#Don Eppes fic

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

From Domestic Bickering: "I love you. I've just got a funny way of showing it, that's all."

For our beloved Special Agent Eppes

From the domestic bickering prompt list

Sorry this took so long! I went with someone other than our dear journalist, surprisingly.

Warnings: Angst, light fluff

"This seat taken?"

Don didn't even wait for you to answer before he was pulling out the bar stool beside you. You didn't look at him—you didn't need to. Hell, he knew how pissed you were.

"What are you having?" He went on without waiting for you to answer, just reached out and picked your beer up. Knocking it out of his hand would be a bad waste of good beer and would probably get you kicked out of the bar, so you just kept your eyes on the set playing the Dodgers game.

"Megan call you?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Good."

A sinker—swing and a miss. Count 0-1.

"Colby alright?" You asked.

"Yeah, he's fine."

"Good."

Curve way on the outside. Count 1-1.

"Concussion," Don added.

"Figures."

"He'll be on desk duty."

"Makes two of us."

Another curve ball—big swing, big miss. 1-2.

Don sighed, twisting in his seat as he tried, "Alright, look."

"I'm not talking about this."

"You disobeyed a direct order—"

"And I was right to—Disobeyed, what are you, my dad?"

"Right or not, you can't do that on the field. You could've been hurt."

"Could've been, but I wasn't."

Straight down the middle, swung on—and missed.

"This kid can't hit for shit," You muttered, snagging your beer back from Don for a sip.

"...It's just a slump."

"Sure."

"He made a mistake, you know. A couple of bad swings."

"Right."

"Getting benched doesn't mean a player can't get back in the game."

"Are we still talking about baseball?"

"Look at me for a minute."

"No thanks."

"I get that you're pissed—"

"You never would've benched Megan for a call like that."

"Megan's been with the team a helluva lot longer than you, alright? I trust her to make those calls."

"Oh, so the problem is that you don't trust me! No, good."

"That's not what I—"

"No, it's nice. That's what every girl wants to hear from her boyfriend."

"Guts will get you far, but they'll get you killed."

"Really? You're trying to come-to-Jesus me with a quote from Speed? You know Jeff Daniels died in that movie. I mean, not Jeff Daniels the actor, the guy he played who said that died—"

"You almost died." It wasn't even the reminder that made your heart drop into your stomach—it was the desperate, low, hissed way that he said it. "You think I could've handled seeing that? And for what? To prove that you're the biggest badass in the office?"

"I didn't do it because I thought it was badass. I did it because I felt like it was the right call," You insisted. "And it was."

"You were right this time, but you won't be right every time. Neither will I." Don sighed, leaning back a little. "I trust you as my girlfriend. I'm not used to trusting you as an agent. It's different. I'm adjusting—trying to."

"...Guess I'm adjusting a bit, too," You admitted softly.

"Are we okay?"

"We're fine."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure," You nodded. "'m just...I'll get over it."

"So you're still mad."

"As an agent, yes. As your girlfriend, no."

Don huffed a soft laugh, nodding. "I think I can handle that...I know you hated being out of the action, but it was a shock to the system—for both of us. I love you. I've just got a funny way of showing it, that's all."

You bit the inside of your cheek, desperately trying to tamp down a lovesick smile.

"You sure do."

"You drive me nuts, you know?"

"I know." You toyed with the label on your beer, shaking your head. "Don?"

"Yeah."

"I love you, too."

[babytarttdoodoo]

First sentence thing and I’m being shameless about it-

Don froze in the doorway. “Kyle, what the hell is that?”

Leave the first sentence of a fic in my askbox and I will write the next five.

You MENACE. For the context of literally everyone else, Kyle is a character dreamed up as part of a Numb3rs AU between @readwing, @altschmerzes and myself.

I will not be able to keep this to six sentences.

---

Don froze in the doorway. “Kyle, what the hell is that?”

He watched the young professor startle with only the slightest twinge of guilt, seeing as how seemingly every writable surface in his garage was covered in unintelligible mathematical scrawl.

Kyle flailed a little as he span to face him, a hand coming to his chest in an apparent attempt to calm his heartrate.

"Agent Eppes! Sorry! Your, uh, your dad let me in. He said I could wait for you in here."

"Of course he did." Don sighed and made a beeline for his vacant office chair, motioning to the repurposed evidence boards. "What is all this? It's for the case?"

"Yeah, yeah it is," Kyle hurried to reassure him, pointing to several sections of the complex equations. "It occurred to me that we could redirect the search parameters to account for the patterns of the victims' movements, in addition to the assailant's. I've already refined the next probable area of attack down to a ten-block grid."

Despite his exhaustion, and despite the exasperation of running into this guy around every corner in his life lately, Don managed a tired smile. "That's great, thank you. I'll call it in."

Kyle offered a hesitant smile of his own, looking a little sheepish in the face of Don's reaction. "Happy to help. Though, I'm sorry if I'm intruding. I was just passing and thought I could swing by with an update."

He turned back to the boards, taking in the scale of the work he'd done with mild surprise.

"... I guess I got a little carried away. This space is incredibly conducive to lateral thinking."

"You think so?" Don glanced around the renovated garage. "I only converted it into an office last year. There's not really a place in the house for all of... this."

He indicated the file folders that littered his desk, and the assorted horrors that lay within.

Kyle looked around as well, taking in everything from the old couch and pool table shoved off to one side of the structure, to the boxes and boards that served to keep the overspill of Don's professional life in some semblance of order. His smile grew into something more genuine.

"I like it."

[bisexualmultifandommess]

Next up is Charlie Eppes!

I love Charlie so much I honestly feel like this fits him a lot!

This genius is gay.

Both him and Amita are Queer but everyone kept on assuming that they were interested in each other so they pretend to date after the assumptions get too annoying. This way they can hang out as best friends and also have time to figure out their lives and find a moment where they feel comfortable enough to come out without anyone questioning them.

The first person Charlie came out to was Margaret. She always understood him the most and one day when he was around fifteen he confided in her that he wasn’t into girls the way Don was. She was very accepting of him and tried to help him despite not being very knowledgeable on it due to the era she grew up in and her being straight.

He didn’t reveal it to anyone else for a few years because he wasn’t comfortable enough and didn’t want the added pressure of homophobia when he already got a lot of aggression and mockery from people for being a young math genius.

After he came out to everyone he still knew that homophobia was a problem in the world but with the support of his family and new friends he was able to feel safer to come out.

When he was younger he saw the way Don was with girls and felt like that was the way he needed to be. He wanted to be like his big brother because when he was a kid he was a little insecure and thought that if he was more like Don then his brother would want to spend time with him. As he got older he started to understand himself more and knew he could be himself and still have love and support from Don.

Charlie didn’t have a lot of dating options when he was younger due to being a lot younger than his classmates but he did sometimes have small innocent crushes on male students or teachers that only his mum knew about. His mum reassured him that having crushes on them was completely normal and that eventually he’d find someone his own age once he got a little older and started finding peers closer to his age.

Despite initially getting off on the wrong foot Charlie was still quite attracted to Ian Edgerton when he met him. There were times when their debating sounded like flirting and he made a good friend once they both put aside their small difference of opinion. Charlie tried to keep his attraction a secret and often felt slightly shy by Ian’s blatant flirting in private but he was sure that Terry could sense that he liked him but she never brought it up probably because she didn’t feel it was her place. Although he was attracted to him his small feelings eventually became platonic.

He was very attracted to Colby when he first met him and although Charlie was a little oblivious to it, Colby seemed interested as well but obviously kept quiet and tried not to show it due to his boss being Charlie’s big brother. The two of them could joke with each other and talk about things when either needed someone to listen. It wasn’t long until Charlie found himself falling for him. He didn’t mention it because he wasn’t sure if Colby actually was interested and could be straight anyway. Both their feelings were revealed one evening when Colby came to visit Charlie to see if he had any news on a murder case. He could see that Charlie was getting stressed and Charlie was struggling so Colby convinced him to take a break and got him a drink. They both sat in the garage and had a couple of drinks together to relax since they’d all been working overtime on this case they could spare a few minutes to calm down. While talking things through they stopped for a moment and then Colby leaned in a kissed Charlie. Charlie was surprised by this and shocked enough to freeze because he wasn’t expecting it and all his feelings for Colby suddenly come rushing to front of his mind. Colby initially took this as rejection and tried to apologise but Charlie kissed him again. After this the two began dating in secret because both weren’t ready to come out yet. Charlie found out that Colby is pansexual. Things became tense after Colby was revealed as a double agent but after everything was explained and Charlie started to feel he could trust Colby again they were able to start again and get back together.

Alan and Don were the people he was most nervous to come out to. He was fairly certain they wouldn’t react in a negative way but Charlie knew that Alan was excited for grandchildren and often asked about him getting a girlfriend. He didn’t want to disappoint his dad. Luckily for Charlie, Alan though a little surprised and confused reassured Charlie that even if he doesn’t understand it and might get things wrong from time to time he loves him very much no matter who he loves. Don wasn’t overly surprised but a little upset with himself that he hadn’t made Charlie feel safe enough when they were younger to tell him. After Charlie came out to them the elder Eppes men became very protective of their youngest often snapping at any bigot they came across.

After Margaret, Larry and Amita were the next people who he came out to and then it was Colby and then Alan and Don. He came out to Megan and David later on and eventually also told Terry (when she would visit) and Ian. He also confided in Oswald about being gay when Oswald confided in him about being queer too. Charlie wanted to help Oswald feel comfortable the way his friends and family did too not only in the maths world but in being lgbt.

[judgeverse]

Ian Has Some Thoughts. Don's lucky enough to benefit from his brain-unpacking skills. (rating: T - wordcount: 2150 - fandom: Numb3rs - characters: Ian Edgerton & Don Eppes)

“I don’t make errors. At least, not deliberately.” Ian smiles crookedly. “I do my job right as a sniper, there’s no harm to anyone else. Not even a broken door. Window, at most.” He pauses. “You know how much it costs to fix a house after a SWAT raid? You know how many people can’t afford that?” He watches the question catch Don off guard, and keeps pushing. “You know, we all live in that zone of case-closing tunnel vision. You ever think about the risk-reward ratio to everybody else? The people who have to live with our decisions? You got Charlie and his math. Maybe I should ask him.” “Careful,” warns Don, raising his eyebrows. “I’m gonna listen to you, and I might even agree, but that’s not the kind of shit the Bureau wants to hear.” “I know. That’s why I’m saying it to here, to you.”

[bullet-prooflove]

A quick round up of updates on the blog including new characters added to the ASK LIST and a list of fics that went out last week:

New Fics:

Chicago Med:

TheStudy!Part Seven: Cutting - Dean's surprised when Jack Dayton turns up on his doorstep.

Wild Flower - A gift from Crockett gives you the strength to move forward after the death of your nephew.

The Professor (NSFW) - Jack and you share an intimate moment in your office.

Cobra Kai:

A Loaded Gun - Terry begins to struggle after John Kreese turns up on your doorstep.

Pont des Arts - You and Terry stroll along the Pont des Arts.

Criminal Minds:

Red Dress - Luke has some regrets when he sees you in that red dress.

FBI Most Wanted:

Leaving Las Vegas - Remy has a revelation whilst in Las Vegas.

Fire Country:

Home Sick - Manny makes a decision regarding your situation.

Haven:

Sunflowers (NSFW) - Dwight likes your underwear.

Sundown - Dwight finds you on the beach after a trying day.

Law & Order:

Missing You - Vince can't help but miss you.

Law & Order SVU:

Good Morning (NSFW) - Grace and Joe give you an early morning wake up call.

Surprise Party - You throw The Wolf a surprise party. (Joe Velasco x Reader)

Mayans:

Lady in Red - You've never been a traditionalist. (Angel Reyes x Reader)

NCIS:

Just A Mug - Alden realises the true extent of your ex-husband's abuse.

Intimate Meal (NSFW) - You and Nick don't make it to his birthday meal.

NCIS Hawaii:

Black Dress - Jesse makes a decision about your saftey when he discovers some pictures in your door step.

Ophelia!Series Part Two: Taken - Charlie recieves news that you've been taken.

NCIS LA:

First Date - You commit several no nos during your first date with AJ.

Sabatino - You've forgotten how capable Sabatino is.

NCIS: Sydney:

Peppermint (NSFW) - JD isn't ready to let you go just yet.

Numb3rs:

Little Black Dress - It all comes back to a little black dress in a hotel bar. (Don Eppes x Reader)

The Rookie:

The Deepest Cut - Rosalind forces John to make a confession.

Yellowstone:

 If You Want Me, You Can Have Me - They say that Rip Wheeler doesn't have a heart.

[kinfanfiction]

Charlie Eppes x Fem!Reader - Chapter 1 - Can’t Face Her

A/n: I absolutely had to write this. I am invested in Numb3rs and I am dedicating this to it’s small fandom because there’s truly not enough Charlie x Reader fics out there. I love Charlie and this is my favorite role that I’ve seen David Krumholtz in. Anyways I went with the two comments on my opinions needed post and with the reader staying near Charlie rather than moving away. We’ll be starting off with before season 1 starts. The reader convinces Charlie to visit his mother before she passes. Enjoy the angst! 

P.S. I stated this when posting my Bernard fic, but I know it’s not likely a lot of the same people that read that will read this and vise versa; I am 100% willing to edit and repost this for NB and Masc readers!! (Not that I even use pronouns or gendered terms that much because 2nd person is helpful in that way, but for the times I do I’d like to make my fics more gender inclusive by making more copies of them with different sets of pronouns!)

     Not long after the Eppes found out that Margaret had been diagnosed with stage four cancer, after they told all family, you and your parents were the first friends to know. You had noticed something was going on with Margaret when you’d gone to visit their house the past few times, and now you finally knew what. While Alan and Don stayed at her side, you went to get them groceries so they didn’t have to step away for even a second. You put away the groceries and peeked into Alan and Margaret’s bedroom where she lay, and your heart shattered at the sight. The state of her had gotten much worse since the last time you visited. 

     Margaret was like a second mother to you, she’d watched you many times as a child when your parents couldn’t. Seeing her like this wasn’t easy. You knew she’d refused chemotherapy, in spite of Alan’s wishes. She didn’t want to suffer the pain of treatment on top of the pain she was already fighting. Deep down, she knew she wasn’t going to survive this. She seemed strangely at peace with this, though no one else was. You kneeled at her bedside and gave her a soft smile as tears pricked your eyes. She returned the smile. “Hey, Margaret... how are you feeling?”

     “The best anyone can when they’re dying.” She gave a shrug and chuckled dryly. “Darling, I’m with my family, minus one member, I’ll be alright.” She assured, grabbing your hand. Her “Minus one.” Comment made you realize Charlie wasn’t there, and you hadn’t seen him when you walked in. You knew what that meant. You sighed and kissed Margaret’s hand before getting up to find your best friend. 

     “Charlie!” You shouted as you approached the shed where the young man always hid when he couldn’t handle his grief. He channeled it into an impossible math equation that had never been solved. He knew it would lead to no end, and that was the point. A permanent distraction. Unfortunately, it was never permanent, and made his overall grieving process more painful as a result. You slid the wooden door open and stepped inside to see exactly what you’d expected to. Blackboards were put up at every angle available within the shed, and Charlie was scribbling equations onto them with a concentration fueled by emotions you knew were related to his mom’s illness. 

     “Charlie...” You spoke his name again, quieter now, and with a hint of despair. “You can’t hide in here forever. I know it’s hard but you have to come out of here.” He just ignored you and kept scribbling. The squeaking of the chalk on the blackboards was beginning to bother you more with each second. You knew words weren’t going to do anything, so you grabbed his arm and made him turn around. He gave you a frustrated look, or at least tried to, but sadness shone in his eyes. 

     “Not now Y/n, I’m in the middle of an important calculation.” You furrowed your eyebrows and snatched the chalk out from his hand. 

     “Screw your calculations!” You exclaimed with frustration, but then you quickly calmed your tone. “Charlie... I know this is hard for you.. But I also know you’ll regret not spending this time with your mother.” You tugged on his arm to get him to look away from his work, and when he looked at you, he looked angry. 

     “I need to focus! And- and you’re distracting me!” He yelled, pulling his arm away from you. You were surprised, because he hardly raised his voice, and especially not at you. “I need you to go, I have work to do.”

     “Oh, come on Charlie you know this equation is pointless-”

     “I said go!” He yelled louder. He hardly let you get a word in. You knew you weren’t going to get anywhere with this argument, so you huffed and left. 

     Over the next couple months, you visited frequently, bringing food and comfort into the Eppes home. Your parents came too when they could. Every time you’d visit, you popped in to check on Charlie, who was working on the same equation. You always tried to say something to encourage him too see his mother, but he just brushed you off and kicked you out. It hurt, to say the least, but you knew his dismissive nature had nothing to do with you. He was in pain, and he refused to acknowledge it. 

     Eventually, it came down to Margaret’s final days. You knew it was now or never, so you went into the shed and took off the headphones he had been wearing, took the chalk out of his hand, and turned Charlie to make him face you. Deep down, he was glad you did. He hated how he’d pushed you and his family away, but he hadn’t been ready to feel the full effects of his grief. “Charlie. I know you hate this as much as the rest of us, but please. I’m begging you. Leave this shed, leave your work behind, and come see your mom. A future version of you will be glad you did.” He looked at you with an unreadable expression, first seeming frustrated, then confused, then his face dropped completely, and you could see tears forming in his eyes that quickly began to fall. You quickly wrapped your arms around him and let him sob into your shoulder until he was ready to speak. 

     “I can’t... I can’t face her. I’m scared. I don’t want to believe she’s dying. I know she is, I just.. Oh god, Y/n. My mom is dying. I c-” Then he burst into more sobs, and your heart continued to shatter, like every piece in your chest was just determined to continue breaking off into smaller pieces until your heart was just a pile of sand. “She has always been so strong, lifted me up when I was weak, I don’t think I can be the strong one.”

     You shook your head and gently ran your fingers through his curly hair to calm him. “You don’t have to be. If anyone needs to be strong, I’ll do it. Your family is like my second family, I will be here with you all, my parents will come visit. We’ll be the strong ones, we’ll help you all through this. Your mom wants you by her side. I know it’s easier to be here, surrounded by something familiar and comfortable, but you’ve got to escape what’s comfortable and be with your family. They need you.” 

     “No, they don’t need me. They’ll be okay if I stay here.” He spoke, trying to convince himself there was truth in his words.

     “They do need you. I promise you they do. This impossible equation is not what's important now. Come see her, just for a little bit. As long as you can handle.” Charlie didn’t respond for a long moment. He was regulating his breath and trying not to cry again, and you continued holding him, not letting go until he did. 

     He took another deep breath before speaking, “Okay. I’ll try.. I love my mom, I do, I just-”

     “I know. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Let’s go.” You led him out of the shed and the two of you walked back into the house, and on the way there, he grabbed your hand and held it tight. 

     You stepped into the master bedroom and Margaret’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Y/n. Thank you for bringing him.” She smiled, and Charlie knelt at her side, grabbed her hand, and then he couldn't help it, he just cried. Don noticed and knelt beside him, giving him a side hug as they both looked at their mother. Alan was knelt beside her on the other side of the bed. You stood in the doorway, and with all her boys at her side, she beamed at you and mouthed another ‘Thank you.’ She looked tired, yet content. You nodded, blew her a little kiss and left. They needed this. Just the four of them. 

     The next morning, your parents shook you awake to inform you that Margaret had passed away peacefully in the night. Your heart dropped, but you knew that Margaret at least got to see her husband and both sons one last time, and once she had that, she was ready to go. You got ready and ran over to see the Eppes, your parents following behind you. Margaret’s body had already been taken away, and all three men still stood around her deathbed. Don was holding onto his brother, with Alan wrapping himself around both of them. Then they let go as you and your parents walked in. Your father gave Alan a hug, your mother gave Don a hug, and you gave Charlie a hug. You all cried. Once all immediate tears had been shed, you sat around in the living room and talked about the wonderful woman you’d all had the pleasure of knowing while she was alive. Alan told the most stories. You held onto Charlie’s hand the whole time, making sure he knew you were supporting him.

     After a while of talking, you and your parents cooked lasagna, Margaret’s favorite. You had to make sure the family was still eating. You knew grief made people lose their appetite, it had happened to you before. You sat around and talked some more, but not long after dinner begun Charlie got up from the table and went up to his room. You followed soon after. You opened the door to find him exploding into uncontrollable sobs. You ran over to sit beside him and wrap him up in your arms. “You’re right. I should’ve spent more time with her. I’m such an idiot, and now she’s gone-” You quickly shushed him to shut down his spiraling. 

     “Shhhh, Charlie, it’s good that you saw her when you did. She was holding on for you, when you showed up, she finally felt ready to pass on because she had all the most important people in her life at her side. Don’t regret the time you spent away from her, be kind to yourself for spending what time you did with her. Charlie she loved you, she understood why you needed to be away. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” You assured him softly, and he couldn’t find the words to respond, but your words consoled him, and he calmed down again. “Let’s go back downstairs and finish eating dinner, alright?” He considered just hiding away in his room for the night, but knowing you would be sitting beside him made him feel more prepared to go back to the table. 

     The rest of the night felt calm, but the heavy air in the room still weighed on you all. Your parents went home, but you decided to stay, because you wanted to look after the grieving family. Your parents came back later to bring you an overnight bag, and you dressed in your pajamas and got ready for bed before lying down in the guest bed. You laid awake for a while, thinking about Margaret being gone, and the state in which you’d seen the Eppes that you knew would last. As you thought quietly about all the sweet moments you’d had with the woman over the years, you heard a knock on the door. “Come in!” You hollered. Charlie creaked the door open and saw that you were laying in bed, and assumed he’d interrupted you trying to sleep.

     “Oh I’m sorry! I didn’t realize I- I’ll let you sleep.” He quickly began to close the door.

     “Charlie, I know none of us are sleeping at a normal hour tonight. Come in.” You insisted. He paused for a moment, then nodded and quietly slipped into the room and sat down beside you. 

     “There’s nothing I really want to talk about right now, I just didn’t want to be alone.” You nodded and scooted over to make more space for him to lay beside you, and he did. You both laid side by side on your backs, staring at the ceiling in silence. It reminded you of all the nights you’d spent at each other’s houses, staying up and talking about anything you could think to discuss. Though this time, no words could convey what you both felt. After a while, you heard him begin to snore, and soon you drifted off as well. 

[anotherlongstoryshort]

Thanks for the tag @jamiesfootball

Last song: https://open.spotify.com/track/2UCL6SpAhrvlEFvS0TbgNw?si=8bcf77544fc64c25

Currently watching: The Mentalist, most recently.

Three ships/dynamics: Roy/Jamie as per, my fave Malec writer (@notcrypticbutcoy) recently posted a new fic so very happily down that rabbit hole again, and the (platonic, familial) dynamic between Don and Charlie Eppes has been keeping me up at night.

Favourite colour: Blue, specifically Pantone 655.

Currently consuming: Chicken tikka and rice.

First ship: Also done that before so also changing it to Past Beloved Character: My Stiles Stilinski brainrot is due a resurgence. It comes around every 6-8 months.

Relationship status: Single.

Last movie: The Sound of Music

Currently working on: A gift fic for @altschmerzes centred on a hyper-specific The Mentalist/MacGyver Crossover AU.

Tagging if so inclined: @sighonaraa @catalogercas and those I've already mentioned.

[dinogal95]

Fanfic crossover fic

Don and Charlie Eppes meet Batman while on a case

[thekearlyn]

I have a sudden urge to read an old Numb3rs fic and can’t find it anywhere. Don’t know the title or author, so if anyone can help... Here’s what I remember of the plot: Don Eppes is getting coffee, maybe at the mall?, when there’s a sudden gun fight and he realizes that the president is there and people are trying to kill him. When all of the president’s security detail is killed, Don has to take over and get the president to safety.

Anyone know this fic?

[drarreckyninja]

Teen Don: I think I did fairly well on my anatomy quiz! :)

Kid Charlie: I forgot I was doing a test.

Teen Don: Charlie.

Kid Charlie: I said the vertebrae was the back stick because I thought it was funny….

Mentor Larry: Charlie!

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Multitudes

Men I Always Meant to Write For Masterlist

Pairing: Don Eppes x Reader

Rating: M

Notes: Another part one of a shamefully indulgent (and unofficial) Men I Always Meant to Write For series. Not beta-read.

Warnings: Fluff; mentions of canon-specific violence; flip-phones because it’s 2007

Tag list: @informally-liz (here to infuence you on another obscure blorbo :P) ; @20th-centu-fairy-girl (it’s our baby) ; @nominalnebula @amneris21 @elen-aranel @missredherring​ @blueeyesatnight​ @brandyllyn​ (idk he’s tortured and I thought you might like him ¯\_(ツ)_/¯; feel free to ignore!) 

Summary: You’d be damned if you said you’d never been interested in Don Eppes. In your brief acquaintance, you’d felt a certain pull to him. There was nothing to be done then—between his work trying to solve the case and your work trying to cover it for the paper you work for, the two of you had butt heads. But once Eppes had realized that you were more interested in helping the case that sensationalizing it, his irritation had cooled. You’d almost been chummy by the end of the case—almost. 

“Hey, choke up on that bat a bit more.”

You do so without thanking him for the advice, without making a single comment. But when your bat connects with the ball with a sharp, resounding clink!, you feel yourself grinning.

“I was doing alright, you know,” You tell him. But you keep your hands as he directed, taking a swing at the next ball shot out of the machine. Your bat makes contact in as advantageous a place as before.

“I know.”

“Oh? You been watching me, Agent?”

“Caught my eye as I was passing.”

You grin, reaching back and whacking at the button to stop the machine before you turn to face him fully. You realize instantly that it’s a mistake.

Don is leaning against the fence behind you, two fingers hooked into the fence of the cage. He’s chewing a wad of gum like his life depends on it—like he’s trying to imitate his old heroes chomping tobacco and shooting the juice through their front teeth.

"You been here long?" You ask.

"Just finished up. You?"

"Got about, uh—" You shake your sleeve back, eyeing your watch, "Ten minutes left."

"Want a beer?"

The offer makes your brows raise in surprise. Of all the things you thought may come out of Don Eppes' mouth over the course of this conversation, this didn't break the top ten.

"I could go for a drink," You admit. Don's grin widens and he shifts from foot to foot, nodding to the machine.

"Get back to it, then. Sooner you finish up, sooner we can go."

"Are you just gonna stand there and watch me?"

"You intimidated?"

"Maybe."

Don chuckles, flashing you his pearly whites as he straightens fully.

"Alright. I'll wait for you down there."

"Okay," You laugh, nodding. You can't help but watch him go, and you damn the way he turns back to meet your eye in turn.

--

You’d be damned if you said you’d never been interested in Don Eppes. In your brief acquaintance, you’d felt a certain pull to him. There was nothing to be done then—between his work trying to solve the case and your work trying to cover it for the paper you work for, the two of you had butt heads. But once Eppes had realized that you were more interested in helping the case that sensationalizing it, his irritation had cooled. You’d almost been chummy by the end of the case—almost.

--

“What’s got you out here tonight, anyway?” Don asks. You shrug a shoulder, trailing your finger along the label on the beer.

“Just had the urge to hit something. Better for myself and everyone else that I work it out at the cages, right?”

“I hear that,” Don mutters. You smile a little.

“That why you’re here?”

Don raises a hand, tipping it back and forth. You smile, leaning back in your seat a touch. 

“Tough case?” You ask.

“Am I on the record?”

“Oh, fuck off,” You grumble, fighting back a grin at Don’s laugh. “You know as well as I that California is a two party consent state. Anything I’d record without your permission would be inadmissible and punishable by law.”

“Nice to know you care about those rules and regs.”

“I’d be an idiot not to.” You tip your head to the side, eyes sweeping Don’s face. “You haven’t been sleeping.”

“Oh no?”

“Mm-mm. You look like you haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in a few days.”

“You know what that looks like?”

“I know exactly what that looks like. I saw you during the case, I saw you at the hearing. Those were two very different looks.”

Don pushes out an irritated huff between tightly pursed lips. 

“You keep an eye out, huh.”

“Both of our jobs require reading people.”

“Is it my turn to say what I see?”

“If you like.” It’s only fair, but it’s intimidating. Don considers you for a long moment, eyes narrowing just a touch. It makes you want to squirm in your seat, but you’ve been given looks like this by people that would just as soon shoot you as look at you. Don’s not like that.

“You don’t like whatever it is you’re covering.”

“Oh no?” You arch your brows. “What makes you say that?” 

“When we worked together—”

“—Oh, you mean when you subpoenaed my research and brought me in for questioning?”

“—You held yourself differently. Stronger eye contact, better posture. You were engaged. Whatever you’re working on right now is takin’ it outta you.” 

Your brows shoot up at the accusations, and you find yourself pushing out a shaky laugh as you turn your face from him, raising your beer to your lips. It’s a little freaky that he can see into you like that.

“Am I wrong?” Don presses. You swallow thickly, the beer like a lump in your throat as you push it into your stomach.

“God, I wish you were.”

“What is it?”

“What I’m working on?”

“Uh-huh.” 

You bite your lip, fiddling almost nervously with your beer. “How about a rule for tonight?”

“What kinda rule?”

“No work talk.” 

Don leans back in his seat a little bit, tipping his head to the side. You can feel him trying to read you; you’re certain he’s trying to dig right into your soul. And then he gives a short nods, lips pursing.

“Alright,” He concedes. “No work. Then what the hell do we talk about?”

The two of you talk about family, and about school. He digs into your time at Quantico, and why you dropped out of training for the FBI.

“It was one of the biggest things that popped for you,” He tells you, “When I looked through your file.”

“Yeah, I bet.” You pillow your chin on your hand. 

“You ever regret it?”

“Dropping out?” You ask.

“Mhm.”

Your hand slides from your chin to scrub at the back of your neck as you consider it.

“I...I won’t pretend that having my hands tied with the ways I can investigate sometimes doesn’t drive me nuts—knowing that I’d have access to way more if I’d stuck to that track, but...” You life your head again to look at Don. “But what you do, day in and day out? I couldn’t do that. I realized it a little too late.”

“You go right into reporting?”

“No, no. I did a few other things in between—marketing, analytics...Things that let me dig into how people think, why they do what they do. Then I hit on journalism.”

“Why the switch?”

“I felt like the things I was saying at work just weren’t being said loud enough.” 

Don nods silently, then offers, “It’s too bad. You were good at it.”

Your eyes and smile widen, stunned. “You looked at my assessments?”

“Yeah,” Don admits with a soft laugh, “But it’s more than that, it’s—When we worked the case. The way you talked to the witness, you know, how you—twisted the emotional knife. We spent five days trying to get to that woman, it did nothing.”

“Well, sometimes you just need a different angle.”

“Hey, I’m all about the different angle. I’ve been working with Charlie for...Two, three years now, different angle is his middle name.”

“Charles ‘Different Angle’ Eppes? Gee, thanks mom and dad.” You smile widely as Don smiles, his arms folding on the table. “You two work well together,” You add. It’s Don’s turn to shift with nerves, hiding his face for just a moment as he scrubs his hand across it.

“We do now, yeah.”

“Not always a happy partnership?”

“Not even that, just, you know...We didn’t get along when we were kids. Sometimes the fact that we get along now seems like a...An anomaly.”

“A statistical improbability?”

“Exactly,” Don laughs. “Thank you—You know what, I’m gonna tell him that...I don’t know, though, you know.” His mirth sobers as he lowers his eyes to the bar. “It’s nice to get along with him now. It’s like I’ve opened the door to something I didn’t even know existed.”

“You happy you did?”

“Yeah,” Don’s brow furrows, nodding. “Yeah, he’s—He’s a smart guy, good kid. He likes to help—and I appreciate it, you know, any lead or any clue that he can point us to, it can make or break a case sometimes.”

“It’s nice that that can bring you closer, even if it isn’t always under the happiest of circumstances.”

“Never is if a crime is involved...” Don trails off, lips pressed thin. And then you see him push a smile onto his face, pointing an accusing finger at you. “You said no work.”

“I’m not sure family chat counts as work, Eppes.”

“Oh no?”

“Overlaps, maybe.”

“Definitely.”

You raise your hands in concession. “Fine, no family-slash-work chat.”

“Good.”

“So I definitely shouldn’t ask about the couple of times your dad consulted informally?”

“Who told you that?”

“...Your dad.”

--

it’s a bad idea to let Don buy you another beer. It’s a worse idea to let him drive you home. The worst idea you have is inviting him inside—but he follows you to your front door, up the steps, into your apartment.

He takes his damn time peering around your shelves, at your framed photographs and your books. You take your damn time opening your beers, eyes set primarily on Don—on the slope of his shoulders, and the slight narrowing of his eyes and purse of his lips as he takes in the contents of your bookshelf—until your bottle opener slips and you skim your knuckles. You hiss, muttering, “Son of a bitch.”

“You okay back there?”

“Uh-huh,” You answer hurriedly, looking down at the beer and cracking it open before you glance over your knuckles. The skin is irritated, raised just a touch. It’s not major, nothing some cold water can’t fix.

“What, the beers fightin’ back?”

You glance up, an irritated pout affixed on your face. It melts when you see Don holding a heavy, engraved crystal plaque.

“Find something you’re interested in?” You ask.

“Excellence in broadcasting,” He reads, then looks at you as he holds up the plaque. “You were in tv?”

“Produced from a studio for a year, then jumped ship for print.”

“Some would say that written journalism is giving way to broadcast.”

“If you’re gonna say that, you’re not getting this beer.”

Don raises a penitent hand, chuckling, “I said some, not me.” He sets the award down before he strides toward you. You hold one of the beers out, and he takes it—only to set it aside in favor of taking hold of your hand and looking at your knuckles.

“What’d you do?” He mumbles, crowding closer.

“Nothing.”

“Oh?”

“Wasn’t paying attention. It slipped.” 

“Oh yeah? What were you payin’ attention to?”

It’s a trap of a question. You can’t tell him you were paying attention to him, but if you weren’t paying attention to your hands, then what the hell else could you have been looking at? You shrug a little bit, mumbling out a lame, half-hearted excuse. 

“I don’t think I caught that,” Don chuckles. 

“Nothing to catch.”

“No?”

“Nothing of consequence.”

“Not sure I believe that.”

Don raises your hand to his lips, brushing a tender kiss along your knuckles. It makes your stomach twist with shock. You almost feel as if you’ve stepped out of yourself—like you’re peering at Don from another vantage point. His warm breath brushes the back of your hand as he lifts his head to peer at you from under his sweeping lashes. 

You watch one another for a few long moments before Don straightens up. But where you thought he’d let go of your hand, he tugs you closer. You wobble a touch, raising your other hand to catch on his shoulder. He dips his head, nudging his nose against yours. But he waits. Don doesn’t dive right in; his eyes search yours, and at such close proximity, his dark eyes seem to contain multitudes.

This feels like an awful idea. You don’t want this to hang over your interactions in the future; you don’t want to risk what has become a genial relationship with him, and his team. But more than that, you want to feel Don pressed far closer than he is now.

You lean in just a little, your nose brushing lightly against Don’s. You track one another’s gaze, hardly blinking as you grow closer. For a moment, you think that one or both of you will back off, laugh awkwardly, dismiss it. But before you can second-guess yourself, Don dives in for a kiss. Your eyes slip closed at the contact. Your free hand raises to curl around the back of his neck, keeping him close. Don slides his hand away from yours, resting them on your hips. Your skin prickles with heat as he backs you up against the counter. He groans softly, smoothing his hand up the back of your shirt. You tip your head, teasing your tongue between his lips and whimpering softly. You’re set to push yourself up onto the counter, but—

You groan again, tipping your head back as his phone rings in his pocket. He spits a curse, reaching for his phone and opening it.

“Eppes.”

You lean up, brushing your lips against his neck, grinning as his fingers press against your skin, sweeping against your bra strap.

“...Alright...Alright, I’ll be there in twenty.”

Dang.

You lean back, smiling a little as he closes his phone and tucks it away again. He sighs, and before he can apologize, you offer, “It’s alright. Could’ve just as easily happened to me.”

“Yeah.” Don agrees, but he doesn’t look convinced. 

“You alright to drive?”

“Oh, yeah,” He nods. “You barely got that beer open, anyway.”

“Fuck you,” You laugh, shoving his shoulder. Don doesn’t get far, just leans back in and gives you a warm, slow kiss.

“Rain check?” He murmurs.

“Sure.” 

You disentangle yourselves, and you straighten your shirt as you trail him to the door.

“Be careful out there, Eppes.”

“I will be,” He shoots you a wink. “You gonna be up long?”

“I can be.”

His smile widens into something dopey and warm, and he nods, promising, “I’ll call.”

[philleegirl]

First line meme:

I was tagged by the lovely @greenapricot . I have recently just gotten back into writing, so after the first four be prepared for some blasts from the past… Seriously, I had to figure out my LiveJournal login!

1. heavy heart dreaming with the light on - Shetland - Jimmy/Duncan

"What ye doing," Jimmy asked as he rounded the sofa and looked down at Duncan.

2. Strangely Warm Hearts - Shetland - Jimmy/Duncan

Duncan was in the middle of the lunch rush when the distinctive ping that he had set as the text alert for both Mary and James Perez sounded from his back pocket.

3. Sleepless Heart - Shetland - Jimmy/Duncan

The sleet hitting the roof and Jimmy’s deep steady breaths were the only sounds keeping Duncan’s insomnia company as the night wore on to day.

4. Starving Hearts - Shetland - Jimmy/Duncan

An empty pizza box sat on the table in front of them.

Now we rewind to 2011

5. Surfboard Shopping - Hawaii 5-0 - Danny/Steve

Holding out his hand for her to take before crossing the road, Steve smiled down at the little girl beside him, “Okay, Miss Grace, do you remember the rules?”

6. Capital Health Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center - Hawaii 5-0 - vague Danny/Steve

James Williams steps into the ICU waiting room; the fifteen minutes he’s allotted hourly to be by his wife’s side up much too

7. Freeman, Beautiful Skin Avocado & Oatmeal Purifying Clay Masque - Midsomer Murders - Tom and Joyce Barnaby

DCI Tom Barnaby stares with open abandonment at the green muck covering his wife’s face

8. Revelation - Lewis - Lewis/Hobson

"I wonder what they talk about over breakfast?"

9. Supper and Sympathy - Lewis - pre Lewis/Hobson

“Didn’t Morse teach you anything?”

10. The Sound of His Voice - Lewis - gen with hints of Lewis/Hobson and Lewis/Morse

Detective Sergeant James Hathaway had been standing by the pub window for nearly half an hour, debating about going outside into the rain.

11. Nom De Plume - Law and Order: SVU - Elliot and Olivia

It was just a slip.

12. Freeman, Beautiful Skin Avocado & Oatmeal Purifying Clay Masque - Midsomer Murders - Tom and Joyce Barnaby

DCI Tom Barnaby stares with open abandonment at the green muck covering his wife’s face.

13. Afternoon Light Through the Glass of a City Diner - Law and Order: Criminal Intent - Bobby Goren, Alex Eames, with a fleeting pinch of Mike Logan

They watched the leather coat swirl as the man wearing it slipped out into the dwindling afternoon light.

14. Daddy(s) - Numb3rs - Don Eppes/Billy Copper/Melinda Reeves (OC)

When Melinda Reeves-Eppes entered her home and heard the gentle Jazz music coming from the master bedroom she sighed in annoyance.

15. Fishnets In Water - Criminal Minds - Derek Morgan/Penelope Garcia

He’s not really sure that the gartered stockings are strictly acceptable according to FBI dress code.

16. A Beer Shared with Friends - The West Wing - Josh Lyman and Donna Moss

Josh Lyman paused in the doorway; his hyperactive, buzzing body stilling for a rare moment.

17. Fairy Lights - Midsomer Murders - Cully Barnaby/Gavin Troy

The fairy lights twinkling above his head had to have been Cully’s idea.

18. Fermata - NCIS - Jethro Gibbs/Abby Sciuto

Music.

19. Pioggia a Firenze - NCIS - Tony DiNozzo/Maddie Tyler

The Hotel Brunelleschi is a rare gem tucked away in a small courtyard only accessible by a smaller alley in the shadow of Florence’s Il Duomo.

20. Moments Swirling Through the Air - Midsomer Murders - Cully Barnaby/Gavin Troy (but not really)

You find it hard to believe that you agreed to be in part of her wedding.

21. (Cause apparently I cant count) Love’s Prism - Numb3rs - Megan Reeves/Larry Fleinhart

“Did you know that reflective prisms were left on the moon by astronauts from the Apollo 11, 14, and 15 missions as well as the Soviet Luna 21 robot mission?”

That was a fun exercise and reminded me that I really need to move some of my old fics to AO3. Also, wow! I used to be prolific.

[bisexualmultifandommess]

Not gonna lie I’m starting to ship Colby and Charlie in my rewatch.

I might be remembering wrong because it’s early in the show but I’m sure there’s a scene (can’t remember the episode) where Colby walks into Charlie’s office and watches him work for a second while Charlie is completely oblivious lmao and he looks amused, confused, amazed and kind of fond for a moment all at the same time.

[judgeverse]

Nikki convinces the men of the IHOF (International House Of Feds) that "man-dates" are now a thing, then dares Ian to make the most of it. In typical Edgerton fashion, he gives it a shot. (wordcount: 2687, rating: T)

“Yeah, why not?” Don puts his paperwork aside. It’s a good reason to ditch out of the office and keep avoiding all of the responsibilities weighing on him. Not his own actual responsibilities -- he’s good about those -- but the extra shit that keeps getting dropped on his desk by anybody who doesn’t want to pull their weight and is counting on the Eppes work ethic to pick up the slack. He’s sick and tired of it, actually, but hasn’t vented about it, because he’s not the guy that does that kind of thing. Ian is looking like a very welcoming alternative right now. “Where we going?” “Nice spot out by the ocean,” says Ian. “Oh, yeah,” says Nikki. “It’s where all the hardened criminals go surfing.” 

[robertdowneyhiddlesbatch]

Guess who’s head is filled with Numb3rs fic? Moi

Secret Eppes sibling. Don (or both) are reluctant to accept but at the end Don is like SUUPER over protective of her.

Why does this happen to me

[xyriath]

It seems there are actually a few people left on this site who are still in this fandom, so here’s a fic for you all!

—

Have gun, will travel.

Ship: Ian Edgerton/Charlie Eppes

Rating: T (will probably go up)

Chapter: 1 of ???

Summary: Ian Edgerton has never been one for spending too much time in a single place. Freedom, adventure; he's worked hard to earn that in the FBI, and he intends to keep it. But the appeal of Los Angeles is slowly growing on him, and it's not just the beaches.

Charlie Eppes would like to think that his complete and total failure to have had a single meaningful relationship by the age of twenty-seven has to do with his accelerated academic career and dedication to his work, nothing more. He's too busy these days, after all, now that he's added FBI consultation to his already busy docket.

Ian loves very few things more than ruining plans and challenging expectations.

—

It’s back again.

Charlie had gotten so good at ignoring it by now that he’d thought it gone for good.   Or maybe had never even existed. Spending puberty in a university doesn’t exactly lend itself to normal personal development, after all, and it’s not like his usual social circle...

He swallows and forces the thought away.

But no effort in the world will force away the damn... sensation.

The man—Edgerton, Don had called him?—folds his sunglasses after pulling them off like a character from a crime show cold open, and Charlie’s stomach does an uncomfortable somersault.  A familiar somersault.

The man is tall.  And rugged. And smug.

[Read More]