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#suppose i could tough it out for a couple hours and leave at like 10 but...will i have the motivation...
six-of-ravens · 7 months
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hm, have realized that if I want to go out tomorrow to avoid the water shutoff I'm going to have to face the worst roads in the city during rush hour and...bleh
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aquanova99 · 2 years
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AWOL
⭑・゚゚・*:༅。.。༅:*゚:*:✼✿  ✿✼:*゚:༅。.。༅:*・゚゚・⭑
Caius x MarineReader
Summary: Y/n was just trying to enjoy a much needed vacation. But the castle in Volterra intrigued. How does the saying go? Curiosity killed the cat? Will what y/n finds be able to bring her back? Or will she regret trying to sneak into her own fairytale?
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⭑・゚゚・*:༅。.。༅:*゚:*:✼✿  ✿✼:*゚:༅。.。༅:*・゚゚・⭑
They say hubris is the downfall of man. You had hoped your gender might save you from that. Alas, you weren’t that lucky.
You so rarely had time to yourself. Most of the leave you acquired was spent on family. You remembered when you would have time to spare you would try and pick up a few projects here and there with little success. Not enough time, not enough patience. You decided to treat yourself, you had been sent to Italy on your way to a deployment and promised yourself you would take time to see the country when you had a chance. You had been to the major cities and decided to travel a bit farther get more immersed in the art and culture. Its how you ended up in an art museum Volterra. It was a around an hour from Florence, and the Tuscan countryside was gorgeous.
You had been walking around for around 10 minutes and stopped at a cafe facing the giant castle. It would be amazing to see the architecture and art on the inside. You asked the barista who, by some miracle understood the mix of your broken Italian and English, told you that there were no tours for that castle.
“Really? Why not?”
“Not allowed.” The tone in the guys voice made your skin bristle. You had spent your entire military career proving that you were just as good as any other marine. Women were always drastically outnumbered, it forced you to become tough skinned. It also made you the best at your job, the downside was that it made you overly confident. You always had a point to prove.
“I have money…” you started offering, much less polite than before
“No tours.” He relied curtly and turned around, leaving you red faced and more curious than ever. You walked towards the castle, you hated that the guy seemed to have a reason to stay away. When you were a few steps from it you felt some kind of presence looming over you. It made you take a couple steps back, but the group of men walking towards what seemed like another entrance caught your attention.
You almost immediately regretted your decision, “you look lost beautiful!”
It took everything not to roll your eyes but if they could get a private tour…well maybe a little harmless flirting wouldn’t hurt. You certainly knew how to defend yourself. Then again you can never trust people, he could be crazy.
“Yeah I was supposed to meet up with the group earlier and I overslept.”
“Well you better come join us then?” God you wanted to punch the smirk off his face. You stepped to the back of the group, there were some more snickers and unnecessary comments you were determined to ignore. The tour guide came to the front right after, she was the most beautiful woman you had ever seen. Suddenly, all of the men and most of the women fell silent. Your mind screamed at you to turn around, to make an excuse, to swallow your stupid pride for once…but your body seemed to move on its own. As if you were watching your body in third person, and you could no longer control the limbs that ached from fighting the pull taking you closer to the castle and farther out of sight. You thought you saw the barista out of the corner of your eye, shaking his head before disappearing from your life forever.
He wasn’t trying to get rid of the tourist, he had been trying to save the tourist’s life. Idiot, you screamed at yourself. Everyone seemed to eager to follow the woman but while you obeyed, you knew nothing good was coming from this.
The inside of the palace was more magnificent than you could have dreamed. But every fact that was being thrown at you from the guide might as well been in Chinese, or Spanish, or some alien language. Sound wasn’t registering, it all sounded like white noise. you felt your mind pushing and pulling itself apart as it ached to follow the tour guide, while simultaneously praying you could find a way to escape.
Spoiler alert: you didn’t.
You saw two giant wooden doors be pushed through like it was made of paper. The three men sitting in thrones seemed to awaken some other tourists, the one in the middle welcomed you all before the door slammed behind you. Your eyes had been trained on the man in the right, your fears seemed to vanish until you heard that door. You turned to look at the one escape before the screams shook you from your daze. Paralyzing fear possessed your body.
Everything moved in slow motion. You saw a man with a bloody grin tilt his head while looking at you as he advanced in your direction. You should have tried to run, to fight. Never in your life had you backed down to someone, now….your feet may as well been nailed to the floor. Then suddenly you had the wind knocked out of you. You half assumed you had been killed, you could still hear the screams from people dropping. The blond, red eyed creature dropped you in a room high above the floor you had started your tour in.
“Why are you here?”
“Wh-what are you talking about?”
“You better not have been in that group on purpose…” he snarled before turning his back on you
“W-wait…Wait! Where are you going? What is happening right now?”
“You will stay here until someone comes to get you. You’ve interrupted my feeding.”
“You mean—all those people…” your voice was wavering, whatever ounce of courage you had to try and get your bearings disappeared. The man you had been so intrigued by scoffed at your remark, rolling his eyes as he left you in that cold room. It was well over an hour before you heard the door creak open. The other two men sat in the thrones downstairs stood over you. You had had time to be upset now.
“Look, I don’t know what you want from me I don’t know anything and even if I did I wouldn’t tell you.”
You thought you had calmed down, now, you were furious. How dare they take you hostage? Did they think you knew some information because of your job? You had made some rank but anything useful was not being debriefed to you. You began to argue but the smallest of three held his hand up
“We do apologize, we weren’t trying to be rude. I am Aro, this is Marcus and you’ve met my brother Caius. Why did you come here?” Marcus nodded at his name but Caius looked furious as he awaited your answer
“I—I wanted to see palace, one of the locals here kept telling me no, and I… got annoyed so I came here anyway,” god you were being held captive and you somehow sounded like an ass. “I heard some men being really loud and I followed them and saw them go in. I thought it was a private showing or something, I thought maybe I could pay afterwards.”
“Hmm. May I?” Aro seemed to ask for your hand, you hesitated but at this point he could have done something to you already. They all could have. You tried to steady your hand and quickly reached your hand to his, assuming he was going to lead you somewhere. You needed to stop doing that. Assuming, so far you had lost every time, thank god you weren’t into gambling. You saw Aro chuckle at your thought, that was weird.
“It seems she’s being honest, Heidi did not invite her here. Caius. Why don’t you stay here and give our new guest a private tour, that is what she came for. We will get her room set up. Shall we, brother?”
Marcus nodded and then turned to you for a second, “we look forward to meeting you.”
Then they were gone. They hadn’t actually walked out they just, disappeared. The only proof of their presence was a gust of air that appeared in the area they had been standing.
“What could you actually have to do here, or are you that foolish to go where you aren’t invited?”
For whatever reason this guys words stung. You did know you should stay away, you had nothing to prove and you still went searching for trouble, “I—
“You realize we could have killed you. Had Marcus not said something immediately you would have died?”
“What is your problem? Im sorry, okay? I just wanted to see what the inside looked like and once the tour started I just— I couldn’t turn around.”
“Of course you couldn’t,” he scoffed at you again, why did you feel like crying, “you have no idea what you have done.”
“I want to leave…please.” You’re voice was starting to break, and you felt yourself growing smaller with every word he spoke
His chuckling sent a chill down You spine, “You still don’t get it? You can’t go home now. Now, you get to choose, become one of us or join the rest of the tourists.”
“Please I won’t say anything, just let me leave.”
“Of course it’s a human… it would be me” Caius mumbled, something about this broke me. Acting as if you were nothing, no….less than nothing.
“Listen buddy. I don’t know what your problem is so either change me or get it over with. Actually you know just finish it because there’s no way in hell I’d be in the same room as you on purpose.”
Caius turned his head as if he heard something more important, “you’re room is ready.”
He held the door open for you, daring you to stay behind. You went through and found Marcus and Aro and two women waiting for you.
“So this is the mate we heard snuck in.” The blond looking goddess said
“She is not my mate.” Caius snarled
Mate?
“Oh my dear girl, come we have much to talk about.” The other woman said, you soon learned their names and were able to feel more relaxed as they showed you around. They brought you to a new room, more elegant than anything you’d ever seen. It looked like something out of a storybook.
“You will stay here for the time being, I’m sure you must be exhausted. Heidi will come in and get some information from you to get all of your ends tied up.” Sulpicia spoke as quietly as she could as to not startle you
“I really can’t go home?”
“I’m sorry my dear,” Aro spoke “we cannot let humans know about us. We have been careful for centuries and it must stay that way. You are military so we should be able to withdraw all of your money and personal items to the castle. It will seem as if you went on the run.”
“I would never do that.”
“No? You didn’t take a random vacation amidst all of the harassment during work? No stress from your job? No falling out with family?”
“How-how do you know about my job?”
“A bit of a gift I suppose, we will explain more later, for now try and get some rest.” This secret shit was starting to get old, you looked around the room but they all caught on.
“I would avoid trying to run, not to scare you even more but there’s literally no way for us to not find you.” Athenadora tried to say it with some enthusiasm but the words still terrified you. You stayed still until you were sure the group of whatever they were left you alone. You slowly made your way to the bed in the room. Your feet seemed to be dragging through cement, you collapsed into the bed and began sobbing. You were half sure they heard you but you didn’t care. Your life was over before it even begun. And it was all your fault.
You clutched a pillow to your chest and stayed as still as you could. Aro was right about well everything, you were exhausted. Still you refused to fall asleep, you half hoped this was all some elaborate nightmare but if you went to sleep and woke up here... You couldn’t face that reality right now. You hear the door squeak open. You had your back to the door and you were too numb to see who it was.
“You need to eat.” The cold voice ordered. You were done responding to his outbursts. You gathered all of your strength and sat up. You grabbed tupperware and waited for him to leave. Daring him to spit more vitriol towards you. He seemed different now…
“Did i do something else?”
This seemed to snap him back to his previous attitude, “No.”
He stood and appeared across the room, after a pause he spoke in a much softer tone “from what Aro says you’ve had a busy day. Eat, and keep your energy up. It will help with the transformation process.”
If you hadn’t been so hungry you might have thrown the Tupperware at his head. He was infuriating. But he was right. The food smelled delicious too. You immediately wished you hadn’t ate. You couldn’t fight sleep anymore. When you woke up there was another meal waiting for you.
You didn’t leave your room much. Caius continued to bring food, slowly teaching you about vampires. The legends, the history. Always in small exchanges. You kept waiting for him to snap again. To begin berating you. He never did. If anything the only one snapping was you. You had the freedom to walk around but you felt unsafe which you feel like a prisoner. Aro and Sulpicia came often, you had learned about him too. You hesitated to touch him, they were trying to make the best out of a terrible situation.
Caius came in today as usual. You bother stayed silent for awhile, he probably would have stayed silent the entire time but I had “lessons,” so he had to put up with you.
“What am I learning today?”
“Would you like to take a walk with me?”
The question stunned you, while you couldn’t manage to form a sentence in your head, you nodded in response. You were even more shocked when Caius offered his arm to you
“Okay what’s happening?”
“You haven’t seen the gardens yet. Marcus is very proud of all that’s grown.”
“Okay?”
Caius, apparently, under exaggerated the garden looked like a paradise. You both sat near the fountain. A blanket was spread on the floor with deserts all lined in a tray.
“Wow this is beautiful, I guess I really do need to explore more of the castle.”
“Y/n, I need to apologize for my behavior when we were first introduced.” What the bell is happening, where’s Caius?
“You’re sorry?”
“Yes. Do you remember what I told you about the different kinds of bonds.”
“Yeah the most intense ones are the mate, family, and sire.”
“I’m sure you recall but you were supposed to be my mate. Marcus knew immediately and insisted I save you lest I regret It. What I am really going with this is that your transformation date will be happening in two weeks time. You will have to stay here until your thirst is under control but afterwards es you are free to go.”
“Leave Volterra?”
“So long as you upkeep our rules.”
“Of course, I’m just surprised.”
Caius just nodded as you ate the homemade picnic food. “Athenadora will continue your lessons.”
“Do you still hate me?”
“Hm?”
“Well we’ve been talking for a little while and you can’t look me in the eye. What’s the issue? What did i do?” You heard the words come out of your mouth harsher than expected
“I suppose I will think of your humanity fondly.”
“Okay???”
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“It’s fine, I enjoy these talks, gives me something to look forward to.” Caius smiled at your confession, that was a first.
After that moment they began to continue conversation and you found yourself laughing at his somewhat cynical sense of humor. Towards the end of the day he finally decided to tell you what was on his mind.
“Y/n I seem to be growing fond of you, and i am unsure how to approach it.” He sounded pained, and suddenly it was all you could think about.
“Well what can we do about that?”
“Perhaps an official outing for just us two,” you had only half joked but you couldn’t deny that his confession made you giddy.
“Maybe after im turned, and we’ll see.”
He chuckled, the sound had made you feel warm compared to your icy impression on the day you met, “you continue to be difficult I see.”
“Might as well get used to it.”
“I plan to.” He moved a strand of hair away from your face before it fell in font of your eye. For the first time in months, you felt like you could finally breathe.
Maybe, just maybe you had made the right choice after all.
Taglist: @adaydreamaway08 @artaxerxesthegreat @aunt-pipie @heartrise @imtoanonymousforyou @lacychick @quarthly @venusdelaroix @volturiwolf
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icarus-suraki · 1 year
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Invading your personal life with: 9, 50, 74
Invade my personal life! Or let me invade yours...
9. Do you have any cool talents? Well, despite being 40, I can put my feet behind my head. How's that?
No, for real: I've got some kind of EDS connective tissue thing. My brother has it to a greater degree (I'm envious) but we've both got the thing where your skin feels a bit odd and your scars look strange and you're just a little too flexible for your own good.
It's cool except that when I go for walks, sometimes my knees decide to be like "Hey, I have an idea. How about fuck this?" and start slipping (for lack of a better term) side to side and it hurts, so I always have to be ready to limp back home if that happens. My hips will do the same thing, but it seems less frequent than my knees.
But, yeah, I can cram all 5 feet, 10 lanky inches of myself into a standard-size moving box, which was a trick I did a few times during move-in at college. It's kind of fun to be able to wriggle into small spaces like that. It's come in handy a few times at work, interestingly enough.
50. How are you doing today? Not super-great, actually. Not to be TMI, but I've been feeling sick for the last couple of days. It's like my entire GI tract is swollen and sore, from my throat on down. I was bloated as hell Friday night and all day Saturday--even my head hurt, wtf? I'm better today but I'm still all sore. I'm not even hungry and I don't even want to eat but I can tell my blood sugar is getting low… I was supposed to have supper with my folks but that's not happening, which is frustrating…
I'm also feeling a bit anxious about my therapy appointment tomorrow because those are rough and I wish I could just be better already.
The weather is nice, though, if a bit chilly. But it's dry now, which is a relief after yesterday's humidity, and it's perfectly clear. And I'm working on some cosplay plans, though I'm feeling a bit uneasy about those because cosplay can be expensive as hell. But I want to. I don't want to say I need to but I kind of need to. It keeps me going. I can't sacrifice everything. So I'm pricing out fabric and working out how I want to do this. (The hat, a major element of the costume, is sitting nearby and motivating me immensely.)
74. When was the last time you travelled somewhere new? You're asking me this in a post-Covid world? This? Me? In a post-Covid world?
Okay technically in August 2022 I had to drive out to the city water department main offices for a job interview. I ended up getting hired but the fact that I had to leave for work at about 5am and drive for an hour made it tough. That and the fact that my job responsibilities got changed on me unexpectedly and I wasn't getting any training… Yeah, not a great match. I think that's the last time I travelled somewhere new. I'm genuinely trying to remember…
Unless this question is really asking about travelling travelling. Like internationally or something not-quite-locally, in which case that would be something like 2010? I think? Summer 2010 was when I went to Otakon, which was definitely a new place for me. (That was the year of dudes walking around yelling "Backscratcher? Mmbackscratcher!" from Family Guy, I think? It was also the summer of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver and the related Pokewalker and there were literally Pokemon walkers wearing dozens of the things and offering to walk your Pokemon for a fee. And the staff at the H.Naoto booth said my ouji-style outfit looked great and got me to hang around for a handshake event with the designer(!!!!). And I met a ton of people I only knew online to that point, which was awesome. Yeah, that was a fun time--to think I almost didn't go.)
I don't travel much--can you tell? Maybe I'll have a different answer to this when I have spending money again. I mean, I fully intend to go to Japan before too much longer.
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Living with Losing You - 11/19/2022
DAMMIT JAMES. DAMMIT.
JURASSIC WORLD WAS THE SHIT. 
UGH. You would have loved today. I am grateful Teague came with me though. You would have loved him, he is such a great friend. I know that you are I talked about him a few times. 
Anyway, I ran 3 miles this morning, and honestly probably could have kept going. It felt super good! Right after that I quickly got ready and met Rachel for brunch. We always have a great time. She is my friend who is originally from Louisville. Her mom passed away recently, and I am so sad for her. Man, death si so tough. She made me this entire care package and baked me a chocolate peanut butter brownie. It was EVERYTHING. I ended up writing her a note with a homemade Christmas ornament in it. She opened it and said she cried because she loves Christmas and thought about honoring her in some wat with an ornament so it was perfect. God, you are good. Thanks for putting that on my heart. Sadie also got to play this morning, I didn’t even mention that. She loves her morning park days. 
Okay, so. I could say so much about the Jurassic World exhibit. You would have had the best time ever. I will say, Dinosaur World still has my heart, but this was INSANE. Pictures will do it more justice than me trying to explain it all. But high level, there were so many exhibits within it. Lots of dinosaurs that were incredibly realistic looking. There were also sections you could interact with dinosaurs and the lab. If you are in SD, I recommend you check this out. There were a couple of cheesy parts, but it was mostly incredible. I made the joke to Teague that we would go to the Christmas tree farm next door. I was kind of being serious though (LOL). I love Christmas. The absolute most. 
After the exhibit Teague and I walked around MV mall and grabbed lunch. It was so fun. Once I got home, I rested for about an hour and a half then went to Carlsbad to see my nephews. They were supposed to come down, but there was a change of plans, so I went up. It was nice to see them, but I was informed that I had some people in my family judging me for the LLC. It can be tough to know what to believe sometimes though. This news made me quite upset, so U definitely did cry. I was able to hold it in until after dinner though (go me!). I went to the Fish Shop and sat in our spot. That was the first time sitting there (I had eaten there a couple times since then) since your death. Ugh, man that was tough too. It didn’t really help with preventing the tears. Love that for me. 
I was up there for a while, I didn’t get home until about 10:30pm, maybe even later. Either way, it was a somewhat healing process to go to the Fish Shop.
I am getting tired and will likely sign off on this soon, but I wanted to leave you all with one thing:
Everyone grieves differently. Respect what / how / who you are grieving. Take that sentiment, and then tell everyone who was being a dick to fuck off. Period. I am sorry, but also very not sorry. 
I forgot mention that I was able to get 2 loads of laundry done too. I need to take out the trash and clean tomorrow. I plan to meet Stanley at the Encinitas street fair at 9:00am. My uncle’s business will also be there, so it’s like the saying “killing two birds with one stone”.
Alight, it’s bed time. I can barely keep my eyes open. 
I love you, James. So so very much. 
Rest in Peace, James Burton Nichols
10/1/1993 - 7/16/2022 
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Triangles | Rio - Berlin
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Requested by anon:  Hi! Love your blog btw. Would you mind doing an rio x reader x berlin imagine, where tge reader is tge same age as rio and tgey have a thing going on and berlin lijes the reader and is jealous. Reader is park of the team and plays hostage. And when they have to undress to their clothes berlin cames uo to reader and orders her to do so. And rio is like super angry, but can't do anything avout it to not reveal their relationship and the fact that reader works with them. Thank you.
Word count: 1.5k
Warning: swearing, angst, mention of blood
Note: hi! thank you so much! i hope this is what you meant! hope you like it, enjoy! x
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‘Vienna, 2 minutes out,’ you heard over your ear piece. You were part of the heist, yet your role was to be a random stranger amongst the other hostages. Every detail, every escape plan, every weapon was discussed with you in the room. El Profesor was aware of the risks only one brave hostage could bring, so you were there to keep things cool if things went sideways.
You were also Rio’s girlfriend. You two had been dating since the start of that year, when you met at a convention for technology. When you met you two hit off immediately and had been dating ever since. Little did you know you’d both be asked to do this job, unknowing of the other. But things got a little complicated when Berlin came into the view. You two had had a love affair a couple of years back, but when you parted ways you promised never to talk about it again.
You glanced around and saw your watch counting down the last minute. You were nervous, excited and a little hesitant all at the same time. You wanted to be part of the action, not sit on the floor for six days, but here you were.
When you heard loads of commotion coming towards you, you felt your heartbeat pick up. It was happening. You saw the red suits come into view and you smirked. Guns were held in the air and screams filled the entrance - the alarms loudly ringing in the background. You stepped back a little, wanting to see your boyfriend one last time before you went to the others. You saw one of them approach you and he quickly lifted his mask to kiss you one last time.
‘Promise you’ll be careful?’ you whispered against his lips. He nodded and smiled at you, placing a hand on your cheek.
‘Always, sugar.’
He pulled you away from behind the stairs but not before pulling his mask back on. You saw Berlin burn holes in your head from the side of the stairs. Was he jealous? As you focussed on your role, you trashed in his grip, playing your role as an innocent visitor. He shoved you to all the other hostages and joined Berlin and Tokio. You faked a few tears here and there and tried to mingle with the others. Some of them were crying, some of them were in complete shock and unable to do anything. You felt slightly bad about traumatising them so badly, but you knew the plan and that was to leave without harming anyone.
-
It was now a couple of hours later and you noticed they had brought out the red suits, boots and masks. Berlin did his intimidating little talk and you all got a suit. You didn’t want to change in front of him, in front of anyone for that matter. The only man you ever wanted to see your body was Rio. You were a tough girl, but changing in front of people always made you anxious. You caught Rio’s eye when he stood on the stairs, but when Berlin moved in your direction you couldn’t help but desert your attention to him. He stopped in front of you, smirk plastered on his face.
‘Change into your suit, woman,’ he dared. You hated that smirk. What you did all those years ago was a mistake and you were contstantly reminded of that night in your sleep.
‘No,’ you stated, ‘Not here.’
‘Oh, we’ve got ourselves a brave girl on board! Hear that everyone?! This one here thinks she can do whatever she pleases.’ He took his gun and pointed it directly to your stomach. Your stare hardened. Who the fuck did this man think he was?
From the corner of your eye, you saw Rio step forward but Denver quickly held him back. He whispered something in his ear and he turned around.
‘Strip. Now.’ Berlin demanded. You knew you had to, that was the worst part. Being the only one of the hostages not wanting to wear a suit and not get shot would definitely get suspicious. You angrily took of your jacket, your jeans and changed into the suit. You felt embarassed, weak and insecure. That was a dick move and he knew it.
He stepped closer to you when you were done and whispered in your ear, ‘That’s the good girl I know. It’s not like I haven’t seen it before, is it?’
You gagged at his words and he quickly disappeared up the stairs. Denver nodded at you and clapped Rio on the back. It had been such a long time since you had felt so vulnerable and for no good reason Berlin kicked you right back to that time. You had to talk to Rio. And quickly.
-
You were chosen to work in the offices and count the money. Nairobi was the supervisor. It had been more than three days since you had seen Rio and you had to talk to him. When Nairobi passed you, you dropped a wad of cash on the floor and leaned over, catching her attention.
‘I don’t feel good.. Can I please use the restroom?’ you asked her, raising your eyebrows. She nodded and grabbed you by the arm, not before threatening the other women you were working with.
‘I really need to talk to Rio. Please, Nairobi,’ you begged. She quickly nodded and went to get Rio. Pacing back and forth, you anxiously bit your nails. When the door opened, your heart dropped to the floor.
‘What did they do to you?’ you gasped, running towards him. You held his head in your hands as you inspected his face. He had a bruise on his cheek and a black eye. ‘Please tell me who did this to you, Ani.’
He looked at you through his lashes and winced when you stroked your thumb over his bruise. He looked completely broken, bags under his eyes and shrunken posture.
‘It was Berlin, wasn’t it?’ you asked. You didn’t even have to ask, you already knew. That bastard couldn’t let you go, could he? You huffed and pushed passed Rio. ‘Wait here.’
Berlin was eating when you stomped through the door. He didn’t notice you at first, but when you smacked your hand on the table, everyones attention went to you.
‘To what do I owe the pleasure, sweetheart?’ he smuggly asked.
‘You know exactly why. What the fuck were you thinking? Smashing his face in, just because you can’t let something go that happened years ago? How old are you? 10?’ you sneered. ‘If you’re jealous, just say that. But hurting someone else because you can’t talk about your feelings is fucking ridiculous.’
The room fell silent, your speech even silencing Denver. They didn’t know you had met before the heist and especially about your relationship. You saw his tough façade fade as his eyes flickered from your furious face to the sandwich he was eating. He knew it was wrong and he regret it the moment he saw how broken Rio was. The young adult was terrified and it made him realise he had turned into the man he promised not to be anymore.
‘You seriously don’t have anything to say about this?’ you huffed. ‘You haven’t changed a fucking bit, Andrès. Stay the fuck away from me and Rio or you’ll end up just like him.’
When you left, Berlin felt humiliated. Not that you’d called him out like that, but humiliated to have let his anger take over his common sense. You had every right to respond the way you did, he would have done the same for you. Why did he feel so jealous? He was the one who broke things off, not you. He’d thrown you away like many of his other treasures, yet he couldn’t let you go. Rio was way better for you. He treated you like a princess, talked to you about his feelings and could give you a much better life than he could have given you.
‘So, wanna explain what the fuck just happened?’ Denver carefully asked. Berlin cracked his knuckled and took a sharp breath. They weren’t supposed to know and frankly, it was none of their business either. So he shoved his chair back and went looking for the both of you. The least you deserved was an apology.
‘- a dick.. he won’t do it again, I’ll make sure of that,’ he heard you say soflty. Rio hissed when you wiped away a small drop of blood just under his eye and you remorsefully sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I should have told you.’
‘No, I’m the one who should apologise,’ Berlin stated, stepping into the room. He could see Rio flinch and your stare harden. ‘I’m sorry. I let my anger cloud my reality and I snapped. There was a point where I was you Rio and I regret to this day that I let her go. I got jealous because I realised she was everything that I needed and more, but I saw that too late. I was immature and for that I want to apologise.’
Your eyes softened and you thankfully nodded at him. You turned your attention to Rio who held out his hand to Berlin. Berlin took it and shook his hand firmly.
‘Don’t let her go, Rio. She’s too precious for that.’
.. .. .. .. ..
Berlin Taglist
@nkjktk​ - @michaellangdonenthusiast​ - @hamiltonsofcrap - @nicke0115​ - @pinkrapunzel
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literaila · 4 years
Text
Space
spencer reid x reader 
warnings: none... well angst.. and shitty writing 
***
Long nights out with the rest of the team were always dreadful the next morning. 
But Y/N felt like this morning was one of the worst. 
She’d woken up with mascara running down her face, her joints stiff and cracking at any little movement. Her head was banging from the inside out, and if she focused enough she could feel her brain beating against her skull. 
And don't even get her started on Spencer. 
It had taken Y/N at least 10 minutes to get him to open his eyes. Although he wasn't an avid drinker and had only taken a couple of sips of wine, he seemed to be even more hungover than Y/N did. She cuddled up to him, leaving kisses down his cheeks and neck before he would even consider opening her eyes. 
So like the dutiful girlfriend she was, Y/N got up and started a pot of coffee for both of them, and then headed into the bathroom to grab some advil, which she had to force-feed to Spencer. 
And eventually, after the alarm clock started blaring for the 6th time, both of them finally started to get ready. 
Their dynamic for mornings like this was simple, Y/N always got to shower first, while Spencer fought to stay awake without yawning every 10 seconds, and then Y/N went to go make breakfast for the both of them, which they would eat in the car on the way to the BAU. 
And that particular morning no one seemed to be up for any sort of chit chat, barely even passing casualties back and forth before sitting down at their desks ready for a day of paperwork. They made sure to plan a night full of drinking the night before a day of paperwork. They weren't idiots all of the time. 
Though their good planning all went to waste when Hotch asked them to meet him in the conference room. 
Hangovers and serial killers it was. 
***
“Bobby Smith, 9 years old, vanished 48 hours ago from a residential area, where his mother Marlene Smith, claims to have dropped him off.” Garcia started handing each one of the team members a folder. You could hear the drowsiness in her voice, and because everyone felt the same, they all pretended to not notice. 
There was a brief silence while they all read their files before Derek startled them back to life. 
“48 hours and we’re just learning about it now?” 
Y/N carefully grabbed Spencer's hand under the table, rubbing up and down his forearm while reading her file. It was tough to keep it professional at work, but Y/N always managed to keep the touching as limited as she could. But the ache she felt when she wasn't touching Spencer spread through her muscles like angry wind just begging her to reach out to him. And so she touched him, she felt comforted by the little body heat she could feel from even just resting her, it was especially comforting when they were on a difficult case. It was a rare occasion when she managed to keep her hands off of him, but Y/N tried to keep it as platonic as she could, not wanting to make Spencer of their coworkers uncomfortable. 
Though as she read through her file, she could see the little inconspicuous movements Spencer made. She wondered if he was trying to keep himself awake or just felt restless, either way, she kept her hand on his. 
What she didn't see was the panicked almost annoyed glances Spencer was giving her hand, she didn't see the way he was leaning away from her, moving his chair slightly to the right as to distance himself from her. 
JJ did though, she watched with a frown on her face listening to Gracia explain what had happened to the little boy, but not moving her eyes off of Spencer and Y/N. She tried not to notice Spencer's body language and the clear physical contact going on under the table. 
“So she's not exactly on the shortlist for the mother of the year,” JJ said, still clearly looking at the couple, while neither of them noticed. 
And she didn't look away, even when Spencer looked up and added a few notes of statistics, and Hotch announced it was time to go. 
They all made moves to get up and go, watching Hotch walk out the door in a rush to get everything set up for them to leave. JJ grabbed Spencer before he could protest, dragging him into her office. The others watched in confusion before Derek finally said 
“Guess we aren't invited to the party.” as he walked to grab his go-bag. 
“It's probably something about the case, we better get going. Hotch seemed stressed.”
Y/N didn't seem confused by JJ and Spencer's scene, and let her mind run thinking about the case. 
“Y/N?” She heard Hotch call. 
He handed her a file and asked if she would bring it to Spencer- apparently it was something about the Mother he wanted him to look over- and because of the circles under his eyes, and the tired way his body was leaning she was quick to agree. 
Walking over to JJ’s office, she was about to knock when she heard
“I love her JJ, I really really do. Sometimes though- I just- want some space- like you know I don't like touching anyone anyway, and I just-” he sighed and Y/N could feel herself holding her breath. “I just want some more space. I’m not sure how to tell her though”. 
Y/N could feel the tears prick at her eyes, her stomach had fallen, taking the rest of her organs with it. At that moment it felt like the world was so silent she could hear her own heart beating. She could only think of all the times Spencer had seemed to pull away, thinking of the way she thought it was just an accident, that he was just restless, just needed to move a little. 
But no. 
He just didn't want her to touch him. 
Y/N heard JJ sigh a soft “Spence…” before she turned away, forgetting about the file she was supposed to give him, and walking to get her bag so she could get the hell out of the office.   
***
Finding Bobby's Mother dead was hard. It caused more confusion with the cause, and now the last known witness to Bobby had been murdered. The only good thing that had happened was the unsub letting one of the little boys go. But still, none of the team's questions had been answered.
Not touching Spencer was hard too. 
Y/N had never been self-conscious about her affliction to touch, she’d never been afraid to hug someone, or rest her hands on their shoulders while looking at them. In fact, she couldn't remember a time in her life where she didn't like touching people, even as a kid it was clear she was a touchy-feely sort of person, but no one had ever wanted her to stop.
Spencer's germaphobic tendencies didn't go unnoticed by Y/N, when they’d first met he’d made it a point not to shake her hand, but as they got more comfortable with each other that changed. He didn't seem to mind her running her hands up and down her arms, or resting her hand on his cheek, or hugging him from behind any chance she got. She thought she was just special, that Spencer loved her so much that he didn't mind touching her, that there was nothing gross about sharing germs with someone that he was infatuated with. 
Hearing that she was wrong was deafening. 
Although she knew she was probably blowing things out of proportion, it felt like she’d been lied to for the last 2 years she and Spencer had been together. The guilt she felt just knowing she was making him uncomfortable by just being herself was insane. 
And she couldn't help but feel like she had no option but to change it all. 
So she didn't touch him, not on the plane, where usually they would share the couch while looking over the case once again with the team. She didn't touch him when he passed her in the hallway when they were sitting next to each other in a rental car when they walked to the hotel room when they had stopped to grab coffee the next morning. She didn't touch him at all. 
It was killing her. 
Touch was such a frequent thing for her, such a necessity and she’d never even realized it. Not touching him all the time was swallowing her whole, and filling her with doubt and insecurities that threatened to take over her mind. Anytime she wasn't working, wasn't helping out, wasn't thinking, his voice would come back, loud and clear, asking her for space. Nothing would get rid of the fear that she was too clingy, that she was just too much. 
It was hard to look at him without worrying if he actually hated her love if he was starting to realize she was just too much for him. Just a couple of sentences could bring back insecurities that weren't gone apparently, just lost, insecurities that haven't been found since the beginning of their relationship when everything was still new. Y/N thought she’d moved past them. 
But she hadn't. And now she was avoiding her boyfriend. 
They had both noticed the distance, the wall that separated them. Spencer didn't understand it at all, he didn't know if something had happened or if he had done something, and he couldn't find the courage to ask. Y/N didn't want him to know. She didn't want him to feel guilty. She tried to ignore it, the constant barrier between them, but there was always a tension in the room. 
But this was work, and a boy's life was at risk. Relationship problems were the least of anyone's worries. 
Y/N and Spencer were stuck in the tiny conference room they had given the team at the police station, both of them going over files, although Spencer was obviously doing most of the work. Y/N could feel her eyes starting to fall, it wasn't technically that late, but paired with the insomnia that kept her up at night and the exhausting day she had and even 6 o’clock would seem late to anyone. 
It’d been an uncomfortable hour of silence and reading when Spencer finally spoke up, 
“Is something wrong?” Y/N could feel him looking at her, leaning his head down as if to make eye contact, but all she could feel was the heat coming off his body, the comfortable way his hand would feel in hers, and the hug that she so desperately needed. Eye contact wasn't enough, would never be enough, so she didn't look up.
A couple of days ago they would have been sitting almost on each other's laps, while reading, pointing out small details they noticed and helping each other. A couple of days ago Y/N wouldn't feel sad at the sound of Spencer's voice, and she would have looked up. 
A couple of days ago seemed like a dream. 
She could hear Spencer sigh and put down the paper he was holding. “Y/N?” He came around and put his hand on her shoulder, and her breath caught. “Is there something wrong?” He asked again quietly. 
A million different answers flashed in her head “Yes Spencer I’ve found out that you don't actually like me touching you and I don't know any way to cope with that.” or “I feel so incredibly guilty that I’ve been forcing you to deal with something that you don't like, and I feel even worse that I didn't notice it.” or “I just want a hug.”
But none of those thoughts came out of her mouth, what came out instead was “Yes Spencer! A little boy is missing and none of us have any fucking clue how to find him!”, quickly she pulled away from his hand, and forcefully grabbed her bag before saying “I’m gonna go call Hotch” and left slamming the door behind her. 
She didn't look back to see the sad look on Spencer's face. 
***
Bobby was alive.
And so were the two other women the unsub had taken. 
They were alive.
And they had the rest of their lives to live. 
The unsub was off to jail, where hopefully he could get over his bitter feelings towards his mother. Where hopefully he wouldn't hurt anyone else. 
Bobby had a long walk ahead of him, with his mother gone, murdered by the same man that was supposed to be helping Bobby. The grief was going to hurt, he would always have a missing piece, and a difficult story to share. For the rest of his life. 
But he was alive. 
***
 Going home to their small apartment was a relief. For both of them.
Y/N couldn't help but hope for some sleep. Just anything that would make her feel better. She couldn't shake the devastating feeling of grief that was stuck pounding in her chest. 
As much as she tried she couldn't convince her mind to get rid of the cloud of sadness covering it. She figured a good night's sleep would help remove some of that. 
The clashing colors and filled to the top bookshelves in the apartment made her feel at home, and she tried to imagine them as if they were a hug that was keeping her safe and warm.
Silence filled the apartment, both of them not saying anything, and quickly moving into different rooms. Y/N went to the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove. She was going to let Spencer have as much space as she could give him before she went to bed. 
They hadn't talked on the plane again, Y/N put as much distance between them on the couch as she could, and Spencer hasn't made any more moves to touch her since the scene in the conference room. Maybe he had taken the hint, or maybe he just didn't want to touch her. Y/N couldn't decide which one it was. 
“Y/N?” Spencer said slowly from the other room, almost as if he was questioning if she was still there. 
“Yeah?” she answered back in almost a whisper, which was fine for the acoustics of their small home. 
The acoustics that couldn't mask the sigh she heard come from the man in the other room before there was the distinct question of “can you come here?”. 
Y/N felt stupid being uncomfortable walking into her own room, but the tension between them had only grown in the past few days, and she really didn't want to be walking into another night of a clod bed and an unwavering feeling of doubt. 
“Do you need something Spence?” Y/N could hear the wheels of her boyfriend's brain turning from across the room. She had not directly addressed him in days. It was a surprise to both of them. 
“We need to talk.” The four words coming out of her boyfriend's mouth stopped her heart. Her brain was filled with what he had told JJ “I just need space.” What if he was breaking up with her? What if the space she was trying to give him wasn't enough? What if he needed so much space that even being in the same house as her was too much? What if she was still too much for him even when she was touching him?
Spencer cleared his throat and took a few steps toward her, moving closer to the door. “That sounded wrong I.. I didn't mean for it to sound like that- I just..” He stopped and she wondered why the words were so hard for him to get out? She wondered if this was really it. If the love of her life was going to leave. “What's going on with you?”
Now that, that surprised her. 
“W- what?” 
“Your face, I- I can see there's something wrong and I thought-'' Spencer's voice went up with his words, and Y/N could feel the emotion behind them. “ god I thought it was just the case because you seemed fine before, and that's what you told me. That's what you said!” his eyes were on her, watching her stare at the floor with such intensity clearly trying to voice the question in his voice. “I thought it was just the case? I thought it was just hard on you but you still look so.. So sad and you won't even look at me and just what is going on because there has to be something that I missed this- this didn't just happen?” His breath caught and all Y/N could do was stare at the floor and feel small. 
She felt so small. 
“N-” she cleared her throat trying to mask her voice into something stronger, “Nothing happened Spence.” 
“Then why won't you look at me?” He demanded still trying to get her to look up, still trying to get her to just look at him. 
“I- '' there were so many questions running through her head like how did they get there? How did any of this happen? How could she feel so miserable? Why couldn't she just look at him? 
“You haven't look at me, you haven't talked to me, you haven't even brushed your arm against mine once in the past week! I know something happened, and I don't know if I did something wrong? But I just want you to talk to me!”
The emotion coming from Spencer's voice surprised Y/N, but not as much as his words. He had actually noticed all of that? She felt so overwhelmed, and she had no idea how to answer him, how to explain everything. Tears were pricking at her eyes, and all she wanted to do was run away from him, from all the problems. She just wanted to run away.
Spencer took a deep breath and moved even closer to Y/N, standing right in front of her, ducking his head down to try to meet her eyes. “Y/N...we’re supposed to talk to each other. That's what couples do, they talk. I just want you to talk to me.” The desperation in his voice was obvious, but at that moment all Y/N could hear was ridiculing, and she felt like a child again, getting told what to do. And it was too much. 
She looked up. 
“That's what I thought Spencer! We’re supposed to talk to each other! So why couldn't you just tell me that you ‘needed space’?!?” The mocking was clear in her voice, and even though she saw the shocked look on her boyfriend's face she couldn't stop now. She moved her hands to wipe her tears and started again, “why couldn't you just tell me that I’m too much? Why did I have to find out by you talking to JJ?! God, I’m just trying to give you space but I’m not very good at it, so excuse me if I’m acting strange!”. 
Suddenly the mood in the room changed. Spencer finally understood, and Y/N felt relieved having her thoughts out in the open. Even though she was still terrified of what was going to happen, just expressing her feelings removed a big weight off of her chest. 
“Y/N..” 
“No! No. Its- it's fine. I’m sorry for yelling at you I’m just-” she felt small again, like all the courage she had was used when she had yelled at him. “I- maybe I’ll go see if Emily's okay with me crashing with her tonight- I just- I just have to get my stuff I’ll-” Y/N had turned around to go, ready to accept defeat when she felt the hands on her waist pulling her back. “Spence it's fine-”
“No, it's not fine.” He said harshly and insistently. He tried to get her to turn around, but she was frozen to her spot. “Will you please just look at me?” 
It took a few moments but hearing the desperation in his voice, Y/N finally let him turn her around. They stared at each other for a few moments, both of them stuck on the eyes they hadn't actually seen in days. Spencer was the first to break the silence. 
“I'm so so sorry.” The confusion must have been clear on his girlfriend's face because he continued, “I can't believe you could ever think I needed space from you, I can't believe I could ever believe I needed space from you.” There was guilt laced with frustration in his voice, and Y/N couldn't bring herself to speak. 
Spencer was gentle while removing his hands from her waist, and instead placing them on her face, gently lifting her chin so that she couldn't look away. It was strange to be so intimate after not touching him for days. But the relief coming from Y/N’s body was clear, just a little touch removed all the ache she’d been feeling for days.
“I was wrong.” Spencer started again, the sentence unusual for someone as smart as him. “I don't need space, I just need you. I just need you Y/N.” his eyes were pleading with hers instant, and she hoped hers were telling him it was alright. “It was unbearable not touching you. I’ve felt so closed in, claustrophobic, these past couple of weeks and I thought I was because of you, but it wasn't, you touching me was the only thing holding me together honestly.” 
Y/N felt more tears leave her, this time with happiness. Hearing that she could touch Spencer again flooded her body with the light she’d been missing. 
“I'm so sorry you heard me talking. I’m so sorry I was talking in the first place. I never really know when to keep my mouth shut.” They both laughed at his words. The tension was gone, and instead, a bliss overcame them, the distance was so exhausting for both of them, touching each other was like caffeine that made their skin buzz. 
“I love you, Spencer. I'm sorry for being so difficult.” He frowned at Y/N’s words, moving his thumbs slowly on her cheeks, and leaning down to kiss her. 
It was soft and slow, almost like Spencer was trying to tell her how much he loved her, and how much he loved being with her through a kiss. And it reminded Y/N of their first kiss, so much questioning but still deeper. So she kissed him and tried to display the same feelings for him. 
“You aren't going anywhere okay?” Spencer said breaking the kiss, a small smile resting on his face, a smile Y/N hadn't seen in days.
She pecked his lips and grinned at him, “just hold me okay?”.
And they were going to be okay. They hadn't talked everything out, but they were both exhausted, both barely awake. They would leave it for the night, and they would sleep peacefully in each others arms. Never again would space be included in the language they were building together. 
pt. 2 here
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littleoddwriter · 3 years
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Hi can I request a zsasz mask x male reader where reader gets in a argument with victor and roman and reader just gets tired of their bull so he goes to get ready for his match (readers a boxer) and it's a big match for him. After being mad for a bit they go to the match and see that reader is injured really badly but keeps fighting anyway cause he's going to win no matter what.
Match | Roman Sionis x Victor Zsasz x Male!Reader | ZsaszMask x Male!Reader
I am so sorry it took me this long! I hope you're still interested in it and enjoy what I've done with your request! Again, I apologise for taking so long.
summary; See above.
notes; TW // Open Wounds; Blood; Fights. Brief Mention of Sex in the end. Polyamorous/-sexual relationship; Declarations of Love.
Fuming, your blood boiling under your skin, and shaking with the force of your anger and the effort of holding it back, you got ready to go out for your boxing match in an hour. You clenched your jaw, almost painfully so, as you zipped up your bag. Then you practically stomped out of your room and the penthouse, slamming the door behind yourself.
Fucking Roman and Victor.
While you got fully dressed and prepared for your match, you thought about what had gotten you so angry in the first place.
It was a stupid fight with Sionis and Zsasz.
All you did was bring to their attention that they could at least try to pay more attention to you as well, and actually show you that they liked you, that they liked having you around.
Roman flew off the handle right after it had left your lips, which wasn’t surprising, but it didn’t help your situation and only agitated you. So you yelled right back at him. Victor, always so fucking protective of Roman, got a bit physical, grabbing your wrist in a bruising tight grip glaring at you and telling you off in his deep, gravelly voice. You weren’t scared of him, though.
So you just twisted your arm out of his tight grip and shoved him, yelling at both of them now that this was exactly what you meant. They were always an item, even in a fight; they ganged up on you, instead of including and actually talking to you, instead of looking for a solution and being open for suggestions.
In a way, you wished you hadn’t brought it up at all, but it needed to be said, no matter what. You were unhappy with the way things were at the moment and you didn’t just want to break up with them over it. You loved them after all. You just wished they’d show you they loved you, too. And now you might have just ruined all chances of that. Fuck, they were probably packing your things while you were here, and throwing you out the moment you’d get back.
“Y/N, you’re up in 10,” your coach told you and you nodded.
Taking a few deep breaths, you shook your head to clear it of the fight. The match was more important now. You couldn’t let something like this ruin your chances of winning, although the anger that was still thrumming through your body might help you.
All the while, Roman and Victor have stayed home. Sionis had been blinded by rage after he’s heard you leave. He was screaming and trashing things.
Zsasz could just barely get through to him at all, breathing a quiet sigh of relief, when he finally did, holding onto Roman’s wrists and seeking intense eye contact with him, so he could bring him back to the real world, the here and now.
Breathing heavily, Roman’s face was still set in a deep scowl, frowning, his eyes piercing with anger, yet still a little glazed over from how overwhelming it was.
“Do you think he’s right, Victor?” he asked eventually, his voice broken and raw, abused from all his screaming.
“Maybe,” Zsasz conceded. He hated to think that anyone but Roman and he himself could ever be right, but he had to admit that they may have neglected you a little bit.
“Fuck.” It was weak, but carried all of Roman’s frustration nonetheless.
“We need to make it up to him. Where did he go anyway?” he continued after a short moment.
“Match. Big one tonight, remember?”
“Right, of course. Why the fuck couldn’t he have chosen any other fucking day to bring this up?”
Zsasz just shrugged, not knowing a good answer to that. While he knew Sionis better than he knew himself, Victor still struggled to get on that level with you, too.
“Whatever. Get dressed. We’re going to that match and make it up to him afterwards, ‘kay?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
When they arrived and got into the front row (thank fuck for their connections and having people naturally fear them, so that they made way), you have already been far into your match. Both of them took in the sight of you in your element.
As Roman got a better look at your front, though, he immediately grabbed onto Victor’s arm, tightly. “What the fuck?!” he muttered.
You were bleeding out of your mouth and a pretty big gash on your forehead. It was a lot of blood, too. He wondered if you had even noticed it, or if you were just too focused on winning that you didn’t take in anything but your opponent anymore. It has happened before.
“He’s going to get fucking killed if he keeps going,” Roman hissed.
“I wouldn’t worry too much. He’s tough, you know that.”
Sionis shot Victor a piercing glare. “Yeah, and everyone has a limit, even you and me. Especially he, though! Fuck!” His grip on Zsasz’s arm only tightened, sure to leave a bruise.
“It’s not his time yet, I promise.” With that, Roman loosened his hold just slightly. He knew Victor wouldn’t ever lie to him, and he also knew that he had a very well working intuition for these things, so he believed him.
For all it was worth, Sionis knew he couldn’t stop it, anyway. You were too stubborn and determined to win; you would fight until you truly dropped dead if you had to.
Fortunately for him, another right hook from you had your opponent fall back to the ground, and not getting back up within the required 10 seconds.
You had won.
Booming loud cheers erupted around the facility. Victor and Roman cheered for you, too, while relief washed over Sionis in waves.
After a couple of minutes you were led away by your coach, back to the locker rooms. You sat down on the bench, pressing a clean towel to the gash on your forehead.
“You really need to stop doing that, Y/N,” your coach chided you.
“Yeah, yeah, next time,” you muttered.
“You’ve said that the last five times already. Get a grip on yourself, or else you can look for a different coach. I don’t want your blood on my hands, son.”
You rolled your eyes, “Don’t worry. I promise it won’t happen again. Okay?”
“Fine–,” your coach probably wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by Roman and Victor coming into the room.
Wait, what the fuck were they doing here anyway?
“What the fuck,” you greeted them.
“We should be the ones saying that, Y/N,” Roman replied, frowning.
You desperately wanted to smooth out the crease between his eyebrows that had deepened significantly with his frown.
Fuck. No, you were mad at them!
“I suppose I’ll leave you alone then,” your coach said and walked out. He knew when Victor and Roman were with you, he needed to be gone.
Your eyes were fixed on Roman as he walked over and sat down next to you on the bench. Then you looked over to Zsasz, who retrieved the first aid kit from your locker and started getting out supplies to sew your wound closed.
“I thought you’d kick me out,” you near whispered in disbelief.
“What? Fuck, no!” Sionis said, looking as offended as he sounded.
Victor then sat down on your other side where your wound was and gently, yet firmly, grasped your hand and pried out the towel from your grip. Silently, he got to work, disinfecting the skin around the gash, picking out the sterilised tools and thread. Promptly, he started closing up the gash with practiced ease.
It did have some advantages to have someone like him as your boyfriend, you mused.
“Look, uh, I’m sorry for the fight. I should have known better than to- I don’t know. Bring that shit up. I knew it’d upset you.” Now that all your anger was gone, washed away by the sheer presence and treatment you were just receiving from them, you really felt a little stupid and apologetic for it all.
“It’s not your fault. You were right. We didn’t pay you enough attention and you were right to talk about it with us. Or try to, anyway. My bad for exploding like that.” Roman took one of your hands in both of his. Despite the tape and boxing gloves, your knuckles were bruised. He stroked over them with his leather-clad thumb.
“Will you promise me to change it?” you asked then, quietly, cautiously, as if afraid to destroy this dream-like moment.
“I promise to at least try, ‘kay? Is that fair enough for you?”
“Yeah, I guess. And you, Victor?”
Snipping the thread and unpacking a big band-aid to put that over the suture, Zsasz nodded. “Sure, I’ll try. Promise.” He smiled at you, crookedly, his two golden teeth glinting in the fluorescent lights of the locker room.
“Alright then,” you breathed, smiling at them both. “Thank you.”
Instead of answering, they both leaned in and kissed either of your cheeks.
“I love you guys. So much,” you chuckled.
Then you first turned to Victor and kissed him on the lips, passionately, but briefly. After that you did the same with Roman.
“We love you, too,” they said simultaneously, making all three of you laugh. It was a magical moment, really. And in the back of your head, you were a little rattled at them admitting they loved you. It was the first time they had ever uttered these words to you.
The fight between you completely forgotten now, you were only eager to get back home, shower and have make-up sex with them. Maybe even both at the same time, you smiled to yourself.
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thebadbatch · 3 years
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Hey! Could I get a wrecker x gn reader with prompts 7 & 10 from the fluff section? Where the reader is having trouble sleeping after a mission so wrecker helps them by going on a late night adventure to cheer them up? If that makes sense? ☺️ thank you!!
A/N: I hope you enjoy this! I can definitely see this happening canon but with Omega! Wrecker is such a sweetheart i'd love to be friends with him omg…
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Wrecker x Gn!Reader 
Plot After another tough Mission you struggle to sleep but that is something your close friend Wrecker can help with through a little adventure.
Warnings: Difficulty to go back to sleep but very fluffy and eventually you manage to sleep!
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Midnight Mantell
"Fall back!" Hunter's voice sliced through the already buzzing air, blaster shots lingering in the air and flying past your skin. With a deep breath you continued to fire your duo blasters, stepping backwards besides Wrecker and doing everything within your power to avoid the heated fire. You don't really remember how you all exactly got into this messy situation as everything felt like a blur. Blasting down a couple more clankers you turned and made a run for the Havoc Marauder with the rest of the batch who had continued to throw bullers behind them. "Tech, get the ship online and straight to Ord Mantell." With a quick nod, Tech ran ahead and began to power on its systems. That all too familiar hum of the attack shuttle always filled you with a feeling of safety and comfort as it always meant you were all about to leave together and safe. Turning to fire some more bullets, one of theirs shot against your cheek making you wince and throw yourself back into the ship. You were used to close calls but you swore they were getting more dangerous per mission. Sighing at the sting against your cheek, you fired a few more bullets as everybody else made it onto the Marauder safely and signalling for the ramp to be closed and to take off for our next destination. Laying on the flour completely worn out, Wrecker joined you after removing his signature helmet.
"That was definitely something new." You laughed a little and nodded whilst re-attaching your blaster back against your armour. 
"Why is it always us that get sent into traps?" You asked, sighing and finally being able to capture your breath once again. The ship finally lit up with the colour of the stars in hyperspace, Ord Mantell just a short while away. Crosshair was leaning against the wall nearby, cleaning his firepuncher as soon as he could. 
"Because we always need the credits." He sighed, putting a toothpick back between his lips. Wrecker laughed lightly before sitting up, 
"Why don't we get some rest before Ord Mantell? You look like you need it." Rolling your eyes you dragged yourself upwards with a light huff, pulling yourself toward the bunks. 
"Thanks Wrecker!" Playful sarcasm rang throughout your tone as you reached your bunk, his laugh making you smile to yourself as you allowed the cool and comforting texture of the blankets to greet you. Closing your eyes, sleep greeted you almost immediately - thoughts of the mission still lurking in your head. You definitely needed this and by the time you woke up, you were all, sure to be at Ord Mantell. 
Once your eyes opened, you rubbed them gently and began to make your way into the cockpit a little worried you missed landing which you did. Looking around the room you noticed it was just you and the planet lay within the darkness of night. What were you supposed to do now? There was definitely not a chance you could fall back to sleep now especially with the dreams you had about the mission and the sting against your cheek. Moving to the side, you began to fumble around with the Med kit and grabbing a single bacta wipe to place against your cheek which just made you hiss a little at the harsher stinging until it settled down. Footsteps soon accompanied you along with a gentle voice, 
"Hey y/n, aren't ya sleepin'?" You smiled gently at his voice before turning around to face him. 
"Nah I can't get back to sleep. I'm sorry I slept through landing!" You grinned slightly toward him. "I trust it was a smooth landing as always?" Your playful tone made him chuckle a little before he began to help apply a light patch of bacta over your cheek. 
"Oh yeah, completely." Gently patting your shoulder he gave you a light smile in return to yours. "Hey, why don't we go out for a little? It might help ya sleep." Tilting your head at him you began to put the Med kit away with a light laugh. 
"Are you suggesting we sneak out to view Ord Mantell?" He just nodded at you, gesturing toward the ramp. 
"Why not? Not like they're gonna miss us, they're out like a light - even Hunter." Your response was just to let down the ramp whilst keeping your gaze trained on Wrecker. 
"Just remember this is your idea so you better take the fall if they wake up earlier." Grabbing his blaster he walked out with you, the cool night air instantly hitting your face as your eyes became glued upon the city lights before you. You could even hear some faint music from the various bars and clubs being carried over to you by the wind. Stepping forward Wrecker followed you whilst rubbing the back of his neck. 
"Where do you think we should go?" With a light laugh you pulled him by his arm, taking you both further away and closer into the city. 
"I've got some spare credits, why don't we grab a couple of things? Kinda like midnight snacks." His face soon turned into a state of confusion at your words. 
"Midnight snacks?" He paused for a moment in thought, "What're they?" 
"They're just treats you have late at night! Come on, it'll be fun." Gently tugging him further along, you both finally reached the city's paths which were still buzzing even at this hour of the night. Pushing past a few people, you both approached the market stalls, many of which were selling a variety of mouth-watering food and a selection of sweeter treats. Rolling your eyes over the colourful selections you hummed lightly, "Have you got a favourite treat?" He replied without hesitation, 
"Mantell mix!" Your eyes fell upon the purple toned treat, instantly grabbing two boxes of the kind and paying the kind twi'lek who seemed pretty pleased yet confused with your purchase. Passing the box to Wrecker, you clung to your own and began to walk back out of the city with him all while embracing the cotton textured breeze that greeted your skin. Warily you took a bite of the sweet treat and instantly grinned ear-to-ear.
"How come I've never tried this before?" You asked, beginning to eat a handful whilst Wrecker did the same. "This is brilliant!" He laughed at your enthusiasm as you both allowed your legs to take you both elsewhere. 
"I have it all the time, we should do this more often!" You just nodded until you allowed your eyes to trail to the sky above you, thousands of stars littering the sky with the slightest hint of a golden sunrise starting to take over the night sky. 
"We should! Let's go eat these back at the Marauder just in case." Wrecker agreed pretty quickly and you both made your way back into the ship's warmth. Upon arrival, you both shut the ramp behind you and lounged around in the pilot's seats laughing and dropping the occasional Mantall mix upon the floor. Eventually you had both managed to drift back into slumber and once the rest of the ship had woken up, Tech wasn't really pleased at the mess. It was definitely worth it though and a loving memory with a close friend you'd keep forever
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spencersmagic · 3 years
Text
Middle of Adventure - 505 series.
Tumblr media
(found on pinterest).
masterlist // 505 series // taglist
summary: a part two to "greet me with good bye" (found here)
couple: fem reader x spencer reid
category: angst, hurt/comfort
warnings: general criminal minds violence, mentions of guns, curse words (f*ck/f*cking), crying.
words: 1.8k
time to read: 10 minutes.
***
It was quite ironic.
The space between them had never felt as empty, as ruined, as it did right now. It felt like the love, the care that they had had for each other all those years back, all the patience and truth they had shared, had been stolen. The woman in front of them had done it for them.
The last two years seemed empty now. Emotionless. Worthless.
The feelings they had for each other had always been unspoken. Excluding a few instances, core instances that needed verbal confirmation, they had always understood each other without having to share a word. They were both profilers, for God’s sake.
Spencer’s fidgeting in the plane rides on the way back from a tough case was always understood by Y/N. She had always made sure to hold him, caress his hair or read to him when he was feeling anxious. Similarly, when she was feeling weird after an uncomfortable encounter with a disgusting unsub, closing in on herself, carrying herself differently, he would always pick up on it. He’d cover her with a blanket and tell her random facts about the stars, or lemons, or the first shoes discovered… Anything that could get her mind away from the filthy words he had spewed at her.
There were no words exchanged between. Because they always knew what the other needed.
Because they cared. And they wanted the other to be okay.
The lack of words didn’t mean a lack of communication. There was constantly a line of communication between the two of them, established through body language, looks and short beginnings of sentences right before the other picked up on what they wanted. Everything was clear between them. They always just knew.
This had taken time. Of course, it had. At first, they were clumsy. Y/N’s anxiety attacks had gone worse once when he had tried to distract her by talking about the climate crisis (a horrible idea, if you ask me). Similarly, she had learned that after Spencer’s rare, but long talks with Hotch weren’t the moment to make sarcastic comments about, well, anything.
All they had was silence and the promise to love the other if they needed it.
But right now, as they stood in front of the unsub, then woman who had been tormenting Spencer for the past few months with little letters, threats and promises to hurt everybody he knew and loved (or at least everybody who was left), it felt like nothing could ever be the same.
She had called herself “The Woman”, which Y/N understood. She wanted to be everything to Spencer.
She stood still, calmly, knowingly. Because nothing he did could change the course of action that was about to occur tonight. The stillness in the weapon she had aimed at Y/N made sure to make that clear.
“Why would I need to break up with her, Clara? Y/N and I aren’t together” Spencer repeated calmly, trying to focus on his training so he could try to ignore the soft sobs that Y/N was letting out.
The gun rattled as Clara shook in anger.
“Bullshit! I’ve seen you together. For God’s sakes, I’ve seen the way you fucking look at her. You-“she laughed manically “You look at her like she’s hung the fucking stars – like you’re supposed to look at me! So don’t you dare fucking lie to me “. She was met with silence.
“You know…” tears welled in her eyes, strong façade faltering. “You were going to come back. We were supposed to meet, and you were supposed to love me like I have all these years. You abandoned me!” she screamed. “And now you’re with-with her”.
Nothing.
“Do it or I will shoot her!” she screamed, sending spit flying around. Flinching, she shakily repeated Clara’s words.
“Do it, Spencer. I can take it” she spoke clearly, forcing her voice to sound unworried.
It was quite ironic. Because they had been in a similar situation at the beginning of their relationship. And it would end like this, too.
“I can’t, Y/N. Y-you know I can’t! Why are you making me do this?!” he raised his voice suddenly, ripping his lungs open as he sunk down onto the floor. He crumbled upon himself as he sobbed. “I can’t. I can’t do it, Y/N.” he repeated over and over, the last bit of self-restraint leaving his body. “I can’t do it. You are everything. I c-can’t hurt” he hiccupped.
Y/N’s eyes absorbed Spencer every little movement and tremble. She felt as though he had kept her heart right up until this moment, bubble wrapped and intact, but now he was crushing it as he hugged himself tightly. It was too much to bear.
“Spencer, if you don’t do it, I will” she whispered. He looked up, tear eyed, and looked at Clara. Her smile was wide now, red nose, enjoying the scene that was unfolding in front of her. Spencer stood up shakily.
“Clara, you were my classmate in school. Having the chance to go to university, don’t you think I had to take it? Did- Didn’t you want what’s best for me?” he tried to reason. “You love me, right? Don’t you want me to be happy?”. She smiled sadly at him.
“I do. But not if it’s with her”.
He turned to Y/N, eyes filled with tears. “Y/N” he requested. Still, she couldn’t bear looking at him. “Y/N! Y/N. Please look at me” he shook. She turned.
“Y/N…” he whispered, taking a look at her, bloody and beaten. “Y/N, I can’t live without you. Since I met you, I haven’t been able to.” He paused. “You’re everything. I don’t how to live without you”.
“Spencer, you will have to learn. The middle of an adventure is such a perfect place to start” she whispered back. His face changed completely, eyes wide and surprised.
**
“Oh god! This is so tedious. When can we leave?” had whispered Reid, curling a lock of her hair around his finger.
“We’re here as guests, Spencer. It would be rude of us to leave” she had reprimanded him, seemingly unaltered by his puppy dog eyes.
“But-but my love” he all-but-whined. “I wanna go home”.
“Yeah? You “wanna go home”? Or are your pants getting a little bit too tight from staring down my top?” she shot back. He didn’t dare reply.
“Do you want to play, or not?” Y/N clarified. He nodded eagerly. She grabbed him by the hair as they slow-danced in the middle of the lounge with the other couples at Rossi’s new wife’s mansion.
She pulled him close, lips close to his ear in such a way that appeared innocent to outsiders. Her words, though, were another story.
“Okay, love. “Adventure” is our safe-word. I’m going to tease you and, the moment I bring up that word in conversation that’ll mean that you’ve done well and should now play along. I’ll make up some excuse and we can leave this god-awful party. Sounds good?” once again, he nodded eagerly.
**
“You know, Clara. Maybe you’re right” Spencer begun, looking into her eyes. “If she’s so okay with letting me go, she clearly doesn’t deserve my time” he swallowed his tears, hoping he was being convincing.
Clearly, Clara didn’t need a lot of convincing. After all, she had been looking for every single indicator in his words and looks in front of the camera to believe he was madly in love with her, and seeking her out.
She lowered the now-forgotten weapon, throwing it on the ground and herself on Spencer.
“You really think so, my love?”
A pet name Spencer had heard coming from Y/N, and had never felt as disgusting as it did in that moment. Spencer couldn’t even think about what it was doing to her.
He just nodded, hugging her back as convincingly as possible.
Sometimes, we do what we can to make our loved ones happy. Sometimes, we stay. Other times, we leave. We give and give for them. At the end of the day, it’s human nature to want to created strong bonds with those you love the most.
Spencer and Y/N weren’t an exception. They gave so much to each other – to their relationship. They loved with such a love that is only seen in movies, with a passion that only occurs during the darkest hours, and a heart that has only been broken and mended over and over.
In retrospection, Clara is no different either.
As Spencer pushed her off, Y/N threw herself to the ground to grab the gun, did a somersault and pointed it at her. Right on cue, Morgan and Prentiss burst into the old warehouse, pointing their guns at Clara.
“Step away from my boyfriend, you bitch”.
**
It felt almost surreal.
Especially to Spencer, who had been battling with the thought of her for the past three months. It felt like this moment would never come – like a breach in the space-time continuum had been formed and he was now experiencing a reality parallel to his own.
But feeling Y/N’s touch, hearing their mutual comforting words, stumbling like their relationship had been, was grounding. Perhaps not comfortable, or stable, of secure just yet. But it sent a message to both of them. “No matter what happens, no matter how many variations exist in your life, I will never be one. I’ll always be here”.
“You were supposed to come back! You were supposed to love me, and give me a beautiful life. Why didn’t you?” they heard Clara screaming. Tears were streaming down her face as the cop sat her down.
“You could’ve sent a letter, Clara” he reached to grab her handcuffs, which were clasped behind her. Y/N watched the entire scene unfold before her eyes, tears still cascading down her cheeks.
“Would that have made any difference?”
“It’s time to go, Ms. Sondermann”.
“Would it? Or would you have stayed with her?”Spencer stayed silent. “Don’t think you’re anything better than me. You did everything for her! Just like I did. You’re no different than me.” she screamed, as Prentiss pulled her away.
Spencer turned to look into Y/S’s eyes. She looked so different when the fear of losing her wasn’t looming around. Tired, of course, from the three day search, but hopeful.
He hadn’t seen her hopeful in so long.
As he closed in on her, looking so purely loving, she immediately understood. the dust settled and she realized just how much he had been through.
She suddenly understood.
**
The lack of words never meant a lack of communication.
There were no words exchanged between. Because they always knew what the other needed.
She spread her arms, ready for his embrace at the same time he ducked his head to hold her around the waist. His lips twitched, all the unspoken words at the top of his tongue.
“i-i know, love. i know” she spoke between sobs.
Everything was clear between them. They always just knew.
**
guys that's the end of the 505 series!!! i hope you liked it.
i'm super sad that it's ending, but the fics i've got in mind are really cool, and i can't wait to write them + share them with you all <3
(im lowkey feeling nostalgic - i've fallen in love with this take on the characters and their dynamic).
taglist: @lady-anon-x @username2002 @eoupe @galaxydefenderjulia @spencerreid-mgg @spenxerslut @urie-bowie-mercury @onyourfingertips @big-galaxy-chaos @fiftyshadesofspencerreid @tbuhgs @exhaleli
tags not working: @huntheimpossible @idontwantyourcookiesthanks
you can join my taglist on the link at the top
happy reading. i love you. stay safe and happy <3
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shushiyuii · 3 years
Note
Could I please request comfort noms? Literally do whatever you want with it I just really want comfort noms.
Here's you request Anon Dearest! /p
I hope it's up to your standards and you enjoy it!
Warnings: Being overworked? And soft vore! Besides that its just pure fluff UwU
Words: 1.4k
( Also, If you don’t know what a skylight is, it’s a window but it’s on the roof)
Tommy laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling in pure darkness, the only light being the glowing stars and moon from his skylight. He couldn’t sleep, he hasn’t slept properly for roughly 3 days. It’s been tough on him with all the things he’s had to do lately. Tommy finally could get some good sleep, but he wasn’t quite sure if he could honestly since he still had so much to do the next day.
10 pm turned to 1 am then to 3 am, he was no longer in bed, instead, he was working on whatever videos or business he had, because every time he tried to sleep it just wouldn’t work. His body refused, it screamed at him for more caffeine to continue functioning and he wanted so badly to sleep.
Today, was the day that he and Wilbur were supposed to meet up, since they hadn’t in so long, they were going to work on vlogs, while also having sibling bonding time. His bus for leaving would be 7 am so he continued to work for the next two hours, then moving onto packing for a while then making his way for the bus.
As he got ready and waited for the bus, every moment of his was full of pain in sleep, all but clear bags under his eyes, unkempt hair and overall expression looking so stressed. Even from a giant’s perspective, it’d be obvious that he was in an unwell state, so much as for looking good.
People noticed his change in behaviour as he hadn’t been very active on social media nor contacting his friends much, as to why he and Wilbur were meeting up in the first place.
His mind snapped out at whatever state he was in as his bus was called and made his way over, very quick motion made him dizzy, people asked if he was okay, but he’d reassure them he was okay. The actual bus ride wasn’t any easier, his head pounded at the sounds of the engines, every moment of the bus made it hurt so much worse, Paracetamol didn’t quite help either, maybe more coffee would help? If anything, he just wanted off this bus, this was going to be a long 3 hours of pain.
As much as Wilbur was excited to see his younger brother figure, he couldn’t help but feel a lot of concern, Tommy hadn’t been the same lately, something was most definitely different in behaviour. His panicked mind wouldn’t set on one reasonable explanation, it would panic between different scenarios that would have the worse outcomes, some didn’t even make sense to himself, but his brain thought of it.
Besides the panic, there was also the fact that he had to spot a tiny Tommy in the midst of the bays within the borrower’s section. It wasn’t the first time they’d meet up, but it was always a bother to find him during these things. To say Wilbur was happy was kind of an understatement.
As of now, it was 9:45, Tommy should be arriving soon.
Time went slow for the two of them when Tommy finally heard the bus stop. His body was refusing to move, he barely made it off the bus. But he somehow did it and now was the struggle of finding Wilbur, he made his way down to the bay and sat down, his lungs finally getting fresh air from the opening of doors, way better compared to the horrible humidity and atmosphere of the bus.
He could barely hear Wilbur calling his name as he was in such a daze, but as soon as that yell of his name in panic, “TOMMY!”. He looked over in shock as he saw a panicking Wilbur, he was crouching over to the platform, scaring multiple other borrowers but his focus was obviously on him.
“Wil?-“. He was cut off by him, “Toms?! Are you okay?!”. Tommy held his head and stood up, forgetting his bags and making his way to Wilbur, “I-I’m fine Wilbur, don’t worry”. Usually, if Tommy was okay, he’d say something along the lines of, “OI DICKHEAD, I’M COMPLETELY FINE! I’M A BIG MAN I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF”. To Wilbur, he clearly wasn’t okay.
Wilbur sighed as he finally got a good look at Tommy, all his panic confirmed as the borrower looked exhausted as heck, he wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten this far. He held out his hand and Tommy immediately collapsed onto it, he wasn’t even adjusting himself onto the hand, just leaning. It looked as if his body gave up on him.
Tommy was just in complete agony, his body just leaning onto the warmth of Wilbur, he didn’t care how people looked at him. He just wanted his brother.
He carefully ruffled Tommy’s hair, only to get a groan of pain in response. That’s when he decided to take Tommy home as soon as possible. He gently adjusted Tommy onto his hand properly so he could get a proper hold of him and picked up Tommy’s bags and pocketed them. Luckily his house was within walking distance from the station, so it wasn’t too long until he had gotten the two of them home.
He soon as he got home, he slowly sat on the couch, careful not to disturb Tommy and held him close to his chest. “Toms?”, he got another groan in response. “Not feeling too good huh? When was the last time you slept, Gremlin?”. “Dunno, 3 days ago?”. Wilbur held back a scold, he didn’t want Tommy to feel worse than he already did. Instead, he began to rock the two of them whilst humming a small lullaby of one of his songs since Tommy loved them so much.
After a little while, Tommy moved a small bit to sit upwards, “Sorry Wil- I didn’t…”. He hushed the younger, “Don’t worry about it Toms, do you wanna go to sleep?”, Tommy nodded.
There was a common fact in this world that giants had storage pouches, that giants’ could store borrowers in their pouches. An evolution between two species to work together, while it might be a bit odd since giants- the past but it was still useful nonetheless, especially for what they were about to do.
“You okay if I store you?”, he nodded again. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done it before, but they were still quite nervous about it. But for the most part, the most part, the two of them really liked it. Wilbur carefully lifted Tommy towards his mouth, opening his mouth slightly, big enough for Tommy to crawl through.
To say Tommy dashed in an understatement, he full-on bolted into Wilbur’s mouth well kind of- halfway in, but Tommy didn’t care, he just leaned into the warmth. Wilbur could do the work. Wilbur sighed as he realised after a couple of minutes Tommy wasn’t moving so he just simply slurped him up. Surprisingly no complaint from the gremlin so he took it as the initiative that he was too tired.
He carefully licked at Tommy, enjoying the vanilla taste. He may, may not have accidentally nibbled at Tommy a few times but it was a habit of his, couldn’t be blamed! He swallowed carefully with a small swallow, then gradually made bigger ones, so Tommy didn’t have to be suffering in there for so long.
Tommy could hear Wilbur’s thundering heartbeat, to say it was too loud wasn’t quite the case, unlike the bus, it was rhythmic, soothing even. Not to mention the purring of Wilbur’s chest, as much as Wilbur tries to deny his affections, this seems a bit too obvious. He must’ve really worried Wilbur which almost made him laugh.
He quickly slipped into the storage, surprisingly he slid in rather than fell, which was all the more better. The softness of the walls made him instantly want to fall asleep, and he almost did. But he didn’t give out without a rub to give Wilbur, to say he was okay. Otherwise, there’d be a whole other situation, his words slurred as he went to say “Nigh-…”. He was caught off by his own exhaustion the next thing he knew he was out like a light.
Wilbur simply hummed in response, hearing Tommy’s snores. He held a hand over his stomach protectively, rubbing it soothingly. He hummed the lullaby again, he wasn’t sure why, but he just hoped it helped Tommy.
He sighed happily as his relief washed over him. He was glad Tommy was okay and he’d make sure that he kept an eye on Tommy for a while.
(Also just a reminder to drink water, relax, eat well and to get plenty of sleep UwU)
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halloweenhoneylover · 4 years
Text
the struggle bus
summary: spencer is the kindest human alive, which makes things tough for the reader :/ (spencer reid x fem!reader)
word count: 5.3k (a doozy kinda!)
warnings: i guess angst, but really just idiots in love (my fav trope). reader is kind of a hot mess. also, mention of overdose via multivitamin.
author’s note: hi, it’s been approx 4000 years since i last posted, but it’s just because i have no concept of ‘efficiency’ or ‘speed.’ but it’s okay. some of this is good, some of this is eh, make of that what you will. also, this is supposed to be #funny sometimes so uhhhh, keep that in mind. ALSO, the title is majorly stupid, but it was the title of the google doc, and i couldn’t think of anything else......anyways, love u!
For once, the bullpen was quiet.
Spencer was immersed in some case file, doing some work that you should have probably been doing as well, but it was approaching the late hours of the night, and you would barely be able to keep your eyes open if you came even close to trying to read or write. Your desks were situated against each other, so you shifted your gaze across the small divider to him. His sharp features were softened in the lamplight, a sight that tugged on your heartstrings, and you took a moment to just look at him. Most everyone else was gone or was too focused on getting their work done to pay attention to your reverie. Derek, if he were here, would dub you as ‘lovesick’ and shoot mischievous smirks and wiggling eyebrows in your direction, but luckily for you, he was not. Twisting carelessly in your chair with your feet propped on the desk, you chewed absentmindedly on a pen, lost deep in thought. “Hey, Spencer?”
“Yeah?” He continued scribbling on the file without so much as a glance towards you, but that was perfectly fine by you, more time for not-creepy staring.
“How many of my vitamins do you think I could eat before I died?”
At this, he furrowed his brow and neatly laid his pen down.
“That depends on what vitamin you’re taking. If you’re talking about iron supplements, the limit is somewhere around 20mg of elemental iron per kilogram of body weight. Any more than that will have incredibly unpleasant side effects like abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, and coma. However, if you’re talking about Vitamin C, it’s virtually impossible to overdose, but you might get a bad headache if you supersede 2000 mg.”
“Okay, what about my gummy vitamins?”
He narrowed his eyes at you. “While it still depends on what vitamins are included, eating a whole bottle of your typical multivitamin could easily result in death.”
You mulled this over. “So, I should definitely not go home and eat the rest of my gummy vitamins tonight?”
Spencer chuckled, “I’m not a medical doctor, but yes, I’d recommend that you don’t do that.”
Tossing your head back and letting out a small groan, you protested, “But Spencer, my gummy vitamins taste so good! And I have no food at home, so I guess I either die by overdose on gummy multivitamins or starvation.”
He couldn’t help but grin at your melodrama. It could be 12:06 in the morning, and you could still somehow make him laugh. He was starting to understand that he was in too deep, but he also had the startling realization that he didn’t mind drowning if it was in you. 
“You’ve got quite the predicament on your hands there, (Y/N). Maybe you should go grocery shopping with me the next time I suggest it, so you don’t end up in this situation again.”
“Oh my god, dude!” you moaned. “I told you I was actually busy; I had to take Oscar to the vet for his vaccines! I try to be a good mother to my dog, and you know I’m not an anti-vaxxer. I’d never decline time with my favorite guy without a good reason.”
Spencer’s heart was doing somersaults at the thought of him being your favorite guy. He’d won plenty of awards and medals in his lifetime, but somehow, none of those measured up to the accomplishment of being your favorite. Pride and butterflies boiled in his stomach. 
“Alright, fine, I’ll let it slide this time.”
You snorted, “I appreciate your unmatched benevolence, Dr. Reid.” Locking eyes with him, you tried to dampen the lava flow of heat in your chest that erupted when he looked at you with the softest expression you’d ever seen, but you failed miserably. You had to clear your throat and look away; it was becoming all too much. “Hey, I’m gonna run to the restroom. Don’t leave without me!”
As you dashed away, a thought crossed Spencer’s mind, and he stood up and set off down the opposite hallway.
You returned a few minutes later to an empty bullpen which made you frown, and your heart sank. You had thought he was going to wait, but guess not. Sighing, you tried to not let it sting too badly when you noticed a light on in JJ’s office. You knocked and pushed the already ajar door with a quick hello? before being met with an exhausted-looking JJ.
“Hey, (Y/N). I thought everyone had left by now.”
“Nope, not quite yet,” you replied, offering a weak smile. JJ noticed and wrote it off as fatigue. “You didn’t happen to see Spencer leave a couple minutes ago, did you?”
“Uh, no, I thought he’d gone too.”
“Hm, okay, thanks anyway!”
You prepared to leave, but she stopped you, cocking her head. “Why do you ask? Is he still here?”
Leaning your head against the doorframe, you sighed. “I’m not sure. He was here when I went to the bathroom, but he wasn’t at his desk when I came back. I’m a little disappointed. We always walk out together because we’re both afraid of the parking garage at night.”
A grin simmered on JJ’s face at that fact. “Well, I could walk you out if you’d like?”
“Nah, that’s okay; I don’t want to bother you.”
There was something behind JJ’s eyes you couldn’t identify as she replied, “Alright, then. Just let me know if you change your mind.” She definitely wasn’t thinking about how you didn’t want her intruding on a you-and-Spencer tradition. Not that she minded! She’d been rooting for you both since the minute you’d stepped into the BAU, and Spencer had looked like he was about ready to melt into the floor at the sight of such a pretty girl.
“Thanks, Jayje.”
Dragging your feet a little, you made your way back to your desk to gather your things, trying to fend off the disappointment. You had gotten your jacket on and were about to pick up your bag when you heard a (Y/N)! from down the hall. Well, that was certainly not JJ. Hesitantly, you called out, “Spencer?”
He finally emerged with his arms loaded with...something, you couldn’t discern what in the dim light. His face lit up like the Vegas strip when he saw you. “(Y/N)! I didn’t want you starving or eating all of your vitamins, so I went down to the vending machine and got you a couple snacks!” Arriving at his desk, he dropped the various bags and packets on his desk, and your eyes widened immensely.
“A couple? Dude, did you buy out the whole machine?”
Slightly breathless from his quick jog back, he waved a dismissive hand. “It was nothing. And hey, look!” He picked up a bag. “Fruit snacks! Just like your vitamins, but without the part where you get really sick.”
You were astonished, to say the least. And minorly speechless too, as evidenced by your mouth that was gaping like a fish. “Spencer...this is so nice. You really didn’t have to.”
“Don’t worry about it; I’m sure you would’ve done the same for me.”
At that, your face nearly split in two, and he mirrored your grin. You thought you might pass out at his kindness, and you knew you’d be thinking about this every day for the next two weeks at least. Your expression then turned mischievous, as you tried to tamp down all of the warmth bubbling in your stomach. “Do you want to help me try to fit all this in my bag?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
——— 
Garcia had been practicing her ukulele peacefully when she got the call.  (Well, ‘peacefully’ might have been a stretch as she had threatened to smash the object on her coffee table when she simply could not get the finger picking pattern she’d practiced for what seemed like hours, but it was supposed to be a relaxing hobby, so yes, it was peaceful.) Huffing a sigh of relief when the caller ID said [(Y/N/N)!!] with the longest stream of heart emojis and not [hotch >:( ], she picked up with her usual air of cheer. “What can I do ya for, my loveliest, most bewitching—”
She was cut off abruptly by the sounds of your horrible, heart-wrenching sobs, and her brows furrowed in concern. “Oh no, my sweet! What’s wrong?” She had to wait a few moments for your tears to calm (somewhat) while you tried to wrangle in your breath, so you could form some sort of sentence.
“Penny!”—gasp—“Oh my God,”—hiccup—“it looks so bad!” With your last word, you tumbled into incoherent bawling once again.
“Dear, what looks so bad?” She held her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she began to gather up her things. Whatever was wrong, it was clear you needed some good, old-fashioned Garcia TLC, and she was ready to give it.
The sniffling subsided minorly, and you choked out, “Remember when we were talking the other day, and I mentioned that my hair had gotten a little too long for my liking?” Oh no, Garcia could see where this was going. “Well, I figured I’d spend our evening off getting my hair cut, and I went to that new hairdresser, and oh Penelope, it looks awful. I don’t think I can ever go out in public again.” With that, your tears resumed.
“Darling, you know I’ve been where you are, and I know it seems bad right now, but everything will be fine. Let me grab my scissors and I’ll be over faster than you can say, ‘Penny, I love you so much, you truly are my fairy godmother.’”
You paused before whispering into the phone, “Penelope, I do love you so much, and you are my fairy godmother. But please, hurry.”
And hurry, she did.
Garcia was knocking on your door a little over five minutes later, which was incredibly suspicious because she lived at least 10 minutes away on a good day, but in the state of your disarray, you were not inclined to care. She sat you down on the toilet in your bathroom, whipping out her hair care set (she had definitely spent a significant amount of time dabbling in cosmetology, and it was desperate times like this when it came in handy). Squeezing your eyes shut through most of it, she snipped here and there, trying to make the best of this...horribly atrocious cut (seriously, that hairdresser should be sued), and when she was finished, it was not as bad as when they started, but it still wasn’t great. The rest of the evening was spent watching cheesy rom-coms and baking in an attempt to get your mind off of your hair.
Everything was mostly fine until the next morning, when you realized you’d have to go into work like this, and as terrifying as that prospect was in a normal work environment, you also worked in a place with an abnormal amount of hot people. (And you happened to be developing feelings for one of those hot people, but your brain was insistent upon ignoring that for the time being.)
Already anticipating your worries, Penelope had sent a text without your knowledge to a BAU group chat that excluded you (she had one of these for every member, it just made surprise birthday party planning so much easier).
[penelope :)] please DO NOT MENTION (Y/N)’S HAIR!!!! she got a bad haircut and she feels really terrible about it and doesn’t want to think about it so do not talk about it!!!
[jennifer!] Oh, no! :( Lips are sealed!
[rossi ;)] rip.
Emerging from the elevator in the nicest work outfit you own (an attempt to distract from the monstrosity), you scurried to Garcia’s lair before anyone could see you. Once inside, you slammed the door shut, and leaning against it, you slid down and covered your face with the files in your hands. “Pennyyyyy,” you moaned. “I don’t think I can do this!”
She swiveled to face you with a look of empathy. “Sugar, I know you can. It—it doesn’t even look that bad!” But Garcia was a horrible liar, and if looks could kill, she would have been dead instantaneously. 
Heaving yourself up off the floor, you came to sit in the seat next to her. “Can’t I just work in here today? And maybe for the rest of time?”
“You know I would love that, but those other lovely people on our team need you! Especially the young doctor, you know he’d be lonely without you.”
As if her mention had summoned him, Reid opened the door to their secret meeting, files in hand, and your eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets. Garcia stared at him very intensely, attempting to telepathically tell him to not mention the hair, and you looked like a deer in the headlights, trying to figure out a way to hide yourself from him and possibly the entire universe. And poor Reid shifted his gaze between the two of you, helplessly confused as to what he had walked into. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Uh, no!” Garcia said in the least convincing manner.
“Okay,” he responded, not convinced in the slightest. “I just came to give you some files from Hotch.” So, he handed Garcia the papers and then turned to leave when you caught his eye. 
And because he was not the greatest with technology, Spencer had not checked his phone that morning…. Meaning he had not seen Garcia’s text. So he looked at you a moment and cocked his head. “Your hair looks really nice today, (Y/N). Did you get it cut?”
This time, it was Garcia’s turn to glare (because read your texts, dammit!), and you fumbled for a response. As you scanned his face, searching for a sign that he was lying, that he was just saying something to make you feel better, you came up empty. He was telling the truth. He genuinely thought your hair looked nice. “Um, uh—yeah. Yeah, I did. Thanks for noticing.”
“You’re welcome.” He offered you a smile, which you returned easily (a fact that surprised you). “See you.” Retreating from the office because the vibes in there were weird, he shut the door, finally leaving you and Garcia alone again. 
You were reeling.
You thought about when you had gotten dressed that morning, and you had entertained each outfit with great scrutiny, trying to come up with something that might draw attention away from your hair. In that half hour you’d spent, you had realized that you didn’t really mind looking bad in front of Morgan or Emily or Hotch or really anyone on the team. Almost anyone. With an increasing amount of discomfort, you had realized you didn't want to look bad in front of Spencer. Of course, he’d never judge you, but you wanted to look good for him. For your best friend.
And he told you your hair looked nice.
You smiled to yourself.
Garcia turned to you with a look of shock on her face. Had that been anyone else, she was sure you would have curled up in a ball beneath her desk and would not have left until every single other person had left the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but you hadn’t, and she smirked.
Oh, she knew where this was going.
——— 
To put it lightly, it had not been the best of mornings. 
It seemed that everything that could’ve gone wrong did, so you burst past the glass doors of the BAU six minutes late with a coffee-covered shirt, mud-stained pants, soggy shoes, and a most miserable attitude. Hotch, while a sympathetic man, was still your boss with rules to follow and when you stumbled into the bullpen, gave a pointed stare between you and the clock, and you nodded sullenly. You understood his silent admonition, but knowing that he was even slightly disappointed in you, made your knees want to buckle. Swallowing around the slug in your throat, you set your bag down beside your chair and noticed a foreign object sitting on your desk. Interest thoroughly piqued, you reached forward to find it was a book with a satin ribbon tied on it.
It truly was a beautiful book with a deep crimson hardcover and the kind of deckled edges that you loved. Running your fingers along the rough-hewn pages, you finally noted the title, and you gasped. Beloved by Toni Morrison. Your favorite. The cursive words curved in black on the cover to match the ribbon, and you carefully traced the curling letters, wondering where this gorgeous book could have come from.
In the desk across from yours, Spencer watched the scene in front of him with a grin. He couldn’t help but feel pleased at the look of awe on your face as you inspected the book with careful fingers and a gentle gaze, and his heart swelled more and more the longer he looked. “Did you know that Margaret Garner, the woman the character Sethe is based on, her trial was used as part of an effort to dismantle the Fugitive Slave Act?” Your eyes flickered up to meet his, and those stupid freaking butterflies erupted in the pit of your stomach as you realized who had gifted you the book. “The presiding judge didn’t accept her lawyer’s argument that the act violated the right to religious freedom, but it was still somewhat of a turning point in the movement to strike down the law.”
“I did not know that, but thank you. For the fact and the book.”
“You’re welcome.” He had to avert his eyes from your strong gaze because he thought he might melt otherwise.
“Please don’t misinterpret this as me being ungrateful because I’m so, so thankful, but why?”
He shrugged, “I was just in the book store, and it made me think of you.” No, he didn’t keep an eye out specifically for this book on his weekly trip to the bookstore by his apartment after you had briefly mentioned your love of Ms. Morrison’s metaphors. And he definitely didn’t ask the owner Alice if she would let him know if she ever got any new copies.
Frankly, you were at a loss for words. Combing back through your conversations with him, you tried to remember when you had talked about the book, but you couldn’t come up with anything other than a couple words tossed briefly here and there. Suppose it wasn’t really the fact that he had heard, but the fact that he had listened. He listened and remembered things about you, little things tucked in the back of his brain, and it was how he thought about you even when you weren’t around. So, you clutched the book to your chest tightly as if it could meld with your heart and let your thoughts rage with the implications for a minute before smothering your mushy grin and tucking the book into your bag.
(Later, you pulled it out on your ride home on the metro. Spencer had already gotten off at his stop a few minutes before, so you took this moment of solitude to revel in the glory of your new gift. Every time you smoothed a hand over the cover, your mind was overwhelmed with what-ifs. What if he felt the same? What if his stomach rumbled with the same butterflies when you looked at him? What if this means he likes you as more than…. And abruptly, you were doused in doubt once again, muzzling those dangerous, rearing hypotheticals. This was a path that would only lead to disappointment.
Those thoughts only got worse when you read his inscription, though:
Dear (Y/N/N),
I hope you find great joy in reacquainting yourself with the graces of Ms. Morrison’s elegant prose in this new copy. I was inspired by your praise and read this classic again, and I can say that I definitely understand your veneration of her story-telling. Hopefully, we can discuss it soon, so I can try to see all of the details that you so admire. You are always much better at appreciating the finer things in life.
She says that, “something that is loved is never lost.”
I hope you know that you will never be lost to me.
Sincerely,
Spencer
(P.S. I wrote this in pencil, so you can erase and have the clean copy you wanted.)
You would never erase it.)
——— 
“Hey, are you alright?”
You sat at your desk with your head in your hands. Your responding “no” came out muffled. 
Spencer frowned and sat on the edge of your desk. “Is there anything I can help with?”
Running your hands over your face, you finally met his gaze. His eyes were soft as they searched your own, and the expression on his face was not of pity or frustration but empathy, and of course, he was just being his sweet self. Your eyes watered in response, and his heart clenched at the sight. You shifted your eyes somewhere else, anywhere else. “Uh, no.”
It was clearly a lie.
Furrowing his brows at your obfuscation, he scanned your face for any indication of what might be the problem. A small sigh. He came up with nothing. “Alright,” he conceded hesitantly. “May I ask what is wrong?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
You stared down at the files neatly ordered on your desk, trying to mentally shoo him away with the sheer force of your willpower alone. But Spencer Reid was a stubborn man, and you knew this, and you also knew he wasn’t leaving until he knew you were alright. So, you both sat in the silence of the bullpen that only accompanied the arrival of midnight. The glow of your lamp bathed the vicinity in a warm yellow, and the tick of the nearby clock rattled around your chest as you attempted fruitlessly to subdue your incessant thoughts. He was close enough that you could hear the soft susurration of his exhales as his eyes flitted about the room to give you some sort of breathing room, and you shut yours for a moment to appreciate this moment of peace before the inevitable catastrophe to follow.
“I’m—uh, not okay.”
Finally turning back to you with a mildly surprised expression (he didn’t expect you to say anything so soon. Or so bluntly.), he offered you one of his signature tight-lipped smiles as encouragement to continue.
“I’m kind of really struggling…” you trailed off, gaze empty, ensnared in your thoughts.
Ever the gentleman with persistence that could last a thousand years, he gently prompted, “With…?”
A strong gulp and eyes squeezed shut. “With you.”
Well, that was not the answer Spencer was expecting. He felt like he’d had the wind knocked out of him, and he was hollow and shaken and in pain. Gaping, he fumbled hopelessly for an answer, trying to find some reason you could be upset with him. He had always thought you two were the best of friends; he’d never doubted that before. How could he have missed this?
Swallowing hard against the lump in his throat, he strained to ask, “Uh—um, what—what did I do?”
Upon witnessing his struggle, you quickly amended your previous statement. “No, no, no, no, no! I’m not mad at you, well, I kind of am, but you don’t need to feel bad, it’s not your fault.”
“I’m not really sure what to make of that.”
You huffed a sigh and covered your face with your hands in a poor attempt to try to hide the blush rapidly coloring your cheeks. “I’m sorry, I just—you’re so nice!”
Now Spencer was really confused. “You’re mad at me...because you think I’m nice?”
“Yes, Spencer! You’re so nice, and it makes me incredibly frustrated. You see this?” You picked up a book from your desk and waved it frantically. A little intimidated by your crazed look, he nodded timidly. “Do you recognize this book?”
“It’s a special edition of Beloved by Toni Morrison.”
“It’s the special edition of my favorite book that you bought for me because you know how much I love this book.”
Spencer looked like a deer in the headlights. “You always said that your book at home was so messy with your annotations and that a fresh copy would have been nice.”
“You didn’t even buy it for my birthday or a special occasion! You just saw it in the store and said that you thought of me and had to buy it. That’s so unbelievably thoughtful! Not to mention the fact that I can barely look at fruit snacks now without tearing up. And—and the other day! When I got my haircut, I hated it, but I came in the next day, and you were the first person to tell me you liked it. You weren’t even lying to make me feel better; I’m a profiler, and I know that you were telling the truth. And it took no effort or thought because Spencer, you are the most kind-hearted and compassionate and generous person I’ve ever met. You are so—so genuinely good. 
“No, you are the best. You are the best person I know,” you stated with finality, holding his stare with an unshakeable firmness. It was the first time you truly looked at him all night, and his heart felt like it was going to expand past his ribcage and burst open like a balloon. Your resolve melted though and your voice dropped to a near whisper. “And you’re not just nice. You’re nice to me. Which just makes it so hard.”
You deflated, withering into your seat.
“Makes what hard?”
“It makes it so much harder for me to not fall in love with you.”
Stunned silence. 
Until it was shattered by a hiccup, and Spencer finally noticed the tears leaking from the corner of your eyes, and he tried, he tried so hard to puzzle through all of this new information and the fact that you just admitted you’re falling in love with him, and for some reason, you’re crying? He couldn’t even get his stupid genius brain to come with a single word before you started stumbling into an apology. “I know that’s not what you want to hear because we’re supposed to be friends, and I know that you’re just a good person, so you’re nice to everyone. Believe me, I know. And I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable, but I couldn’t keep holding on to this by myself, and I knew if anyone would let me down easy, it’d be you.” You chewed on your lip and avoided his stare at all costs. “So, I’m sorry.” You sniffled. 
The quiet that followed weighed heavy on your chest, and you couldn’t seem to breathe. You had expected rejection; you hadn’t expected complete silence. And this was somehow so much more unbearable. In a voice so faint you weren’t even sure if he could hear, you begged, “Please say something.”
A beat.
“(Y/N), I love you.”
A whisper just barely verging on hopeful, “What?”
“(Y/N), I—I love you so much.” His heart felt like it was in his throat, and his voice broke slightly as he stood. “You’re the first person I think about when I get up in the morning, and you’re the last person before I fall asleep. I dread going home at the end of the day because you’re not there. When you’re not with me, even if you’re in the other room, it feels like I’ve forgotten something, and for the longest time, I couldn’t figure out what I was missing, but it was you. You consume my every thought, which is saying something because I think a lot. Actually, it’s kind of funny,” he chuckled somewhat morosely, “I truly cannot comprehend the fact that you don’t know how much I’ve liked you, how long I’ve loved you because it feels like it’s so obvious and so potent that it seeps out of me, whether I want it to or not.
“And I’m nice to you because no one else is more deserving of kindness. I’d be lucky if you let me be the one to remind you of that, everyday. Because you’re the best person I know.” You looked up at him with shining eyes and the meagerest beginnings of a smile, and he just beamed right back. With a creased brow, he ventured, “You’re my favorite person in the world, you know that, right?
Failing to suppress your growing grin, you nodded your head meekly. “Yeah, I know.”
“Good.”
Spencer felt pleased with himself until he remembered that he had forgotten the most important part. “Would you like to get dinner with me sometime? Like a date?”
Standing from your seat, you wrapped your arms around his neck and burrowed your face into his chest, and he immediately reciprocated, clutching you as close as he could. “I would love that.” It came out muffled, but he understood well enough as he pressed his face into your neck. And you stood like that for a few moments, just existing together, and for the first time in a long time, nothing hurt. There was no worry of unrequited yearning or pain of terrible pining; there were just two people who finally knew peace. Knew that the person they loved most in the world loved them back. Neither ever wanted to leave.
However, sometimes necessary duties like breathing take precedence, so you pulled back from him enough to finally claim some air. Your hands slid down his front, resting on his chest, his on your waist, and you just stared at him. The most beautiful face you’d ever seen looking right back at you with the same expression of awe that made you realize just how lucky you were. And slowly, hesitantly, you both leaned in ever so slightly with heads wavering and tension buzzing. Gingerly and sweetly. Neither could commit, but no one could pull away from fast-approaching revelation. 
Finally, a breath away.
“Can I kiss you?”
You nodded.
When your lips met, your chest heaved with your eager, romantic hopes and dreams bubbling up near your lungs, finally coming to fruition. His hands came up to caress your jaw, and you leaned into him. His touch was so gentle, but he also touched you with intention. For once in his life, Spencer Reid felt no hesitation, kissing the girl of his dreams. And you felt held by him. You were bursting at the seams of your existence, swollen with infatuation and tenderness, yet totally and completely encompassed by him. You could shatter into a million tiny, little pieces, and he would be there to collect every shard. How cheesy.
Both of you grinned into the kiss; the sickly sweet itch in your heart was contagious. You finally released him, and wanting to savor the moment, you tucked yourself into the crook of his neck, so his chin could rest on the crown of your head. “I love you a lot, Dr. Reid.”
He hummed in agreement.
It didn’t need saying.
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writella · 3 years
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Around and Around and Around
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Pairing: Luke Patterson x reader
Requested? Yes! My first finished request! Thank you for the idea anon. Original ask: Could you do a present day... Alive!Luke x reader fic where him and his girlfriend (the reader) are just trying to spend some alone time together at one of Carrie’s parties? (I’m so sorry I didn’t make it Carrie’s party anon, I forgot.)
Summary: It’s a New Years Eve bash! The gangs all there, but the only thing Luke wants to do is spend time with his girlfriend. Unfortunately though, his friends constantly need their help which causes them to lose each other in the crowd. Around and around and around they constantly go... Can Luke meet up with her in time for a New Years Kiss? We shall see, my friends. We shall see.
Word Count: :)
Warnings: Kissing? Two curse words? I don’t think any of that counts. Oh! Over explaining? Neediness? An over use of the same words?
A/N: Hello everyone! IT IS A CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS MIRACLE! I finally finished a new fic. I really hope you enjoy it. I think I did a little too much, but this request just got my head turning and included the whole gang, so I just couldn’t help but give them all their own little moments! I had fun and I hope you do too. I’m taking you on a bit of a rollercoaster here, I will admit, but don’t worry though, I think I gave it a good ending.... You tell me.
“Y/N!”
“Y/N?”
“Luke?”
“Where are you?”
“Luuuke!”
“Luke!
“LUKE, COME LOOK!”
“Y/N, I need you.”
“Her shoe broke!”
“Luke, did you see his dog? It’s so cute! And he even likes pizza!”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to give pizza to a dog, Reg.”
“Well it wasn’t chocolate… Wait where’d he go? Wanna help me find him?”
“Well can she wear yours? Do you have an extra pair?”
“Where are they?”
Hey, Luke?!” 
“Y/N?!”
Boom the bedroom door slammed shut, and an out of breath Luke and his girlfriend, Y/N, filed in with a sigh: “Finally,” Luke said, his eyebrows and the corner of his lips rising with excitement. Throughout the hour and forty minus they had spent at the party thus far, they had found corners, almost empty areas, and even tall trees in the backyard, but none were as private as this. 
Still standing close to the door, Y/N looked around the walls that glittered with posters of rock bands and athletes. “Do you really think we should be in here? It is the birthday person’s room. Maybe we should be nice and leave it alone.” 
“When you throw a party you get what you get,” Luke reasoned, a hint of humor tracing throughout his words. “People travel, and we’re not going to do anything crazy on the kid’s blue basketball sheets if that’s what you’re worried about.” He ended, teasing Nick, the party host. 
She softly gave him an ‘alright,’ waiting for him to make his next move. Though they had been thrown around by their friends plenty of times by now tonight, the night was still young, and she knew Luke was adamant on spending time with her. Even more so, it was her first party after living in Los Angeles for almost a year now. (She was a Molina from Julie’s father’s side.) Back home she didn’t have the friend group that she had now, nor did she have someone like Luke specifically in her life as a significant other. After all this time in high school not experiencing these regular social events, a party— especially at this large of a house— seemed daunting, but as always Luke made it seem, as he always does, like it was the most spectacular adventure you couldn’t miss. Apprehension and excitement filled her spirit for what was to come of tonight. 
Following his gaze as she watched him survey the room, Luke’s eyes fell most notably on Nick’s guitars. “God, I wish I had this many.” 
“He definitely has the collection,” Y/N agreed,  still wondering what they were going to do, “but you’ve got like four, right?”
“Half of those were Bobby’s, and the acoustic is the one my parents got me… way back when, so really I only scrounged up enough money once in my life for one electric of my own.”
“So two. Still more than most.” She gave him a sympathetic smile, messing up his hair a little bit while doing so. He rubbed his head into her palm, enjoying the feeling.
There was a wonder in his eyes as he looked at the guitar rack that Y/N found quite charming. “Can’t believe he could spend all his time with these babies and he decides to balance it with sports.”
“I guess we all have our hobbies… but honestly I can’t believe we’re using this moment to ourselves to stare at guitars.” She laughs, “I’m just saying! This is what you wanted!” She corrects herself, “They are beautiful guitars though.”
“Yeah, you’re right. One of them could barge in any minute now,” Luke says, moving closer to Y/N till her back leans against the door. His fingers trace her jaw, then the side of her neck, ending as he swirled one finger around the tips of her hair. “And I could be looking at a much prettier sight.”
“Stop,” she blushed. Y/N was fine with tending to all her friends needs. She enjoyed being the first one Julie, Flynn, and now even Alex or Reggie went to for advice or help. Besides running the jatp social media account and co-running their YouTube page, making her friends feel better was what made her feel needed, but she had to admit, she liked this too. 
As they traveled backwards to the door, Luke pecked her lips a few times, then the corners of her mouth, then doing both again making her giggle and move her head to either side his lips fell. Finally, he moved centimeters back, looking in her eyes, ghosting her lips, “Stop doin’ what? Tellin’ the truth?” 
The rosy color on her face became more prominent. Her eyes traced between his own emeralds and his smile— his face made her mind fill with wonder. It was so bright, so positive, so warm, so close to her own. She could stay there with him, looking at her so endearingly, forever.
“Y/N?!” 
“Ow!” she screeched as Flynn pushed the door open on her leaning stance, bopping her head on the wood. 
“Oh my god, sorry!” Flynn gritting her teeth with worry, a fist coming to cover her mouth. “So yeah, ha ha,” the girl tried to build some relief, “Well there you two are!”
Luke grabbed the side of Y/N’s head, placing his hand over her own that covered where the impact landed, “You okay?” 
“Yeah…” She sighed, she was more concerned about whatever Flynn had to say. 
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I need you, like for real this time.” Flynn said, her voice filled with urgency. 
“Haven’t you needed her and looked for her ‘like’ everywhere three times tonight already?” Luke argued, a little disgruntled that their first truly private moment got interrupted in the matter of minutes.
“Was I talking to you, Patterson?” Flynn retorted, head tilted with a closed smirk on her face. “No, the answer is no.”
“You didn’t have to say the answer, okay? Got the gist.” His movements became dorkier by the second, his fingers coming to his face. “It was rhetorical- I knew that!” 
“Wow, learned that big boy word from your girlfriend?”
“Big boy?! I- That’s not even-“ before Luke went on, Y/N cut in: “Alright,” she lifted her hand, “What happened, Flynn? What do you need?”
“It’s Julie-“
“Don’t tell me she broke another shoe. I don’t have an extra-extra pair.”
“No.” Flynn’s eyes widened, “I actually- I don’t know what it is. She just told me to get you and come to her together.” The girl sighed, “She looked sad.” 
“Oh,” Y/N said, a frown coming to her face. A sad Julie is a Julie that should never be in this world. Other than thinking about the absence of her mother, Y/N’s cousin knew how to smile even when things got tough, so if she was feeling down now, and it was evident, it must’ve been important. 
“Yeah. So come? Like now?” Flynn grabbed Y/N’s hand and Y/N looked at her own opposite hand that was currently attached to Luke’s, trailing her eyes up to his face. 
“Well, I’ll just go too.” He insisted, “I want to help Julie, and,” He spoke directly to Y/N, “I don’t mind.”
“She didn’t ask for you.” Flynn snapped back. 
“It’ll be fine.” Y/N decided, “It’s not like we all don’t know her well anyway, right?”
“Yeah, let's go. And then we can just get back, hopefully. I want to spend tonight with you.” Luke said that last part more softly, but apparently not quietly enough. 
“Oh god!” Flynn vexed. “Haven’t you spent all week stuck to her mouth?”  Through snickers she said, “Let her come up for some air, bruv.” Then, letting go of Y/N's hand as she turns, leading the couple to the staircase, she continued: “And really you should be relaxing all those throat muscles or whatever. I've got you in two open mic night cafes next week and that kids party at the restaurant tomorrow, AND on Sunday Julie said she wanted to record that new song for the YouTube channel.” She slapped the side of her hand to the inside of the other, creating a chopping effect, “We got things to do! I’m trying to make sure you guys stay safe and have fun, but we shouldn’t be here all night.”
Luke rolled his eyes, as much as he loved playing, he hated being bossed around like this. “It's New Year’s Eve!” He complained, yet there was still a hint of playfulness in his voice. “Mind you, this is being said by the girl who agreed to DJ at this party.”
“I didn’t agree! I got reeled into it— Difference, see! This kid comes out of nowhere to bring me onto his home stage— man, he’s rich—- and asks me if I could change the tracks, put something fun on. How am I supposed to say no? It is his birthday and everything that was on before was terrible!”
“That we can agree on,” Luke noted with a laugh.
Y/N added on, after her long silence of listening to the two go back and forth, “You finally got everyone dancing.”
“I did! Thank you!” Flynn appreciated the acknowledgment, especially from Luke, but nonetheless, she persists on her earlier claim, “That being said, I really think we should leave by 10.”
“10?!” Luke repeats with annoyance. “Tomorrow’s gig starts at six. PM. And might I remind you again: it's freakin New Years Eve! We have to stay till the ball drops!”
“We have to practice one last time and we have to get there bef-“
“Alright, alright, boss.” Luke was done arguing (for the time being.) Instead his eyes followed Y/N’s who was no longer listening, bored of her best friend and boyfriend’s little fighting game, as they looked for Julie in the clusters of kids all around the room on the main floor. “Let’s just look for Jules so we can get back. And can we make it to midnight at the least? Please? I mean, come on, there no food at the Molina house to celebrate with and you were having fun up there with those turntables.” He started to smile cheekily at Flynn, “Don’t deny it.”
Flynn took in a sharp breath as she thought. Nick did have access to some sick equipment and has always been so kind enough to share, so it would be fun to play around some more. “We’ll see how I feel at 11. And by the way, we do have things to celebrate with at the garage. I bought stuff specifically so you guys wouldn’t complain when we left,” she went on, the three taking another turn, “We’re going to have some fun here till 10, or 11 I guess, get back to the garage, celebrate New Years— woo-hoo!— and then you guys are settled down by 12:15, 30 the latest. I don’t care if you’re not asleep, just not outside.” Seeing Luke’s face rise up again she defends herself,  “It's not my fault you phantoms have terrible time management skills! You guys literally have transportation powers and you’re either late or not present. It’s crazy! I need to make sure you’re there and we get paid. Period.”
Luke suppressed a grunt as Y/N rubbed his shoulders, laughing a bit at the truth of Flynn’s statement. 
Then, to console Luke, she whispered in his ear, “No matter where we are, I’ll be there. Plan still intact.” 
“True.” Luke whispered back, rubbing his nose on the side of her head. 
Luke liked his freedom. He was used to calling the shots when it came to the band, only taking on co-captain position as Julie challenged him with just as much leadership star power as he contained. This made Flynn appointing herself as band manager not something to be desired exactly, especially when she made decisions like this on their down time. He didn’t quite enjoy being told where to go and when, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help to admit to himself that the tech savvy skills both her and Y/N brought to the table were tremendously helpful. The 90s boy was used to walking around town trying to find the next cafe for the guys to play at that he didn’t know how easy it was in this digital world to find venues he never even heard of through the internet. This made him never forget to say thank you after a gig she or Y/N would find from their endless online searchings. And on Flynn’s end, she never forgot to commend Luke on his writing skills when he happened to be the scribe for one of the band’s songs she happened to enjoy, but other than that, they did not have that much to say to each other. 
Despite the natural banter and quips  that would suggest they were well acquainted, they were actually still quite awkward. Luke was used to admiring her relationship with Julie and Y/N from afar, and for Flynn, after the boys came back to life she didn’t know exactly how to fit herself into the group. Of course she was a part of it, Y/N made certain of it as she herself had also felt strange about her placement in Julie’s new friend group before Julie formally introduced her to them, not knowing that her cousin could also see ghost like she could, but overall, Flynn felt just the tiniest bit embarrassed that the boys she once called ‘cute ghosts’-- more than twice-- heard her say that and all the other things she’d say not knowing they were around (Julie told her they could sometimes snoop in unbeknownst to even her at times. ‘They don’t know boundaries,’ she would say.) Flynn especially felt this way when one of those ex-ghosts was Luke who knew he was ‘cute,’  as she once said, and would bother her about it endlessly when he was first able to communicate with her. 
Were they friends? Or was it simply that Luke was just a friend of her friends and that Flynn was just the friend of his girlfriend and mutual friend. Neither of them knew where their relationship stood. This caused Flynn to use her wit as a defense mechanism or to only begin a conversation with the guy when it was about something band related. ‘You kind of act like siblings,’ Y/N would tell them when they were at it. Both of them gawked at the word. ‘Siblings?!’
Around another corner the three went, passing the open space below the home stage that was being used as a dance floor. They went to the room adjacent to it. It was another rather large area, though this one was filled with more furniture, a lot in fact, perhaps to make space for the makeshift dance area. There was also an unused fireplace which caught the eyes of Y/N who yanked on the connected hand of Luke’s and then Flynn to take notice of who sat on the ledge. 
The water bunching up in her eyes sparked white from the room's fluorescent gleaming lights, making her tears look much bigger and shinier. It made the group feel bad they didn’t find her sooner. 
“Julie!” They all exclaimed in unison though Luke’s reaction was filled with the most apparent fret: the glow of the lights and his wide eye expression showed clearly how his eyes were growing greener with questions and worry. “What happened?” He tried to ask softly, not knowing how to react to her tears. The attempt at softness then immediately changed into one of starting frustration as he sat down next to his poor bandmate, hand on her knee, looking toward Flynn, “Why didn’t you tell us she was like this?” 
“Because she wasn’t like this when I left!” Flynn countered, coming to sit down next to Julie on her left side as Luke had taken the right. 
“Why do you always-“
“Enough guys,” Y/N silenced them for the third time that night. She noticed how Julie was shying away from both of their faces, not wanting to show them her tears. Julie was strong; a fighter; she sometimes much rather fake out her friends by smiling through her problems before she was ready to talk about them. Y/N knew all of this, related to it in fact, and could sense the possible embarrassment she must’ve been feeling. Not only did she create a movie moment for herself by being the girl crying at a party, but she was crying in front of her friends, when she was typically the person who tried to inspire hope, for she was the front man of her own band after all. 
Y/N could also sense— guessing by the way she mostly was turning her face from Luke— that it was a boy problem. Not that Luke’s jittery expression, or close proximity to her face was helping her open up either. 
Luke was trying to work on being more helpful in moments where his friends were in tears, but sometimes he could be a little too aggressive, or ‘extra,’ as Flynn would put it and Alex would agree, adding the new slang term to his vocabulary. 
Y/N took a seat in front of her on the ground, rubbing her friend's arm. “It’s okay, Jules. Nobody cares what you look like. You can tell us.” 
“I know, it’s just-“ she sucked her teeth, looking up, head still tilted to Flynn’s side. “It’s stupid.”
 “No ones going to judge you,” Y/N promised, pointing her head to Luke’s direction for Julie to see. 
“Yeah, and I bet it’s not ‘stupid’ anyway.” Flynn added.
“Nothings stupid if it made you cry, Jules.” Luke chimed in, finally agreeing with Flynn on something for the second time this night. “Who was it? I’ll beat them up for you.” He joked.
“Oh my god, no!” Julie tittered just a little while trying to wipe away all her tears. “And please never say something like that again. You sound like a dad.”
“Well he is supposed to be like 40 or something,” Flynn said, making the both of her best friends laugh. Julie specifically shook her head at this moment of Flynn and Luke’s typical banter, it was the first time she was getting a whiff of it tonight. Although she appreciated the entertainment they brought when in a room together, she agreed with Y/N that they were relentless. 
Luke let that one go, seeing how it finally brought a smile to the girl’s face, “There she is.”
Julie rolled her eyes at him, sighing as her fit of giggles passed, “Okay,” she started slowly, “Well... it was Nick… and I know it’s stupid-“
“-Not stupid.” Her friends finished.
“But you know, he invited me to this party. Directly! Said he wanted to hang out- to dance. When we came, the party just started so he had to say hi to people, that made sense, and he told me to stay near the main floor, so I waited. And then my shoe broke, and then some girl spilled some of that fondue on the bottom of my dress which I had to get out with bathroom wipes, so that was annoying. Then next thing you know it’s an hour later and all I’ve done is eat pizza and watch Flynn at the turntables…”
Julie went on. She explained that finally Nick showed up again , but as he was walking to her, Carrie had just arrived at the party, stopping him in his tracks. Apparently her gift was too heavy to bring inside, so she wanted to take him to her car to show him right then and there. “He said he’d be five minutes tops. Told me to come here by the fireplace, so again, I waited. Then five minutes turned into fifteen, so I got up.” She sidetracked, “That’s not me. Just sitting there, waiting, waiting, waiting. I felt dumb. That's when I walked to the backyard to see what was going on out there, find something to do after all this time, but funny enough that’s where I found Nick and Carrie, laughing, dancing, having a great time.” She wipes a new stray tear, “I decided to look for you,” she nodded to Y/N, “And it’s no offense Flynn, you know I love you, it’s just that I didn’t want to hear you tell me that ‘he’s not worth it’ at the moment.” She gave herself a pity laugh, “I’m currently feeling a little bad for myself as you can see.” 
“I’m so sorry Julie.” Y/N started. “But Flynn only tells you the facts like that because she thinks you’re so worthy of more.” 
“So much more,” Flynn added on, moving closer to Julie.
 “But I get it, it's not fair.” consoled Y/N. “I try to always consider his actions in those instances with Carrie as him just being a pacifist, but if he said he wanted to be with you and continuously told you he would, then he should’ve been here.”
“Agreed, but also, being a pacifist doesn’t mean to always stay quiet though, you can find a way to keep the peace and still do what’s right.” Luke spoke up. “He shouldn’t let Carrie always take him away like that.”
Y/N gave Luke a smile, “Insightful.”
“Strangely,” Flynn chimed in, “but exactly right. Not to mention how it’s not fair— no matter how nice he is— for him to just let Carrie keep saying whatever the hell she wants without calling her out.” 
“I just feel like I shouldn’t be so beat up. It is his birthday after all. He can do what he wants.” Muttered Julie.
“No!” Y/N told her. “You feel like you wasted your time, I get that! It’s his birthday, but your feelings are still important.” 
“Also,” Luke started, “Julie, I mean, come on! You could do so much better. So what? He’s like 18 now? Well I’m 18 now too, supposed to be 40 something apparently and I look like this! This! Compared to Nick?  Julie… girl!” He stated her name again, smiled wide, “I know Molina’s have better taste than that. Not to say what you didn’t want to hear, but, it’s true: he’s not worth it. Period.” He mimicked Flynn with the last word. 
Both Flynn and Julie gagged, “Oh my god,” they said in union. Y/N just put her face in her hands.
“You were actually doing well, and then you just go and screw it up like that?” Flynn sighed. 
“Now you went from a dad to sounding like a whole ratty teenage boy.” She rolled her eyes teasingly, trying to conceal her laughter at his conceited remark, “Disgusting.”
“Well as long as I got you to stop crying, that’s all that matters anyway.” He laughed goofily, invading her personal space once again. 
“Yeah,” Julie realized with a contented sigh. It seemed all the company she really needed was her friends. 
“Well, I think the only thing to do now is make up for all that time wasted, huh?”  Y/N spoke with a smirk. “If he doesn’t want to be your dance partner, it looks like you’re going to have to take on three instead.” 
“Fuck yeah,” Luke said, jumping up, grabbing Y/N and Julie’s hands and running to the dance floor.
Flynn called to the group, as she parted from them, heading to the stage, “Lemme change the song!” 
“OOOH!” Luke roared as the ooos and aahs of Donna and the Dynamos filled the room. “One of the best things to come out of the 2000s!” 
Julie and Y/N laughed at the surprisingly grand amount of love Luke had for Mamma Mia! 
Luke imitated the hustle, sticking his tongue out,  shaking his hips, and making Y/N dance along with him, moving around Julie who looked at them incredulously. 
“Come oooon,” he said to Julie’s direction, “Nobody can NOT like this song.” And after that Julie gave in, agreeing that a Mamma Mia and ABBA song was too good not to dance to. Flynn came up right behind her, making the dancing trio into a group of four. 
From jumping, to slides and shoulder grooves, and even forming their own little dancing circle the four lived in the song, seeing the last of Julie’s worry wash away as the speakers blasted the words “Dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen,” to which Julie’s friends made sure to spotlight her on as their hands sprinkled up and down spirit fingers as she twirled, enjoying her title that fit perfectly with her age. 
“Thanks guys,” Julie smiled sweetly, still jumping to the beat.
“WOOOO!” Luke hollered into the crowd, taking Y/N’s hand, swaying and jumping with her exclusively now. 
“WOO!” She yelled back.
“LOUDER, LOUDER!” He yelled in her face, shaking his head, his hair imitating a lion’s mane as he gritted his teeth, getting closer to her face. 
“WOOOOO!” She yelled, trying to match her boyfriend’s energy. 
“YES, Y/N. WOOO!” They kept jumping and he spun her around, letting her twirl into his grasp. He held her closer, one arm tightly around her waist while the other still held her hand, stepping and swaying side to side in a fast pace in order to keep up with the quick musical tune. Her laughs of surprisement to his actions filled him with pride. She was usually so focused on making her friends smile, she could sometimes forget to just have fun for herself. She dropped anything to tend to their needs, which is why tonight was important. At her first party he was going to make her smile and have fun, and that ended with a New Year’s kiss. Hopefully, he could find a way to hide from Flynn— and his friends for that matter— till that time to make it happen. 
Finally the song died down and a rush of endorphins filled the floor as almost everyone in the area, even those who typically didn’t dance joined along to the jumping motion the four started at the beginning of the song. “Should I change it?” Flynn asked Julie as the next song started, noticing how different the vibe of this song was from the last: slower, more romantic.
“No,” Julie told Flynn as she watched Luke take his arms closer into Y/N’s sides, “Let’s let them have their moment.”
Y/N arms went around Luke’s neck, and his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling each other closer while swaying in a circular motion. He connected their foreheads. His eyes fixated on her own. They were so gentle, so sweet, so comforting, he felt safe looking in them. He could stay that way forever.
“Luke?”
Luke sighed, once again just minutes of feeling release ruined. “Yeah, bud?” It was Alex. 
“I’m sorry to bother you, but this kid Reginald-“ 
“Don’t tell me he lost the dog again. I don’t want to look for it.”
“It’s not the dog! Well, not this time. I think he’s finally realized that we can’t take it home with us. It’s-“ Alex started snickering which then turned into great belly laughs he couldn’t stop, “I just- I can’t- I can’t- just please,” he had no control. “Please I need your help!”
“What the hell, Alex?”
“Just-“ Alex put his hand over his mouth, trying to conceal his laughs. He motioned Luke with his other hand, walking away. 
Luke kept his hand in Y/N’s, bringing her along with him, “I don’t want to get split up again, like last time with the dog.”
“It’s not the dog!” Alex exclaimed, still laughing. 
The three were now on the right side of the house, near the pool door that also stood to the right and in the area sat a couch and pool table. The wall on the left side had a small vent near the floor which is where they found Reggie, hip deep in the square hole.
“HELLO!” Reggie wagged his butt, for his friends to see, “Did you bring Luke?”
“Yeah!” Alex answered “Do you see now? He’s stuck!”
“How and why?!” Y/N asked, now joining in with Alex’s uncontrollable laughter as Reggie kept shaking his butt. Quickly Luke couldn’t help himself either.
“No! Y/N is here?” Reggie asked, “Y/N I’m so sorry you have to see me like this. I haven’t been doing my squats recently. I know I don’t look in the best of shape-“
“I think that’s the last thing I’m worried about, Reg,” Y/N said, still losing her breath along with Alex who yelled an incredulous ‘what?!’ at his words. 
“No one cares about your glutes, bro.” Luke shook his head, laughing with the two. 
“Well I do!” Reggie fought back. “I don’t wear these skinny jeans for nothing!”
Alex’s laughter from Reggie’s wackiness turned into one of apprehension. “Well there are more important things to worry about! Like my date being almost two hours late and also how I don’t even know what to say to him because I haven’t seen him in like two months and it's New Year’s Eve and yeah, okay, okay- Stop shaking your ass!”
“Okay,” Y/N held his shoulders, still losing her breath, “Willie is going to come, alright?  It'll be fine, but-“
“Let’s deal with gluteus minimus first.” Luke finished.
“That’s not even-“
“I don’t care.” Luke finished for Alex this time. “I’ll take the right leg, Alex, take the left. Pull!”
Ow! Ow! Ow!” Reggie yelped.
“PULL!”
“Ow! Stop!” 
“It’s going to hurt till we get you out, Reg” Alex explained. “And why isn’t Y/N helping?”
“Oh, sorry,” She was caught up in the hysterics. 
“Oh that’s right,” Luke noticed. “Take the right, I’ll hold onto his feet and pull from the back. On three. 1, 2, 3, PULL!”
“WAIT!” Reggie yelled.
“WHAT?” Alex yelled back.
“Luke said on three, but you pulled at ‘pull’, or really after pull, so is it really ‘on three’ or do you want it to be ‘on pull’ or ‘after three’ or ‘after pull’?”
Alex shook his head, “Does it matter?!”
Reggie’s voice cracked, “Just asking!”
“Okay, ON pull!” Luke clarified, “1,2,3, PULL”
“NO! WAIT!”
“WHAT?!” The three pullers yelled. 
“I felt a tear in my jacket, I love this jacket.”
“Oh god,” the boys complained.
“I think it’s just going to have to tear for us to get you out,” Y/N told him. 
“But you gave it to me!” Y/N heard the sadness in his voice. It was a brown leather jacket with long strands of fringe on either side. She thought it went perfectly with his banjo and love for country music. It also had big inside pockets that could hold all his little treasures, and whatever he had in his pocket today is probably the reason why it was so hard to get him out. 
“Maybe Victoria knows a good dry cleaner that can give us a discount,” she reasoned. 
“Tía does always have very nicely pressed clothes,” Reggie agreed, as an honorary Molina— self appointed, but appreciated by most— he felt that it was okay to address Victoria as such. 
“Yeah,” She laughed at his words, “So are you going to tell me how you got stuck?”
“Well I knew there was going to be a pool table here so I brought my lucky gold eight ball-” Reggie had a lucky every- “And it kind of just fell in here.”
Alex corrected him, “You mean you were getting too cocky at the game and knocked the ball so hard that it fell in there.”
“Potatoes, tomatoes, uh, spaghetti! It doesn't matter now, I got my ball and now I need you guys to help me get out.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Luke nodded, “You ready Reg?”
“...No!”
“You want to make out with the rats? They have diseases.” Alex sarcastically noted.
“They’re misunderstood creatures!” Reggie stated on their behalf. Reggie’s butt buzzed, “Oh that's my phone, that feels weird, “ he laughed. 
“Phone!’ Alex's eyes widened, “Where’s my phone?” He dropped Reggie’s leg
“Alex!” Luke exclaimed want to get this over with.
“Willie texted, he said he’ll be here in thirty- thirty minutes!” 
“Anything else,” Y/N asked.
“He’s excited to spend the New Years with me” He said softly, unsurely.
“That's great.” Everyone agreed, happy for the boy. 
“Are you going to text back?” Y’N asked excitedly, happy with the idea of Alex’s romance coming to life. 
“Oh yeah!” Alex’s face faltered, “Shit. It just died.”
“Just get Reggie’s,” Luke shrugged, “But after we get him out!”
After 3 more tries at “ON PULLS,” Alex, Luke, and Y/N were able to get Reggie out, only tearing his jacket on the left side.
“Thanks guys” Reggie said appreciatively. 
As Luke patted Reggie back Alex spoke: “Um, hey, Y/N?” He asked quietly, hands in his pocket, “Mind if I steal you for a second?”
“Sure,” she smiled sweetly at him, turning the corner so they could have a little bit of privacy. 
“I’m nervous.” He sighed, “ I already spoke to Luke about it before we left for tonight, so he’s already given me all the inspiration he’s got, but I’m still not sure of it all… He took the whole coming back to life hard, but I didn’t think he would take it so hard that he would separate himself from us, from me. ” The boy frowned. 
“I think he really liked being a ghost,” Y/N started.
“Yeah and we ruined his whole life,”
“We didn’t ruin his life, we saved it. He’s free, just like you guys. And…” Y/N trailed off trying to find the words, “Hm, well, I think he was just a ghost so long it became a part of his identity, and now that part left him, it must’ve been hard to take in. Should he have been more verbal about needing space? Yes. You deserved that. If you want to tell him that, you should, especially if it’ll help relieve whatever thoughts you’ve got suck up there. I’m sure he will be apologetic if you ask calmly, try to see it from his perspective. And that way he can be empathetic to your perspective as well, you know? On the other hand, you can also take this New Year in stride and just like go to the past and have a good time with him. Or do both!” She put an arm on his shoulder, giving him a warm closed smile. 
He nodded taking in her words, trying to remember what she said as she said it.
“You got this, okay? What does Luke say? Step into your greatness?”
“Heh,” he laughed, “Greatness is usually for Julie, awesomeness is mine, not saying that I am awesome though, it’s- it’s just what he says.”
“Well it’s because it’s true. You’re awesome, Alex. Just be open hearted and your awesomeness will shine through.”
“But.. how?”
“Didn’t I- Never mind. Okay, from what I know, Willie already knows you, and likes you, and enjoys talking to you, so there are no awkward first encounters to be made. You’ll see him and all you need to do is be prepared to say hi, that is unless you want to talk to him about the past, and then it will go off from there. I feel it ending up well, I promise. And even if it doesn’t? Show him the food. Everyone loves food.”
“Hi- maybe past- food- got it.” He turned, but Y/N quickly grabbed him. 
“Wait, but don’t just think about that. Remember: He’s coming because he wants to see YOU. He wants to spend New Years with YOU. That’s what his message said right?”
“Right.” It seemed Alex forgot. 
“So believe it. Live in that message.” 
“Okay,” he started to smile lightly, though still a little wearily. “Thanks… He wants to see me, he WANTS to see me, live in it.” He repeated her words. 
Alex gave her Reggie’s phone, asking her to message Willie one last time stating that he would be waiting for him by the front of the house by the band’s van. She did so and turned the corner hoping to find both Reggie and Luke, but unfortunately the latter person was not in sight. 
“Reg, where’s Luke?”
“Y/N! Meet Amelie Laurent,” Reggie introduced the girl sitting next to him, imitating a French accent as he said her name. “She’s a foreign exchange student from France. She likes my jacket.” He said with a smirk. 
Y/N guessed he didn’t hear her question.
“Nice to meet you,” the girl said giggling at Reggie’s antics. “Comment tu t’appelles?” She asked.
“Uh, yes.” Y/N stared blankly, watching the girls face fall, “I’m just kidding, it’s Y/N. I know that much at least.” Both you and the girl laughed. 
“Aw look, my girls getting along!” 
“Your girl?” Amelie questioned.
“Well maybe not yet,” Reggie winked while wiggling a brow. 
“You should get Luke and come hang out with me and Miss Amelie Laurent.” Reggie once again pronounced her name with the most fake sounding French accent he could muster, having fun with how the name rolled off his tongue. 
“Speaking of that,” Y/N handed him his phone, “Do you know where he went?”
“Well he didn’t go through the pool door because that’s where my Amelie Laurent came from, so I’m guessing back there,” Reggie pointed his thumb behind him.
“Alright, then I guess I’m going that way. Nice to meet you Miss Amelie.” She giggled, attempting her own French accent.
-
About 10 minutes had passed. Y/N had walked around to the backyard, upstairs to some rooms, to the dance floor, the kitchen, stopping along the way when Julie and Flynn caught her in their sight till she found herself back by the pool table. Reggie’s banjo and doggy friend was present but not he nor his lady friend, or Luke. Y/N wondered if she should finally try the pool door till she heard a sound, a voice actually. As she walked down the hallway she was just minutes before, she heard his voice. 
It was Luke, his tones muffled by the music and talking inside, but she could hear it, it filled her senses, making her heart flutter to hear his singing as it belted a tune much more soulful then the usual pop or rock songs the band sang. He was outside, in the backyard, one of the first places she looked. As she almost reached the back door, she was pushed rather harshly, by someone with wheels, skateboard wheels. 
“Whoa! Sorry!” It was Willie. “You’re Y/N right?” He smiled, running his fingers through his hair as he took off his helmet. “I know we’ve never really spoken, but we know of each other.”
“We do,”  Y/N said pleasantly. 
“I’m glad I finally found one of you, I’m totally lost.”
“Well I think Luke was just outside there, actually.”
“Oh really? God I was going so fast I wasn’t even thinking. Or looking would be correct, right? Anyway, I’m sorry I didn’t see you there, sometimes I still think I’ll just go through people. Can’t believe I have to walk indoors now.” He rubbed the back of his neck. 
“Life of the living,” she tried to joke, “I’m sorry. I know it must be strange.”
“Yeah, better than being under Caleb though.”
“Right,” Y/N nodded. 
“Oh, sorry,” 
“No don’t be. I’ll never know him like you did. No emotional tie here.”
“Um,” An awkward silence erupted, “So since you’re the only one in the group I’ve found you want to play a game?” 
“A game?” She asked, confused.
“Yeah!” He raised his brow.
“And what game would this be?” 
“The Where’s Alex game. If you have the answer I’ll love you forever. I already know I’m super late.”
“Oh!” she laughed at the realization, “He’s at the front! You didn’t see him? Or see the text?”
“My phone died,” He pulled out the device as proof, the glass was severely cracked, “I’m not sure how to properly take care of it as you can see. No wonder I make it die so fast.”
“His phone died too, strangely enough. But he’s waiting for you at the front entrance. You didn’t come from that way?”
“No, I didn’t know if someone would stop me if I went that way because I wasn’t actually invited. I never really did this kind of thing in the past. It’s my first time.” 
“Really? It’s my first too, but for you? You seem so cool to me to never be invited.”
“Well the actual definition of cool and high schoolers definition of cool is wildly different. We’re obviously a different breed, you and I. Better.” He joked. 
“Well thank you.” She could tell why Willie liked him. “Alex is by the white van, it has ghosts painted all over it so you can’t miss it.”
“Thank you!”
“Of course!”
As he was about to walk away, skateboard in hand, he stopped, “Can I be honest?”
“Sure.” She smiled nodding at him to continue.
“I’m a little nervous. I know that’s his thing so I should try to get over it, but I can’t help it. This not being a ghost thing has been hard, you know? Is he mad? I didn’t mean to separate myself…” he faultured. Although Y/N knew Alex’s half of the story, Willie and her were still newly acquainted, it made sense why he felt the need to stop himself from possibly over sharing. 
“He can’t wait to see you.” She reassured him, ending the silence. “It’s literally why he decided to stay by the front. He wanted you to find him right away. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“You sure?”
She confirmed, “Absolutely positive.”
“Alright, thanks again. And nice to meet you! You know, not just by me peering through windows and being creepy. Sorry.”
“Ghosts will be ghosts.” Y/N shrugged. She watched as Willie gave her a laugh and started to walk away. 
“Y/N,” the sweet voice from the backyard called for her again, this time saying her name.
“Luke,” her eyes brightened, turning around.
“Found you.” He grinned, intertwining their fingers on both sides. 
“Well really I would have found you first. I heard your voice, from the backyard, but Willie stopped me before I could go.”
“Ah, you heard my call for you.”
“For me?” He hummed in response.
“I’ll pretend that’s true.” 
“Good,” Luke brought one of her hands up to his lips, kissing it softly. “So where have you been in the last twenty?”
“Well I was looking for you. Reggie said you didn’t go through the pool door so-“
“I did.”
You did?”
“I did! He probably didn’t mention it because he was so focused on-
“Miss Amelie Laurent!” You both said in unison, French accents prevalent. 
“He said you went back here so I went to the backyard, but you weren’t there, so I went upstairs back to Nick room, and you don’t want to know what I saw in there-”
“Ooo tell me,”  his eyes were eager.
“Anyway, I went back down stairs, found Julie near the kitchen— we shared a cupcake— and then she asked me if I would go to the dance floor with her and find someone to talk to so I did that, but then Flynn can said she lost her bracelet so we three had to look for that one, then I came back to the pool table, heard you singing, bumped into Willie, asked me where Alex was, and then I think he needed some advice— he and Alex are literally having the same problem, it’s kind of cute— and then you finally came. That’s my story.”
Luke's mouth was open, eyes going around in a circle as she went on her tangent, hanging onto every word, he thought it was pretty adorable. “Well, my story is much shorter. When I picked Reggi up, you disappeared.”
“Oh, Alex asked me to speak to him, all we did was turn the corner.”
“I didn’t know, but then some guy from the pool came up to me asked me if I could show him some cords from a phantom song and before I could say yes he was pushing me out the door. I helped him, went back inside, met Miss Amelie Laurent, walked to the backyard because Reggie said you went that way, and there I stayed.”
“If only I went back.”
“We’re good now.” Though a smile still ghosted his face he felt a sudden suppression wash over him, “Are you having fun, Y/N/N?”
“I- Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know… I just know it’s your first party here and I wanted you to have a good time, but at every second someone needs you, or someone needs me, and we’ve been pulled around and around and around,-“ Luke moves his head left to right, a rasp in his voice like a motor engine as he repeated the word for effect, “-that I feel like you’re not letting yourself get into some trouble like everyone else.”
“Trouble?”
“Lack of a better word,” he smiled smugly. “I’m just saying, you’re not Julie and the Phantoms glorified assistant-”
“Neither are you. You’ve done just as much as me tonight.” She reasoned. 
“Yeah, but that’s because I was trying to stick with you and lessen the load. You know you do so much for us all the time.”
“I guess I just like you guys too much.” she shrugged, matching his playful tone from before.
“Like just me a little bit more then.” He moved closer, placing his fingers on her jaw, “Hmm?”
He finally kissed her, a real kiss this time. His other hand moved to her neck as her hands moved to his arms. The hand on her jaw lifted her chin higher, deepening the action.
“People are watching,” she said through a breath, eyes alert. 
Before going back in he said, “No one's watching,” Then after a peck, “And no one cares.” His hands slid to her waist, head tilting to the other side, he hummed, causing Y/N’s hands to fall to his cheeks, quickly sliding her fingers against his chest; she was lost in the moment. 
Slowly Luke’s feet moved backwards, moving one of the hands that was wrapped around his waist to her hip as he motioned her against the wall. “Ow,” Y/N yelped, the black and blue Flynn gave her earlier pulsing again. 
Luke’s hand came to her head, cushioning it against the wall. “Sorry, I forgot.”
“So did I,” she laughed. 
The both smiled at each other, Luke forehead connecting with hers, he rubbed his nose against her own etching more bits of laughter out of her. He relished in the noises, the closeness, the feeling. 
Looking down he noticed their shoes, Y/N’s original chucks in the middle of both vans. He didn’t care what shoes she wore, but he much appreciated how she had to change her footwear for Julie because now they matched… somewhat. The black and white pallets, but different designs; similar, but different; individuals, but connected. He liked it. “Nice shoes, kid.”
“Thanks,” she laughed, “Not what I originally intended, but they work.”
“Work better, in my opinion.” He moved back, extending her arms out as he held her hands. He was surveying how her black dress with white polka dots perfectly matched the color scheme of the converse. “Perfect.”
Once again she blushed, but didn’t respond. Instead she made a remark about his own shoes. “You know, I don’t understand how you wear those everyday, yet they aren’t all dirty like mine.”
“Well I used to be a ghost, when I was walking my feet weren’t actually treading on the Earth.” 
“Well that was three months ago.”
“Almost three months ago,” he corrected, for that’s when their official relationship started. Luke always thought she was pretty, right from the moment he saw her, but it wasn’t love at first sight, not even like. She was a little quiet, at least with him and the boys and they all noticed. With Julie and Flynn she smiled brightly and chatted constantly, or that’s what he would hear when he would come to Julie’s room, hearing her voice through the door. It was a sweet voice, empathetic, understanding; he thought it sounded like music, and not only did he wonder how his name would sound on her lips, but he felt connected to it. He understood the desire to make others feel good. Through his singing he tried to make people feel seen, make their problems validated, and he could tell she tried to do that with her words. 
For Y/N at first, she wanted Julie to have the band for herself. She thought that this was one of the few things making her feel happy during this dark time of Tía Rose’s passing, so she didn’t want to step in too much, not to mention the realization that she could see ghosts wasn’t exactly the easiest things for her to get her head around the way Julie did. But her elusiveness only made Luke more curious, and when Luke was curious, he was persistent in finding out whatever it was he wanted to know. 
First, he would ask Julie to bring Y/N down for their rehearsals and she would, sometimes, but nothing gave. Y/N would most give Julie feedback, shying away from the ghosts gaze, still unsure how to interact. Then, he just started asking Julie about her cousin, little questions here and there till Julie finally got tired and told him to just go talk to her himself. This is where he was at a stand still as he was unsure how to approach her. Finally, after noticing how her room lights would shine quite far into the night, he decided to go up there, telling himself he would just ask her why she sleeps so late, that he only noticed because he likes to take walks at night. It sounded reasonable to him. 
This is when he realized how similar Molina’s are: Always trying to be brave for others. After she told him she always had trouble falling asleep unless it was specifically her bed at home, but didn’t want to tell anyone else because it would bother them. She wanted to stay here for Julie and for the friendships she was finally making at Los Feliz, so Luke decided to start a tradition with her: late night bike rides. It was a way to tire her out and a way for him to get some alone time with her. Him taking a bike from the garage, and her using her own she brought from her old home. They rode separately, but together, letting the quiet road open them up to the other. Telling each other stories, discussing interests, consoling each other when they were feeling down. Luke never knew how close you could feel to someone else by just conversation until he had to do it with Y/N. It made him appreciate her in a way he’d never felt before. 
They were not friends, they knew that fairly quickly, but they didn’t hurt each other by talking about being more. It was just an unspoken agreement that they hung out with each other exclusively in the way that they did, but they never spoke of romantics. Their rides were special, only for them. That’s why when he became alive the first thing he wanted to do, after celebrating with everyone, was take a ride with her. One bike this time. Her heels on the bars and she heads onto his shoulders, showing her where he used to grow up. That’s what he always wanted to do. 
“Not enough time,” Luke said in response to Y/N who mentioned that wearing the same two pairs of shoes for 3 months had to have made them a little messed up, but he was talking about them, thinking about how short of a time ago it was that he got got be with her this way. It was a long year of just knowing her without the sense of touch. He felt lucky. Once again, he dipped his hands on the side of her face, starting to go in till-
“Hey, Y/N! And oh, Luke! Hey man.” It was the New Years Eve birthday boy.
“Oh, hey, Nick,” Y/N said, maintaining a kind disposition although she knew how his actions made Julie feel. 
“Um,” he laughed awkwardly at Luke’s stoicism, it was unnatural for his character and even Nick knew that by now, “Well I was wondering if you knew where Julie was. I’ve been looking for her everywhere.”
“Really?” Luke questioned.
“Yeah, I promised her a dance,” he laughed, “or really she promised me one because we all know I suck.”
Y/N laughed kindheartedly at his deprecation. She was still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Carrie does have a dominating attitude, and with someone as tender Nick it would make sense that he got roped into whatever it was even at his own party, but looking at Luke’s face and knowing how she felt earlier, she decided to to be upfront, “Look Nick, you don’t have to say anything, but I think you like Julie, and I don’t know if Julie likes you, but let’s say she does: You’re sending mixed signals. I get you and Carrie have a history and that she can be bossy, but you make your own choices. If you want to hang out with a certain someone, I think you should put your foot down and make it a priority to do that.” She tried to be ambiguous, obviously failing throughout. 
Nick sighed, “I know… I have no excuse. But that’s why I’ve been trying to find her. I want to hang out with her, do a- I don’t know-“
“‘I don’t know?’” Luke intervened, restating his words, unsure about the possible actions behind them.
“I mean like... New Year's kiss, I- don’t laugh at me Y/N!”
“No! I think it’s sweet. I'm only laughing because I’ve understood your pain, Nick.”
Nick laughed alongside her albeit he was still mostly laughing at himself. Luke kept his grumpy face, eyebrows twitching. “Well if that’s what you want, go get it before the Carrie snatches you up again”
“But even if she does,” Luke started. 
“Put your foot down.” Y/n finished “You know, Stand Tall, like the phantoms song.”
“‘Whatever happens’  he snickered, waving his finger as he said the lyric in hopes to ease the tension with Luke, but he was not amused. 
“Exactly,” Y/N smiled, paying her boyfriend's chest. 
“Right,” Luke agreed, he was really only saying it for Y/N. “Nice basketball sheets by the way”
“Hey, come on, my dad got those for me. It’s nostalgic, you know? Anyway, so I know you guys were busy and I’m sorry that I interrupted anything, but do you think you could help me find her? I really want to find her.”
“Listen Nick,” Luke started once again, it was getting late and he still had a plan he wanted to maintain. 
“Y/N! So there’s this gu- Nick, oh-“
“Julie, I’ve been looking for you!” Nick exclaimed, happy to see her. 
“You have?”
“Apparently,” Luke answered. 
“Well Nick, actually I-“
“Wait. Julie, wait. I- um, I was also looking for all you phantoms actually. I mean I was going to find you and talk to you first and the ask about this later but hey two out of the four are here so,”
“What are you talking about?” Julie asks, hoping he’d get to the point.
“I was wondering if you could play a song? Just one. I don’t have a bass but I’ve got a drum kit on stage already and I’ve got plenty of electrics. The party’s coming to a close and I thought this would be one last thing to bring it all together to make a great night. I know it’s last minute,”
“Nick-“
“Julie.” He stopped, stumbling with his words, till he finally felt sure of what to say, “I’m beating around the bush. What I really need to say is I’m sorry for leaving you. You’re the only one I wanted to hang out with tonight. Carrie- Carrie’s just lonely. If I’m being honest and I promise I don’t mean this in a rude way, but Kayla is just more of her henchman. I know we used to date so it looks strange, but I think I’m her only friend right now. She bought a really grand present and took me away to show it to me, that’s all. I should have stopped to speak to you first though. That’s on me.”
Julie looked down, nodding, “I appreciate that.” 
“You don’t have to sing and you don’t have to give me any more of your time tonight if you don’t want to. I’m just glad you’re here either way.” 
“I don’t mind hanging out with you... if you actually stick around this time-“
“I will!”
“But singing? I guess I’ll leave that one to you Luke.” Julie said, noticing his expression, lips scrunched up together.
“I- It’s your choice, Jules. Whatever you want.” He said lessening the intensity that was in his eyes, Nick did do what Y/N said after all. 
“Let’s sing then. This party has been a little hectic and I think we all need to get our emotions out. Let the New Year come in with good vibes. Right, buddy?” She said tapping Luke’s cheek. “Y/N, help me find the others?”
“Sure,” she said with a sympathetic smile to Luke who she noticed didn’t seem to enjoy that little buddy comment, nonetheless, she joined in: “See ya soon, buddy,” Y/N laughed, letting the ends of her finger tips brush against his till she was pulled away by Julie.
-
On stage, Julie and the Phantoms rose, singing Finally Free. It had become quite the party anthem for them. The repetition in the chorus made it such a good song for them to engage with the audience. Every time Julie sang ‘I got a spark in me’ the crowd would sing back, throwing their hands up in the process quite literally making the next lyric, ‘hands up if you’re with me’ come true in the most perfect way.
Y/N wished she brought her camera, instead she opted to take out her phone, taking some iPhone shots of the band, hoping the fans would enjoy these raw candid pictures, but then Luke caught her attention through the screen, he sent her a wink, one that the people in front of her probably thought was for them. As he strummed his guitar he yelled a ‘WOOO’ her way, bouncing with Reggie. Y/N decided to put her phone down. This performance was a New Years special, one to only be viewed in person; in the moment; no thinking of anyone else. Finding Flynn in the crowd who was also trying to catch some snapshots of her own, Y/N passed on the energy Luke had given to her: “Lets just have fun!” 
Soon after, the song had ended, and despite not being the ‘hologram band’ anymore the Phantoms vanished from the stage, still giving the audience chills as Julie was the one last standing, thanking everyone for being such a great audience. When the gang realized the guys still had some ghosting abilities, Julie wondered if they should stop the whole disappearing thing, saying it would be harder for people to believe, but honestly, seeing the guys at school, at this party, and still watching them turn to dust when the music and cheering ended still amazed the crowd and made it just that more of a spectacle; no one cared for reason, it was simply that cool to see. 
Y/N hoped Luke would pop up alongside her, saving her the hassle of searching for him again, but alas, he did not. It made sense to her though, for she was right in the middle of the dancefloor. 
She decided to travel back around to the hallway where Nick and Julie had stopped her and Luke before. Walking down the hall, a hand snaked around her arm, pull her into a small closet under the staircase. “What the-” She stopped herself as she looked up and the light illuminated the small area with a click and a pull. Her eyes traveled slowly from the buttery yellow glow of the small light, the hand which pulled on the silvery chord, the shimmering skin of Luke, whose eyes followed her gaze till she met his own. “Howdy.” 
“Hey there, partner” she said softy, small breathy giggles coming out of her. “Nice hat.”
“Why thank you, pretty lady,” he responded with a wink, tipping the brown leathered cowboy hat he’d found.
“So what are we doing in here?” She asked, watching him take off the hat.
“Wanna play seven minutes in heaven?” 
“Like in 13 going on 30? Is that the kind of game you played in your 90s parties?” 
Luke rolled his eyes at her comment, moving on, “I decided that our friends are not going to leave us alone tonight, so I want just seven minutes. No interruptions, just us.” 
“I’d like that.”
Luke took out his phone starting a timer on his phone, “Yeah,” he nodded as he moved closer to her face, “me too.”
Lips on her own, he moved his hand to the back of her head, remembering her black and blue and he softly placed it against the wall of the small space, removing it once there. 
As her head leaned eagerly against it, the rest of her body was slanted, legs in between his own, he moved his arms to her waist, hands going up her back, while hands went up to his neck, going in to play with his hair. 
“Y/N?”
The sound caused her to jump, banging her head for the third time. “Ow.” 
It was Flynn. 
“Luke!” 
It was Reggie. 
Now Julie came over, “Is Y/N and Luke in there? Guys?!” H-“
“No!” Luke yelled. 
“Hey!” It was Alex, hand in hand with Willie. “Are they coming out? It’s-“
“Five minutes!” Luke yelled out again. He slid out his phone from underneath the door. “In fact, reset it to seven, give us seven.” 
Reggie took phone, “But Luke you didn’t notice the ti-“ 
Luke bagged on the door, “When it rings, that’s when you can give us your requests.”
Y/N covered her mouth, giggling at his aggressive tone. 
“Come here,” he motioned her with his hands on her hips, lips once again reconnected. As they started to move backward again, Luke moved his hands higher, picking her up, motioning her to wrap her legs around her waist, Y/N tried to catch her breath as their lips fell a part in the action, “Not this time,” he whispered in her ear, the vibrations of his voice making her shiver. He crashed his lips onto hers again as his hands went lower on his hips, supporting her on his frame. He swiped his tongue on her lower lip in an attempt to deepen the kiss further. Thereafter, their lips were connected in open mouth kisses, Luke taking control of the action.
“We just wanted to say Happy New Years, it’s 12:03.” Reggie uttered quietly at the bottom of the door, petting Nick’s dog that found him again. Y/N and Luke didn’t answer him, he figured they were too busy engrossed in each other. 
“Happy New Years, beautiful.” Luke sang to Y/N, sighing out, admiring the way her eyes looked into his, realizing that he completed his mission after all.  
“Happy New Years, Luke.” She breathed out, planting her lips on his once more. One hand on the side of his face as the other went back to his hair, rejoicing in their closeness, finally, uninterrupted.
Thank you for reading! 
Tag list: @lolychu​ @marinettepotterandplagg​
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heauxplesslydevoted · 3 years
Text
Deja Vu (Ethan x MC)
Summary: While on their honeymoon, Ethan and Naomi come face to face with a blast from his past.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 3k+
A/N: Wow, how has it been almost 4 months since I’ve written for Ethan?? Insanity.
~v~
The Waldorf Astoria all the way in Amsterdam is the last place she ever thought she’d see Ethan Ramsey again. A five star hotel on a different continent should be an escape, but here he is, at the front desk talking to the receptionist without a care in the world.
It’s been 15 years, and not much has changed for him. Older obviously, his hair is graying along the temples, a few wrinkles settling in around his eyes, and he has a beard, a full beard. He looks...good. She’ll even admit to saying he looks great. Terribly so.
What are the odds that they’d both end up in the same place at the same time like this? After all this time passing by? She almost wants to say it’s fate trying to tell her something.
So she takes the plunge and greets him. “Ethan? Ethan Ramsey?”
The sound of his name being called grabs his attention, and he turns around. His eyes widen in shock, and she can see just how blue they are.
Ethan almost feels like he’s looking at a ghost. He hasn’t seen Victoria Sharpe since he was in medical school, not since he saw her with Tobias. And it’s been years since he’s given the moment so much as a passing thought. And now she’s here, in the flesh.
Her dark auburn hair is much shorter than he remembers. When they were younger, it flowed down to her waist, and now it doesn’t even pass her shoulders. She’s wearing glasses, the thick frames hiding her wide green eyes and most of her face, a face that had him entranced back in his twenties.
“Victoria Sharpe.”
Victoria smiles brightly and steps forward to hug Ethan, but his body goes rigid and he takes a step back as if her touch could burn him. She almost goes in for a handshake, but Ethan’s hands stay rooted at his side and he gives her a curt nod instead. She receives the message loud and clear that he doesn’t want to touch her.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Victoria says brightly. “How have you been? Last I heard, you were in Boston, right? Under the tutelage of Dr. Naveen Banerji, working on his special diagnostics team.”
“Yeah, I’m still at Edenbrook, er-Bloom Edenbrook, as it goes by these days. I started my residency there and never looked back. But Banerji doesn’t practice anymore, he’s now the chief of the hospital.”
“I spent my residency in Houston, and then I landed in San Francisco, where I’ve been for the past 7 years.”
It’s not information that Ethan was fishing for, nor does he truly care. Not wanting to be terribly rude, Ethan hums, acknowledging the fact that he heard her speak. He doesn’t want to be trapped in an awkward small talk situation with this woman, especially when he has nothing to say.
Victoria frowns. Ethan was always a tough nut to crack, even when they were dating, but there’s an uncomfortable distance between the two of them now, and she doesn’t know how to navigate it.
“Are you in Amsterdam for the AMA conference as well?” Victoria asks. Surely this is the best way to get him to talk: their shared love of medicine. “There’s supposed to be a meeting on hematology hosted by Dr. Arthur Saunders, and  I remember how much you admired him back in our John Hopkins days.”
Ethan’s eyebrow raises in question. He didn’t even know there was supposed to be a conference in Amsterdam. He shakes his head. “No, I’m not here for any conference, I’m here with–”
“Okay, the concierge just gave me the rundown on all of the cool places we have to hit up while we’re here! There’s so many restaurants I want to try.”
Victoria watches as a woman excitedly wraps an arm around Ethan’s waist and hugs him close to her. Whatever cold front he was putting on a mere seconds ago dissipates as he smiles warmly, and drops a kiss onto her forehead.
“We’re only here for a week, darling, please pick the restaurants wisely.”
“Apparently, we have to go to some place called Foodhallen. It’s a one stop-shop for all sorts of goodies.”
“That sounds fun,” Ethan murmurs. “How about we go tonight?”
“I was thinking we should order room service tonight,” Ethan doesn’t miss the way her eyes twinkle as she speaks, “so we don’t have to leave the bedroom.”
“Mhmm, I like that line of thinking.”
It becomes apparent that Ethan has forgotten all about her, his attention now solely on the woman clinging to his side. Victoria clears her throat in an attempt to regain some of the attention. When the couple breaks apart, Victoria looks to Ethan, wondering if he’ll introduce her.
When he makes no effort to do so, the woman at his side thrusts her hand out. “Hi, I’m Naomi.”
Victoria grabs her hand, giving it a firm shake. “Victoria.”
She’s gorgeous, Victoria notices it instantly. Her huge brown eyes are deep and expressive, her long curly hair going past her shoulders. Even with bags under her eyes, the younger woman is a stunner.
“Naomi, this is Dr. Victoria Sharpe. We went to medical school together. Dr. Sharpe, this is my wife, Dr. Naomi Valentine.”
Victoria bristles at the introduction. Given their history, reducing her to any old classmate just seems wrong. They were together for almost two years, for goodness sake. They were attached at the hip, and while the relationship didn’t end well, there’s no need to trivialize who she was to him. But she doesn’t dwell on it for long, because she’s more interested in Naomi’s moniker. Out of all the things Naomi could’ve been introduced as, Ethan’s wife was not what Victoria expected to hear. He got married? But Ethan Ramsey isn’t the marrying type. “Your wife?”
The word sends a pleasant shiver up Ethan’s spine and he smiles warmly. Sure, it’s been a week since they exchanged vows and the newness hasn’t worn off yet, but Ethan still can’t believe it. Naomi is his wife, and he’s obsessed with saying it.
“Yes,” Ethan nods. “That’s what I was saying, we’re not here for a conference, we’re actually here for our honeymoon.”
Victoria’s stomach rolls upon hearing that, but she plasters on a smile, nonetheless. Her cheeks hurt and her shiny white teeth are probably blinding them, but Victoria powers through. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you.” Ethan turns to Naomi, Victoria’s presence already fading from his mind. “While you were off making friends with the concierge, I got us checked into our room. Someone already took up our luggage for us. Are you ready?”
“Am I ready to dive onto a pile of down feathers and pass out for the next few hours? Absolutely.”
Ethan takes her hand, interlocking their fingers. “Then let’s go.”
He barely spares Victoria another glance before turning on his heel and walking away, but Naomi, always more gracious and poised than him, gives Victoria a warm parting smile. “It’s always nice to meet a fellow Hopkins alum. Enjoy your stay, Dr. Sharpe!”
“Thank you,” Victoria replies, even though she’s almost positive they didn’t hear. Ethan is whispering something into Naomi’s ear, and she’s giggling as they walk off.
It takes the newlyweds a few minutes to make it to their room—an 1,100 square-foot suite, because Ethan wasn’t going to subject his bride to anything less than the best—and true to her word, Naomi’s first line of business and falling face first onto their bed. It’s covered in red roses which all splay wildly around her, as she gives them no attention.
“I’m exhausted,” she says, the 10 hour flight getting the best of her. Ethan chuckles and grabs her foot, helping her out of her shoes. They fall onto the soft rug with a thud. “Why didn’t we pick somewhere closer for our honeymoon, like New York? The Hamptons would’ve been lovely this time of the year.”
“You said you wanted to add another stamp to your passport.”
“Well stop listening to me,” Naomi grumbles.
Ethan leans over his new wife and kisses the back of her head. “Famous last words, Valentine.”
Naomi rolls over in order to look Ethan in the eye. “So, the woman we met downstairs. That was the Victoria, right? The one you and Tobias were both after?”
Ethan’s eyes close and his head drops at the question. He knows whatever comes next won’t be all that enjoyable.”
He nods anyway. “That was Victoria, the one I thought I was in a relationship with until Tobias threw his hat in the ring. Then we did the back and forth thing for almost 6 months, before she chose to be with him.”
“I’m sorry,” Naomi replies, a small frown playing on her lips. Sure it was a long time ago, but she hates hearing about anything that has caused Ethan pain.
Ge shrugs. He’s long let go of his anger over that situation and the subsequent fallout. “It’s whatever.”
“No, it’s not whatever,” Naomi argues. “She messed with you, and broke your heart.”
“I survived,” Ethan says. “I haven’t thought about that woman since I mentioned her in passing nearly three years ago, on Leland Bloom’s yacht. She didn’t ruin me for future relationships, I didn’t carry a torch for her, there’s no leftover baggage, no need for closure, nothing. If anything, I look back on that time of my like in annoyance. Annoyed at how I lost years of friendship with Tobias over a woman that neither of us ended up with, and annoyed with myself that I let her hold so much power over me.” 
24 year old Ethan was head over heels for Victoria. He would’ve done any and everything for her. And like a siren leading him to certain death, she wielded that power over him—and Tobias—whenever she saw fit. It took him a long time to realize just how toxic and dysfunctional the love triangle really was, and it’s not something he’s particularly keen on rehashing.
“It’s hard to imagine you letting someone hold power over you.”
“You’ve had power over me since the beginning, Valentine. Mind, body, and soul. But the difference is I yield to you, with no hesitation.”
Naomi smiles. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he never fails to take her breath away. “Well lucky for you, I intend on using my superpowers for good.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” Naomi grabs a handful of her husband’s shirt and pulls him towards her, though it doesn’t take much effort and he comes willingly. Warmth floods his chest, and just like that, all thoughts of Victoria Sharpe are banished from Ethan’s mind, as all he can focus on is Naomi, the smell of her jasmine perfume filling his nostrils and her lips against his.
“Are you sure you’re okay after seeing her?” Naomi asks after breaking the kiss, her hand gently raking through his beard.
“It was a surprise,” Ethan admits. His gaze slides over Naomi’s sparkling engagement ring. “But I’m in Amsterdam with the love of my life, celebrating my honeymoon, and she is nothing more than a memory. You have my full, undivided attention, now and forevermore.”
“Good. You know what we should d-do?” Her breath hitches as Ethan resumes kissing her, the juncture between her neck and shoulder his new target. His tongue slides over the warm skin, her pulse pounding erratically, and Naomi is sure she’s lost the ability to breathe.
“What?”
“Order a bottle of champagne and break in that super huge shower in the en-suite.”
Ethan is off of her in a flash, his hands never leaving her as he sweeps a giggling Naomi off of the bed and into his arms. “I knew I married you for a reason. You have excellent ideas.”
~v~
The next morning, Victoria spots Naomi in the hotel’s restaurant, sipping on a cup of coffee, reading a magazine. It’s a huge five star hotel, part of Victoria hoped she didn’t have to run into the newly minted Missus Ethan Ramsey for the rest of their duration here.
But the other part of Victoria couldn’t stop her morbid curiosity. Who the hell is Naomi Valentine? And what makes her so special?
She spent the night researching the younger woman. Naomi has private social media accounts, but that didn’t stop her from getting information that is public record. Her profile on the Bloom Edenbrook website says she’s from Washington D.C. and got her BS and MD both from John Hopkins. She found news articles and videos detailing an attempted murder that happened at the hospital a few years ago, involving Naomi, the former senator of Massachusetts, and a few other hospital staff. She poured over research articles written by Naomi and Ethan detailing septic shock, an ailment that nearly killed Dr. Naveen Banerji a few years ago.
Unable to stop herself, Victoria marches over to the table currently occupied by her fellow doctor. Sensing her presence, Naomi looks up, shock flitting across her features. Realizing she must look wild, Naomi smiles at her. “Good morning, Dr. Sharpe.”
“Victoria.”
“Good morning, Victoria.”
“Do you mind if I sit?” Victoria asks, gesturing to the empty seat at the table. Wordlessly, Naomi nods her head. “Thank you.”
Why on earth am I here? Victoria thinks to herself. In what universe is the acceptable or appropriate conduct?
“You’re up early,” Victoria says.
“I was too excited to sleep, despite the jet lag.”
Naomi doesn’t say anything further because there’s no need to. She was perfectly content by herself. If Victoria wants to say something, she’s going to have to open her mouth and do so, because Naomi feels no compelling reason to initiate small talk.
The silence stretches for a long time, with Victoria unable to start the conversation. As the painstaking time stretches on, the urge to get up and run away gets stronger and stronger.
Her eyes settle on Naomi’s engagement ring, an incredibly large princess cut diamond and a simple platinum band on top of it, and she’s reminded of why she’s here in the first place. She’s sitting in front of Ethan Ramsey’s wife.
“I’m sorry, this is just...surreal,” Victoria says.
“What?”
“The Ethan I know doesn’t agree with marriage, so to know that he’s on his honeymoon is weird.”
“I love him, he loves me. He said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, simple as that. The Ethan I know and the Ethan you knew are vastly different,” Naomi says, making the deliberate distinction. He’s changed a lot in the past 3 years, let alone the past 15.”
“I just can’t imagine it. Back in school, Ethan’s steadfastness was so intense, it was almost like he had tunnel vision. There was absolutely no room for him to see a grey area or compromise.”
Naomi chuckles humorlessly. It’s good to know that part of Ethan has endured. “He’s still like that sometimes. A lot of times. But I argue him down, and it’s been like that since the day we met. I don’t think he was used to it, but I force him to think outside the box. He grounds me when its time to color inside the lines again.”
“Good for you.”
They fall into silence again, though this stretch is a bit more comfortable than the last. 
Naomi takes a sip of coffee before clearing her throat. “Can I ask you something?”
“Ask away.”
“How did things end between you and Ethan?”
“Oh, I’m sure he’s given you all of the gritty details.”
“He hasn’t, actually. I only know the bare minimum.”
Victoria’s face flushes, cheeks turning pink as she thinks back on her relationships with both Ethan and Tobias. “Ethan asked me out during our second year of medical school. He and I...we were good, when we were good. Dating him was fun, he had a confidence about him that choked a room, he was great in bed,” and now it’s Naomi’s turn to flush, and she tilts her head slightly, not knowing how to respond to that. Is she supposed to say something snarky? Laugh and agree? “I’m sorry, that was so inappropriate of me.”
“Apology accepted.”
“While what we had was fun, I was convinced that it was meant to be a fling, something that was going to fizzle out eventually. He never said it aloud, but I know Ethan was in much deeper than I, but we were at a standstill. Then Tobias told me he was interested. I should’ve shut him. And I should’ve told Ethan that our relationship had run its course, but I didn’t. They were at the top of their class, poised to be two of the greatest doctors of our generation, they were extremely gorgeous, and they wanted me.”
Victoria sighs heavily. “I was fully aware of what I was doing, but I didn’t care. You can’t imagine the power trip I was on. I had them wrapped around my pinky finger, if I said jump, they were already 5 feet in the air. I was a young woman in my 20s, I was having more fun than I knew how to handle. I played them like fiddles against each other because I knew I could. I would get away with it. And then Ethan issued an ultimatum, saying I had a decision to make, because he was tired of sharing me. I decided to pick Tobias. He was so charismatic, fun, and easygoing. I was able to justify things because like I said, I couldn’t continue having a real relationship with Ethan. He was vehemently against marriage, like, would go on. He didn’t want children. He wasn’t made for the life I wanted to carve out for the life I wanted to have.”’
Victoria’s nails dig into her palm as she tries to breathe. Had she misjudged the entire situation? If she stuck around and not pulled both men into a love triangle, could she be the one in Naomi’s shoes, wearing a ring the size of the moon on her finger, living happily ever after?
“I’m not particularly proud of my med school days,” Victoria continues. “It was selfish and callous, and I’m sure Ethan probably hates me.”
“He doesn’t,” Naomi insists, with a shake of her head. “So don’t go around holding onto any guilt. Just...learn from it and do your best.”
Victoria locks eyes with Naomi. She wants to dislike her, so much so. If Naomi is horrible, it’d soothe some of the ache in her chest, and she could continue on believing that what she did to Ethan didn’t matter. But she can’t. By all accounts, Naomi Valentine is…impressive. Smart as a whip, gorgeous, and highly accomplished for someone who’s only been a doctor for around 4 years. And the fact that she’s even giving Victoria the time of day proves that she’s a decent person.
“There you are!”
The hairs on Victoria’s neck stand up as she hears Ethan’s voice from behind. She sees him out of her peripheral as he glides to Naomi, either not noticing her presence at the table or choosing to ignore it.
“I needed caffeine,” Naomi replies, craning her neck to greet Ethan with a kiss. “And I decided to let you sleep in.”
“Thank you.”
Victoria averts her gaze. It feels like she’s intruding on a rather intimate moment, and she doesn’t want to interrupt.
When they break away is when Ethan finally spares a glance her way. His eyes go wide, and yeah, that’s confirmation enough that he didn’t notice her.
“Dr. Sharpe,” he exhales deeply through his nose. “I didn’t know you were here.” His eyes flicker over to Naomi and his hackles go up, defensive and ready to strike at any given moment.
Victoria notices it instantly, his protectiveness over Naomi. Her stomach twists uncomfortably. She couldn’t really blame him, their previous relationship ended on a sour note and didn’t inspire any trust within the man.
Before she can open her mouth to explain, Naomi jumps in. “We were just having some old fashioned girl chat,” she says smoothly, touching her husband’s hand, and he does relax a little bit at the contact.
“I’ve taken up too much of your time,” Victoria announces. She stands up. “Thank you for entertaining an old lady.”
“You’re not old, and it’s no problem,” Naomi shoots back. She stands up as well, finishing the rest of her coffee as she does so. “Enjoy the rest of your time here.”
“You as well.”
Victoria watches as Ethan pulls out his wallet. He tosses a few bills onto the table, paying for Naomi’s drink as well as a generous tip. “Are you ready to go?”
“Always.” Naomi slips her arm around Ethan. Come on handsome, we have some obnoxious tourist-y activities to do.”
Before they walk off, Naomi gives Victoria one more glance. Both women nod at each other, silently saying goodbye. Once they’re out of the restaurant, Ethan garners her attention. “What was that about?”
“Nothing. She just wanted to meet the amazing woman who managed to lock down the elusive commitment-phone known as Ethan Ramsey.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“Our story isn’t really her business, I said you’ve grown and we love each other, and we wanted to get married. And then she gave me her version of your relationship.” He doesn’t respond to that, but Naomi does hear him scoff slightly. “Do you want to know what she told me?”
“No.”
That’s a shock. If the roles were reversed, Naomi would covet every single detail. “No?”
“No.” Ethan stops walking and Naomi follows suit. He turns, looking her in the eye. “I meant what I said to you yesterday. I don’t need any sort of closure from that chapter of my life. You, Naomi Marie Ramsey, are the only woman in my life that I care about.”
Even though she hasn’t made any sort of effort to change her name, she still giggles at being called Ramsey. Surging forward, she captures his lips in a kiss. It doesn’t take Ethan long to respond, his hand traveling to the small of her back, holding her close.
Too soon for her liking, Ethan breaks apart from her, resting his forehead on hers. “You know, if you want to actually explore anything other than the four walls of our suite, I suggest we put this on pause. You wanted to do some exploring, last I heard.”
“You’re right,” Naomi relents, pecking him on the lips once more for good measure. “Now let’s go shopping, Dr. Ramsey. I didn’t marry rich for nothing.”
~v~
Tags: @mercury84choices @mvalentine @sizzlingcashherohumanoid @choicesaddict5 @professorkingslay @nikki-2406 @maurine07 @aka-calliope @edgiestwinter @brycesgirl @akshara16 @bluebellot @whimsicallywayward15 @honeyandsunfl0wers @blossomanarchy @takemyopenheart @jamespotterthefirst @fanmantrashcan @whatchique @ao719 @x-kyne-x @colourmeshy @paulfwesley @the-pale-goddess @writinghereandthere @ramseyandrys @perriewinklenerdie @aworldoffandoms @thatcatlady0716 @drakewalker04 @canknot @hatescapsicum @lapisreviewsstuff @senseofduties @badchoicesposts @ethandaddyramseyx @chasingrobbie @zodiacsign1 @choices-lurker @my-heart-beats-for-ya @adrian-motherfucking-raines @riverrune @edith-eggs1 @thatysn @bellcat2010 @blainehellyes @cecilecontrera @junehiratas @choices-love-affair @openheart12 @caseyvalentineramsey @desmaranj @nazario-sayeed @aestheticartsx @ruinedbypixels @nooruleman @rookie-ramsey
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gumnut-logic · 3 years
Text
Wire (Bit 11)
Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3 | Bit 4 | Bit 5 | Bit 6 | Bit 7 | Bit 8 | Bit 9 | Bit 10
Bit 11
Written between 1am and 4.30am. Guess who has insomnia again. But eh, we gets fic.
Special thanks to @katblu42 for the plot suggestion that was added into this bit ::hugs:: Also to @janetm74 @scribbles97 and @tsarinatorment for their amazing support ::squeezes you so tight::
This is still whump. Sorry, guys. A little bit of a longer bit this time at 1337 words.
-o-o-o-
Virgil ran a corn leaf through his fingers.
It was the depth of summer and the sky was brilliant with sun, the corn silks drying and brown above swollen husks while the giant flower heads at the top of each plant danced in the wind.
Ever so tall.
Cornstalks rustled as if speaking to each other, whispering his name.
He couldn’t see out of the field. It appeared to go on forever and he didn’t know how he had ended up in the maze in the first place.
Scott had been yelling his name. There had been pain and movement and Grandpa urging him on.
But now there was just the cornfield.
The wind hissed.
They weren’t supposed to play amongst the corn. There were snakes in the field and Grandma did not like losing sight of her charges.
Of course, Scott had dragged him in once.
Only once.
The field was mysterious and exciting. They hadn’t gone far, but Grandpa had discovered them and the fallout had been extensive.
They both learnt that day exactly why they shouldn’t go into the cornfield as Grandpa had found a snake, showed it to them and then listed off exactly what happened to someone who was bitten.
Scott hadn’t been a fan of snakes ever since.
Of course, Grandma followed that lecture up with some extensive first aid training for what to do if you were bitten by a snake.
It had been a long few days after that.
They never went into the cornfield again.
Until now.
And Scott wasn’t here.
Virgil shivered. He wasn’t a kid anymore and had faced far worse dangers than a snake infested cornfield, but there was something more going on here.
He knew it deep in his soul.
His IR uniform was gone and in its place his comfortable flannel shirt, jeans and boots were a stark contrast against the green stalks.
The leaf was rough between his fingertips, silica strong, almost like wire, but sharper, prone to those thin slices like paper cuts.
“Virgil.”
He startled. His name was sudden, yet as whispered on the wind as the rattling leaves.
“Gordon?”
The wind shook stalks and continued to whisper unintelligibly, ignoring him.
Two hands landed on his shoulders.
His gasp was swallowed as those small hands gently turned him around on the spot.
Eyes dark and so like his own looked up at him with so much love any remaining fear evaporated and fluttered away.
“Mom?”
-o-o-o-
Scott stood in a hospital doorway still wearing the suit he wore for the press conference yesterday.
He felt grimy and he was sprouting stubble on his chin to match his lack of self care over the last forty-eight hours or so. He wasn’t sure of the exact number.
Numbers hurt.
The door he was standing in wasn’t Virgil’s. No, he had left his brother for yet another necessary task as the eldest, the protector of his family.
John had offered to do it for him, but Scott felt an irrational and driven need to see that what his brother had given everything for was worth it.
Of course, every life was worth it. That was the Tracy motto.
But Scott was human. Ever more so now he was in pain. And he felt the need to make sure...it was worth it.
The paediatric ward was brightly painted. A stark lie to the children it contained in an attempt to distract them from the pain these halls actually contained.
The tiny figure in the bed was quiet, strawberry blond hair falling over closed eyes. He looked much more peaceful now he wasn’t bleeding.
Scott was grateful Virgil had succeeded in saving the little boy. His name was John and he did look a little like Gordon.
Toddler Gordon.
Despite everything, Scott did smile just a little. At age three, Gords had been an absolute terror. Virgil, for whatever reason, had taken it upon himself to prevent the little brat from killing himself or others and the resultant hilarity of watching his twelve year old brother chase after the three year old was legendary.
Until the day Virgil actually did save Gordon. Fish baby or no, a dam on the farm was no place for a three year old.
Although this was not Gordon, this little boy was just as lucky as Scott’s little fish brother, even if it took the rest of the Tracys to finally get him out from under that building.
Little John had two broken legs, some nasty bruising, and had inhaled far too much concrete dust and fumes. This last coupled with some internal bleeding and a three year old’s tiny body had made it very touch and go. Virgil had protected him as much as he could, but there had only been so much his critically injured brother could do.
But the doctors had saved him and although he had a tough path ahead, Virgil hadn’t risked himself in vain.
It was worth it.
Worth the lax and non-responsive figure in that too white bed on the other side of the hospital.
Scott swallowed hard.
Focus.
The boy’s mother finally caught sight of him and he forced himself to straighten up and feign presentability.
“Mr Tracy!” She hurried over, eyes wide. “Ohmigod, I don’t know how to thank you enough.”
Something must have shown in his eyes because hers widened and she held herself back.
“Come in, sir. Have a seat.” She stepped away and offered him one of the same plastic hospital chairs he had already spent a good part of the day sitting in on the other side of the building.
He held up a kind hand. “No, no, I’m only here for a moment. I just wanted to see how little John was doing.”
The woman’s breath was harsh at the mention and he prayed she wouldn’t burst into tears because he did not have the reserves right now and would likely join her.
She glanced at her son. “The doctors expect him to make a full recovery thanks to your brother.” A pause and he knew what she was going ask. “How is he?”
The image of Virgil lying ever so still, head swathed in bandages from literal brain surgery coupled with a belly full of even more stitches...
“He’s...” Another harsh swallow. “...hanging in there.”
The gentle hand on his arm nearly broke him.
He drew in a breath and mentally shook himself. “Um, I came over here to give you this.” He held out the piece of paper he had signed himself not twenty minutes ago. “When...” He tried again. God, he was tired. “When people heard Virgil was injured he was sent gifts and money.” They were still coming in. His brother was truly loved by the general public. Virgil Tracy and his giant flying green machine. Virgil would smile and wave it off, but really, people loved him. “My brothers and I know that Virgil would want you to have this, to help John in his recovery.” The cheque had a considerable number of zeros written on it.
Her eyes widened as she read them. “My god.” She blinked. “Thank you. I can’t lie. We need this. But...but what about the others?”
“Virgil saved the rest. There were some minor injuries. They’ve all been seen to.” He glanced at the bed. “John was the last one.” Scott blinked rapidly. John’s babysitter hadn’t made it, killed in the initial collapse. John had been very, very lucky.
“Thank you.” And her hands were clutching his arm again.
Scott looked down at her. Virgil would definitely want this. He dropped his hand over hers. “You’re welcome.” Now he had to leave.
She nodded and let him go. But she didn’t step back, only staring up at him.
“Mr Tracy, all my hopes for your brother...”
Scott nodded abruptly, but had no more words. A dip of his head as he backed out of the room and stalked down the hallway.
All his hopes...
-o-o-o-
Next
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marvelmymarvel · 3 years
Text
Lonely
Orochimaru x Reader
Synopsis: Time and distance didn’t matter when it came to Orochimaru, but you hated feeling so lonely without him.
Song: ilomilo by Billie Eilish (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH1F6m3slrQ)
A/n: Its long, I get that he seems out of character. Idc. I love him. No shame. 
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They called you many things. A loser, a weirdo, a traitor... So many names that you lost track of them all, but none of them mattered when it came to him. You personally didn’t understand it yourself, why you left the Leaf Village in search of the man who killed your Hokage. Being apart of the ANBU black ops made the escape 10x more difficult and dangerous, as they now considered you a threat to the village. You knew too much, but none of it mattered.
Only he did.
At first, the pale man was annoyed by your presence and how you kept popping up at every single hideout he moved to. He tried and tried again to get rid of you, even going so far as sicking his ninja on you, instructing them to rough you up and scare you away. But they did much more than that and left you to die outside of yet another hideout you found. They figured that killing you was easier than sending Orochimaru’s stupid warning, so they never told him and continued on with their life. 
It was quiet for a week, but soon enough his henchmen dragged you into yet another secret hideout. He was running out of options and even Kabuto was growing agitated by your constant presence, but something in the air changed that day. The guards threw you down in front of him, your body littered with bruises and cuts. Orochimaru sat up straighter in his chair, taking in the sight of your unconscious and bloody body in the middle of the room. They had done a number on you and something stirred inside of the pale man at the view of your vulnerable body.
The guards looked up at their boss, expecting reassuring praise for their work but all they got was a snarl. “I told you to scare her... Not beat her half to death” Kabuto hissed out as he stomped over towards them angrily, he felt his master's temper flare and he was not about to be the punching bag for an idiotic decision that wasn’t his. The guards sputtered out excuses, claiming that you never listened to their threats, and decided that maybe beating you to death would help everyone out.
‘Death’
The word struck a chord within Orochimaru who was now crouched over your body, hand shakily brushing the blood away from your mouth. He was terrifyingly silent as if he was a bomb with no timer. The three men grew silent while they took in the oddly soft and caring caress. It should have been shocking to see such a sweet action, but it only made the fear grow within the two guards. Kabuto side-eyed them, they didn’t know it but he knew Orochimaru was seconds away from exploding.
“What do you want me to do with them?”
The two guards headshot to Kabuto, mouth gawking as they tried to explain how they were doing Orochimaru a service. They explained and explained how you were a creep, a weirdo, and a threat, they had to get rid of you. Kabuto ignored it but secretly prayed for them to shut up before Orochimaru killed them himself. His patience was growing thinner the more he caressed your bloody skin and hearing how they talked about you only sped up that process, he was 10 seconds away from snapping... But something felt off. 
“Kill them, slowly and painfully. Do the same thing to them as they did to her” 
Their loud pleading soon became a muffled cry as they were hauled out by the other guards standing by. Kabuto stood by the door, observing the way Orochimaru sat down beside you. His hand trailed slowly to your face before a blue light emitted between his skin and yours. Kabuto’s eyebrows furrowed, Orochimaru knew some medical ninjutsu, but he hadn’t used it for years since it drained him.
“Do you need something Kabuto?” 
Kabuto perked up with a sharp inhale, embarrassed that he had been caught staring at the exchange. Orochimaru didn’t seem bothered and instead moved his glowing hand down to your stomach where blood was pooling from a deep wound. “Would you like me to get the medical ninja sir?” silence filled the room but the words hung heavy in the air, it was dangerous to assume that Orochimaru cared but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something changed.
“Yes” Orochimaru’s whisper hit Kabuto’s ears and without another word, he left to go get the medical ninja who could heal you much more than Orochimaru ever could. Leaving Orochimaru with only his thoughts and your limp body-
“Oh tell it again Kabuto!” you exclaimed cutting off the man right as the story was beginning to end. It had been months now since the incident occurred, but you couldn’t get enough of the way the pale man treated your unconscious form. Kabuto rolled his eyes at your hopeless romantic ways but according to Orochimaru, he had to do whatever you wanted. Kabuto opened his mouth again but a heavy sigh falling from your lips stopped him short. 
“What's the matter? I thought you liked the story-”
“If he really cared about me, he would show it.. But he doesn't” Kabuto’s mouth shut at your words, because in all honesty, you were right. The softness that Orochimaru showed you that day was never repeated and you were now treated like everyone else. It wasn’t what you hoped for, but you were able to see Orochimaru once a month... 
Your frown deepened at the thought, coldness spreading within your body as you once again grew lonely. Kabuto was your only friend and even that was a stretch as he was growing quite annoyed with taking care of you. Silence filled the stale air of your room deep inside of the hideout, it was the 5th one this month and each left you disoriented and afraid. It was supposed to be designed this way, so intruders would have a tough time finding their way through it, but you hated it. 
Kabuto knew this, which is why the first couple of days in a new place meant 24-hour surveillance and company in the hopes of breaking you into the new atmosphere. Your feet kicked at the ground below you, lip pulled between your teeth as you fought back tears. It was silly really, an ex ANBU being afraid of a windowless and disorienting place, but you couldn’t help it. “I get it if you think I’m weak... They did too” you whispered out as you swiftly wiped away your falling tears, hoping he wouldn’t see them but knowing he did.
He always did.
Kabuto pursed his lips in response, while he had been taking care of you he had also learned a lot about you. Partly because he was curious, but mainly because Orochimaru asked him to. ‘I want you to learn everything about her, and report it back to me’  Orochimaru would instruct nonchalantly as if there was no sentimental meaning behind his words, but Kabuto knew better. There was something different in the way he said it as if he cared for you. It was a weird way of showing his care, but Kabuto never questioned it and instead asked you questions ranging from ‘what's your favorite color?’ to ‘why did you leave the ANBU?’
And the ANBU question was what made your walls come crashing down. 
“The ANBU simply couldn’t handle a sensitive person like you... Sensitive people aren’t meant for that group” Kabuto stated simply knowing that their hatred for you was pure jealousy. Those in the ANBU were beaten down until there was nothing left but a soldier, it was effective but apparently, you were able to get through it and still smile like an innocent child. Teasing you became a game, and they even tried to see who could make you cry the fastest. That fact shocked Kabuto when he learned about it, but telling Orochimaru was a whole other story. 
He remembered that day. Remembered how Orochimaru halted in place over his experiments, back growing tense as the anger rose within him. That was the same day that Kabuto realized what was going on with his master. He would never dare tell Orochimaru, nor would he ever tell you for fear of backlash, but he could never and would never forget that tense feeling in the air. So protective. So angry. His boss lied when he said he didn’t care for you...
He was in love with you. 
Your nodding brought Kabuto from his memories, sometimes he hated being honest with you as the tears only continued to cascade down your cheeks. He couldn’t fix you, couldn’t heal you... That wasn’t his job and if he tried to do it... Well, he may lose his head.
Fighting the urge to give you a hug, Kabuto instead stood and swiftly walked to the door. “You should get some rest... Traveling always tires you out” his cold tone only seized your heart up more, once again feeling alone in the small room. Sometimes you wished that Kabuto would stay until you fell asleep, but you weren’t a child and he wasn’t your friend. 
“Okay” your whimper made him bite his lip in regret and he was thankful that his back was facing you so that you couldn’t see it. ‘Babies have to cry it out’ he repeated in his head as he exited quickly from your room, leaving you alone as the door closed behind him. He stood there for a second, bouncing on his feet as he prayed for you to calm down without him. You had to learn to self soothe, or you’d never make it here.
Leaning his ear against the door, the soft sound of your sniffling hit his ears but for the first time in the past couple of weeks, he didn’t hear sobbing. Letting out a sigh, he began to walk away from the room and towards the lab where he would soon relay all of the information to Orochimaru. Everything except your crying of course.
He never told him about that...
You let out the sob as you heard his footsteps grow quiet, signaling that Kabuto was gone and you were now alone. The sharp wail that fell from your lips surprised even you, causing your hand to fly over your open mouth to quiet it down. The feeling of loneliness ached within your bones, and coldness seeped into your skin despite the room being muggy. 29 days. It had been 29 days since you last saw Orochimaru. You didn’t know why, but the man soon became your rock and the reason you were breathing.
And you hated it.
Hated how easy you fell for him. Hated how lonely you felt without him. Hated how scared you were when he was out on a mission. You hated it, yet you loved him. The silent sobs that racked your body calmed down as the thought of him soothed your tight chest. Closing your eyes, you lifted your hands and crossed your arms. Your left hand touched your right cheek first and by the time your right touched your left cheek, your anxiety had vanished. It made you sigh out in relief, the action tricking your brain into thinking that your face was being cradled. 
You imagined it was Orochimaru holding you instead, an action he’s done only once, but you never forgot the way he felt or how he smelt. A tear slipped down and your thumb swiped it away automatically, this was becoming a nightly routine of yours. It seemed pathetic, but it was the only way you knew how to self soothe. You laid onto your side, moving one hand under your head while the other continued to caress your jaw soothingly. The bed was cold, but you didn’t mind. Instead, you fell asleep to the thought of Orochimaru holding you, his tight and warm embrace reassuring you that you were safe and sound. 
If only it was real. 
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Your body jolted awake but the nightmare still flashed in your head like a neverending movie. The candle had burned out, leaving you in the darkness of a room you didn’t know. Breathing seemed to grow harder as you tried to adjust to the darkness, but it seemed to encapsulate you like a coffin. Standing swiftly, you raced over towards the door, throwing it open in the hopes of meeting a brightly lit hall. 
Your blood ran cold as you peered into the dimly lit hall, the walls and ceiling were carved in a way that made your world tilt around you as your stomach twisted in fear. “Orochimaru” you cried out softly, stumbling into the hallway in the hopes of finding him along the way. The hall was neverending and seemed to grow darker the farther you ran down it. “Orochimaru!” your scream echoed down the hall as you slowed down to catch your breath. 
You urged your heart rate to slow down, but it only raced faster as the torches around you blew out, leaving you in utter darkness. A soft sob fell from your lips before you once again began to run forward. You kept crying out for him as if he’d be able to hear you. As if he would care. Your body crashed into a wall, knocking all of the breath from your body as you tumbled to the floor. Silence filled the space around you, the only sound being your broken sobs as you gripped the floor for dear life. 
The nightmare seemed to come back and you could no longer discern what was real and what was fake. Were you still dreaming? Were the ANBU here to kill you? Did they leave you to die? Did Orochimaru leave you to die? “Oro” you cried out weakly, wincing at just how broken you sounded. Pushing up from your position on the ground, you tried to fight back the feeling that bubbled up in your chest. You had to know if it was real, was this real?
Before you could stop it, you opened your mouth and let out a blood-curdling scream. Your fingers screaming in pain along with you as you gripped the stone below you harder, grounding yourself as your body let out the feelings you’d been holding in for months now. The scream cut off, and you geared up for another one, wanting to chase that freeing feeling of just letting it all out.
“Now now, why are you out of bed?” 
An arm wrapped around your waist and the scream in your throat faded out as the words hit your ears. The previous scream echoed down the hall as his words echoed through your head. The torches were once again illuminated, as if they were never extinguished to begin with. Black hair fell over your shoulder and a familiar smell filled your senses, wrapping you in a bubble of protection. Your head snapped up at the sound of feet and you realized that guards were surrounding you two. 
“Orochimaru” you whispered out, hand trailing down to grasp the hand that was tightly gripping your hip. His arm clenched around your waist at the feeling of your shaky hand, snarling at the way the guards approached you in rage. “You can all leave” Orochimaru growled, eyes snapping to Kabuto who stood in front of them all. “Sir, she left her room without permission-”
“LEAVE” 
You squeaked in surprise, body contracting into his as the men fled from their angry boss. Kabuto stood still, swallowing as he took in the way Orochimaru stared at him. He hadn’t been honest with him, in fact, he never told Orochimaru about your constant crying. But now, he knew everything. The anger grew within Orochimaru’s body as he felt you relax within his embrace, this was all you wanted. “I didn’t want to bother you about it sir” Kabuto stuttered out, hand scratching the base of his neck sheepishly. 
Orochimaru stayed silent, but his body tensed behind you as he began to process it all. You had been crying yourself to sleep every night, and not once did Kabuto tell him. Your e/c eyes met Kabuto’s, and you didn’t blame him for staying silent. “I told him not to tell you” you whispered out as your other hand rose to touch Orochimaru's face behind you. It was clumsy considering you couldn’t see where your hand was, but you smiled as he leaned into it nonetheless.
A couple seconds passed, but you noticed the way the atmosphere shifted from tense to relieved. Without another word, Orochimaru stood and helped you up with him. He was still glaring at Kabuto, knowing that you were lying to save him... But, if you lied to him of all people, then maybe Kabuto meant something to you. Hurt panged in Orochimaru’s chest, a wave of new anger rising within him at the thought of Kabuto spending so much more time with you than he did. “You’re relieved of your duties” Orochimaru muttered, arms tightening around your body in a silent display of dominance. 
Kabuto nodded before turning and walking back to his own quarters, thankful that he only got a threatening glare instead of a torturous death. Orochimaru tried to calm down the rising fear bubbling under his chest at the thought of Kabuto somehow stealing you from him. Your arms tightened around him, head snuggling underneath his chin as euphoria coursed through your veins. The nightmare and worries were now long forgotten as you cuddled deeper into the taller man's body. 
Looking down at you, Orochimaru fought back a smile at the peaceful look on your face. Eyes closed and lips pulled up into a dreamy smile. If he didn’t know it before, he realized it now as he looked down upon you. The painful feeling he got in his chest whenever Kabuto came back with an update. The way his heart sped up at the sight of you. The restless nights he encountered as he worried about your wellbeing. How his mind wandered to you whenever he worked in the lab. 
He hummed at the thought before pulling you deeper into his body, arms tightly wrapped around you like a shield. He loved you, it had been quite a while since he loved someone... “Why were you so persistent? Why did you choose me?” your eyes snapped open at his question, but you refused to look at him as you grew embarrassed. 
“I-I...”
His fingers grasped your chin, craning your neck and forcing you to look at him. His slitted pupils were blown out, yet you weren’t sure if it was because of the dim lighting or something else. “Tell me. I need to hear it” Orochimaru whispered as his face got closer to yours, it wasn’t meant to intimidate you but he couldn’t help but grow a bit giddy at how you recoiled in shame. “When I saw you, I knew that you were my... It's silly” you had managed to move your chin from his grasp, eyes casting downwards as you shook your head at the thought. 
Orochimaru gripped your chin once more, this time a bit harder as he forced you to look back at him. His mouth was inches from yours, and it felt like all of the wind was knocked out of you by how close he was. His breath fanned out onto your face, causing goosebumps to erupt across your skin. He didn’t have to say anything, for the action was enough to reassure you that he didn’t care how silly it was. 
He had to hear it... He had to hear what Kabuto told him long ago.
“I knew you were my soulmate... I know it's crazy and I’ve only told Kabuto but-” You were spun around before you could finish, back crashing into the wall as Orochimaru shoved his lips against yours. It was heavy while he kissed you feverishly as if you were the only thing that could bring his excitement down. You moaned into his mouth, teeth clashing with his in response to the sudden move. Your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down for better access while his hands wandered along your body. He wanted to learn and remember every single feature of your body, he had so much to catch up on. 
After what felt like a minute Orochimaru finally pulled back, leaving you a flustered mess below him. One of his hands cradled your cheek, softly caressing the skin with his thumb as he took in the view. Your eyes shut at the feeling, remembering how only hours ago, you wished to feel this exact action. “Can I be honest with you?” you whispered out, eyes still shut in fear of him rejecting your question. When you were met with silence, you decided to continue.
“I don't like being away from you... It scares me” 
The tightened grip on your cheek was the only indicator that he wasn’t upset with you, in fact, it almost felt like he was upset with himself. “Then you shall never leave my side” serenity filled your bones, replacing the loneliness that once laid heavy within them with a lighter, happier feeling. You would never be alone again. 
“C-can I stay with you? In your room I mean... I feel so lonely in my room” he didn’t answer your plea and instead pressed his head against yours, hoping you’d understand that when he said you’d be by his side forever. He meant it. His lips met the tip of your nose, the action leaving you bewildered in his embrace. Orochimaru wasn’t one for ‘soft’ things, that much you had learned in a couple of months being around him. 
Opening your eyes, you were relieved to see that his eyes were closed. A smile formed on your lips as you took in his blissed out face, maybe he was lonely too... Maybe, just maybe he needed you as much as you needed him. That question may never be answered, but it didn’t have to be. Because no one could deny it, he was your soulmate.
And you were his.
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mashiraostail · 4 years
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Hi I'm soft, can I please have a fix of Aizawa's S/O taking care of him after the USJ attack?
soft is the mood!
“Shouta, pick your head up.”  “it’s up-”  “No, it’s not, look straight ahead.” A pause as he shifts, then you huff, “thank you.” You comb careful fingers through his tangled hair. Normally you’d really be on his case about letting it get like this, but given the current circumstance..you supposed you couldn’t hold this against him, he was in practically a full-body cast, after all. You spray some more detangler into it.  “How do you feel?” You ask quietly, running a comb through the newly wet strands.  “The same.” His voice is indifferent, if he was in pain he wasn’t gonna tell you. You just hope he’s not lying.  “Not better or worse?”  “Just the same.” He nods again and you hum pulling all his hair back off his forehead and temples, away from his ears.  “I’m sorry.” “It’s not your fault.” He deflects you.  “I know. But I’m sorry you’re in pain.” You retort and he mutters something before saying louder,  “I’m not in pain. The medicine is fine. And recovery girl is doing her thing. I should be alright in no time.”  “Shouta. It doesn’t matter how you’re going to feel it matters how you feel now.” He can’t see you from his seat between your legs, but he can tell your frowning from the hardness in your voice. And you’re right.  “Yeah. It’s alright. Sorry I know I shouldn’t do that. It’s not that bad really. I get a headache sometimes, but for the most part the medicine works. ”  “It’s okay.” You kiss the back of his head and he slumps a little bit forward, you can tell he’s done talking about it. “Do you have the elastic?” He nods at it where it rests on the bedsheets by his leg. He can’t help but feel a little useless right now. He can’t do anything, not a single thing. He needed you or Hizashi for everything, he couldn’t even bend his fingers.  “Shouta Aizawa I am not going to tell you to pick your head up again.” You say it meaning to sound stern, but there’s a little laugh underneath it that makes him grin under all the bandages. In all fairness he appreciates your usual prodding, if you handled him like glass he’d honestly simply feel worse. “It just feels good.” He picks his head up again anyways, he couldn’t help it, you were effectively putting him to sleep, your fingers carefully slowly pulling through his hair, wrapping the strands around each other.  You just hum at him affectionately, pulling him back lightly by his hair to kiss the crown of his head again, “push that elastic over here.”  He does his best, it’s probably not as close as you wanted or much at all to really be helpful but you reach it anyways. “Thank you.” He just hums back at you.  “How is it?” You pull away after wrapping the tail of the braid in an elastic a few times, “not too tight?” Aizawa shakes his head as much as he can.  “It feels better this way, thank you.”  “It won’t get too tangled now either.” You hum, leaning back into his pillows and letting him follow, resting his tired frame against your chest.  “Are you exhausted?” You hum and he nods, he’s always tired sure but he can stay up usually...but right now...just sitting up for a few minutes while you cleaned him up was enough to put him out of commission, he’d only gotten up for the day a few hours ago and he already wanted to call it a night, it was hardly even noon. “Why don’t we take a little nap? I’m tired too honestly.” You wrap your arms around his shoulders gently, “and then when you wake up we can take off some of the bandages, recovery girl said she’d stop by as soon as she could this afternoon so we can leave them off for a little bit until she gets here, let everything breathe?”  “That sounds good.” It feels stupid to be so upset. he wasn’t mean to get like this, he was rational, level headed, but all he wanted to do right now was cover your arms where they rounded his shoulders, he wanted to hold you back.  “You know for, a guy who isn’t allowed to shower you still smell pretty nice.” He feels you press a long kiss to the skin behind his ear, one of the only places exposed. “Take a deep breath Sho.” You lean into him, “it’s alright.”  He falls asleep with relative ease after that. When he wakes up again you aren’t behind him anymore. A first aid kit is on his nightstand, and he can hear you pattering around. It takes about 5 minutes for you to find your way back in there.  “Oh! You’re awake!” You sit beside him, “recovery girl came while you were asleep. Feeling any better? You could have called when you woke up.”  He did, a little, and he felt worlds less swollen, though the looseness of the casts on his arms should indicate that to be a reality rather than just a feeling.  “I was gonna, I just woke up so it’s fine.” He shuffles a little bit and you nod. “You really did yourself no favors going back to teach so early.” You scold him, sitting before him in his bed.  “I had to.”  “No, you just let Hizashi talk you into every hair-brained scheme he comes up with.” You beacon for him to sit up, “you need to be more careful. I know you probably don’t want to hear this from me...” You start removing the casts on his arms, “but you seriously had me worried.”  You’d held off giving him this speech until now, he supposed he should hear you out.   “When I saw you all wrapped up in the hospital..” You carefully slide one off, “I thought I was as good as on my own again.” You start wrapping his arm in some tough feeling bandages, he guesses Recovery Girl healed the break, now it was just a crack, a sprain maybe. Either way, he probably had about 2 more days of these slings. “I’m proud of you for keeping your kids safe. I can’t say I would have done anything differently.” Your voice gets quiet, “but how would you feel if it were me sitting there like you right now?” He nods curtly at that, not even really wanting to imagine it.  You pull him toward you by his jaw and press a long kiss to his forehead, covered in bandages. “She said we could take these off now.” You add and he hums gratefully, “thank god.”  You unfasten the wrapping and slowly unwind it until his face is exposed. You’d seen his face a few times since the incident, taking bandages off to change them, it was only for a few minutes but still it was nice to see your boyfriend’s face instead of a mummy man. His nose is wrapped up in a splint and there’s a row of stitches under his eye but at least it’s still Shouta. A couple of extra bumps and bruises sure, but Shouta nonetheless.  “I’m so proud of you Shouta.” You take his jaw in incredibly tentative hands, unsure of what hurt or felt tender without the support of the bandages. “You’re really strong..” Your voice is somehow softer than your hands on his skin. He clears his throat, you’d been together a long time and he always knew you loved him sure but it was palpable right now.  “I just did what anyone else would do...” He’s really not used to all the priase, part of being an underground hero he supposed. You chuckle at that. “I should have guessed you’d say something like that.” You tuck a loose strand of hair back into it’s braid, “either way, you’re really brave. Those kids are lucky to have you...I’m lucky to have you too.”  “It’s been 10 days since we kissed.” You can tell he’s trying to slink out of the spotlight, despite the only people in the room being the pair of you.  “Maybe that’s why you haven’t started feeling any better.” You laugh as you move to sit beside him on the edge of the bed.  “That’s a pretty good theory.” He agrees leaning forward a bit, of course you oblige him, you hated to sound selfish but you missed him like this, you didn’t mind taking care of him and you always would be there to do it whenever he needed you but he got broody about it...well more broody than normal. Getting to feel him relax into a kiss was nice.  “well now that that’s out of the way, we really could use a shave. Stay there.” You stand up and he groans, “I could just go into-”  “No way mister tough guy.” You shake your head at him, “you wanted to go to the sports festival, and teach so bad even with all your broken ribs? Well this is the price you pay. Until Recovery girl says the breaks are all healed you aren’t getting out of that bed when I’m around, do you hear me?” You sit back down, “save your energy for the kids. I’m here and I wanna help, so let me.”  He supposed he couldn’t argue with that, and your hands felt mesmerizingly nice on the sides of his neck and jaw, his eyelids are heavy by the time you’re done with him, carefully patting his newly shaven skin dry.  “Thank you.” He lets his head drop back into the pillows and you hum, “my pleasure.” You say it like it’s nothing, it rolls off you like water, he can’t put into words how much that puts him at ease.  “No, seriously, thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He opens his eyes and looks up at you, “I’m really lucky to have you.” He turns your words back around on you. “I’m glad I’ve got you worrying about me.”  “Make me worry like this again and you’re dead meat, Shouta.”  He huffs out a quiet laugh at that, “I don’t know, I think some broken ribs, 2 broken arms a broken leg, broken nose and a fractured orbital plate was well worth it for all the extra attention I’ve been getting.”  “If you want more attention just ask! Don’t break every bone in your body you maniac!”  You wanna wack the back of his head but you stop yourself. He just looks really happy with himself, “but it’s sweet when you worry.”  “I can worry about you without you almost dying!” You can’t even pinch his nose because of the splint, “seriously Shouta!”  “Alright, alright I’m kidding.” He insists, “come relax a little.”  You don’t argue, instead you just climb into bed beside him.  “How’s it feel?” You reach out and brush your hand over his jaw, “I didn’t shave it all, you’d look naked.” He laughs as you lean back against him, “I appreciate that, and It feels better, thank you.” You hum and turn his head toward you.  “It’s good to see your face.” You thumb affectionately at his cheeks and he clears his throat as you continued, “I missed it.”  “Yeah I...guess it’s good to be seen.” 
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