Tumgik
#haley that night: emily something's wrong
avis-writeshq · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
02 — haunted
summary: “something’s gone terribly wrong, you’re all i wanted.”/“you’re not gone, you can’t be gone.” pairing: spencer reid x fem!reader genre: best friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, fluff, angst warnings: rated 16+ for alcohol, religious talk (inaccurate portrayal of Christianity), vomit, INCREDIBLY CANON COMPLIANT ‼️IF YOU WERE TRIGGERED BY S2 EP15 REVELATIONS IN CRIMINAL MINDS, DO NOT READ THIS‼️ wc: 10.1k a/n: another special mention to @astrophileous for beta reading and hyping me up!! love you loads zahra 🤎 (she's also doing an AMAZING derek morgan series that i have the honour in beta-in so if you have time please do check it out!! it is an absolute work of art) SPARKS FLY MASTERLIST // MAIN MASTERLIST
Tumblr media
There is never a dull day when working at the BAU. After weeks of cases and paperwork, a night out was exactly what everyone needed. A place to get drunk, have fun and unwind– and O'Keefe's was the exact place to do just that.
“You know, you can at least try to look like you’re having fun,” Emily muses, nudging your shoulder. 
Emily joined the team soon after Elle had resigned, and as much as you missed your friend, you enjoyed Emily’s company. She’s too observant for her own good; grinning at you from across the room whenever you have the slightest interaction with certain people. She’s a brilliant addition to the team, much to your chagrin, but you know it’s all in good fun. Well, all in good fun for her.
You shoot her a playful glare, sipping on your drink. “I am having fun!”
“Liar,” Emily says instantly, grinning at you. “C’mon, what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” you deny, “I’m just tired. Things have been… busy to say the least. I’m just glad that the team is getting some R&R. Well deserved, might I add. How are you? You know, with joining the team and all that.”
She smiles in your direction before downing a shot and shrugging. “It’s been good! Yeah, everyone is so… welcoming. It’s nice.”
“Different to a desk job?” You ask with a teasing lilt in your voice. 
Emily laughs softly. “Yeah, totally.”
Your gaze shifts to where Spencer is sitting, for once enjoying himself in such a crowded area. He’s talking to two strangers at a table, his hands gesticulating as he explains something and the two people seem thoroughly amused. 
“So… Spencer, huh?”
You frown. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”
Emily laughs, “You’re staring at him with heart eyes. Anyone can tell. Except for him, apparently.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“For a profiler, you’re a horrible liar.”
You let out something that sounds akin to a dying cow, turning your attention back to your drink. Your attention wavers and it shifts back to Spencer who is enthusiastically talking about something to the two amused guests. He grins at them as they drink, his own cup still full. Derek is thoroughly enjoying himself as he dances with a group of girls, and you can see Aaron and Haley dancing together on the floor as well. It’s wholesome, seeing everyone in their casual wear and just having fun.  
“You should talk to him,” Emily tries again, nudging you. “I’ll buy you a drink if you do.”
You raise an eyebrow. “You’re bribing me to talk to my best friend?”
“I’m bribing you to give me entertainment,” she corrects, laughing.
“You’re horrible,” you tell her, smiling, as you walk past her in Spencer’s direction. “I expect that drink to be delivered to me.”
“Deal!” She calls after you, downing a shot as she watches you. 
Spencer smiles when he sees you make your way over to him, shuffling his chair to the side to give you more room. 
“Hi,” he murmurs, pulling your seat closer to him. “Having fun?”
“I should be asking that to you,” you respond, smiling. The two people he was once talking to take their leave, giggling about something you couldn’t quite make out. “I didn’t mean to scare away your company.”
He immediately shakes his head at your words. “I’d rather talk to you anyway.”
You can’t help the silly grin that spreads across your face or the way your cheeks heat up and you cough. “Well, I hope I can live up to your expectations.”
Spencer laughs, his hand gravitating to your knee and he squeezes good-naturedly. “You exceed them.”
You think he’s trying to kill you and you swear you stop breathing as you choke out, “I’m glad.”
It isn’t long before Emily makes good on her promise, and a waiter appears on your left. He presents a drink to your table, the glass adorned with a lemon rind and a raspberry, and you eagerly take a gulp. 
Spencer frowns a little as he watches you drink. “Aren’t you going to question who it’s from?”
“I know who it’s from,” you respond cheerfully, letting out a contented sigh. You offer the drink to him, moving the straw so that it’s pointing in his direction. “Want some?”
He eyes the pink drink suspiciously. “What is it?”
“It’s a Pink Bikini!” You chirp, sipping the drink again. “Like… coconut rum, raspberries, and lemonade. It’s good, Spence, you can barely taste the alcohol.”
His nose scrunches at the idea of coconut rum. “I dunno.”
“You’re not gonna get drunk from one sip,” you protest happily, a little tipsy. “It’s good! Besides, how do you know you’re not going to like it if you never try it?”
“You’re literally drunk right now!” He points out, laughing a little and moving the drink out of your reach. “Give it to me.”
“That’s only because I had a couple drinks earlier,” you argue, lunging for the glass. You’re quick but Spencer is quicker (and taller), and he chugs the drink before slamming it back onto the table. “Spencer!”
He grins at you, smacking his lips as he plays with the paper straw. “I’m protecting you, (Y/N). Who knows what you would’ve done if you drank any more.”
“You’re insufferable,” you chastise half-heartedly, “I was thirsty.”
“I have water,” he says, fishing a plastic bottle out of his satchel. He cracks the lid open, taking a sip himself before passing it to you. “Drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol can lead to dehydration. Drinking water slows down this effect, allowing the liver to metabolise the alcohol that was already consumed. This also means you won’t have as bad a hangover tomorrow morning.”
You beam at him, taking tentative sips from his water bottle. The fact that you’re drinking from the same bottle as him is not lost on you, nor the fact that he finished your drink by using your straw– your lipgloss stained straw– and he didn’t even bat an eye. 
“What would I do without you?” You croon, handing his bottle back. 
“Probably die of dehydration,” he responds, taking one last gulp of water, before returning the bottle back to his bag. 
“Ah, yes, that’s right,” you laugh again, beaming at him. You’re not sure if it’s from the drinks, but you can feel your cheeks begin to flush. Did it get hotter in here?
“Hey, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but we have a case,” JJ pats your shoulder sympathetically, frowning. “Horrible timing, but it’s urgent.”
You all but whine. “But I’m tipsy.”
“I’ve got aspirin in my bag,” JJ says, “you’ll be fine.”
“Stupid serial killer,” you huff, getting up from your seat. “They owe me a day off.”
*** 
“You know it never fails. Just as I’m getting my groove thang going, bam! We’re back at the BAU,” Derek says, pouring himself a much needed cup of coffee and sitting at the roundtable.
Spencer shrugs. “You know, statistically, a case doesn’t come in with any more frequency if you’re at a party or gathering than if you aren’t. It’s a… trick of the mind. We merely remember the ones that came in that way more.”
“Besides, how long does it take for you to get your ‘groove thang’ going anyway?” You tease, sipping from your own cup of coffee, and Emily cackles from beside you. 
“Only when he’s sleeping,” Gideon comments, walking into the conference room and taking off his coat. 
Hotch’s brows raise in a mixture of surprise and concern. “Where were you tonight?”
“I told you, I went to the Smithsonian,” he grunts as he sits into his chair.
“You missed a good time,” Emily insists, smiling.
“I had a good time,” Gideon responds, his attention turning back to the screen where JJ was getting ready to present the latest case. 
“Well, that’s definitely over,” she says, flicking the screen on. “Georgia. The Kyles– Dennis and Lacy– were murdered an hour ago in the suburban Atlanta home.”
Hotch’s brows raise in surprise. “An hour ago?”
JJ nods. “Police were on the scene unusually fast.”
“Why?” Derek asks, leaning over the table.
“One of the UnSubs called them and told them that the other was about to murder the victims.”
You huff out a laugh in disbelief. “You’re kidding.”
“From inside the house.” JJ purses her lips, gesturing to the transcript that was printed out in their files. “According to the dispatcher, the first male sounded terrified and begged them to get there before the other, who they both identified as Raphael, was about to kill the sinners that lived there.”
“‘Sinners’?” Hotch echoes.
JJ nods again, a grimace painted over her features. “The 911 centre is going to send Garcia the tape.”
“How fast was the police response time?” Spencer asks, glancing at the screen.
“Four minutes, twenty-six seconds. During which time Raphael was able to do…” JJ clicks a button on the remote and an array of gruesome crime scene photos popped up onto the screen. “This.”
“In four and a half minutes?” Emily asks incredulously, frowning. 
Garcia immediately turns away from the screen, clutching her mug closer to her chest. You can’t help but cringe as well from the violence presented in the photos: blood everywhere, smeared across the walls and floors of the house, and the victims lifeless. 
“Mr. Kyle is a dot-com millionaire. His company is one of the largest employers in the community. There’s going to be media coverage. Also, when they arrived, the police found this displayed prominently on the bed.”
Another image appears on the screen, this time a page of the Bible placed into a plastic evidence bag with a certain section highlighted. 
“Revelation, Chapter 6, Verse 8,” Hotch reads for the rest of the team.
Derek can’t help but scoff. “They’re killing sinners.” 
“These guys are on a mission. And mission-based killers will not stop killing,” Spencer says with a wince. 
“‘And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and his name that sat upon him was Death,” Hotch begins, eyes trained on the Bible page.
Gideon continues, his voice quiet and grim, “And Hell followed with him.”
*** 
You sigh tiredly as you slump into the seat beside Spencer, playing with the cap of your water bottle. The sky outside is painted in oranges and purples as the sun begins to rise, and you try to hold back the frustrated groan when you see the blaring ‘4:22AM’ flash on your watch. 
“Is everything okay?” Spencer asks quietly, looking over at you.
You shake your head, running your fingers through your hair. “I just… I have a bad feeling about this case. There’s something… off about it.”
He hums in thought, “we’ve dealt with religious motives before, though.”
“I know but just–” you huff, leaning against the headrest. “It’s just weird. I mean, usually if one of the UnSubs were partnered with someone who was a liability, they’d eliminate them. But that’s just not happening here.”
“Don’t think about the case,” Spencer says gently, resting the palm of his hand flat against your knee. “It’ll be fine, trust me.”
When you don’t respond, he pokes your cheek gently shooting you a lopsided smile. “Hey. It’ll be okay.”
“I hope it will be,” you respond quietly, moving so that your cheek is pressed against his shoulder. “But you saw those images; what the UnSubs can do in less than five minutes. I know it’s nothing we haven’t seen before but–”
“(Y/N).” He squeezes your knee again and you flush as he continues to speak. “It’ll be okay. We’ll be back home before you know it. Trust me.”
You nod, although you can’t shake this feeling off. “Promise you’ll be safe?”
Spencer smiles at you. “Promise.”
*** 
“I think I’m gonna be sick,” you mutter, turning away as the video of Mr. Kyle being murdered plays on repeat. Your stomach churns at the mere mental image that pops up in your mind, and a chill run downs your spine. 
The case is a lot more gruesome than you expected it to be, especially when it came to the team’s attention that a video of the murder was circulating the internet. The video was currently being played on loop, with the voice of the UnSubs playing out of the computer. You thought you saw it all but this was unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. 
That is, until Spencer stood from his seat. 
“Agent Franks?” He whispers, looking towards the lead detective. “Does this building have wireless internet?”
Agent Franks nods. “Yeah. Why?”
Spencer swallows, gesturing to the computer. “That camera’s on right now. The computer has connected itself to the internet; it’s streaming a video feed somewhere.”
Hotch’s concern only deepens, along with the frown on his face. “Can we trace the stream to the destination?”
“If we keep it open, Garcia might be able to–” Spencer begins, only to be cut off by a beeping from the computer.
In bright red lettering, the words: ‘THE ARMIES OF SATAN SHALL NOT PREVAIL’ flash against the black screen before turning off.
“So, they’re controlling it remotely?” Hotch asks, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Is that even possible?” Emily asks in disbelief. 
“Yeah, you can totally access someone’s computer remotely. It’s actually done a lot today when a mortal calls for tech support. Instead of giving you instructions the tech can work on your computer from wherever she is,” Garcia explains through the phone. 
“And they maintain the access even after the work is done?” Hotch asks.
“They’re not supposed to, but I suppose you could install a Trojan horse.”
Spencer turns to Gideon. “Something left in the computer to be turned on later. It’s the same way that websites get pop-up ads onto your computer.”
“Garcia can you check the Kyles’ phone records and see if they called tech support in the last six months?” Hotch requests as he flips through the Kyle family’s folder. 
“Right-o. Oh, and if you get me the laptop I can search the drive for anything implanted there.”
Hotch nods. “As fast as we can.”
“By the way, this video? It’s gone crazy viral.”
Gideon frowns. “What does that mean?”
“That means it’s the most downloaded video on the entire Internet. Worldwide. And judging by the responses people seem to think it’s pretty cool.”
“Call us if you find anything on the Kyles’ computer,” Hotch mutters, before the phone hangs up.
“Honestly, they probably don’t even realise that the video is real,” you say quietly, pinching the bridge of your nose. “I mean, you see a video on the internet. The last thing you’d think is that it’s actual people being murdered.”
“They probably think that it’s marketing for a horror film or something,” JJ adds on, but the look on her face is just as disgusted.
“Well, the UnSubs were right about one thing,” Derek mutters, nodding grimly. “The world is pretty screwed up.”
*** 
After hours of going through files and trying to find a paper trail, you’re left with a mountain of paperwork in front of you and sore eyes. You press the pads of your fingers against the corner of your eyes, slumping over the table. 
“Hey.” 
Spencer’s voice brings you out of your thoughts and you peek a look at him. “Hm?”
A takeaway cup of coffee is placed in front of you and you immediately perk up. He chuckles softly, patting your head. “You looked like you needed it.”
You spy the name written across the paper cup and frown. “It’s your coffee.”
“You need it more than me,” he says honestly, smiling. “Besides, I’m okay.”
You take a tentative sip of the drink, the sweetness of the sugar overwhelming the bitter taste of the coffee but you don’t mind it. Instead, you didn’t actually mind it; especially because it’s from him. 
“Thank you,” you murmur. “We can share it if you want.”
He shakes his head ‘no’, turning back to the files on the page. “Where did you get up to?”
“Nowhere special. Agent Franks is right; there’s nothing in any of the files relating to knife fights that are remotely similar to the case,” you say, slumping against the table and leaning your head on your arm. “I’ve got six or so left to go through but I’m not getting much luck anyway.”
At that moment, JJ enters the room, holding another cream coloured file. “What if we were looking at this the wrong way?”
Hotch turns to her. “What do you mean?”
“I looked for unsolved home invasions. Three months ago there was a prowler called in directly outside of the Kyles’ house.”
Your brows knit together at her words and look up at her. “A prowler?”
JJ nods. “The witness was walking his dog in a nearby park. Going back to his car, he saw a man in dark clothing go over the back wall and start sneaking up to the house. By the time the police got there, the prowler was gone.”
“Only one man?” Hotch asks. 
“Apparently.”
“Was the witness able to describe the man?” Spencer questions.
JJ looks into the papers before shaking her head. “If he did, it’s not in this case file.
Hotch looks at JJ then back at the corkboard. “Is there a name and address to the witness?”
“Tobias Hankel,” JJ reads. “Lives about an hour from here.”
Hotch lets out a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes. “It’s a long shot, but he might be able to give us a description. Why don’t you and Reid go out there, see if you can find Mr Hankel, and see if he remembers anything.”
You immediately frown, perking up at his words. “I can go too, sir. There’s a safety in numbers.”
“You’re exhausted and we need you here,” Hotch says, immediately shutting your suggestion down. “We don’t need three people to talk to a witness.”
Your face falls and your stomach churns. “I understand that, sir, but it’s late and wouldn’t it be safer if more people go?”
“We’ll be fine,” Spencer reassures, squeezing your arm. “We’ll be armed and we’ve got our phones.”
A small breath escapes you and you nod slowly, chewing your bottom lip. “Okay. Be safe.”
He smiles. “I will.”
JJ snickers lightly, turning to Hotch. “Be safe,” she echoes, grinning.
Hotch can’t help but chuckle as he returns with, “I’ll be so safe.”
“Oh shut up,” you laugh, rolling your eyes. “I’m gonna kill you.”
JJ grins. “But how will that keep us safe?”
You throw an eraser at her shoulder in response and she laughs loudly, walking out of the room. Spencer squeezes your arm again, rubbing your shoulder through the fabric of his jumper before following after her. 
It isn’t long before the lead detective rushes into the room, his words flying out of his mouth. “Agent Hotchner, we got another murder.”
*** 
“Tobias Hankel is the UnSub.”
Five words is all it takes for your world to come crashing down around you. Hankel? The UnSub? Your mouth is dry as the head detective explains about the dogs and you think you’re going to throw up. Your mind spins and your chest pounds with anxiety because oh God, what’s going to happen to the others? 
“We sent Spencer and JJ there,” you whisper, your throat closing up. You tug desperately at your collar, trying to breathe. “Oh my God, we sent them there. We sent them there.”
“Hey, hey,” Derek is quick to ground you, gripping your shoulders firmly. “They’ll be okay. It’s Spencer Genius Reid and Jennifer Bad-ass Jareau. They’ll be okay.”
You shake your head firmly, pulling away from his grasp and clutching your head. “I should be there with them. I should have gone with them. We don’t know what Tobias is capable of, Morgan, something could have happened to them.”
“We’re dispatching police now,” the detective says, getting off the phone. 
Tears spill from the corners of your eyes and you try to keep your breathing steady. It doesn’t work. The room is spinning and you can’t see straight. The words your team are trying to get through to you fades into background noise and you let out a choked sob. 
“They could be–” Your words don’t make it off your tongue and you turn, gesturing to the black screen that was once playing the video of the woman and the dogs. “Oh my God.”
“(Y/N),” Emily holds your shoulders tightly, her words a mixture of firmness and care as she tries to snap you out of it. “They’re going to be okay. We have to go there now.”
“They can’t be gone. Spencer can’t be gone,” you say, more to yourself than anything. “Yeah. Okay. Let’s go. We have to find them.”
The others don’t need to be told twice. You get into the passenger seat with Emily, trying to calm your breathing. One hour is too long. Why does Tobias have to live so far away? You press the palm of your hand to your mouth, the lump in your throat getting bigger. Hot tears fall down your cheeks as the world becomes a blur of flashing lights and you try not to cry. It’s your fault. You should have been there with him. There’s safety in numbers. Why didn’t you trust your gut?
“Don’t do that,” Emily says sternly, gripping the wheel tighter. 
You can’t bring yourself to respond, merely shaking your head adamantly. 
“Stop blaming yourself,” Emily tries again, glancing at you for a second before turning her attention back to the road. “It’s not your fault.”
“I should be there with them.” Your voice cracks pathetically and you wipe furiously at your eyes.
“You couldn’t have known.”
“I should have.”
She looks at you again. “Stop. You couldn’t have known. It’s not your fault.”
The rest of the car ride is silent. You’ve learned that this is the hardest part of the job: losing someone. Losing someone because of a job. It seems ridiculous, considering that it’s something so miniscule in the grand scheme of things, and yet it is the most common factor in divorces. A lack of commitment. Instead of committing to something that actually matters and can’t be replaced, their attention turns to something so lacklustre. If Spencer were here he would tell you the exact statistics. If Spencer were here, you wouldn’t even need to think about the statistics. 
The sound of sirens echo through the once quiet country area and the police officers file out of their cars. You fasten your Kevlar vest over your chest hastily, fumbling with the clasps as you jump out of the car. 
“John, Bobby, take the house with Hotch, Gideon and (L/N),” the captain orders, pointing towards the house. 
Your stomach lurches as Hotch busts the door open, and you move upstairs with your gun pointed out. 
“Clear!” You yell, rendezvousing with Hotch and Gideon soon after. 
“Downstairs is clear,” Hotch says, nodding towards you. 
“Then where the hell is he?” Gideon mutters, looking around the rooms of the house.
The blood rushes to your ears and the air grows thick. You can’t breathe. The house is unmaintained with mould growing in the corners of the rooms and dust gathering on the shelves, the paint on the walls cracking from water damage. Your eyes sting as the air pricks at your skin, and your legs carry you down the stairs and out the house.
“JJ,” you breathe, your eyes wide as you meet the blonde sitting at the back of an ambulance. You pull her into a hug. “You’re okay.”
It’s a different JJ to what you’re used to. She’s always been put together with not a hair out of place. She’s usually so full of life and mirth, bringing a sense of serenity and security when you need it most but this… 
Her blue eyes are red and puffy from crying and she’s shaking miserably against your body. She scratches at her wrists and picks at the bandages, her bottom lip trembling. Her gun is set beside her, not in the holster she usually carries it in.
“(Y/N),” she sobs, her voice cracking. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“What happened?” You demand. “Where’s Spencer?”
“I’m so sorry,” she repeats, shaking her head. “I tried–”
“Where is he, Jennifer?” You ask, pulling away from her like she burned you. “Where is he?”
She sobs again, clutching her head. “I don’t know, we separated–”
“What do you mean you separated?!” You’re trying not to scream. Your thoughts are running a million miles an hour. Spencer is gone. He’s gone. “Why would you do that?”
Jennifer lets out a wail, trying to explain herself through broken words. “We didn’t– he said– I’m sorry I’m sorry–”
“‘Sorry’ doesn’t bring him here, does it?” The words are harsh and low, and you tug at your collar again. “He’s not here, Jennifer! Does that mean nothing to you?!”
“(L/N), that’s enough.”
Hotch’s voice makes you snap your head in his direction and you see red. 
“I told you I should have gone with them,” you snap, and it doesn’t even occur to you that this man is your boss. “If I went with them, Spencer would still be here right now!”
“(L/N).”
“No.” You glare at him menacingly, too deep in your anger to even comprehend anything else. “He should be here right now! He should– he should be spouting out statistics or coming up with some theory! He should be here and he’s not!”
“We’ll find him. Trust me.”
“I did!” You yell, your voice fervent. “I trusted your judgement! And look where that got us. Spencer is gone. He’s not here, Hotch, because I trusted you!”
“(Y/N), enough.” Hotch is firm and he stares you down. “That is enough, do I need to remind you who you are speaking to?”
In an instant you stop, your heart lurching and you quiver. “... This is my fault.”
He immediately shakes his head no. “It’s not your fault.”
“I should have gone with him. I should have– it’s my fault. It’s my fault.” Your eyes well with tears and you tug at your hair erratically. “He can’t be gone. He’s not gone. He’ll figure something out. Why didn’t I do something? I should have–”
“Stop it. (Y/N), stop.” Hotch grips your shoulders squarely, bending down so that he’s eye level with you. “Take deep breaths.”
Your lungs burn as you try to breathe, hot ragged breaths leaving your lips shakily as you cover your face with the palms of your hands. Tears fall down your cheeks and gather in your hands as you make a desperate attempt to calm yourself down. It’s all too much. The sky is pitch black and the feeling of cold rain stings and bites your skin. The sounds of sirens fade away and for a moment it’s just quiet. Quiet, except for the words and the voices that swirl in your mind. 
“A man that matches Hankel’s description was spotted in the next town over.”
Derek’s words bring you out of your thoughts and you manage a soft, “What?”
“Alright,” Hotch nods, before turning back to you. “Go back to the police department.”
“What?” Your ears are ringing. You must have heard wrong. “No. No, no, I can’t– no, Hotch, I’m not going back to the police department. Spencer is missing.”
“You’re too close to the case.”
A humourless laugh leaves your lips as you stare at him. “We’re all too close to the case, Hotch. Look around!”
“You attacked JJ and you raised your voice at me. I want you to go back to the police department and work the case from there.” He speaks to you as if he were speaking to a child and it makes you feel sick.  
“Oh, so you’re punishing me?”
“No, I’m using you,” he says firmly, and then his voice softens. “It won’t do you any good to be here, (Y/N), you know that.”
“Aaron,” you try again, your voice wavering. “Please, don’t do this to me.”
“Go back and find us something that we can use.” He turns to one of the policemen. “Make sure she gets there.”
The policeman nods, tipping his hat, and gesturing for you to follow him. 
“Wait I– let me talk to JJ. I need– just, please,” you say quickly, clearing your throat. “Sir.”
He’s sceptical before nodding. “Go ahead.”
You don’t need to be told twice. In moments you turn back to the ambulance, letting out a heavy breath. “I’m sorry.”
JJ shakes her head adamantly. “No, you’re right. It was my fault.”
“It’s not,” you say quietly. “I know Spencer and I know you. It was… probably his idea to split up.”
She smiles wryly, fiddling at the bandage on her arm. 
“It’s not your fault,” you say again. You’re not sure who you’re trying to convince anymore. “You went through something too and I ignored that and that wasn’t right of me. I’m sorry.”
JJ sniffles, pursing her lips. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” you respond quietly, patting her arm. “I need to go. Um, Hotch wants me off the case, or something.”
She nods. “Okay.”
You look at her again, the guilt building like bile in your stomach. “I really am sorry.”
“I know,” she whispers, wiping the tears away from her eyes. “We’ll find him.”
You don’t respond.
*** 
Everything hurts. His head is pounding and he can feel the sticky blood drip from the side of his head and against his cheek. His feet hurt from each thwack of wood, and his wrists hurt from the handcuffs. It’s cold. So, so cold, and he feels so weak. No amount of knowledge or training could have prepared him for this.
Spencer’s throat throbs from crying. No matter how many times he tries to convince whatever personality is taking over Tobias, it never seems to work. What’s the point of being a profiler if he can’t even save himself?
The creaking of the door brings him out of his thoughts and he jolts. Tobias, at least who appears to be Tobias, enters the room carrying a slaughtered animal. A shiver runs down Spencer’s spine and all he can do is watch. 
“You need to eat,” the man says, his voice strangely soft and oddly calm. 
“What’s your name?” Spencer asks, his voice small.
The man looks back at him. “Tobias.”
“Tobias, who was here before?” The fear is obvious in his voice and Spencer just wishes for an ounce of Hotch’s stoicism or Derek’s bravery. 
Tobias chuckles weakly. “It was probably my father. I’m sorry if he hurt you.”
Before he could comprehend his movements, Tobias takes off his belt and walks over to him. Spencer fears the worst. Did Tobias’s father take over again? He tries to inch away, struggling against the restraints as best he could.
“W-What are you doing?” Spencer asks shakily, trying to pull away from him.
Tobias doesn’t respond, slipping one end of the belt above his elbow. Everything begins to click.
“No, no. Don’t. Please, please don’t.” He resorts to begging. 
In this moment, Spencer hates the way his mind works because he doesn’t need to know the statistics. He doesn’t need to know that 75% of drug abusers started out using pain killers. His head swirls with what Tobias could be using. Codeine? Heroin? Opium? The list goes on and he tries to keep his breathing steady.
“It helps,” Tobias says, ignoring the way Spencer trembles and shakes his head adamantly. “Don’t tell my father. He doesn’t know they’re here.”
Tobias takes the syringe and the bottle out of his pocket and Spencer sobs even harder. He tries to appease him again, shrinking away as best he could in his chair. 
“Please,” he tries again, his chest heaving and tears wetting his waterline. “Please, I don’t want it, I don’t want it.”
“Trust me. I know.”
“Please,” he begs, tears slipping down his cheeks. “Don’t.”
Tobias doesn’t listen. 
The effects are far too quick for codeine, heroin or opium and Spencer can feel it hit. He knows it’s wrong. He can go on for hours about the statistics about it but the feeling so euphoric that he can’t help it. And then he sees it. 
“We have another recruit as well. Came in a couple weeks ago,” Derek told him, walking him through the halls of the BAU headquarters. “She’s part of the academy Honours program. Top of the class, apparently.”
“Oh.” Spencer nodded slowly, fidgeting with the zip of his bag.
Derek grinned. “Relax, kid. You still have the most impressive résumé. She’s just an intern; doing paperwork, mainly.”
“I wasn’t– I wasn’t worried about that,” Spencer stammered, wetting his bottom lip. “I mean– not that I think she isn’t smart or anything. I just meant–”
“Kid, I mean it when you have to relax,” Derek snorted as he opens up the door to the bullpen “Meet the rest of the team.”
He walked through the doors, ready to make his mark. He’s spent so long believing that he was nothing but now… he took another step, meeting Hotch’s gaze and– he didn’t get very far when something catapulted into his side. There was a flurry of paper work and cream coloured files, case details splayed all over the floor. Spencer grunted a little, tumbling to the ground like a house of cards. 
“Oh, my God, I am– I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going and I was running and I am not used to office attire! I am so sorry!” 
The ramblings of a girl– she couldn’t be older than him, at least, not by much– filled Spencer’s ears and he grimaces. “No, it’s– it’s okay. Don’t– uh– don’t worry about it.”
“(Y/N)...” JJ huffed out a quiet laugh, helping the other girl to her feet. “Are you guys okay?”
“I’m okay,” Spencer said, slowly getting to his feet. 
The girl didn’t do the same, instead scrambling to pick up the multitude of papers that litter the floor. “I’m fine! Just– great. Great. Brilliant.”
Spencer immediately started to reach for the papers, trying his best not crumple them up anymore than they already were. “You’re… the intern?”
“Is it that obvious?” You ask, breathless. “I’m still getting used to all…” You gesture wildly to the interior of the bullpen. “... this.”
“(Y/N), meet Doctor Spencer Reid. He’s the youngest addition to the team. Reid, meet (Y/N) (L/N). She’s part of the Academy Honours Program,” Gideon introduces, peering at the two of you from behind his glasses. 
“Hi,” you said meekly, stretching out your hand.
His words hitched in his throat because once he’s gotten past the flying papers and the fact that you literally ran into him, he realises just how beautiful you are. You were right there in front of him, close enough to touch but–
“I don’t shake hands,” he said quietly, the anxiety gnawing at his stomach. His fingers twitch at his sides and he moves them to grip the handle of his satchel. “Sorry.”
You smile at him and his heart thunders in his chest. Is this how Romeo felt when he met Juliet? Or how Charles Bingley felt when he met Jane Bennett? 
“It’s okay,” you told him, tucking the papers under your arm. “Don’t worry about it. So, you’re a doctor? That’s really cool!”
“Reid here got accepted into the BAU without even taking a physical exam,” Derek chimed in, practically bragging about Spencer’s intellectual prowess. “Isn’t that right, kid?”
“I’m not an athletic person,” Spencer said awkwardly, his worries dissipating when he heard you laugh good-naturedly. Regardless, he felt the urge to defend himself. “I’m not weak.”
JJ laughed along. “We know, Spencer.”
“I’m not weak… I’m not weak…”
“I don’t give a damn whether you’re weak or strong.” 
Spencer barely manages to blink his eyes open as he hears the familiar timbre of Tobias’s father’s voice fill the room. He’s slowly coming down from the high of the drugs and the room spins as he does. 
“Yell all you want boy,” Tobias sneers, bending down so that he’s eye level with Spencer. “Ain’t no one gonna hear you where you are.”
As if to prove his point, he begins to scream. Deep and rumbly, and it jolts Spencer back to reality. He wishes he was careful. He wishes he was with you.
*** 
“Tobias has dissociative identity disorder,” Garcia explains to you through the phone, and you slap a hand to your forehead. 
“That makes so much sense,” You mutter to yourself, pacing around the room of the police department. “I should have seen it. It was right there in front of me and I missed it.”
Penelope hums, her voice tense with worry. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. No one knew until we started digging into the journals and cross-checking dates.”
“I know but–” You rub your eyes, cringing as stars litter your vision– “it was just so obvious. What else have you gotten?”
It has been a little over ten hours since Hotch sent you back to the police department and you haven’t gotten much sleep. You tried, you swear you tried, but every time you see the terrified face of Spencer and it makes you sick. The whiteboard in front of you is littered with different evidence files and profiles. Profiles on Tobias, profiles on the victims, geographical profiles… the list goes on. 
“We know that Tobias is an addict,” Emily says. “He picked dilaudid as his poison.”
“For someone so hellbent on following the Bible, he’s incredibly hypocritical,” You say, jotting down the words onto the whiteboard. 
“His personality is split into that of his father, Charles, and Raphael,” Emily continues, and you can hear the frown in her voice. 
You’re about to say something when Garcia’s voice raises by an octave. 
“Oh God,” she squeaks, and you can hear the clicking of keys in the background. “Morgan? Emily, get the others, oh my God!”
“What’s going on?” You demand urgently, gripping the phone tighter. “Garcia, what’s going on?”
“It’s Spencer,” her voice is hushed and far from the speaker, and your heart sinks to your stomach.
“What happened? Penelope, what happened?”
“We have to go,” she says hurriedly, and the sound of footsteps from the rest of the team fill the speaker.
“No! Wait, don’t hang—“
The sound of the prolonged dial tone echoes in your ears and you resist the urge to scream. You press the pads of your fingers to your eyes, hot tears wetting your skin. Crying will get you nowhere and you know that. You know that Spencer is holding on. He’s relying on the BAU to save him. 
You gather all the available files on Charles Hankel, spreading them around the table. There’s not much to read; he’s lived a relatively quiet life. He was a farmer, his wife left him… dead end. Again. You’re at your wit’s end and you grab your keys. 
“John, want to work on a federal case?” You ask, shaking your keys. The younger policeman nods eagerly and you point to the door. “Great. Let’s go.”
It’s a small country town in Atlanta. Someone has to know something, especially if Tobias was a drug abuser. 
“We’re going to a few Narcotics Anonymous groups,” You explain to John who looks a little too excited to be sitting in a federal car. “Ask questions on Tobias Hankel and Charles Hankel. Someone has to know something.”
“All due respect, um, ma’am,” John stammers, and you raise an eyebrow amusedly. He coughs before continuing, “why aren’t you with the rest of the team?”
You falter, turning your attention back to the road. “They need me to work it from here. It doesn’t matter, anyway.”
Two miserable hours pass by with not much luck. Two hours that could have been used for something more meaningful than asking a bunch of drugged up assholes about the UnSub. Anxiety claws at your chest again as you flick through the answers. It’s nothing you didn’t already know. 
“I got something,” John says a little breathlessly, jogging back over to you. 
“Yes?” You need something. Anything. 
“A few sheep were stolen off of a farmer’s property,” he says, flipping through the notebook and reading off his scrawny handwriting. “Wasn’t Charles a farmer?”
“What does that have to do with–” You feel your mouth go dry and you turn to him. “Which farm?”
“Which– um…” He swallows. “Mcallister? Shawn Mcallister.”
In seconds you’re dialling Garcia again and she picks up with a trembling, “hello?”
“Is Spencer alive?” You ask firmly, slamming the car door. 
“Y-Yes. He’s– it’s not good, (Y/N),” she whimpers, clicking on the keyboard. “There was another murder. Spencer had to– he had to– he had to choose who to save. The UnSub fed a video to us, (Y/N), it’s horrible.”
There was another murder? John seizes up beside you and you grimace. You keep forgetting that John is practically a kid, barely twenty-one, and he hasn’t even seen the horrors of the world yet. 
“But he came back, right? To Spencer?” You ask, gripping the steering wheel tighter in an effort to keep yourself steady. “Penelope, Tobias posted a video of the latest murder, right? When was it posted?”
“9:23,” she says woefully, typing away.
“Okay, and…” you check the police radio, biting your lip nervously. “Okay, it says that the call for the murder came in at 9:04.”
There’s a little static in the background along with some shuffling before she responds. “Um… okay?”
“John, I need a map. Where’s– goddamn it– where’s the map of the area, John?!”
He fumbles, spreading the paper open. “Here!”
“That road– it’s 60 miles an hour, right? That means he needs to be–” you scribble across the map, frowning. “That’s within seventeen miles of the crime scene. There’s a farm, uh, poaching or something. Mcallister farm?”
“We’ll find something,” Penelope says quietly. “I’ll try find the farm area. He is going to be okay, I promise.”
You let out a heavy breath. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
*** 
The guilt alone is enough to kill him. Spencer knows that he is not at fault for this; Gideon said so. Regardless, he can’t get their faces out of his head. They were happy. What if they had kids? They were good people; they didn’t deserve to die the way they did. Spencer’s head pounds as he slumps against the chair, his breath quickening when he realises that Tobias is right there.
“Sorry, I had to leave for a while,” Tobias, the real Tobias, says quietly, strapping the belt to Spencer’s arm again.
He’s felt this so many times now. The high, and then the inevitable low. There’s no point fighting it, Spencer tries to justify, it’s biology. 
“You can leave again,” he says softly, “and you can take me with you.”
“My father would be angry,” Tobias says, drawing the liquid up the syringe.
“Not if he can’t find us.”
Tobias scoffs. “He always finds me.”
“If you tell me where we are, my friends will come and they’ll save us,” Spencer pleads, trying to look him in the eye.
“We can’t be saved,” he says dismissively, flicking the syringe. 
Spencer sniffles, and for a split second he feels the fear course through his veins. “We can. We can, I promise, if you tell me where we are I’ll save us both.”
“Listen to me. It’s not worth fighting.” Tobias pauses, readying the syringe. “Tell me it doesn't make it better.”
The silence that follows is humiliating. He hates the way that he isn’t fighting anymore but he can’t. It’s almost as if his body doesn’t even want to listen to him. Tobias doesn’t waste another moment and the familiar feeling of artificial ecstasy floods Spencer’s mind.
“Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
The phrase was so unfamiliar and Spencer’s brows furrowed as he looked at you. It has been a couple weeks since you were officially indoctrinated into the BAU and he couldn’t be any happier. It felt nice to talk to someone who was his age, especially because he never really knew anyone of his age back in Las Vegas. 
“What do you mean?” He asked. 
You laughed and his heart fluttered in his chest. He remembered the feeling distinctly; how could he forget? The feeling is still the same now.
“I mean… tell me something not a lot of people know about you. Like… okay, I’ll go first. Um… my favourite flowers are hydrangeas. The purple ones.” 
He committed that information to memory. Every year for your birthday he would buy you a new pot of hydrangeas for your apartment or something flower related like an automatic waterer or a replacement sun lamp. 
“Hydrangea macrophylla,” Spencer said slowly, his cheeks flushed. “It means… gratitude, grace, and beauty. It’s fitting.”
He relished in the way your eyes lit up and the way you smiled at him. “Okay, your turn. Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
“Um… my middle name is Walter?” He chuckled awkwardly, wetting his bottom lip. “No one really calls me that, though.”
You typed something on your computer, reading out loud, “The name Walter is Germanic in origin and means ‘commander of the army’.”
His cheeks burned in embarrassment and he nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
“I like it.” You grinned at him. “Walter.”
Spencer choked a little, the hairs on his neck standing on end and heat crawling up his cheeks. “You– you don’t have to call me that.”
“I won’t if you don’t like it,” you told him. 
“It’s not that I don’t like it,” he said quickly, his eyes widening. “I’m just not used to it.”
He remembers the way you beamed at him and the way he felt knowing that he made you happy. 
“Well then,” You began, meeting his gaze, “I guess that means I just have to call you that more often.”
Tobias’s yelling brings him back and all he can do is stare as he watches him slam on the keyboard angrily. A bright red pop up is flashing on his computer, and Tobias turns to Spencer with a murderous scowl. 
“They’re trying to silence my message.”
“I can’t control what they do,” Spencer defends tearfully, his voice wavering. “I’m not with them, I’m with you.”
Tobias scoffs again. “Really?”
He types something onto the keyboard and Gideon’s face show’s up on the screen. He’s leaning towards the camera, his words a mantra that Spencer repeats in his mind. 
“Reid,” the crackly audio sounds with Gideon’s voice, “if you’re watching, you’re not responsible for this, understand me? He’s perverting God to justify murder. You are stronger than him. He cannot break you.”
Tobias slams the computer off, walking back to him. “You think you can defy me?”
“I don’t know what he’s talking about–”
“You’re a liar!”
Spencer can only grimace in response, the words caught in his throat. Tobias must have been able to see something and the fear creeps into his heart again as the man lunges for his arm. Tobias forces Spencer’s sleeve up and the guilt crashes like waves. 
“You’re pitiful,” Tobias sneers, “Just like my son.”
Spencer wracks out a sob, silent pleas of mercy never leaving his lips. Maybe he does deserve this. Maybe, in some sick and twisted way, the universe is out to get him for all his shortcomings. Maybe, he thinks to himself as he watches Tobias turn the camera on, maybe he does deserve to die this way.
“This ends now,” Tobias snarls. “Confess your sins.”
“No,” he whimpers. 
Tobias’s fist collides with the side of Spencer’s face with a resounding slap. 
“Confess!”
“I haven’t done anything…”
His fist meets Spencer’s cheek again and all he can do is recoil in his chair.
“Tobias, help me,” he manages, but his plea is shut down almost instantly. 
“He can’t help you, he’s weak. Confess!” He hits him again and the pain is almost too much to bear. “Confess your sins.”
Spencer sobs. “No…”
In a fit of anger, Tobias throws Spencer to the ground. It hurts. Everything hurts as he feels the back of his head meet the cold musty ground. He can’t breathe. He feels like he’s underwater. Have to breathe, he needs to breathe, why can’t he breathe? He needs to see you again. He can’t die like this. He can’t, he can’t, he needs to breathe. He tries to take a breath of air but it’s like his mouth is full of water. And just when he thinks he reached the surface, he’s pulled under once again. 
Warmth. The feeling of his blood pumping to his ears is the first thing Spencer feels and his fingers twitch. He’s alive. There’s only one reason why that must have happened. 
“I was given CPR,” he rasps out, Tobias’s words swirling in his head. 
“There are no accidents,” Tobias says slowly. “How many members are in your team?”
Spencer can barely whisper the word. “Eight.”
“Seven, not including you. ‘The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first sounding followed hail and they were thrown to Earth’.” He hoists Spencer’s chair upright, standing before him. “Tell me who you serve.”
“I serve you.”
“Then choose one to die.”
Spencer blanches, looking up at him. “What?”
“Your team members. Choose one to die.”
He doesn’t need to think when he responds, “kill me.”
Tobias jeers. “You said you weren’t one of them.”
“I lied.”
“Your team has seven other members. Tell me who dies.”
Spencer breathes in as if it were his last. “No.”
Tobias pulls out a revolver from his jacket pocket, spinning the cylinder before aiming it for Spencer’s head. “Choose, and prove you’ll do God’s will.”
“No.”
Tobias clicks the trigger and nothing happens so he repeats, “choose.”
“I won’t do it.”
The trigger clicks again and nothing happens. “Life is a choice.”
“No.” 
Spencer’s mind is racing. His first thought goes to you. He knows you would understand any and all references he throws in your direction, but it makes him sick just thinking about putting your life on the line. He needs something. He needs to think. 
“Choose.”
“I choose…” his voice stammers and he can barely see straight. “Aaron Hotchner.”
*** 
“We got him.”
The words echo in your mind as you pace up and down your hotel room, chewing on your destroyed nailbeds. It’s nearing two in the morning and you can’t sleep. The rest of the team are awake. Why should you be given the privilege of rest when none of them were able to? Why should you be given the privilege of rest when Spencer is out there fighting for his life? It’s not fair. Life isn’t fair.
When you hear the sirens outside you run out the door. Blood is pulsing in your ears and you’re still wearing the thin hotel slippers but it doesn’t matter. How could anything else matter? The car door clicks open and Emily helps Spencer out of the car. She whispers something to him and he looks in your direction. Those big hazel eyes stare at you with so much hurt and you can’t contain it anymore. 
“Spencer.”
His arms wrap around your waist, his nose pressing against your neck as he holds you, breathing in the smell of your vanilla perfume. He almost doesn’t believe you’re real. He pulls you impossibly closer, sniffling, and he can feel your fingers run through his hair. 
“You’re okay,” you whisper, trying to be reassuring, but he can hear the way your voice cracks. “You’re okay.”
“I should have listened to you,” He whimpers, feeling the cold wet rain soak through his shirt. “I should have– I’m so sorry.”
You shake your head. “Don’t be, Walter.”
The moment he hears that name spill from your lips he begins to cry. He’s okay. He’s with you now. You’re right here. 
“I thought–”
You shush him for the first and last time, squeezing his arms. “It’s okay. You’ll be okay.”
He wonders how a person could be so warm. Even in the cold Atlanta weather you’re still so warm. 
“Hotch wouldn’t let me work the case from the house,” you tell him quietly as you sit beside him on the bed. “Understandable. I screamed at him.”
He chuckles a little, flinching when you gently pull the bandage off the side of his face. He feels a lot better now that he’s clean, the shower more than necessary and he savours the feeling of warm water on his skin. The gash on his head is oozing sticky blood and you dispose of it accordingly, reaching into the first aid kit. 
“It’s gonna sting a little,” you tell him, pressing a damp cloth to the wound. 
He hisses at the contact, gripping your arm and he tries to change the subject. “Why did you scream at Hotch?”
You hum, continuing to clean the blood off his head. “I was mad at him.”
“It wasn’t his fault.”
“I know.”
You smile at him, applying a new bandage to his head. “It’s okay. I was able to help the case from here, anyway.”
“Stay with me,” he whispers, squeezing your hand. “Please?”
Your gaze softens. “Of course, Walter.”
He curls into your side, an arm wrapped around your middle and he breathes in the scent of your strawberry and honey shampoo. Your fingers curl in his hair, untangling the knots when your eyes flicker to your desk, the letter of resignation tucked inside your bag. He doesn’t need to know that. At least, not yet.
*** 
You knock at the door of Hotch’s office, chewing on your bottom lip. You remember being in this office for the first time four years ago when you were an intern; the way you shook with nerves and anticipation as you handed in your résumé for the honours program and then again when you were hoping to take the job full time. It’s ironic that you’re back at his office again, but for a very different reason. 
“Come in.”
The breath that leaves your lips is shaky and you take a seat in front of his desk. “Hotch.”
“(Y/N).”
You place the pristine white envelope onto the desk,watching the way his face shifts from stoic to surprised.
“You don’t have to do this,” He says, not touching the envelope. “The situation at hand was stressful. No one blames you for reacting the way you did.”
“It’s not just because of that,” you say slowly. “You were right. I was too involved.”
He shakes his head. “That’s not true.”
“It is,” you say quickly, a humourless laugh slipping at your words. “I would have killed him.”
Hotch looks at you, his eyes meeting yours. “You wouldn’t have.”
“I would have,” you say surely. “After what he did to Spencer, if I had found him I would have killed him. And I would have– I would have slept well. I love this team, Hotch, but I can’t separate those feelings when I’m on the field no matter how hard I try.”
He’s quiet for a moment before nodding, rising from his seat. “I’m assuming it’s a two-week’s notice?”
You nod, also getting up from your chair. “Yeah. I– I don’t want to just leave, you know?”
“We’re going to miss you,” he says, walking with you to the door, “but this will be good for you.”
“I know.” You can feel the stares of the rest of the team through the glass and you can’t help but smile. “They’re horrible at being nonchalant.”
“They’re profilers,” Aaron chuckles. “Can you blame them?”
“I guess not,” you muse, pulling the door open. “Thank you, Aaron.”
“You always have a place here, (Y/N),” he says gently as you walk back down to the bullpen. 
It doesn’t take long before the overflowing dam of questions burst and in moments Emily is crossing the room and sitting next to you. 
“You’re leaving the BAU?”
You look at her with wide eyes before laughing a little. “You… are very good at your job, huh?”
“Oh…” Penelope tackles you in a hug, her arms tight around your frame. “We’re going to miss you.”
JJ sniffles a little, joining the hug. “Don’t forget us.”
“As if I ever could.” A bittersweet smile rests on your lips. 
Derek hugs you as well, his chin on the top of your head. “Look after yourself, kid. We’ll make these last two weeks the best you’ve ever had.”
“If you ever need anything…” Emily begins slowly, squeezing your hands. “I’m here, okay?”
Gideon pats your shoulder lightly, a sad smile on his face. “You’re a good person. Never forget that.”
You nod, trying to blink away the tears that fill your eyes. “I know. Thanks, you guys.”
The opening and shutting of the BAU doors brings you out of your thoughts and the familiar head of brown hair stalking away makes your face fall. Gideon meets your gaze, gesturing towards the door. That’s all you need to run out of the bullpen. 
“Spencer– Spencer, wait, please.” You tug on his arm desperately. “Please–”
“What do you mean you’re leaving?” He asks, his voice cracking. It has only been a few days since the incident and he looks a little better. The scratches on his face are still visible, but they’re fading slowly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I–” you falter, flinching at the pain and hostility in his voice. “It was never a good time.”
He scoffs quietly, rubbing at his arm. “You should have told me.”
“I couldn’t just randomly tell you,” you say, frowning. “How would that be fair?”
Spencer rubs his eyes, the dark bags beneath them even more prominent. “Why are you leaving?”
“I have to,” you say gently, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I love this job but I can’t do it anymore–”
“Why not?!”
“Because–!” You exhale, trying to calm yourself down. “Because I swore an oath when I took this job that I will put this country above myself. And I can do that. I would die for this country to protect the people in it, I will hunt down the people who make this country so unsafe and I will sacrifice myself willingly, but you? I can’t– I can’t lose you. If I had to choose between catching the UnSub and saving you, I would save you in a heartbeat. Even if that meant letting a bad guy go. Even if that meant more people would get hurt I would still choose you and I can’t let that happen.”
Your words deem him speechless and he shifts his weight on his feet. For a moment, all he can do is stare at you as your reasoning sinks in. It makes sense. He hates that it makes sense. 
“So that’s it?” He asks quietly, finally looking you in the eye. “You’re actually leaving?”
“Not for another two weeks,” you tell him truthfully. “Besides, you can still text me. And call me. You know where I live so you can always visit.”
He bites the inside of his cheek anxiously, teetering on his feet before hugging you tightly, burying his nose into your hair. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I’m going to miss you too.”
His grip is tight around you and if you paid attention you could feel him tremble. “I can’t do this job without you.”
“Don’t say that,” you whisper. “You can, Walter. You’re stronger than you think you are.”
There are so many things he wishes he could tell you. You’re right here. He doesn’t have to yearn for your touch anymore because you’re right here in his arms. He wants to tell you so many things. Like how he adores the colour of your eyes, or the way you smile, or the way your hair falls. He wants to tell you how much he likes spending time with you and how he feels so good with you but he can’t. The words are at the tip of his tongue so how can he not say anything?
“I–” love you– “I’m really going to miss you.”
“Me too,” you whisper. “Me too.”
Tumblr media
← previous part || next part →
full work
Tumblr media
reblogs are always appreciated!
2K notes · View notes
boldlyvoid · 3 months
Text
Waiting Rooms
Tumblr media
Aaron Hotchner x Fem Reader
Summary: JJ goes into labour with her second baby, on Christmas Eve. Aaron and Emily are the only two still in town, they rush to the hospital to support her where Aaron meets a lovely woman who's friend is also giving birth that same night.
Warnings: Pregnant JJ, mentions of throwing up, Meet Cutes, Love at First Sight | Canon rewrite: Haley doesn't die, JJ doesn't lose her baby in season 6, Emily is Alive and living with Aaron for the time being
Word Count: 2.7k
Tumblr media
After losing Emily, JJ was able to rejoin the team. And thank god because Hotch was struggling to keep things afloat without both of them. Spencer was a mess, Penelope was needier than ever and Derek... Derek had this look of vengeance in his eyes that made Aaron worried what he did to Foyet look like a walk in the park.
It was scary. 
The only one who was semi okay was Dave and that’s only because he’s better at hiding his feelings than anyone else on the team. 
JJ was doing really good pretending to be distraught while knowing the truth that their good friend was safely tucked away in Paris for the time being. But something was off about her in the first few weeks that she was back… something he couldn’t quite place until she threw up on the jet. 
He went back to pour himself a drink on their way home when he heard her in the jet washroom. He was instantly worried, he knocked on the door and asked if she was okay. She groaned, but let him in. He helped her up to her feet again, got her some tissues to wipe her mouth and stared at her with the most concern in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” 
“Nothing's wrong,” she can’t help but smile. “I’m pregnant…” 
He’s been so, so happy for her ever since. He keeps close to her side on cases, he keeps snacks in his bag for her and they double up in hotel rooms later on in her pregnancy just in case she needs anything in the middle of the night. She’s not one to go on early maternity leave, so starting at 27 weeks, he steps up his protectiveness and steps in when he knows she needs to go easy on herself. Wills grateful, he knows she’s in good hands with all the boys on the team and even Sever was really good at taking care of her before she transferred over to Andy Swan’s unit. 
And much to everyone's surprise, Emily is back in their life when JJ hits 7 months pregnant and she’s so pissed that she can’t be involved in the takedown due to her baby bump. She wanted revenge, she wanted to make Ian Doyle pay… but getting to sit back at the BAU with Emily made up for it. Everything goes smoothly, they get Ian in custody, and they find his son-- sure the criminals all died at the trade-off, but at least Emily was safe from here on out. 
The team is overjoyed that they get another Halloween with Emily. Another Thanksgiving, another Christmas and right as New Year's rolls around, JJ is due to bring in another member to their little family… they get two weeks off baring any emergency cases and so everyone goes their separate ways with the plan to come back right before new years to be there when JJ has her baby.  
Spencer’s gone back to Vegas with his mom, Derek goes to Chicago with his mom and sisters, and Dave ends up in Long Island with his cousins and the few aunts he has left… Haley has Jack for Christmas this year, Penelope was volunteering at the local homeless shelter to give out Turkey dinner and so that left Emily and Aaron at his house— where she’s been living since coming back, with nothing to do.
And then the phone rings right before midnight. Moments before Christmas Day click's over.  
“Hotchner?” He answers, expecting it to be a work call. 
“Hey, JJ’s water broke and we’re at the hospital. Her mom has Henry, she’s like 5 centimetres now and she really wants you and Emily here,” Will rushes out. 
“I need them!” She calls from the background. 
“We’ll be there in a few minutes,” he assures before hanging up. He quickly gets up from bed to put his pants back on and rushes out the door, down the hall, he knocks on Emily’s door. 
“What?” She answers and so he pushes the door open. She has a book in one hand and wine in the other. “Sure, come in.” 
“JJ’s water broke, she wants us there,” he says. “Come on, I’ll see you downstairs.” 
He grabs the rest of his things while she hurries to get back into something appropriate for waiting in a hospital for god knows how long. But they were going to be there the whole time. They were last time, they would be this time and then again if she ever has a 3rd. Or 4th… but he doesn’t see that happening. 
The drive over is nice, the roads are clear and it doesn’t look like it’ll snow again anytime soon. Emily’s quiet, bouncing her knee and picking at her fingers. She’s not good with other people being in pain, especially not the people she loves… she’s the first one in the room when they get there. She kisses JJ on the head and asks if she needs anything and JJ just smiles up at her. 
“They gave me the good shit,” she holds up her hand with an IV in it. “I’m great.” 
“You look good,” Aaron gives her a smile. He loves her like a daughter, he’s so proud of her and she does look amazing for a woman going through the worst pain imaginable. 
Just before she can reply, a nurse shows up in the doorway, “I’m so sorry, but it’s after visiting hours which means we can only allow 2 family members in the room at a time…” 
“I’ll go,” Aaron offers, knowing how much time with Emily would mean to JJ. “I’ll be in the waiting room.” 
“Okay,” JJ gives him a smile. “Thank you for coming, Aaron.” 
“Anytime,” he smiles right back before heading out with a wave. 
The waiting room is pretty empty, seeing as it is just after midnight on Christmas Day. Most people plan to have a baby around Christmas, avoiding it like the plague. JJ wasn’t due till New Year's, but, she has a habit of going into labour early. He sits alone in one of the pink pleather seats, there’s magazines on a rack in the corner and the news quietly on the TV screwed into the wall in the top right corner of the room. The chair he picked is perfect for watching the TV, however depressing the reports are, it keeps him company for the time being. 
Another woman walks out into the waiting room 10 minutes later with a similar disappointed look on her face. “You get kicked out for not being family, too?” She asks him. 
He nods, “I did. But it’s okay.” 
“Can I sit beside you?” She asks and actually starts to sit well before he can nod. “Do you know what your friends are having?” 
“Uh, no,” he lies. Keeping their privacy. “We just hope it’s healthy.” 
“Same… but Cassy— my co-worker, she’s having a girl,” she explains. “Sorry, uh, I’m Y/N,” she sticks her hand out to shake his and make his acquaintance. 
“Aaron,” he smiles back. “Was your friend due today?” 
She nods, “Yeah, actually she was. We didn’t expect her to go in today because this is her first, sometimes they take a little longer but then her contractions started getting really bad a few hours ago.” 
“This is my friend's second,” he shares. Finding it easy to open up to her. She’s nice, she doesn’t have a threatening bone in her body. And her smile is beautiful. “She actually went early both times.” 
“Wow, lucky,” she laughs. “I really hope if I have a baby one day that it’s easy and quick…” 
“You don’t have any kids?” 
She shakes her head. “No, I don't even have a boyfriend… sorry, you didn’t need to know that.” 
“It’s okay,” he smiles. “I uh, I have a son. He just turned 6, and he’s with his mom this Christmas.” 
“Do you guys go back and forth?” 
He nods, “It’s easier on him this way.” 
“I bet,” she nods along, staring off at the floor, awkwardly losing the conversation there. 
They’re silent for a few minutes and then he looks around to see where the vending machines are. “Are you hungry?” 
“A little… but I used my cash on the parking pass,” she shares, lips pressed together, she’s not going to ask for food and she looks like she doesn’t want him to offer either. 
“I’ll be right back, save my seat for me?” 
“Okay,” she gives him another smile and he feels like blushing. She’s so pretty… 
He gets a coffee from one machine and a bunch of snacks from the other, including a bottle of water and if she wants his coffee, he’ll just go back and get a second. He brings back his haul and places them on the little coffee table in front of their chairs, “Merry Christmas.” 
She laughs again, “You didn’t have to do this?” 
“We’re going to be here for a while, might as well eat up,” he shrugs, he really doesn’t mind. “Did you want coffee?” 
She shakes her head, “No, I’m okay but thank you.” 
“Take whatever you want,” he points to his collection of things. “There’s chips, candy, chocolate… they also had some egg salad sandwiches in there, if you prefer one of them?” 
“No, no, it’s okay,” she assures him. “Thank you, I’ll take some chips… but first, I’m going to see if a nurse has a remote for the TV, the news is so sad and boring lately.” 
“Oh, thank you. I get enough of this stuff at work,” he sighs with a shake of his head. 
She disappears then, over to the nurses station and comes back with a remote inside a plastic bag. “What do you want to watch?” 
“Anything is fine with me,” he assures. 
“Okay,” she starts to flip through the channels. “What do you do at work?” 
“I’m… I’m an FBI agent,” he tells her the truth. Feeling safe enough with her to be honest. 
“Oh wow,” she’s impressed. “So is that why you didn’t tell me about what your friend is having?” 
“What?” 
“I teach kids, I can tell when someone is lying to me,” she explains with a smile. “Your voice went up a bit, you looked away from me… you know what she’s having.” 
“I do. We’ve seen a few cases of people trying to hurt us specifically, I’m always weary to talk about my kid, her kids, any kids really because it shows people we have weak spots.” 
“I feel you… I have to watch 23 kids for 8 hours a day and keep them all safe while school shootings are on the rise,” she explains. 
“We don’t deal with a lot of those… but I see kidnappings often. At least 1 a month. It’s terrifying not being able to be with my son all day every day, but knowing there are teachers like you out there means a lot,” he gives her a smile. 
“I would do anything for my kids,” she nods, the most genuine smile on her face as she stares into his eyes. “And I’m glad there are people like you out there who would be able to get the guy who puts me in a position to do anything for them.” 
“And I get them all,” he assures her. 
“I’m sure you do,” she smirks. Liking how cocky he is. “Do you wear a uniform like cops do or?” 
“I typically wear a suit… and when I’m in the field a bulletproof vest— no suit jacket though.” 
“Ah,” she likes the sound of that, looking him up and down. “And does your son have a mother?” 
“He does… she’s with someone else, they’re all together at their new house right now,” he explains. “Scott is actually asking her to marry him tomorrow— well, today technically.” 
“How weird is that for you?” 
“Not really weird, I like him. He’s nice,” Aaron shrugs. “And he’s good with my son so I’m glad he has another father figure who’s home more than I am.” 
“Your son sounds very lucky,” she smiles. “You clearly love him so much.” 
“I really do,” he smiles right back. Something about her makes him so happy, the way she compliments him how she looks at him and how easy it is to just talk to her. “Are you doing anything tomorrow?” 
She shakes her head, “Nope… don’t know when I’ll be leaving here though and I do need some sleep.” 
“Yeah, same,” he forgot how long labour takes. “What about on New Year's?” 
“I’m free,” she assures, leaning more into his space. “Are you asking me out, agent?” 
“I am,” he nods, staring down at her lips and then back to her eyes. “You’re so nice and pretty… I’d like to get to know you more.” 
“I’d like to—
“Aaron,” a voice calls out. Emily’s voice. “We have another niece.” 
He’s quick to pull away and stand up, “already?” 
She nods, “JJ is good at what she does… who’s this?” 
“Oh, hi,” she stands up and puts her hand out to his friend. “I’m Y/N.” 
“Emily,” she smiles. “Nice to meet you…” 
“my friend is also having a baby tonight,” she awkwardly smiles. “But go, go meet this little girl. I’ll talk to you later?” 
“Yeah,” he nods, “I’ll come back out and see you before I leave?” 
“sounds good.” 
Emily walks him down the hall and stops at the door, “only 2 people are allowed in there at a time… I can go keep your friend company?” 
“Don’t… don’t be weird. I like her, she’s sweet,” he whispers. “I don’t get to meet nice, normal women often, let me have this.” 
“You can have her, I’ll go to Penelope’s,” she teases and he swats her arm. “Hey, okay, go in. I’ll wait out here.” 
Penelope is the next one to show up, Will and Aaron go out for some bad coffee, giving the girls some time to talk and Y/N’s nowhere to be seen out in the waiting room. Her friend must’ve had her baby… and he never had the chance to get her number. 
Visiting hours start again in a little while, meaning that they’ll all be allowed in her room soon and maybe, just maybe, he can have a peak into the other rooms to see her? 
Before he knows it, JJ goes for a nap, Penelope and Emily head out to get some food and Will sits beside his wife with his hand over hers. A nurse is coming in to take the baby for tests and monitoring and Will lets Aaron accompany her wherever she goes. She doesn’t have a name yet, she’s just baby girl LaMontagne and she’s the cutest. 
He waits outside the glass windows, watching all the nurses attend to all the babies wrapped up in their blue and pink blankets. He’s staring at them with so much awe and happiness, he doesn’t notice someone coming up beside him until she’s bumping shoulders with him. 
“hey there…” 
“Hi,” he beams a smile at her. “Did she have the baby?” 
She nods, “Yeah, she’s right there,” she points at the cot beside JJ’s daughter. 
“My friend's is to the right of her,” he coos. “Isn’t she beautiful?” 
“She is,” Y/N swoons. “God, now I want one even more.” 
“You’d be a good mom,” he whispers. “I can tell.” 
“Cause you’re a good dad or a good agent?” She teases. 
“A bit of both… Do you still want to go out sometime?” 
“I would,” she can’t believe it. She looks up at him in awe, “do you want my number?” 
“I would love your number,” he says as he pulls out his phone and hands it to her. “I don’t go back to work until the 3rd, intense cases permitting… so I was thinking maybe we could go to dinner? Maybe take a walk around and see the lights and fireworks at midnight?” 
“I’d really like that,” she swoons as she hands his phone back to him. “Even if we just ordered in and watched TV, I’d have fun with you.” 
“You know, out of all my times in waiting rooms, this has to be my favourite,” he teases. “I’m so glad I met you.” 
“Me too… and if it all works out, we have two little girls to thank for this,” she points at the two babies side by side, peaceful as ever. 
“That we do.” 
Tumblr media
General Taglist 
@ncsls0515 @stevesmunsons @reidsbookclub @sweetyyhippyy @manuosorioh @mrs-dr-reid @k-k0129 @squishyturtle @katsukis1wife @buckleyhans @mrs-ssa-hotch
288 notes · View notes
cloudlessly-light · 4 months
Note
Request: Just some good old fashioned hotchniss 69ing…would be fab
A/N: This is a new multi chapter that has a little bit of plot but will have smut based on some of the asks you have sent in. I hope you enjoy our favorite idiots in love being filthy with each other!  
Title: Seems you cannot be replaced (Chapter 1/7)   Summary: It shouldn’t have happened, but they were drunk. It shouldn’t have happened but it felt right. It shouldn’t have happened but now it has. It shouldn’t have happened and now they have to deal with it.
Or, Emily always leaves before he wakes up, but she always leaves a note. Word Count: 2,9k Rating: Explicit Warnings (for this chapter): Smut, oral, 69ing, consumption of alcohol Overall warnings: feelings, angst, hurt/comfort, smut, dirty talk, oral sex, sexting, consumtion of alcohol, porn porn porn, will probably add onto the warnings list as I go
She first noticed how different Aaron was from Hotch that first super bowl weekend she spent with the team out at a bar. He was more relaxed, joking and teasing as Haley sat beside him. They seemed happy, almost oblivious to the outside world as he dragged her onto the makeshift dance floor next to Derek.
But there was something about the way Haley’s eyes were lazed with a silent panic, something about the way Aaron was touching her in a way that seemed almost desperate that makes Emily take pause.
She finds out later that their marriage is strained, that Haley always felt like his second choice and the guilt Aaron felt was never-ending.
When he’s served divorce papers, Emily almost finds it cruel, the way the legal courier shows up at the office, in front of everyone. She thinks that Haley could have just given them to him herself, behind closed doors. But this way the hurt is worse for him and she realizes that it’s what Haley had wanted, some type of revenge for choosing strangers in need before herself and their child.
And Emily wonders why something in her chest clenches achingly at the empty look in his eyes as he leaves them with the papers in hand.
He doesn’t mention it in front of her, doesn’t talk about it with anybody except Dave. But then he comes back with Spencer after the disastrous interview with Chester Hardwick and she sees the signed divorce papers on his desk that same day. He catches her eyes on the papers but doesn’t say anything, so she doesn’t either, just leaves the files in her hand silently on his desk.
When she gets home that night something feels off, something nagging at her. He always checks in with them when he notices if something is wrong with them, she wonders if anybody checks in on him.
She sends him a text before she can talk herself out of it.
Emily: Are you okay?
The ding of an incoming text comes just after she had ordered dinner for herself and had changed into a pair of tights and a loose shirt.
Aaron: It’s been a long day.
For a moment she wonders if that’s his way of politely telling her mind her own business and stay out of his private life, but she had never been one for beating around the bush.
Emily: Do you want to talk about it?
To her surprise, he texts her back instantly, and in that one word their relationship changed forever.
Aaron: Yes.
She quickly called the restaurant back and changed her order for two and grabbed her bag.
Emily: I’ll be at yours in 20.
*
“In the end, I just wasn’t enough. I don’t blame her.” He says as he sits on the couch that still smells new. His eyes are closed, head leaning back against the backrest, the scotch forgotten in front of him on the coffee table. He’s had too many, she has too and somewhere in the back of his mind he makes a note to make sure to call her a cab later.
“I do.” She says bluntly and Aaron looks at her with a mix of amusement and irritation and she marvels how he manages to look both at the same time. But the corner of his mouth was quivering upwards, while his eyebrows remained furrowed in what she once thought was a permanent frown. “I don’t mean that I don’t understand her side of it, I do. But thanks to you, horrible people are behind bars and innocent lives have been saved.”
“She knows that. But she got tired of feeling like I always put you before her.”
“Me?” Her eyes snaps to his and he’s immediately tenses, even through the slight blurriness of alcohol and defeat.
“The team.” The correction makes her exhale softly but his eyes stay on hers and she has trouble looking away.
“Of course.”
The room goes silent, tension suddenly thick and awkward as they continue to look at each other. Emily could feel the way he was studying her intensely and she felt a tingle creep down her spine in response.
“Prentiss?” He says and his voice is suddenly breathier, lower and the sound makes a dull ache settle between her thighs. The way his eyes move over her body quickly is almost undetectable, but she catches it and it makes her swallow hard, her throat suddenly dry.
“Hotch?” She questions and this time the smile he had forced away appears on his face.
“Thank you for coming over.” His warm hand lands on her shoulder and she thinks that this is the first time he’s touched her purposefully.
“Not a problem.” She tries to keep the very inappropriate thoughts away, hopes that he doesn’t notice the way her cheeks heat or the way her pulse quickens. She swallows down the rest of her own liquor, the burn of it no longer present but the warmth of it still fills her belly in a pleasant way. When she stands up a few moments later, he’s quick to stand too. “I should get going.” She mumbles, the flush still on her cheeks and eyes now anywhere but near him.
Aaron follows her as she heads to the door to grab her jacket.
“I’ll call you a cab.” He says and she nods in agreement.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Whatever she had expected in that moment, it was not Aaron leaning forward to open the door, just as she turned, causing her to knock into his chest and his hands grabbed onto her waist to steady her.
“Sorry.” He muttered, face so close to hers that his breath fell against her cheek.
“It’s okay.” It came out breathy, and she felt his fingers dig into her for a second. Her eyes flitted from his down to his mouth and then up again. His pupils were dilated, his hands not letting go of her. It was wrong, she knew that, he knew that. Later she would blame the alcohol for what happened between them, but right then she didn’t want to leave, didn’t want him to let go. “Hotch, I-”
Whatever else she was going to say was cut off by his lips on hers, soft, but determined as he kissed her. The soft sound of surprise that leaves her, is swallowed up by him as one of his hands move from her waist to the back of her neck, keeping her close and not breaking the kiss.
They shouldn’t do this, this was the worst thing they could do, but the thought disappears the moment he presses her back against the door, his thigh in between hers and pushing against her. The happy murmur that escapes him when he feels the heat of her is low and dark and she immediately feels the need to hear it again. She moves a hand under his shirt, feels the warmth of his back against the palm of her hand and when her short nails dig into him he groans again and Emily know that any logic and reason is gone.
When they break apart they’re panting, lips swollen and eyes heated and Emily only nods quickly before he’s picking her up with impressive ease. His hands are huge, she thinks as he grabs her ass and her legs wrap around his waist and he walks them towards his bedroom. His lips are soft, his stubble rough, as he kisses down her neck and the mix of sensations makes her mewl and pull on his shirt greedily.
Before she actually gets the shirt off him, he’s throwing her on the bed, a smug grin on his face when she yelps in surprise and she laughs breathlessly in return.
“Come here.” She beckons him and pulls her shirt off. By the time it lands on the floor Aaron is kneeling between her legs, his hands on her hips and eyes dark as he starts to pull her tights down her legs. She lifts her hips enough for him to get them off her and when he looks down at her in just her underwear she feels self-conscious for a moment.
“Gorgeous.” He says like he can read her mind. “Fucking perfect.” The words are growled against her lips before he kisses her again, his tongue pushing past her lips and taking control and she lets him. His hips press against hers, and she feels the bulge of him through his pants and her hips rocks into his with a gasp.
“How come I’m almost naked and you’re still fully dressed?” She whispers when he pulls back to kiss down her neck again. The low hum vibrates against her pulse as he smile’s against her skin.
“That’s a very good question.” He gets up on his knees again and pulls his shirt off and she feels her mouth water at the sight of him. He looks powerful, subtle muscle under soft skin, the fine hairs on his chest that trail down to where his pants are still on, hiding his erection from her but there’s no mistaking the outline of him beneath the dark fabric, hard, huge. When he palms his erection over his pants she licks her lips and his eyes flash with want. His pants soon join the shirt on the floor and while Emily gets her bra off he’s kicking away his boxers and then tugs her panties down.
She’s just about to pull him down to her when he lays down beside her.
“Sit on my face.” His voice is thick with need, his fingers trembling when he reaches for her.
“What?” She freezes for a moment but the flush on her cheeks is instant.
“Sit on my face.” He says it again with a smirk and in the corner of her eye she sees his cock twitch as it lays on his stomach, thick and heavy. She knows that this is his own way of taking some of the control he’s felt like he’s lost the last couple of months back. When she nods the look on his face turns close to wild, and his tongue darts out to lick over his bottom lip.
She’s careful as she straddles his face but he’s quick to pull her down, his arms strong as he grabs her thighs. The first swipe of his tongue is agonizingly slow, starting from her clit and moving through her lips until he can push his tongue deep inside of her. She moans and her hips move against his face in response and she hears him hum in satisfaction before doing it again, just as slowly.
Emily hadn’t realized just how wound up she had been until she felt his tongue against her wet flesh, teasing as he flicks her clit quickly with the tip of his tongue and then delves it inside of her again and again and again.
“Hotch, fuck I-” The feeling of his lips suddenly around her clit makes her hips jerk and she falls forward, barely catching herself with one hand on his hip and the other on the bed. “Jesus Christ.” She gasps, eyes closed tight as he sucks greedily, fingers gripping hard to keep her in place. When she opens her eyes she quickly sees his cock, swollen and leaking and she takes him in her mouth without warning.
“Fuck!” He hisses at the sudden pleasure, the heat of her mouth something he hadn’t expected. Her tongue is soft but wicked as she licks around him, tasting the precum with a moan and then pushing further down until he feels her throat contract and she pulls back. It takes him another few seconds before he’s able to focus on her again and Emily feels smug as she swallows around him. Then his hold on her tightens again and his mouth is back on her. It’s obvious that he’s done teasing as he licks over her clit with a broad tongue and not long after she feels two of his thick fingers press inside of her.
She moans, the sound muffled around his shaft as she continues to suck and lick everywhere she can reach, trying to give as good as she’s getting. The groans from him spurs her on, makes her bop her head in time with his pumping fingers. When the hand still on her hip tightens enough to bruise she sucks in a breath, the slight pain only blurring into pleasure when he sucks her clit.
“I-I’m close.” She pulls off him to pant out, breathy moans falling from her as she uses her hand to jerk him.
“Good.” He grunts quickly before licking quickly over her clit and curling his fingers against her, making her hips twitch.
Emily licks over the tip of him, swallows down the salty taste of him before taking the head between her lips. Her tongue runs across it and around it and he jerks up against her, so she does it again, licks and sucks a little harder, pumps his base with her hand and she feels his thighs tensing.
Like it’s a contest he refuses to lose, he’s dragging the pleasure from her body with sure movements. He grazes her teeth against her clit and then sucks it between his lips just as fingers push a little harder into her and then she’s coming with a muffled cry.
Her hips grind into his face as her body trembles in pleasure and Aaron keeps going, even when she’s sure her movements must make it impossible for him to breathe. His cock is still in her mouth, her moans vibrating against his shaft. Somehow she’s still lazily pumping him and he’s so close that the moment Emily’s come down from her high and sucks the tip of him he groans and tenses.
“Fuck, stop I’m going to-”
The flick of her tongue and the twist of her hand is enough to make him come, his orgasm intense as he shudders underneath her. Through blurry pleasure he feels her swallow down his release, her hand not stopping as she drags pleasure from his body. She continues until he’s oversensitive and he rolls her off him with a breathless laugh.
“Shit that was intense.” He chuckles as she joins him as she sits up beside him.
“It was great.” She grins and runs her hair through her messy hair.
“But,” his eyes move over her naked body, another surge of arousal already settling low in his stomach. “I had every intention of fucking you.”
“And what are we going to do about that?” Her eyebrow arches and her teeth dig into her bottom lip to keep her smile at bay. His hands are on her within seconds, pulling her down and hovering above her as she laughs again.
“I guess you’re going to have to come on my fingers until I’m hard again.”
She whimpers when two fingers press back inside of her, twisting and pulling and his smirk deepens. Emily hadn’t thought that he’d be like this and even though she didn’t want to admit to it, she had wondered what he was like in bed. But whatever she had thought it wasn’t this. She secretly wondered if it was because they had been drinking, that he felt free enough to be this carefree and self-assured because of lowered inhibitions. But she couldn’t think about it, not when his palm pressed against her already swollen clit and his mouth was around a nipple, sucking just enough to make her back arch into him.
“Don’t stop.” She whimpered and he let go of her breast.
“That’s it, squeeze my fingers just like that.” He continued to whisper dirty words against her ear until she was straining and her fingers were gripping the sheets in tight fists. When she comes again he mutters words of encouragement that she just barely hears over the ringing in her ears.
She’s panting and sweaty by the time he turns her around on all fours and enters her with a grunt that’s just as loud as her moan. They fuck in the way Emily loves and the way she’s pretty sure Aaron hasn’t for years. Hands are heavy and grabbing, bodies twisting and straining in pleasure, lips searching and tongues tasting.
By the time Aaron comes inside of her, she’s exhausted, muscles burning and brain foggy from the many orgasms he’s pulled from her like he had some secret manual to how her body works.
He pulls her against him, still panting as he settles onto his side and fits her against him. She pretends that she doesn’t know that she should leave, wants to give them both a few more minutes of this and as she feels her eyelids getting heavy she feels his breathing evening out behind her.
Aaron wakes up the next morning with the kind of headache you only get from drinking too much. His tongue feels dry in his mouth, the room spins slightly and then memories from the previous night flood his brain. His eyes land on the empty spot beside him, quickly finds the receipt from the dinner they had the night before, words scribbled on the back of it. Through blurry eyes he reaches for it reads it, not knowing if he’s relieved or not by the lack of his subordinate in his bed.
Thought it would be best if I left before you woke up – Prentiss
76 notes · View notes
animekpopsimp · 11 months
Text
Stardew Valley Characters (Comforting you after a nightmare)
Tumblr media
Abigail
She's a night owl so she's awake when you start to stir because of your nightmare. Worried, she gently shakes you awake, getting more worried when she notices the way your body shakes. She gently pulls you into a hug, rubbing circles on your back to calm you down. Abigail doesn't say anything, she doesn't pressure you to tell her about your dream, she simply lays with you until you fall back asleep and falls asleep next to you.
Sebastian
Sebastian feels you tossing and turning next to him and wakes up, he watches as you open your eyes, tears welling up in them. A frown appears on his face as he wraps his arms around you, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. He whispers calming words in your ear, and eventually, you fall asleep.
Shane
When he wakes up to see you tossing and turning in your sleep, he instantly knows what's happening. He gently shakes you awake, looking concerned. He silently pulls you into a hug, letting you rest your head on his shoulder as he runs a hand through your hair to calm you down. He doesn't ask you to talk about it and simply stays awake with you until you fall asleep.
Harvey
Harvey is woken up when you wake up and he gets really worried when he sees the look on your face. He quietly asks what's wrong, but won't push you to ask about it.
Emily
Emily is super sweet when you have a nightmare, before you even wake up she pulls you into her arms and runs a hand through your hair to calm you down. She'll place a kiss on your forehead and make sure you don't wake up before going back to bed herself.
Maru
Maru is usually a heavy sleeper but when she feels you tossing and turning in your sleep she finally wakes up. When she sees you moving around in your sleep she gently shakes you awake. Her voice is gentle as she asks you what's wrong, she doesn't push you to say anything and silently comforts you until you fall asleep.
Leah
She wakes up as soon as she feels you tossing and turning, Leah doesn't wake you up, she simply pulls you into her arms and holds you until you calm down.
Sam
Sam is woken up when you shake him. He notices the look on your face and can immediately tell that something is wrong. He lets you hug him, not pushing you to say anything unless you want to. Sam runs a hand through your hair to calm you down and eventually, you fall asleep in his arms again.
Alex
Being a light sleeper he wakes up as soon as he feels you moving around in your sleep. He gets worried and gently shakes you awake. He doesn't even ask you what's wrong and simply hugs you until yo gall back asleep.
Elliot
Elliot often stays up reading so he's awake when he notices that you're having a nightmare. He closes his book and joins you in bed, pulling you into his arms, and waits until you calm down before falling asleep himself.
Penny
When Penny feels you shaking her awake she looks over at you, becoming worried when she notices the look on you're face. She lets you hug her, rubbing circles on your back until you calm down enough to fall asleep.
Haley
Haley is slightly startled when she feels you moving in your sleep. She immediately knows that you're having a nightmare. She pulls you into her arms, placing a kiss on your forehead. She waits until you calm down and then falls back asleep.
157 notes · View notes
kleftiko · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
❦ OUR BITTERSWEET MOMENT PT. 2
cw: mature, fem!reader, angst
part 2 (dedicated to @cherriesx cause they just GET this)
PART 1 | PART 3
Tumblr media
you’re home from a case.
“this calls for drinks!” rossi smiles. “on me.”
“can’t say no to that.” morgan agrees, followed by emily’s “count me in.”
with the promise of free drinks, the team consents to a laid back night in a bar, and one by one, they all file out to the elevator, waiting for their unit chief to speak.
“one drink.” hotch nods and the team immediately relaxes into off duty mode.
penelope loops your arm in hers, talking about the time she had too much tequila and tried to convince her shoes to be a different colour.
emily drove you two, because you didn’t have a car, and penelope was planning on getting wasted.
and wasted she did get.
her bubbly mood is a contagious disease that tricks you into having drinks in too quick a succession. you know your limits and pace, but all logic of it flies out the window when with garcia.
“i think i’m done for the night.” you told jj when you felt the drinks.
“i’ll take you home.” hotch mentions from the other side of her, already having his coat on.
you’re glad you cut yourself off right before tipsy.
“thank you, sir.” you mumble, grabbing your jacket and saying your goodbyes.
hotch walks you to his car, where the first few minutes of the ride are silent except for you reminding him of your address.
you’re thankful you didn’t do anything stupid, the thought of saying something to your boss while tipsy gave you too much anxiety.
“so how are things at home?” you ask.
“quiet,” he responds, “haley took jack to her sister’s, and i moved into an apartment.”
crap.
you forgot he just got divorced.
you were almost home free without saying anything stupid.
“oh.” you muster. “it’s quiet at my place too…except when my neighbour starts screaming at her son to move out.”
you catch a small smile on hotch’s face through the rearview mirror and let out a silent sigh of relief.
and it’s quiet after that.
he pulls up at the corner of the block and you thank him for the ride.
“i’ll walk you to your door.” he says, unbuckling his seatbelt. “i want to make sure my team members are safe.”
your heart flutters a bit at his words, even though you know this is standard for hotch and he’s walked penelope to her door hundreds of times when she’s been drinking.
“thank you, sir.” you say and lead the way.
not another word is spoken until you reach your front door.
“you don’t have to call me ‘sir’ out of the office.” hotch says as you pull out your keys. you turn away from him to unlock your door, not knowing what to say.
“Y/LN.” he catches your attention, you turn on habit and he’s right in front of you. your eyes are met with his coat until you physically tilt your head. “what’s going on?”
“what do you mean si—what do you mean?” you correct yourself.
his eyes are boring into yours. you find yourself apathetic in this moment. you want to say you blame the alcohol for the thoughts coming to your head. but you know deep down an experienced profiler like hotch would find out something was wrong eventually.
so instead of speaking, you drop your jacket, bag, and keys to the floor without breaking eye contact.
this man’s presence has caused you countless pain simply for the fact that he existed and was not yours.
in this moment you just didn’t care.
you grab the side of his face and pull him into a harsh kiss. you pour everything into it—body melting, lips locking—and you find hotch grabbing at your hips to stabilize you.
his demeanour changes, pushing himself into you, and in turn, you against your door. bodies are flush against one another, and his presence seems to dominate as he takes over in a hunger. enveloping you into him, because even though you initiated, he is kissing you. and you allow this, craving every part of this man just like you have for so long, one hand into his short hair, one to grasp at his coat covered chest.
his grip on your hips turns painful in his desire to have you, his leg slipping between yours as he presses into the one place you need him most. you moan quietly.
and he freezes.
reality seems to hit him like a brick when he comes to, lips detaching in an instant as he stills like stone.
you look up at him in fear to find his jaw clenched, eyes screwed shut, face just in front of yours. his hand comes up from your hip and hits the door behind you with his fist. not enough to scare you, but enough to see that this took a lot of self restraint.
he wanted you too.
and he stopped.
“we can’t do this.” he whispers harshly.
you want to say something—anything—but he releases you and turns around in a second. you register his back fading as he turns a corner and is out of sight.
he leaves you at your front door with a sea of emotions.
desire, guilt, fear, lust.
there’s no telling what would happen on monday.
Tumblr media
✧—place an order—✧
304 notes · View notes
Note
Hii, I was the anon from the makeup request, the one with the bachelors
I love it! thanks for your answer, but now that I read my ask I realized I wrote it all wrong 🤡
What I wanted to ask is what you think would be their reaction if the farmer asked to put make up on them. Like, it may be something basic or some of that "turning my bf into a kpop idol" type of makeup
I hope you don't mind me asking again 😅
Ooooh, you mean that.
Of course, I don't mind writing about this scenario at all! Let's consider it a continuation of that headcanon. Thanks for the question 💕🫰
Stardew Valley:
Alex:
"Hon, why don't you ask someone else? Haley, for example?"
Alex isn't particularly happy about the very idea of make-up, thinking it's a 'girly things'.
"Honey, you sat with a face mask for two hours yesterday." "That's different!"
Still agreeing to Farmer's request.
Alex didn't like the make-up. No, Farmer did it all right, it's just the sheer feel of make-up... The athlete wants to wash it all off.
"Sorry, love, not for me."
Shane:
"Sure, why not."
Shane had already tried make-up on himself when he was in Emily's clothes therapy, so this wasn't new to him.
True, he'll grumble if the make-up takes longer than an hour.
But the results! Shane looks like a cool metal star!
The Farmer is happy with his work. Shane is happy as well.
Elliott:
Elliott sure spends a lot of time and money caring for his gorgeous hair.
Face cosmetics, on the other hand....
Sure, scrubs and face masks are in his kit too, but he's not really a fan of foundation and eyeliner.
"My soul, I just try to look naturally beautiful!" ("Nothing against the make-up itself, though.")
If Farmer wants the most minimal make-up, however, the writer will go along with it.
Sam:
"Sure, baby! Make me a rock star!"
Easier said than done, because Sam keeps fidgeting as Farmer tries to apply his rock band make-up.
"That tickles!" "Sam, don't move!"
Very pleased with his cool make-up.
Sam will take a hundred selfies of himself and Farmer and brag about how talented his partner is and how cool he is.
Will wear make-up all the time (until Jodi makes him wash it off).
Sebastian:
As I said earlier, Sebastian uses eyeliner (I'll fight with everyone for that headcanon).
So he'll always be happy to have Farmer help him.
Sebby hasn't really tried the other facial cosmetics, but he won't refuse Farmer when they ask.
Stands as steadfast as a statue.
Super ultra emo make-up done! Everyone's happy.
Harvey:
"Oh, no, darling. I shouldn't."
In fact, Harvey had once considered it to disguise skin imperfections on his face.
However, the finicky doctor would take a long time to go through the cosmetics.
"How, in the Yoba's name, do they even sell these things? They're bad for the skin. And this foundation has been the cause of allergies in many of my patients!"
To be honest, Harvey would be more against make-up than for it. His skin health is more important to him.
Stardew Valley Expanded:
Magnus Rasmodius:
Heh. Good luck to them, with his thick beard....
"Should I shave it off-" "No."
Magnus finds it unnecessary, so he politely declines the idea.
"Then how do you know the instant make-up spell?" "A talented wizard is talented at everything."
Farmer can try to do his make-up in his sleep, but if he wakes up, Farmer will levitate the rest of the night.
Victor:
On the one hand, Victor does not consider make-up as something important for him.
On the other hand, the Farmer looks at him with puppy eyes...
"Well, okay..." A rather strange feeling for him. But the result amazed him.
Victor looks quite fresh now, and yet the make-up is unnoticeable. It's like it's not even there!
"Okay, I take it back, honey. It was a good idea."
Lance:
Oh, Lance does care about his appearance, that's undeniable. But he devotes more time to his hair and scrubs than to his facial cosmetics.
The adventurer will politely decline heavy makeup. Especially - in this heat on Ginger Island.
However, if it's something as inconspicuous and light as possible, he'll let the Farmer work on his face.
"Why do you need a makeup spell then?" "A talented wizard is talented at everything, my love."
We've heard that somewhere before...
50 notes · View notes
sequinsmile-x · 9 months
Text
Tumblr media
Invasion - Part 1
She hears footsteps, the clear sound of someone trying, and failing, to be quiet. 
There was someone downstairs.
Emily is home on maternity leave, and Aaron is away on a case, when someone breaks into their house.
Part 1/2
-x-
Hi friends!
So, @hancydrewfan left a comment on a fic of mine saying I should do a home invasion/hostage situation in their own home. My brain took it and ran with it and this is what we ended up with.
Part 2 will be up tomorrow!
-x-
Words: 3k
Warning: Canon typical violence
Read over on Ao3, or below the cut
Aaron yawns as he sits down, running his hand through his hair as he watches the team take down everything on the boards they’d set up. The case had been a relatively quick one, something they had solved in three days, and in Baltimore, mercifully close to home. 
“I bet you’re looking forward to getting home,” Dave says, taking a seat next to Aaron and smiling when he looks up at him, “At least we aren’t that far away for your first case back.” 
Aaron hums, a smile spreading across his face as he thinks about home, about his family waiting there for him. Emily was on maternity leave, her absence at work sharply felt by no one more than him. This had been his first case back since their daughter was born, entering the world dramatically and suddenly by c-section only three weeks ago, and he missed the gentle chaos of their life the last few weeks. 
He missed being woken up every couple of hours by their grisly newborn, Mia, who only ever seemed to find comfort in the arms of one of her parents. He missed sleeping next to his wife, to the way she allowed him to help her, well aware that even she couldn’t pretend recovering from abdominal surgery was easy. He missed spending him with his son, those long, but fleeting, weeks without work interrupting them the most time they’d had together since the aftermath of Haley’s death. 
He knew Emily had missed him too. She’d called him every night, her voice full of exhaustion and joy in equal measure, speaking quietly as Mia slept on her chest or in the bassinet next to her side of the bed. She swore that the heaviest lifting she had done was their tiny newborn, and he could picture how she would have raised her eyebrow at him as she explained that Penelope had come over to help with cleaning and cooking, something he knew he’d be in trouble for organising. 
“I forgot how tiring it is having a newborn,” he says, chuckling when Dave laughs at him, “The only thing Mia hates more than sleep is being put down.” 
Dave smirks, “It probably doesn’t help you’re a lot older than you were the last time you did this.” 
He nods, knowing his friend is right, that it was absolutely a factor. His phone rings on the tablet in front of him, Penelope’s name flashing on the screen, and he picks it up, speaking to Dave before he answers. 
“You’re right, but just know if you say anything about age to Emily I won’t be able to protect you,” he quips before answering the call, “Please don’t tell me you have another case, Garcia, I’d quite like to get home to my family.” 
“No, sir, it’s not…it’s not that.” 
The catch in her throat, the way her voice shakes makes his blood run cold, his spin tingle, and he sits up straight in his chair, “What’s wrong?” 
Penelope sighs down the line, “I have an alert set up for all of our addresses so I can be aware if something happens or if 911 is called. I’ve had it since I was shot, but it’s never really been needed-”
“Penelope,” he says, cutting her off, his nerves fraying as she spirals, “Tell me what is wrong.” 
There’s a beat of silence, a moment of quiet that seems louder than her rambling, but then he hears her suck in a breath.
“Your neighbours called 911,” she says, her voice shaking again, “They heard a disturbance and a gunshot. It’s a suspected home invasion.” 
His world collapses in on him, his past colliding with his future, leaving him in a tailspin he isn’t sure will ever stop.
___
Earlier That Night 
Emily groans as she wakes up, sure she’d only just closed her eyes, her exhaustion nothing short of bone deep. She looks over to the bassinet just a few feet from the bed and sees that Mia is still fast asleep. She smiles at the slackness of her little face, at how she looks exactly like Aaron when she's sleeping, although he’d say she looked like her. 
The three weeks that had passed since she was born had been a blur. The edges of them hazy with love, joy and exhaustion. She missed the little bubble they’d lived in for the last few weeks, just her, Aaron, Mia and Jack. The four of them learning what their family looked like now it was bigger.
Aaron was originally only going to take two weeks off, but he’d taken another week once Emily’s labour had become very scary very quickly. She knew he’d wanted to take more, that if it was up to him he’d have been off for the whole time she was, but she’d encouraged him to go back, well aware that she also had to learn how to do this herself. 
Even if he did send their friends around to check on her a couple of times a day. He’d been gone for three days, and their fridge and freezer were stuffed full of casseroles and their pantry was full of baked goods from Jessica and Penelope.  Even Will had popped around with Henry yesterday, armed with toys to distract Jack, homemade beignets and the offer to hold Mia whilst Emily took a shower. 
She knew that they all meant well, her husband included. She knew that it took a village, but she was starting to feel coddled. She had spent her whole life looking after herself, defending and protecting herself when no one else would, and even after over two years of being with Aaron, and one year of that as his wife, she was still adjusting to being loved the way he loved her. 
Especially now her body was swimming with post-partum hormones and a lack of sleep. 
She yawns and wonders for a moment what’s woken her up if Mia is still asleep, but then she hears the whisper from the end of the bed. 
“Emily?” 
She looks over and sees Jack standing there, the 7-year-olds hair a mess and his eyes wide with panic. It wasn’t a rare sight in their home. Jack had always been prone to nightmares, to sneaking into their room in the middle of the night to seek out their comfort. He’d sleep right in between them, able to relax once he knew he was safe, that his monster was dead and gone. They’d started to get better before Mia was born, time and distance from what had happened to him and his mother enough to ensure his nightmares were few and far between. 
The change in routine, and the lack of sleep throughout the Hotchner house, meant that the nightmares had come back a little. Something that she knows frustrated the little boy more than he could put into words. 
She sits up in bed, wincing slightly as she feels a now familiar pull in her gut, the pain from her c-section getting better each day but still ever-present, lingering in the corners of her subconscious until it made itself known. 
“Are you ok sweetie?” She asks, whispering so she doesn’t wake up Mia, well aware that the baby would likely want feeding soon anyway. 
He shakes his head and steps towards her side of the bed, “I got up to go to the bathroom, and I heard a noise downstairs,” he says, swallowing so thickly she can see the panic lodged in his throat, “I think someone is down there.” 
She sighs softly and smiles at him, “Jack, did you have a nightmare? You can sleep in here-” 
“No, I really heard something,” he says, stepping towards her again, “Someone is down there.” 
It was something that often featured in his nightmares. Memories from when he’d hidden in Aaron’s old office and could hear everything that had happened downstairs twisting into his current reality. The monster that haunted him had a name and a face, and even with therapy, it was hard to move past. To learn how to live around. 
“Sweetheart-”
She’s cut off by a crash downstairs, a loud noise as something falls off of a counter and hits the ground. For a second she convinces herself it’s the cat. Sergio was known for skulking around downstairs in the night and he’d knocked things over before.  But she looks at Aaron’s pillow and sees the cat fast asleep, his black fur standing out against the white pillow even in the low light of the room. Curled up and not aware of anything going on around him, and she feels her heart seize in her chest. 
Then she hears footsteps, the clear sound of someone trying, and failing, to be quiet. 
There was someone downstairs.
She knows it’s not Aaron. For a start, he’d text her when he was on the way home for this exact reason. There had been a moment when they were freshly together, and she’d just given him a key to her place, and he’d snuck in to surprise her one night after Jack had asked to stay at Jessica’s. Emily had woken up, her ability to sleep deeply still affected by everything that had happened with Doyle at the time, and assumed someone had broken in. 
It had taken weeks for Aaron’s broken nose to heal, and the team still made fun of him for it even now. She’d felt awful the moment she realised it was him, guilt colouring her cheeks and flooding her body as she drove him to the hospital to get it fixed. 
Ever since, if they were going home separately for whatever reason, he’d text when he was on the way so she knew it was him. 
I’ll be home soon, please don’t punch me in the face. 
Plus, she’d recognise his footsteps anywhere. A comforting and familiar sound, especially in the last few weeks as he paced with their baby girl in his arms and the complete opposite of this. 
She grabbles for her phone on the nightstand just to double-check she hadn’t missed something, and she closes her eyes, giving herself a moment to centre herself when she sees nothing. 
“Emily?” 
She swallows thickly and puts her phone on silent before she stands up, clenching her teeth to hide a wince from Jack as she does so. She slips the phone into the pocket of the pyjama pants she was wearing, an old pair of Aaron’s, and she smiles at Jack, hoping it’s reassuring. 
“I need you to do exactly what I say, ok, sweetheart?” she says, waiting for him to nod before she picks up Mia, cradling the newborn in her arms, feeling nothing short of grateful when the baby doesn’t wake up. “Good boy, now follow me.” 
She walks into the closet, happier than ever that she’d managed to convince Aaron to go for the house with the giant walk-in. She checks Jack is still with her and she leads him to the farthest corner, hidden from the entrance by Aaron’s suit jackets and shirts. 
“Sit down for me honey, ok?” She says, still whispering and Jack does as he’s asked. He looks impossibly small in amongst his father’s clothes and it makes her heart ache. She smiles at him and hands him Mia, her smile shaking slightly as he automatically puts his arms in the position they’d taught him in the hospital room when he came to see his sister for the first time, “Make sure you support her head. You’ve got her?” 
“I’ve got her.”
Emily nods, “You stay here. No matter what. You stay here and stay quiet until I come to get you.” 
Jack nods fiercely, tightening his hold on his little sister, “Love you, Emily.” 
She leans forward and presses a kiss to his forehead before she does the same with Mia, taking a second to stroke her fingers over the baby’s dark hair. 
“I love you too, both of you,” she replies, “Now-”
“Stay quiet and stay here,” he says, repeating her words back to her, and she nods, running her fingers through his messy hair before she stands back up, not able to feel the pull in her lower abdomen that she knows is there. 
“I’ll be back as soon as I can be,” she assures him, knowing that it’s a promise. 
That it’s an absolute certainty that she won’t let anything happen to her children. 
___
Dave insists on driving him home. 
He wrestles the car keys from his hands, showing strength Aaron didn’t think his friend had. Before insisting that he would take him home. That Emily would kill them both if Aaron got hurt crashing his car because he was too distracted to drive safely. 
Dave doesn’t drive anywhere near as fast as Aaron wants him to, but he does put on the blue lights, the drive that should have taken over an hour taking a little less than 40 minutes door to door. Aaron doesn’t speak the whole way, barely acknowledging Dave’s attempts to tell him everything would be fine with nothing more than a grunt and a tightening of his fists in his lap.
He wants to believe him. He wants to believe that he would get home to find it was all over, that Emily and the kids were fine, or, even better, that it had been a misunderstanding. That somehow the neighbours had heard a car backfiring and thought it was a gunshot, and that the disturbance they’d reported was another house. 
He wants to believe him, but he can’t. He’d never been that lucky. Every place he’d lived had been stained with violence. It had lived in the walls of his childhood home, growing on everything like mould, leading him to a career where he sought it out. A strange sense of comfort in the familiarity of it.   His home with Haley had been mercifully free of it until she was killed there. Foyet’s final victory over him was the fact he’d taken away one of the few places he’d ever felt safe. He’d also attacked him in his apartment, the blood that had marked the carpet still visible to Aaron even years after it had been cleaned up. Something he had been able to see right up until he handed the keys over to the new tenant when he, Jack and a pregnant Emily moved out into the home they now lived in. 
A part of him had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the violence and pain to catch up with him as it always had, lingering in the shadows of everything he’d ever done. 
He just hoped that Emily and the kids hadn’t been caught up in it too. He’d tried calling her more than once but she hadn’t answered, the phone ringing through to voice mail every time. 
He knows Emily is more than capable. That she’s more highly trained than him, that she used to be a literal spy. But she was recovering still from surgery. She could barely stand up without wincing and she was still walking slowly to prevent pain from lancing through her body. He’d wanted to stay at home for at least another week but she’d convinced him not to. He’d listened, aware that she wanted to spend time alone with Mia, and that he was bordering on annoying his wife with how he was hovering. 
His hopes of coming home and being chastised by her for organising their friends to come to bring her and the kids both food and company, all while she had a glint in her eye that let him know she actually appreciated it but would never say it, are long gone. Left behind in the precinct of a town whose name he won’t remember a month from now. 
All he wants now is to see them. To hug his wife and his children, and to come to terms with the fact his house, another place he had considered his sanctuary, had been tainted. 
Aaron barely waits for Dave to stop the car before he’s out of it, running towards the cops who are standing on his porch, crime scene tape wrapped around his front door in a way that makes his stomach flip and bile rush up his throat. He swallows thickly, and already has his badge in hand as he approaches the cops, their eyebrows raised as they look at him.
“They got the Feds doing B&E’s now?” One of them asks, exchanging a smile with his partner, and Aaron knows the only reason he doesn’t push the guy against the wall by his throat is that Dave makes it to his side, his hand firmly on Aaron’s shoulder. 
“This is my house,” Aaron grits out, his voice strained, “My wife and kids…they were here alone. Where are they?” 
“Oh,” the cops says, flashing Aaron an apologetic smile, “They were taken to the hospital, along with the guy who broke in.” 
He feels his heart drop into his stomach, the world slowing down around him as he struggles to draw in a breath. He should have been here. He should have insisted he took more time off. 
He never should have left them.
“The hospital? Why what’s wrong?” 
“We don’t know, Sir. We got here after they left, but apparently, the EMTs insisted that your wife went. The ambulance left a little while ago, we’re here until the crime scene is cleared by the detectives.” 
Aaron nods, his home being referred to as a crime scene making the scars on his chest burn. The phantom blade of Foyet’s knife takes his breath away and he presses his hand to where the thickest one laid underneath his shirt. He barely takes any more information in as Dave asks what hospital Emily and the kids had been taken to, his hand tight on Aaron’s shoulder. 
He walks towards the car as a ghost of himself, his jaw tight as worst-case scenarios paint vivid pictures in his mind, each one more bright and terrible than the last. 
-x-
Tag List:
@ssa-sparks, @lukeclvez, @lyds102, @glockleveledatyourcrotch, @hotchnissenthusiast, @danadeservesadrink, @ssamorganhotchner, @emilyprentissisgod, @notagentprentiss, @freesiasandfics, @emilyshotchniss, @thecharmingart, @paulitalblond, @hancydrewfan, @camille093, @whitecrossgirl, @moonlight-2-6, @rawr-jess, @florenceremingtonthethird, @jareauswife, @ms-black-a, @beebeelank, @aubreyprc, @zipzapboingg, @psychopath-at-heart, @criminalmindsgonewrong, @fionaloover, @kinqslcys, @prentissinred, @ccmattis-22, @denvivale317, @thrindis, @hotchsguccitie, @cmfouatslota77, @alexblakegf, @aliensaurusrex, @prentissxhotch, @emobabeyy, @victoiregranger, @stormyweatherth, @wanderingdreamer009, @ssablackbird, @luhwithah, @lex13cm, @prentiss-theorem, @dont-emily-me, @mrs-ssa-hotch, @jocyycreation, @itsmytimetoodream, @hotchnissgroupie, @controversialpooh, @capsshinyshield, @canuck-eh
Join my tag list here!
51 notes · View notes
Note
Heyo!! So I was just thinking, I think I've only ever read one fic of a marriage candidate being divorced and then memory wiped. And I'm in a bit of an angsty mood. So! If you want, maybe some headcanons of the bachelorettes' reactions to getting a divorce? Of course you can choose which bachelorettes you want, or just not do this if you don't want to, no pressure! ^^
bachelorettes reacting to divorce || headcanons
are you sure you want to divorce your loving wife? ... okay, i don't know if you'll like the aftermath, though ...
warnings: LONG post, good lord. super angsty, but most of them have mini redemption arcs. hints of depression and self-depricating thoughts, mention of pam's abusive tendancies.
requested by: @ambersky0319 , thank you so much for the request! angsty time, here we come. funsies <3 i managed to keep it together until i got to penny's and i started crying 💀 my babyyyy :(( but yeah, this is really sad, you've been warned.
Tumblr media
abigail
• Abigail thought she had done enough for you. She thought she was the perfect little house-wife, even though that's really not who she was at all. She was always looking for adventure, until she sacrificed most of that for the farm life with you. And she loved you. But when you suggested divorce, she was upset. She spiraled through the five stages of grief in an instant, stuttering and trying to say the right thing even though her feelings were so huge.
• She yells at you, she can't believe after everything, you're willing to throw it all away. She threw all of her possibilities away for you. You. But it's okay, it's fine. If that's what you want, that's what you'll get. The loving wife Abigail was is gone, replaced by an uncaring girl who's trying to get back to the things she used to love before you came along.
• She moves into the basement with Sebastian, opting out of moving back into her parent's place. She needs freedom, to do the things she loves. Adventure. Game. Find herself again. She would do it with a friend, someone who appreciates her. Unlike you, apparently.
• Most nights she can't sleep, however. She replays everything in her mind over and over, and most nights she gets up to play games. Sometimes Sebastian notices this and plays with her, and sometimes he lets her do her own thing. He knows when to intervene and when not to, and that definitely helped Abigail. She's healing slowly, but some nights are just really hard without you by her side. As much as she would love to not care, she just ... can't.
• If you try speaking to her, you get met with a glare and a scoff. She tells you to leave her alone and not to bother her anymore. She can't take talking with you again, it would kill her. She's going to be herself again, by herself! And she's going to love every ounce of herself, without you. So, fuck off.
emily
• Emily thought that you two were written in the stars, lovers until the end. Apparently, she had thought wrong. She loves you, she thought that you loved her just the same! But when the divorce papers were handed her way, her stomach just dropped. Everything slowly fades around her as she stares at them, not registering yet. Her mouth is slightly open, before she just walks out of the room. She gathers a few belongings before slowly making her way back to her sister's house.
• She's numb at first, not really knowing how to deal with something like this. She can't speak for hours, and Haley knows something is wrong. Emily mumbles something about the divorce papers her way, and she's instantly on her way out the door. A very angry Haley is at your doorstep, seemingly more upset than Emily, but it hasn't hit her yet. You get cursed out and told to never show your face in town again.
• As she sits in her own room, she turns to tarot cards, crystals, anything. Everything tells her same thing: better luck next time. Her heart is shattered. As she tries for the fourteenth time to pull a card that represented you coming back, and the love rekindling, she gives up. She gives in and puts the cards aside as she cries. She bawls her eyes out for the first time as she realizes that this cannot be undone.
• Slowly but surely, Haley will try to help her feel better. She'll make all the food, suggest things that they can do together, even takes one of her shifts at work for her. But nothing works ... until she sits her down and puts a sewing machine in front of her. She puts on a show, begging her to sew her a dress because her clothes are suddenly out of fashion. And that reignites her passion. She begins to love her work again, and in turn, loving herself.
• Speaking to her is absolutely out of the question. What's done is done, and she won't talk to you afterward. If you try, she'll ask you to leave her alone, and that she's trying to get over you still. If you don't respect her decision, Haley will probably be at your doorstep in an instant. She's getting better, but she needs you out of the picture.
haley
• Haley has a very fire-y spirit, and when she's pissed off, you'll see it from a mile away. However, when you bring up the thought of divorce ... she's shattered for a moment. Her guard has slipped to the point of vulnerability, and now you're slapping her in the face with it. She stares at you for a moment, a sorrowful expression. She can't believe this is happening- the love of her life, the person she married ...
• She puts on a powerful facade, glaring at you before beginning to yell. Words spew from her lips that she's never even said before, which is surprising. She's been hateful, she's been a bitch, but she was softer now. Well, she WAS ... until you stomped her heart into a million pieces.
• She moves back in with Emily, who takes a few days off of work to take care of her sister. Haley doesn't want you to know she's taking this awfully, though, so she puts on makeup everyday and goes to the saloon. She pretends to have fun so that she can claim she won the breakup, before returning home to continue grieving.
• Many late night talks with Emily are sprung about, Haley finally talking through her emotions. She needs to get to a better place mentally, and Emily knows that. So, she'll ask for Shane's therapist, who now has Haley booked for a session. And it helps. So. Much. Haley begins to be a better person not because of love, but because of herself. She's kinder and sweeter, and tries her best to be her best self.
• You run into each other a few years later, and she seems more radiant than ever. She tells you that it's fine, and that she understood why you had to do it. It made herself a better person, and hopefully it did the same to you. She bids you farewell with a soft smile before walking away. She definitely won the breakup, though.
leah
• Leah loves you harder than anything she's ever loved before. The passion that she has for you is beyond the moon and the sun and the stars ... but she's noticed that it's not been reciprocated recently. And she brings it up to you, asking what's up in a soft and caring tone, before she drops the bombshell. She thinks you're joking at first, laughing softly, before her world crumbles before her.
• She doesn't leave immediately, she can't let this go. She argues, asking why you would feel this way, and what she can do to fix things. What can she do to be a better spouse? Nothing, apparently. You claim that you're happier by yourself, so ... she leaves. She moves back into her little cabin.
• She uses art to work through her grief, constantly painting out her sadness or carving out her anger. Art has always been how she expresses herself, and that certainly hasn't changed one bit. She's still a strong, independent person, she always has been. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, though. She's trying to get out her feelings in the healthiest way possible.
• She tries not to let the grief of this relationship weigh her down, but sometimes she doesn't leave the house for days. Painting, sleeping, eating, sculpting, eating sleeping. Elliot eventually gets sick of it, dragging her out of the house and to the beach. They sit and talk through it all, although Leah isn't the greatest with her words. Elliot helps her vocalize her grief.
• Seeing her, you notice how she's still glowing. Nothing has changed about her, aside from being a tad bit more confident. She's beautiful, she's stunning, and she knows it. And she knows what you're thinking, so she gives you a soft smile and let's you know that she's happier on her own. Farewell.
maru
• Maru adores you, and she loves talking with you about the things that interest her, and the stuff that interests you! However, you've been talking a lot less ... and it all makes sense when divorce papers are laid on the table. She takes a moment, trying not to lose her composure. She asks a few questions, logical ones. Why? Is there anyone else? No ... you've just lost feelings. That almost hurts worse.
• She packs up her stuff immediately, and temporarily moves in with her parents. She's planning on finding a place in the city, her talents will be much more appreciated there. Not in a place like this, not where you are. She works and works, day and night, so she doesn't have to think about it.
• Eventually, she breaks. She talks to her dad, holding her face in her hands as she stutters and breaks down further and further. But she'll compose herself. Of course she will, this is Maru. She's smart, competent, and strong. Even the strong have to break a bit sometimes, but she'll find ways to learn from this. She won't make the same mistake again.
• She moves out to the city, getting a nice house to work in. Her career takes off without you, just how it should be. She's come to terms with the fact that you aren't in her life anymore, even if she had to move away to deal with it. But she does, and she's working her ass off. And her life is better without you.
• Coming back to town to visit her parents, she runs into you. You try talking with her, wanting to talk about all the memories you had ... but she cuts you off. She tells you that you have nothing to say to each other anymore. There is nothing here for you, nothing her for her. Silence is what you both need, and you part ways.
penny
• Penny finally found a home in you. You were like her knight in shining armor, getting her away from her awful life with her mother. Until you started saying things that began to match up with her mother's words ... and it began to kill her. After you finally dropped the bombshell and showed her the papers, she almost passed out. She begged and pleaded, cried and sobbed at your feet. She couldn't take this, this couldn't be happening ...
• She couldn't go back to her mom, but she couldn't stay here. She bought a very small cabin, which Robin helped her pay off, and spent several days in there. The first few days, it was only a bed and a small kitchen. Her days consisted of crying and watching TV, trying to get the thoughts of you out of her head, but it didn't work. God, nothing would work.
• Slowly, she decided that she had to start doing something. Staying home wasn't good for her, and what about the kids? They were probably worried. As she exited her house, she checked her mailbox and saw several "get well soon" cards from Vincent and Jas, and then everything hit her at once. She needed to get better, not just for herself, but for them as well.
• She found comfort in decorating her new home, even creating a small, mini-library for the kids. Her classes could be held in her home, so she had to make it the prettiest place possible! She remembered how much she loves helping these kids, and it helps her through a lot. She begins to love herself, too.
• However, she still can't speak to you. Even looking at you makes her break, so she tries to avoid you as much as possible. If you try to speak with her, she tells you to leave her alone, beginning to get teary-eyed. She goes home to recover, making herself some food. She's getting better at cooking too. Maybe she's better off without you ...
59 notes · View notes
masterwords · 6 months
Text
without trying to bite down
Tumblr media
Summary: Coming to terms with suffering one bottle of whiskey and one kiss at a time. (Coda to Profiler, Profiled...Ashes and Dust...and Birthright. Yeah, you read that correctly. We're jumping through 3 episodes here.)
Pairings: Hotch/Morgan
Words: ~5k
Warnings: alcohol, divorce, talk about past abuse (Hotch & Morgan), canon-typical darkness/angst/suffering (mind the episodes listed above)
Notes: Another one-shot in the Restless Heart universe. This one is going to directly lead into another jumping off on the Profiler, Profiled bit. Anyway, maybe I'll take a break for a bit and let the dust settle here...maybe jump back into the Chicago Times universe for a while and also bust out a few Halloween theme fics here and there.
And when we can see things clearer than we think we see them now Maybe kiss each other sweetly without trying to bite down Maybe then all this will be better & maybe then we ll recover (We'll Recover | Matt Nathanson)
**
Beers. It always came down to beers. JJ bought the first round even though she’d said she had other plans, Dave decided to spring for the second and third. The case had been bad, but watching Hotch take those divorce papers and walk out of the BAU had set them all on edge in a different way. Going out for beers felt forced but still necessary.
“Derek, you’re still on round one. You’re missing out on free drinks. That’s not like you.”
“Sorry,” he said like it mattered. Like he cared. He couldn’t shake the image of Hotch accepting that folder in front of everyone. Of Hotch living out a nightmare, his private struggle on center stage. He liked to keep everything locked up tight, and the team were pretty content to let Hotch keep them all at arm’s distance.
“What’s eating you?” Emily asked, nudging his elbow. He looked downright pitiful. It wasn’t like Derek not to seek out the most fun at a bar – the dance floor, flirting with the bar tender, commandeering the jukebox for the night. He always had a plan and instead, right now, he looked like someone had pissed in his Cheerios.
“Ah, just thinking about Hotch. That was cold as ice, don’t you think? Haley having him served right there in front of all of us.”
Emily’s frown told him she disagreed, but before she could say anything Dave took the opportunity to share wisdom he’d gathered following three divorces. He’d paid enough divorce lawyers in his time to be considered an expert in the field and wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Derek thought, on some level, he probably should have been.
“She is supposed to have him served in a public place if possible. I’m sure she intended for him to be served in his office, that’s where he usually is. It just happened that he was on his way out. You can’t fault her for circumstances.”
“We would all have found out anyway,” JJ chimed in, but Derek had his doubts. Hotch hadn’t shared the knowledge that they were separated, he had made sure more than once to check. Each time he was met with the same icy glare that said no, he wasn’t sharing the news. Hotch would have just carefully removed his wedding ring and quietly gone about his business, never announcing or indulging the topic. And none of them ever would have asked. “Right?”
“I had a feeling there was trouble in paradise.”
Everyone turned to look at Emily, last of all Derek. He already knew what she was going to say.
“I was on a stakeout with him. The serial arsonist in San Francisco last year? We were watching Abby, waiting for him to come out of the bank and Hotch took a call from Haley. It sounded bad.”
“What was it about?”
“I don’t know. Didn’t ask. He’s not exactly an open book, Jayj.”
Derek looked down into the foam that had settled in a small circle atop what remained of his beer. He remembered the case, and how he felt working it. He’d known when Hotch walked in to the BAU that something was wrong – another fight with Haley, probably, they were happening more and more frequently. Little things, big things, they all took a toll. That morning it was written all over his face, in the tears that made his eyes shine bright and mad. It dripped off of him when he volunteered to go to see the victim in the burn ward. When he looked at her picture in the file. If Derek had been on his game he would have confronted him then, but he waited. Things were still a little shaky after Chicago, after Buford.
“Oh, yeah,” JJ said, nodding. “He was so angry on that case. He snapped at me when he showed up for calling everyone to the BAU instead of right to the jet. Said I was wasting time because the victim wasn’t going to live much longer. He made it sound like I’d blown the case.”
“We did only get a few minutes with her,” Emily said, her tone a little defensive. Hotch wasn’t wrong, but it was unlike him to be so cruel. Especially to JJ who he had a soft spot for. JJ just shrugged.
“I know he was right. When they called about the case, they didn’t make it sound like she was...I thought we had time.”
Derek stopped listening after a while. That case, he hadn’t seen much of Hotch. They had been in a quiet place then, he remembered. Cordial but cold. He thought it had started in Chicago, but now he thought it happened maybe even before that. He couldn’t give you an exact point that things started crumbling but he did know that the case in San Francisco had given them something back. A fresh start.
It hadn’t been pretty though. It had been laced with mistakes and tears and a lot of whiskey.
(x)
They were in the SUV, and Hotch had gone silent. Derek watched the way his features strained around the realization that Abby was going to light up that warehouse with himself inside of it. When he realized that Abby meant to sacrifice himself, and he watched the way the tears brightened Hotch’s eyes as he turned on his heel and stalked out of the station. Without thinking or waiting for instruction, Derek hurried after him with keys in hand.
“Hotch! Slow down!” he called as they broke out into the brisk night air. There were no stars in the sky, it was just pitch black above the ghostly glow of city lights. The world felt wrong. Hotch didn’t slow, but he did stop at the passenger door of the SUV and wait with his head hanging low. He was breathing heavily. “What’s the plan?”
“Get to the warehouse. I don’t know, Derek…”
“It isn’t on fire yet. Get in.” He was going to indulge Hotch the best he could, but there was a sick feeling in his stomach that told him this wasn’t going to end well. It was just one of those cases where even winning felt like losing.
They drove in silence. Each time Derek thought about saying something to break it, he glanced over and saw the way the color had drained from Hotch’s face, the way his lips stretched in a grim line, and he decided not to. When his phone rang, he relished the sound until Gideon’s voice began, until Gideon told him what he’d been dreading. They were out of time. There was no hope. And when the explosion rocked the earth in front of them, when it lit the sky with a bonfire for giants, he felt the tremors coming from Hotch himself.
“Morgan what are you doing?”
“Hotch, it’s too late man. I’m sorry.”
There was a wildness in Hotch’s eyes, flickering obsidian in the light of the fire. Derek had never seen his face cast in shadow like this and it reminded him of a frightened and cornered animal. Ready to claw and gnash and tear its way to safety, to justice. He threw the door open without a word, spitting angry and full of righteous abandon met by Gideon and then by Derek, hands to his chest, ceasing his forward motion. What would he have done? Marched right into that blaze? Gone up with Abby, for the cause? For justice? Derek knew this wasn’t justice. Abby had a son, he had time left on this planet, but who else might have to die for him to live? He saw the recognition of sameness in Hotch’s eyes as the building burned and wondered what the fight with Haley had been about that could be so bad Hotch would run toward a fire with all his might.
But then, he always ran toward fire, never away. Derek had always wanted to ask him about it, how it looked like a compulsion wrapped in compassion and heroics. How it looked like payment for a debt he didn’t owe anymore and still carried. Maybe he would.
“You wanna take a drive?” Derek asked as he started up the SUV, eyes still focused on the fire. “Take a breather before we tackle the reports?”
Hotch was silent, and Derek took that silence as approval. Or, rather, a lack of protest...in this case they sounded about the same.
“I could go for a drink.”
“I don’t want to go to a bar.”
“There’s a liquor store down the street from our hotel that’s open late.”
Hotch nodded. He wasn’t a big drinker, but he thought right now was as good a time as any to numb some of the intensity inside of him. He was on the verge of explosion. His whole body felt electric.
Yeah, he could go for some whiskey.
(x)
On a bench overlooking the bay, the two of them sat side by side. In the distance, though he tried not to let his eyes wander that direction, Hotch could still see the benzene burning. Evan Abby was long gone, had probably been since before Hotch even knew the fire had started but it still ached in him like the man was suffering alone out there.
“We’re not good,” Derek said, passing Hotch the brown bag with the whiskey bottle inside. He’d already taken a swig of it himself, and now it was Hotch’s turn to stare into the abyss. “We gotta talk.”
“About?”
“You and me. This. Us.”
“I’m not upset with you, Morgan. You were only doing what Gideon told you, and it was the right call. I just...wish this case had taken a different course.”
“Nah. See, that’s not what I’m talking about. There was a time when you woulda told me about it. You woulda taken me out on that stakeout with you and told me you got into a fight with Haley, or that there was something about Abby that hit a little close to home…”
Hotch took a pull on the whiskey and let out a soft cough at the sting of it going down. They were only a few blocks from their hotel room, neither of them had to do more than stumble back to their beds. That knowledge brought with it a sense of reckless abandon – the case was over, and the charred remains could wait until morning to be sifted through. Hotch’s heart was broken.
“There was a time when you would have asked.”
Derek let out a chuckle and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, peering out into the inky black night. There were murky clouds hovering near the horizon, obscuring the stars. A storm probably, and he kind of hoped it would take its time – that fire didn’t need a downpour, it needed time. Beyond the clouds he stared as the starry sky met starry water, the sounds of waves lapping against the rocks, engines and tires and brakes on the bridges. Headlights danced over the water surface creating the effect of a Dahli painting.
“That’s true.” Derek waited, like Hotch might take over. Like he might start. He was the kind of natural leader that didn’t often sit back and let someone else drive, but in this case Derek was out of luck. Hotch was silent. And when he didn’t, Derek took the bottle from him, pulled a large mouthful and leaned back until his face was turned toward the sky. “Fine. I’ll start, ya stubborn ass. You know why I didn’t ask? Because things got weird in Chicago. Because things have been weird since Chicago. Because you and Gideon know things about me that no one else knows, and every day I come to work wondering if Reid or JJ or Garcia or Prentiss is gonna come up to me and give me a hug and tell me they’re sorry for what I went through…”
“I sealed the reports for that case as confidential. I left out all details that weren’t of direct relevance to putting Buford in prison and keeping him there. I’m the only person who saw the reports and I’m the only Agent being called in for testimony during the trial in a few months. No one else knows or needs to, and my testimony doesn’t mention you as a victim at all. We’ve got a solid case without it.”
“Yeah, I know that. I know, and I appreciate your discretion but...you get it right? It isn’t that I didn’t want to tell you, like I thought you’d weaponize it or think differently about me...but I didn’t want it to become public record. When you walked into that room with my expunged juvie record lookin’ at me like I was some kind of thug...I don’t think I’ve ever felt more humiliated in my life, Hotch. I didn’t tell you about that because it didn’t exist, because it was a bullshit charge on a bullshit arrest by a cop who was out for my blood since I was a kid and for what? What did I do to him? You know what I did?”
“Your father was a cop and he saw a scrappy young man from the wrong side of town using that privilege to get into trouble and get away with it. And when your father was killed, he saw his opportunity to finally make something stick.”
“I was TEN, Hotch…” Derek said, shaking his head. “I was a good kid. I went to school every day, I tried to keep my grades up...yeah I got into some scrappy shit on the playground, man, I was a little boy. We do stupid things sometimes. But that fat bastard tried to accuse me of shoplifting when my mom sent me to the bodega on the corner to get a quart of milk so my sisters and I could have cereal for breakfast while she was at work. Her paycheck was a few days late and Mr. Jannings, he’d let her take what she needed without paying and then she’d run him a check and some cobbler or a cake to catch up when she got paid. We always paid up. That’s what tight knit neighborhoods do, man. You take care of each other. So yeah I took that damn milk and Mr. Jannings watched me do it and he fuckin’ waved at me and said goodnight, and it just happened that fuckin’ Gordinski was coming in for smokes when it happened.”
Hotch nodded and set his lips to the bottle of whiskey, turning it up, splashing the cold liquid against his tongue. It was good whiskey, much too good for the way they were drinking it but it still burned going down.
“I didn’t look at you like you were a thug, Derek. I was…” he paused, searching for the right words. For the key to unlock a moment in time he’d already sealed up tight. He still had the trial to look forward to, the trial that he knew Derek would insist on attending with him. That was a conversation for another time. “I was hurt that you didn’t tell me, that you kept things to yourself that you knew could save you because you didn’t trust me.”
“It wasn’t about trust.”
“Then what was it?”
“I didn’t want all of that on camera Hotch! You gotta see that, right? If it was just you and me, no camera, no one way glass, no fat fuck Gordinski or JJ with her huge sad eyes...just us...I would have spilled it all. If there was a way to explain it to you without all of them knowing…” There were tears streaking Derek’s cheeks and Hotch sighed, looking down at his hands. He wondered if this was going the way Derek anticipated, if this was what he’d been needing. He sincerely hoped so, because it felt to Hotch like it was about as bad as it could get.
“Did you ever think I had anything to do with it?”
“No.”
“You never believed Gordinski? Even when he gave you that bullshit record and told you I had a violent history?”
“Of course not, Derek. I just knew that you were hiding something, and that whatever it was you were hiding was the key to getting you out of that room and catching a real killer. I couldn’t tell if you were protecting yourself or someone else, but you were hiding something. I let myself get caught up in it being a case and I forgot that the man I was trying to save was more than just a falsely accused suspect, he was my friend. I am sorry for that.”
“I know. You’ve said so like five times already.”
“Well, to my knowledge you haven’t accepted it yet so I’ll keep offering.”
Derek nudged the bottle in Hotch’s direction and turned to look at him. “Apology accepted. Your turn.”
Staring at the bottle with wide eyes, Hotch’s tongue felt like a dried out dish sponge. Tasted about like one too. “My turn?”
“Talk to me. Why’d this case fuck you up so bad? Why’d you and Haley fight? What’s going on with you lately?”
“You don’t want to hear my sob story.”
“Hotch, that’s the whole damn reason I bought that bottle and walked your sorry ass to this spot. Start talkin’.”
“I don’t remember what started the fight. I know where it ended, I know that when I go home I’ll be walking right back into it only she’s had a couple of days to plot out her next moves while I’ve been here focused on the case. I know that she’s getting fed up with this job, and that she’ll have a list of alternatives when I walk through the door – jobs she thinks I could do that will keep me home more often, no travel, sitting at a desk not in the line of fire. We had family photos scheduled twice and I came home with stitches or bruises on my face, so she had to keep postponing them. She’s tired of putting her life on hold for the BAU.”
“Is it so bad that your wife wants you around more? I can’t say I blame her.”
“No, that isn’t the problem. I just...can you see me working white collar crime? Sitting at a desk all day?”
“It’ll kill you.”
“It isn’t that my marriage isn’t worth sacrifice, Derek, but…I’ve worked my ass off to get here and I still have aspirations, I still have goals. I gave up a lot to get here, because this is where I belong.” Hotch sighed. “I am giving it thought, though.”
“You’ll make the right decision.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Okay, well...what about the case then? It can’t all be about the stupid fight.”
“No.”
Hotch was silent for a long while, listening to the bay, the squeal of tires against wood on pylons, the gentle slapping noise of water against rock. In the distance the storm rumbled and the smell of smoke carried on the wind as it picked up. He began to cry.
“As I watched Abby meet with lawyers and doctors, clear out offices and bank accounts, I realized I knew what he was doing because I had watched my father do it too. I had watched my father come out of the oncologist’s office with tears in his eyes, look right up into the sun like it might be his last time ever seeing such a sight, and it hit me harder than I expected. My father was...we never had a good relationship. But in that moment, watching him come to terms with his mortality, I wanted to hug him. I don’t think I’d ever hugged him, at least not since I was toddler who didn’t know any better.”
“How long did he have?”
“A couple of months.”
“Did you hug him?”
“No.”
“Your dad was a real piece of work, I can tell. Just by some of the things you say...sometimes things you don’t say.”
“Another time,” Hotch said sadly. Defeated. “I’d like to focus on Evan Abby. He’s worth remembering, my father is not.”
“Gonna hold you to that.”
“It just hit a little close to home, and to watch him as he decided to sacrifice himself to put an end to the killing...that wasn’t how it was supposed to end. Sometimes I still get caught up in the good guy bad guy mentality. The good guys are supposed to win. It’s childish of me, I know better. I’ve been doing this long enough that I shouldn’t get caught up in that, but when the lines are so clearly drawn like they were in this case it seemed like maybe...this once…”
“The bad guy did lose, though.”
“So did the good guy. And so did his innocent son.”
“Why’d you take the burn ward again?”
“Again?”
“Gideon said you took it last time, but I know you’ve taken it more than that. In fact, I don’t remember the last time you didn’t.”
“I knew she was going to die quickly and I didn’t want any of you to have to be there.”
“You’re lying. You’re hiding something.”
Hotch took a drink, this time, instead of just looking at the bottle. His head was cloudy and he was already crying. He didn’t have much to lose at this point, his dignity had hit the road hours ago. “I had a teacher, when I was twelve. When everyone asked where the bruises came from, how I broke my arm, why I missed a week of school...there was a time I was innocent enough to tell the truth thinking someone might help me. No one did. I was branded a liar, but Mrs. Thorpe believed me. She gave me a place to be so I didn’t have to go home right away. She would let me help her clean the classroom or organize her books, do little odd jobs here and there. It was probably more trouble than help, I wasn’t very attentive to the work itself. And then one day, just after spring break, she didn’t come to school – her husband had come home piss drunk, probably after shutting down the bar with my father and the good old boys – and decided to beat on her some. I guess that was pretty normal, I found out later. I suppose that’s why she believed me. In any case, after he had his fill he passed out on the couch with a lit cigarette in his mouth. They lost the whole house, he was barely hurt, she survived for about a day before dying. I skipped school to go to the hospital and what I saw…”
“Jesus,” Derek said quietly, his eyes wide. “Hotch.”
“The bad guy won. He had a few small burns on his arms, got a fat insurance check and moved out to Texas to start a new life. As a child, I saw too many bad guys win. I thought that was how it worked.”
“Damn.”
“You’re profiling me now.”
“You’re damn right I am. Jesus Hotch.”
“What are you thinking?”
“That you feel responsible for what happened to her. That you think if she hadn’t known about your father, somehow none of that would have happened. That you take the burn ward every time as a way to make it up to her, hoping that you can be there for them while they pass because you weren’t there for her. But Hotch...you were just a kid. Nothing you did caused what happened. You gotta know that.”
“I do,” Hotch whispered. “But regardless of my reasons, I just want to help. I would rather sit with a victim and offer comfort as they pass than think about the unsub.”
They sat in amiable silence, Hotch’s eyes raw and burning, Derek’s chest tight. Two men pouring it all out, with whiskey breath and chilled skin. Above them the storm clouds crackled and began slowly releasing their rain. Neither of them made a move to leave where they sat. “What do we do now?”
“I don’t know. This was your therapy session, Doctor Morgan.”
Derek laughed and leaned forward, dropping his head. “I was kinda hoping you’d take the lead at some point, I’m way out of my depths here. I just thought you were gonna say some shit like oh you know, I left a load of clothes in the washer too long and Haley was up my ass about it before we left…”
Rain drops plunked down quickly into the water, small at first, gaining momentum. The sound became like a roar for a moment and drowned out the sound of their breath. “Did you really think that was it?”
“Okay, no, but I didn’t think it’d be all of that…”
“Be careful what you wish for.”
“How do you do it? Walk around with all of that inside of you?”
Hotch didn’t have an answer for that. He didn’t know. It was just what he did. Another pull for each of them and Derek stood, arching his back, craning his neck from one side to the other. Hotch followed suit, feet landing softly in a forming puddle. Water seeped in through the worn sole of his dress shoe, this was his favorite pair in spite of how worn down they were. Now his sock was wet. The bench had made them both cold and stiff.
Their shoulders bumped as they leaned and twisted at the hips, stretching and bringing life back into stiff limbs, and then their knuckles brushed warm and soft. That brief touch, skin to skin, was electric. Hotch turned to look at Derek, his eyes still shining with tears, and Derek leaned forward automatically pressing a soft, warm kiss to Hotch’s lips. It was fast, tentative, a little shy and when Hotch didn’t pull away he pressed in again. This time it was a little longer, a little more certain, his hand coming up to Hotch’s jaw, hooking the back of his neck, and for a moment the world melted away from them. There was nothing but whiskey lips and a whirlpool of stars and rain and in the distance the sound of a boat’s foghorn as it made its way through the downpour. He’d been so sure when he leaned in, but now as they broke the kiss, Derek couldn’t help feeling sad. Not exactly regret, no he’d wanted to kiss Hotch for years now. But there was some feeling of sadness here he couldn’t quite place.
“Sorry,” Derek said, backing away slowly. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Don’t get cute. You know for what. You’re married.”
“And I’m your boss. There are several rules about fraternization that you just...”
“Fuck off with that.”
“Don’t be sorry, Derek. Please.”
That was the last thing Hotch said to him before taking one final sip of the whiskey, one regretful sip that would send him right to the toilet the minute he was alone in his hotel room, and heading back across the street. He splashed through puddles that gathered beneath the sidewalks and rushed down the storm drain, pulling his suit jacket up over his head like he wasn’t already drenched. Derek didn’t try to stop him, instead he just sat back down on the bench with the half consumed bottle in his lap and stared out at the water.
“What the fuck.”
(x)
“Hey, thanks for the drinks guys but I’m gonna bounce. Not feelin’ it tonight.” Derek looked around the table at his friends and waited for one of them to inevitably try to reel him back in. None did. It was like they could sense something he hadn’t yet figured out. Everything about him being here felt wrong and they all knew it.
“Drive safe,” JJ said and he laughed, shrugging into his leather jacket.
“Jayj, I had one beer. I’m good. You guys call if you need anything, I’ll haul my ass outta bed to get you home safe.”
Derek started for home, turning up his music to almost full volume as he drove. He didn’t feel like singing along but he thumped his fingers on the steering wheel and bobbed his head and hit every single green light between the bar and his house. As he pulled into the driveway, he noticed a shadow on the porch, leaning up against the railing, long legs sprawled out before him like a lazy shadow scarecrow. He smiled. When he stepped out of the car, the shadow turned toward him and began to go from sitting to standing, pulling itself to full inky height. The porch light caught disheveled black tufts of hair, the harsh angle of his nose, the shine of tears in wild eyes.
“Hotch,” Derek said, approaching quickly. Like he’d known what he would find when he got home, somewhere inside of him he’d been drawn back. He was needed here, with Hotch, not out at a bar talking about Hotch.
“I didn’t know where else to go. I hope you don’t mind.”
“How long have you been sitting here? You should have sent me a text or something. You know where the key is.”
“Wasn’t sure if it was still in the same place...or if I was still welcome to use it.”
It felt like they would kiss, right then. The electricity that shuddered between them as they stood just a little too close, the beer on Derek’s breath, the brown bag around the whiskey bottle hanging from Hotch’s hand. An offering, a relic, a reminder. Derek looked up like he thought the sky might open up any minute and start pouring on them again but it was crystal clear, the kind of night you dreamed about.
“You’re always welcome.”
“Noted.”
Hotch lifted the bottle and offered a sad little half-smile that looked a lot like he was going to start crying. “For old time’s sake?”
“You wanna talk or you just lookin’ for a repeat of the kiss?” It was a joke, or he thought he meant it as one...but he found that saying the words made it too real and he leaned forward to meet Hotch’s lips. They tasted like the ocean, salty and a little sweet, and Derek pulled him closer. Closer. Until they were pressed together so close that they shared a heartbeat. Expectation and a little excitement mingled with a heavy sadness, the ending of something huge and maybe the start of something else. Derek felt like his knees might buckle beneath the weight of it. “Come inside.”
13 notes · View notes
formerlyz · 1 year
Text
Random Stardew Valley Headcanons (Emily)
I can’t sleep so here’s more Headcanons
Probably Some Canon Divergence here and I also haven’t gotten to 14 hearts with her so I may accidentally say something that’s canon lol.
Trigger warnings: References to Depression/general mental health struggles
Tumblr media
Emily is super tall. Probably like 6 ‘2 +her shoes have 1-2 inches of heel.
Is one of the main people who helps organize town holiday celebrations. Makes a lot of the decorations.
She’s better at pretty much everyone in town at Pool, but doesn’t make a big deal out of it.
Her hair is naturally brown, but she dyes it blue
Emily, Sebastian, Abigail and Sam all have hair dyeing parties sometimes.
Realistically I feel like she’d be one of those people with a new hair color once a month, which is probably a mod that exists already lol
I also feel like she’d play around a lot with different colors of eyeliner and lipstick.
Very big into words of affirmation with her friends and loved ones.
Believes and supports modern medicine but also is into spiritual healing.
Her and Harvey are friends and have great discussions about Philosophy and how modern and spiritual medicine can work together.
I really believe she’s Pan. Like I really do.
Whenever she meets a new person she makes a point to ask what their pronouns are. (Hers are She/They)
She’s very close to convincing Lewis to hold a Stardew Valley Pride Celebration
Knows Clint is interested in her and has politely let him know several times that she just wants to be friends.
Shane doesn’t show a lot of outward affection for Emily but is super protective of her. Has told Emily that Clint is a manipulative creep (he’s correct) and is pretty good at recognizing when she’s uncomfortable
She genuinely appreciates Shane walking her home every night and helping her in those situations.
She knows Shane isn’t into gifts or words of Affirmation so she tries to make his days better with little acts of kindness and gestures so he knows she cares about him.
Can you tell I kinda ship them lol
She struggled with her mental health at a young age and got help and eventually better so she knows how it feels to be having a bad time and tries to support people she sees struggling however she can
She wouldn’t freak out when she learned about the Junimos and Krobus and stuff. She’d be a bit excited to meet them but not surprised that they’re real.
Is like the least judgemental person. You can tell her anything (aside from like something racist/homophobic/etc) and she will not judge
If she does encounter someone being racist/homophobic etc she will first try to educate them and then if that doesn’t work she gets terrifying.
Like she’ll just look at them, smile, and say, “get out of my bar” and they’ll know they shouldn’t mess with her.
She’s probably a Vegan or Vegetarian.
Animal lover. Slightly allergic to cats but plays with them anyway.
Would probably have a decent amount of plants.
Her and Haley fight sometimes but do for the most part get along pretty well, they just don’t hang out a lot.
Her and Leah would be friends and have a feminist book club (Elliot is also part of it tell me I’m wrong you can’t)
She looks up to Gus like a father figure. He’s also super protective of her.
23 notes · View notes
Text
Feast of the Winter Star
Stardew Valley WriteTober Day 30 (Prompt List)
Snow fell in heavy drifts outside Harvey’s clinic. He stared outside, sipping his coffee, trying to enjoy the scene. It was pretty from this side of the window, where he was safe and warm, the clinic’s generator humming along to keep his equipment running. The rest of the town had been without power since the blizzard rolled in last night, setting his nerves on edge.
Maru typed away quietly behind him. He felt terrible dragging her away from her family on a holiday, but he needed her here, just in case the worst should happen. She hadn’t complained, just nodded resolutely and packed her things. Her family’s house, high up along a winding road, was sturdy and suited for this kind of weather. They would be safe there, he had reassured her. Maru had simply laughed and said that her mother would be terribly offended if he had implied otherwise. 
The door to the clinic opened, bringing in a gust of cold, wet air. The cheerful jingle of the bell felt out of place with his mood. Lewis groaned as he shut the door behind him, stomping his feet as though the ground itself had brought the weather. “Awful. Just awful. Can’t believe we had to cancel the feast.”
“How is everyone?” Harvey asked impatiently. While he expected if something was wrong the mayor would have said so, the canceled feast was still the furthest thing from his mind. 
“All fine, all fine. Gus took in Elliott and Pam. Penny decided to stay with Emily and Haley. Everyone else is warm and has plenty of candles and firewood.”
“And Evelyn and George?”
“Evelyn has soup on the stove and George was complaining about missing his shows. All’s well.”
Harvey nodded, hoping the knot in his stomach might smooth out with the good news. He stared out the window, taking another sip of coffee. “And Marnie?”
Harvey didn’t miss the subtle change in Lewis’s expression. “Also fine. Her barn is warmer than my house, I imagine. If things get worse we could hold up there.”
“It’s a shame the community center isn’t in good shape. We could have used that as a shelter, instead of relying on the goodwill of citizens.” Harvey knew mentioning the community center was a low blow, but at this moment he didn’t quite care about the mayor’s feelings. 
“The boiler is still in good condition.” Maru pipped in. “I looked at it a few weeks back. We’d just need to get the walls repaired and the insulation reinstalled. My mom could probably get it done before next winter.”
“Your mother’s prices are outrageous.” Lewis snapped, before he caught himself. “Well, not outrageous, I suppose. But we don’t have that kind of money in the budget, I’m afraid.”
“MmHmm.” Harvey took another sip of coffee. This was a risk of living in the country, he supposed, and everyone was handling it with grace. Still, as soon as the snow stopped and they could get a snowplow going, he was going to make the rounds himself. Until then, he could only wait and hope.
8 notes · View notes
lonelychicagos · 1 year
Text
Just Past the Traffic Lights
“For the flight,” Hotch walked past her, handing her a plate of homemade chocolate cookies he got from one of the detectives in the station.
A short fic set after 4.02, "The Angel Maker".
Also available on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44804651
“For the flight,” Hotchner walked past her, handing her a plate of homemade chocolate cookies he got from one of the detectives in the station. Emily was sure he said something else but her mind was too focused on the realization that he wasn’t flying back with the team. 
The plate of cookies was still in Emily’s hand when JJ closed the passenger door beside her. Emily silently contemplated the gift and the man who gave it to her. She knew Hotch wasn’t yet cleared to fly so he chose to drive back home, but there was something wrong about having to do it on his own. 
“Is everyone ready to go?” The blonde agent asked everyone, wordlessly checking if everyone was comfortable in their seats. “I’ll alert the captain that we’ll be arriving at the airport in 30.” 
Most of them gave an affirmative answer save for Emily. “Can you…hold for a second?” She searched around for Hotch’s tall figure. When she found him arranging his things in the backseat, Emily dropped the plate of cookies on JJ’s lap and got off. 
“Hey!” JJ exclaimed. “Where are you off?”
“Hotch’s driving alone,” and she was off. 
No one bats an eye. Not JJ who would’ve found it worth mentioning to Penelope during girls’ night. Not Reid who, although oblivious to the female psyche, found the growing closeness of Hotch and Emily interesting. Not even Morgan who partnered with both Emily and Hotch so closely that he knew how the two spoke of each other. Rossi was another story, but he didn’t offer any witty quips. Just a smirk sent the brunette’s way as she strode to the black SUV. 
Hotch cared for the team and Emily was devoted to their leader. There was no question in that, so when Emily ran off to the other car, no one batted an eye.
Emily jogged quickly to catch Hotch just as he started the car. The female agent promptly knocked on the window of the front seat, clearly startling the man already inside. 
The tinted window rolled down, revealing Hotch in a not-impressed-but-surprised state. “Prentiss?”
“Got room for one more?” 
Hotch leaned forward to check if there were others behind her. Seeing that it was only her, he inquired, “where are the others?”
“They just left. It’s just me.” Her boss silently nodded and opened the door for her. She went in and got settled. “It’s a long drive, you shouldn’t be alone. Not in your condition.”
He looked at her as though she just offended him. “Are you saying I’m incapable of driving by myself, Agent Prentiss?”
Emily flushed red. She had no intentions of offending him, not this early in the car ride. “I’m not implying anything, Hotch. I just don’t want you to drive back alone… that’s all.” 
She didn’t want to leave him alone, not after the pained look he gave her as the sound of the victim’s grave being extracted berated in his ears. It was the only time she felt helpless in the group. But knowing Hotch, she knew he would never ask for anything that would benefit himself. 
“Ready to go?” Hotch asked, startling her back to reality. 
“Yep,” she confirmed, buckling the seatbelt across her torso. “Sorry, I’ve got no cookies for the trip.”
That earned a slight smile from the boss. “We could just grab lunch somewhere.”
“Sure.” Then they were off. 
Emily mentally prepared herself for a silent drive, so it surprised her when after only 5 minutes on the road, it was Hotch who spoke first.
“I planned to stretch the drive into 2 days, but Haley’s got a date, and Jessica’s out of town, so I’ve got Jack for the weekend.” 
Emily nodded, smiling at the thought of father and son. She’d never met the child, but she’d seen the photos in his office. Jack Hotchner was one cute child. On the other hand, she was more intrigued by the thought of Haley dating. “Are you fine with Haley dating? Sorry, don’t answer that. I was out of line.” Yep, she should’ve just said something about his son. 
“It’s okay,” he glanced at Emily to assure her. “Haley’s a great person, she deserves someone who can see that.” 
“You shouldn’t blame yourself, you know.” She offered. It didn’t take a profiler to see how Hotch blames himself for the death of their marriage. The job entailed traveling outside DC almost every week, so being a doting parent may seem close to impossible. 
Hotch sighed, “I know. I love this job, but sometimes it takes so much. Since I became Unit Chief, I’ve got less and less time for my family. It broke her, and I couldn’t do anything about it.” 
“I’m sorry.” Emily offered. A quick glance at the man beside her and she could see how much it affected him. His jaw was clenched and he had a stoic expression on, but his eyes were sad and empty. 
“It’s fine,” Hotch replied. “I’m just trying to make it up to Jack now, make sure he doesn’t grow up wondering why his father spent so much time away.”
It was unfair how he had to drive his way home for seven hours, but everyone else was on an hour-long flight. And not one in the team had a child to go home to except for their leader. With that, Emily decided: “I’ll drive half of the way home.”
Startled, he shifted his gaze between the road and Emily. “What? Why?”
She shrugged as if it was nothing. “So you can rest before seeing your son.” 
Emily knew that if he drove for seven hours, he’d either have to rest for half of the next day or not rest at all, which would have affected his day with Jack. The female agent couldn’t quite understand why she felt the need to do it for the man, but her boss was pretty devoted to his son, and he deserved to rest after a stressful case. “Come on, Hotch,” she chided. “Just take it.” 
“Okay,” Hotch said, giving in to his subordinate’s request. “But I’m buying lunch and dinner.” 
She flashed a grin toward Hotch, a feeling of both hunger and happiness spreading in her stomach. “That’s good enough for me.” 
4 hours in, Three cities, two albums, and one bathroom break later, Prentiss announced that she needed to be fed lest there will be consequences. Not giving in to his subordinate’s antics, Aaron quietly drove but stopped by an old diner in a town near the interstate line. Fifteen minutes later, they were served two large plates of greasy hamburgers, two tubs of chili fries, and milkshakes that could definitely send them both into a food coma. It didn’t matter, though. The cheese in their burgers alone is worth it. 
“Prentiss, can I ask you something?” The unit chief asked after he popped the last bit of his fries. 
Prentiss looked up, smiling. “Call me Emily. We’re not at work and we’re not solving a case.” 
He nodded. “Okay, Emily. I’ll ask you something.” 
“Shoot.” 
“Why aren’t you following your mother’s footsteps?” Aaron had been meaning to ask her that question since she first stepped into his office. The interest grew when she turned in her resignation letter and claimed to be pursuing a foreign service exam. 
Emily thought about it for a minute. “I told you, I hate politics,” she started. “Politicians claim to want to change the world, but more often than not, they’re doing it to gain something. No sincerity. I know you weren’t oblivious to how I used to take off during my mom’s parties and state dinners.” 
He sent a smirk her way. Emily was one of Aaron’s assignments during his deployment under the Prentiss household. He knew how creative she could get at embarrassing Ambassador Prentiss during formal dinners. Sometimes, she’d show up with a man her mother would not approve of. Other times, she’d appear in a gown that the ambassador would find scandalous and improper. Most times, she’d make her appearance for ten minutes before taking off for the night. It was, at times, Aaron’s responsibility to make sure that she got home safely. 
“I never saw the appeal of it,” Emily continued, “especially knowing how it took my mom away from me.” 
It was then that guilt washed over him. Emily must have noticed because she hurriedly placed a palm over his hand to console him. “Oh, Hotch. You know it’s not the same.” 
“Is it really?” 
“I’m not sure, but here’s the thing…you’re a great dad, and seeing how you’re speeding the highway to get to your son tonight says a lot.” 
He’s trying. God knows he’s trying. He may have failed Haley and their marriage, but the only thing keeping him alive was Jack. The boy deserves a father who was present, a father who’s not in the face of death every two weeks or so, a father who comes home to his son to tuck him in every night. But Aaron loved his job and the purpose it gave him. He could only wish his son would one day understand that. For now, all he could do was drive straight home to Jack after a week of stressful work. 
“Thanks.” 
Sensing his discomfort, Emily started to chirp about this new noir book she’d been reading. He listened intently, interested in how she could still consume crime books as if it wasn’t part of her daily routine. “It might come in handy,” she reasoned. 
Just as she reached the end of the story, a young waiter arrived at their table, carrying a slice of cake with him. “On the house, ma’am. Happy birthday!” 
Startled, Emily was rendered speechless for a few beats before gaining herself back. “Wha–thank you!” She turned to Aaron with her mouth agape, “you remembered?” 
He shrugged. “I do have a great memory.” 
Emily grabbed a fork and stabbed a slice of the chocolate cake. “It’s not my birthday today, you know.” 
Aaron smiled, “it is on the 12th. We’re just celebrating early.” 
That earned him one of the biggest smiles he’s seen Emily give since the first time she started working with them. “Hey, Hotch. Thank you.” 
“Aaron,” he corrected. 
He never quite forgot her birthday, not after seeing Emily extremely heartbroken on her 25th birthday. It was his 3rd year working for the Prentisses then and knew how tight the ambassador’s schedule was. The younger Prentiss was promised a dinner with the ambassador to celebrate his silver year, and looked forward to it, despite how rocky the mother-daughter relationship had been in the past. 
Hotch could still remember how her jovial expression fell as he passed the message that her mother won’t be able to make it to dinner. He could still hear how her heels clicked against the marble floor as she swiftly walked back to her room. 
Aaron took a 30-minute break and ran off to the nearest pastry shop, searching for something that could cheer up the younger Prentiss. There were no cakes left, not at that hour, so he settled for a chocolate muffin and a single candle. Not wasting any minute, he immediately gave the package to the birthday girl as soon as he arrived back at the Prentiss residence, hoping to get a smile on Emily’s face. 
The smile she gave him that night was almost the same one he received minutes before. The same smile that made him hope that she’d at least had great birthdays after her 25th. He made a mental note to ask her about it. 
“Ready to go?” Aaron asked as he was settling in the passenger seat that Emily vacated almost an hour ago. They just arrived back from the convenience store near the diner they just ate at. 
“Yep! I just got my driving essentials,” she said, showing the items one by one. “Chocolate. Energy drink. Some snacks.” 
“What’s that?” Aaron pointed to the small orange toy she grabbed on a whim inside the store. 
Blushing, Emily explained. “Oh, it’s a T-Rex. You mentioned Jack has been into dinosaurs lately. I just grabbed it without thinking, sorry.” 
Aaron gave a small smile. “Do you plan on giving it to him?” 
“Oh yeah, but if you think it’s a bit weird, then it’s okay.” Yep. She should have asked him first before grabbing any toys for his son. 
“I think he’ll like it. Thanks.” 
“Great! We better get going.” Emily put the keys in the ignition and started the vehicle. “This toy needs to get to its rightful owner.” 
Emily quickly got comfortable on the road. Despite having her objections about moving around, she had no problems with driving. In fact, it was one of her favorite activities when she had spare time over the weekends. 
“You know, you fit well in the team.” Aaron quipped, breaking the thin wall of silence over them. 
Emily gaped at him. “Are you really evaluating me right now?” 
“Eyes on the road, Prentiss,” Aaron reprimanded. “It’s just a mere observation.” 
She hummed, unsatisfied with his answer. “What brought this on?” 
“On the field, you’re headstrong and objective. You compartmentalize well. When we’re not, you’re thoughtful and caring. Everyone in the team adores you.” 
Not used to his compliments, Emily cracked something along the lines of a joke. “You really sound like you’re just giving me my evals.” 
“I’m saying that it’s great to have you around,” Aaron answered. 
Once Emily got past his initial comments, she now understood the reason behind it. “All of this because I remembered your son has an affinity for dinosaurs? You could’ve just gone with that in the first place, you know.” 
The man in her passenger seat chuckled, “where’s the fun in that?” 
“Aaron, I’m not sure we have the same concept of fun.” 
It was true. Her version of fun revolved around drinking with the girls and embarrassing men. She loved socializing with others and things that involve not being inside the house. On the other hand, she’d never seen Hotch join them for drinks after a case. Not even after the most ruthless serial killers have been locked behind bars. 
“Hey,” Aaron quickly defended himself. “I have fun sometimes.” 
Emily smiled at his attempt. “I know you do, but sometimes it feels like you have a permanent scowl on your face. It comes with the job, I know, but it won’t hurt to crack a smile or two.” She glanced at him, and true enough, a pair of dimples started to show on his cheeks. “But just for the record, you’re a really great boss.” 
Somewhere between Ohio, Virginia, and Emily’s endless anecdotes about her time in Chicago, he fell asleep. Hours before, they grabbed dinner from a rundown Greek restaurant in a small town right before they entered the state lines. “This is legit,” Emily remarked as she grabbed the first bite of her keftedes. She then proceeded to impart her extensive knowledge of Greek cuisine. 
“Hotch? Aaron?” He woke up from the soft taps on his shoulder. Being the light sleeper that he was, he immediately sat up. “We’re here.” 
Aaron darted his eyes to his wristwatch, squinting to check the time, but to no avail. It was already too dark outside. “How long was I out?” 
“More than an hour,” Emily replied. “It’s a quarter before 10.” 
“Oh.” He was hoping that they’d arrive a bit earlier so he could have Jack for the night. Knowing that Jack slept in his room in their new apartment gave Aaron a sense of security and satisfaction. 
“Are you still getting Jack in for tonight?” 
Aaron shook his head no. “He’s probably tucked in now, I’ll just make sure we have an early day tomorrow.”  
Emily nodded. “Well, don’t forget his dinosaur.” 
Aaron grabbed the orange toy from her hands, giving it a squeeze before sharing a smile with her. “I won’t. Thanks for driving.” 
“It was our deal,” Emily waved him off. “And you were an okay passenger, it wasn’t really a drag.” 
A few beats later, they were both walking across her complex’s parking lot. Despite knowing Emily’s ability to protect herself, Aaron felt more comfortable seeing her off to her door. Or at the very least, the main door to her apartment complex. 
“Why’d you really drive home with me? You could have had your rest hours ago.” Aaron asked. The others had been home for a good eight hours by now. Most of them are already on the way to completing the sleep they lost over the week. So, forgive him if he couldn’t fathom how and why Emily chose to sit next to him for a good 10-hour ride. 
She remained silent as they neared the lobby. In fact, Aaron had already accepted that he wouldn’t get an answer from her. “I don’t know. I don’t want to look into it. Not yet, at least. I just know driving back here alone could be a little lonely.” Emily said, her voice softer than usual. 
She didn’t want you to feel lonely, his subconscious said. He’d have to go back to that thought later on. “Thank you. This was fun.” 
“You slept, Aaron.” She said, matter-of-factly. 
“I’ll try to stay awake next time. Can’t have my driver bored to death while I’m in slumber.” She looked up at him, with a smile that reached her eyes. Next time. They gazed at each other for a long time, not wanting to break whatever spell they were under. 
Only the sound of the elevator bell broke their reverie. “Do you want to come in for coffee? I can’t have you driving back still half-asleep.” Emily offered, but they knew he wasn’t half-asleep. In fact, he might not be able to sleep at all. Not when he’d surely have her words haunting him over the night. 
Aaron stuffed his hands inside his pockets and glanced at the black SUV. “I’ll take a rain check, but thank you for the offer.” 
“Well, this is me,” Emily smiled. “Have a great weekend with Jack.” 
He turned to leave, but not before Emily took a hold of his wrist and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Good night,” she mumbled, before walking back to the elevator. Great, just another thing to think about. 
6 notes · View notes
Note
Preference: technically none but game wise I much prefer the dudes in this game they are just silly little guys- but I love the girls too don’t get me wrong
I am a huge theater kid who loves tragedies and dramas not a huge musical theater kid but I DEFINITELY know some broadway soundtracks
I listen to music religiously and cry when I eat good food because it makes me feel happy to eat good food
I like living in the middle of no where because it’s dark and quiet at night but I do enjoy seeing the city for fun little things- like a mall or a bookstore :)
I am a recovering emo /j
And I play video games like I will die if I stop
Hiya! Thanks for your patience in waiting for this to come out. I'm trying to ease myself back into writing so I thought this would be fun. :)
Anyways, I match you with...
Elliott!
I think the elephant in the room here is the mention of your appreciation of theatre. Elliott right with you there in that boat. He's a lover of all forms of storytelling, and with that all genres, so he could definitely get behind your love of tragedy. You two will cry over a good film, too.
Elliott's also a musician, so the whole appreciation of good music is right up his alley. While he prefers a more classical approach to the funky sound waves, he'll come to appreciate your taste in music, too (just please give him some time if it's something like metal. He won't hate on it it's just wayy out of his range /lh).
Oh, and he's a total snob for food, so expect to only get the Good Shit.
Again, he can relate to the likes of living in a remote(-ish) area. It's only him and Will-ol'-Willy that reside on the beach, and let's be honest if the game maps actually lined up there would be a much bigger difference in distance from beach to town (even more so in my HCs).
You mentioned leaving your home to go to a bookstore, which is another big-ticket Elliott item. You two will head out and just browse around the books for a while. He'll pick out his favourites from the shelf (the same ones he gets every time) and show them off to you. You'll end up taking a whole stack home so he can research for his next up-coming novel.
He's also a fan of the mall, believe it or not. He's got quite the eye for fashion (at least in his genre) and always knows the best stores to go to. Him and Haley have bonded over that, and sometimes if you're friends with them her and Emily will come along!
Video games aren't really his forte, but he's willing to try them out. Maybe enlist Sebastian or Abigail to help you out. They'll be willing to do it, just as long as you can keep Elliott from going on one of his rambles (and maybe spare them a cool thing or two).
As someone who knows near-nothing about emos, on the chance you were one (just taking into consideration the '/j'), he probably finds it a little weird. Still, Elliott's Elliott, and it's one of his goals to come to appreciate all things in life - even the things he doesn't know as well. Probably goes on a tangent about your 'recovery' if you phrase is like that. Lol.
5 notes · View notes
cloudlessly-light · 1 year
Text
The greatest thing that I have achieved 6/10
A/N: thank you to everyone who reads/likes/interacts with this story! Especially thanks to @sequinsmile-x for this chapter, for always being you and for always letting me send random snippets and helping me out when I need it! <3
Chapter title: Place your head on my beating heart   Summary: After Haley’s death, Aaron isn’t sure how to move on from the grief. Then one night, months later he finds himself falling into bed with Emily, his best friend and that changes everything. Word Count: 2,2k Rating: Explicit Warnings for this chapter: Grief, pregnancy, family fluff, feelings, hurt, angst
Aaron wakes up by the sound of Jack’s laugh, followed by Emily’s voice. He looks at the clock on his bedside table and isn’t surprised that it’s only 7am, but he is surprised that Emily was awake this early on a Sunday. She was still tired, the fatigue that she felt early on in her pregnancy still very much present at 24 weeks.
It had been a month since they gave in to their attraction to each other, a month of Aaron forcing himself not to go to her every night since, just for the chance to hold her again. He had tried to force those feelings away, tried with everything in him not to kiss her when she laughed at something he said or the first time she felt the baby kick and she looked at him with such awe that he thought he’d combust right there.
He chooses not to think too much about it as he gets out of bed, a clattering of pans making him hurry downstairs. He might be in love with Emily, but he did not trust her in the kitchen.
“Good morning.” Emily greets him, flour on her cheek and clothes, Jack beside her on a stool, also covered in flour.
“What’s going on in here?” He tries to look stern but it does nothing but make Jack laugh.
“I wanted to make pancakes. As a surprise!” He says, flour falling from his hair in a way that makes it clear that he had probably dropped the bag over himself when reaching for it in the pantry.
“I heard him and we decided to make you breakfast together.” Emily finishes with her own grin. “But I was a little too late.” She looks to Jack who shrugs sheepishly.
“I didn’t mean to drop the flour, it was heavier than I thought.” He says and Emily ruffles his hair, creating a white cloud around him that falls onto the counter and floor.
“It’s okay buddy. What do you say you and Emily continue with the pancakes and I’ll get to cleaning up?” He turns with a smile to get the vacuum cleaner but Jack’s voice stops him.
“But daddy, you said that Emily wasn’t allowed in the kitchen without supervision.”
“He said what?”
*
Emily tries not to overhear the hushed conversation between Jessica and Aaron a couple of weeks later. Jack had been in a mood the day before, irritated and snappy in a way he usually never was. He had screamed at Emily when she asked what was wrong and when Aaron had tried to talk to him, the young boy refused to let him in, only closing the door to his bedroom.
It was only when Aaron realized that it was Mother’s day that weekend that everything seemed to click. He had called Jessica and she had immediately agreed to come over that Sunday.
“I can’t believe that I forgot.” Aaron had said as they prepared dinner.
“With Jessica here tomorrow, he’ll be okay.” She tried to reassure him even if she knew that Jack most likely would be even more upset than he currently was.
So she had stayed clear of Aaron and Jack as much as possible knowing that they needed some time alone. Jessica had come over and they had spent the day together. Aaron and Jessica had both assured her that she didn’t have to hide away but she had adamantly told them both that it was fine, Jack needed to be the sole focus today.
“We always knew that today would be hard for him.” Emily heard Jessica say as they cleaned up from dinner and Emily silently made her way towards the stairs, wanting to give them privacy.
Jack was in his room when she passed it, sitting on his bed and eyes fastened on a picture in his hands but looked up at the sounds of her footsteps.
“Emily?” He asked and she stopped and leaned against the doorframe.
“Yes honey?”
“Are you mad at me?” He asked quietly, head down as he continued to look at the framed picture in his hands.
“Oh Jack, why would you think that?” She makes her way to him and sits on the edge of his bed. She sees the picture in his hands, a picture of Haley with Jack on her lap, Aaron sitting beside them. It was a picture from when they were still married, taken when Jack was barely one.
“You’ve been gone all day.” He looks up at her with shining eyes. “Are you mad because I screamed at you?”
“Of course not.” She feels her heart break when a single tear falls from his eye and she carefully wipes it away. “I know that today was hard, and I wanted you to get as much time as possible with your dad and Jessica. I didn’t mean to be gone, honey.”
“I didn’t mean to be mean to you. I-I just…” His words are cut off by a small sob that makes his body shake and Emily is quick to sit closer to him.
“You miss your mom, Jack that’s okay. You’re always allowed to miss her.” She wraps her arm around him but to her surprise Jack climbs into her lap, his head buried into her shoulder. “You know that dad misses her too right? He misses her every day.” She rubs his back and tries to keep her own tears at bay.
“Really?” He hiccups and looks up at her.
“Yeah.”
“He never talks about her. I don’t want to make him sad.” A few more tears roll down his cheeks and Emily wipes them away and kisses his forehead.
“You can always talk to your dad okay? And sometimes being sad isn’t a bad thing. Being sad because your mom isn’t here isn’t a bad sad, it’s sadness because you love her and miss her. Dad does too.”
Jack nods and looks down, his eyes fastening on Emily’s belly. She continues to stroke along his back as his tears stop falling and he relaxes into her.
“I’m sorry I made you think I was mad at you Jack.” She whispers and he nods again before climbing off her lap.
“I made you something.” He says then and Emily’s eyebrows knit together in confusion when he starts to ruffle through his bag. When he pulls up a card, slightly crumbled from laying in his bag for two days she suppresses a low gasp as her heart clenches with affection towards the young boy.
“You made me this?” She asks as she opens the hand-made card. Jack had drawn a flower and beside it a small heart, his messy handwriting on the other side.
Happy Mother’s Day Emily.
Jack
“It’s from Peanut as well. Because you’re her mom.” He says it almost shyly, eyes on his fingers that he’s twisting around each other, a nervous habit of his.
“Jack you didn’t have to do that.” She pulls him into a hug and kisses the top of his head. “Thank you.” She smiles into his hair.
“I wanted to.” His small arms hold on to her tight enough to hurt, but she barely notices it.
On the other side of the wall Aaron is leaning against it. He was on his way to tuck Jack into bed when he heard them talking and he didn’t dare to ruin the moment. He ignores his own tears and the slight ache in his heart at the knowledge that Jack was hurting and instead thanks his lucky stars that Emily was there.
*
Aaron watches Emily from across the precinct as she talks with Dave and JJ, a smile on her face. Dave is saying something that makes both of them laugh and then his hand strokes over the bump, making it clear that they’re talking about the baby.
“I heard you had a rough weekend with Jack.” Derek says as he comes to stand beside him, his eyes also on their friends.
“Mother’s Day.” Is all he says but it’s all he needs to say for Derek to suck in a breath with a nod.
“How is it going living together? Is he okay with it?”
“I actually think Emily is making it better, they’re close.” He turns to look at the other man. “He loves her, but she’s not replacing Haley, he knows that.” Aaron explains because he knows Derek well enough to know that that’s what he’s thinking.
“Good, that’s good.” Derek turns from him “I’ll let them know that we’re about ready to go.”
Aaron watches silently as he makes his way towards the rest of their team and smiles when Dave tries to help Emily to stand but she shrugs him off. Then her eyes meet his and she rolls her eyes at the older man, making him laugh.
*
That night they come back late enough not to get Jack from Jessica’s and Emily plops herself down on the couch.
“I want to watch a movie, she’s kicking way too much for me to be able to sleep.” She grins and he comes to sit beside her.
“Mind if I join you?” His hand falls on top of rounded stomach and he feels the kick against his palm. “Oh she’s strong.”
“Of course not.” Emily relaxes into the couch after reaching for the remote. “I can’t believe how fast time’s gone by.”
“27 weeks.” He confirms before she says it and he feel another kick. “You doing okay in there, Peanut?”  
“She’s fine.” Emily scrolls through the channels absentmindedly. “Mind putting on a DVD? Maybe…”
“Lord of the rings?” He finishes for her with a chuckle. It was her favorite franchise, always the movie she wanted to watch. He gets up as she nods and is quick to put the CD into the DVD player.
Emily smiles as he comes back and makes himself comfortable beside her, his hand once again on her stomach as he rubs it gently. They watch in silence for a while, Emily mouthing along with the lines in a way that makes him laugh.
It’s another kick, hard against her ribs that makes her jerk, her hand moving to rub against her ribs but her hand falls on top of his. She looks at him as he shuffles slightly on the couch, close enough for her to feel the heat of him. They hadn’t been this close for weeks, not since that night and she can see the way his eyes dart over her face, lingering on her lips and she has to force herself to move back.
“Aaron…” She breathes as she sits up straighter on the couch. “You can’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” He asks as he sits up straighter as well, his heart hammering in his chest.
“Like I’m your whole world.” She whispers as her hair falls over her face. His warm fingers gently brush the hair away.
“Emily what if…”
“You’re not in love with me.” She interrupts him and it sounds more like she’s trying to convince herself that anything. “You might think that you are, but it’s only because I’m carrying your child. Don’t confuse your love for her for you loving me.”
He looks at her stunned at the words that just left her mouth for a couple of moments that feels like forever.
“Is that what you really think?” He asks then and Emily sighs.
“That’s what I know.”
He’s not sure how to respond to that, the comfort between them all but gone and instead replaced by an uncomfortable coldness that he hadn’t felt between them for years. Before he has a chance to say anything else, she’s getting up from the couch leaving him with nothing but the sound of her descending footsteps.
Haley,
Jack says hi, next time I’m coming here I’ll bring him. He misses you a lot. We both do. This week was hard for him. Jessica has truly been a rock and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay her for everything she does for us. It was Mother’s Day last Sunday and it was rough for him. But Jessica came over and I know that helped a lot. I suggested coming here to see you, but he said that he couldn’t. But he bought you flowers.
Emily helped as well I think. She understands Jack in ways I feel like I might not. She told me that I’m confused about my feelings towards her, but I know that I’m not. I just wish she understood that. I know you already know, that you knew before you were forced to leave us, but it’s harder to hide now, that I’m in love with her.
I can’t say the words out loud but I can write them to you, how fucked up is that? I can just imagine your laugh, I can hear your voice so clearly still, telling me that I’m an idiot and that you were right.
Anyways, I will leave the flowers Jack bought you here with my letter. It’s hard Haley, it’s hard being here without you.
- Aaron
27 notes · View notes
gameguides · 1 year
Text
Stardew Valley Rizz Tips
Tumblr media
Welcome to our Stardew Valley Rizz Tips guide. This guide will show you how to have unspoken Rizz in Stardew Valley! We know that there are people who have a hard time finishing the Stardew Valley game. If you are one of those who find it difficult to finish the game, let's take you to our Stardew Valley guide. #StardewValley
Stardew Valley Rizz Tips
Have you been struggling to attract a female partner in Stardew Valley? This guide will show you how to rizz up any of the 6 beautiful, single women in Stardew Valley (Haley, Emily, Abigail, Penny, Maru, Leah) and become a Rizz God in Stardew Valley General Rizz Tips Before we go into detail on how to rizz up a specific character in Stardew Valley, I will teach you general unspoken rizz tips that will work on every single female in Pelican Town. Every woman will fall in love with you if you do these things: Talk to the females Try to talk to single women every day. This will slowly build friendship points (+20) and make them like you. Queens don't like to be bothered, so don't attempt to rizz her up while she's busy, make sure she's attentive to receive your rizz better
Tumblr media
For example, a rizz god would not bother Haley in this picture as she is busy, and talking to a woman while she's busy will make you look desperate and like you have no rizz Keep track of their hearts In Stardew Valley you can easily see how much characters like you by their heart meters The maximum number of hearts singles can have before married is 8. Keep track of the hearts as they show your rizzing progress how much a woman likes you. This way you know when to talk about marriage Go to the Flower Dance Taking women to the Flower Dance will make them like you more, always make sure to dance but only if you have at least 4 hearts of rizz or else you will get rejected (getting rejected = no rizz). Do NOT get rejected EVER Give liked and loved gifts Over time, you will learn what each women like and what all women like (universal liked and loved gifts). As rizz gods, we give queens what they like the most but not more than twice a week so that we don't look desperate. Preferably don't spend too much money on gifts though as rizz gods should have a lot of money and you can't afford to waste it as a farmer, especially not on the females. Gifts you picked up off the ground and out of the trash are the bests gifts for rizzing while also protecting the money, but make sure the girls like the gifts (they will never know you got it out of a trash can). Also it goes without saying but make sure you only go through the trash at night or in the rain because you don't want any queens seeing you rummage through trash cans or else you will look broke (no rizz) The Queens Since we've been through general, non-specific, unspoken rizz, now it's time to decide who to rizz up. I will go through the reasons to rizz up each of these single queens in Pelican Town and any specific tips on how to rizz them up. Haley (Mean Girl) To date Haley you must have a humiliation kink or something because Haley will be an to you until you rizz her up enough for her to start being nice. However, it's rewarding as Haley is the only blonde baddie in Stardew Valley. You must be willing to accept the insults for a while but it's possible to make her love you and stop bullying you eventually. Haley's birthday is Spring 14. The fountain and the beach are good places to rizz her as she will usually visit them and not be busy, however since she is a she will sometimes ignore you. Emily Liking Emily there must be something wrong with you for liking a woman with blue hair but if you want to ignore this huge red flag, Emily isn't that bad. Emily works as a bartender so you can find her in the Saloon and even though she is working she will always be open to receiving rizz when she is working at the Saloon. Her birthday is on Spring 27. Leah Leah loves nature so make sure you hide your love for the money from her and engage in love for the planet and the environment and nature. She likes food off the ground (forage) so if you find her in Cindersap Forest you can easily rizz her up by picking something off the ground and giving it to her. This makes her quite an easy character to rizz without spending money as she is not in love with the money like most women. She lives in Cindersap Forest and that is the best place to find her. Buying her salad when she's at the Saloon will for sure make her love you. Her birthday is on Winter 23. Maru While not one of the most popular marriage candidates in Stardew Valley, Maru will instantly be nice to you unlike Haley and she is excited to meet you when you move in. She lives in the mountains and works at Harveys. Her birthday is Summer 10. Maru is good for farmers who like smart women as she is gifted in technology and science. She likes metals as that's something she can use and expensive precious metals like gold and iridium and also diamonds are loved by her. She loves battery packs and even radioactive metals! Overall Maru is an underrated person to rizz so consider her if you want a friendly smart wife in Stardew Valley Abigail Abigail is the e-girl of Pelican Town. She is also the Wizard's daughter and naturally has purple hair which is pretty cool and makes her a pretty popular rizz candidate. She likes eating amethyst so give her some expensive rocks to eat and she will love you. Her birthday is fall 13. She is the perfect girlfriend for you if you want a magic gamer girl to be your girlfriend. Penny Penny is shy but she is a very kind and generous person who tutors children. She is poor and lives in a trailer, but if you marry her and make her your queen she will move into your house. She will be into Sam at first but if you rizz her up she will like you more. Her birthday is fall 2. Her mother is nasty old Pam but personally Pam can be a good friend so if you take Penny away from her make sure to be nice to Pam. Read the full article
1 note · View note
sundewnights · 3 years
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
local mean girl meets unfazed newcomer
bonus:
Tumblr media
10K notes · View notes