You don’t even buy the items you intended to purchase, just leave your cart in the middle of whatever aisle you abandoned it and leave the store.

“Oh, baby, you didn’t?” Shoko asks in horror. You nod your head, still forgetting she can’t see you and the way you’re sliding down against the wall.

“I did, and I shan't ever again,” a laugh erupts from your throat.

“I mean, fuck, are we getting old? ‘Don’t believe in rings,’” she mumbles, “Don’t believe in rings, my ass! Is this what the youth are doing these days? Not proposing with rings?”

Now that you think about it, you wonder how that would even work. “Yeah, right? I mean, how does that even work? ‘Will you marry me? But, actually, you should know I don’t have a ring for you, so people will have to guess that we’re together purely based on vibes and energy,’” you mock, in a not-so-great man voice.

Shoko’s laughing so hard by the end of your bit that she breaks the sound barrier, and the sound that makes on the phone sends you into your own fit of laughter. You laugh so hard it seems like a stream of pee comes out. Curse your developed incontinence after motherhood.

“God, you’re so stupid, I can’t breathe,” she says exasperatedly, and you know that on the other side she’s probably keeling over in her bed.

“Oh, please. I bet you haven’t laughed this hard in a long time, bitch.”

“I haven’t,” she cackles. This back-and-forth continues until the two of you settle down enough to continue discussing your (pee-inducing) love life.

“You tried any dating apps?”

It’s a simple and valid question, but it only makes you laugh even harder. You only stop when the other side of the line goes quiet. “Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously. It’s what everyone’s doing these days! You’re not that old, you know.”

“Shut up,” you kid, “ it’s just that I never considered it. I mean, dating apps feel so impersonal. How serious do people even take it?”

“Sure, there’s people who use it for casual hook-ups and stuff, but a lot of people do come out of it with a relationship. Just don’t knock it ‘till you try it.”

“Oh?” you muse, curious. You wish Shoko could see your face, and the weird little dance your brows were doing. “Shoko, have you used a dating app before?”

The brunette kisses her teeth. “Can’t get anything past you.”

“Never.”

There’s a sense of hesitance but you encourage her to elaborate because ‘she became estranged from you for almost a decade and needed to pay her dues’. Sighing defeatedly, she eventually acquiesces.

“Fine, fine, maybe I’ve…been on a few dates,” she starts, “–and had a few one night stands, maybe more than a few, and maybe even dated a guy that turned into my stalker–”

“Ieiri Shoko! You naughty, naughty girl! Wait, stalker?”

“To make a long story short, I got a restraining order on that creep. Anyway,” she segues, attempting to change the subject, “We should make you a profile!”

For the rest of your phone call, Shoko guides you through all of the dating app basics. She offers her expert advice as you scroll through your camera roll for potential photos to use. You go through about a hundred before you finally settle on five that she really likes.

The one that she tells you to put first is a photo of you in a bikini. It’s a few years old but she says you look ‘radiant’ and that your ‘tits were practically spilling out of the cups’. Plus, for further consolation, she says most people on dating apps are liars.

“Everyone’s got at least one old photo on their profile, doesn’t make you a catfish,” she quips, “just means you’re a nostalgic person!”

“Right…”

The next one is a selfie. You’re smiling big in it, showing your gums, and it’s genuine. Shoko says guys like those types of photos because it shows them that you’re approachable. It also won her over because it’s fairly recent, too.

Out of all your photos, there’s only a select few that were taken within the year. You had to admit to her that you never really took photos of yourself anymore. Satoru took most of your candids. Still, she had a mission. And she wasn’t going to be satisfied until she stuck around to see your first match.

“After the selfie you should put the one of you with the girls.”

The picture she’s referring to is one Satoru also took. You remember that day fondly, and even now, the memories feel like a warm embrace.

about 8 years ago . . .

“Dad, mom, look! Hurry!” Hana, your oldest, shouts. Satoru and you are sitting on a blanket up on the sand dunes with Haruki, who’s trying her best to make a sand castle–to no avail.

“What is it, hon?” Satoru and you rush over to her, snatching toddler Haruki in the same breath. When you get to the scene, a flood of warmth washes over you upon discovering the ‘threat’.

“See, it’s baby turtles!” Hana’s squatting in the sand, watching with pure and unfettered fascination as the hatchlings crawl north to the ocean. When she looks up at you, with eyes so bright, and a smile so big that’s missing two of her front teeth, you want to cry.

“Oh, hon, that’s beautiful,” you gasp, lowering to your haunches so that you can join her. Satoru is about to follow suit before deciding at the last minute to go back to the blanket. When he returns, he snaps a picture unbeknownst to you. Eventually, though, you turn your gaze to him and he captures–what he used to think then–the ‘prettiest’ photo of you.

“You sneaking photos of me?” you squint, pointing at him. He trods closer until he’s standing above you. Then he snaps another. Your head’s tilted up, and you’ve got one eye open, and the other closed because of the sun. He always liked when you squinted like that because it made your nose do this cute little scrunch.

“Yup, ‘cause you’re my muse.”

You’re pulled out of your daydream when Shoko says your name on the other line.

“You still there?”

“Yeah, it’s just…”

“Just what?” she queries, waiting for a response.

“I wanna use it, but my ex-husband took it. It feels weird, you know? And do I want to use a photo of me with the girls?”

“Hon, who cares if Satoru took the photo? It’s still a good photo, and to answer your second question, why wouldn’t you include a picture with your girls?”

“I don’t know, I guess I’m just afraid no one will be interested. Nothing about a picture of a mom with her two daughters exactly screams ‘fuck me’.”

Shoko lets out a small chuckle but you’re being serious. “Oh, sweetie. You’re so cute. Milfs are in these days, I don’t think I’m the one getting old, I think it’s just you!”

“Ha-ha, laugh at the mom,” you feign annoyance, but give her a laugh in return.

“But seriously, please use that photo. Nobody’s going to skip you just because you’re a mom. A lot of men on there have kids of their own, just gotta tweak your settings,” Shoko reassures you.

By the end of your call, the profile is set. You thank your old friend for the previous heart-to-heart conversation, and the time she spent helping you set up your profile.

“Keep me updated, and don’t talk about mom stuff, okay? Now, I’m not saying you can’t talk about them,” she begins, “but show these guys your personality! I know she’s in the closet somewhere hiding next to our old slutty clubbing clothes.”

Then, the both of you say your goodbyes and she wishes you a good-luck on your newly established dating journey. As you lay in your bed, you give your profile a final onceover. Not too bad, you think to yourself.

You ended up using all of the photos she had originally picked out for you. Even the beach photo. To compensate for your old photos, though, Shoko made sure that your prompts were witty and full of personality.

“I’d match me, I think. No, yeah, these are funny. She did a good job.”

The following day, you open your phone to fifty notifications from the dating app. A tingle of excitement shoots through your body from the tip of your toes, to the top of your head. It takes all of your might not to squeal in the office.

“Holy fuck,” you whisper at your desk. The amount of notifications that you initially saw on your homescreen read ‘50’ but when you opened the app, it showed you an overwhelming ‘100’ with a fat plus sign next to it. “Wait, are these all the people who liked me? Shoko’s gonna flip.”

Getting up from your chair, you make a beeline to the nearest bathroom. Not that you have to use it, but so you can scroll through all the potential prospects without your boss seeing you on your phone.

Pulling open the door to the bathroom, you close it shut behind you and lock it. A few minutes pass in the time you’re able to get through about half of the people who liked you. You end up skipping a lot of them. They’re either too young, too self-absorbed, creepy, or just downright not your type.

Some stick out, though. Even trick you into thinking they’re potential matches, but then the other shoe drops–because there’s always another shoe. You’ll scroll through their profiles, and they’ll seemingly have all the perfect traits: intelligent, witty, handsome, tall–and then, boom. You see their ‘don’t want kids’ preference. Every failed match only discourages you more and more.

It’s weird, because your profile preferences are set to ‘have kids’ and you even have a photo pictured with your girls. So why are men liking your profile despite that? After a few more scrolls, you’re just about ready to head back to your desk but then–you have a hit.

Your finger hovers over the ‘x’ at the bottom of the screen, then retracts. The guy’s profile at first impression is miles better than the rest, it’s almost too good to be true. His first photo is what piqued your interest. It’s of him posing for a silly photo with his sons, and he’s got his arms draped around their shoulders.

As you scroll down his profile, you see that there’s even more of him with his children. You take this as a green flag. He wants people to know he has kids, and that he isn’t embarrassed to show them off. You admire him for it.

The last few remaining photos are an amalgamation of selfies and full-body photos. To the average, well-adjusted adult, looks wouldn’t be a deal breaker. But he definitely wasn’t too bad on the eyes, and you were not complaining about that–especially, after the odd men you had to scroll through to get here. In other words, he was gorgeous and still fit despite being older than you (him, respectively being in his early forties).

Checking the time on your phone, you realize that you’re pushing your little ‘bathroom break’. Before heading back to your desk, you decide to respond to his first photo.

You: Cute! Could never get my girls to stand so still for a photo like this now haha :)

Work goes by slower than you’d like, but finishes up just in time when you get a notification from the dating app. You’re a little more excited than you’d care to admit. Tidying up your workspace, you say your goodbyes to your colleagues and head to the elevator. Absent-mindedly, you rush to answer his message but realize it won’t go through because of the elevator’s poor service.

Kazuki: Oh, they’re moody and grown now, don’t be fooled. I can't remember the last time I saw my youngest smile.

You don’t answer his reply until you get home. Actually, you do just about everything but answer his reply: check on the girls, shower, prepare dinner, pour a glass of wine–you’re nervous, and you don’t know why. But you know you should probably answer soon before he becomes disinterested. So you get comfortable in bed with your glass of wine and pull open his chat.

You: Lol, know that all too well. Kids are little assholes, aren’t they?

The speed in which he reads your text is startling, you don’t even have enough time to close out of the chat. Then, he responds.

Kazuki: Hell yeah they are!

Kazuki: Sometimes I want to strangle my youngest. He’s at that age where he’s starting to rebel and question everything. I told him he was supposed to be the ‘easy’ one, but his knucklehead brothers are bad influences on him…Tell me, does it ever get easier?

You: Sounds a lot like my oldest. She used to cling to me like a koala but now she’s the ring leader, and I’m the enemy. My youngest still loves her mama, though (for now lol).

You: And to answer your question, I’d like to think so?

You take a second before continuing your response. Shoko told you to keep the mom talk limited, but this seems to be working for you so far, and he’s genuinely interested in what you have to say. So for once, you’re going to ignore her advice.

You: Kids go through phases. It's our job to reassure them that we’re not going anywhere. No matter how much they push us away or try to, that is :)

Kazuki’s chat bubbles pop up, then disappear. You think he’s deciding on what to say.

Kazuki: I can tell we’re gonna get along great. It’s nice opening up like this, you know? Talking to another parent. If I'm being honest, dating apps have always intimidated me…

Kazuki: People see kids as ‘baggage’, and it really bothers me. My kids aren’t baggage. They’re the best parts of me. And if someone doesn’t see that, then we have no business getting to know each other.

Kazuki: Sorry for getting all sappy. Just felt like I needed to say it.

His apology makes you frown. It feels like a breath of fresh air to hear someone talk about their kids so lovingly, because you feel the exact same way. You’re glad you downloaded the app, and you make a mental note to thank Shoko again later (after you debrief her about this).

You: Never apologize for speaking about your kids! And if we’re being absolutely transparent, that was my biggest gripe with downloading this app, too.

You: I’m so glad we matched each other. I’d like to get to know you more. And I’m hoping the feeling’s mutual?

Kazuki: It’s more than mutual.

Kazuki: Don’t want to get ahead of myself but how do you feel about dinner? There’s a cool high-scale restaurant in the city that I haven’t been to yet. Heard it’s got two Michelin stars despite opening up not too long ago.

The prospect of going on a sit-down dinner date has your stomach in knots. It’s been a hot minute since the last time you’ve done so, but you’re eager to know the man behind the screen on a more personal level. Plus, being treated to a high-scale restaurant with two Michelin stars doesn’t seem too bad either. You’re never one to turn down free dinner.

You: I’d love to, but how soon we talkin’? Gotta see if it’ll align with my schedule.

Kazuki: How’s this Friday at 8 sound? :)

The days leading up to Friday breeze by in a blur. For the majority of the week, it feels like you’re walking on cloud nine. Eventually, the conversation transitions from the dating app to exchanging phone numbers, and since then, the two of you have been texting back-and-forth everyday.

You talk about mundane things. Work, shows, movies, books you’ve recently read, what your kids are up to–but the other things? The other messages are flirty, and sexy, and filled with so much tension that it could cut a rope in half.

In between messages, the two of you have also exchanged a few photos. Nothing risqué or anything of that nature, just random photos of you throughout the day. The last one he sent was a few hours ago of him at work, captioned with: ‘Could this meeting be any longer?’.

You reply to the message with the ‘ha ha’ reaction, in consideration of not wanting to get him in trouble at work (even if he was the one who initiated the conversation). As the days go by, though, you make it a habit to update Shoko every step of the way.

Her first reaction to hearing about him was enthusiastic. That is, until you showed her screenshots from his profile. You vaguely remember her saying something that was meant as a compliment, but came out more like an insult.

“‘Oh, he’s a dad!” was her initial response, “oh, he’s a dad…and he really loves his kids. You’re meant for each other.’”

When you tried to ask her what she meant by that, she changed the subject. Every update since then has earned slightly more positive reactions, though.

Today, you ask her for more advice. Only this time, you’re on video call.

“Shokoooo,” you drawl, “our date is tomorrow! You have to help me find something to wear.” The panic in your voice is so palpable, she can almost feel your shaky hands through the screen. Flipping the camera, you hurriedly pan your phone around the closet.

“Breathe, girl, breathe,” she demonstrates first, before telling you to repeat the same motions. “Take me to that section over there–no, not that one–wait, yep, there.” You amble over to the area she’s directing you to through the phone.

“What’s that black little number right there?” She points. You prop the phone up on a shelf and scour through the section, tugging out a dress you haven’t seen in ages (which has you questioning how she even spotted it because it was pretty far back into the closet). Walking back into frame, you hold the fabric up to your body.

Shoko nods in approval, “That’s the one, babe. Try it on!”

It’d been about a decade since the last time you wore this dress. It’d also been about a decade since you were ever this small. Looking in the mirror, you run your hands over every surface inch, every crevice of the dress, in a newfound sense of appreciation for the adult weight you’ve gained since becoming a mother.

The dress was always stunning but it hugged everything perfectly even more so now. When you walk back into frame, your friend gives you a look of pure adoration. She’s so enthralled that she snaps a few screenshots for keepsaking.

“Thank god it’s Satoru’s turn to get the kids tonight,” she says, “‘cause you’re definitely getting some tonight.”

You roll your eyes, reminding her she’s on speaker phone. “Oh, please. It’s just dinner!”

“Not in that dress,” she retorts, wagging her finger in the camera. While the two of you continue to chat about the details of tonight, a knock on your bedroom door draws your attention.

“Mom, can I come in?” the voice sounds. It’s Haruki.

“Come in, hon!”

After you give the ok, you turn to Shoko and mouth to her to behave. Haruki turns the knob and enters, closing the door behind her. She sees you standing in front of the mirror before you see her, and silently utters a ‘wow’. You’re just about done putting your earrings in when you join her in the other room.

“What do you think, bun? Does your mom look hot?” you spin around, smoothing your hands down the length of the dress. You wait in anticipation for her approval, because if anyone could tell it like it is, it was always going to be a kid. Your Haruki was no exception.

“You look really pretty, Mom. I’m glad you’re going out tonight, I mean, you don’t really have friends so I think this will be good for you,” she elaborates, though you wish she would’ve stopped at the compliment.

Still, it puts a smile on your face to hear her verbalize that she’s okay with you doing something for yourself. You never quite discussed the prospect of getting back out there with your kids–and not even intentionally. It just never felt like the right time.

“You could’ve stopped at the compliment, punk!” you grab her, then wrap her in your arms, “but thank you. Love you, bun.”

“Love you more, mama.” Neither of you make the effort to pull away. Instead, you both stand there. Hugging, breathing, embracing each other’s warmth. You don’t always get hugs this good, so when you do, you savor it. Drag it out until your arms and legs get all tingly.

Or until someone interrupts. Another knock on the door. This time it’s Hana.

“Ew, what’s going on?” Hana feigns a look of disgust. You know she’s just jealous; she’ll never admit it, though. Which is why sometimes you have to force her to participate.

“Get over here,” you scrunch your nose, forcefully pulling her into your tight embrace. She tries to protest but eventually accepts defeat. You squeeze them both until they whine that they can’t breathe anymore. Then you squeeze them some more because this one’s for you.

“My special girls,” you breathe in, taking in all of their love. Soaking it all up so that tonight you have the courage to try again. To allow yourself a love of your own. When you let go, there’s a sniffle from the closet. It totally dawned on you that Shoko was still on the phone.

“They’re so big now, they don’t even know their auntie,” she fakes a sob, blowing her nose into a tissue.

“Mom, who’s on the phone?” Haruki queries with a confused expression etched onto her face. It suddenly dawns on you again that although you’ve been communicating with Shoko again, you haven’t exactly told them.

“Hey, you came in here to tell me something right, Han?” Your attempt to change the subject is poorly done, which doesn’t come as a surprise to you considering deflection has never quite been an ability you excelled at. Nonetheless, the look of suspicion they give you after is fleeting before they explain to you in unison that their father is here.

“Your father’s been waiting down there this whole time and nobody cared to tell me?” you whisper-yell, left eye twitching to emphasize your ill-preparedness. The girls only shrug their shoulders in response, like this was something you were just supposed to know.

“Well, you did force us into a hug and make us do all that Kumbaya stuff,” Hana mumbles under her breath.

“Okay, enough about all that. Are you guys all packed? Where are your bags? I don’t want your dad seeing–”

“You don’t want dad to see your date, right?” Hana raises a brow, all knowing. Sometimes she was a little too smart for her own good. You want to blame that on the private schools Satoru had them enrolled in, but really you just know she’s just a menace in her own right. She learned that from him.

“I agree with the kid,” a voice chimes in. You rush to the closet and grab your phone from the shelf. There’s a huge, shit-eating grin on Shoko’s face. Somehow she’s responsible for this. You don’t know how yet, nor do you have proof, but you know it.

“Okay, thank you, love you, bye!” Before you can hang up, Shoko blurts something.

“Tell him I said hi,” she begins, “–andnottogetahardonwhenheseesyou!”

You hang up the call and roll your eyes, chuckling to yourself because of her idiocy. When you enter the corridor, you hear a faint sound of hushed voices from downstairs. It’s only when you round the bannister at the top, when those voices become discernible and louder.

You stop at the top, and when your eyes meet his, it feels like all the air in your lungs have expelled. Suddenly, you’re hyper-aware of what you’re wearing, and the fabric, and the way it clings to your body. Neither he, nor you, look away–you should, you want to, but you don’t.

And in the time the two of you gaze upon the other, time stops for a modicum of a second. In this second, you and him are the last two souls in the world. At least, that’s how it feels anyway before he breaks eye contact.

You shift your gaze shortly after, and put on a trained smile. Those eyes of his were always so intense. You guess you forgot over the years how easy it was to lose yourself in the crystalline pools of them. Gathering your wits, you resume your movements and saunter down the imperial staircase.

“Hey, didn’t mean to keep you waiting. Sort of lost track of time, but I think the girls are all packed,” you say, your voice coming to a decrescendo upon noticing the way his eyes trail over your frame. They’re unreadable, though. Indifferent, and honestly, you’re not sure how to feel. So, you begin fidgeting uncomfortably with the rings around your finger.

Then, he smiles. It’s eerie and fake. “Not a problem, I haven’t been here too long. But, uh,” he begins ambling around the place, touching random objects around the living room, “Didn’t know you had plans. What’s the occasion? Going out for drinks with your colleagues?”

You furrow your brows, confused with his sudden interests in your plans. It wasn’t really like him to prod. “No, actually,” you rock back-and-forth on the balls of your heels, “i’m…i’m going on a date,” you finish with a pursed smile. He only nods his head in response, still walking around the place touching stuff, messing with the picture frames on the mantle. They’re all crooked now.

“How come this is the only picture you have up of me,” he asks suddenly. You know, that he knows, the answer to that. And he knows, that you know, you’ll indulge in his games anyway.

“The girls wanted them in their rooms. Why do you ask? You want me to go grab them and put ‘em all up around the house?” Again, he doesn’t say anything. Just gives you a final once over before heading back to the foyer to ask if the girls are all set to go.

“Yeah, but I can’t find my tablet, dad. Can I go look for it?” Haruki speaks up. “I thought I packed it.”

Satoru looks at the time on his watch, pinches the crease in between his brows. “Sure, kiddo. Can we make it quick, please?” He throws his hand in the air for emphasis, then points to his watch. Haruki nods, then runs up the stairs.

“Actually, you go on up too and help your sister. You guys are holding up dad,” you turn to Hana and gesture for her to head up with your head. She rolls her eyes, yelling up the stairs for her younger sister to ‘freaking hurry up’.

You and Satoru both turn to each other with wide eyes, laughing at the nerve of those children.

“They get that attitude from you, you know,” you point to him, driving your index finger into his bicep.

“You sure? Their mom’s got a pretty bad mouth on her, too. Or, have you forgotten?” He teases, bending his knees slightly to level his eyes with yours, intruding into your space. The smirk he dons is cheeky, too friendly–too inviting. You want to smack it off of him.

“Oh, shut u–” the sound of your phone chiming interrupts your banter. It’s a message from Kazuki, and you open it while Satoru stands over you. Probably close enough to read the message on his own if he wanted.

Kazuki: Hey, I hate to do this but I don’t think I can go through with tonight.

When you read the message, your heart drops into your stomach. There goes the other shoe, you think, fully embracing your pessimism. Who were you kidding, really? To think that tonight you’d go out and have a good time. Do something for yourself. It was stupidity.

Chat bubbles pop up on the screen. He has more to say.

He has more to say, and you’re fighting the urge to cry–to not shake out of sheer frustration while you’re still standing in front of Satoru. Because nothing would be worse than him seeing you can’t even land a date.

Kazuki: I recently just went through a divorce, and I know that I should have informed you about this before continuing our conversations…Especially since you’ve been so transparent with me about your own divorce and strife.

Kazuki: But if I’m being completely honest, I was scared. I genuinely wanted to see this through, at first. I wanted to forget about my ex-wife for just one night. But I realized I’ve been asking the impossible of myself…I’m still in love with her, and it’s because I’m in love with her that I won’t allow myself to lead you on any further.

Kazuki: I think we would’ve had a good time tonight. It's unfortunate we had to meet under such circumstances because you’re a really lovely woman, and I’m sorry an asshole is standing you up right now.

Kazuki: Take care. I know there’s a guy out there just waiting for his shot.

Satoru takes notice of the way your face drops as you read over the messages. Part of him wants to overstep his boundaries and take a peek at the screen. But he doesn’t. He gives you your space and takes a seat on the couch, waits for you to say something first.

In the meantime, he studies your face. Watches intently as your eyes become glossy the more you scan the messages, watches as your bottom lip catches between your teeth to hold back from crying. He thinks he knows what just happened.

Taking a deep breath, you lock your phone and put on another trained smile, “Well, looks like I’m staying in tonight.” Satoru dislikes when you do that. When you put on a fake smile and overcompensate to make others around you feel better, even when it’s so very obvious you aren’t. He wishes that sometimes you would just be selfish–act out.

And then you continue the façade. It makes his skin itch.

“I was too tired anyway, guess I can just catch up o–”

“Will you stop,” he spits, rising from his seat on the couch to stand. It comes out harsher than he intended, but he doesn’t regret it. You look at him like he’s got two heads as he walks over to the mantle and leans against it. His back is turned towards you, and the palms of his hands hold the crest of it. He uses it as leverage to rock on the heels of his feet. You can tell there’s something he wants to say because of the way his jaw ticks.

Satoru is never one to bite his tongue, so you’re not exactly sure why he’s choosing to be so restrained. If he wasn’t going to spit it out, you were going to poke. “What’s your problem?”

He chuckles at this, rubs his chin then pushes off the mantle to stand in front of you, gets all in your space again. The movement almost sends you back but you hold your ground, tilt your chin up at him and repeat the question. Slowly, this time with more venom.

“My problem? What’s your problem?” He breathes through his nose, his eyes flickering back-and-forth between your own. “Why do you always pretend like you’re not lonely? It’s okay if you were looking forward to having fun tonight. It’s okay to be upset and be mad at the asshole who stood you up!”

With every verbal prod at you, the gap between you decreases. His feet inch closer and closer to your own and force you to retreat farther until your back hits the wall. The coldness of it causes your breath to hitch, and you try to stay calm as Satoru encroaches more into your personal space. Being on the receiving end of his passion was always suffocating, you feel exposed under the intensity of his gaze–even more so as he continues to tear into you.

“Why do you even care?!” you cut him off, eyes wide and veins pumping full of adrenaline. “It’s not your place to be so invested in my life anymore! We’re not together, you don’t have to get so hot and bothered about things going shitty for me. I’m a big girl, and I’m perfectly capable of fighting my own battles.”

By the time you finish, you’re a heaving, shaking mess. He takes this as a sign to withdraw from your space, and goes to sit back down on the couch. When you finally settle your nerves, you join him, leaving a foot of space in between you. There’s an awkward silence, one that wouldn’t have even happened if he just respected your boundaries in the first place. Now he feels like the asshole instead of the actual asshole who dumped you. Taking a hesitant breath, he decides to speak up.

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t…It wasn’t my intention to come off so strong like that,” he begins, “I just wanted to let you know that you don’t always have to pretend to be fine. It’s not fair, you shouldn’t do that to yourself.” His eyes wander over to you reluctantly, like he’s scared that if he looks too long you’ll disengage from the conversation.

“It’s okay,” your voice is small, just above a whisper. You want to face him, but you know that if you do, you'll break into a million pieces. So you keep your gaze downward, busy yourself with the stray pieces of thread on the bottom of your dress. “You’re right, you know. I think I just…I think I just tell myself to expect disappointment so that when something bad happens, I’ll know it’s not because I got my hopes up.”

Satoru turns to you, and you can see him frown through your peripheral. Still, you don’t face him because you’re not done talking. But you thank him silently for listening without interrupting.

“Even though you’re right, I don’t appreciate the way you came on so strongly. We’re not married anymore, we’re not a couple–we’re co-parents. So if there’s something I want you to know about that’s outside of the scope of our kids, I’ll let you know. Otherwise, leave it alone.”

Satoru’s face softens. For once you’re being selfish, putting your foot down. This is the side of you he likes. “Okay. I respect that,” he says, “But can I ask you something?” The smile on his face is mirthful, like he’s got something else up his sleeves this evening. Skeptical, you finally face him with a raised brow.

“What?”

“Let me take you to dinner.”

You laugh in his face, even go as far as smacking his arm because you want him to know you found the joke really funny. He doesn’t budge, and that’s when you realize he’s being serious.

“Wait, what?”

“Let’s go to dinner,” he stands up, crossing his arms across his chest. You tilt your head in disbelief. You’re just waiting for someone to tell you you’re on that old reality show punk’d.

“Funny, I just poured my heart out to you and now you’re making fun of me,” you roll your eyes, feigning annoyance.

“I’m being serious,” he reassures, “you’re already dressed up. It’d be a shame for it to go to waste.” His eyes are twinkling with hope, and once again, you find yourself falling victim to their persuasiveness.

Being under Gojo Satoru’s gaze was suffocating.

Giving in, you ask, “So what are you gonna do? Drive all the way home to get dressed?”

The question is genuine, but the bastard just grins. “I’m a little hurt,” he throws a hand over his heart, “don’t you know me by now? I’m a businessman. I keep pressed blazers and slacks on me at all times.”

He swings his keys around his index finger, hoping that the promise of a spare change of clothes being in his car is enough to convince you to say yes.

“I don’t know…” you trail.

“C’mon, let me take you out. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Somehow he was able to persuade you into going out. After he changed into his spare clothes, you ended up telling your girls that there was gonna be a change of plans, and that they’d go home with their dad tomorrow.

Of course, before leaving, you made sure to leave some money on the table for pizza, and you also made sure to drill into their heads not to open the door for anyone except the delivery guy. You knew they knew the drill already, but it didn’t feel right to leave without saying it anyway.

“Be good, listen to your sister, she’s in charge,” you pinch Haruki’s cheek. Hana smirks, nodding her head in agreement with you.

“I will mom, I know,” she huffs, crossing her arms.

“And you,” your finger wags at Hana, her smirk drops. “Don’t provoke your sister, be nice. Act like you love each other, please.”

“Fine, whatever. I guess,” she grabs the knob to the door, ready to kick the both of you out already. “So does this mean the two of you are back together, or?”

Satoru and you turn to each other before answering in unison, “No.”

“Okay, cool. Well, have fun,” she practically closes the door on the two of you, locking it after. Satoru is just as dumbfounded as you are, but then you break into a fit of laughter.

“Those kids, man.”

“Your kids!” you correct, pushing him playfully as the both of you walk down the pebbled pathway. He finds his equilibrium in time to unlock the car and open your side of the door. You pause before ducking inside.

“Oh, how gentlemanly of you,” you jest, “And they say chivalry is dead.”

“How could it be when I’m alive?” He says matter-of-factly, closing your side of the door. He taps the top of the car before sliding across the hood to the other side. Nice to see some things never changed.

When he gets inside and turns on the car, he puts his hand on the back of your seat to back out. The proximity sends a shiver down your spine, and you have to physically refrain from letting your eyes linger on his jaw, and his arms, and the face he makes when he’s trying to concentrate.

You try to dispel these less-than-friendly thoughts by looking somewhere, anywhere else but him. But you can’t, and it’s irritating.

This is the second time tonight you’ve been this close, and it’s only this time that you realize something about him is…different. Earlier, he didn’t really smell like anything, but you quickly notice his smell has changed.

There’s a sort of piney scent coming from him. It’s not strong or obnoxious enough to blind your nostrils, but it’s enough for you to just barely pick up on it. You almost think it was premeditated, that he took the liberty of spritzing some on before walking you to the car. Before you separated, he’d made it a habit to wear variations of woody scents for you. If you can recall correctly, a passing comment you made about the cologne he was wearing that day is what sparked the habit.

Surely, this couldn’t be coincidental?

“You smell nice,” you blurt, filling in the silence.

Satoru glances at you, “Thank you.” You hate that from the corner of your eye, you can see his stupid little smirk growing bigger by the minute. He already had a big ego, it didn’t need to be stroked any more.

“Don’t let it go to your head, though. You usually smell pretty rank.”

“Ohhh, is that so? Guess I gotta start wearing this more often then, huh?”

“Sure, do what you want,” you say, trying to remain indifferent even though you’re failing terribly to hide your smile. When the car approaches a red light, you finally decide to ask the big question. “So where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see,” he glances over, “Just know I’m good friends with the owner, so last minute reservations weren't a problem.”

The rest of the car ride is silent, save for the low hum of the music playing on the radio. When you arrive at the location, Satoru makes sure to walk all the way around to your side of the door again and open it. Immediately after, the two of you are greeted by a young male. He’s wearing a white button down, black slacks, and a black vest with a red tie. Judging by his appearance, you assume he’s a valet driver.

Satoru drops his keys in the driver’s hands, and escorts you towards the entrance. The boy bows and goes to park the car. Looking around, you start to wonder where exactly this place is supposed to be. The area is dark and secluded, and from where you stand outside, it doesn’t sound like there’s supposed to be a restaurant here. You don’t hear any voices, you don’t even see any security or other passerbyers.

Still, you follow behind him like a duckling, only coming to a halt when he leads you to a door taller than the both of you. He gestures for you to back up, then raises his knuckles to blow a strong, single knock. You’re taken by surprise when a set of angry eyes appear behind a slot in the door.

The pair of eyes first scan over you, then Satoru. A gruff voice is second to accompany them, “Where can I get a good drink?”

“I heard the bar down the street is nice,” Satoru answers. The hatch to the door closes, then swings open the door, and the man behind it moves aside to welcome you in.

“Follow me, please.” Once he closes the door, he begins guiding you down the dimly lit hallway. After making what seems like your hundredth turn, you eventually reach a staircase. The man gestures for you to go on ahead, and you think this is him implying where the three of you will depart.

“Thank you,” you say softly, disappearing down the stairs. Satoru isn’t too far behind, keeping a pace between you. As you near the end of the long, narrow hallway, a stream of white light brightens up your whole path. It leads you down to another door like a beacon of light, and when you reach it, you can hear voices, live music, and dishes clanking on the other side. It’s bustling with life. A huge, joyous smile plasters across your face. It’s almost child-like in appearance, like you haven’t seen something this cool in a long time.

Satoru stands beside you and winks. “What d’ya think? Any idea yet where we are?”

“I think this is fucking cool, and hm,” you take a second to mull it over, “are we at a speakeasy?”

“Smart girl. Now come on.” Stepping back, you allow him to pull open the door, and when he does, there isn’t a word to describe the atmosphere of the place you step into. All you can do is stand there in astonishment. Before long, a man walks up to you.

“Welcome, what is the name you reserved under?”

“Gojo.”

Nodding, the host instructs you to follow after him. He leads you to a private seating area, somewhere far in the back that’s secluded from the other patrons. The space is much bigger, and much more extravagant. You know you’re only sitting way back here because Satoru is who he is. And in all the years you’ve known him, his connections were just another party trick in his arsenal.

The hostess seats you, then Satoru, and tells you that a waiter will be with you shortly.

“This is nice, really nice, but is it–”

“Legal?” he finishes your sentence, “don’t worry. It’s a modern speakeasy-style restaurant. There’s nothing illegal going on here, promise.”

While you wait for your designated waiter, your focus shifts from the man in front of you to the man singing on the stage. Up until now, his voice was white noise in the background, but then he started singing a tune scarily reminiscent of your past–and your breath catches in your throat.

If I ever leave you, baby

You can say I told you so

And if I ever hurt you

You know, I hurt myself…

Turning your gaze back to Satoru, you squint your eyes mirthfully in disbelief. You wonder if this is just a funny coincidence, if this is the universe playing her tricks, but you know deep down, that coincidences and Gojo Satoru don’t belong in the same sentence.

You open your mouth to speak, but quickly close it when you see the waiter approaching from the corner of your eye. He greets the both of you with a polite smile, then sets down two glasses of water.

“Good evening, I’ll be your waiter for the night,” he says, placing a menu in front of you, “Can I get you fine folks started off with a bottle of wine?”

Satoru nods, tells him to bring the best bottle of red they have and then gestures for him to come closer so that he can whisper something in his ear. All the while, you sit back in your seat observing, clicking your nails on the table until the server pulls back and bows.

When he departs, you immediately lean in over the table, and ask, “Just how much time did you have to plan all of this?”

Satoru feigns aloofness, taking a sip of his water, “What do you mean?”

You roll your eyes, gesturing at the stage with your eyes. Then, as if suddenly coming to a realization, he goes, “Oh, that? Yeah, I had nothing to do with that. But isn’t it funny they’re playing our old song?”

Now he’s smirking, with his elbow leaning back on the chair, and a gaze so piercing, you’re certain you’ll crumble into nothing unless you look away. So you do, avert your gaze back to the stage and sway calmly.

Is that any way for a man to carry on

Do you think I want my loved one gone

Said I love you

More than you’ll ever know

“So funny,” you counter.

Eventually, the server comes back with a bottle. “1982 Chateau Latife Rothschild,” he holds it out to present, “Is this alright?”

Despite the years spent with Satoru, and the many elitist events you often attended with him, your knowledge on wine had never surpassed anything but surface level. You knew the difference between good wine and cheap wine was the taste, but your taste buds had grown accustomed to store-bought, so if anything, store-bought tasted like heaven to you. Anyway, though, you nod your head and urge him to pour a glass.

“Thank you,” you smile, before gently swirling the glass and bringing it up to your nose to smell (something you only know to do after being the odd man out at so many company banquets). Satoru waits for you to sip your glass before he sips his. The way you melt into your seat is a silent assurance that you’re pleased.

“This is great, you’re amazing,” you tell the server, who seems pleased by your compliment.

“Glad to be of service, miss. Are you ready to order?”

Dinner goes by smoothly. In fact, it goes by so smoothly, you and Satoru finish the entire bottle of wine. Now you sit at the table, bellies full, faces flushed and sore from laughing, and now you find yourself telling him about the grocery store incident. If you had half a mind (a sober one), you’d shut up right this second to save yourself from the embarrassment. But you don’t. And Satoru’s very persuasive when you’re tipsy.

“Keep going,” he leans in, hand nestled under his chin. He’s completely invested in the story. Actually, as soon as he heard the words ‘store’ and ‘cute guy’, he just had to know more. And you begging him to change the subject didn’t help, not when the sadist in him loved to see you so embarrassed.

“Fine,” you hiccup, “It was so - so bad, Toru.” He doesn’t miss the way you slip and call him by the nickname you’d always reserved for him. It makes his heart race, and god, does he miss the way it sounds spilling from your lips. But he ignores the feeling, and refocuses on your story instead. Which, by the way, was proving to be a task in itself because his eyes couldn’t stop drifting back down to your lips. So soft, so–

“And then she said ‘we don’t believe in rings,’” you whisper, fist coming down on the table. The sound it makes nearly sobers you up, and you realize just how loud you’re being despite your table being secluded from others. Giggling like a kid, you continue, “I mean, how fucking insane is that?!”

“Something as bizarre as that could only ever happen to you,” he replies, laughing along with you, “those people were crazy.”

“The craziest,” you agree, throwing your head back in another fit of laughter. Gradually, the two of you begin to settle down, and once again, you find your attention being drawn back to the man on the stage. Only this time, he’s making an announcement.

“Good evening ladies and gentleman. Tonight I’ve got a special request,” he says, looking out into the audience. Looking at you. “This one’s for a very special lady who, from what I’ve been told, is a great mother that needs to start doing things for herself.”

The singer steps out of the spotlight and hands the note to a server. Your server. Then he begins to sing, and your heart drops into the pit of your stomach. It was your wedding song.

[...] I don’t even know how to love you

Just the way you want me to

But I’m ready (ready) to learn (to learn)

Yes, I’m ready (ready) to learn (to learn)

“Now this one? This one was me,” Satoru leans forward, and you swiftly turn your head to face him. He smiles as he watches your face go through ten different emotions before ultimately softening. It warms your heart to see how incredibly planned this evening was, despite the amount of time he was given to work with. Even so, it kind of scares you–because then that meant this was a grand gesture–that this was his way of saying something. And you weren’t too sure if you wanted to hear it. Your gaze drops to your lap, and Satoru frowns.

To fall in love

To fall in love with you…

“Look at me,” he says softly, but you don’t. “Hey, look at me.” He reaches over the table to take your chin in between his fingers. The touch alone feels electric. Sends liquid hot lightning down the column of your spine. Reluctantly, you meet his gaze, and like always, it’s suffocating. They’re so wide with hope, and so, so gentle in the way they hold you. The longer you gaze upon them, the more you convince yourself it’ll be okay if you surrender to them.

“It’s been years since we’ve divorced,” his voice is shaky, almost strained, like he’s actively thinking how to choose his words carefully, “and when we sat down that night, I thought it was what I wanted, too, you know? And for a while, it was,” he reaches a hand across the table to rest atop your own, “but you gotta know…you gotta know–you’re it for me. There’s no one else on this Earth that I want to start over with. You’ve always been the beginning and end of my story, and I’ll be damned if I let another man start one with you.”

Your heart is beating faster than you can even process what he’s saying. The only thing you’re focused on is not passing out in the middle of this damn restaurant. But then he’s squeezing your hand, and your focus is drawn back to those piercing, pale blues that even put crystals to shame.

“So what do you say?” he says, so softly, so tender. “Can we try again?”

Waiting for your reply, he squeezes your hand again. It’s like your soul is wandering the line between death and the living, and his touch is the tether that brings you back. In the background, the tune of the song sung at your wedding gives you a push of courage.

I don’t even know how to kiss your lips (kiss your lips)

At a moment like this

But I’m going to learn how to do

All the things you want me to

Yes, I’m ready

(Are you ready?) Yes, I’m ready

To fall in love

To fall in love right now

“Yes.”

The walk back to the car is hurried. Aided by both, years and years of built up tension, and the liquid courage currently bubbling in your systems.

The race back to his apartment is even faster. You thank the gods silently that it’s within close proximity to where you just were.

Once you get there, make your way past the doorman and concierge (who both give the two of you a knowing look), go up the elevator, and finally get into his loft–it’s over. Years of restraint, years of pretending, wanting–yearning, come crashing down.

There’s barely any time to close the door before he’s pushing you against it. His lips trail down the column of your neck, then come up to kiss your jaw, until eventually, they find your lips. And when they do, it’s instantaneous–that familiar feeling, the feeling that feels almost like falling.

Once again, for what felt like centuries, you feel again the rush of helplessness. The push and pull of the tide. It brings you down, down, down to the bottom of the ocean floor, and it’s unmerciful.

Kissing Satoru is like being shocked with ten thousand volts of energy. Like all this time you’ve spent not kissing him, has been costing you your life, and he’s the only one who can deliver you salvation. It’s all teeth and tongue for a minute. Messy, and sticky, and nasty. A true testament to the desperation brewing in the pits of both your stomachs.

The sensation of it all has your knees going slack, and that’s when he says–

“Jump.”

Obeying, you do just that. Jump right into his arms, and wrap your legs around his torso like you’ve done so many times before. The way you feel now is the way you used to feel before then, too. Like you were made to fit like this. To be held in his arms like you were molded from the same clay.

Carefully, he adjusts his grip on your body. Keeps his palms planted on the bottoms of your ass, and begins the trek to his room. He struggles a bit getting there because you haven’t stopped kissing since entering the apartment, but he figures it out after a stumble or two (which resulted in a bitten lip and you apologizing profusely through giggles).

“The turbulence up here is crazy, don’t blame me, blame the pilot,” you jest, kissing down his neck to make up for it.

“I’ll make sure to let him know,” he jokes back. As soon as he gets to the bed, he sets you down at the edge of the bed. You try to bring him down to your height but he stops you, wags his finger in your face playfully before using it to push you back into the bed. His fingers start to play with the fabric of your dress, and then his face takes on an indifferent expression. The same one from earlier that night when he first saw you walking down the stairs.

“Can’t believe you were gonna wear this for him…” he trails, lifting the fabric up slowly, eyeing you while doing so, “as if this dress doesn’t mean something.”

Of course, when Shoko chose it, its significance did make you falter–but in your defense, not once did you ever anticipate for him to see you in it. And you especially didn’t expect for him to remember it, the last time you wore it was almost a decade ago.

“I didn’t…” you start, a smile creeping on your lips, “think you remembered?”

“‘Course I did, how could I not?” He says more sharply than intended, taking offense. He takes offense because he spent the better half of the night showing you he remembered. The little things and everything else in between. Couldn’t you see that?

“It was our 4th anniversary. Bought you this dress and fucked you in it that same night. Funny how the second time I’m seeing you in this dress, the circumstances are the same except only this time we’re divorced,” he says, crawling over your body. “Guess I gotta show you just how much I remember.”

With that, he slips a hand under your dress, pulls your panties to the side and runs a finger down your slit. Oh-so-willingly, do you spread your legs for him. It’s almost subconscious, the way your body responds to him. And he revels in it. Lets his fingers work you, feel you, bring you to ecstasy. Then he heightens your pleasure tenfold when he kisses his way down your body, and takes a seat before you on his knees.

Unceremoniously, he pulls your body to the edge of the bed. Takes his time slipping your panties down the length of your legs, then kisses the insides of your thighs, before finally stopping at your mound.

Slowly, he lowers himself to your cunt, kisses your clit softly. Once, twice, three times. The pace in which he’s moving is killing you, to say the least. But you know he’s savoring the moment, making up for all the years he spent not kneeling like this between your legs. So you let him; let him caress you all over before he comes seeking the honey-sweet salvation dripping from your core.

The second his tongue makes contact with your heat, you find yourself clamping a heavy hand over your mouth. “Fuck, Toruuuu,” you drawl, back arching off the bed. Pleased with his abilities, he smiles smugly, using this as an opportunity to push himself even deeper. Up and down, he licks at your slit, uses his fingers in tandem with his tongue to prod at that spongy spot he knows you love.

“Tastes,” a harsh suck, “so good,” another, “better than I remember.”

You know he’s talking, but his words fall on deaf ears. You’re so caught up in your own high, you don’t even take notice of the obscene sloshing sounds coming from your pussy, or the moans you’re making. All you can do is lay there and take it as he takes, and takes, and takes from you.

Soon, you find your orgasm cutting through you like a knife, and you come with a strangled cry that has you biting back tears. Satoru talks you through the whole thing. He lays his head down on your thigh and continues working you with his fingers until you start to shake from the overstimulation.

For a few, you lay and stare at the ceiling. You think you can see the Milky Way–and all the constellations that make it up. It feels like your soul is floating beyond your physical body, and you don’t come back down to Earth until a sharp, stinging sensation brings you back. Did he just?

“Did you just bite me?” you lift your head, peering down to see the evidence. In all its glory, there it was; a red ring smack-dab in the inside of your thigh with teeth imprints. Looking at Satoru, he grins.

“Had to get you back from earlier,” he says, sitting back on his knees. You attempt to kick him with your foot, but he grabs hold of it. Pretending to be wounded, he gasps, “Is this how you treat the man who just gave you a soul-shattering orgasm?”

You roll your eyes, but to your dismay, it only encourages him to continue.

“Fuck, Toru,” he mimics, “oh my god, Toru. You fuck me so goo–”

“Alright, enough!” you manage to kick him this time, laughing as you bring up your hands to cover your face. “Keep carrying on like that and I won’t let you fuck me…” You’re serious in your bite, but he’s smirking. Like he knows you’re full of bullshit.

“Yeah right. You and I both know I make you feel too good.”

Feeling bested, you scoff, though, there’s no real weight behind it. While he begins to remove his shirt, you sit up and replace his hands. He relinquishes control and allows you to unbutton it until the item falls haphazardly to the floor.

He’s so beautiful, you think. Still so chiseled, so perfect after all these years since you’ve last seen him like this. At his most vulnerable. The only difference now is that there are more freckles littered across his skin. Back then, he’d say they were signs of aging, and he’d hate them.

But he’s older now. More mature. So much so that he even winks at you when you trace your fingertips over them.

“They suit you,” you whisper.

“Yeah?”

You nod your head, “mhm.”

Continuing your ministrations, you begin removing his belt. He holds your gaze the entire time it takes for you to unzip his pants and pull them down–and he doesn’t once shy away when you discover the wet spot on the front of his briefs. Slowly, delicately, you remove the soiled item and let it fall down to the floor with the rest of his clothes.

Still looking at him, you take hold of his length and fist him once, twice, experimentally. A dribble of pre oozes from his slit and you bring it to your mouth. All the air in his lungs expel into the air when you lick it off with your tongue, and god, he thinks he could come from that alone.

God, he’s missed you. Missed your touch, your lips–the way you hold him with your eyes like he’s something worth being gentle with. Nothing could ever compare to you, not even his own hand.

As soon as you’re about to take him in your mouth, he stops you. Pushes you back down onto the bed and slots himself between your legs. “No more playing, I’m tired of playing,” he breathes, lowering himself down until half of his weight is on top of you.

Guiding his cock to your entrance, he pushes past your folds with little resistance. The feeling of your cunt squeezing him in has his arms wobbling like jelly, but he musters enough strength somehow to stay up. You, on the other hand, are close to tears.

The more he eases himself in, the more you feel like you’re being stretched open (despite him previously prepping you). If you were being truthful, this wasn’t a complete shock to you. You’ve known that he’s always been big, but something about tonight feels different. Or maybe it’s just been too long since you’ve had something more than just your own fingers.

Even so, you try your best to ignore the burn of the stretch. You throw your arms around his neck and invite him deeper into you, hooking your legs around him so tightly that it renders his limbs useless. For a minute, all you can feel is the weight of him inside of you, and his chest against yours as they rise and fall asynchronously.

“Toru,” your voice is just barely above a whisper, but enough to make the hairs on the nape of his neck stand. “Make love to me.”

Heeding your request, he begins moving. Painfully slow, he unsheathes himself from you until only the head of his cock is inside, then pushes himself all the way back in with force. Again, and again, he repeats this motion. Pulls out, pushes in. Pulls out, pushes in, until he decides to increase his pace and set a steady rhythm.

Every thrust into you is meticulously calculated. Sharp, and forceful, and not once does he disrupt the rhythm. He listens carefully to the sounds you make. Even listens to the way your breath hitches when he hits a spot right. Everything he’s doing is perfect–and it’s to no surprise. Deep down, you know that Satoru knows your body like the back of his hand. He’d know it if you were all old and wrinkly. He’d know it if his soul reincarnated. Hell, he’d know it blind.

“Missed this,” he grunts, burying his head into the interstice of your neck, “missed you,” a kiss to your neck, “missed us.”

The veracity of his words render you speechless. He’s already professed his feelings for you tonight, but it feels even more real now that you’re beneath him. To be loved by Gojo Satoru was a feeling many couldn’t say they had the consolation of knowing. Only a few in his circle could hold that position–but only one person in this world could truly ever know his love to its fullest extent. You.

Satoru continues his mindless rambling, “I love you,” a thrust, “it’s always been you,” another, “was always going to be you.” Leaning back on his heels, he pushes your dress all the way up to reveal your breasts. Now it’s him who sits back and admires this time. As if he were reacquainting himself, he traces the planes and pastures of your chest with an eager hand. He runs it up and over each mound, squeezing and kneading the flesh experimentally.

Then, he dips down and kisses the space between them. Sucks and licks until the skin bruises, and he has evidence to prove tonight actually happened. Eventually, he withdraws from your chest and returns his focus on easing his cock in and out of your cunt.

“So beautiful,” he says, but it’s more to himself than anything. You’re so lost in your own pleasure, he doesn’t even think you can hear him. “Want you to cum on my cock, know you can do it, baby. Know you can,” he grunts, taking your hand and intertwining it with his own. Letting his head fall into your neck, he begins to quicken his pace. Fucks into you with everything he’s got and willing to give.

“Toru,” you finally manage to say, “‘m so close, keep going. Do it - do it inside.”

Do it inside. Do it inside. Do it inside. The thought is tempting, too tempting. It makes his dick twitch inside of you, and he swears if you say it again, he’ll actually do it. But he knows better than to listen to anything you say out of delirium.

“Trust me, sweet girl,” he cradles your face, to which you lean into, “I want to - I want to so fucking badly. But we both know you’d regret it later.”

Whining, your lips form into a pout, and the sight is so cute, he can’t help but to kiss it off of you. Compared to your kiss earlier, this one is much sweeter. Slower. More relaxed. He kisses you with the intent of making you dizzier than you already are, and it’s scary. Even so, you don’t pull away. You allow him to drink you up. Like your lips are the only source of water around, and he’s been quenched for days.

Finally, with a few more thrusts, you reach your climax. The pressure building in the pit of your belly pops like a balloon, and everything goes white. “Toru!” you shriek, arching off the bed and trembling in his grasp.

Using your arch as leverage, he keeps his hands underneath your back and continues to ram into you without abandon. You’re a babbling, wet mess at this point, and your cunt squeezing around him only encourages him more.

“Fuckfuckfuck, ‘m gonna - ‘m gonna,” he curses, balls beginning to tighten. Quickly, he unsheathes himself and fists himself the rest of the way. With an impassioned moan, he climaxes–spurting thick, white, ropes of seed all over your abdomen. Then, falls onto your limp body with a grunt, chest heaving rapidly, and slick with perspiration.

By this time, you’ve settled down enough to form a proper sentence. “That was…”

Satoru huffs, catching his breath. “Yeah.”

Still spent, he continues to lay atop you. And you, having nowhere else to go, let him. The two of you lay comfortably in silence like this for a long time. Just you tracing shapes into his back, and him purring into your neck. Both of you know you should be getting up, but neither of you make an effort to do so. In this moment, time is transcendent. There is no rush to move when time stands still for you.

Soon, that silence is broken.

“I love you,” you say, and there’s no elaboration. Not even a recant. In fact, you say it so nonchalantly, he’s not even sure it was real. You say it like you’ve never been more certain in your life, like it’s the easiest thing you’ve ever had to do.

“Really?” he queries, almost pathetically like the mere idea of you loving him is something unattainable. You look at him like he’s got two heads.

“Yeah, you’re my best friend. I’ve always loved you,” you admit, pausing your ministrations on his back, “I just had to relearn how to love you.” He smiles at this, hums into your neck to keep from crying.

“I’m glad we found our way back to each other,” he mumbles into your neck, “so where do we go from here?”

“From here we take it slow. We’ll learn together what it means to be individuals, and then from there we’ll see where it goes,” you say matter-of-factly, “no more repeating past mistakes.”

“Agreed,” he nods, “what will we tell the girls?”

That’s when your eyes widen and you sit up, forcefully pushing Satoru off of you.

“What did I say, what’s wrong?” he queries, sitting up on the bed. He watches you rummage around the room maniacally, head on a swivel as you run out of the room and return with a purse. You pull your phone out to see a slew of missed calls and messages.

“We forgot to call the girls!” You yell, showing him your phone screen of missed calls. Gojo jumps up to join you, one leg already sliding into his pants.

“Shit!”

Noticing the state of your appearance, you pinch the skin between your brows. “Satoru, I can’t wear this! You got cum all over it,” you groan, pointing to all the splotches of white. He tells you to wait a second before disappearing into his closet, then he comes back with a fist of clothes and throws it at you.

“I can’t wear this either, they’ll wonder why I’m wearing your clothes!”

Satoru runs to you and pull the dress off of your body, “We’ll wash it!” he screams, disappearing again out of the room, and to where you imagine, the laundry room. When he returns, he’s out of breath and panting. It’s only then do you realize how insane he looks with half his shirt buttoned, and his pants twisted around his hips. A giggle escapes your lips.

“What are you laughing at? Chop chop,” he claps, ushering you into his bathroom.

Yeah, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t miss this idiot.

comments + reblogs very appreciated !!!

#art by: @yamada_souko (twt)#gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru x reader smut #satoru gojo x reader #satoru gojo x reader smut #gojo satoru smut #satoru gojo smut #gojo satoru x you #satoru gojo x you #gojo satoru x y/n #satoru gojo x y/n #jjk smut

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asterias-record-shop · 7 months

Note

Hello, I wanted to ask if your fic requests are still open? Cos I please want to ask for a Finnick Odair x reader involving major character death

So the reader's personality is somewhat similar to Lucy Gray Baird, ( if you have read A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes). Also, I'd like her to be a victor from District 5. Because of her voice, Snow often has her sing at the capitol. She and Finnick often run into each other because of frequently having to be at the capitol, so they develop a relationship and start seeing each other romantically in secret.

Then, she later on joins the rebellion but ends up getting murdered by lizard mutts in the Mockingjay timeline because she chose to sacrifice herself during that mission. So it's the reader who dies instead of Finnick

If you want to skip this request, then that's okay. But thank you, if you'd like to take it.

Also, the one shot would be inspired by the song Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince by Taylor swift

╭════• ೋ•✧๑♡๑✧•ೋ •═══╮

— a dream is a wish

╰════• ೋ•✧๑♡๑✧•ೋ •═══╯

I am so sorry if this is bad, I’ve never been the best at writing angst. Im not proud of it, but i didn’t want to not try :)

𓆩[main masterlist]𓆪 𓆩[request/ask me something!]𓆪 𓆩[join the taglist!]𓆪

Finnick wasn’t sure where you had gotten the song you sang to your son. The Capitol had gotten rid of everything that gave knowledge of the old world, but you sang a song that you had heard from a movie.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes,” you sang, humming continuously as you slowly swayed in your all black tactical gear. He didn’t want you to go, he hated the thought of you going. He just couldn’t get you to stay. “When you’re fast asleep, in your dreams you’ll lose your heartache…”

“Y/N,” Finnick spoke as you smiled back at him. “You… you shouldn’t come.”

You continue to hum, swaying as you slowly set down your son. “Effie said she would watch Alexei. Everything will be fine.”

Finnick shook his head, sighing. “What if… what if something happens? You know we said that someone always stays when we go on missions.”

“Do you think I’d sit this out?” You ask, turning around. “Finnick, nothing will happen, I swear,” you whisper, cupping his face as he leaned down to kiss your wrist. “We said we’d do everything together too, remember? In our vows, we swore.”

“Not when I could lose you,” he whispers, his voice hoarse as he holds your forearm delicately. “I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t,” you press a firm kiss to his lips, shaking your head. “I said I’d follow you anywhere and everywhere, remember? No matter what.”

He inhaled shakily, closing his eyes as he pressed his forehead to yours. “Please don’t come.”

“I can’t let you go on it alone.” You whispered back, shaking your head. “I won’t. Anywhere and everywhere you go, I’m going.”

Finnick lets his other hand settle on your waist, sighing as he pulls you closer, letting his lips press continuously against your wrist before moving to your lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

On the journey there, he held your hand tightly through every step, enjoying your soft singing as you held his hand tightly. He loved that stupid song you sang about dreams, and how his dream was always to start a life with you somewhere safe and secure. He was fighting for that somewhere, and to be honest, he had mixed feelings about fighting it with you.

“I have something important to tell you when we get back,” you say, smiling as you bumped his hip with your own. “I think you’ll be ecstatic.”

He smiled widely, kissing your head. “Anything you say makes me ecstatic.”

As soon as you both went down that tunnel though, he knew something was wrong. You trailed behind him, much to his dismay, mainly because you were the best with firearms and you knew you could protect him.

“Go up first,” Finnick tried to tell you, but you just shook your head. “Y/N, I'm not asking you.”

“Finnick, I’m not going up that latter first,” you say, your usual strong will making his stomach twist. “Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Finnick, come on,” Katniss called as you started pushing him up the ladder, tapping his thigh.

“I love you,” you say quickly, smiling as he finally gets up.

Finnick goes to turn around, your scream making him almost fall as he made it to the top. He could barely get out your name when he saw the mutts come out, about to jump down before Katniss yelled into her earpiece.

“No! No, what are you doing?!” Finnick attempted to let go before Katniss grabbed his shoulders and tugged him onto the overhead, the explosion making his heart clench.

His ears were ringing, the wishful thinking of trying to hope that it was fake, that you followed behind him shattered whenever he stared down at nothing.

“What did you do?” He whispers, his voice soft before turning to Katniss. “What did you do?!”

Tears were running down her cheeks as a wail fell from her lips, the only person she ever saw as a friend or an older sister gone.

Finnick refused to believe it, though, already grabbing his trident. “We’re going back down.”

“She’s gone!” Katniss sobbed, running her hands through her hair. “She’s gone, she’s gone…”

Her voice continued to drone on, going into soft whispers as Finnick stared at the hatch.

This wasn’t real.

It wasn’t until he got back to District 13 did everything settle in. Seeing Katniss hold Alexi who was wailing and sobbing, tears in her eyes as she tried to remember the words you always sang so beautifully.

“I don’t… I don’t remember them,” Katniss whispers, thinking back to when you helped calm her down on the beach during the third quarter quell, singing softly as you braided her hair. How could she not remember them?

“I do,” Finnick’s voice was hoarse, his eyebags dark and obvious, a sniffle filling the room as Katniss tried to shake her head.

“You need to go back to sleep-”

“A dream is a wish your heart makes,” he hummed softly, his voice cracked and breaking since he wasn’t much of a singer, but he quickly calmed down at the sound of the lyrics. “When you’re fast asleep, in your dreams you’ll lose your heartache…”

Finnick continued to sing the words that you knew by heart, even if it wasn’t the best, but it still made Alexi calm down. He stared down at Alexi’s eyes which were an exact replica of your own, smiling with tears filling his eyes.

Maybe not all hope was lost, afterall.

Taglist: 𓆩[@lem0ns77]𓆪 𓆩[@cecepop15]𓆪 𓆩[@memeorydotcom]𓆪 𓆩[@your-favorite-god]𓆪 𓆩[@nowitsmissing]𓆪 𓆩[@xyzstar]𓆪 𓆩[@just-my-shit]𓆪 𓆩[@your-mom21]𓆪 𓆩[@c78r]𓆪 𓆩[@dizscreams]𓆪 𓆩[@copypastedaphne]𓆪 𓆩[@asrt5]𓆪 𓆩[@xoxomoonlightbabe]𓆪 𓆩[@f-aggotry]𓆪 𓆩[@ineedmentalhelp123]𓆪 𓆩[@aerangi]𓆪 𓆩[@luv-lella]𓆪 𓆩[@teenwolfbitches28]𓆪 𓆩[@miawastakens]𓆪 𓆩[@hufflepuffsweetheart1]𓆪 𓆩[@nowitsmissing]𓆪 𓆩[@satans--beloved]𓆪

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pix3lplays · 8 months

Note

Hey! I really hope you take your time to sleep and eat well!

I was thinking about this scenario since yesterday, and would love to see your hand at it. Hsr men going out with their gf and then bumping into a female coworker of reader that straight up asks them out, despite knowing of her relationship

Hi! Thanks, I’ll try!

Let’s do it, I’m Intrigued by this prompt >:)

-HSR men getting asked out in front of gf!reader-

Jing Yuan: You were enjoying your stroll with Jing Yuan when you just happen to bump into your co-worker in a marketplace. You always knew she had eyes for your boyfriend. But you didn’t think she’d actually ask him out while you were standing Right There. Jing Yuan chuckles, then speaks. “Thank you, but unfortunately I am happily taken,” he explains calmly. You’re so proud of him! She huffs and walks away, and Jing Yuan is left openly laughing. “I’m quite the charmer apparently,” he says it like it’s a joke, but honestly it was so true. He was too charming for his own good sometimes.

Luka: Luka is just stepping out of the ring after a winning match, a smile on his face as he goes straight for you. His path is interrupted by a familiar face. Your co-worker. She straight-up stepped in between the two of you to flirt with your boyfriend. She asks him out right there, and he smiles and rubs the back of his head awkwardly. “No, I’m good, thank you though!” he says, walking past her to get to you. You’re so happy with him. You give him a big hug, and glare at your coworker until she leaves the two of you alone.

Gepard Landau: Gepard Landau is meeting you at the fountain outside the museum after his shift. He’s tired, but he always makes time for you. Before he can reach you though, you watch as he’s stopped by a familiar woman. You’re close enough to hear the conversation. She’s blatantly flirting with your man!! Gepard is tired. He’s not in the mood for this. “I don’t have time for this,” he says. “Look, my girlfriend is standing right over there, and I need to go see her before I miss our date,” he explains it as calmly as he can muster. He just wants this strange lady to leave him alone. She doesn’t know what else to say. She was Not expecting to be shut down THAT hard. So she stays out of his way while he goes to meet with you.

Luocha: Luocha had stepped away for one moment to go get you a flower from a nearby stall, when you’re approached by a woman who you recognize. She doesn’t say anything to you. Just waits, for Luocha to come back. Luocha, being polite, greets her upon his return, and she springs the question on him So Fast. He’s almost taken aback. But instead, he smiles kindly before explaining: “I’m afraid I can’t. You see I’m rather happy with my current arrangement.” He hands the flower to you, and places his hand on the small of your back, walking you away from the woman.

#honkai star rail #honkai star rail x reader #jing yuan #jing yuan x reader #hsr jing yuan x reader #honkai star rail jing yuan x reader #Luka #Luka x reader #hsr Luka x reader #honkai star rail Luka x reader #Gepard Landau #Gepard Landau x reader #hsr Gepard x reader #honkai star rail Gepard x reader #Luocha #Luocha x reader #hsr Luocha x reader #honkai star rail Luocha x reader

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wardenparker · 2 years

Text

Redbox Romance

Javi Gutierrez x plus size female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 11.9k Warnings: Food/alcohol consumption, cursing, some splashes of self-consciousness. Javi is an amazing kisser (no I do not take criticism), fingering, oral sex (f receiving), hair pulling, vaginal sex, protected sex (wrap it before you tap it), blink-and-you’ll-miss-it begging/praise. Summary: Bumping into a hot guy in line to rent a Redbox movie after work has never sounded like a better idea than when that guy is Javi G. Notes: Happy Spooktober everyone! We simply couldn’t do this big round of spooky season stories without including a movie night with Javi 🎃🧡🎬

Since he has had his entire world crumble, his perfectly controlled world shifted - Javi has realized how few friends he actually has. There is Nick of course, but he cannot call Nick over to watch a horror movie marathon. Not when he is trying to repair the damage he had done to his relationship with his ex-wife and daughter. Javi was sure that soon that they would reconcile, and Nick would be happier - something that his friend would be very proud of. The concept of going to the store is daunting but Javi has fallen in love with the Redbox location down the road from him at the local grocery store. He wants to buy junk food. All the things that are so bad for him, yet so delicious. Maybe even making cute treats - but his cooking skills are lacking - and watch movie after movie that are designed to scare and thrill him. Sighing, he grabs his keys and decides that he will do it alone, like most things he does now.

******

The line at this particular Redbox machine is always long. It’s in the front lobby of the grocery store right next to your work, though, and it has the best selection of horror movies of any machine in the city, so you wait. There’s only four people ahead of you so you tell yourself it won’t be that bad - fiddling in the pockets of your scrubs to pull out any scraps of paper from the day and toss them into the nearby trash can. Everybody else always has plans of Friday night, but you’re spending it curled up with some horror movies, and the frozen pizza and pint of ice cream that you’re going to pick out once you get inside the store. Maybe even some candy to sprinkle on your ice cream, because the patients you dealt with today sucked.

Three people ahead of him. Javi shuffles his feet slightly and looks around, wishing that he had someone to talk to, to share with. Gabriella hadn’t worked out— it wasn’t her fault. They just found they weren’t compatible like they had imagined. He’d tried dating but half the women he had talked to had flat out disbelieved his tale of how he ended up in the States. He sighs slightly and hums to himself, wondering if he could find a friends group online to be social with.

It was trying to sneak a peek of what the people in front of you were renting that did you in - losing your balance slightly from carrying your heavy tote bag in your shoulder and having the bag slip off and smack the man in front of you directly in the ass. Only to be startled by it and drop your bag, spilling things everywhere. If it were possible to actually melt like the Wicked Witch, you would be doing it right now – right now as you scramble to pick up your belongings, including the two large books that were making it so heavy in the first place. “Oh god, I’m so sorry!” You groan, hoping he isn’t too angry by the accidental accosting he’s just gotten. “I’m just…I’m clumsy. I’m really sorry.”

Javi turns in surprise, watching the purse spill – the only glance of the woman who is dropping down to her knees is fleeting but he thinks she might be lovely. Immediately, he bends down to help. “It’s okay.” He promises, hearing the mortification and distress in her voice. “I too am clumsy.” He chuckles, reaching for a pouch and scattered pens and assorted junk women always seem to carry.

“I didn’t mean t—” You look up, realizing that the man has bent down to help you, and completely deflate. He’s fucking gorgeous, because of course he is. This is LA. Sometimes you feel like the only token big girl in the entire city. It’s just models and actors and ridiculously attractive musicians as far as the eye can see. He’s probably famous, you think with a shake of your head. “I’m sorry. My bag slipped off my shoulder.”

He gives you a smile and nods. “It happens.” He looks down at the books in your hand. “Especially with such things.” He hands you the items he had collected and his hand cups your elbow as both of you start to straighten up. “Are you a student or do you carry books around always?”

“It’s research.” The explanation is immediate, but you cringe at yourself as soon as it comes out of your mouth. Just another pathetic Hollywood wannabe with a day job. That’s what your boss had said. “So, uh…I guess I always carry books.” You sweep the copy of Harold Schechter’s Hell’s Princess and the thick notebook back into your bag quickly.

“Research?” He looks back at the line as it shuffles forward and moves up before he turns back to you. “That I understand. I research a lot of things myself.”

“You do?” Unsure why he’s even still talking to you, you straighten up again and hoist your bag back into your shoulder, trying to smooth out your wrinkled scrubs and look presentable. He’s really…fuck he’s incredibly good looking. Tall and tan with wavy hair and big brown eyes and pouty lips that you just— don’t stare, don’t stare…

“Yes!” His eyes light up happily and he glances around. “I can only learn so much through movies and everything is different. I have to research everything.”

“What are you…researching? Or watching?” It’s like someone flipped a switch in him and turned him into a human puppy, excited to share and play and talk with whoever is around. And you’re more than happy to listen.

“I want to write a horror movie.” Javi confesses, knowing that most would find him ridiculous - even with the success of his collaboration with Nick. “I want to write the perfect thriller or slasher.”

“I’m writing a horror movie!” It’s probably a very weird thing to hear exclaimed in a supermarket anywhere but LA, but right now you’re enjoying the coincidence too much to care.

Javi’s eyes widen happily and he grins. “Really? What is it about? Tell me what your inspiration is.” It’s amazing to run into someone else that is writing even though it’s common in L.A.

“Have you ever heard of Belle Gunness?” Pulling Hell’s Princess from your bag again, you hold it out for him to flip through if he wants to. It’s probably unlikely that this sweet, incredibly handsome man is into true crime, but he asked, so you’re going to share. “She was a serial killer in Indiana the 19th century who lured countless men to her farm and murdered them. They say that the farmhouse was haunted for decades before she got there but I think her crimes started far before she arrived.” It’s not something most people would get excited about. You know that. But you have never been able to resist the oddities of history. “The crazy thing is that she was never caught, so we’ll never really know exactly how all these men and her children died. It’s just an absolutely fascinating character study.”

“Wow.” His eyes are dramatically wide as he takes the book and he starts thumbing through it. “That would be an interesting movie.” He is into it. “There are so few where a woman is the antagonist.”

“Gruesome, I know.” You laugh nervously, realizing that it isn’t exactly standard conversation for a complete stranger. “But like you said, there are so few female antagonists and her story is just that much more unbelievable because it’s true.”

“That would be awesome. Would you frame it as a haunting? Or someone continuing the killing spree?” He asks, curious about how you would tell the story. He's desperate to continue the conversation, and it's not just because you are interested in horror movies and are writing. You're pretty. He noticed that from the moment you looked up into his eyes, it captured him and he can't help but admire the soft features of your face and body.

“I almost feel like the haunting was sort of…fuel on the fire, if that makes sense. Negative influence powering someone who already had malicious intent. But I’m not sure how to frame that without it coming across as hokey, so I’m sort of blocked at the moment.” Shaking your head a little, you offer the incredibly handsome man a small smile and shrug before introducing yourself. “I probably should have started there. First name before favourite serial killer seems like better manners.”

Javi smiles, repeating your name and rolling his tongue over it. It's beautiful and fitting for such a charming woman. He takes your hand and gives you a small bow over your clasped hands. Maybe a little ostentatious for the line at a Redbox kiosk, but he likes the way your eyes flutter. "I am Javi." He introduces him. "Javi Gutierrez."

“It’s very nice to meet you.” The name rings a bell but you can’t quite place it, making you even more certain that you just stumbled onto some minor celebrity at the grocery store and are just too out of the loop to realize it. “So…what is your script about? Do you have ideas?”

"I have toyed with many ideas, but stick to none." He shakes his head at himself ruefully. "It is why I wish to rent some favorites. Acquire inspiration."

“Some of your favourites are here?” Motioning to the Redbox behind him alerts both of you to move up in line - Javi is now next up to the box.

He nods. “I have misplaced my copy of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari when I moved, and this box is said to have one.” It was why he had chosen this Redbox to go to tonight.

“That—” You tilt your head at him and smile at the coincidence, thinking how horribly disappointed you would have been to realize that the man in front of you had just rented the only copy of the movie you explicitly came to rent. “That’s why I’m here, too.”

"Oh." He knows there is only one copy of the movie, the box said that there was only one left. He debates giving it to you, but he selfishly wants to watch it again. "There is perhaps— if it’s not too forward ? Why do we not share the rental?" He asks. "You can join me and we can enjoy it together?" His tone is hopeful, suddenly believing this to be the best idea he has ever imagined.

Typically, this would be the moment where the red flag waves in your mind and you think about safety. You think about every abduction scenario in every true crime story you’ve ever read or heard. This doesn’t feel like that though, and while you know that’s the lamest excuse anyone has ever had for ignoring a normally dicey situation — when was the last time you made a new friend? An extremely handsome one, at that? You can definitely dignify this to yourself and still have a good time. “I was planning on getting pizza and curling up on my couch tonight,” you admit, feeling warmth in your cheeks and a little bit of nerves like you’re fifteen and getting asked to dance by the guy you like. “So why don’t I have something delivered for us? We could…it could be fun.” And that way if you end up dead by the end of the night, someone will have seen you at his place. There. Problem solved.

It's on the tip of his tongue to protest, to insist that he would be a good host and provide the food, when he realizes why you might want to have some part of planning tonight. Instead of arguing, he nods happily, throwing a look over his shoulder to make sure that the person in front of him wasn't done yet and then back at you. "That would be acceptable, if—" He jerks his head towards the grocery store, "you allow me to purchase the snacks and desserts that we can indulge in to go along with the movies?"

It’s such an innocent request - sweet, ironically - and you can feel the broad, smitten smile spread over your face. “I think we might need more than one movie,” you suggest with a soft laugh, seeing him light up with excitement.

"Exactly!" Javi exclaims, nearly bouncing on his toes and turning around to see that the man had finished his transaction and it's his turn at the kiosk. "Shall we pick out the makings of a movie marathon of horror?" He asks, motioning you to join him as he lifts the sunscreen.

“You’re not…a Nick Cage fan, are you?” Just because he’s in your top three doesn’t mean he’s everyone’s cup of tea, but the man makes a hell of a horror movie. “Mandy is an absolute masterpiece, if this machine has a copy left.”

"We don't need to rent it." Javi looks at you bashfully, almost admitting that he is friends with Nick, but you would never believe that. "I own all of Nick's movies and those were with me so they did not get lost."

“Seriously?” Your eyebrows wing up in surprise, but you won’t pretend to be anything less than excited. Bonding over a favourite actor is definitely the foundation for a friendship - or more. “Does that mean you like Color Out of Space, too? Because I swear I can never find anyone to watch it with me and it’s so damn good.”

"Completely underrated. " Javi rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "Nick was so in the zone. He said that he had really delved deep, wanting to harness the untapped potential." He grins. "He also smoked a lot of weed during production."

“Where did you find an interview with him? He never does press.” Waiting until the movie pops out of the machine and ends up in Javi’s pocket, you turn together to go into the grocery store. “I mean, I totally believe it. I’d believe if he did a hell of a lot more than just smoke pot making that movie.”

Javi bites his lip, not wanting to seem like he is bragging. Especially since he had given you that little factoid. "It was just pot." He hums in amusement. "But, uh, he told me." He admits, not wanting to make it into some big deal.

“You’ve met him?” The way your eyes widen is nearly comical considering where you live and work. It isn’t so unbelievable to just…run into a celebrity on a trip to the corner store.

"Yeah." Javi nods and gives a small shrug. "We – uh, we worked together on a project last year."

“Oh shit.” You shove your hands in the pockets of your scrubs as you walk beside him, feeling borderline mortified. You’re here fangirling and blabbering on about your little amateur project and he’s a real professional. “That—that’s awesome.”

"It was." He smiles at the thought of the last conversation the two of them. "I bet that if you were to pitch your movie idea to him, he would be interested." He says. "Nick loves the nuance of a good horror story."

"I wouldn't even know where to start." The shrug you give him is honest at least, as you pick up a basket to walk around with. "Medical receptionist by day, amateur writer by night. Emphasis on the amateur."

"I was an amateur until last year." Javi doesn't look down on you for that, grinning over at you before he steers you to the candy aisle. "We must get all the snacks we can possibly crave."

"How do you feel about sour candy?" You're practically already reaching for the bag of Sour Patch Xtreme as you ask, always loving that hit of tart sourness with your sweet ever since you were a kid. If you're going to do this - you're going to do it right.

"I have never had those, but I do love a sour punch straw." He nods, knowing that he will buy whatever you want to snack on during the movies. "Are they similar?"

"They have a pretty similar level of sour." The bag of sour sweets is added to the basket, and the fruity gummy candies give way to chocolate as the two of you walk further down the aisle.

"How do you feel about Reese’s Pieces?" He asks as he holds up a box of the candy. "I love chocolate and peanut butter and these are addictive!"

"Chocolate and peanut butter is the closest mortals get to divinity," you joke, nodding emphatically. "Better get two boxes."

"Two boxes it is." He happily dumps two boxes into the basket and grabs a shareable bag of peanut butter cups and holds them up with a grin. "Double the deliciousness."

"The next question is the most important." Strolling a little further down the aisle, a plethora of popcorn options are laid out in front of the two of you just waiting to make you salivate. "How do you like your popcorn?"

"There is only one answer." He declares with wide, serious eyes. "Buttered."

"Oh, thank god." Smirking at him, you break out into a giggle at the extreme seriousness of his expression. "I was going to have to come up with an excuse to get out of this if you picked up a bag of Skinny Pop." Not that the snack doesn't have its merits - but it has no place in a movie marathon.

"What is 'Skinny Pop'?" He asks, sneering slightly at the mere thought of something that sounds disgusting.

"No butter, no salt," you shrug, grabbing a box of movie theater style extra butter popcorn off the shelf. "No flavour, basically. And definitely no fun."

"So that will not be at our movie night." He decides, shaking his head in disbelief at how someone could enjoy that. "Tonight is about thrill, horror and indulgences."

"Drinks?" Indulgences sounds very good, but you won't let your mind get too carried away. Not when he hasn't indicated this is anything more than a spontaneous new friendship.

“We must.” Javi glances over at you. “I have wine and some sodas, but we can pick out other things.”

"Far be it from me to turn down wine and soda." The whole thing is spur of the moment and a little giddy, and you're sort of feeling like questioning it would be looking a gift horse in the mouth. Why not just go with the flow and enjoy it?

“Are we decided on pizza for our meal?” He asks, giving you a grin of excitement as he sees the plans falling into place almost naturally.

"Seems like the most appropriate, doesn't it?" Nothing in LA is ever quiet, and other customers bustle around the two of you as you linger in the aisle looking over the abundance of snacks available to you. "Pizza is the ultimate comfort and indulgence all at once."

He tilts his head and nods, agreeing completely. “Although you cannot have a comfortable night in your work clothes.” He tells you. “So you must go change into your most comfortable outfit.”

"Oh! Um..." Looking down at yourself, you realize you had completely forgotten that you were in your work clothes at all. "I guess...if you want to give me your address, I can drive over after I change? I just finished work...but I guess that's obvious."

He nods, knowing that it would make you feel more comfortable to be able to come and go as you please and to know where you were going. “Absolutely.” He pulls out his phone to show you his address since it would be easier for you to text yourself from it.

He lives in a very ritzy neighborhood; you notice that right away. It's one of those communities that you hear about movie stars living in, but you say nothing about how very different your situation is from his. It doesn't matter. Not for new friends having a movie night. Instead you just text his address to yourself from his phone and hand it back with a smile. "There. Now you have my number, too."

“Okay.” He brightens as he realizes this and paints a serious look on his face. “How do you feel about ice cream?”

"If we end up in a food coma, it will be totally worth it." You nod with authority, as if accepting a secret mission of some kind.

“Completely worth it.” He hums as the two of you walk towards the ice cream sections. “Are you a vanilla and toppings kind of girl or something specific?”

"I normally get a pint with stuff mixed in, or coffee ice cream with caramel syrup. Those are my two directions." Most girls would demure, or go straight for chocolate, but there's no need for that here. You've both been pretty in line with your preferences so far, so you're curious to see if he'll feel the same way about ice cream.

“Coffee ice cream?” He hums happily and nods. “Only if we add cookies to it as well.”

"That sounds amazing." It's practically a groan from your lips and you're nodding again immediately.

“Are you a chocolate chip kind of girl or Oreos?” He smirks, happy he could make your favorite indulgence a little sweeter. “Or both? Both is also a good option.”

"I mean, I think we have to try both." He's so fucking handsome when he lights up like that, it's distracting and makes your chest tighten just a tiny bit in the best way possible. "For science."

He would be completely solemn as he grabs the cookies from conveniently place display and places them in the basket along with a bottle of caramel and one of chocolate sauces. “For science.” He agrees, enjoying this shopping trip so much more than his normal ones,

"Do we need anything else?" At this point you're going to have enough junk food for a full day's worth of movies and you only have the night planned, but it's fun to just - as he said, indulge.

“I don’t think so.” Javi watches as you put the ice cream in the basket and grins. “Maybe some medicine for when our bellies ache.”

"I'll be very glad to have tomorrow off work." It elicits a laugh from you, flustering under the beaming sunshine of that grin of his.

“Fantastic!” The two of you make your way up to the front and Javi takes the basket from you, keeping his word that he will buy the snacks. “We will get scared and scream and eat ice cream!”

******

It's a little over an hour later when you pull up to the house halfway up the hill, its typical southern California architecture blending into the upscale neighborhood and palm trees lining the property to give it that picturesque attitude of tropical luxury. The convertible that you saw him pull out of the grocery store parking lot in is parked under the port beside the house and you pull your own little sedan up behind it before checking your reflection one more time in your rearview mirror. While you were home changing you let your roommate know your plans for the evening, gave her the address you were going to and Javi's full name and phone number all out of an abundance of safety. Now it's just you in your favourite jeans and sweatshirt wondering if you haven't made some kind of massive mistake. Are you remembering him as so much better than he really was? Were you imagining the little bit of light behind his eyes when he awkwardly offered you a brief hug before you parted in the parking lot? God you hope not. But the only way to find out is to go up to his door and ring that bell.

Javi's nervously checking everything when the doorbell rings. He'd flown back home and started getting ready for you to come over for the horror movie marathon. Wishing he had an assistant here to make things perfect like he used to have, he had been determined to give you the same kind of experience you would have gotten if he was back on the family compound in Majorca. Candy displayed in easy to reach dishes, he had decided that the popcorn was better popped when you got here, a bucket moved into the living room with ice and sodas available. and he'd doubled checked that the bathroom you could possibly use was clean - it had been a bitch learning how to clean one of those properly. (He had a completely new appreciation for putting the seat down now.) Throw pillows and blankets that the decorator had insisted on where arranged so that the two of you can sprawl out and get comfortable but he wishes he had a dedicated movie room again. Maybe the next house he buys although he knows he most likely won't.

As he walks to the door, he wonders if he's too casual, or not casual enough, shaking his head at himself because this wasn't a date but he was just as on edge as if it was one. Opening the door, he greets you with a smile. "You came."

“You sound surprised.” And it both relaxes and surprises you in your own right. Does he not know how magnetic he is? “I, uh…I almost stopped to pick up pizza on the way over, but we never discussed toppings.”

It might be pathetic the way that his shoulders relax, and he lets out a metaphorical breath he had been holding but he was surprised. "You might have changed your mind." He tries to play it off casually. "I am a strange man to you, and it could be seen as odd that I invited you over."

“My roommate knows where I am.” You tell him honestly, stepping inside when he shuffles aside to let you in. “Besides, people have the wrong idea about things that are odd. Odd makes life more interesting.”

He chuckles and closes the door, stepping beside you and smiling. "So now we can discuss those toppings and we can wait for the pizza before we start the movies? Allow for less distractions and get to know each other?"

“Lead the way.” His house is beautiful, well decorated and airy with high ceilings and fresh paint - but the tidied stacks of things here and there give the impression of what your mother would have called artistic messiness. As though at any moment the whole place might be consumed by a new obsession and the stacks of things created by his current obsession will tumble. Which is…sort of like your place, honestly.

He leads you through to the living room, the door and windows open to the back deck and a luxurious view of the hills beyond the sparkling glass. Sky gorgeous and bright hues of orange and pinks before the sun sets. "This is okay?" He asks, gesturing to the setup of the food and drinks he's amassed so far. He's even thrown things in that he's had on hand and the ice cream is still in the freezer but the bowls and scoop are set out on the kitchen island just steps away in the open living of the back of the house.

“Our very own private screening.” The living room sofa is big enough for three full grown adults to sprawl out on and the tv takes up most of the facing wall. Throw blankets and pillows dot the space carefully and a full stack of movies sit on the coffee table next to the one you had rented together. “It’s…” your face cracks into a grin as you pull out your phone to open your delivery app. “It’s perfect. Way more than okay.”

He's relieved, grinning as if you had just showered him with compliments. "Good." He motions for you to sit down, choose whatever spot makes you most comfortable. That is what he wants, for you to be comfortable.

“So what is Javi’s perfect pizza combination?” Dropping down on his couch is easy – every inch of it is plush and inviting and you pull your socked feet up under you for maximum comfort.

“What is yours?” The debate over pineapple on pizza here is endlessly fascinating to him and he wonders if you will bring it up.

“My favourite pizza is a little unorthodox.” Opening the list of specialty pies in the restaurant’s menu, you offer him your phone to let him read: barbecue sauce, pulled pork, red onion, sweet corn, and the dreaded debated topping, pineapple. “It’s totally okay if that doesn’t sound good to you,” you tell him, knowing that he might be one of the many people totally grossed out by pineapple on pizza.

His brow shoots up and he smirks. “I am willing to try this pizza.” He agrees. “I was wondering if you were a pineapple person or no.”

“I don’t like it with normal pizza sauce but it’s so good with all this barbecue stuff.” It only takes a few keystrokes to get dinner ordered, and you tuck your phone away again with a smile. “Next time we’ll get your favourite. Doesn’t matter what it is, I’ll try it.”

“I am simple.” He gives you an apologetic shrug. “Salami, peppers when I wish to have heartburn.”

“Simple and delicious.” For the life of you, you aren’t sure why you seem so sure that there will be a second time. Tonight could be awful and awkward and you might avoid that Redbox for the rest of your life just to make sure you never run into him again — but somehow you are just positive that that won’t be the case.

“Would you like a drink? A snack while we wait?” He scrubs his palms against the lounging pants he had change into and gives a small chuckle. “I guess I underdressed for tonight.” He had gone a little too casual since you are in jeans.

“I don’t think it’s possible to underdress to sit on the couch and watch a movie.” You assure him. The truth is that you hadn’t tossed on the pair of yoga pants that you usually lounge around the apartment in because you’re a bit self-conscious about showing of your - admittedly round - figure. When it’s just you and your also plus sized roommate at home, you don’t care. “You said comfy, so these are my comfiest jeans. That’s all.”

“Okay.” He doesn’t quite believe that but he won’t push the subject. “Either way, you are beautiful and I am lucky you joined me tonight.”

“I—” Beautiful? You can feel the pleased and slightly embarrassed warmth creeping up your chest and neck and you have to clear your throat a tiny bit. “Thank you. I-I’m lucky you invited me.”

“I have been wanting to have someone to watch horror movies with and fate placed you right in my path. And it’s very nice it is someone like you.” He grins and motions to the collection of movies. “This is what we have to choose from tonight.”

“I think we have to watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, don’t we?” Not that that will bother either of you. After all, it was your individual plan for the night.

"Of course. That should be first." He declares as he set the rented DVD on the coffee table apart from the other movies. "What else would you like to watch? I am open to all of them."

"You have an amazing collection." The stack of movies includes anything remotely spooky that Nick Cage has ever made, plus some classic slashers, groundbreaking pieces like The Exorcist and both versions of Suspiria, and more obscure choices like Let's Scare Jessica to Death. "Oh, I looove Suspiria." It's been ages since you've seen the original - streaming services tending to carry the remake these days. "Dario Argento is an absolute genius."

"I agree completely." Javi grins, quickly adding it to the must watch side. "Let us choose one more - just in case." He doesn't not want you to stay past the time you are comfortable, but it has been a long time since he has indulged in a night of nothing but movies.

"What's your favourite slasher?" Something classic, something artistic, and something gory. That's the key to a horror trio, in your opinion.

"I have a guilty pleasure movie." Javi admits, rummaging in the pile of movies and pulling one that he had deliberately put at the bottom of the pile. "2006's Stay Alive is an underrated movie, although it is not a traditional slasher, so I do not think it counts."

"I've actually never seen it." You offer him an encouraging smile because you can tell he's a little embarrassed to like it, and put it in the to be watched stack. "Don't tell me anything about it. I want to be surprised."

His grin lights up his face and nods eagerly. "My lips are sealed." He promises happily.

"Fantastic." The candy and some drinks have been spread around the room, but you had spotted the box of popcorn in the kitchen on your way through the house. "The pizza will probably take an hour or so." You shrug. Both of you know how busy a Friday night in LA is for a pizza place and how bad traffic can be for a delivery driver. "How does a popcorn appetizer and a drink sound while we get the first movie started?"

"Do you want wine, or I do have some whiskey if you prefer?" He asks, motioning over to the very sophisticated bar that is in the corner of the room. "It does not have to be just sodas."

"Actually..." His place is clean, you feel comfortable, and most importantly your Spidey sense isn't tingling or sending you red flags, so you smile and offer him a little nod. "Wine sounds great."

He nods and quickly walks around the bar to open the wine fridge that is behind it. "I have a Cava from my own family vineyard if you like sparkling wine?" He offers, holding up a bottle. "It is one of my favorite years."

"Your family has its own vineyard?" Your eyebrows wing up in surprise. "That's...killer."

"It is in Spain." He gives you a small shrug as if it is not a big deal. "Majorca."

"Which is even cooler." He downplays it as though he isn't proud, but he would not have even mentioned the vintage if some part of him didn't want you to know. It's the getting to know you phase of things and that's always entertaining. "The coolest thing my family ever owned was a camper."

"There is nothing wrong with a camper." He argues. "You can take it with you and have adventures."

"Well sure," you shrug, watching him carelessly pop the cork from the bottle like he's done it once a week since he was old enough to lift one. "But it would be a lot cooler to take the camper to a vineyard and camp out in the valley."

"Or maybe a tent." He hums. "One of those that are large and have a house set up in them. With the large bed and fairy lights strung overhead while you drink around a fire in vineyard?"

"That sounds absolutely dreamy." Glamping, your mom would call it, turning up her nose at it even while she used every inch of the kitchenette in the camper just like she was making dinner at home. "Like the perfect weekend getaway. Camping and drinking and snuggles. I love it."

"Have you ever done that?" He asks, wondering if you have a boyfriend suddenly. He doesn't think so, surely you would have said something, but he has to ask.

"Weekend camping getaway?" He picks two glasses up from the top of the bar and carries everything over to the sofa while you shake your head. "No...I don't think I've been camping with anyone but my family ever. And it's been years since we did that together."

"You should." He shakes his head and thinks that it is an utter shame that you do not get to indulge in something you obviously love. "I have heard camping in the desert is lovely."

"It's dangerous to do alone." It's not like you've run into a lot of guys who share all of your indoor, nerdy hobbies and love camping as much as you do. It's a unique combination, and you don't really care for the idea of risking your safety by going alone.

“That is something that I have not tried yet, but I want to.” Javi was sheltered a lot and since he had come to the US, he wanted to do things that were unavailable to him before.

"You should." The glass he hands to you to bubbling and cheery and inviting, making the look of wistful longing on his face even more pronounced. "Sleeping under the stars and cooking over a campfire? It's fun." And romantic, but you hesitate to point that out at the moment.

"I will have to find someone to knows how to do it." He wants to ask if you would show him, but that is entirely presumptuous for a movie night between people getting know each other. "Show me the ropes as you say."

"I hope you find just the right person." This would be so much easier if you had any idea whether or not he was flirting...

He bites his lip, slightly disappointed that you did not offer but he cannot make you like him. Instead of moping, he taps the rim of his own wine glass to yours. "To making new friends and movie marathons."

"And being extremely clumsy in line at the Redbox." You have to laugh at yourself, seeing as how it ended up with such a fun night for both of you. The part of you that is normally shakingly self-conscious is a little quieter with him. You're just a little nervous instead of downright anxious, which is the way that meeting new people normally makes you feel. And that is a very big deal to you.

"It was my pleasure to be accosted by your purse." He teases, sending you a small wink before he takes a sip of his wine. "It is not every day a gorgeous creature such as yourself runs into me." He tells you. "My very own rom-com meet cute."

If you hadn't just swallowed a sip of the delicious wine, you might be wearing it, completely floored by the compliment and wondering if it is possible for cheeks to become the temperature of lava instantly. "Believe me," you murmur, sure that you look as flustered as you feel. "The pleasure is all mine."

Javi wants to impress you, feeling very delighted in the way your eyes slide away shyly, like you were flustered. "Would you like to see my collection?" He asks you suddenly. "I have a lot of film memorabilia."

“Sure!” You have a few favourite recreated props and other pieces of your own. Enough to know that the pieces a person collects says a lot about them as a person. “Sounds like fun.”

Javi grins and motions you deeper into the house. "I had a better set up in Spain, but this is what I decided to bring with me when I— when I moved." He wants to go back and get more, but he has been nervous to, opening the door to the second bedroom and flipping on the light so you can step inside.

“Oh wow…” Stepping inside the room makes your eyes widen and your jaw slacken slightly, just taking in the sheer amount of actual real movie props on display in the large re-purposed bedroom. The built-in shelves are chock full of specifically Nick Cage-related items and you go from shocked to ear-to-ear grinning in an instant. “Oh, so you’re a Nick Cage fan,” you tease lightly, even though you immediately go over to inspect the chainsaw sitting on a table against the far wall. “Is this the actual prop chainsaw from Mandy??”

"Yes." Javi grins, catching the pure delight in your voice. "He was impressed with the collection too." He admits. "Although I still need to get my golden guns back from him."

“The golden guns?” When you whirl back around to look at him you’re in awe again. “How did you possibly get ahold of this stuff, Javi? You must be like the single most successful auction bidder of all time.”

He gives another shrug and looks around the room again, unsure of how to answer that. "I guess that anything is possible with enough money." He says finally before he looks back at you. "It is how I met Nick. I paid for him to come to my birthday two years ago."

“I—wow…” Of course you’ve heard of things like that, but never actually met anyone who did it. That kind of thing takes an insane amount of money. And usually an ego - the kind of person who believes they should get to possess the world just because they can buy it. Javi is definitely not like that. He’s sweet, and unassuming, and kind of seems like he didn’t want to even admit it at first. Maybe so you wouldn’t think less of him? “And then you worked together after that?” You can’t help the way your curious eyes roam around the room, zeroing in on the encased copy of the Declaration of Independence from National Treasure with the cipher encoded on the back. It’s cheesy, but you love those movies so much.

"I asked him if he would write a script with me." He admits, looking around proudly. "I think we will take home the Oscar this next year."

"Wait—" You're starting to feel like your head is spinning a little as the eerie feeling being sure that he must be famous somehow slides into place. The puzzle pieces that click in your head nearly make you squeak out loud when you look up at him again. "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent? That was your script?"

He tips his shoulders up again, self-conscious again and he wonders if you hated the movie. "Guilty." He admits, rushing over to a shelf and pulling out his working script. His and Nick's notes are scrawled through it and he holds it out to you, proud of his name emblazoned on the front.

"You don't understand..." Your fingertips barely touch the pages, like you're afraid it might burn you or release some kind of booby trap. "I love this movie. Like I went to see it five times in theaters and I took notes on the characterization because I thought it was so good. It's phenomenal, Javi." The way your chest tightens, realizing that this man in front of you is the genius behind one of your favourite new films, is fangirling and excitement and definitely a dose of attraction like you've never felt before. "You're an incredibly talented writer, and I—I'm sure any horror movie you write is going to blow the genre right out of the water."

He can't help but blush, flustering as he looks down at the script that he had pour his soul into. "T-thank you." He murmurs softly, touched that you would say such a kind thing to him. Even after reading the reviews, he still didn't believe the success of the film, but he gives all the credit for it to Nick and his brilliant performance.

"Seriously." The way he shies away is endearing, almost blustering. "If you don't win an Oscar, I'll protest the damn Academy myself."

He gives a small laugh, relaxing at your vehement claim and nods. "I might take you up on that if it comes to it."

"Cross my heart," you promise, warming at the smile that spreads across his face.

When the doorbell rings, Javi is disappointed to leave the room in order to go to the front door to collect dinner. Pouting slightly when you insist that you pay, he at least pulls out his wallet to tip the driver, something that he had learned was very important here in the states.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is only an hour long, the 1920 black and white classic being a perfect way to start the night as you both dig into the barbecue pizza and continue to savor the delicious cava that his family's vineyard produces. Things are a little more relaxed between you now, as you've started to get to know each other, and you feel like you're starting to get a clearer version of who this sweet, incredibly talented, and fairly nerdy man really is.

He is drawn to you. You are witty, incredibly knowledgeable and gorgeous. He feels himself starting to develop a crush on you, even as the movie plays and the two of you snack on the treats he had purchased. Enjoying the way that you laugh with your entire being and he wants to make sure that you continue to do that. Your eyes sparkle when you do and your smile is mesmerizing.

By the time Caligari is over and Suspiria is popped into the DVD player, you're pleasantly buzzing from the wine and pull one of the throw blankets off the back of the couch to drape over you as you start to crave that feeling of comfy-coziness that always comes with movie night. It lays over both you and Javi easily, almost putting you in a little cocoon together. He has inched closer to you, drawn to the spicy, floral scent of your perfume and needing the warmth of another body close by as he shivers slightly. His eyes move from the movie over to you and he bites his lip.

It’s a slightly sexier film, although that wasn’t at all why you recommended it, and you wonder if it has anything to do with the way Javi has shifted slightly beside you on the couch. Somehow, over the last hour or more, you’ve inched closer to each other And while you aren’t complaining in the least, it is definitely making you feel like there’s some kind of fire igniting in the place where your arms and sides are pressing lightly against each other. It’s intoxicating in a way that is completely different from the wine and far more distracting - a trick of your mind or wishful thinking making you sure you’ve caught him looking at you more than a few times tonight.

His breath catches slightly and can't deny that there is a sense of eroticism to this that has him thinking about other erotic things that nothing to do with the movie and everything to do with woman sitting beside him.

“Do you—um—” You swear you heard him gasp but you’re not sure why, and you glance over at Javi about halfway through the movie. “Are you enjoying it?”

"I am." Javi murmurs, leaning in more and inching just a little closer to you. "Are you? Anything to do to make it better?"

He’s barely a breath away when he leans in again, and you feel like you might catch on fire if he gets any closer - though you’re too fuzzy from the nearness to know if that’s a bad thing or not. “I mean…” You crack a grin, feeling your heart in your throat. “Did you have something in mind?”

"That is a...question." Javi nearly gulps as he wonders if you are waiting for him to make a move. "One that has several answers." He admits with a small grin.

It would only take the smallest movement to close the space between you, and your eyes flicker to his lips before you can stop yourself. "I—I think I'm very interested in those answers..."

There is his answer. Javi nods to himself, making up his mind as he stares at you softly. "You are?" He smirks slightly and reaches up to cup your cheek. When you nod, he leans in to kiss you in a burst of confidence.

When the moment of hesitation passes, it seems like you both internally toss up your hands. His arms are around you, you're pressing into his space, and the thread of tension that has finally snapped has both of you sighing into the kiss and letting it linger between you. His lips are soft and warm, drawing you in just as assuredly as his arms are around your body.

Javi groans against your lips, shuffling forward and needs to be closer to you. Wishing that he was lying next to you but that can be remedied, the tv and movie completely forgotten.

The only thought left in your head at this point is him - your hands finding purchase in his shirt before one slides up to the back of his neck and eventually ends up in his hair. Your kiss passed any version of innocent about thirty seconds ago and you don't give a single damn, especially not when you feel like tongue drag delicately along the seam of your lips and you open up to let him in without hesitation.

He moans as you let him in. Nothing mattering but the way you taste. He shuffles, pushing off the couch with his lips still locked to yours and moving so that he can climb onto the cushions beside you, his arms wrapping around your soft shoulders and pulling you to his chest. It all seems to happen in slow motion despite how eagerly you’re both grasp for each other. But within moments you’re laying side by side on the overly deep couch cushions, tangled up in each other’s arms with the entire rest of the world forgotten.

Javi slides his hand down your thick side, reaching for the cushion of your thigh and pulls it up, draping it over his hip so he can slide closer. Groaning when he feels the heat that is wonderfully trapped by your core radiating out while he slowly explores your mouth.

It really is the last thing you expected to happen tonight. Nothing could have been farther from your mind when you accepted his invitation. But now that you’re here it feels like it was meant to be. The tented front of his soft lounge pants hides nothing, letting you feel the heat and hardness of his excitement grinding into your core worth every roll of his hips. It’s stunning, and you moan into his kiss eagerly as you scramble to pull him impossibly closer.

He shudders when you drag him closer, happily going wherever you wanted him. A scream sounds from the tv but all he can think about is how you taste, breaking away from your lips so he can kiss down your heated skin.

“Javi—” As soon as he moves down your neck his name is dripping from your lips, a nearly ecstatic moan as you can practically feel him hardening between your legs.

“Beautiful.” He whispers against your skin. His teeth scrap over your pulse and he soothes it with his tongue. Sliding his hand up and down your thick thigh lovingly, he reaches back and slides his hand into the pocket of your jeans and grabs a large handful of your ass. “So fucking sexy.”

You whimper at that, drinking in his praise and rolling your hips up to meet his. “Want you so fucking bad,” you admit breathlessly, so wrapped up in him that you feel overwhelmed and elated all at once.

“You do?” Javi pulls back and gives you an almost surprised look. Half afraid that he had been caught up in the moment or that he was pushing too hard. “What do you want?”

“You.” Admittedly, you’re surprised that he’s surprised, but you’ve got enough self-esteem issues to not question it. “A-as much as you’re comfortable with.” Really, you have to laugh a little, but only a little. “I mean…I’m not opposed to sex in the first date…even if we didn’t really plan for it to be a date.”

“I wanted it to be.” He admits with a shy grin. “But I did not wish to make you uncomfortable.”

“I wanted it to be.” Reaching up, you brush an errant curl out of his eyes. “But I didn’t think you were interested in me that way.”

“I am not blind.” He grunts, pouting at you and leaning in to kiss you again. “You are a very beautiful woman and I want to take you to bed.”

“Please.” You are in no way above begging, especially when a man this handsome is praising you and wanting you. It makes you want to give it back tenfold.

It is hard to pull himself away, but he does it knowing that he is going to be able to be much closer soon. Standing up and holding out his hand for you, wanting to help you off the sofa. “We will be more comfortable in a bed.”

He’s stronger than he looks. You notice that immediately when he helps you off the sofa with ease, and pulls you directly into him for another kiss that leaves you breathless. “Lead the way,” you murmur when you’re forced to come up for air.

He’s nervous as he guides you down the hall, past the memorabilia room towards the master bedroom of the house. It’s been a long time since he had been with someone besides Gabriella and he wasn’t sure if that was in his favor.

Maybe you recognize that he's nervous because you've felt that way so many times before, or maybe you recognize it because you're also feeling it in this exact moment. Either way, when you reach for his hand just inside the doorway of his bedroom, you offer him a soft smile of assurance. "I'm nervous too. Don't worry about it."

“You should not be worried.” Javi frowns slightly. “You are gorgeous. Men must hit on you all the time.”

"Never." When you laugh it isn't exactly self-deprecating, just matter-of-fact. "I think you're the first man I've been alone with in...nearly a year?" You shrug, lacing your fingers through his in that same steady, supportive way. "You, though? Gorgeous, sweet, funny, and clever? I don't know how you're possibly single." And then you smirk at him, and wink, teasing to hopefully lighten the mood. Because he's too genuine of a man for you to believe he would lie about something big like that. "You are single, right?"

“Very much single.” He promises, although he would like that to change. “I have been used to people caring about me because of my name, my money.” He admits with a small shrug. “The last woman I was with could not handle wanting to put aside those things.”

"Then she wasn't good enough for you." There's a certainty in your voice - a surety - that you genuinely believe what you're saying. Money and fame aren't things you give a shit about, which makes you something of a unicorn in LA. "But all the better for me. Since I'm the one with you now."

He gives you a grin and a small wink. “That depends on how I perform.” He reminds you with a chuckle.

"If you fuck as well as you kiss, I don't think we have anything to worry about." Even if he fucks half as well as he kisses, you'll be in heaven. The man makes kissing seem like the most passionate indulgence on earth and you're pretty much living for it.

There is a slight ruddiness to his cheeks but he doesn’t shy away. Instead he reaches for your hips and pulls you closer. “There is only one way to find out.” He murmurs softly.

From there it's almost a blur getting to the bed, clothes being tossed aside as hands and lips caress every inch of skin as it is exposed. A flurry of grasping hands and needy kisses until the backs of your legs hit against his bedframe and you both go tumbling backward onto his mattress.

“Oh fuck.” Your softness is exquisite, and Javi pushes you into his bed as he clambers on top of you.

Somehow you knew his bed would be soft and luxurious, and the solid weight of him on top of you has you pressed into the mattress so he seems to fully surround you. Your knees part to make room for him in the cradle of your thighs, and every inch of you is on fire with wanting him. There are no barriers left - not a stitch of clothing - and you swear it might be the first time ever that you haven't immediately wanted to hide from sight when you were first bare for a new partner. Something about him just makes you feel safe, in a way you can't say you've ever felt before.

“You are so beautiful.” Javi gushes, his cock hard and leaking against your pillowy hip and he cannot help but rock himself into your skin, luxuriating in the warmth. “Gorgeous, a goddess to be worshiped.”

"We have all the time in the world." As badly as your body might be screaming to cut to the chase, aching for him to be inside you, the time to explore is something you won't take for granted. Maybe it will never happen again. Maybe this is just a one-time thing. If it is, you want as many beautiful memories of him as you can possibly get.

“I want to make you feel good.” He shuffles back to his knees, drinking in the sight of your body spread out for him and he cannot stop stroking your thighs. “What do you want, preciosa?”

Even just a few inches back he's out of your reach, and the impulse to reach for him - to wrap your fingers around his length and find out exactly what kind of pressure he likes with a fist around his cock - melts away to wondering if he's offering to do that. You lick your lips unconsciously, biting the lower one a second later as his large hands knead your thighs gently. "Would you..." You would never make him, but he did ask what you wanted. "Taste me?"

Javi groans in relief, happy that you have voiced your desire and nods eagerly. “Yes.” He practically pants as he leans in and presses his lips to yours. “I want to see how you respond to my fingers, to my tongue. Reenact Blue Valentine?”

It takes you a second to roll through your vague memory of the movie to figure out what scene he's talking about, but when you arrive at it, a smirk forms on your lips. "Do you like to have your hair pulled?"

He bites his lip and flashes you a slightly guilty look. “I don’t know.” He admits. “None of— no one has done that while I—” he breaks off the rest of the comment in embarrassment.

"Would you like to find out?" You won't push him to do anything that he doesn't want to, but you want to give him a chance to experience something new if he wants. And if you remember that scene in Blue Valentine correctly, there was a whole lot of hair pulling.

“Yes.” He doesn’t even hide how badly he wants to find out how it would feel. “Only if you want to though.”

"I definitely do." With gorgeous thick waves of hair like he has, you doubt you would have been able to resist.

You’ve given him permission, now all he has to do is move. Javi can’t until he leans back down again, stealing one last kiss before he starts to blaze a trail of kisses over your skin to his goal. Your head drops back onto the duvet the second you feel his breath on your core, his name a whimper from the back of your throat as you arch your back off the bed to try to get him to move closer to where you want him most.

There is a deliciousness to the way that you squirm towards him. It makes him feel greedy in ways he didn’t know he could. He starts slow, kissing the entrancing flesh over your womb and then both of your generous hips. In no way concerned with the rolls and folds he sees. Actually eager to explore.

Aware enough of yourself and your body to let your legs open wide for him. Leaning up on your elbows lets you watch the flex in his shoulders and the intense concentration on the parts of his face you can actually see when he isn't burying himself in your pussy. It's completely divine, drawing vocal moans and whimpers and gasps from your throat and making you so glad you talked it through so you don't have to hesitate for even a second before threading your fingers through the thick mass of hair on his head and giving a small but definitive tug with your nails scratching along his scalp.

The sensation of you pulling on his hair goes straight to his cock and he cannot help the loud moan that he sounds directly into your pussy. His hands sliding under your hips and wrapping around them before he dives deeper.

"Fuck!" It's like you found an Encouragement Button, and you repeat the action to see if you'll get as eager a reaction the second time. When he moans into you again you keen, loving the way the vibrations roll through your body and make you shiver.

He loves how vocal you are. Every sound you make is pushing him to make you give him more. Turning nearly craven for the praises that tumble from your lips and the sharp tugs on his hair. That he takes his time is both torturous and a virtue. Every stroke of his tongue is bringing you closer to your peak but not quickly - it's like he took your remark about having all the time in the world extremely literally. He is exploring every inch of you from the inside out, devouring you systematically, and you hope he never stops.

Javi slowly learns your body, his hands sliding up and down your thighs, caressing them as he licks into you. Taking brief pauses so he can kiss your inner thighs, right where they rub together before plunging back into your cunt like a favored dessert. Sweeter than all the candy still laying in his living room; he groans into you again.

The rambling, whimpering, begging mess you have become would probably make you a prime candidate for homemade porn but you can’t find a single ounce of restraint in yourself anymore. One hand flexes and pulls in Javi’s hair, tugging a little tighter as that familiar twisting in your belly starts to take over. Your legs tremble a little with the intensity of it, tensing at his ears and telling him you’re close before you can even gasp out the words.

You are so reactive to his tongue. Javi groans and doubles down on how eagerly he licks into you. Begging you to cum with every flick of his tongue. When you crest that peak you’re practically sobbing, your free hand tangled in the duvet and the one in his hair pulling tight the way you - and he - have learned that he likes. It makes you incredibly glad that you’re doing this at his place and not yours. Your roommate would be pounding on the wall and telling you to keep your ’oh gods’ to yourself. But when your thighs squeeze his ears just that much tighter and your back completely leaves the bed, that flood of cum makes you cry his name as loud as you please, and you don’t give a damn who hears it.

He can’t help but grind into the bed, needing the friction to relieve the aching want that is nearly at its breaking point. Unable to do anything but push you through your high, he moans into you as you soak his chin with the deliciously tangy flood of your cum.

“Holy fuck.” You can’t help giggling a little when you get your breath back, looking down at Javi and soothing your hand through his hair gently.

He grins, like a student receiving praise from a teacher or a man getting lavish praises from a lover, soaking it up and nuzzling into your touch. “You taste amazing.” He murmurs, ducking his head again to take another lazy lick.

"I'm glad you think so." That extra little shot of attention to your core makes you shiver. "You ready for more, querido?" The endearment slips from your lips easily when you look down at him, wondering who could possibly let this incredible man slip through their fingers and how grateful you are that they did.

“If you are.” He is aching to slide inside you, but if you are tired from your orgasm or have changed your mind, he will not protest. “What do you want?”

“You.” This time when you say it, it’s practically a moan. “Want you inside me, Javi, please.”

Javi nods, shuffling up to his knees and leaning over you so that he can reach for the nightstand. It’s been some time, but he wouldn’t be so irresponsible as to not have protection.

There's small amounts of shifting - pulling the duvet back and finding the comfortable nest of pillows at the top of his bed, wrapping up in each other for languid kisses, and finally resettling with Javi nestled between your thighs. Neither of you has the mind left for teasing, needing to feel how well you fit together.

The condom on, Javi braces his weight to one side - his right. Taking himself in hand, he strokes himself gently and groans when he presses up against your wet entrance. “Are you sure?” He looks earnestly into your eyes, elated that you are in his bed, but giving you one last chance to change your mind before he slides inside you.

"Absolutely." Your smile is as soft as your hands are when you cup his cheeks, thumbs dragging along the stubble on his jaw when you reach up to kiss him again. It's the surest you've been about anything in a long time, and that is surprisingly more reassuring than anything else.

He goes slow. His body suspended over yours, he fills you one slow inch at the time. In no rush as he stretches you out, his lips part against yours and a low moan is breathed into you as your walls grip him tight.

The moment of pause you both need to adjust to each other is only a pause. By your next breath you're shifting beneath him, raising your leg up to hitch high on his hip and let him sink a little deeper. Both of you groan deeply, messy and eager kisses interrupted only when he starts to move inside you.

Once he starts to move, he can think of nothing but the way you feel. Your walls pulsing around him and the soft cushion of your thighs and hips as he rocks into you. Panting out your name as he bottoms out again and again.

The rhythm takes over, hips rolling and breath mingling together slowly at first. The slow doesn't last long though, as both of you feel that same shuddering need for closeness that soon enough you have both hands above your head to brace yourself against hitting your head on his headboard as his pace ramps up to demanding. It's perfect. Both of your legs are wrapped around his waist as he pounds into your dripping cunt, tits bouncing with every thrust and encouraging praise falling from your lips in an endless ramble.

All Javi can do is grit his teeth, hissing between them at how tight you get. How obscene it sounds as his hips slap against your thighs and ass and your entire body takes the force of his increasingly hard thrusts. “Fuck.”

"So fucking good," you can feel yourself on the edge again, though the shaking in your thighs is as much from the way he's fucking you as it does with your impending orgasm. "Goddamn, baby, I'm gonna cum, fuck."

“Good.” Javi groans, your words just making him work that much harder. Sweat rolling down his face but he doesn’t pay it any attention, to lost in the way your walls are fluttering around him. “Cum baby, cum.”

It’s so easy to give in. To surrender to how fucking perfect he feels pounding you into mattress. You tense up under him, keening in pleasure and letting his name be the sound that falls from your lips as you fully come apart for him again. The only thing that could have been better would be if he had cum at the same time, but as you clench around him and draw him even deeper into your cunt you can feel how erratic his thrusts become.

He pants, a small whine the only sound he makes, his brow furrowed as he follows you into bliss. Gasping out your name as he stops thrusting, grinding deep into you as he can possibly get and pours himself into the condom in sheer relief.

“Fuck.” That small giggle touches your lips again, making you grin broadly against Javi’s shoulder as he holds himself over you. Just a little coaxing from you encourages him to let go and lay on top of you while he catches his breath, letting you ghost kisses across his face and shoulders and comb his hair from his face in the meantime.

He chuckles slightly, turning his head so he can press his lips to yours. He had anticipated renting a movie, coming home, and watching it by himself while he wished that he had someone beside him. Instead, he had literally run into you and was now more relaxed than he has probably ever been. “If this is how we act with horror movies, how will we be with romance?”

You grin at him, beaming in the afterglow of something so unexpected and beautiful. “There’s only one way to find out.”

His own grin matches your and he leans in to nuzzle your cheeks. “We can move the movie marathon into the bedroom and in the morning - I’ll treat you a brunch. If you want to spend the night and fall asleep watching movies with me.” He adds hopefully.

“Hmmm,” you pretend to think, leaving a kiss on the tip of his nose. “I think I’d like that a whole lot.”

“Good.” Javi flushes from both the kiss and the supreme corniness of his coming comment. “We can cuddle for safety.” He teases with a grin. “Have I mentioned I get scared very easy?”

"Don't worry." You tell him, when you finally stop giggling. "I'll protect you."

Javi grins and rolls off of you, pulling you with him so that you are sprawled on top of him, completely unconcerned with your weight. Actually enjoying the way you feel, grounding him and helping him feel like all of this is really real. “My heroine.”

______

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @katheriner1999 @littlemousedroid @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @hardc0rehaylz @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom

My Masterlist!

#Pedro Pascal #Pedro Pascal character fanfiction #Pedro Pascal fanfic #Javi Gutierrez #Javi Gutierrez x reader #Javi Gutierrez x you #Javi Gutierrez x female reader #the unbearable weight of massive talent #tuwomt #plus size reader #spooktober #meetcute

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readyforthegarden · 6 months

Text

Silver Springs - Part Twelve

Masterlist

Pairing: Sam Kiszka x Original Female Character

Synopsis: The year was 1976, the season was summer. The days were hot and the nights were hotter. Music was the best it had ever been, especially rock music. Sam Kiszka has been riding the high of being in one of the top bands on the scene, but when his bands tour is accompanied by another up-and-coming band, with a lead singer that gets on his very last nerve, will everything come crashing down or will they end up making music that changes the world?

Warnings: Angst, intense arguing, soul crushing music 18+ only, Minors DNI

A/N: This is the final installment of Silver Springs. I just want to say a few thank yous before our ending begins. First, thank you to my best friend, Hillary, for always supporting my ideas and working ideas through with me and helping me make sure my writing makes sense. I want to say a huge, ginormous thank you to Sammy Nation, especially Kristen, Beth, Vi, and Cat, for hyping this fic up every post, being so excited about it and having so much fun with me about the updates. I lived for your reactions and reviews and theories, and even enjoyed being yelled at by yall. And another big thank you to Em and Madi for always being there when I had a block and hyping me up and reminding me I am that bitch when I needed it. I love all of you so much, thank you for all of your support. 💖💖💖💖

WC: 3919

🎶 🎶 🎶

“Alright is everyone here?!” the festival coordinator looked around the group of Greta Van Fleet and The Blue Jean Babies, their roadies and crew. “Okay, Harlow and the Blue Jean Babies, your set is at 7:30 on the main stage, if you’re late, you’re not playing, and Greta will go on an hour early. Don’t test me, they have the discography to play a double.”

Small, muffled laughs rumbled through the small crowd as they continued.

“Once your set is done, roadies, clear the stage as quickly as possible to make room for the next band. If you have any questions, come find me. Until then, have fun.” the coordinator made sure everyone was crystal clear before leaving. The bands co-mingled, passing around bottles of beer. Josh and Harlow parted from the group, leaving to warm up their voices.

“I’m so proud of you, baby.” Cindy rested her hands on Sam’s shoulder, hopping up on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek. “Look how far you’ve gotten, from a garage to stadiums and festivals. It’s amazing.”

“Thanks, Cin.” Sam gave her a small smile. Cindy’s brows stitched together, letting one of her hands drop to his back, rubbing it softly.

“You okay?” she asked softly. Sam swallowed down the ‘no’ that threatened to push out from his lips.

“Just some pre-show jitters is all.” he replied instead. “I think I’m going to go grab my cigarettes from the bus.”

“Want me to come?”

“Nah, I’ll be right back,” Sam leaned down, pressing a kiss to Cindy’s head and leaving her side. Weaving through the other artists, groupies and crew members backstage at the festival, Sam made it to their bus, grabbing his pack of smokes, pilfering Jake’s lighter when he couldn’t find his own. On the way back, he took his time, trying to enjoy the setting sun and feeling of a late summer party with the people and music around.

He didn’t mean to stumble upon Josh and Harlow warming up their voices behind other bands buses, the angle of parking making a small, quieter alcove for them to hear themselves. Josh spotted him first, his mouth pressing into a line as Harlow continued, her voice trailing off as she caught the look on Josh’s face, and turned.

“Uh, hi.” Sam gave a small wave, causing Josh to roll his eyes. “Could I have a minute, Harlow?” Harlow stayed silent, and Sam watched Josh’s end of a silent conversation between them, feeling left out like he did with Josh and Jake did the same thing.

“I’ll be right around the corner if you need me.” Josh assured her, stepping around her and bumping his shoulder with Sam’s as he passed. Sam held back an eye roll as Harlow turned to face him. She was wearing the long black dress again, a sequin purple shawl draped over her shoulders. Layers of necklaces hung down her chest, and bracelets up her arms jingled as she moved. Her makeup was light just dark, black eyeliner on her top lids, flicked out at the outer corners.

“You’re really wasting your one minute with all this silence.” Harlow mumbled, watching Sam as he took in her appearance. He blinked a few times, bringing himself back to the moment at hand.

“Sorry, I just…you look…you look beautiful, Harlow.” Sam meant it, and by the red tinge on her cheeks, Harlow knew it.

“Thank you. Is that all you wanted? I have to continue warming up.”

“Harlow, I never meant to hurt you.” Sam stepped closer to her, suddenly feeling desperate for her to know everything he felt. “Cindy and I-“

“are a really beautiful couple.” Harlow cut him off, giving him a forced smile. “I’m very happy for you, really Sam. Cindy, and I say this honestly, is very kind, and very pretty. You don’t deserve her.” Sam swallowed hard as the look in Harlow’s eyes shot ice through his veins.

“I thought she knew it was over when I left for this tour, Harlow.” Sam defended himself quietly. “I never did anything with you behind her back.”

“So she knows about us, then?” the question cut him, just like she knew it would. “She knows I slept in your bed? That you touched me and made love to me in that bed and any one we could find over the past few months?” Sam’s silence was all she needed. “That’s what I thought.”

“I needed you to know.” Sam murmured quietly. Harlow brought a hand up to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I told you I love you, and you never said it.” she cleared her throat, thick with tears she refused to let spill. “I asked you to stop making me a fool, and you made me the biggest one. Do you think me knowing your conscience is clear means anything?”

“You needed to know that I didn’t do it on purpose!” Sam exclaimed, tossing his hands out to the side exasperatedly. “I wanted you, I want you! God, I think about you all the time, I miss you. My pillow still smells like you, for christ’s sake!”

“I’m sure Cindy loves that.” Harlow snarked. “So you miss me, you want me. Do you love me?” Sam stared at Harlow, his heart screaming at him to answer yes, but his brain stalling.

“What?

“Do you love me?” Harlow’s eyes were wide as she slowly enunciated her words, the glassy sheen of tears she refused to let spill reflecting Sam’s own image back to him as he stared at her. The tension between them was thick, weighing on both of their voices as they spoke.

All the trysts between shows, the beach love making, the late nights writing and arguing ran through Sam’s mind. He felt the ghost of her kiss on the birthmark on his underarm, her lips, all over his skin. The way her hazel eyes sparkled up at him, even when she loathed him at the beginning. The way he was completely enthralled with her every move, every breath. How inspiring she was, and her wild determination.

Then he thought of Cindy, the young woman who had been there for him through everything. Stood by his side and never quite got the hint that him pushing back the wedding date was him letting her go. How her green eyes shone whenever they landed on him, as they always had. The way she had seemed to live for him and only him, but she would never bring the light and fire Harlow did.

Gathering his answer, Sam knew what he had to do. A false truth, but for who would it be harder to live with? Harlow was set on a path, and one that Sam would make sure she saw through. From the day he met her, and read her songs, he knew this woman was meant for great things. He couldn’t stop that trajectory now.

“No.” his quiet words sliced through the air, draining the room of all oxygen as Harlow felt her chest cave in, exhaling a breath she’d been holding in as a scoff. Sam didn’t take his eyes from her, watching her grit her teeth behind her lips, jaw clenching as she composed herself.

“Fuck you,” she seethed, her rage quiet, yet forceful enough to set Sam’s skin aflame with shame. “Fuck you, Sam.”

He watched as she stepped closer, the heels of her boots digging into the dirt under her, kicking up rocks as she lifted them. Her body somehow loomed over him, though she was shorter. Her energy radiated every ounce of anger and hatred towards him with every step.

“When this tour is over, I’m going to forget about you. I will never, ever think of you again.” her voice was even and slow, making sure the man heard her every syllable as her dark eyes bored into his. “But you will always fucking remember me.” she locked eyes with him for a few seconds more before turning on her heel and storming back towards the main stage.

“We’re playing it tonight, after The Chain.” Harlow pulled Billy aside from his conversation with Danny. Billy looked confused, then wide-eyed.

“Are you sure? You said it wasn’t ready.”

“It is.” was all Harlow replied.

🎶 🎶 🎶

The Blue Jean Babies set was electric. They’d picked up hundreds of fans over the first leg of the tour, and that combined with the fans waiting their set out for Greta Van Fleet, the festival crowd was like a sea, roaring and crashing along with the beats of their songs.

Performing The Chain with Greta got the crowd to pay attention, and kept them in the wings to watch the rest of the performance. As she expected, Sam stayed with his brothers, though if Cindy was there too, Harlow couldn’t catch a glimpse.

“This is another new song,” Harlow spoke into the microphone, pausing for the whistles and cheers. “This is for all the lovers out there, whose love hasn’t been returned.” with that, Billy began sliding into the song on his guitar, Harlow gripping the mic stand.

“You could be my silver spring

Blue-green colors flashin'

I would be your only dream

Your shinin' autumn ocean crashin'

Don't say that she's pretty

And did you say that she loved you?

Baby, I don't want to know”

Harlow could feel eyes boring into her, Sam watching her intently from the wings. Gripping the mic stand tighter, Harlow began the second verse, closing her eyes to keep herself focused.

“So I'll begin not to love you

Turn around, see me runnin'

I'll say I loved you years ago

Tell myself you never loved me, no

Don't say that she's pretty

And did you say that she loved you?

Baby, I don't want to know

Oh no

And can you tell me was it worth it?

Baby, I don't want to know”

Harlow felt a surge of confidence, as they started the chorus, opening her eyes and scanning the crowd again.

“Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me

I know I could have loved you

But you would not let me”

Billy played his solo beautifully, leading Harlow back into the chorus, his voice joining hers.

“Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me

I know I could've loved you, but you would not let me

I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you

Give me just a chance

You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you

Harlow took the mic off the stand, moving around it and bending at the waist, stomping her foot to emphasize her lyrics and feelings.

“Was I such a fool?

I'll follow you down til' the sound of my voice will haunt you

Give me just a chance”

Her voice was gruff as she stared Sam down, singing the chorus. She hadn’t meant to look at him at all, she meant to perform the song and ignore his very existence. Yet as she sang, her heart and eyes pulled her to him, hoping the words sang out would curse him in the way he’d cursed her, leaving scars on her heart for the rest of her life.

“You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you!”

Harlow straightened up, still locked in her stare with Sam as she pulled the mic away from her lips while Billy and the rest of the band continued their harmonies. She could see the affect her song had on him, his brows knit together, a resigned look on his face as he took his fate. Harlow had never planned to perform this song in front of him. She wanted him to hear it on the radio, everywhere he went, following him around like she wrote. But to have the cathartic release of singing out her pain right in front of him, with fresh wounds, was something that left her feeling vindicated.

For the rest of their lives, this song would tie them together.

They would write other songs about one another throughout the years, sparking more rumors and feuds. Coming together and swearing this performance would be the last they ever did with one another as various charities and projects. Moments of friendship marred by the past being brought up. Vague comments about one another, tell-alls for PBS specials, one of the marks of music history was the relationship between Harlow and Sam.

Twenty-Four Years Later…

Harlow sat in her cozy armchair by her fireplace, one of her now-iconic shawls across her shoulders. Her living room looked different than it normally did. Normally, the cozy Malibu bungalow was dark, but colorful, with ample space for dancing when the mood struck. Today there lights everywhere, and electrical cords winding all around on the floor. A journalist sat opposite her, as a camera was pointed in Harlow’s direction. For the thousandth time, Harlow had been recounting the highs and lows of the summer of 1976.

“So, you finished out the tour with Greta Van Fleet, and you skyrocketed to your own success. Over the years, you all crossed paths, did anything ever spring up again?” Harlow smiled softly at the question, recalling her friendships over the last two and a half decades of her life.

“Oh always.” she answered, nodding. “Josh Kiszka and I remained very close over the years, and still today. I had dinner at his home just the other night. I do feel a deep love for them all still.”

“Even Sam?” Harlow’s smile faltered slightly. Imperceptible to the naked eye, but she could feel the change in her muscles on her face.

“Over twenty years later,” she began. “and my name is still attached to his. Never married, yet when you google me, his last name is right there. Or so my nieces and nephews tell me.” Harlow chuckled a bit, before her face became more serious. A far off look glazed over her eyes as she recalled the summer of ’76. “I loved him once, very passionately. A heart never forgets that. It moves on, but it never forgets.”

“I think…” the interviewer paused, biting their bottom lip. “I think you should see something.” she beckoned over a young man with a laptop. Placing it on her lap, the interviewer typed a bit, then turned it around, showing Harlow the screen.

A frozen image of Sam was on it, and as soon as the interview clicked the screen, he began to move. Harlow took him in. It had been only about three years since she last saw him, but it still shocked her how well he had aged over time. His hair was still long, the dark brown tint had lightened, the hints of some gray at his roots. His facial hair had filled in more since the last she saw him too, though he kept with his classic goatee and mustache more flecks of gray peeking between the dark reds and browns.

“The music you made with Harlow and The Blue Jean Babies, with just her, is stuff of legend.” the interviewers voice sounded from off camera. “And the songs she wrote about you, and you about her in your solo work, there’s an ache there that is felt through generations.”

“The whole story is out there.” Sam replied. “I’m not here to hash over the details for the millionth time. But I’ll say this, on record for the first time. I have never loved someone the way I loved Harlow. She was the one who got away, and I still beat myself up for losing her.”

“If you could do anything over again, make it right, would you?”

Sam dragged a hand down his face, scratching in his beard.

“I have two answers. The first is no, because look at the fucking rock music we made. We changed music for at least a decade, I wouldn’t take that back.” he laughed. “But I would go back and do everything in my power to keep Harlow Brandy Lawson in my life.”

The interviewer paused the video, watching Harlow’s face closely. Years of back and forth, jabs in the media and in records and performances, she had steeled herself from him. From Sam. He had done the same. Even after his breakup with Cindy, he never came back to her. And Harlow never went to him. Maybe it had been pride that stopped them, maybe they each supposed the other truly had moved on. Harlow knew he had lied, when he said he didn’t love her. Josh had told her, years later when he thought it was safe for her to hear.

“These interviews were going to be played at the award ceremony tonight. Obviously edited to leave out the more personal parts, like that.” the interviewer informed Harlow. “Every member of Greta Van Fleet will be there. And every member of The Blue Jean Babies is too…the only person who didn’t respond was you.”

“I-I don’t know.” Harlow shook her head. “I mainly focus on charity events these days and-“

“Off the record,” the young woman leaned forward in her seat. “I grew up listening to your music. My mom raised me on Harlow and The Blue Jean Babies and Greta Van Fleet, told me all the torrid details. I always wondered what would happen though, if you and Sam had another shot. And with what the both of you have said…I think you both wonder that too.”

Harlow stared at the interviewer as she took in her words, a flutter in her heart, knowing she was right.

“How smart, the youth is today.” Harlow smiled. “I supposed we should end our time together here. I have an induction tonight, and I need an outfit.”

🎶 🎶 🎶

Though she was never one to roll in her riches, Harlow was thankful she had some money behind her to be able get together a dress and shoes, and quickly get her hair and makeup done on the last minute. Getting a car service, she made her way to the awards show, letting her manager and agent know she was accepting the invitation, and to let the event staff know.

Arriving at the red carpet, Harlow was greeted by cheers and calls from the photographers as soon as her shoes hit the ground. She had forgotten how blinding the flashes were and took a moment to regain her composure before stepping along the carpet, letting the event staff guide her to the photo ops and interviews. She didn’t dare look around, now that she was here. What would she even do if she saw Sam? What would she say? Had too many years gone by with no resolve for them to rekindle anything at all?

Once she was inside the venue, another coordinator guided her backstage, letting her know that the rest of the Blue Jean Babies were there. Where they left her, there was no sign of them, and Harlow suddenly felt like a child on the first day of school, nervous and alone as her heels carried her down the hallway, clicking softly.

“After all these years, and you still manage to surprise me.” Harlow turned around, seeing Billy behind her, a wide grin on his face. Harlow rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he did the same to her waist, hugging her tight. It had been only a few months since the two had seen each other, but it was still too long. “You said you weren’t coming.”

“I changed my mind.” Harlow smiled.

“A sight for sore eyes if there ever was one.” turning again, Harlow was met with Jake Kiszka, his signature smirk in place. “Heard you went to Josh’s for dinner last week, and I have to admit, I’m hurt. You know I’m the better cook.”

“Jake,” Harlow moved from Billy’s grasp and into Jake’s with a laugh. “To be fair, I helped him cook most of it.”

“That sounds about right.” Jake quipped back. While the twins were never far apart from one another, Harlow rarely saw Jake. He stood back, hands on her arms as he assessed her. “You look damn good, Harlow.”

“Thank you, Jake.” she laughed, pulling him into a hug again. “Is everyone else here already?”

“You’re the last one.” Billy told her. “Do you want a drink?”

“I would love one.” Harlow followed Billy into the green room he came out of, greeting the rest of her former bandmates as Billy poured her a whiskey sour. There was still some time before the awards ceremony started, and they all spent a good amount of time catching up, before Harlow excused herself, going to find a restroom.

As she walked down the hallway, following the paper signs taped up on the walls, she stopped, noticing someone leaving another room.

He was just how he looked in the video, the overheard fluorescent lights catching the gray in his hair, beard and mustache more than previously. He was dressed in a suit, the shirt underneath loose, and opened down to just above his belly button. Harlow’s heart thumped in her chest, must like the way it did when she first saw him all those years ago, outside the venue when she asked him to read her songs.

Like a deer in headlights, Harlow was frozen, and once Sam saw her, he was the same. She saw his adams apple bob as he swallowed, his brown eyes flitting all over her. Finally, Harlow broke the trance, stepping towards Sam, him breaking his and meeting her in the middle.

“Hello Sam,” Harlow smiled softly.

“Hi Harlow.” Sam returned it, letting his eyes rake over her face. She should’ve made small talk. Asked him what project he was working on now, if the recent rains drowned out his garden. Instead, blurted out everything that was building up inside.

“If I could change it, I would go back and do everything to keep you, too.” Harlow breathed out. Sam looked at her, puzzled for a moment before realization passed over his face, softening his brow as his body moved instinctually, an arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her body to his. “Sam, it’s always been you.”

“Brandy,” Sam whispered softly. “I meant what I said, I never loved another the way I love you.” Harlow’s heart skipped a beat. Twenty-four years later, and the words she so desperately wanted, needed from Sam were finally said. “I always did, I’m sorry I lied.”

“I know,” Harlow nodded, feeling Sam’s hand cup her face. “I know.” they stared at each other, oblivious to the backstage chaos around them. A moment that had been decades in the making, two hearts that stayed open just for one another finally meeting once again.

“Can we start over?” Sam asked, brushing Harlow’s hair back from her face as she looked up at him. Age had began to set in, faint lines set in where her skin was once smooth, but all Sam saw was the voracious twenty-something he fell in love with twenty four years ago.

“We’ll see.” Harlow smiled, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. Sam’s thumbs brushed them away, fighting some of his own.

“We’ll see always means no.” he whispered back, following her lead. His face inched closer to hers, his lips grazing over her own. Before they sealed the kiss, Harlow whispered back.

“Not this time, Sam. Not this time.”

🎶 🎶 🎶

Taglist: @joshsindigostreak @ascendingtostardust @sammysprincess @sammykiszkamyass @belovedsamuel @sunfl0wer-power @indigo-starcatcher @sammyscherub @earthlysorrows @lvnterninthenight @allieisacrybaby @losfacedevil @xserenax-13 @sarakay-gvf @shutupdevvie @myownparadise96 @watchingovergvff @gretavanfleetposts @josiee-gvf @joshkiszkatoothgap @madneedshelp @gardensgatedaisy @demonrat444 @dannyandthekiszkas @tearsofbri @paleshadow-ofadragon @happy-harpy-stuff @like-a-woman-in-a-dream @starshine-wagner @objectsinspvce @josh-iamyour-mama @mountain-in-springtime @cal-a-bungaa @capturethechaos @jankandjonch @gvfpal

@allybjt @hippievanfleet @weightofbrokenbells @joshkiszkasbadussy @malany-gvf @ruby0antlers @samofthedawn @sacredjake @aim4thedoublee @diditallforyouu @gvfmarge @highladyofasgard @sammysvanfeet@gold-mines-melting @earthgrlsreasy @forcebond301 @stardust-and-shadows @llightmyllovee @gretavangroupie @comesofarsomehow @infinisonicosm @indigofallingsky @hellowgoodbye @hearts-hunger @fwzco @joshskittytickler @clairesjointshurt

#sam kiszka #sam kiszka x reader #sam gvf #sam kiszka fanfiction #greta van fleet #greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet fan fiction #jake kiszka #josh kiskza #danny wagner #sam kiskza x oc #silver springs fic

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xaharadesert · 10 months

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Greetings! I'm rereading your headcanons for the Arcana, and they're all very well-written and interesting. I wonder, do you have any ideas about how MC and Asra grew close and started a romantic relationship before the plague? No pressure if you don't feel like answering.

Hello!! I’m so glad you enjoy my headcanons :) even if I don’t write as much as I used to, I’m proud of my work. Based on your message, I wasn’t sure if you were asking for headcanons or just my thoughts, so I’m going with the latter, but feel free to submit another request if it was actually the first one!

So, as usual, I’m gonna add a little disclaimer stating that I haven’t played the game in a very long time, and can’t really remember what’s canon vs fanon, so forgive me if I say something that’s just blatantly wrong. Also, I’m referring to Asra using he/him just to differentiate them from the MC, who I’m referring to with they/them, and I am aware that Asra uses he/they.

Anyway, the game itself gives us very little to work with in terms of MC’s backstory with Asra (obviously so people can fill it in how they please), but I do believe that it’s canon that the shop used to belong to MC’s aunt?

In my mind, I always imagined that MC’s aunt was a semi-well-known magic user, and MC left their home to study with her and learn magic and such. They probably worked at the shop as well, since they lived there and it would be a bit rude not to help out.

Now, this is where I’m essentially just making things up: I believe that Asra and MC bumped into each other a lot without ever really having a proper introduction in the first few months. I’m not sure if there’s any indication about what Asra was doing after his parents disappeared, but I’m like 90% certain he was just homeless and making money by running errands or doing tricks/small spells/tarot readings for people. So, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that they casually saw each other around when MC was exploring or running errands for their aunt.

When it comes to a proper introduction, my mind is split between a cliché meet-cute where they literally run into each other, a curious MC seeking out Asra because they think he’s mysterious and therefore must find answers, or MC’s aunt hiring Asra as part-time help. Either way, it definitely starts as a casual friendship between two magic users who feel a little out of place, with Asra absolutely working at or spending a lot of time at the shop.

Over time, I think the two would naturally grow closer as they harness their magical abilities together. Asra has found a place that feels like home, and MC has found their first close friend in a new country. I think it would be a little co-dependent from the start, given Asra’s unfortunate circumstances, and MC becoming the owner of their aunt’s shop (it’s never confirmed, but personally I believe that the aunt died and left a young mc to take over).

At some point, after the aunt was gone, Asra would move into the shop (it’s practical, even if it’s only platonic, since he works there and MC is probably a little lonely), and while things might not be completely romantic, feelings are probably developing. I always imagined MC and Asra to be around the same age, so they’re probably young adults at this point, and still figuring things out, but they know that they want to be together in some way.

I don’t think there’s a clear line that can be drawn between “before” they loved each other romantically and “after”. Like, yeah, there’s a first kiss, but it doesn’t feel like a giant momentous moment, it’s just a casual action that feels completely natural. Neither of them probably even process it as the first time, and wouldn’t remember it later, because it just fits. And if you’re thinking about the first “I love you”, then I hate to disappoint, but I believe they always said it platonically, so neither really registers when it becomes romantic.

At least in my opinion, Asra and MC are the ultimate best friends to lovers, and it happens like a frog in a boiling pot of water. They don’t even realize that they’re in a committed relationship until MC dies and Asra finds them back at square one. Then he’s like “oh fuck how do I recreate 6 years when I don’t even know how it happened?” Falling in love and being with each other every day was as natural to them as breathing, and having that relationship stripped away suddenly must have felt like being dropped into ice water.

Anyway, those are my basic thoughts! Not very detailed, because, really, there is no canon backstory! This isn’t even what I use for my OC MC, it’s just the vibes I picked up when I first played through :) let me know what you think, and what you would change! Also please let me know if there are any mistakes, because I typed this all out on my phone at 1am and just kinda rambled without thinking

#the arcana #arcana #the arcana headcanon #the arcana hc #asra alnazar #Asra x mc #Asra alnazar x mc #the arcana asra #Asra arcana

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queenmayor23 · 1 year

Text

Grand Piano I {Dean Winchester X Male Reader}

hi! how are ya? good. umm. please read this. as an attention whore I need attention. tell me what you think. even if you want me to burn in the lowest pits of hell with my baby daddy Satan. this is the first part. kinda writing it as I get ideas and watch the show currently on season 5 and Dean has been invading my mind. if it doesn’t make sense remember “it’s my world now not your world” and I haven’t seen the show in completion. umm. consensual forehead kisses if you accept. peace love and rubber gloves. k bye girlies.

p.s. ask me stuff. i love random.

TJ was born in April of '78 to Deborah Chase, who had just quit her bartender lifestyle and traded it for a career in oil and gas. This caused them to move around constantly. TJ's father was a one-night stand who didn't want anything to do with him, if only to keep it a secret from his now pregnant wife. Over the years, TJ wanted to get to know his father, but his father's refusal made him feel worthless. Until one day, he showed TJ what he did for a living. It was not something an impressionable 10-year-old boy should be doing. This caused a fight between his parents, and TJ never saw his father again. But that didn't stop his mother from keeping tabs on her one-night stand, she found out he had two more sons, and his wife had died mysteriously, concluding it had to do with his line of work. TJ's mother dated around, settling down with the 3rd generation diner owner Richie, who treated TJ as his own. But TJ wanted to make his birth father proud, so he studied everything he could about the occult, myths, and legends, hoping to satisfy his father.

In his teenage years, TJ became a Nancy Drew, solving mysteries plaguing his small town, and in his spare time, he helped out at the diner. But that was before he met and fell head over heels for the new bad boy, Dean Winchester. Their friendship was rough at first, but Dean quickly figured out that all he had to do was say the magic word, and TJ would jump off of the highest mountain for him. They broke into convenience stores and played sick pranks around the school. Dean learned that the school had a vengeful spirit during a wrestling match that got violent with the football team for hanging him in a field like a scarecrow. He came back that night to deal with it, and when he arrived, TJ was already prepping the body to be burned. This made the two teenagers get closer and spend more time at TJ's stepfather's diner, especially now that Dean had someone to talk about hunting with. Next was the Homecoming dance, which was short-lived as a Daeva attacked, and the teenage hunters had to take care of it. The night's highlight was when Dean gave TJ his first kiss. It was also the night Sam and Dean's father returned for them. Upon seeing the boy come out of the same diner Dean came out of, John forbade his son from talking to the boy after going through his questionable query.

Years pass, Sam leaves and goes to college, and TJ co-runs the diner with his now adoptive father during the day, and when the sun goes down, he hunts the creatures of the night. While pursuing a demon in Kentucky, TJ bumps into Dean and John, and they have a much-needed conversation. TJ realizes that all he did was for nothing when John is still cold about all of TJ's accomplishments, so he goes back to Indiana and works at the diner full time until he opens his own underground lounge, taking that on fully. The one thing that stops him is when he gets a phone call, and the voice says that one word that melts TJ like a popsicle on a hot day. "Baby." Dean only called when he needed something, never to say "hi" or "I'm okay," only when he was in a pickle and didn't want to drag Sam into it. Dean felt it was okay to keep TJ on speed dial because, in his mind, "TJ isn't doing anything important." But now John was missing, and TJ wasn't answering his phone. So on his way to California, Dean stopped in Indiana at Richie Rock's Diner and asked for TJ. An older man walked to the edge of the counter, and Dean recognized him. The man was taller than Dean but shorter than his brother Sam by an inch.

Richie: Now, why shouldn't I put my shotgun to your chest and pull the trigger?

Dean: Mr. Rock, it's me, Dean.

Richie: I know who you are. You're the troublemaker that broke my son's heart. And when I tried to comfort him, he started a big fight and didn't talk to me for months because "Dean is coming back" or "Dean needs me".

Dean: So I'm guessing you wouldn't know where to find him?

Richie: Oh, I know. And the only reason I'm telling you is so he can beat your ass.

Richie writes the name of the place and the address on a diner ticket.

Richie: Take a left at the clock tower and a loop around City Hall. In case you forgot how to get around town.

Dean hangs his head and leaves out.

#dean winchester x omc #supernatural #dean winchester #dean winchester x poc!male reader #wincest #this is my world now not your world #supernatural x male reader #supernatural x male oc #Dean Winchester x Male OC #throwing it on tumblr to see something #more to come #sfw #toxic winchester men #queenmayor23 #Dean Winchester x TJ Chase #fun #gay #i'm rolling with the lgbt #new

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redrydersrequiem · 1 year

Text

Reunited ch 3

Previous chapter. Next chapter

Thank you for everyone who’s read this. I’m trying my best to write I’m still a baby writer. Bold is Navi

Updated 7/10/23

Miles pov

After checking in on Spider and seeing he got a clean bill of health I took him with me to get some proper clothes. Just looking at him was making me cold.

“Here kid” I say , throwing a bundle at him.

“What! I'm not wearing this.”

“Kid, I ain't asking, I need these people to see you as an asset and right now you smell horrible so you're going to go get cleaned up and changed while I try and find your momma.”

“Wait find her, what happened, is she ok? Did you do something to her for helping me?’ He says throwing the bundle to the ground and trying to advance on me. The kids ready to fight read to scour the ship to try to find the women he's met once really. I know it's wrong, this feeling of knowing what I said to the general would work. But I can’t help but feel proud of him. Proud he's willing to protect his mom. However the nagging feeling in the back of my mind to stay on track won't go away.

“Just give me a break kid ok, now go get cleaned up, i have other things to do.” I finish my sentence by taking the co mask and breathing out of it for a while. I almost miss being outside, being able to breathe normally.

Spider picks the bundle back up and goes off to the bathroom after some time he comes back now clean of the paint and mud that was all over him now in some board shorts and a regular tshirt, no shoes though well whatever i'll count this as a win for now. Grabbing Spider , a new mask and pack we set off to find y/n. I have a pretty good feeling the others took her back to our area.

We cross the threshold and switch masks, Spider putting his on and me finally being able to take mine off. The doors open and I see my team. Lopes prager, brown and ja are all playing cards. Walker and Fike are arm wrestling while Warren and Zhang cheer them on.

Spider just looks around in awe at all the giant stuff around him. We continue on into thee training area where i see Lyle and z-dog standing watching something

“Wainfleet, Zdinarsk where’s y/n” Getting closer i see the answer to my question currently pummelling a poor punching bag

“Shit she's pissed.”

“Yeah it was everything we could do not to be on the receiving end of that”. Z states as she continues to watch your rage on

“Yeah colonel we left that for you to deal with.”

“Well thanks for that lady’s. Shit well, good thing I came bearing gifts. Stay here for a second kid don't need you getting in the middle of this.”

“Yeah, let's not let him see mommy and daddy fight.” Z says sarcastically to me

“It won't be much of a fight, more a show of the Colonel getting beat up” Lyle adds with a laugh as he fist bumps Z . I was definitely going to get back at those two insubordinates, I swear.

I keep walking over to y/n. She’s sweating and clearly riled up with how fast her tail is swinging behind her. I hear z and Lyle making bets on who's going to win with Spider chirping up that she'll win great, at least I know he's not scared.

“Y/n”.

At her name she stills , catching the bag with both arms so it stops swaying in front of her.

“Y/n?”

She turns quickly, leveling me with a hard gase. Her ears are twitching back and forth, her tail standing at aleart.

“Now darlin just hear me out” is all i get out before she starts taking swipes at me.

I dodge to the best of my ability not really wanting to fight her since i know im wrong this time. Not that i would admit it.

I go to bring my right arm up blocking her punches but she just grabs onto me kicking at my ankle to pull me off balance, now on the ground she straddles me all i can do is put up my arms to protect my face as she keeps raining punches

“You let them take our son.”

“Darlin, look over there the kids fine, he's safe and sound and he wont leave your side again, i swear.”

“He's our son Miles, our son, not just some kid.

Finally having enough of her punches I grab both her wrists tightly holding them to her side

“I know, I know darlin, it’ll be fine just ease up on me mamas you're gripping a little hard” All I can focus on is her toned legs around my waist bringing up fond memories. Of us being in this same position about 17 years prior

Y/n pov

I just shake my head at his stupid sly grin and ungrapple him, letting him up I walk over to Lyle, Z-dog and spider, the latter of the group exchanging candys, I'm guessing they bet on who would win.

Coming to a standstill in front of the boy. All i can get out is just “Hi”

It takes everything in me not to grab him and hold him to me. Wanting the reassurance he's actually Here, and I didn't just make it all up. I dropped to my knees so we’re somewhat the same height

“How do you feel, has everyone taken care of you? I unconsciously lifted my hand wanting to grab and look him over. He just grabbed my finger in his hand and smiled at me.

“Yeah um quartich got me looked at “

“He did?” I say turning back to level my gaze at the marine behind me. He just steps back raising his hands in defense, not wanting to get another lashing.

“Good. I see you got some fresh clothes too.

“Yeah.”

“Well is there anything else you need are you hungry or anything

“I'm fine,uhh thank you.”

I feel the tears welling up and everyone can see it

“I know this may be a lot but can I hug you…..please”

I can see the decisiveness pass through his eyes before he bounds up to me wrapping his small arms around my neck. I just breathe him in. Enjoying the feeling of my child finally back in my arms. He looks much cleaner than the last time I saw him but he definitely needs a haircut. I can still see stuff stuck in the dreads at the ends

“I do have to ask, sweetie, when was the last time you clean, cleaned your hair?”

“Uhhhhhhhh”

“It’s fine sweetie it's just I know the colonel got you to clean up a little but you still have some stuff stuck in here.” I take my hands to his hair and pull out a full twig. Spider blushes but I just smile and laugh holding him still by my side.”

“I guess i do need to get it cleaned.”

“Id be more than happy to help you if you’d like “

“Uh yeah that would be nice”

I smile at my baby taking in his face for the millionth time

“Ok well why don't you go with aunty z and uncle Lyle and hang out with the others while i go get cleaned up ok.”

“Ok “

I stand staring at the two recoms in front of me `Take care of him please”, is all I say but they can definitely hear the underlying threat that if anything happened to him they would get worse treatment than their colonel just did. So they both just vigorously shake their heads yes and take spider over towards the others. I walk away going towards the showers hearing miles heavy footsteps following behind. I don’t even bother looking his way or feeling shy as I take off all my gear to finally wash off. Running through a jungle and then finding my now grown son, the pounding headaches I’ve had since and the hatred im feeling for the rda right now are just the tip of the iceberg

“Darlin you gonna talk to me.” Miles asks from behind me. Sitting on one of the benches just staring at the wall beyond me

“I don’t really know what to say to you.”

“Darlin you understand why we're here right”

“Yes I do but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with it especially if it enrolled my son”

“Our son”

“No no you don’t get to say that after letting them take him you don’t get to…to.” I feel strong arms wrap around me holding me as I finally cry, finally let out the emotional frustration that has been building since waking up in this new body.

Miles held me close, the hot water pouring over both of us. I feel his remorse through his body. Even just him letting me beat on him earlier showed how guilty he felt. My tears have dried as I feel miles kissing my shoulder and neck. I just pull away from him. Staring up at his handsome blue face. His eyes say thousands. All his emotions are betrayed by his eyes. I don't have it in me to be upset with him anymore and smile back at him. His cute tail stands up as he pulls me close again, kissing my lips before continuing to kiss up and down my neck.

“Your all wet now.” is all i can get out as i feel my body start to heat up and it’s not from the water

“I don’t care”. He just continues to kiss me leaving marks as he goes. I just drag my hands to the front of his shirt, grasping the hem to drag it up and over his head.

(Insert smut here. I don't know how to write smut yet sooo yeah sorry use your imaginations if i learn how to write it i'll come back and change this)

Once we’re both clean and changed into new clothes that I had to go get since Miles didn’t bring any of his own.

We both make our way back over to the others; they're all now at the poker table. Everyone’s trying to keep on their poker faces but Spider's face makes me smile, the comically large cards in his hands and his concentrated face. I go up behind him and see that he actually has a good hand. But I can tell he has no idea as he just looks up at me with a huge smile on his face before going back to look serious. Patting the top of his head I just take some cards and show him how he should play his hand when it comes his turn.

Lyle smirks as he sets his cards down the others all groaning as they lose, as he goes to scoop up the pot towards him, i just smile and stop him. He playfully glares back in challenge as i nudge Spider to show his hand. Everyone cheers as Lyle falls over dramatically in defeat.

Miles pov

Everyone’s goofing off and laughing, and it warms my heart. I can feel the old colonel in my mind telling me to get back on task but the longer I stare at y/n and spider, the more I hear the others' joy the less prominent that voice becomes.

Spider now stands on the table as everyone fake bows to his card prowess. Y/n just stand behind them all laughing with a beautiful smile on her face. I wish i could capture the moment. This is what should’ve been, and ill be damned if it gets taken away from me again.

Your pov

Now that the game is over i pick spider off the table and set him back on the ground.

“Ok kid did you decide what you want to do with your hair.”

“Uhh yeah i guess cutting it would be the best option but not too short ok i don't want to look like Wainfleet.

Lyle just gaps at spider while everyone else laughs, poking fun at the bald soldier

“I can’t blame him, Corporal, I'd hate to look like you ugly blue ass to thank god the kids at least got taste,” Miles says poking fun at his oldest friend.

“Just so you know I can grow hair, this is just a choice ok.”

“Yeah sure whatever you say.”

“Hey, I'm better than you, old man.”

I just laugh as the two grown men go on to fight like kids. It’s nice to see them so playful but it also reminds me how old we are now, all of us back to being in our twenties. Spider just laughs at the two mens antics while i search the cupboards for a pair of clippers, finding some i walk back over to spider and decide it would be easier to go to room that spider can take his mask off in

“Anyone else need a touch up while I do Spiders hair?”. I ask the room. Everyone declines so it's just me, Spider and miles. We all moved to another room. There's no one really in the halls so it's a quick journey. Me and Miles make small talk with Spider occasionally taking sips from our masks. Ok this room should work. It’s an empty apartment so everything is spider-sized except the ceiling. Thank god they were tall. I found a chair for Spider and put it on top of the table so he could sit and I wouldn’t have to kneel the whole time. Miles goes over and takes up the entire couch with his lanky body. Both arms stretched out the length of the back of the couch. He looks damn comfortable, and damn sexy, its not until his eyes flicker back to me and that sly grin spreads across his face that I quickly turn my blushing face away. He just chuckles from his spot reaching over to turn the room's tv on.

“So Spider, do you mind telling me more about yourself.”

I can see Spider wants to say something but then goes to clam up as he now stares at his father.

“Hey hey it's ok You don't have to say anything you don't want.” Miles reassures the kid i can tell it's not really working

“Yeah it's fine sweety we don't have to talk about anyone in particular i just want to know how you’ve been raised, if you got enough love.”

“Um ok well i was mostly raised at the lab by Norm, Max and Abby. The others also helped raise me but its not really like they where my parents.”

Listening to spider talks as i pick through his hair carefully, it brings a sad smile to my face. I know that my baby was taken care of and i dont doubt that the others tried theirs best but he wasn’t loved like i would have. He wasn’t held close during the night just so I could hear him sleep. I never got to give him a birthday, or teach him how to tie his shoes (not that he wears them) . I never got to hold him and love on him if he got hurt running around. Just all the things i've missed brings me into a somber mood.

“You ok darlin” miles asks as he noticed my silence

“Hmmm oh yeah sorry. Sorry sweety I was listening, i just got lost in thinking how much i would have loved to watch you grow.”

“It’s ok. Umm it wasn’t bad. I mean Jake and Neytiri took care of me too and I'm really close with their kids.”

“Jake has kids?

“Yeah he has three kids, you actually saw some of them in the forest if you remember”

“I'm sorry I don't really i was, focused on other things, but Wow I did not think Jake would ever be a dad when I knew him, that's crazy.”

“What was jake like before.?

“Welllllll”

“He was a cheeky little bastard that liked to get into trouble.”Miles states from the couch.

“Hey now, he was a good soldier, he was fun. I liked him. He was definitely a flirt. I remember the first time he saw me he called me an angel sent to Pandora to bless the rest of us.

“Ewww that’s so cringy”

“Hahah I still remember the others shaking their heads at him from behind me to stop, while your father over there was just staring him down from behind. Oh god the look on his face when he turned and saw miles was hysterical.”

Miles chuckles from his spot remembering the scene as well.

“Can I ask if he's a boy dad or a girl dad?”

“Oh definitely a girl dad kiri and tuk have it made me, loak and neteyam are always in trouble.”

“Wait, that's five people. I thought Jake only had three.”

“Yeah ummmm.”

“Hey its ok you dont have to tell us,

“No its just…. It’s fine um yeah they have another daughter she's the same age as Lo’ak, her names kiri”

“Kiri?”

“Yeah she's graces daughter” Now that got me and miles attention

“Grace has a daughter, Grace got pregnant, oh my god who's the Lucky guy that would have.”

“Uhhh we don’t really know, grace could never tell anyone

“What do you mean?”

“Uh grace was hurt during the war and didn’t make the transfer with her avatar.

“Wait grace died but then how

“No one really knows Grace's avatar, just was pregnant one day is all I know.”

“Wow”…….. the news really sinks in and i know spider is somewhat distraught having told Miles and i this information.

“Ok well I have to say im glad you’ve had people to watch out for you. But right now why don't we come back to the issue at hand your very knotted hair” i say trying to easy the tension in the air

“Hey its not that bad”

“Honey please its that bad, im guessing you didn’t care what the others said”

“Welll”

“That’s a yes. Ok so really the only option would be to cut the hair so it grow nicely, would that be ok.”

I can see spider try and decided before he finally agrees

“You can cut it but please not to short and also you can cut this. Spider points to the line of beads and gems that are in his hair”

“What is it”

“It’s my song chord their really important to the Navi and i wanted to have my own so”

“Ok i won't come anywhere near it ok i'll just have to rebraid it later would that be ok “

“Uh yeah.”

“Ok sweety here look forward and ill start back here.. I go around Spiders head once, cutting off some length. I'm able to get the strand untangled so I don't have to cut it so short.”

“You know i've seen you before.”

“Really”

“Yeah it was a video kiri was watching of grace.

(Flashback)

Spider pov

“Hey kiri what you watching

“Video logs from my mom. I was actually about to come find you monkey boy

“Oh yeah why

“While watching the logs i think i found your mother

“What, really show me, show me

“Ok calm down let me find it…..ah here it is

The log starts playing and we see Grace greeting the camera and starting the date like always, she goes on to talk about some of the samples she's recently studied when they hear a knocking on the shed door. Grace moves the camera to check what was going on. We see her smile slightly at the entrance waiting for the seal to start and the air to switch over.

Opening the door grace greets a woman, she's (your skin tone) with (your hair color) and is very visibly pregnant.

“Y/n what are you doing back here Parker send you toy check up on all of us

Cause you just missed norm and jake they just linked up’

“No i'm not here to check on you, Parker's weasley ass can bite me, but i do have a favor to ask.”

“Ohh and what's that.”

“Wellllllllll……”

“Out with it”

“Do yall have any more of those blue fruits? Ever since tasting them, the baby’s been craving them.”

“Grace just laughs at the women in front of her causing y/n to slightly pout”

“You came all the way up here for some fruit.”

“Well yeah and to kind of get away, i know im pregnant but everyone keeps treating me like im glass, it gets suffocating sometimes”

“What, you don't like the big bad Quaritch being your little puppy dog.”

“Hey now, lets not start,i know yall dont see eye to eye but hes my baby’s father and my fiancé, i love him, and i don't let him or the rest of the squad talk bad about yall, so let's do the same ok.”

“Grace just waves her hand brushing y/n off as she looks briefly back into the microscope.

“Well fine since your here can you man the station for a little i want to go get another sample,”

“Yes I can, if you bring me some fruit.”

“Yeah yeah i'll get Norm to bring you a bag full.”

“Yaaaaa thank you grace” y/n says jumping up to hug grace much to her jargon judging by the look on her face

“Yeah yeah you sure you’ll be fine alone in here”

“Well technically I'm not alone and I do have to wait for Trudy and Wainfleet to come back anyway. But it's fine, just put your com and camera on and i'll be entertained. I love watching yall go through the forest anyway.”

“Ok well you know what to do in case of emergency”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am.” Y/n says false saluting to grace who just rolls her eyes in response. Grace comes back over to the camera and signs off and that's where it end

End flashback.

“I think I remember that, I was definitely craving those fruits god they were so good. I probably devoured my weight in them”

“Yeah you did cause i had to cut them up all day for you.” Miles say grumpily

“Oh dont be a baby, it wasn’t that bad,”

“Whatever you say mamas”

“Wow, that must’ve been the last time I saw grace.”

“Ok all done”

I can see out of the corner of my eye miles stiffened slightly but I choose to ignore him and go back to the task at hand. After rinsing him off and brushing through his now wavy golden locks. He's truly a handsome kid. It kills me to say it but he looks more like his father.

“What’s wrong?” Spider asks as i continue to stare at him i can tell he's starting to get self conscious

“It’s nothing baby i was just thinking how much like your father you look

“What.?” He says quickly, turning his head to look miles up and down.

“Yeah you do, which is not fair because I'm the one who carried you for nine and half months.”

Miles just laughs from the couch, full on belly laughing

“Oh you hush this is your fault.”

“How is it my fault darlin,”

“You and your stupid genetics”, I say walking over in front of him. He just grabs me and sets me in his laugh as he hugs me to him.

“I don’t remember you complaining about my genetics when we,,,,,

“Ewwww can you guys not, gross, Now i know how the others felt with their parents”

“Hey wait till you find someone, squirt, you’ll know.”

(Think something like this but i don't want him to be sad and the thing hes holding is his songcord it would still be in his hair like behind his ear or something.

I can see spider blushes at the thought, I'll have to quiz him on that later. I hop off miles lap and back towards spider

“Well it's getting late, why don't we get you some food and then figure out sleeping arrangements ok”.

“Ok mom”….. it's quick, Spider himself doesn’t even realize he's said it to me until he freezes looking up at me with worry and uncertainty. I just kneel and bring him into another hug, “oh my little baby…. You can call me whatever you would like spider, I know this whole situation is very confusing but I love you, and have loved you since I found out I was pregnant.”

I feel Spider wrap his arms around my neck and hug me tight. I don't comment on the feeling of wet drops on my shoulder. I just pull away and kiss the top of his head and motion him to the door, Miles comes up behind me and hangs his arms over me, both us watching our beautiful child walk away.

The next morning miles gathers us and the team. We all meet in the group room as Miles tells us we have to start our mission. He knows i don't agree with what's happening but until we can find a better and safer way for our family to exist we have to play the part. Miles had talked up the general that for the team to catch sully we had to think like him. Go full native in the jungles and Forests of Pandora, that's where Spider came in. He would be our teacher, this gave him a purpose and a shield, so now the scientist couldn't do anything to him again. After the gear is all packed and everyone is situated we make our way out to the helos the team will be using to get out into the forest.

Miles pov

Spider is at my side as we walk onto the tar mat. I hoist him up into the hull before turning to help y/n in as well

“Hey get off that.” I say grabbing Spider by the collar and dragging him away from the big gun.

“Listen up hotshot Just to let you know your mask here has a tracker in it, you think of running off. I'll have you back here in two minutes and give you an old school ass whooping you understand me.”

“Yeah yeah. Spider goes and sits next to y/n who thankfully was talking to z and didn’t hear our conversation.”

“I bang on the side to let the pilot know we're all ready as we embark into the Forrest.”

We all get set in a clearing, i wait for everyone attention before getting started

“Listen up, jake sully has gone underground so to catch him we’re going to have to think like him full tilt all the way,We eat Navi we ride Navi we speak Navi”

I hear spider let out is scoff

“You got something to say kid?”

“You call that Navi you sound like a three year old.”

Smart ass kid, i can make out some words hes saying but i know hes making fun of me

“Ok smart ass you just went from being our monkey mascot to our interpreter.

“Miles” i hear y/n scoldingly say my name but can’t find it in me to answer

“To start were going to need transportation we can’t be walking all over this damn jungle so your going to show us how to get those banshees “

“Banshees you mean the ikran

“Yeah whatever show us how.

Spider looks back over to y/n and i see her smile and give him a nod.

“Fine i hope all of you can climb.”

Y/n pov

When the boy said we had to climb he meant it. Scaling the floating mountains always sounded amazing while i was human but now, its just tiring. Spider is jumping between rocks and yelling at us to keep up. Everyone to there credit does fairly well but I can tell all regret all the gear we have to carry with us. We finally make it to the top. I see z looking over the edge kicking a rock down, and whistling at the fall. I hear spider call after us again and disappear behind the corner. I quickly catch up not really wanting to let him out of my sight. The sun blinds me for a moment while I listen to all the shrinks and yells now echoing through the air from the dozens upon dozens of colorful banshees that occupy almost every surface of the clearing. Everyone is star struck as we stare at the animals that have only ever gotten close enough to kill them. We all group up on a rock a fallen tree really being our only cover if the animals decided to charge at us. I remember grace telling me about the ikrans about how sacred they where to the omaticaya clan and how this was a right of passage to be considered an adult really.

Spider give us a brief run down of the ikran and what they are used for

“Ikran will only have one rider their whole lives thats why it’s do important to chose the Right one”

Miles pov

I huff at the kids words and take the tranq gun from Lyle When i hear spider laugh at me. I turn my head and fix him with a stare

“Something amusing kid”

“Yeah Navi kids younger than me do this with their bare hands.” That’s an interesting thought hmmmm bare handed huh

I turn and look at y/n shes still just fascinated with the scenery around us,

“Sully do this with his bare hands”

“What do you think”

‘Hmmmm ok then”. I hand the gun back to Lyle and stand up. Crossing over the tree

“Miles what are you doing?” I Hear y/n ask me

“Doing this the Navi way sweetheart, just cheer me on ok.”

Your Pov

I see miles start advancing into the clearing,

“When you choose one you got to connect your ques together.” I hear spider yell at his father.

“And how will he know it chooses him” i ask

“It’ll try to kill him “

“SPIDER!” I just watch worriedly as miles continues to advance on the saphira blue ikran infornt of him

Im holding my breath as i hear the animal hisss and bite at miles. Bobbying its head towards him like it’ll bite which it probably would. I hear miles hiss back and the fight starts. Miles goes and punches the thing in the face before trying to jump on its back.

“Did I mention your supposed to tie their mouths shut first”

“Spider,!” i want to scold the child but im focused on miles, especially the fact that him and the ikran are getting closer and closer to the edge

“MIlLES WATCH OUT” I scream but its to late hes fallen over the side

“Nooo” i cry and rush to the side to see where miles has gone but the clouds hid everything. Kid why would you do that i hear Lyle yell at spider

“I didn’t know he would fall off the side like i said kids younger than me does this I didn’t think he would” The others all stare in shock as Lyle grabs me and pushes us all to start heading back towards the drop location. Before i could say anything else a whoosh sound fills my ears as the wind rushes up in front of me and victorious yell shouts out

Miles pov

“Woooh hooo thats right”

I feel a thousand miles tall. Everything is amazing, the air rushing around me as I spin on my new ikran flying over the others as they all cheer me on. I make they ikran land jumping off to reunite with my team before a body comes barreling into me. It’s y/n now hugging the life out of me

“You stupid stupid man,”

“He its ok darlin.”

“If it's not spider i have to worry about its you will you both stop trying to give me a heart attack”

“Yes mamas, I say soothing her and walking over to the others.”

“Now that we know you need to tie their mouths thank you very much kid, everyone go get yours”

Y/n pov

Everyone went all having different levels of success but all succeeding

So It was my turn now.

“Go on darlin i've got your back”. Miles whispers lovingly in my ear before pushing me into the clearing. I swing the rope around in my hand as I survey the clearing and all of the remaining ikrans jump away, I just walk around its not till i almost give up when an ikran comes out of the shadows. I didn’t see it at first but as it steps into the light the beauty of the creature strikes me. A mirage of colors almost like a rainbow has kissed it. Actually the more I stare its almost like the beast has been tie dyed.

The ikran hisses at me and lunges forward i quickly side step him trying is jaw closed. Well there one less thing to worry about.

I hear my team cheering me on as i did them. Side stepping the animals head i throw myself on top of him grabbing on to it like a rodeo bull, Locking my thighs waiting for the timer to start. The ikran starts bucking away moving this way and that to try and throw me off him but i stay locked tight, its not till the animal still for a moment to catch its breath that i make my move. I grab his antenna and my que and all but smash the two together.

Then there was peace. Breathes intertwined and hearts synchronized. I can hear the other in the background all cheering, climbing on board their ikrans as they encourage me to fly. I reach down tuggin the rope off the ikrans mouth as i command it to fly. Flying was amazing it, was exhilarating and, heart stooping and every emotion in between. I see miles and his ikran zoom in to the space on my left. Spider sits infornt of him as they both have cheeky smiles on. Yelling at me to catch them if i can. Those boys i swear. I just shake my heads at them and start the game of cat and mouse

We’ve decide to use the ikrans to go back towards the base. The sun is still shinying and i can brefiely make out spider teaching his father some Navi words like hello and the traditional greeting. I bet he wishes he would have learned with me when we where human but sucks to suck.

We finally make it back to bridgehead, landing the ikrans just outside of the area not wanting them to really be locked down on the tar Matt not knowing how they’ll act. We take the mesurments for the scentest to make armor for them then the majority of us let them go. Everyone’s gushing about the experience all comparing them and what they named them. I walk over to miles and spider.

“So how was bonding time boys”

“Oh we had a great time with cupcake here”

“Cupcake? Seriously you named you ikran cupcake. Why?”

“Cause she was sweet enough to try and kill me. I was going to name her darlin cause she reminded me of you but I didn’t want you to be jealous.”

I just stare at him and lightly shove him and his smart ass self.

“What did you name yours ma,?” spider ask as he makes his way over to mine.

“Hmmmmm well at first i thought rainbow or something cause of the color but then it reminded me of tie dye clothes so his name shall be ty.

“Ty?”

“Yeah look he likes it” I say as Ty purrs while I'm brushing my hand down his head’.

“You both are so weird”

“Hey this isn’t horrible you should watch how to train your dragons thosewehre some names”

“What’s that ?”

“It’s a movie, i can pull it up on my halo pad well watch it tonight sweety, i promise” I say ruffling spider's short hair.

“Ok ok “

Miles comes up behind us

“Come on yall its time to eat.”

The first day of Navi training was definetly a into the fire situation but as long as it keeps my family together ill keep it up.

Tag list : love yall

@myh3artt @ducks118 @dyingofcookies @navs-bhat

#avatar fanfiction #avatar oc #avatar way of water #miles quaritch x reader #spider x reader #blue team x reader

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mimelord1 · 2 years

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Empire Co-Stars Grace and Trai Byers Expecting First Baby Together

Empire Co-Stars Grace and Trai Byers Expecting First Baby Together https://ift.tt/jhVu4fM Taraji P. Henson Talks Whirlwind “Empire” Premiere Grace and Trai Byers are growing their empire. The Empire actress shared that she and her husband of six years are expecting their first child together, she wrote on Instagram on Oct. 14. In the sweet post, the couple is posed on the red carpet on opening night of Trai’s Broadway show The Piano Lesson. In the first photo, Grace is cradling her growing belly while wearing a coral halter-neck gown. In the second photo, both parents-to-be have their hands lovingly on her baby bump. “Happy Opening Night on your Broadway Debut, my beloved King,” she wrote. “Words absolutely fail when it comes to describing how deeply and overwhelmingly proud we are of you, @traibyers. What a night!” Producer Devon Franklin commented, “My brother was a revelation last night!!! Congratulations!!!! I’m so excited to be an uncle!!!!!! Love y’all forever and a day!!” And actress Teyonah Parris added, “CONGRATULATIONS to you both on the amazing journey ahead to parenthood!!” Grace, 38, and Trai, 39, met on the set of Empire in 2015. They got engaged in the fall of 2015 and married in a private ceremony on the beach on Grand Cayman Island—where she grew up—on April 14, 2016. The post Empire Co-Stars Grace and Trai Byers Expecting First Baby Together first appeared on Suave Media. Tags and categories: Uncategorized via WordPress https://ift.tt/EAhNWQH October 14, 2022 at 11:15PM

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boldlyvoid · 2 years

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The Implicit Demand for Proof

18+

Summary: Separated from the rest of the team for one case, Spencer finally has the confidence to ask Y/N to come over after work.

Warnings: first times, drinking, season 1 spencer, mutual pining, "going slow", grinding, making out, cunnilingus, penetrative sex, creampies

word count 3.3k

Sitting beside Spencer on the way to his house was not how she expected to spend her night.

But here she was, resting her head on his shoulder with their fingers interlocked. It’s beyond peaceful, getting to sit that close to him and feel him breathe, to feel his thumb caress her hand and smell his wonderful cologne. Spencer Reid was so unbelievably cute, so astonishingly smart and perfect, that she fell head over heels for him the moment she saw him… He was a bumbling fool when she introduced herself, turning a bright pink that looked cute with his brown eyes, she just fell harder. He stumbled over his words, he bumped into things if they tried walking and talking, he could barely breathe when she was close and it took forever to get him to ask her out.

But he did it, simply tapping her shoulder as he saw her packing up for the day; “hey, Y/N?”

“Yes, cutie?” She teased him, making him blush like always. They just spent 13 hours in a small office making stressful phone calls with their co-workers as they worked from the office.

There was no one there to bully him, there was no one around to pry and listen in and make it harder for him. He looked confident, ready to take on the entire world for her.

“Would you like to come over tonight?”

It comes out perfectly, ended with a light-lipped smile, he’s so sweet she’s so proud of him she could squeal. She simply nods feverishly, “I’d love to.”

And so there she was, taking the metro with him back to his apartment, cuddled in close to him for the ride as they let the world pass by. Everything feels right when they’re close like his gravitational pull was just strong enough to permanently tether her to his orbit permanently.

They had dinner at the office together, but he still asked if she wanted to get something to eat. Turning to look at her as she looks up at him, he asks, “are you hungry?”

She just shakes her head, “I’m okay, I just want to hang out.”

“Okay,” he smiles back at her.

“Okay,” she copies him with a smile, suddenly feeling cheeky. “What did you have in mind for tonight?”

He blushes again, “uh… I didn’t really think that far ahead, I just thought it would be nice to spend time with you?”

“You spend time with me every day,” she shoves him with her shoulder. “You mean alone time…” she teases, “I’ve been wanting alone time with you for a while?”

“Y-you have?” His posture straightens as his grip on her hand tightens. “Wh-what about alone time with me?”

She leans in closer so her lips are near his ear, “I want some very close, very steamy, alone time with you.”

He swallows sharply and clears his throat, “o-okay.”

“If you want, that is,” she says as she pulls away, looking at him ever so softly. “I also think about cuddling and watching movies, and playing with your hair while you tell me about everything and nothing at the same time.”

“Seriously?” He looks blown away.

She nods softly, “yeah, why, what do you think about?”

It’s not that risky of a conversation, seeing as they’re alone in the train car and getting closer to his stop by the second.

“That kinda stuff…” he admits, “I think you’re stunning.”

“I think you’re very attractive,” she whispers with the tilt of her head, smiling as he turns pink, “and sweet, I like your voice and how smart you are without being cocky. You’re a wonderful man Spencer, no matter what anyone says.”

“What if I’m not a good partner?” He worries. “What if all that doesn’t matter if I can’t make you happy?”

She doesn’t mean to laugh, it’s just a crazy thought, “Spence? You could never be a bad boyfriend… not saying that’s what we are, just if we were to one day, I think you’d be the best at it. I think you’d try, not many men do that.”

“You deserve way more than just someone who tries,” he gets defensive. “You deserve someone who would grab a star with their bare hand even if it burned them in the process.”

She takes both his hands in her then and looks at the palms, “and you deserve someone who would patch up the wounds and display the star proudly. You deserve someone who isn’t afraid to love you proudly.”

“Would you be interested in loving me?” Spencer asks carefully.

She nods with a smile, “I’ve loved you in secret for a while now.”

He opens his mouth to reply when the train comes to a halt, announcing his stop, they stand and she immediately holds his hand, interlocking their fingers and following him out. The station is empty, no one else gets out, no one gets on after them either, and so Spencer presses her against the pillar and stares down at her softly.

She holds her breath, never expecting this from Spencer Reid, but it’s everything she needed. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

She nods, waiting for his lips to collide with hers, their eyes fly shut as he kisses her there in the open. Pressing against her more, his hands on her cheeks as he depends the kiss, making out with her in the middle of the station where anyone could just walk in on them and he didn’t care.

He pulls back enough to rest his forehead against hers, “I’ve wanted to do that since I met you…”

She giggles, “take me home and we can do it more.”

Taking her hand again, they run up the stairs 2 at a time until they’re back on the street. It’s dark, the early spring air hitting their faces and sending shivers through them. They stand closer as they rush down the sidewalk together, giggling and happy, she can’t believe it’s actually happening.

“This one,” he announces before turning them towards a building and up the stairs, “second floor, apartment B.”

“Like Sherlock,” she remembers that from all his info dumps.

“Yeah,” he smiles like it’s a shock that someone remembered something he said for once. What he didn’t know is she stored everything he said in her mind to listen to when she was sad, because he was the only person she found real comfort in.

He unlocks the door and pulls her inside, pressing her against the door again, she laughs harder, “can we wait a sec?”

“Yeah, sorry, I’m just excited,” he backs away and looks embarrassed.

“Honey, I just want to take my coat and shoes off,” she assures him, “I’m just as excited.”

“Okay,” he looks more nervous now, hands trembling as he unbuttons his coat and slips it off. Handing it on the hook, taking hers once it’s off as well, “do you want a drink or anything?”

“What kind of drink are we talking?” She teases.

“I have wine, for if I ever had a guest,” he presses his lips together awkwardly. “Would you like some?”

She nods, “I would love some.”

“Alright,” he heads off towards his kitchen, pulling out two glasses and a bottle.

She stands in the doorway and watches as his nimble fingers peel the wax off the cork and maneuver the cork remover over the top. He gets it on the first try, making a delicious pop sound and smiling as he pours it for them.

“Do you have any movies?” She asks as he hands her a glass, “or music?”

“I don’t have a TV,” he whispers. “But I have a record player.”

She smiles, “of course you do.”

“What?”

“You’re such an old soul,” she compliments him. “I like how simple things are with you.”

“Come on,” he can’t take a compliment from her without smiling, leading her into the sitting room filled with books and action figures.

“This is so cute,” she compliments. “This is actually exactly what I was expecting. It’s very much Spencer Reid’s safe place.”

“It really is,” he places his glass on the coffee table and goes over to his record player. “Is there anything you like? I have a bit of everything genre.”

She stands beside him and looks through all the options, “there’s a lot of Billy Joel here.”

He nods, “my mom loves him, she was convinced he was writing songs about our lives because they were so relatable.”

“I’d love to meet her sometime,” Y/N’s honest. “I’ll have to thank her for making my favourite person.”

“Really?” The glimmer in his eyes is show-stopping, his smile is everything, he can’t believe she said it.

She nods, “yeah, isn’t it obvious? I’m always trying to get time with you, I paid Derek to switch desks so we could be closer, I offered to stay back this case with you not because I thought you needed help but because I didn’t want to go away without you.”

“Oh,” his breathing changes, “Wow, okay.”

She shakes her head, laughing to herself, “you really have no idea how incredible you are, do you?”

He shakes his head, “no one's ever really made me feel good about myself, not until you.”

She picks out some random jazz record then, “put this on, I can’t do what I want to do to you if we listen to Billy Joel.”

He stutters, eventually giving up on what he was going to say and putting the record on. She makes her way back to the couch, taking a couple sips of wine while he started the music, it was surprisingly the perfect mood. And then Spencer disappears into another room, she can hear him looking around for something, rummaging through drawers and whispering to himself.

He comes back with a few candles and a lighter, setting it up on his coffee table and fireplace, it was the cutest. He finally looked around one last time and let out a deep breath, “okay.”

She pats the spot on the couch beside herself, watching with a smirk as he made his way to her and sat down softly. “We could literally just cuddle if you’re not to do anything more?”

“I want to,” he lets it out with a sigh, “I just don’t want to be bad at it…”

“Well,” she understands why he’d be scared, “what if we slowly try things out?”

“Can I tell you something embarrassing?”

She nods, “anything?”

“I’ve wanted to make out with you, uh, sitting in my lap? Like here,” he holds his hands out as if he was holding someone's hips over his own, “so we can, uh, grind and stuff?”

She feels her whole body heat up then as she puts her glass down, “yeah, I can do that…”

She straddles his hips, sitting right on his crotch with her hands on his shoulders, staring at him as his breathing became ridged, “holy shit.”

She laughs, “what if I helped you calm down a bit?”

He just nods, letting her undo a few buttons of his shirt, slipping his tie off and running her fingers through his hair a few times. She just stares at him for a minute, running her index finger from his temple to his cheekbone, over his nose before tapping the tip of his nose lightly, making him laugh.

When she finally kisses him, it's not on the lips. She kisses his pulse point just under his jaw, down his neck a bit as he tosses his head back against the couch cushion. “Good?”

“Mhm,” he hums, gripping her hips as she runs her tongue along his neck. “Fuck…”

Down below his collar, she kisses him lightly before sucking on his skin, making him gasp and pull her body in closer to his, “kiss me?”

She giggles, but then he pulls her face into his, kissing her abruptly and making her melt into him. No longer able to tease him, she’s lost in his touch and the taste of his tongue against her own, it was like heaven. The two of them let their hands explore everywhere, grinding slowly as they moaned in each other's mouths. It was glorious.

He’s hard under her, she’s ecstatic knowing she has the power to turn him on this much. She moves her hips against him to the rhythm of the music, wishing there was more friction for her, but just getting him off was enough to make her go wild.

He was a mess after a few minutes, hands on her ass trail up her back before he breaks the kiss to move down her neck, letting her arch back into his arms carefully. He explores her neck and chest, all while she grinds down on him more, “fuck, Spence…”

“Your moans are delicious,” he compliments her in a way no one has before. “You’re so fucking hot.”

“You’re good at this,” she admits. “You should never be worried.”

He laughs against her skin, kissing her all over the way she was doing to him earlier. “I’m so close,” he admits this time. “I, fuck, I want to last longer when we, if we do it, I mean.”

“When,” she corrects. “We definitely will,” she sighs, pushing him back against the couch and taking her shirt off, giving him more room to kiss while she grinds on him.

“Holy sweet Jesus,” he groans, cupping her bra with his hands, making her cleavage more prominent, she just laughs at him, reaching behind herself and unclipping her bra.

“All you had to do was ask to see them,” she teases him as he removes her bra.

The noise he makes is unforgettable, taking both of them in his hands, “can I kiss them?”

She nods, hand on the back of his neck bringing him in closer until he sucks a nipple into his mouth. She plays with his hair, grinding on him as he trades between them, covering her in hickies and saliva as he loses himself in them. He twitches in his pants, she can feel him getting closer, he’s so loud and handsy, it’s incredible.

Before he can warn her, he tosses his head back with a silent moan, mouth found open as he pulls her in closer and bucks his hips up into her. It’s the hottest fucking thing she’s ever witnessed… Spencer Reid just came in his pants under her, because of her, for her.

“Good boy,” she whispers, kissing his cheek and his bottom lip, she brushes his hair back and runs her fingers through it.

“Sorry,” he apologizes as he catches his breath. “I didn’t— I um, mean you didn’t?”

She shakes her head, “that’s okay, it was still fun for me.”

“Can I try to make you cum?” he whispers, finding the confidence to ask after everything they did.

“H-how?” It’s her turn to stutter, overly turned on and shocked to her core.

He carefully lays her flat against the couch, he plays with the button to her pants, “I’ve read a lot of literature about cunnilingus.”

She doesn’t mean to laugh, but the official term makes her giggle, “I’m sure you have… show me what they taught you.”

Raising her hips, he helps her out of her pants and underwear, “sorry…” she apologizes, “if I knew this was happening I would have shaved or something?”

“Shaving didn’t become popular until world war 1 when they ran out of pantyhose,” Spencer explains. “Forcing women to believe they aren’t beautiful with hair is a fucking shame… you’re stunning.”

She believes him, spreading her legs more and letting him look, “you think?”

He groans, “I uh, fuck— I’m going to get hard again just looking at you…”

“Why don’t we move this to the bedroom? Then we can both be naked…” she suggests, wanting to know what he looks like under all those layers now that he’s seen her without any.

“Okay,” he says but he doesn’t move, “let me just,” he moves in and wraps his arms around her legs as he licks a stripe along her pussy, making her quiver. She wasn’t expecting him to be this good just from reading, but that is how he got good at everything else too.

She gets so caught up in the feeling she forgets that they were going to move locations. Instead, gripping his hair and grinding against his face, she pulls him back before he takes it too far, “bedroom.”

He nods, sitting up and letting her up as well, “sorry, I had to taste you.”

She reaches over for her wine and downs the rest, mouth dry from all the breathless moans she was releasing, “come on,” she sets it down and takes his hand again.

He directs her to his room where she slowly starts to strip him from his shirt, then his pants and his messy boxers. “Wow… all that for me?”

He nods, “always you.”

She smirks, “on the bed,” she pushes him back once he’s naked. “Are you still scared you’re not good enough for me?”

He shakes his head, “I think I could do it…”

She gets on the bed, between his legs, “I think you could too.”

“Do you have a condom?” He whispers, “I don’t…”

“This is your very first time, isn’t it?”

He nods again, “yeah…”

“Okay,” she just smiles, climbing back into his lap and taking his cock in her hands, “I’m on the pill, clean, and ready if you are?”

He nods over and over, “please?”

Coating his thickness with her wetness, he moans, watching between them as she strokes his cock before sitting down on it. Slowly filling herself, he’s lost in the feeling with his eyes closed and mouth agape.

Once he’s fully inside her, she starts to bounce, directing his hands to her hips, he snaps back into the moment to see her tits in his face, moving with her. “Shit…”

She giggles, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips, “like that?”

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” he admits, laying back against the pillows more and pulling her flat on top of him. “But this might be better,” he proposes as he bends his knees and drives up into her with a rhythm she never expected him to have.

She can’t help the noises she makes, feeling him deeper inside her than anyone else, she pulls his face into hers and reconnects their lips. Mixing the taste of her and the wine together, it’s the best feeling in the whole fucking world finally getting to make love with Spencer Reid.

When he reaches between them to rub his thumb against her clit, she’s thoroughly impressed, moaning into his mouth, “right there,” she mumbles against him.

“Come on, baby,” he tries out the nickname on her.

It’s everything she’s wanted from him for so long that it pushes her closer to the edge, “Spence, Spence,” she tries to warn him, resting her head on his shoulder as he fucked up into her harder. Sending her over the edge with a gasp, she clenches as she cums and that’s what ruins him.

She feels his hips sputter and still, deep inside her as he releases everything, “fuck, shit, ugh,” Spencer makes the most incoherent noises as he finishes, holding her close as his legs fall down against the bed again and the two of them settle.

Heavy breathing, slight giggles, it’s too much to process in their dopamine overload. “Wow?”

“I was good?” Spencer asks but it doesn’t ruin the moment. It’s not in a cocky way, it wasn’t to make up for not letting her finish or check if it was fake, he genuinely wanted feedback.

“Best I’ve ever had,” she admits with a sigh, cuddling into him more, “you’re still the best person I know… and now you’re also the best lay.”

He laughs, “so if I asked you out again…”

“I’d say yes in a heartbeat.”

Permanent tag list

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#spencer reid #spencer reid smut #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #spencer reid self insert #spencer reid request #criminal minds smut #criminal minds imagine

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shemarmooresfedora · 3 years

Text

Masterlist

Spencer Reid

One-shots/Blurbs

Daisies Mean ‘I’m an Idiot’ (A/F)

Sugary Sweet Apologies (A/F)

A Compliment a Day Keeps the Doctor Okay (F)

Plaid Pants are the Way to a Girl’s Heart (F)

Personal Librarians (F)

It’s Just What We Do for Each Other (F)

Like You Deserve (A/F)

You Don’t Ever Have to Hide From Me (A/F)

Just Your Average Rainy Sunday (F)

It’s a Love Story (F)

Can’t Be Your Secret Anymore (A/F)

Collision Course (F)

Just Can’t Wait (F)

All Clear (S, ‘RF’ stand-alone one-shot)

You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful (S, F)

A Bump in the Road (F)

Spencer the Grouch (A/F)

I Love You Zoo (F)

Thot Shit (S, F)

No ‘Buts’ (A/F)

Proud Parents (F, ‘RF’ stand-alone one-shot)

Traitor (A/F)

Splish Splash (F)

Doctor Daddy (F, ‘RF’ stand-alone one-shot)

Lullaby (S)

Hera (A/F)

Fine Furry Friends (F, ‘RF’ stand-alone one-shot)

Settled Down (F)

Protective of the Princess (F, ‘RF’ stand-alone one-shot)

Me or Her (A/F)

Baby Daddy (F)

Part 2

As It Was (A/F)

Other MGG Character One-Shots

Dory and Rosie’s 500 Follower Co-Celebration

Dory’s 750 Follower Blurb Masterlist

Dory’s 1k Writing Challenge Masterlist

Dory’s Merry Blurbmas

Be My… (completed)

Be My Date (F)

Be My Valentine (F, S)

Be Mine Again (A/F)

Be My Forever (F)

Home (completed)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

AO3 Link

Rebuilding Family (completed)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

AO3 Link

Menagerie (completed)

Chapters 1-2

Chapter 3-25 on AO3

Steve Harrington

One-shots

Bad Excuses & Blue Slushies (A/F)

Detective Daddy (F)

Eddie Munson

One-shots

A Beginner’s Guide to Trying (A/F)

if you ever think i am missing a tw or you have something specific that you would like me to put a warning on, please let me know and i would be more than happy to do that for you!!! 🤍

please see my fic request guidelines before requesting something

#spencer reid x you #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #spencer x reader #reid x reader

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dannywagnerenthusiast · 2 years

Text

Empty Seat Moments Two: The Auditorium Chair DRW x SFK x Reader

Hey everyone! Part two of empty seat moments is here! This one is a little angsty, so let me know how you like it!

A/N: leave a comment if you want me to post Sam's letter to Danny and y/n ;)

“We’ll be right out in the audience, my love. I am so proud of you.” Danny dropped a quick peck to your cheek before adjusting your sleeve and rubbing your arm gently before leaving you alone backstage.

Even though you had your typed-up speech in your hands and had read it over and over throughout the past week, you were still shaking with nerves. You were finally being acknowledged with an award for your hard work at your job, and you were being celebrated as the guest of honor at an elegant gala.

At this point, it had been weeks since you and your boyfriend Danny invited your best friend Sam into your relationship, and things were going almost suspiciously easy.

Sam slotted into your relationship seamlessly, spending nearly all of his time at yours and Danny’s apartment. The ease with which the three of you shared affection made your heart flutter even just thinking about it.

And even just a passing glance about the way Sam slotted into your sex life caused a deep throb between your legs. You find yourself getting lost in recalling the way Danny had spread both you and Sam out on the bed the night before, going down on you torturously slow while fucking Sammy in the spooning position.

“Hello, earth to y/n!”

Embarrassed, you clear your throat and say hello to your work partner, who is also being honored tonight. You two had spent many long nights making this project come together, and you were ecstatic that everyone you loved was coming together to honor your work tonight.

“I’m really proud of us.” You said, bumping your hip against your co-workers as you made your way towards the side stage. You could hear your boss speaking, no doubt giving introduction to the project you were being honored for.

“I’m just glad it’s fucking done, honestly!” Your coworker laughed. “Now I just need to flex on my boyfriend from the stage so he gives it to me good tonight.”

Your mind flicks to Danny and Sam, who would be sitting in the audience, along with your parents and Danny’s. You were really excited for them to see what you had been working on for so long- and your coworker had the right idea too, the afterparty would certainly be fun.

Again, the nerves flare in your stomach. You were confident in your project and your coworker, but the speech left you feeling shaky.

As a surprise to both Sam and Danny tonight, you would be referring to them as your partners in your thanking portion of the night. You would keep it lowkey with your parents and in-laws there, but nonetheless, they would know what you mean. And damn if you weren’t excited.

Suddenly you’re being escorted onto the stage under blindingly bright lights, and the audience is whooping and cheering on their feet. You proudly make eye contact with your coworker and allow the moment to wash over you. For now, the lights are too bright to identify anyone sitting in the audience, so you allow yourself to simply relish the pride for just a minute.

Your coworker is the first one to step up to the podium so you shuffle to the side, smiling on as she describes your shared hard work and dedication. When her personal portion of her speech begins, you begin scanning over the crowd to search for your loved ones.

You spot Lori and Dan, your mom and Dad, and Danny, all smiling at you proudly, beaming. But when Danny catches your eye, he looks apologetic. Then your eyes land on the empty auditorium seat next to Danny.

Sam hadn’t come.

Your smile falters for a fraction of a second right as your coworker is finishing her speech. You adjust your face and graciously hug your friend before stepping up to the podium with your heart in your shoes.

Somehow you’re able to make it through the portion of your speech where you describe the trials and victories of this project, and the crowd is responding to your subtle humor and grace beautifully. They can’t tell that your heart is breaking.

You obviously can’t read the part of the speech that you already had written, so you decide to just speak from the heart to close out the night.

“Finally, I owe a lot of people some very sincere thank-you’s for not letting me go crazy while working on this project.” The crowd chuckles.

“To my parents, who flew all the way here for this night. Thank you for always believing in me and my dreams. I wouldn’t be anywhere without your love and support. I owe this all to you. I love you.” You can see your dad wipe away a tear and your mom blows you a kiss from the crowd.

“To my in-laws Lori and Dan, thank you for being like my second parents and providing me with a home-away-from-home. Thanks for being a listening ear and letting me rant like a crazy person sometimes,” more laughter from the crowd. “You mean more to me than you’ll ever know, I love you.” Dan is looking misty-eyed and clapping hard, and Lori is fully crying, holding on tight to your mother.

“Danny, you’re my everything.”

The look on Danny’s face is hard to read, but his eyes give him away. There are tears brewing on his lashes, threatening to fall, and even from the stage you think that you can see his lip shake.

“I really think I would have lost my mind a long time ago without you. I don’t know how to tell you how much I love you, so I’ll just say thank you for everything. Thank you for being you, thank you for loving me.”

Before you can stop yourself, your eyes dart to the empty seat to his left, so you add to your speech, “thanks for being here, Danny. I love you so much.”

“It really is the honor of a lifetime to accept this award with my coworker, who has been nothing short of a dream to work with. We worked so hard, and now we are going to relax even harder! Thank you all so much.”

With that, you and your coworker walked arm-in-arm off the stage, celebrating the successful speeches and successful night. Still, your mind was on that cursed empty seat beside your boyfriend.

“Baby girl!” Your mom is pulling you into a bone crushing hug the moment you’re off stage, and you allow yourself to be wrapped up in her warmth and comfort. “Hi, ma.” you smile at her.

“I am so proud of you baby!” She finally relinquishes your hug so that she can share you with your dad, who also sweeps you into a big teary hug. “So proud of you, my girl.” As your dad holds you, you can see Dan, Lori, and Danny happily watching the tender moment. You give a little wave as best you can from within the hug, causing the Wagners to smile.

“That was an incredible speech, y/n.” Dan says when your dad finally lets you go. “You were great up there, you should think about replacing Daniel on the next tour!” Laughing, you thank your father-in-law and move to give Lori a big hug, who is still working hard to compose herself.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t stop crying! You’re amazing, sweetie!” Lori says, gushing over you. You laugh and hug her again, thanking her and Dan again for coming. They, along with your parents, decide to go find some circulating champagne to give you a minute with Danny.

“Hi.” he smiles at you from his spot a few paces away.

“Hi, yourself.” You give him a small smile and close the distance between the two of you. You thread your arms around his waist and lean back, letting yourself look into the face of the man you love for a moment.

“That speech, my love… you had me in tears. I am amazed by you, sweetheart.” Finally Danny is pulling you into a sweet kiss.

You hum contentedly, but when you pull away from the kiss, Danny’s eyes are scanning over your face.

“So he didn’t come, huh?” you ask your boyfriend sadly.

“I’m really sorry, baby. I’ve been calling him all afternoon to remind him. I just can’t get a hold of him.” He reaches his thumbs around to stroke softly under your eyes where large droplets of tears are starting to fall.

“I just really wanted him here, Dan.” you whimper pathetically, letting your head fall against Danny’s chest. “I even put the stupid tickets on the fridge with a magnet.” You huff out a sad laugh.

Danny just gently sways you back and forth and hums a bit in thought. “Get a drink?” you ask him, and he nods. Grabbing your hand, you move to find your little group of parents that have taken up residence at one of the standing tables in the reception room.

“Everything ok, honey?” Lori asks you, handing you a flute of champagne.

“I’m ok, just feeling a little overwhelmed.” You sip your drink and lean on Danny as he rubs soothing circles on your hip. She smiles gently at you and continues the conversation at hand.

***

Some hours later, you find yourself holding Danny’s hand on the walk back through the hallway to your apartment door. A little tipsy off the celebratory champagne, your mind was more at ease than it was before the drinks started flowing.

That is, until Danny opens your apartment door.

Instantly, you’re hit with the overwhelming smell of weed. Sitting on the ground in front of the couch is Sam, with his head tossed back onto the cushion, eyes closed and looking blissed out.

You and Danny both stop dead in your tracks in the doorway. Sam is too far gone to even hear his two partners arrive before you’re bolting down the hallway into your bedroom and slamming the door shut.

“Baby, wait!” Danny calls out after you, chasing you down for a few steps before deciding to deal with Sam first before comforting you.

Danny calling out to you finally alerts Sam to your presence, so he’s lazily picking his head up off the couch cushion and smiling lustfully at Danny.

“There you are, been thinkin’ ‘bout you all day” Sam giggles, making grabby hands towards Danny as he very clumsily stands up.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Sam?! We’ve been calling you all afternoon!” Danny’s voice is a harsh whisper. He’s up in Sam’s face now, grabbing at the collar of Sam’s shirt to bring him close enough so that you wouldn’t have to hear him yelling.

“Turned my phone off Dan, was waiting for you and y/n to get home…?” Sam trailed off, seeming confused but not at all clarified to the situation at hand. “What are you…” Danny is shoving Sam away from his space with a disgusted scoff, leaving Sam with a bewildered look on his face.

Louder now, voice approaching a shout, Danny gestures wildly at the lone ticket that is still stuck by a magnet onto the fridge. “Did you forget?!”

In an instant, Sam seems to sober up. His eyes are wide and when he looks down he realizes that his hands are shaking wildly.

From your place under the covers, you can hear Danny, enraged, yelling at Sammy, asking him if he forgot the most important day of your career. Once again you can’t stop the tears from falling, and this time you decide not to fight them. Instead, you tuck your head under Danny’s pillow and will yourself to fall asleep.

Back in the kitchen, tears have begun flowing from Sammy’s eyes, too. Danny scoffs at him again and turns on his heel towards the bedroom to go comfort his girlfriend. Suddenly, Sam grabs at Danny’s wrist gently.

“Wait Danny, please. I didn’t handle this right, but I didn’t forget, please follow me, Dan. Please, I’m…just please follow me.”

Danny takes pity on his best friend turned lover and lets Sam lead him around the corner from the kitchen into the formal dining room of the apartment, which rarely gets used.

When Danny saw what was spread out before him, he let out a barely audible gasp.

He turned to Sam with his eyebrows raised, and instantly Sammy was melting into Danny’s embrace. Sam was a puddle, crying and heaving into Danny's button down, fists clenching the fabric.

With a gentle kiss to the crown of Sam’s hairline, Danny asks Sam, “what happened, baby? Talk to me.”

Lifting his head off Danny’s chest, Sam’s pitiful teary eyes search Danny’s before he begins explaining himself.

“When I saw the tickets on the fridge, I assumed it was, uh, it was a...couple’s thing. So I thought that you two would go to the event and I would stay here. But I needed y/n to know how proud I am of her, so I set all this up so that the three of us could celebrate when you guys got home.” Danny’s heart was breaking listening to Sam’s voice crack as he stumbled over his words.

Sammy cleared his throat and went on, “I even wrote everything out in a card, Danny.” He points to a sealed envelope on the dining table next to a vase of white roses. “ I wrote down everything I was feeling about her. About you. Everything I am feeling. And you know how bad I am with words, Dan.” He emphasizes that point with a gentle swat to Danny’s chest.

That earns a gentle chuckle from the taller man, who is so proud of his best friend. The two boys take a moment to just hold each other and admire the work that Sam had put into the usually neglected dining room.

Soft twinkling white lights bordered the perimeter of the ceiling, casting the entire room in a pale glow. An enormous glass vase at the center was filled with fresh white roses. Three empty wine glasses and a bottle of red wine sat to one side. A large platter of cheese, crackers, and various other treats sat to the other side. A beautiful cake with “congratulations, y/n!” written on it sat front and center, alongside a large envelope with your name on it, scrawled in Sammy’s script.

Taking a deep breath, Danny gave a playful smack to Sam’s ass before turning him around by the shoulders, pointing him toward the bedroom. “You’d better go get our girl and show this to her before she accuses me of conspiring with the enemy.”

For a quick second, visible nerves flash across Sam’s face. With a reassuring smile and nod from Danny, Sam makes his way to you.

****

You’re starting to get very frustrated at your inability to fall asleep. The multiple glasses of champagne should have helped you greatly, but your mind is fighting it hard.

You had heard Danny raise his voice at Sam once, asking him if he’d forgotten about tonight, but you hadn’t been able to hear anything since. Just as you’re about to get up and make sure that the two haven’t killed each other, you hear the hinges to your bedroom door open.

You can’t see who it is through the dark, but you venture a guess anyway. “Danny?”

“It’s me,” Sam says quietly, standing in the open doorway.

“Oh,” you allow yourself to sink back into the blankets you were tucked into, waiting for him to approach you.

“Can I come in?” Sam asks. To you his voice sounds shaky, scared almost. You’d feel bad if you weren’t the one heartbroken here.

“Okay,” you resign with a sigh. You sit up a little higher against the headboard and wrap yourself snugly in the cocoon of warmth you had created. You were being cold, but you weren’t going to shut him out completely. You’d hear what he has to say, and then decide.

Sam approaches your bed and looks a little hesitant before deciding to also sit at the head of the bed next to you. You look at him expectantly while he looks at you apologetically.

At the very same time you say “You didn’t come.” He says, “I didn’t know you wanted me to come.”

You roll your eyes and shirk down a little lower into the bed. “It’s not like I had yours and Dan’s tickets on the fridge for the past two weeks” you mumble.

Sam stays silent for a minute, but from the corner of your eye you swear you can see a sad smile on his face. Suddenly you jump as he barks out a harsh chuckle. You look up, so confused, to see your best friend in your bed, doubled over in laughter with tears streaming down his face.

You can’t help from chuckling along with his monstrous laugh, and eventually you’re able to force out a, “Sammy, what?!”

“I thought those were Danny’s and your tickets.”

Dead silence fills the room before the two of you are uproariously laughing. You find yourself tucked into his embrace as the two of you can’t control yourselves, stomachs and cheeks aching. “I didn’t need a ticket, babe, I was the big event!” You laugh.

This, however, stops Sam’s laughter in his tracks. He looks down at you in his arms.

“I really am sorry, baby. I know this was such an important night for you. I truly thought this was like a… couples only thing.”

At this, your heart shatters more than you thought it already had.

“Sammy, that’s why I wanted you there.”

Sam’s breath hitches in his throat, and fresh tears are pricking at his eyes. He frantically pulls you in for a stifling kiss, pouring out all his feelings of love, commitment, passion, longing; everything you could put into a kiss is there. “Come with me, baby. Need to show you something.” He rasps as he breaks the kiss, leaving the two of you gasping for air.

As Sam drags you from your bed, down the hall and towards the dining room, you see Danny’s shadow sitting at the couch. He’s obviously listening, so he knows what’s going on. When Sam turns the corner, you’re presented with the transformed dining room and all the work that Sam put into it.

Before you can even thank Sam for how stunningly decorated the room looks, he’s shoving an envelope into your hands. “Danny! Come here!” He’s shouting, and sitting you down into one of the plush dining seats.

When Danny rounds the corner, he’s wearing a smile at the sight of his two loves having made up. Nobody has said that word between the three of you yet, but Danny has a feeling that the envelope in y/n’s hand is about to change all that. Sam places a swift kiss on your mouth, then one on Danny’s as he shoves Danny’s shoulders to get him into a chair as well.

“You guys know I’m not the best with feelings, but I hope this gets the message across. I, uhm, I really love you two.”

Tears shine in all three of your eyes as you look between Sam and Danny, frantically tearing the envelope open…

#greta van fleet #greta van fleet imagine #greta van fleet fanfic #gvf fic #gvf #gvf imagine #sam kiszka #sam kiszka imagine #danny wagner #danny wagner imagine #danny wagner x reader #sam kiszka x reader #sam kiszka x danny wagner #sam kiszka x danny wagner x reader #empty seat moments

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artxyra · 3 years

Text

Damian Acting Like A Teenager? Impossible.

When Damian entered the halls of Gotham Academy, the first thing he notices was the change in the dark atmosphere. It felt oddly kinder and more lighthearted. Everywhere he turns, there are whispers focus around the new girl. At first, he didn’t care about the gossip, well, that was until he met her.

It was an unusual encounter, something that he would look down on.

It was the passing period, and she was running down the halls in a hurry as he was walking to his next class, one that he didn’t particularly care for; they bump into each other, causing a standstill in the halls. Everyone wondered how the dark prince would react to their newly dubbed princess of sunshine. They expected a yelling match, which, of course, occurred, but what they didn’t expect was an eventual best of the worst of alliance ever made.

Several months passed since the two had met and several weeks since the blooming of Damian and Marinette’s friendship, and not a single student could say that there weren’t surprised.

The moment Marinette had broken down any (and all) walls that the boy had placed, she was able to make the stoic teen become his age. It started small with a joke here and there; then it progressed into card games followed by video games. To this day, Damian swears that he’ll beat her at a shooting game at one point, to which Marinette would respond with a laugh and an over-the-shoulder wink. The young Wayne swears that he has never blush a day in his life, but the photographic proof on Marinette’s phone says otherwise.

The school soon became accustomed to being Daminette’s playground. At first, the teachers were opposed to the idea, but after seeing how slightly more open Damian has become, they slowly agreed to the concept of allowing the duo to have less strict rules. That and they didn't want to be sued by the Wayne family.

Which now brings us to this moment: Marinette swings on a swing set while Damian practices his form with a katana; don’t ask how he managed to get it past security-- cause there is no answer.

“You know, maybe we should do something wild?” Marinette thinks aloud, looking up to the sky with a mischief smirk on her lips.

Damian doesn’t turn to her; he only sets the blade down to his side. “What mayhem do you have in mind?”

Marinette giggles uncontrollably.

Let’s assume that whatever Marinette had in mind would rule the yearbooks for years to come.

~☾★☽~

Since his partnership with Marinette, Damian has been hiding his characteristic change at home. Surprisingly, it was simple. A few death threats here and there, maybe sneaking out moments every so often. No one at the Wayne cared enough to pay any attention to it. It only then became a shock when Damian left for school along the lines of being late. Alfred had offered to take him to school to which Damian declined and got onto his “normal” motorcycle and speeds off.

“Does anyone else seem to think that Damian is acting strange?” Dick asks, pipping his head down from the ceiling. He’s on the chandelier again. Poor Alfred, maybe Dick should dust the chandelier for him as an apology.

Tim walks in with a large, filled to the brim, coffee mug in hand, “Which one?” He absently wonders, taking a long sip. The dark circles and bags around his eyes explain it all.

“I do concur with Master Richard; the young master has been acting somewhat strange for quite some time now.” Alfred appears out of nowhere, thus starting an array of concerns.

It wasn’t long before Jason came in shouting demands with the head of the household trailing behind him. Alfred reprimands Jason for the yelling as he hands Bruce a cup of coffee.

Not caring enough about the conversation and looking like a madman, Jason shouts, “Look, I can’t explain it, but we’re going to need Demon Spawn for something huge.”

“Uh, why would we need Baby Bird?” Dick asks, dropping onto the floor and twisting his body. “Not that I don’t mind getting Damian involved.”

“Look, there’s no time to explain,” Jason facepalms and begins to push everyone towards the door despite the lack of proper wear they have on.

After several protests and one change of clothes, the Wayne household now stands in front of the gates of Gotham Academy.

“Is it me, or does this place look less you know Gotham-y and full of life?” Tim ponders, narrowing his eyes, as he takes a long sip from a to-go coffee cup with Red Robin’s emblem.

“No, no, Timmy, I see it too.” Dick whispers as Jason struts past the gates and onto the school’s property like a man on a mission.

Bruce sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, “Come on, let’s go get your brother so Jason can stop being Jason.”

Tim shrugs before passing the gates himself, with Dick following him.

Upon entering the school, they could immediately see that it was either a passing period or free time from the number of students in the halls. Some student dared to pull out their phones while other whispers amongst themselves.

Bruce makes his way to the attendance office, where the attendance assistant, Joyce, resides sitting at the desk.

“Hello Joyce, I’m here to pick up Damian. He has a, uh, dentist appointment this evening.” Bruce speaks, hoping that she wouldn’t catch the lie.

“Well Mr. Wayne, Damian is, uh…” After lingering in her thoughts, Joyce turns to someone besides her. “Do you know where Damian Wayne would be at today?”

“Try the art room.” A feminine voice answers, followed by a series of typing noises.

Joyce turns back to the Wayne family and smiles, “He should be in the art room; it’s down the hall to your right, you should not miss it, as it’s in the only hallway that has a series of artwork posted on the walls. Before you go, please sign here."

Joyce hands Bruce a sign-out sheet, to which the man signs and ushers his wards to search for his youngest.

“They’re so screwed.” The same feminine voice speaks, causing Joyce to break out laughing.

It took a total of four different locations for the men to find the youngest Wayne.

First, they went to the art room like Joyce’s co-worker told them to do.

When they got there, Damian wasn't there, but the teacher did show Bruce a couple of Damian's artworks. Bruce couldn't help but feel proud.

While looking around the room, one of the art students told them they last saw Damian playing Pokémon Go near the gym; he was trying to catch a legendary Pokémon that spawned there.

So, of course, after an awkward eye contact with one another, they walk to the gym. Once again, Damian wasn’t there but a different student in his stead. He tells them that Damian was making ice sculptures out of ice cream at the cafeteria. The student then goes on to explain that Damian had some wicked skills with a knife.

Jason, with wide eyes, practically shouted at the student that he was crazy and that Damian would never, and he means NEVER would do something that stupid. The student shrugs it off like it was an everyday occurrence. It was Dick that had to hold Jason back from thrashing the teen. Bruce then apologizes to the instructor for their disturbance, as Tim walks casually behind Dick carrying Jason.

By the time they got to the cafeteria, it was damn near empty aside from a few students still eating. There were no signs of ice cream or the tools that would go into making an ice sculpture. Tim had to ask a few students to see if Damian was in here at some point in time. One of the workers overheard the question and answered him. Evidently, Damian was there earlier making sculptures out of ice cream before handing it out to students.

When they asked the question that has been slowly driving the four insane, the worker replies with: “Upstairs racing on these old colorful scooter board down the halls."

After three locations and no Damian, Tim wanted nothing more but to have a mental breakdown, and he would have if it wasn’t for Bruce holding him up and taking his coffee away.

So, they quickly found themselves on the second level of the school. There was no sight of Damian Wayne, though there were wheel tracks smudged into the flooring.

“Are you kidding me?” Jason shouts out into the ceiling. Thankfully, there were no students in the halls to hear it. Well, that might have been the case if it wasn’t for a teacher to open their door and shh the male. It took every bone in Jason's body not to show the teacher his middle finger.

After a beat of silence and walking down the hall, they overhear a familiar voice.

“Angel, you are desperately in the wrong here. The bear only wears one color, so it has to the color red.” Jason stops dead in his tracks and turns to railings.

The voice was too good to be true.

Looking over the staircase, they find an alcove, and sitting in it is none other than Damian Wayne himself, but he’s not alone.

“I’m telling you, Wayne. Pooh’s favorite color is yellow.” The female answers before taping her fingers as she makes her points, “He loves honey, which is by default a yellow color. He's never seen with a yellow background, and if yellow didn't clash with his fur, he would definitely be wearing it.”

“I disagree. Winnie the Pooh has been drawn on numerous of occasions with red items, not yellow. Case in point, the red balloon, his shirt." He counters. The conversation continues with banters and statements; whether it was true or false is up to debate.

This was not happening.

Tim.exe has stopped working.

Jason.exe has stopped working.

Jaws dropped, a low groaning sound.

They cannot be witnessing this. The most deadliest of the Wayne’s is currently arguing about Winnie, the motherfucking, Pooh’s favorite color.

Bruce has no words. He's practically in the same stance as his middle children. Dick, on the other hand, pulls out his phone and begins to record what remains of the conversation.

No one dares to move or utter out words. This version of Damian is the apocalypse. Nothing in the world is okay.

Slowly, the four Waynes exit the school; no one saw them leave.

Legend has it that Damian never went home that day despite being excused from his classes. When he had returned home, his family didn't utter a word to him. He was meet with either a profusely blinking, unwanted hug or laughter, as they were still in shock at what they just encountered. It wasn’t until a couple of months later that all hell breaks loose. Damian had introduced the family to Marinette.

----

A retouch version of Request #2

#maribat #mlb x dc #ml x dc #artxyra one-shots #daminette

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samuel-de-champagne-problems · 3 years

Text

Band-Aids Don’t Fix Bullet Holes, But Your Kisses Do

summary: in a standoff with an unsub, reader makes a choice: her life or spencer’s.

pairing: spencer reid x fem!reader

category: angst/fluff at the end

warnings/includes: canon typical case violence, based off of episode “haunted” so spoilers, guns/gun violence, hospitals, kissing, mentions of hotch’s stabbing

word count: 3437

author’s note: i wrote this one a while ago and thought i’d share it. if anyone wants to be tagged, i’m going to figure it out and i’ll add you to a tag list!!

Band-Aids Don’t Fix Bullet Holes, But Your Kisses Do

The two agents that sat on swivel chairs facing each other fake arguing about an episode of Dr. Who. Spencer had his legs straight out, resting on Y/N’s lap comfortably. She leaned forward and placed her chin on her hand as she explained to Spencer her thoughts on the episode.

“Spencer, you cannot tell me that you don't think David Tennant is hot! I watched the episode with you and I can tell you are-"

“I’m not going to argue against that, Y/N. David Tennant is,” Spencer started as he fiddled with the lollipop that Garcia handed him when he and Y/N walked into the bullpen.

“Is what, Spence?” A teasing look graced her face as Spencer’s blush grew down his exposed neck and collarbone.

“He’s hot, okay Y/N is that what you want me to say!” Spencer’s voice rose a couple octaves from his admission over his not-so-subtle-crush on The Doctor.

“That’s exactly what I wanted you to say, Spencer. Least I know we have the same type” She said with a wink.

“You got a type, Y/N?” Derek called from the doorway of the conference room.

“Yeah, hot doctors with brown hair” Emily said without missing a beat. She had walked in behind Derek, the pair of them discussing her annual Sin-to-Win Weekend in Atlantic City.

“But they, you know, have to be like Time Lords, or whatever” She said in efforts to cover up her growing discomfort.

She turned her attention back to Reid, who was in the process of trying to remove his leg from her warm lap. He did not want to give Derek anymore ammunition to make sly jokes at his not-so-subtle-crush on his best friend/co-worker. Secretly, he wanted to keep his leg there, against her soft thigh and maybe she’d drop her hands on his leg in a comforting gesture of….friendship.

Garcia placed a tin decorated with white and orange cats dressed in bonnets on the table just within reach of Hotch’s usual spot near the monitor. Reid reached forward to open the tin, which he deduced was filled with Penelope’s infamous snickerdoodle cookies. Unfortunately, before the genius profiler could reach the gaudy tin, Penelope swatted his hand away from grasping the cookies.

“Hey! Those are for Hotch” Penelope shouted as she grabbed the tin and moved them closer to Hotch’s chair.

“What? You know I love cookies, Garcia. Come on, Hotch hates attention”

“I just made some cookies, it’s not like I made him a cake.” Penelope argued as Derek and Emily both quietly eyed the cookies.

“Spence, we’ll make cookies tonight. It looks like it’s just a paperwork day” Y/N said with a slight smile, that, in turn, elicited a big grin from an unsuspecting Spencer.

“Anyway,” Derek started as he chose to ignore the interaction that unfolded before him “we all know he’s going to act like nothing happened” he remarked as he fingered through the dozen case files spread out before him on the table.

“Doesn’t mean we have to,” Penelope said sadly as she looked down at the cat cookie tin.

“Maybe we should,” Reid said quietly to his co-workers.

“But, I’m not built like that!” said Penelope.

“Hotch is though, Penny,” Y/N noted as she snuck a cookie while Penelope’s back was turned. She broke it in half and handed it to Spencer under the table. He winked at her as she shushed him.

“Yeah, Y/N,” Spencer said with a mouthful of cookie, “Hotch never blinks” he finished with a large swig of lukewarm, sugared coffee.

“Classic Alpha Male” Spencer said, looking towards Derek.

“Do you think he stared down Foyet...you know while it happened?” Emily questioned. She was usually the one who could stomach all these, but when it came to the team, she was as nervous as the lot of them.

“It’s probably what saved his life,” Derek said somberly.

“He can’t be okay,” Penelope said with a whisper.

“I wouldn’t be,” Spencer said with an air of uncertainty, “I’m a blinker”

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There was an uncomfortable silence during the ride to Louisville. Hotch was more sullen than usual, but, thankfully, Garcia broke the tension with her reports via computer screen.

“Our point in Louisville is Lieutenant Kevin Mitchell, my contacts don’t report any more attacks related to this unsub” JJ relayed. She sat next to Derek, who was across from Hotch and Rossi. Emily sat criss cross on the table across from the foursome. On the small jet couch, Spencer and Y/N played a game of chess as they listened to the initial reports JJ received from the local PD.

“Call’s proving hard to track. He never had a driver’s license, so he’s probably still on foot,” Spencer mumbled without removing his eyes from the chessboard.

“Or public transportation,” Y/N added as she cringed when Spencer announced “check”.

“Well, he’s not going to get anywhere too far with his face all over the news,” Emily continued.

“So, what do we think the stressor is,” Rossi nodded.

“He just lost his job. Worked in a factory since 1990. He made appliances forever. Not a single promotion” Garcia’s voice came across a little staticky.

“That’s a long time to be bitter,” Derek posed.

“Or he just doesn’t care,” Reid countered.

“According, to what you sent over Garcia, he kind of seems like a hermit. Far as I can tell he’s got no one. No wife, no children, no parents.” Y/N added with a sad tone in her voice.

With a sharp tone, Hotch added “then why didn’t he kill himself?”

“He’s not finished killing yet,” Reid continued the thought, “check mate!”

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It was at times like these that it seemed like the case drags on forever. Call had kidnapped a little boy, who, Spencer had figured out was Call’s biological son. The local PD was getting them nowhere. Those overly macho cops seemed to be having a difficult time taking orders from JJ. Y/N watched as she marched over to Mitchell and demanded that he give a press conference.

Y/N chuckled quietly to herself as she watched the interaction. JJ was a force to be reckoned with, especially when the life of an innocent child was at stake. That cop had no idea who he was challenging.

“Hey, Y/N,” Spencer called from his spot in front of the whiteboard. It was decorated with a combination of their messy, rushed handwriting. Spencer grasped his blue marker and looked at Y/N with a painful expression.

“I’m not getting anywhere with this geographical profile,” Spencer’s somber tone flooded Y/N’s emotions with an overwhelming sense to comfort him.

“Spencer, put the marker down and look at me, please, for a second.” He obliged as he turned to face her.

Y/N reached up on her tiptoes to gently rub her hands along the base of Spencer’s neck. He could feel the tension melt away. Spencer was not one for physical affection, but he realized that he, in fact, craved the soft touches of people he trusted. Whether it was a brotherly pat on the back from Morgan, a playful high five from Garcia, a proud fist bump from Hotch, Spencer had grown to seek out affection.

“Y/N,” he said. His voice but a whisper in the loud, hectic bullpen.

“Shh,” She could sooth his worries just with a graze of her hands across his neck. It was magic to a scientist. Her magical presence set him on fire.

“Hey, we can do this, Spence, all of us, but we need you,” Y/N voice mirrored his own. A hushed whisper that fueled the flames of his love.

Instead of kissing her forehead or even hugging her, all Spencer could make out was a small thank you, before, like the wind, she was gone to see if Garica had any updates on the missing boy.

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In a frantic hour, Garcia had discovered a possible location of Tommy and his father, Darrin. Like most the unsubs, they were children of tragedy. Children of abusive homes and of deep rooted violence. It was up to the team, as they raced down the street in their crowded SUVs, to stop the cycle of violence for claiming another innocent child.

“Hotch, you are on speaker,” Emily called from the passenger seat of the car as Derek sped down the warehouse where they suspected Tommy to be held.

“Do not go in there without SWAT, do you all here me?” Hotch said sternly.

“That means you, Derek, don’t go in there till backup gets there,” JJ added from the phone that Emily held.

“You got it, boss man,” Derek made a sharp turn that led Y/N to nearly fall into Spencer, who sat next to her.

“Spencer! Where is your vest!?” Y/N asked him impatiently, with a tinge of nervousness and fear laced in her tone.

“Y/N, Call doesn’t have a gun, he’s been using weapons of opportunity. The profile points to him not even being armed right now. If anything-”

“Screw the profile, Spencer!” Y/N’s voice was hysterical now. “You need to where a damn vest, you are an FBI agent, if you get-”

Y/N’s rant to Spencer was stopped short by the disturbing sight before her. From the SUV the four of them could see an even more distraught Call standing out in the middle of the warehouse parking lot. He held Tommy by the neck, with a gun pointed at his temple. Derek stopped the car and jumped out, his gun wielded as he began to try to talk the man down.

“Call, drop the weapon and release Tommy, right now!” Derek’s voice loomed large and powerful as Emily, Reid, and Y/N each got out of the vehicle and turned their spots with Morgan.

“You don’t want to hurt Tommy,” Spencer started. “we know who he is to you, we know that he’s your son, and that you weren’t there for him.” He put his gun away in an attempt to show Call that he was not a threat. Y/N could read the desperation in Spencer’s voice from a mile away. Call, like Spencer’s mom lives with schizophrenia. Spencer and Hotch nearly had it out in the middle of the bullpen after Spencer insinuated that Hotch was implying that Call was only going on this murder spree because of his condition.

“Just let the boy go, Call.” Y/N continued the track that Derek and Spencer started. “Just let your son go. We will make sure that you can get medicine, that’s why you went to the pharmacy, right? You need meds to help yourself and then,-”

Out of the corner of her eye, Y/N could see Spencer inching closer and closer to Tommy. As if it was a chain reaction, Call drew his weapon and fired towards Spencer. Before she even could realize the consequences of her actions, Y/N tackled Spencer to the ground. The bullet lodged itself into the Kevlar vest she wore. Her side burned as she came to understand what had transpired in the last couple of seconds.

Spencer scrambled onto his knees and clutched Y/N’s cold hands in his.

“Spence, I’m okay,” Y/N said as she struggled to sit up straight with Spencer practically laying on top of her.

“No, Y/N! Don’t do that,” Spencer started with tears flooding the corners of his eyes. The little droplets made his sometimes brown and sometimes green eyes sparkle with sadness.

Spencer moved his hands from the place where the bullet lodged itself in her Kevlar to grasp her face tenderly. But his movement caused her cheek to be painted with a deep red handprint in the shape of the crying man crouching before her hand.

“Spencer,” she let out a small whimper when she saw the look of horror on his face. Before he could even ask her why she did what she did, Y/N passed out, her limp, cold hand finding its home in the comfort of soft, warm ones.

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The rest of the case passed in a numbing hum for Spencer. Once Y/N got shot by Call he let go of Tommy and Derek shot him the leg. Spencer did not even stay for when Emily and Derek apprehended the unsub. It was like his legs acted of their own accord when the EMT showed up for Y/N and he walked with them never letting go of her hand.

The ride to the hospital in the back of the ambulance was hectic. The EMTs had to monitor her heart rate, her blood pressure, and her oxygen. Even the temptation of numbers could not capture Spencer’s attention as he mulled over the possible conclusions to why Y/N would take a bullet for him. There was no logical reason for it. Not one. Spencer let the steady rocking of the ambulance to soothe him as he gently rubbed his thumb over Y/N’s hand. Even though he longed to hold her against himself, this would have to do, for now at least. Till then, Spencer forced his mind to focus on the pattern that her beating heart created.

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Hospitals terrified Spencer. The smell, the sick people, the people who were unsavable. Part of him wonders what his life would be like if he became a medical doctor. As a kid, he had a future where he could do anything he could dream of. Cure schizophrenia on Monday, operate on an inoperable tumor on Tuesday- that’s what his life could have been like.

But sitting there, in the sterile hospital with the white walls and constant beeping, Spencer’s mind was only thinking of another life he could be out living. In the minutes that he sat with Y/N as she lay in pain in his arm, false memories of a life together painted in his mind. Laughing children, family picnics, couple’s Halloween costumes. He stroked her hair and saw a life so familiar that he could almost taste it. He tasted cookies that they baked together as they danced without a care in the world. He tasted Halloween and Forth of July and all the holidays in between. He tasted butterfly kisses with his children that had her hair and her eyes and her smile.

He was stripped away from those memories that he didn’t even own. Now all he could taste was the bitterness of regret, the sourness of what if, and the tartness of the nightmares masquerading as reality.

“Family of Y/L/N,” a surgeon dressed in light blue scrubs walked into the waiting area with an unreadable expression on her face.

JJ and Derek stood up immediately as the doctor went to continue to deliver the news.

“She’s awake and doing okay,” the doctor said with a relieved expression.

“Oh that goodness,” JJ said as she hugged Emily in a moment of happiness.

“She’s a fighter,” Derek quipped, “I’m going to call Garcia, she’s probably a nervous wreck”

“She’ll make a full recovery, but should avoid air travel because her internal bleeding,” the doctor reported, “also, which one of you is Spencer? Even since she’d been lucid, she’s been asking for you,” she said looking around at the remaining group, with her eyes landing on the man in question.

“She is?” Spencer questioned carefully. He was worried that maybe she regretted jumping in front of him.

“Yes, why don’t you come with me. It may make her more comfortable having someone she wants with her”

Y/N wants him.

Him.

Spencer was not sure how he even walked himself down the corridor to where Y/N’s room was located. But sure enough, he was met with her ashen face beaming up at his.

“Y/N! Oh my goodness, are you okay, I mean, obviously you’re injured so you’re not okay. I don’t mean to invalidate your pain, I just...why, Y/N, why on Earth would you do that?” Spencer finished. His voice was more tender towards the end. He looked down at his friend before him and tried to read the expression that graced her face.

“Spencer, I did what I had to do. You….you would have died,” Spencer noticed the tears that puddled in her eyes and had to suppress the sudden urge to kiss them away.

“I’d rather die than live my life in a world without you, Spencer.”

Spencer closed his eyes and sat down on the bed with her.

“Why?” he asked in a voice that was hardly audible. It can’t be, he thought. Maybe this is just something that a teammate does for another teammate. Comrades in arms or something like that, he thought. Trying to make sense of senselessness.

“Why do you value my life more than yours? Why-how can you do that” there was not stopping tears in his eyes now. She reached out and held his face, like he held her as she bled out in the warehouse only a couple of hours ago.

“Spence, my life would be dull and gray without you in it. You’re my best-” She stared as he tensed up at what he knew was coming. She only jumped in front of him because it’s what a teammate does.

“Please, I can't bear to hear that. I-maybe you only can think of me as a teammate or worse a brother, but part of me. A hopeful and romantic part of me that I can't let go of the thought of you thinking about in a different way,” he was so embarrassed, so raw in the moment that he could not bear to even look her in the eyes.

“Spencer?” he could only watch the way that their fingers laced together. He focused on the patterns between the itchy hospital blanket.

“Y/N,” he started and took a deep breath. Spencer had never intended to tell her this. Maybe in moments of drunken bravery he thought about it, but he’d always sober up before his dreams could come to fruition.

“I’m a logical man, I solve problems for a living but sometimes. Sometimes, I can’t use logic to solve some problems, and there’s no logical reason for you to jump in front of a bullet for me. Unless you love me? And I hope with every fiber of being that you do, because I am so desperately in love with you”

Spencer allowed himself, for the first in his life, to have once of hope and faith.

Y/N’s eyes met Spencer’s in an uncharacteristically shy moment.

“I do, Spence. Of course I love you”

Spencer let out a nervous laugh as he, once again, gently placed his hands on her jaw. He placed a kiss on her forehead. The small, tender affection elicited a whimper from Y/N. Spencer jumped back in horror.

“Oh, honey did I hurt you? You gotta tell me where it hurts” he murmured in a comforting voice.

“Hmm, no I’ve just been waiting five years for you to kiss me and you settle on my forehead?” Y/N beamed up at him expectantly.

“Nowhere do you want me to kiss you, my dear?” Spencer questioned playfully.

“How about in between everywhere and anywhere you want, Doctor Reid,” Y/N, despite the pain, managed a smile for the man that held her hand so lovingly.

“How about here?” Spencer leaned forward and kissed the left corner of her mouth.

“Or here?” The right corner.

“What about here, I’ve dreamed of kissing you here.” He moved his mouth to meet the place on her neck that met her collarbone. Y/N looked up at Spencer dreamily. One day she might chalk it up to the painkillers flooding through her system, but the pure adoration that melted from Spencer’s lips to her skin was something that never knew she’d crave.

“And here”

His lips parted slightly as he moved in to meet hers. The feeling was more divine and earth shattering than when Prometheus gave humans fire. Together, intertwined in bedsheets, IVs, and fingers laced with hair, they lit a fire of their own. Kissing Spencer stopped time.

It was Y/N who broke first.

“Spencer,” she said with a new reverence that would only be reserved for him.

“Yes, sweet girl?”

“You gotta promise me something,” she said as she raked her hands across his arms, feeling him shudder under her touch.

“Anything and everything for you” he said, mirroring her earlier words to him.

“Wear a vest next time”

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fic #spencer reid x reader angst #spencer reid x reader happy endings #dr spencer reid #spencer reid x fem!reader #dr spencer reid imagine #criminal minds fanfic #spencer reid fic #spencer reid fluff

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creativeashproductions · 3 years

Text

Back to the 118 // Evan Buckley

IN WHICH: Buck meets the firefighter he replaced as the reader transfers back to the 118. The reader never expected to fall for a co-worker the first day back at the 118 after two years spent at the 155 in Los Feliz.

Warnings: Swearing, sickness, hospitals, health issues, pregnancy, angst and a shit ton of fluff

Words: 5.9k

A/N: So this is obviously a modern au for jatp to fit in the 911 universe. To make this work, Buck replaced Reader instead of Tommy after many failed probies. Eddie then later replaced Tommy.

TO BE TAGGED SEND AN INBOX/ASK PLEASE!

Masterlist

Your e/c eyes scanned the outward appearance of the first firehouse you’d worked at fresh out of the Academy. The place that had become a second home from the increased tension-filled house your parents still lived in. A place you had escaped as quickly as you could for a dream career. A career your parents hadn’t been proud of in the beginning, with the danger that came with being a firefighter paramedic.

“You the new recruit?”

Your eyes fell from the building to the male individual standing near the open bay the engine and ladder truck both used. The male in question must have joined the 118 after you transferred to the 155. The stranger towered at least six feet minimum with blue eyes and short blonde hair with the slightest wave.

“No-”

“Flint!” The excited voice of the only other female paramedic called out. You only saw dark navy before you were pretty much tackled.

Hen and Chimney had equally taken you under their wings when you initially joined as a rookie. You’d been the second female firefighter-paramedic at the 118 and the youngest by far. As if you’d summoned him, you felt the arms of Chimney sandwich you against Hen.

“Flint?” The stranger parroted, blinking his eyes at the rather unusual scene of Chimney and Hen wrapped around an unknown girl.

“What are you doing here?” Chimney questioned, stepping back. Hen scoured your entire form for any differences that had occurred.

“Y/N decided to come home,” Bobby spoke from a few feet behind the reunion with the beaming smile on his features. His lips pulled into a smile directed at the first recruit he’d taken on his first year at the 118.

“Bobby!” You grinned, meeting the father figure in the middle of the distance between you two. Bobby wrapped you up in his arms tightly, a certain lightness cocooning the Captain as he took in his friends.

“You’re back here?”

“Everything is squared back at home now, thankfully, and while I loved working with the 155, it wasn’t home. This will always be home.”

“Buck, this is Y/N Patterson. She worked her first two years with the 118 before transferring to the 155 in Los Feliz. Y/N, this is one of our newest members, Evan Buckley.” Bobby gestured towards the previously nameless firefighter.

“Who would leave the 118?” Buck questioned, unable to come up with a valid reason to leave the family at 118.

Buck’s opinion didn’t stand with his only workplace after successfully becoming a firefighter solely was the 118. Never had he worked in another firehouse. He’d been a fire marshall and volunteered his time in the Austin wildfire, but he always came home to the 118.

“Family issues.”

2018, Firehouse 118, Los Angeles

A fresh-faced, albeit dirty from sweat and soot, jumped down from the engine truck’s high steps. The synchronized slam of doors sounded from your colleagues and friends Hen and Chimney. All three individuals famished for the casserole Bobby had premade during the slow morning.

“Baked Mac n’ Cheese.” Tommy breathed from his position by the driver side. Tommy Kinard was a stoic man towering over six feet. He was always a gentle giant after you’d bonded after a hard call.

“Clean up, and I’ll have it in the oven. It’s Chimney’s time to make the salad and Flint’s turn to set the table.” Bobby spoke with barely a glance to the ground ahead of him.

Your Captain jogged towards the stairs, whereas his team made their way to the locker rooms for a well-deserved shower. You and Hen split away from Tommy and Chimney to the women’s locker room that had gotten an upgrade.

Well, before you joined the Academy, the locker room had been used as a glorified game room, all thanks to the misogynist Captain from hell. Hen often had over the years mentioned how lucky you got with Bobby being your first Captain.

“Chimney better not put those onions like he did last time.” You spoke from under the stream of warm water. Nothing beat the warmth of a shower near the end of your shift erasing the evidence of your job.

“Man needs to learn the complimentary salad to the main dish.” Hen piped up from across the shower room.

You and Hen had both showered and redressed in a fresh uniform in under five minutes, the dirty one placed in a laundry bag. You’d managed to beat the boys to the upstairs by a few seconds. Enough to set half of the able before Chimney began to making his salad of choice.

“Looks great, Cap.” Tommy complimented the gooey homemade pasta Bobby religious made every third Thursday. He alternated between pasta recipes with the odd new recipe every once in a while.

“What are you waiting for? The bell?” Bobby quipped to the unmoving bunch of hungry individuals. His words started the boisterous meal time preceding the end of shift.

“So, we’re halfway through dinner and Amber-” Your phone interrupted the disaster date Tommy had begun telling. He continued as soon as you waved him to go ahead while you took the call.

“Hello?” You breathed into the phone.

“Hi, sweetheart.” The warmth infused in your mom’s voice soothed the ruffled feathers from the call you’d come back from, “How are you?”

“I’m good! We just finished eating. My shift is almost over, and I’ll have to go straight to the store for groceries-”

“Y/N, we found him.”

The him was easy to figure out given your brother had run away from home three months prior with only his dreams in mind. You’d spent most of your off time, sometimes even during shift out on a call, to scan the environment for Luke. You became a regular in questioning hospitals and homeless shelters.

“Where was he?”

“His band had been about to play at some big venue last night.” Mom’s word choice concerned you. Her voice dripped with sadness instead of the typical disappointment and annoyance on anything to do with Sunset Curve.

“Mom, what’s going on?”

“A few nights ago, the boys got hotdogs-”

“Streetdogs.” You interrupted with evident anger in your tone at the mention of those death dogs Luke consumed. You can’t even give a number to how many times you had told him how unsanitary and dangerous the food is.

“Something was wrong with the food. They got ill fast. Alex and Reggie are being kept for observation but will be found with a few days of rest.”

“What about Luke?”

“He tried to call 911; he was weak and fell. Y/N, he hit his head. He’s in the ICU in a coma.” Emily Patterson’s voice cracked as soon as she acknowledged the current state of her youngest child.

The colours of the world dulled as soon as your mind clicked that Luke was in the hospital. Your little brother had put himself in danger all because he had a big dream. Your mind flashed through your life growing up with him.

You remembered talking to your mom’s growing bump when she was pregnant with Luke. You remembered five-year-old Luke unable to settle unless you sang to him. Your voice was nothing special, but it soothed the little boy when he had a nightmare. You could vividly recall teaching Luke how to play the guitar when he was thirteen; the brunette a complete natural at it.

“What’s his prognosis?”

“Too early to tell. The doctor is hoping Luke will be in a general room after tomorrow if the swelling goes down. I wanted you to know as soon as possible.”

“How’s Dad?”

Emily hesitated from her position by a hospital bed. Her brown eyes carefully scanning the male sleeping soundly in the bed.

“Mom?”

“Your father had a heart attack last night. That’s why I haven’t been able to tell you sooner. He’s currently sleeping, but he’ll have a barrage of tests later today-”

“I’ll be there as soon as my shif-”

“No. Don’t drop anything. I can keep you up.”

“Excuse my language, but there’s no way in hell I’m staying away from my family. I’ll take a few days off. I’ll see you in a couple hours.” Your thumb tapped the red circle on the bottom of your screen.

The 118 didn’t bother pretending they hadn’t been watching your form during your phone call. Bobby felt like something had drastically changed in a few minutes you’d been busy on the phone.

“Everything okay?” Bobby inquired from his position at the kitchen sink. His hands in the sudsy water to scrub the empty pan.

“My brother and my father are in hospital. I’m gonna need some days off.” You informed your boss with a look of utter defeat coating your expression.

Those few days transitioned to transferring to the closest firehouse to your childhood home and the hospital. The medical bills from both your brother and father had begun to overwhelm your mother with the current single source of income. Emily didn’t ask you for anything, but you started renting the home you’d bought for extra money.

It was a silent agreement that you paid rent as a cover to helping with the bills piling up.

Present Day, Firehouse 118

Buck followed behind the welcoming group to the girl that seemed larger than life. Buck was impressed by the sacrifice you’d made for the good of your family. You’d willingly given up the family of the 118. Buck didn’t know if he could do the same.

“Welcome back.” Hen cheered on her guidance to the heaven everyone called the kitchen. Your department issue duffle bag dropped out of the wall on the top level.

Your eyes zeroed in on the spread of your favourite foods prepared by the only person aware of your return. It was only one look of gratitude towards the father figure before everyone dug in.

A few changes had occurred since you’d last sat at this table. Tommy Kinard had left the 118 for the 217 shortly after your departure. He’d been replaced by the ready to impress Buck. One thing that hadn’t changed was the delicious food Bobby made.

Your eyes found the sole empty chair at the long table, “Didn’t you say the house took on two new recruits since I left?”

“Buck took your position when you left. We had a revolving door of firefighters before Buck permanently joined.” Chimney supplied with a mouth full of lettuce and grated carrot. Hen whacked his arm for his lack of manners.

“You’ll meet Eddie on the next shift. He took the day off. It’s his son’s first birthday since his mom died.” Bobby informed you with that pinched wrinkle between his eyebrows, “He joined after Tommy left.”

“Well, I can’t wait to meet the entire team.” You replied, looking past to the circular table behind Bobby’s spot. Sam and Ryan both waved happily upon catching sight of you back at your unspoken seat.

You listened intently as Hen shared the changes Denny had gone through in the time you’d been away. Chimney was ecstatic to point out the faint scar on his forehead.

“You had rebar go through your skull, and you’re completely fine?” You questioned, floored by the pure luck Chimney had.

“Oh, it was nasty. Went in from the back of the skull to the front.” Buck spoke enthusiastically, recounting the scene. Chimney deadpanned a look at his younger coworker, “Oh, sorry.”

“It’s like you never had it happen.”

“Doc was shocked at how positive the outcome and healing was. I was back at work within a month on light duty. I beat my record getting in my turnout gear.”

“And yet my little brother was comatose for two months.” You grumbled under your breath. None of the people could make out the words, but the grimace on your face was enough to show them it was personal.

In true 118 fashion, the bell rang throughout the firehouse with the disembodied voice declaring the type and location. Yoru e/c eyes found Buck climbing into the driver’s seat where Tommy had once commandeered. It was odd not having the man who’d became an older brother to you.

“How’re your parents?” Hen questioned, sitting diagonally from you. Her fingers repositioning the radio on her chest.

“Dad’s recovering pretty good. Mom’s started attending her knitting club again.”

Buck’s eyes raised to the rearview mirror to meet yours in interest, “What happened?”

“Uh...my dad had a heart attack a couple years ago. He took a long time to recover with the further stress that caused it.” You piped up, understanding the news would come out at some point, “My little brother was in an accident that left him in a coma. Life was just as messy after he woke up.”

“He’s okay?” Chimney questioned, “I know we’ve never met them, but it really gutted you.”

“Well, physically, he’s fine, but emotionally he’s upset. He was in a band, and when he came out of the coma, he found out some devastating news.” You continued to explain, but unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, you’d come to the scene.

It was a little known place most teenagers discovered as a hang out spot just on the edge between your county and the next. The location was the infamous spot of cliff jumping; you knew because this was something you’d recklessly done in high school.

“He’s over here!” A blonde male of average height called from the edge of the cliff. His blue eyes were bright even from this distance, matching the detailing on his swim trunks.

Surrounding the edge with the boy was a group of teenagers his age, all in different versions of swimsuits. You found the scared brown eyes of a beautiful girl you vaguely knew from the few shows of Sunset Curve you had watched. Her dark blonde hair plaited out of her face. Her face clicked as Carrie Wilson, Bobby’s sister or cousin.

You jogged towards the edge of the cliff to look over. It was easily between fifteen to twenty feet from the edge of the cliff to the water. You recognized Hen crouching by your side, looking at what you were looking at.

On the rocks was a prone body of a teenage male with bruises already forming on his face from where you could see. His thick shoulder-length hair laid still half in the ponytail and around his head.

“Head trauma.” You murmured to Hen, scanning from a distance, “I can’t tell much from this height and angle.”

“Either a broken tibia or fibula. Spinal injury is definitely a concern.”

“Okay, his name is Willie Young. He’s eighteen years old. His sister Kayla was dared to jump off by doing some kind of flip. Willie took her dare and didn’t jump far enough or tripped over a rock.” Bobby listed having been talking with the group of teenagers all shook up.

“I can rappel-” Buck began to speak before you cut him off firmly.

“It would take too long, and the angle is difficult. Nobody rappels down it; the cliff isn’t stable enough. It crumbles pretty easy, and the unofficial name of this cliff is Devil’s Dive.” Your eyes found Carrie’s tear-filled once and the utter devastation in who you pegged as Kayla.

“How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve jumped off this cliff for years as a teenager. You’re looking at the resident champion of self reckless endangerment at Devil’s Dive.”

Hen, Chimney and Bobby each stared, shocked at your revelation of stupid teenager decisions.

“Then how are we gonna get down there,” Buck questioned, staring at the unconscious teenager lying on the rocks.

“Easy, I can jump from here into the water and climb onto the rocks to where Willie is. I have the experience of how and where to jump safely.” You spoke to your Captain with complete confidence in your abilities, “You can lower down the kit, radio and backboard by a rope. There’s a mansion beyond the trees that you can ask to borrow a boat from the owner. He’s eccentric and questionable but nice enough.”

Bobby nodded his head to your plan. You unbuttoned your uniform shirt to strip down to the department t-shirt with the emblem on your chest and across your back. You kept the boots and emptied your pockets of anything. The butterflies fluttered in your stomach at the height of the cliff you hadn’t jumped from in years.

“I’ll jump where-”

“Excuse me?” You scoffed at Buck’s assumption he could follow you.

“You’ll need another pair of hands to roll him on the backboard. I don’t have anyone waiting for me at home. This is kinda what I do. Bobby cleared it already.” Buck shrugged with a half-smirk on his handsome face.

With a roll of your eyes, you quickly gave Buck a rundown on how to jump correctly before you tossed yourself off the cliff. The cold water momentarily shocked your system as soon you submerged under the water. You swam to the surface before swimming towards the rocks. Willie hadn’t moved an inch.

“Whoa! That was so cool!” Buck cheered once he’d appeared on the surface of the water, “No wonder you used to do that!”

His excitement both annoyed and amused you, “Eh. I was just an idiot kid who thought they were invincible.”

The two firefighters lifted themselves onto the rock formation, where blood stained the rock. While Buck retrieved the backboard and essentials from the rope, your hands moved across Willie’s body, checking for breaks. You caught the c-collar Buck tossed without looking. You quickly but gently put the collar on Willie.

“Hi, Willie. My name is Y/N, and I’m a paramedic. I’m gonna check you over for injuries.” You informed the teenager closely. You’d only just opened his eyes to flash a light on them, “Buck let Bobby know Willie’s pupils are reactive to light and the same size.”

“Got it!” Buck called out from the open medkit, “I’ll splint his leg.”

“W-what happened?” Willie wheezed sluggishly. His brown eyes were unfocused.

“You got hurt trying to jump off the cliff. You’re in good hands, Willie. I’m a paramedic with the Los Angeles Fire Department. This is my coworker Buck.”

“Kayla?”

“Perfectly safe, but you did give her a scare. Willie, can you feel this?” Buck questioned, gently touching his right foot. Buck and you both gave a sigh of relief as Willie confirmed he felt it.

“Okay, we’re gonna roll you on to the backboard. On three: one, two, three.” You counted before rolling Willie on his side with Buck. Willie’s cry echoed around the surrounding as you settled him on the board.

“Need a ride?” Chimney asked as a very nice boat floated towards the three people on the rocks. Hen and Bobby helped load Willie onto the boat, “Mr. Covington agreed to let us use the boat if we don’t get blood on the seats.”

“Can you call my boyfriend?” Willie sluggishly asked when he was loaded into the ambulance on the cliff. Kayla sliding into the seat in the back of the ambulance with their items.

“Alex is meeting us at the hospital.” Kayla told her older brother, “You absolute idiot! You should have just let me jump!”

“And let you be in the back of the ambulance? Dad would kill me if I had let you do it.” Willie scoffed. Their conversation was silent as Chimney and Buck closed the back doors of the ambulance.

Bobby, Buck and you climbed into the fire truck to follow the ambulance to the closest hospital. Hen and Chimney rolled the gurney to the doors with Kayla hot on their heels. You’d just turned to head back to the truck when you saw three teens loitering near the entrance.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” You grumbled, marching away from Bobby and Buck to the teen who was supposed to be in class.

Luke had been forced into private tutoring to catch up to his friends in his grades, meaning every afternoon. The watch on your wrist confirmed Luke was definitely supposed to be with his tutor at the community centre.

“Luke!” You shouted, stomping right up to the wide-eyed teen.

Luke’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as his older intimidating sister caught him like his hand was in the cookie jar. You didn’t give Reggie or Alex a second look while you gripped Luke’s ear to tug him away.

“Ow!” Luke whined from the angle you dragged him at.

“What the hell are you doing across the city? You’re supposed to be in your session that our parents are paying a great deal for.” You snapped, crossing your arms in your wet t-shirt.

“We need every chance we can to-”

“Make it big in the industry.” You parroted the past discussions on Luke’s dream as a band, “Do you remember how I got mom and dad off your back? An agreement that you finish high school on time. Not dropping out.”

“So many musicians have dropped out! Green Day’s frontman dropped out his senior year to focus on the band. Several others like Elton John and Kurt Cobain!” Luke enthused, gesturing with his hand to emphasize his words.

“Luke.” You warned, “It’s either catch by with a tutor with some time dedicated to your band, or it’s a military school.”

Luke’s hazel eyes minimally widened, “They would-”

Your stoic expression stayed the same as the energetic seventeen-year-old bounced in his spot across from you.

“There’s only so much I can do before you lose everything. I know you feel anxious after what all happened, but music isn’t going anywhere.” You reached to squeeze Luke’s hand in yours, “So, I’ll clear it with my boss to have you ride the bus to the station. You’ll have your tutor sessions with my supervision, so I know you’re attending.”

“Y/N!” Bobby called from next to the firetruck, “We gotta go.”

“I’m guessing the Alex that Willie is dating your best friend?” You questioned with one raised eyebrow. Luke nodded in response, “Let mom know you had to be there for Alex. She’ll let skipping your session go this once.”

“Thanks!” Luke chimed, lunging to hug you. Your mouth barely opened before he was racing towards a jittery Alex and a grinning Reggie.

Reggie lifted his arm to wave with his flushed cheeks a darker red colour. You found Reggie’s crush on you to be absolutely adorable. He was a friendly kid.

“He looks good for a kid who was in a coma not long ago.” Hen breathed as the teenager entered the ER with his best friends beside him.

“Oh, he healed quickly. He was crushed after he fully recovered from his head injury.”

“That was your brother?” Buck inquired, and he was just as focused on your features as he had since he first met you.

“Yeah! He was in a coma for ten months when he was sixteen. He’s spent the last two years catching on on school to graduate with his friends. Well hopefully. He’s dead set on dropping out.” You heavily sighed, leaning your temple on the glass window, “He was supposed to be at a tutoring session. I’ll be chaperoning to make sure he goes.”

“If you need to have them at the station, send me a schedule, and I’ll make it work. Luke’s just as much family as you are.”

The rest of the shift was smooth sailing as Buck followed you around with the sole purpose of getting to know you. The friendship came naturally to the two of you. He didn’t hold back with you like he did with others. Fridays off became hangouts that varied from just Buck and you to spend it with Eddie and Christopher.

Everyone could see Buck had developed feelings for you and vice versa. Unlike the man Buck used to be, he was cautious. He wanted to do this right. And Buck did. With the help of Christopher, he asked you out.

Months Later

Buck’s eyes fluttered open in the dim lighting of your new home’s bedroom he often found himself in. Before, you had alternated staying at his apartment or yours before a significant change happened. Luke moved in to finish his senior year with the help of your tutoring, as agreed with your parents. That led to you giving up your former home, the one that coincidentally Buck’s sister Maddie had rented from you.

“Luke! You better be awake!” Your voice came from the main floor of the home. Your voice alone seduced the firefight to leave the warm sheets.

His bare feet pattered down the hardwood floor stairs into the kitchen coated in all different kinds of breakfast food. Waffles to imported maple syrup to bacon spread across the counter.

“Morning,” Buck grumbled, stepping up behind you to tug you against his chest.

Unlike Buck’s softer footsteps, your little brother tore down the stairs like a stampede of elephants. Luke wore a vintage band shirt modified sleeveless; you’d be getting a voicemail about dress code violations. The chains hanging off his black jeans.

“You have to hurry, Lu. Buck and I can’t be late. He needs to get to his apart-”

“I don’t see why he doesn’t just move in. He’s here almost every night. He helps buy groceries.” Luke’s hazel eyes stared at the plate he towered food on.

Buck raised one eyebrow in response, “You just moved in. You should be settled before we make-”

“Dude. Your lease is up in like a month; just move in already. No feathers will be ruffled. Besides, the band’s taking off now that Nick got his dad Ryan to check our music out.” Luke sprouted with a beaming smile at the good news his new band received.

After Luke had recovered from that coma, he’d woken up in a world where Alex, Reggie and Bobby, no Trevor, now continued the band. Then when Alex and Reggie couldn’t go on, the rhythm guitarist betrayed Luke. He stole every song he could get his hands on and proved successful.

“Ryan Evans, right? His sister’s some bigshot on Broadway? Sharpay, right?” You questioned recalling in the early 2000s the success of Sharpay and Ryan in some kind of Disney films based on them.

“You’re about to be the sister and brother-in-law of a certified rockstar.” Luke’s attempt at smirking made him look like a chipmunk with full cheeks of food, “I don’t need a ride. Alex’s picking me up.”

“Straight to school, Luke. You’ve got two weeks left before you can leave that behind.” Buck pointed his coffee cup in the direction of the passionate musician. Luke returned a smile of acknowledgement.

The kitchen was quiet as Luke shoved as much food in his mouth in such little time while you watched. In a flash, he’d stuck his dishes in the dishwasher before sprinting out to the van beeping continuously.

“Think we can have you moved in by tomorrow? Your one-bedroom place will be a little cramped for five people.” You simply spoke as you rinsed your coffee cup out. You could hear the wheels in Buck’s brain turning as he thought.

“Five people?”

“Yeah. Luke, Albert, me, you and baby Buckley.”

The entire home went completely still as the announcement bled into the house you’d made a home. One hand resting against the smoothness of your belly. That hand covered by the calloused one of Buck’s. His blue eyes gleaming in utter adoration and excitement.

“Baby Buckley?” Buck marvelled, turning you to face him with tears running down your cheeks, “You’re pregnant?”

“I am. I guess we’re giving Maddie’s daughter a cousin.” You grinned, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Now I’m obligated to see your parents regularly, and I still grimace at the first introduction.” Buck winced, recalling the foot in mouth syndrome he’d developed.

Buck had never been as nervous as in this moment. Not when he had to tell his parents the first time he got kicked out of college. Or when his teenage self sat beside one of his flings waiting for the results of a pregnancy test. Not even on his first date with Abby.

“You’ll be fine.” You soothed the anxious man standing by your side on the doorstep of your childhood home. The door opened, revealing Luke standing with a grimace, “Oh Mom, made you wear that.”

Luke had been stuffed into one of the only long-sleeved shirts he owned by your mother. It was a magenta maroon hued corduroy shirt and set off his chocolate hair perfectly. Apparently, your mother hadn’t been able to get him into a pair of pants that weren’t skinny, black or ripped.

“We’re meeting your boyfriend, not the damn Pope-”

“You wouldn’t be wearing that if the Pope was involved.” You retorted, stepping to tug the younger Patterson into your arms. The only thing you adored about your little brother was he never denied a hug. Physical touch is his love language, so he never went through a phase.

“Lucas, don’t let them freeze on the front porch!” Emily shouted from within the Patterson home. Luke rolled his eyes at his mother’s request.

“Luke, this is my boyfriend, Evan Buckley. Buck, this is my not so little brother Luke.” You swiftly introduced the most important males in your life.

Luke and Buck got along better than any previous partner you’d brought home. He got along with your parents really well. Even when he slightly embarrassed himself as the time came to go home, whether it was his place or yours. He kissed your mother’s cheek and shook hands with your father.

“No offence, but thank you for having a heart attack and a coma. If you hadn’t, I’m sure I would have never met Y/N.”

Luke snickered at Buck’s odd choice of words, as did your parents. A part of Buck dreaded the next time he’d see your parents.

The gentle press of lips against your cheek pulled you from your thoughts of the first family dinner. Despite the issues between Luke and your parents, they were great people and parents; Buck had felt like he finally fit in. Even with that awkward thankful he gave your brother and dad, he was family the minute Mitch and Emily saw the mutual looks.

“How are we gonna do this?”

“Well, as the pregnant one, I’ll carry the little Bean until it’s time for them to enter the world. Then we’ll-”

“I get that but with our jobs?”

You felt guilty at the dread of not getting to do what you love, but you were excited, “I’ll keep working as a paramedic. I’ll stay away from fires, and then I’ll go on mat leave. We’ll make this work, Buck.”

Buck leaned down to rest his forehead against yours with his eyes closed, envisioning how life was about to change. Buck adored children. He had loved Christopher from the moment he’d first met him. Buck himself was a kid at heart.

“I didn’t think I could fall more in love, but you continue to surprise me each time,” Buck murmured with that gorgeous smile that utterly melted your heart from the first time you saw it. Back when you tried to deny any feelings beyond friendship.

“We’re so lucky to have you, Evan Buckley.” You breathed as you leaned up to kiss him with as much passion as you could. Although it was mostly clashing of teeth with the matching wide grins on your face.

“This little girl is gonna be a heartbreaker but no boyfriends or girlfriends until they’re thirty.” Buck declared, tugging you into his arms. His blue eyes twinkling in the natural lighting.

“It could be a boy.”

“Or maybe neither. Boy, girl or non-binary, I’ll love them just as much.” Buck spoke once more.

Gideon Buckley was born in the early morning to the pride of his parents and extended family. He was a healthy solid 8 pounds with sparse dark blonde hair and the trademark grey-blue newborn eyes. You everyone but Buck and your surprise Gideon wasn’t alone. Grace Buckley followed her older twin brother eight minutes later.

You rested against the propped up pillows spent from the exhausting hours of labour, but it was worth it. The two tiny babies snuggled beneath the swaddling blanket concealing your bare chest. Skin to skin contact was absolutely the best part of being a parent.

“Did you steal a baby?” Chim joked upon entering the hospital room with Maddie in tow. Right behind them were your parents and Luke.

“I’d like you to meet our twins Gideon and Grace Buckley. Surprise!” Buck quietly cheered in the nearly silent room. Buck’s curated newly parents playlist gently playing in the background.

Mitch and Emily came closer to look at the little loves they proudly got to claim as their first grandchildren. Emily’s heart melted upon hearing Gracie coo in her sleep. Grace and Gideon’s fist pressed against each other.

“Congratulations.” Maddie breathed, bending to catch a peek at the twins’ faces.

“Luke. Would you like to meet your goddaughter and godson?” You questioned the nervous musician. The nineteen-year-old tiptoed his way to the hospital bed.

“I’m both their godfather?” Luke choked as soon as Buck gently transferred Gideon onto his uncle’s chest.

“There’s no one else in the world I’d choose to help guide them in the right direction. You always found your way back onto the right path. You’ll do the same for them.” Buck answered with Gracie nestled on his chest.

Buck was the first to hold them followed by you and then their godfather Luke.

Gid and Gracie, although unseen, had been in Luke’s graduation pictures and watched as Julie and the Phantoms signed with a record label. Where Gid was, Luke wasn’t far beyond; the special bond melted everyone. Likewise with Gracie and Alex.

Gid overall was a happy baby compared to Grace. Loved visiting the firehouse. Loved the people working with their father and previously their mother. For the entire first year of Gideon and Grace’s life, you stayed at home with the utter support of Buck.

“First day back.” Hen spoke from beside you on the bench in the women’s change room. As a fellow mother, she’d been watching your behaviour.

“I miss them. I feel guilty that I abandoned them-”

“Okay, your feelings are valid, but you aren’t abandoning Gideon or Grace. You’re teaching them that you can be a great mom while also being a badass firefighter. I was the same when I went back to work after we got Denny.”

“Do you ever wish you could be a stay at home mom?”

“I love Denny with my entire heart, but I couldn’t do that. I was meant to be a paramedic firefighter as much as Denny’s mother. Besides, I can see Maddie pushing in the double stroller.”

Your head snapped to see your sister in law beaming with the double stroller carrying Gideon and Grace. Maddie’s daughter sitting on the seat made for a toddler. Maddie and Chimney had come to a decision for Maddie to work part-time.

Hen watched as you bounded out of the changeroom in uniform to scoop the twins into your arms. In a split second, Buck was down the stairs cooing at the absolute loves of his life. His partner and two children.

Buck would forever be grateful for finding his way to the 118, where he found his true family. A place of acceptance, love, trust and loyalty. Buck found his place in the world, and that was beside you.

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lostchild · 2 years

Text

a camilo madrigal x fem!reader fanfic [chapter 4]

masterlist

wordcount: 5.2k

not proof read yet

They were chatting about the upcoming day. Planning the party for tonight and talking about the greatest news in Encanto. Especially the new faces they met. Everyone was overly excited about the upcoming events. Everyone except him. He was way too tired. He just shoved his food from one side of the plate to the other, which earned the boy a concerned look by his mother. “Camilo, mijo, is everything alright?” With this sentence the whole attention laid upon him. He looked up to his mother with a slight smile. “Don’t worry, mami. Everything’s fine.”, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked into the concerned face of his sister. He then shoved the hand away from his shoulder with a slight rolling of his eyes. “I’m just tired, okay?”, he knew he couldn’t put a face on. His sister would’ve heard him the whole night struggling with falling asleep. He couldn’t even understand how this little incident bugged him so much, but he couldn’t think about something different then you bumping into him. He couldn’t forget those eyes. Those amazing eyes which couldn’t simply face him. Those eyes full of pain? He was always able to make friends within seconds, but not with you. Maybe it was just unfortune, and maybe not. Who would know?

“Maybe the last chores were a bit to heavy?”, his father asked with a worrying undertone. “Maybe you should rest a bit today.”, Mirabel suggested, and everyone nodded in agreement. No one wanted that even one member of the family would overwork themselves again, so all of them took this really seriously. Mariano gave him a thumbs up, a little weird but meant good. Since he and Dolores made things official, he would stay more often in their home. After some trouble in the past he finally was a part of the family. “Either way, we need to split the work today.”, Alma stood up. Camilo faced his plate again and forced him to eat something. He needed the energy the food would provide him. “Some of us have to stay here and help preparing everything for tonight as I heard our new guests did already arrive yesterday. Right, Dolores?”, the said girl looked up, sharpened her ears, “Sí, they arrived yesterday by sunset, and they plan to set up their camp today. They already started.”, she went back to eating her breakfast and earning a proud face of her boyfriend. Camilo’s head snapped into the direction of the news, which drew a mischievous smile onto Mirabel’s face. “We already met some of them, didn’t we primo?”, the boy suddenly looked down again. Cheeks turning slight rose. What was that weird feeling in his gut? "Oh, we did too! Right, Isabela?" the youngest at the table took the word before his mother could ask for the strange behavior of her eldest son. "Yeah, we met some children at the market. They were so adorable.", the girl nodded with her perfect smile. "I also meet some of them. They seemed... nice.", Bruno said with his calm voice, his attention went back to your face. He still couldn't help it, but you reminded him of someone he knew.

Camilo followed all information closely. Maybe someone had had an interaction with you and could tell him more. "So, my suggestion would be that some of you welcome them and maybe help them a bit.", Alma said with a smile. Mirabel raised her hand without hesitation, "I would love to!", she smiled bright. "Me too. Oh, me too!", Antonio claimed while shifting in his seat.

"I need to prepare the meals for tonight and I need a few helping hands here as well.", the older woman said looking at her other daughters. Luisa and Isabela just nodded to confirm, that they would stay in Casita. "Maybe you could join them hermano.", the ginger haired woman nudged her brother. "Yeah, I could do this.", Bruno scratched the back of his head. "I would also like to tag along.", Camilo’s voice sounded calmer than usual. Mirabel’s smile grew bigger. Her sisters watched her in bewilderment. They couldn't understand why she was so excited.

"Didn't you want to get some rest?", Mariano asked him. Firstly, he didn't look up from his plate but soon he wore his usual smile again, "Sure. But it doesn't say that I can't welcome the new people to our Encanto. Who would be better for this job than me?", and also did he want to see you again. He hadn't had a real chance to introduce him properly and he wanted to change this. Also, he needed to know if you were okay after yesterday. Most of the people around him started laughing. His mom sighed in relief. Her son was indeed fine. After some more talking and planning Alma dismissed her family to go after all the chores for today.

Bruno, Mirabel, Antonio, and Camilo made their way up to the court where you would stay. While walking through the town there were some more people joining them to help the circus. "Good morning señora Elena.", Bruno greeted an older lady sitting near the market. She wore an orange dress and a bright smile. "Indeed, a wonderful morning.", she greeted them and stood up. Bruno was a bit surprised from her overly good mood. "We're going to help the circus folks.", Antonio explained while greeting her. "Oh, is that so?", her smile never leaving her face. The small boy nodded. Even if more than two years has passed, Antonio still was pretty small. He did inherit the height from his dad. "Mind if I join you?", Elena ruffled through the dark hair of the youngest which earned her a lovely giggle. “Of course not!”, he explained and like this the three started walking after the two others again. Bruno was a bit confused. Why did everyone was in such a good mood today?

Mirabel and Camilo didn't stop walking. "Soo. Why do you really wanna to go there? Heh?", Mirabel asked with a delinquent undertone. Camilo kept facing the road in front of him, but he couldn’t suppress a smile. "I just love to meet new people. You should already know this prima." Mirabel rolled her eyes and nudged him with her shoulder. "Oh, c'mon you can tell the best prima in the world. Can’t you?" she smiled. "Who said you were the best prima?" - "You did" – “I don’t think I ever said something like this.”, he shrugged his shoulders. “Then you should find a better prima to repair your ruana.”, she playfully pouted while Antonio was running up to them clinging on said clothing. “Look, there!”, he pointed in front of them, and his voice was filled with excitement. They just walked by the last houses of Encanto and could see the huge place where all your carts parked. The adults did already start setting up the ring. Some children were running all over the place playing and screaming. The horses and donkeys were relaxing besides some free spot under some trees. A bright smile grew upon those three faces. They didn’t really know what they could expect but somehow, they were just happy. “Let’s see how we can help them.”, Mirabel shouted and started running down the path. The other two followed her.

At the end of the road were two men already setting up the grandstand, where the audience would sit and enjoy the show later. Two other, and way younger boys were busy constructing the different tightropes. The two Madrigal boys did run up to the center of those actions. It was totally stunning, that people without gifts did build this over and over again. It was impressive.

“Yo, can we help you?”, one of the boys climbed down to greet Camilo and Antonio. “Actually, we’re here to help you! The magical Madrigals at your service.”, Camilo just bowed down and wore his brightest smile. Antonio did the same, and added, “Also we’re here to welcome you to our beautiful Encanto.” The boy with the blonde hair in front of them started laughing. “Did you hear that? The Magical Madrigals?”, he did a little wave with his hand and started laughing even more. Antonio and Camilo looked a bit confused, but also annoyed at him. “What’s wrong with that?”, Camilo asked while putting his hand in his hip. “Gael, put yourself together.”, a dark-haired boy stood on a platform above him and gently put his foot on the blonde’s head. He then stopped his action. “Bee didn’t you hear that?”, Gael tried to shove the foot from his top. “I did, clearly. They’re here to help, so let’s appreciate this.”, he took his foot on the platform and kneeled down. Facing the still confused boys in front of him. “Lo siento! We would be grateful if you would borrow a hand. I’m Berthold. But you can call me Bee, everyone does and this polite guy here is Gael.”, he smiled while patting the blonde hair in front of them, and the other boy nodded. “Just call me Gael. First of all, it would be a great help if you just carry those ropes over here?” – “Alright Bee,” he shifted into Berthold’s appearance, ”and Gael.”, shifting into the blonde one, before becoming himself again. ”Sure thing. I’m Camilo by the way and that’s my younger brother Antonio.”, he left the two boys speechless behind while turning to get those ropes. Gael was totally perplexed, and Bee just giggled. “Magical Madrigals huh.” Antonio couldn’t suppress a loud laugh. Both of them just loved to see the reactions from strangers to their gifts. “What are you even doing here?”, Antonio asked while looking up to the boy who absorbed the fact of Camilo mirroring him perfectly way better than the blonde one. “We firstly set up these low tightropes onto the main masts.”, he pointed onto the tightropes already hanging, “Then we will begin to set up the secure net a bit higher and then the next tightropes.”, he explained while pointing to the platforms in different heights. “And after we set all these up, the masts are stable enough to secure the main walls of the tent.”, Gael still stared after Camilo while handing Bee the ends of two ropes.

Mirabel stayed a bit behind. Waiting for her tio and rest of the towns people to arrive. While waiting an older woman approached her. “Can I help you petit?”, she had a clear singsong voice. “Oh, actually, well... My name is Mirabel and my tio, primos and some of the villagers are here to help you out.”, she smiled. “Oh…”, she really looked surprised but wore a lovely smile. “My name is Eva Dubois, and we appreciate every helping hand.” After welcoming everyone she sorted the townsfolk into different groups for helping at the most variant tasks. That’s when Mirabel caught sight of you. You were climbing out of your cart, hair tied up in a messy bun, some wide trousers, and a shirt. You were as surprised as the other members of the circus watching so many new faces helping. It drew a smile onto your face. “Hey.”, you turned around as was greeted with a kind face and dark eyes. “I am Mirabel, and I was wondering if you could need some help?”, she took your hand and smiled at you. You were a bit overwhelmed with so much kindness and so many new faces. “Well, actually I have a tight schedule so maybe you can ask Eva for something to do.”, you took your hand back and smiled back at her. Of course, she seemed very kind, but there were some chores only you could do, and you didn’t want anyone to interrupt you then. Also, you were a bit late because you overslept. Even the hustle around your cart couldn’t wake you up. “Oh, are you sure?”, her smile kinda scared you. She was too nice. Why was she so interested in helping you? Before you could answer you could hear some unfamiliar voices asking for the girl in front of you. “I’ll come back to you later, y/n.” Wait, did I told her my name, you thought confused, but you hadn’t much time, so, you turned on your heels and made your way up to the ring. Some of the children, Emilia and Daniel included, ran up to you and started shouting and explaining things they had experienced. “Good morning hermana.” - “The town is so huge.” – “There are so many flowers.” – “They had the most delicious soup I ever tasted.” – “The girl let flowers grow right in her palm.” - “And there was one boy talking with animals!” – “The sunset looked amazing from the marketplace.”

A sigh escaped your lungs. You loved them. You really did, but sometimes, especially after such a rough night, you would prefer some calmer surroundings. You didn’t even pay much attention to what they were saying. Your thoughts still cling onto your panic attack from yesterday. You needed to clear your mind. You needed you full attention onto wor

“Look who gifted us with her presence.”, Gael shouted while you were walking up to them. “You are late.”, Bee exclaimed. “No, no, no. I am not late. You’re just to early.”, you respond while walking to the opposite mast where Bee was standing. Camilo’s nearly dopped the box he was carrying. The sound of your voice caught his whole attention. “Ay. Careful.”, his brother bleat while carrying some smaller ones, but Camilo didn’t respond. “Did our princess at least caught a good sleep?”, Gael said challenging. You just smiled at him before climbing up the mast, “I don’t know. Did you?” – “Oh, I hate you…”, he said while handing you the ends of a net. “You couldn’t hate me. Even if you tried hermano.” - “Are you two done?”, Bee shouted as you pulled the net up and sorted the endings in the right direction. Gael walked over to the mast where Bee was waiting and gave him the other ends of the net. He made sure that it laid flat and without any knots.

You were so …different, Camilo thought while watching the scene in front of him. Just a day ago you were so pale, so hurt and so vulnerable and now. You seemed like a completely different person. He really needed to get to know you. “Ready when you are.”, you shouted, and Bee just nodded.

Outside of the ring were Bruno talking to some of the older men, when suddenly Elena walked up to them. “Jean?”, her voice sounded so calm, almost scared. “I had asked myself when you would show up.”, the old man besides Bruno said. Bruno looked at him confused. “Remus!”, Jean shouted after hugging the old senora, and soon your father joined the group. With a fast pace did he run up to them and threw his arms around the old woman and Bruno slowly started to understand. “Remus? Remus Freye?”, he asked in disbelief. It took Elena some time to let go of the grown man, but after a while she pulled back. A smile on her face. Remus then looked at the oldest Madrigal. “Bruno Madrigal.”, he then threw his arms around the still confused man. “It’s so good to see you again.”, he pulled back and looked at him and the old woman. “Vamos. Vamos. I need to introduce you to someone!”

The four adults joined the ring. “Mi estrella!”, your dad shouted right in the moment, where Bee and you started running over a beam. Just when you crossed paths you jumped down to one of the tightropes and threw the ends of the net over a mast. Catching it after you landed on the ground. Bee did the same on the other side. “Uno momento, papi.”, you said while clinging onto the ends. You were smaller than Bee, so you hung in the air, while Berthold landed with his feet onto a platform. Gael came up to tie the end together, so you could let go.

“Papi?”, Bruno muttered. He finally could put one and one together. “Oh, dios mio. You mean she…” – “She is Rosa’s daughter.” – “Our daughter.”, your dad corrected Elena. Bruno rubbed his temples. Now he knew why you looked so familiar. Now he understood why he knew your face so well. As you landed on the ground again you finally realized why your father called you. The smile on your face left for a second. Right next to him, the old lady. Yes, it must be your abuela. It can’t be any other way. One deep breath in and one deep breath out, you thought before walking up to them. She had her hands covered her mouth. You couldn’t interpret if that was a good or a bad sign. You found yourself in her arms before you could break your head about it. Suddenly everything felt just fine. This was your abuela. Your mothers mother. Her scent, her warmth. Everything felt so familiar and secure. After what felt like forever she pulled away. One hand at your cheek, watery eyes, and a heartwarming smile. “It’s good to finally meet you properly.”, you said while leaning in her touch. “You are as beautiful as her.”, your abuela said and your smile grew bigger, tears building up in your eyes. “I think, that is a family thing. “, you sated simply, and she started laughing. “Oh, and as charming as your papa.” – “Also, as stubborn as her papi…”, Jean threw in and getting an elbow in his rip. Everyone laughed. That feeling right now was pretty unfamiliar, but you liked it. Just now you realized Bruno next to your father. “Hola! Tio Bruno.”, you smiled at the grown man. He lifted his hand to wave discreetly. “Tio?”, your father looked at Bruno, who just smiled awkwardly. “y/n, we still have a job to get done!”, you heard your blonde friend screaming. Another sigh.

“There is so much I want to ask you. So much I want to tell you…but…”, you felt guilt not having enough time for her now. You wanted to spend so much more time with her. “I waited nearly seventeen years to meet you. I can wait some longer. Its not like you will leave tomorrow.”, she stroked with her thumb over your cheek and smiled softly at you and then at your dad. You nodded at them and turned back to get everything done.

Camilo watched the whole scenery from afar. At this moment he wished for his sister’s gift. He would have loved to eavesdrop at this very moment, but he could ask his tio later. He just wanted to know more about you, and he was willing to do anything to achieve his goal. “Earth to Camilo…”, Antonio grabbed him by his hand. “Lo siento.”, he smiled softly at him and lifted the boxes again. His brother followed his look back to you. A smile grew on his face. He decided to tell his bird friends to carry the small boxes after Camilo, while he wanted now to help you. So, he followed your steps.

Before Jean went off to get the last things done, Bruno explained them, that they would host a welcome party for everyone in their Casita and just like this, everyone gets back to work. Just your abuela was staying and watching you working.

Camilo tried the whole day to come closer. He really wanted to help you. The goal of becoming your friend was set and he would try anything to achieve this. But not only him, also Mirabel was desperate to become your friend. It’s not like you didn’t want to make new friends. You were glad to meet some people from Encanto, but you were just busy. Your work was your number one priority. The only one you couldn’t just shove away was the young Madrigal. Antonio was just too adorable to decline his help. “Actually, I don’t know how you could help me anymore.”, you ruffled through his hair, while Jean and Gael carried the huge tent out of a cart. “I can do way more than you think.”, the small boy laughed at you. “I don’t think you can carry this tent onto the top of the masts.”, you kneeled down and pointed to the tops of the masts. “I can ask my friends if they could help you.”; he smiled pointing at some toucans in the trees. “Yeah sure.”, you laughed, but stopped as soon as the birds came to help Jean and Gael. “Wait, what…”, you looked at him. “They’re glad to help.”, he smiled and that’s when you remembered, that some of the children told you that they met a boy who can talk to animals. “You can really talk to them?”, you asked in disbelief. “Of course. That’s my gift.”, he stated proudly. “Gift?” – “Yes. I am part of the magical Madrigals. Everyone in my family has one.”, he watched his bird friends helping to set the tent up. Your dad often told you about the three magical Madrigals. You believed they were just some of his stories, but you never thought that the whole miracle thing was true. You rubbed your hand against your forehead and chuckled. “Wow.” – “Is something wrong?”, Antonio looked a bit worried at you. “No, no, don’t worry.” – “Good.” – “You know,”, you sit next to him and watched the animals do the hardest part of your build up work, “I don’t care which powers your relatives have, you are the coolest Madrigal.”, this earned you a pair of shining eyes and a heartwarming hug. Still, you couldn’t believe all of this, but you didn’t question it either.

With the help of Antonio’s friends, the tent was set up within minutes. The townsfolk and Madrigals said their goodbyes and you said your thanks. Usually, this work would take you more than two days and with the help of all of them it only took you about one day. Now everyone could get ready for the party. It was really unusual that a town would welcome you so warmly, but you could get used to it.

It was a usual party in Casita. Luisa and Camilo greeted everyone at the entrance. Julieta and Pepa took care of the meals for everyone. Isabela and Mirabel took care of the comfort of anyone. It took about half an hour till every villager, circus member, friend and neighbor arrived. Everyone was chatting, dancing, and eating. They all mad you felt so welcome. Everyone just had a good time. You could watch your abuela talking with what seemed like the oldest Madrigal and of course your father. You could watch Antonio playing with Daniel and Emilia. You could see how Mirabel talked to Rosemary and Gael. Even Bee was joking around with a girl you didn’t knew yet, but she seemed really pretty. You could observe them well, while leaning against the railing, clinging on a glass filled with delicious juice.

“Shouldn’t you be down there, talking, dancing or stuff like this?”, a familiar voice appeared right besides you. You didn’t need to look at him. “Same goes for you.”, you smiled while taking a sip of your glass. “Well, actually… I’m not the type for big crowds.”, he rubbed his arm before leaning over the railing next to you. “También.” – “Really?” – “Yeah, I like performing, but that’s different. It an audience who is concentrated on my performance. But parties like this… sometimes it’s like I can’t breathe.”, you said while laying your eyes onto the glass. “That’s why Casita let you up here. Seems like it likes you.”, Bruno said while stroking over the railing. You chuckled. “Yeah, sure, your house likes me.”, before you looked up the railing next to you deformed itself to wave at you. You nearly jumped into Bruno’s arms who couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Dios mio. This place really is magical…”, you stared at the piece of wood going back to its shape from before. You were glad to not spill your whole drink over the man. “Yup, magical house, magical people.”, Bruno just said while waving his hands. “Well back when I was smaller, my dad told me stories about the magical Madrigals, but I never thought they were…real. You know.”, you said leaning at the railing again. Eyes still locked onto the now steady wood. “Well, I don’t know what he told you…but yeah it’s true.” – “He told me not much about it I guess. That out of a tragedy Encanto was found through a miracle and that later the three children of the Madrigals received a gift to keep the miracle going. There was one with healing powers…” – “That’s Julieta.”, he pointed to the woman next to Mirabel. “Mirabel’s mama?”, Bruno nodded. “So, she really can heal people? How does that even work?” You watched her pinching the cheeks of the curly haired girl. “If I would break my ribs, would she just put her hand onto it and woosh, everything fine?”, you laughed. “Nearly. Her food can heal. So, if your injured she cooks something nice and as soon as you eat it, Woosh, everything fine.”- “Well, that’s impressive. Oh, and there was one who could control the weather right?”, now you looked at Bruno. He pointed to his other sister talking with your dad. “That’s Pepa and she does affect the weather with her emotions.” – “She is really beautiful, but I think that this gift can also be a burden.” Bruno just nodded while thinking back how she always did suppress her feelings back then. “Wait a minute. You are a Madrigal too, right?”, now you looked at the old man. He scratched his back. “Yeah, I am the third of the three…” – “So, you can look into the future? For real?” You turned around to face him properly. “Yeah…kinda. I could see ´like prophies, but before you ask. I don’t do this anymore.”, you smiled. “Don’t worry. I don’t want to know about my future. I grew up not knowing where I’ll be within in the next days, and I’m used to be a bit spontaneous. You know. I wouldn’t even care what you would say about my future. Nothing is set in stone. As long as I can decide for myself, I can change my future.” Bruno wore one of the most endearing smiles you’ve ever seen, and you couldn’t help it but had to mirror it. You couldn’t understand what that smile had to say, but it was well meant.

“Well, what’s with the others? I know that Tonito can talk to animals.” – “His older sister, Dolores, can hear like everything from anywhere.”, he pointed to a very pretty girl next to Bee and another girl. “You mean she could hear our conversation?”, you looked at her and she just started smiling and waving at you. “Impressive.” – “The girl next to her is Isabela. She can grow flowers, trees and plants in general out of nothing.” – “Ok, cool. What’s about Mirabel?”, you pointed to the girl in the middle of a horde of children. You could see Antonio, Emilia and Daniel sitting next to them. Also, a familiar curly haired boy was chatting with them. You felt a strange twinge inside your stomach. “Oh…urhm. Mirabel didn’t get a magical gift…” – “That’s something that can happen?” – “Actually, she doesn’t need a gift. She was the one saving the miracle some years ago. She was the one keeping the family bond together. Alone the fact that she brought me back to the family after living in the walls for about ten years is a miracle itself. She is a gift herself.” – “Wait you lived where for ten years?” – “That’s a story for another time I guess.” – “Okay, okay, but I get the point. She is special herself and she shines so bright. This is kinda outstanding in such a special family.”, you smiled looking at the children who now started running in different directions, leaving the Madrigals behind. “You should know yourself that you don’t need magical powers to be gifted. You are gifted yourself, aren’t you?” – “I would say I’m well trained. That’s all.” – “I wouldn’t say only trained. You either are born with the gift to be an entertainer or you aren’t. Most of the people I know wouldn’t be able to live your life. Always on the run. Taking your shows to so many strangers. Not knowing what the future will bring.” You just smiled, somehow you got the point of this. You never thought like this. You just had fun and you didn’t know it any other way, but somehow Bruno was right. “Maybe you’re right.” – “You are really similar to Rosa.”, his voice was nearly inaudible. “You knew her?” – “Of course, I did.”

“y/n!!”, right in front of you on the first floor were standing some children screaming for your name. Bee appeared behind them. “Can you tell us a story. “– “Pleaaaasee, hermana!” – “Sorry, I couldn’t stop them.”, Bee said with a guilty face. “I think you should give them what they want.”, Bruno tilted his head into the direction of the crowd of children. “But...” – “Daniel and Emilia said you are the best storyteller. So please!”, one of the villager’s kids exclaimed. “Alright, alright. I’m coming.” You raised yourself and patted the shoulder of the man next you. “Next time, you tell me the story of you living in the walls and what you know my mama.”, you said while walking up to the stairs to join the crowd.

“y/n. Hey.”, Mirabel said while nudging her cousin. “Nice to see you again.”, you smiled at her. “Did you already met my cousin?”, she pointed with her thumb on Camilo next to her. He looked somehow confused, but at the same time shocked and nervous. “We actually met once.”, you said while sitting in front of them. Emilia already climbing up to sit in your lap. “Sorry for running away and thanks again for your offer. I’m y/n Freye by the way.”, you reached out your hand to the boy who gently took it. “Camilo and don’t worry about me.”, he said calm. You raised a brow at his different behavior. The day you met him he was full of confident and now? Maybe he was just tired. It was already a long and busy day. You just smiled at him, while Antonio cling onto your shirt. You ruffled through his hair. “Hey Tonito.”, he sat next to you. The other children all took their seats next to you fully concentrate onto you. “Can you tell the story of the puppet master?”, Daniel suggested. “Nooo. Please the story of the neverland!”, Emilia demanded. “I think the fairytale of the neverland would be a good choice.”, you poke her nose, before your inhaled deeply.

That’s how you started telling the kids, some of the adults around, Mirabel and also Camilo the story of the neverland. Even Dolores came with Isabela after hearing the begging and sat down to listen properly. All of them were clinging onto your words. The way you explained everything, the little gestures of your hands. The sudden movements of your whole body. How your mimic changed through the story. It was one of your favorite stories your papa always had told you.

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authors note:

So for making it up to you this chapter is a bit longer than the last ones. I know there is not much happening, but I really want that all of you can understand the relationship between each character. Even when this is a camilo x reader fiction I want to have a good world building.

Anyways I'm so glad that there are people interested in my work so thank you fir reading!

I also now publishe this on Ao3 , so if you also wanna read there. Feel free to. And as always, if you have any questions just hit me up.❤

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