#I had to ride with her in the ambulance last night

[mj0702]

For @helen-with-an-a and her master brain and for @valewosomtb because she's now officially allowed to run people over now

You just wanted to do something nice. For Ona. Who looked after you the whole week while Lucy was away all the way back in England to “get some things sorted” - namely selling the house Keira and she bought all those years back. The house you basically grew up in. But now was not the time to dwell on long gone things. Now was the time to worry. To worry about Ona. She was maybe small – but she was also damn scary.

You watched all them firefighters weaseling in and out of your (Onas and Lucys) house in their full firefighter clothes with breathing mask so they don't inhale all the smoke. The smoke you inhaled. Oh Lucy gonna be so pissed. You sat in the back of an ambulance, your arm bandaged all the way up to your shoulder an oxygen mask over your nose and mouth like you were starring in an episode of Grey's Anatomy. You looked up at the paramedic who smiled at you with pity in her eyes as she pulled another liquid into a new syringe

“Hey ehrm... quick question” you said your voice raspy as you pulled the mask from your face

“Yes?” the paramedic – who looked a LOT like princess norwegian – looked away from the medication and right at you

“Ehrm... how long will that take until everything is done and all of you guys are gone again?” you asked a little embarrassed

“You got a deep 2nd degree burn and a smoke in your lungs and you really want us to go?” the dark haired medic asked confused

“Yeah...” you looked up shyly

“Yeah sorry that's not going to happen” the woman said smiling slightly “... we need to take you into hospital but we have to wait for an adult that gives us consent to do so... so no, we won't leave in the next few minutes”

“I'm an orphan...” you quickly said

“Oh please” the dark haired woman snorted “... you really think we don't know who you are? If I have to I contact Alexia Putellas”

“Ona is going to kill me” you mumbled as you pulled the mask back over your nose

“Ona Batlle” the paramedic asked as she pushed the liquid into you IV

“Yeah...” you croaked under your mask before you started to cough

“Looks like you're out of luck...” the spanish paramedic smirked nodding towards the end of the street where you could see a black Cupra with an open drivers door and a blonde woman sprinting up the hill towards the scene

“Fuck me... hide me....” you coughed “... better... kill me... you're probably way softer about it... she'll just rip me head off”

“The panicked expression on her face tells me she won't rip your head off” the woman smiled after she took a quick glance at Ona

“That's her disguise... she always looks nice and friendly and approachable but no no....” you croaked out “... she's pure evil... small... but pure evil... she didn't allow me dessert the last three nights”

“So evil” the woman snorted “... is that why you tried to get into her good books again?”

“No.. that was supposed to be just a thank you” you mumbled

“Bebita...” Ona suddenly appeared next to the ambulance her face panicked her breathing labored

“I swear I had good intensions” you immediately said shuffling back a little bit

“Are you okay?” the blonde spaniard asked checking you over “Your arm... what's with your arm?”

“2nd degree burn... we have to take her in but we needed an adult to give consent” the paramedic woman said trying to keep her face neutral but everyone could see the smirk that was forming on her lips

“Yes yes of course...” Ona said quickly “... take her”

“What?” you squeaked out shocked “... you can't let them take me”

“To the hospital Bebita... I promise I'm right there with you okay?” the blonde said gently

“Just hop in... you can ride with us” the dark haired woman said and immediately Ona stepped into the Ambulance

“Ona.....” you whined as you saw the doctors and nurses speed walking past your hospital bed

“It's okay Bebita” Ona said softly holding your left hand her thumb stroking over your knuckles in a calming manner

“No.... everything went wrong” you felt tears prickle in your eyes

“I don't care what happened Bebé...” the spaniard said gently “.... all that matter is that you are okay”

“No...” you chocked out

“No? What you mean no?” Ona asked confused

“I ruined everything” you sobbed as Ona started to brush your tears away

“No no Bebita... everything is okay... you are okay and that's I need” the blonde kept her voice soft

“I swear I just tried to make something good” you kept crying and at one point Ona realized it was the painkillers that made you cry

“Something good hm?” Ona smiled when she saw how the pain medication kicked in

“I wanted to make you paella” you sobbed heartbreakingly “... like you always make it”

“Oh Bebita” the blonde sighed

“I went with Mapí to the market thingy to buy sea creatures and that was a disaster because Mapí bought a whole fin thing” you started to ramble while Ona had to bite her lip hard to not burst out laughing “... a WHOLE one... with all the inside stuff... when she asked if I wanted a whole fin thing I thought she meant like... not whole...”

“Hm...” Ona just hummed amused

“... and then we got some of them... crab snippy thingies... the bigger ones... the ones that always look at Lucy when she eats them” you kept on rambling not even caring that Ona had to work really hard not to burst out laughing at your misery “... and I said “just two” and Mapí talked speed spaniard and you know I can't follow speed spaniard”

“I know Bebita... your spanish got very good” the blonde praised you but you didn't even noticed it as you just kept on talking

“... I wanted to snippy snappies not two kilo... so I had a whole fin thing with inside stuff and a bag full of snippy snappies... and Maps was so proud of herself that she was the bestest translator that I couldn't tell her she got it all wrong” you sniffed

“What happened then?” Ona asked keeping you occupied since you didn't even noticed the nurse that started to change your bandage

“Well... I went to the beach and made a snippy snappie race to see which ones are the slowest so I wouldn't kill the best ones... they have the best chance to survive... so I let them free on the beach but they didn't race each other... they... just ran in different directions and in the end I had no snippy snappies” you sobbed “... but I still had the fin thing so I went home and thought I just make rice with fin thing for you and order burger for me... I don't like fin thing... bleh”

“I know Bebita... you don't like fish... or sea food in general” the blonde smiled

“So when I came home I had to... cut..” you started to heave

“Deep breath Bebita....” Ona said calming

“Do you know how much things fin things have inside them... so so many things” you gagged again “so I got all the insides outside and I figured we need an alligator so the insides just don't lay around on the outside in the kitchen”

“An alligator? You could have also just used the trash bin” the blonde chuckled

“His name is Jesús... he'll be such a good gator...” you said wishfully as a doctor checked out your arm making you wince in progress

“So you really prepared a fresh fish for me Bebita” Ona said distracting you from the pain

“Yeah... it was really bleh...” you scrunched up your nose your eyes glassy

“So... how did you end up occupying a whole fire department?” the blonde mused

“Oh yeah... so I made the rice yeah... I followed the YouTube steps to the brim...” you got back on track of your retelling what happened “... and put the fin thing in the pan... and then I remembered that I saw that thing on that show...”

“That thing on that show?” Ona asked confused

“Yeah... you know...” you showed a pan swivel motion

“No.. I don't but please continue” the blonde shook her head

“So I looked in Lucys adult cupboard...” you started again

“Wait... Bedroom or living room??” Ona interrupted quickly

“There's an adult cupboard in the bedroom?” you asked confused tilting your head

“No... no... absolutely not” the blonde back paddled quickly shaking her head

“Oh... okay... alcohol is not good in the bedroom... only alcoholics have alcohol in the bedroom” you slurred “... so I went to get some of the alcohol and put it in the pan like they always do in the show”

“Oh god...” Ona groaned suddenly knowing what you were talking about

“So I tried to make it extra crispy but it wouldn't... poof you know” you looked at Ona but in reality you looked through her “... so I took a match and threw it in there and then it went... poof... big poof”

“Oh Bebita” the blonde started to pinch the bridge of her nose

“I tried to extinct the fire but then my sweater got very warm and it got very... smoky and yeah... next thing I know is that the men with the heavy boots kicked in the door” you at least had the audacity to look guilty

“Bebita... I really appreciate you going out of your way to make dinner for me but PLEASE don't get yourself in danger like that” Ona said seriously but you were already looking in the other direction

“Did you know we are in a hospital?” you asked looking around in awe

“I'm feeling like I lived through that before” the blonde mumbled as you pointed at an exit sign

“That's so pretty” you said in awe “Pretty green”

“Mhm...” Ona hummed stroking over your forehead trying to calm you down so much that you fall asleep

“You’re also very pretty…. Pretty spaniard” you slurred

“That would be Alexia but thank you Bebita” Ona chuckled

“Oni...” you mumbled “... I'm getting sleepy”

“Then sleep Bebita” the blonde whispered gently hoping you would listen to her

“But the green is so pretty” you mumbled your eyes darting back to the exit sign

“I'll get you your very own pretty green sign if you close your eyes and sleep for a few minutes” Ona said softly

“Okay” you sighed deeply closing your eyes falling asleep instantly

“No Lucy... she's not badly hurt” you heard Ona speaking softly her thumb still running over your knuckles “.... her arm is burned and she inhaled a bit of smoke but the docs say she'll be good in a week or so”

You made a low whining sound resulting in Ona looking up and over at you

“She's waking up...” the blonde said into the phone “... I'll call you later okay? Yeah... Love you too”

“Hey Bebita... how are you feeling?” Ona asked softly

“Me throat hurts” you whine still half asleep

“That was to be expected Bebé” the blonde hummed stroking over your cheek

“I really didn't mean to cause trouble” you mumbled ashamed

“I know Bebita....” Ona kept her voice soft “.... but Lucy and I decided that you'll take some cooking lessons... with my Mamí”

“It was all Mapís fault...” you whined “... she started the whole fuck up with buying the wrong fish”

“We'll work on your cooking okay?” the blonde said gently seeing how your eyes start to fall shut once again “... sleep some more Bebita... I'll be here when you wake up again”

“Hey Bubs...” you heard a soft voice next to you “... open your pretty eyes for me okay?”

“Five more minutes” you mumbled trying to turn away just to turn onto your burned arm making you shoot up clutching your arm in pain

“Easy Bubs...” Lucy reacted quickly moving your hand away from your bandaged arm “... easy... breath Bubs”

“Owie” you whined tears shooting into your eyes

“Yeah.... you really outdid yourself this time” your sister chuckled “... Keira is not happy”

“Owie” you whined again

“Mhm...” Lucy hummed “... I just woke you up so I can force some more medication down your throat”

“No” you looked at your sister pitifully

“Yes...” your sister smiled gently “... come on Bubs... just two pills and then you can sleep again”

“Lucy” you whined just realizing your sister sitting next to your bed – your own bed “... when did I go home?”

“I got you home last night” Lucy smiled still holding two pills in her palm

“I....” you looked confused

“I know... you were dead to the world” your sister chuckled “Open”

“Nooooo” you whined pulling your head away from Lucy

“Bubs you know I will get these pills down your throat” Lucy said gently grabbing your chin “It's either you take them or I'll make you OR I'll get Keira... you have to take them... one is a painkiller and one is an antibiotics”

“You're so mean” you huffed but opened your mouth

“I know... good girl” your sister smiled popping the pills into your mouth holding out a glass of water “... swallow”

“I'm not Ona” you grumbled as you grabbed the glass

“Don't start....” Lucy warned you but still smirked “... open”

You opened your mouth showing your sister you swallowed the pills

“Good.... now... will you behave when Ona changes your bandages?” your sister asked

“It won't hurt right?” you asked scared

“No.... the nurses showed us how to do it” Lucy said gently as Ona entered the room carrying several bandages and creams

“No no no no no” you said as you saw the materials shuffling away from where Ona put the stuff down

“It's okay Bubs” your sister said calmly “... it's not going to hurt”

“I don't like that” you tried to get away but Lucy quickly got you and just pulled you in between her legs so you have know chance to run

“It's okay.... it won't hurt” Lucy repeated over and over again

“No Lucy please” you sobbed as your sister hugged you tightly into her

“Okay... okay... calm down” your sister said quickly “... we won't do it”

Ona shot Lucy a quick look and Lucy just shook her head before she returned to whisper sweet nothings against your temple to calm you down

“I thought we won't change...” Ona started half an hour later

“.... she's out cold... of course we change her bandages...” Lucy said as she carefully held your arm for Ona to unwrap it

“She's going to kill us” the blonde catalan mumbled working as quickly as she could

“We'll let her call Alexia later... she'll wake up high as a kite again.... she'll be so happy to talk to the “pretty spaniard” for as long as she wants” your sister grinned making her girlfriend chuckle

“I'm sorry Lucy... I really am” Ona said her voice low as she carefully pulled the compresses off your arm cleaning the burn

“What are you sorry for?” Lucy asked confused still holding your arm

“You trusted me with her... she got hurt... I should've...” the blonde started her voice breaking slightly

“Babe no... no no no” your sister quickly interfered “... it's not your fault”

“You left her under my watch and she got hurt... how can it not be my fault?” Ona sniffled lightly as she started to wrap your arm back up

“She's a klutz Babe... no one holds you responsible... not Keira... not Bubs... and definitely not me” Lucy said seriously “... you know how often she got hurt just because I turned around for a second... trouble finds her... I swear there's ONE glass shard on the whole beach... I guarantee you you she'll steps into it...”

“I got so scared when I saw all these firefighter trucks and ambulances....” the blonde confessed lowly “... I got scared for her but then I also got scared you could hate me”

“I could never hate you Baby... I love you” your sister said softly as she gently placed your arm back down

“.... now let get out of here and let her sleep and I show you just how much I love you” Lucy smirked pulling Ona out of the room while you snored peacefully

[xxchumanixx]

can you please do a tim bradford x fem reader where they are dating but he also her TO, so while they are on duty he is kinda harsh on her (like he is to lucy on the show) but off duty he is like so sweet to her. thank you <33

Sweet 'n Sour

Tim Bradford x fem!reader

Warnings/Tags: language, fluff

Word count: 1.098

Authors note: Hey love, thanks for the request! Actually thought about this kind of situation before, so let's see if I can make it come true (and match your expectations)! I'm a little nervous, but I hope you'll like it (at least a little bit)!

"God damn it, boot!" Tim shouted, slamming his car door shut angrily, making you flinch, before rounding the car and coming to a halt before you. "How many times do I have to tell you not to throw yourself in harms way at first sight!"

You were just back from a call were two kids were playing with a gun, when a shot fired, barely missing you, as you tried to stop them.

Tim had almost lost his mind, not talking to you on your way to your current call, until you had enough, provoking him until he had enough.

Rolling your eyes you briefly nodded, looking away from him.

Big mistake.

"Hey!" he warned, taking a step closer. "Don't roll your eyes at me, do we understand?"

Looking back up your eyes met his stern ones - nothing in those eyes hinted at the love he held for you in private, when the shift was over and you were lying in his arms at night.

Sighing you nodded, signaling him that you indeed understood.

"Good." he murmured, before turning around and walking towards the front door of the house infront of you.

Biting your lip you followed him.

You couldn't wait for your time as a rookie - as his rookie - finally being over. When he wasn't your TO anymore, you could finally stop the hiding.

At least after letting some time pass as to not look too suspicious.

Tim knocked at the door, as you joined his side, waiting for the owner to open it.

"Hello." a young man greeted you, when the door opened, his eyes nervously shifting from Tim to you and back.

Raising a brow you looked at Tim, who slightly shook his head. "Mr. Turner?" he wanted to know, looking at the man before you. He nodded, his hands nervously fidgeting at his sides.

"We're looking for a woman, her names Melissa McCarthey, and regarding our information she was last seen here, at your house."

The man chuckled nervously, again looking between you. "I don't know a Melis-" he wanted to respond, when he was interrupted by a scream, as a woman attacked him from behind, jumping on his back and hitting him on the head.

You jumped back in shock, as the collision caused them to stumble through the door and towards you.

Tim and you shared a look, both confused and shocked, before you went after them, pulling the woman from Mr. Turners back.

Tim handcuffed him, whilst you inspected the woman. Her clothes were dirty, her wrists showing signs of being bound together with ropes.

"Tim, it's her - it's Melissa McCarthey!" you told him, eyes wide in surprise as you recognized her.

"You're under arrest, Mr. Turner." Tim told him, shaking his head at the man, when he still insisted on not knowing her.

Whilst he took him under arrest, you called for an ambulance, checking the woman for any signs of injuries.

On your way back to the LAPD you looked out of the window, watching people enjoy their time off, walking dogs or riding a bike.

Sighing you were glad that your shift would be over soon, already looking forward to a warm bath and some tea.

"You okay?" Tim wanted to know, sparing you a glance, before looking back at the street. "Yeah, just tired." you responded, rubbing at your eyes.

"We didn't accomplish our goal for today, there is nothing to be tired of, boot." he responded coldly.

Barely holding back from rolling your eyes yet again you kept quiet, only nodding slightly.

When you entered the garage, you exited the car, slamming the door behind you in frustration.

He was right, you didn't accomplish your goal for today, something Grey surely had an opinion about.

"Tomorrow I want you to do 30 push-ups, before we go out there." Tim ordered, causing you to look at him in bewilderment, eyes wide.

"Wha-" you wanted to argue, but he cut you off. "40! For every time you complain ill make it ten more." he harshly gave back, eyes trained on you.

Nodding you accepted your fate, as you looked down, not wanting it to get even more push-ups.

It wasn't easy sneaking around, not being able to drive together or driving with your car to his house, so you took the bus, entering the house when Tim was already cooking, a delicious smell filling the room.

"Hey." he greeted you, smiling.

Every time you and him were together in private, it was such a stark contrast to his behavior as your TO, that you almost had to do a double check, just to be sure this was real.

"Hey." you gave back, smiling as well, as you put down your keys beside his on the dresser beside the door.

He met you halfway, his hands finding your hips as he kissed you. "I'm making dinner, pasta alfredo." he told you, his eyes finding yours.

"Perfect." you told him, smiling up at him, as he kissed you again, before he abruptly let go of you. "The pasta!" he shouted, as he ran to the stove, frantically stirring the pasta to not burn it.

Laughing you took off your jacket, hanging it up, before joining him in the kitchen. The food looked delicious, what you told him.

"Thanks, babe." he returned, placing a quick kiss on your temple, before he grabbed two plates, putting them down on the dining table.

You helped him by getting the cutlery, neatly putting it down beside the plates.

He finished the pasta, serving it before sitting down opposite you.

As you ate you didn't talk that much, besides a little smalltalk.

The food was delicious.

"What do you say if we take a bath afterwards? I bet your neck must hurt after today." Tim asked after finishing his pasta, taking a sip of his beer.

Nodding you smiled gratefully at him. "That would be nice."

He smiled back, standing up and rounding the table. "I'll run the bath while you eat up." He told you, kissing your forehead, before he went to the bathroom.

He really was the sweetest.

When you were sat in the tub together, he started to massage your neck, making you groan, satisfied.

He chuckled, planting a kiss on your shoulder.

"Thank you, baby." you mumbled, sighing. "Everything for you, love." he gave back.

"I love you, Tim. Even when you treat me like an ass at work." you told him, a smile stretching your lips. "I love you too," he returned, kissing your cheek.

"Boot."

[the-badger-mole]

Kindness of Strangers

Please pick up

I'm busy

I know, but this is an emergency

With shaking hands, Zuko found Mai's number and pressed the call button. It rang twice before her voicemail picked up. Zuko groaned and almost started crying.

Mai, pick up Seriously, it's an emergency I don't got out that often zuko. You can't let me have ONE night? Mai I think i need to go to the hospital My stomach. I think it's food poisoning or something Your stomach ache? Seriously? You're a big boy. You can handle an upset tummy Drink some tea

Zuko groaned again. It felt like something solid and hot was burning through his intestine. He tried calling Mai again. This time it only rang once before he was sent to voicemail.

Leave me alone! If you call again, I'm blocking you

Zuko dialed Mai once more. Sure enough, it went right to voicemail this time. She'd done it. Zuko felt bile rising in his throat along with panic. His uncle was out of town. Haru, his only other friend didn't have a car. An ambulance was out of the question. His father had removed him from the family insurance policy, and though his uncle was working on the details to add Zuko to his own insurance, that wouldn't kick in until the following month at least. All Zuko had in the meantime was the student insurance the university provided, and it didn't cover ambulance rides. That left just one option.

The unsteadiness of his legs was a bad sign. As was the way his stomach roiled in protest at the movement. The hospital wasn't far, though, Zuko reasoned. He made it to his door, then he stumbled out into the hall, not even bothering with his shoes. He heard a gasp, and realized his neighbor across the hall was there.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Zuko shook his head. Then, he doubled over and puked onto the tile floor. The neighbor-Zuko recalled he'd heard someone call her Katara.

"My stomach," Zuko groaned, clutching his side. Katara rushed over and tried to help him stand, but the pain wouldn't let him stand upright. He felt a cool hand against his forehead. Then is jerked away with a gasp.

"You need to go to the hospital!" Katara said. She pulled out her phone, but Zuko groaned and tried to stop her.

"No ambulance," he insisted miserably. "Can't afford it." Katara hesitated, and Zuko knew she was debating calling anyway. Finally she sighed and slipped his arm around her shoulders, and helped him into the elevator and into the parking lot.

"Don't you dare throw up in my car," she muttered, strapping him into the passenger seat of a small, blue sedan. She slid into the driver's seat and reached into the back. Zuko was vaguely aware of some rustling, but he didn't know what it meant until Katara passed him an empty plastic bag. She peeled out of the parking lot and raced the two miles to the hospital. The large, white building was in sight when Zuko made good use of the plastic bag. He was still clutching it minutes later when Katara helped him out of the car and into the emergency room.

The next bit was a blur. He was brought back to triage almost immediately where it was discovered he had a ruptured appendix. The words emergency surgery were the last words he heard clearly before he was being stripped, shaved and prepped for the OR. This, he would later decide, was a blessing. He hated hospitals, and this visit would've sent him into an anxiety spiral. As it was, he still had a moment of panic when he woke up attached to an IV and several upsetting sounding monitors, but the panic fizzled into confusion when he realized he wasn't alone in the room. Across from him, in the chair, his neighbor sat curled up under a thin blanket.

She must have felt him staring because she stirred, and then looked up at him. She blinked in confusion, trying to understand where she was and why, Zuko guessed. Then she smiled at him sleepily.

"The doctor said you'd be out a while," she told him. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I...yeah," Zuko said. He was fine, at the moment, though, he could feel the dull ache emanating from his side from where they'd taken his appendix out. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't know who to call," Katara explained. "I thought you would probably prefer not to wake up in a hospital room alone. They said it was fine if I stayed."

"Oh..." Zuko eyes fell to his hand, to the needle and tube stuck into his skin. Whatever the IV was delivering seemed to be working. He was already feeling the haze of sleepiness creeping back in. "Thank you."

"No problem." Katara smiled warmly. "Is there someone you want me to call? I have your phone."

"Did..." Zuko swallowed hard. "Did anyone call me?" Katara glanced down at his phone and shook her head.

"No," she said. "You've only been here about three or so hours, though." Zuko sighed and let his head fall back. Mai hadn't called. He was irritated, but also a bit...relieved? That surprised him.

"Can you call my uncle?" he asked. He told Katara his passcode. As he drifted to sleep, he heard her telling his uncle that he was fine, and had already come out of surgery.

The next time he woke, the sun was up, and he was once again not alone. Iroh sat in the chair across from him, worry lines etched deep in his face. His entire body unclenched with relief when he saw Zuko open his eyes. He was, Zuko surmised, thinking of the last time he'd sat in a hospital room with his nephew.

"How are you feeling, Zuko?" he asked. He came up to Zuko's side and placed a hand on his wrist, careful not to disturb the medicine drip.

"Like lukewarm garbage," Zuko sighed. The events of the night before caught up to him and he jolted up, looking around. "Where's...?"

"That lovely young woman who brought you in?" Iroh chuckled. "She offered to stay, but she looked like she could use some rest. Very kind of her to sit with you."

"Yeah," Zuko agreed. Iroh cast him a sly look, one that Zuko was too heavily medicated to take heed of.

"She's very pretty, too," he commented offhandedly. "Even after spending the night sleeping in a hospital chair."

"She's too young for you," Zuko snorted.

"Indeed!" Iroh agreed emphatically. "But...she is just the right age for a handsome young man who happens to be studying at the same school and lives in the same building as her. One who now owes her a nice thank you dinner. One into whose phone I took the liberty of programing her number, and who should definitely call and let her know how he's doing."

"Uncle," Zuko groaned.

"I did tell her you would let her know you're okay," Iroh said. "I'm just saying."

"I'm dating Mai." That brought back the earlier portion of the night. Zuko looked around and grabbed his phone. Surely Mai had called him at some point. There was nothing from her. He tried calling her, but it still went straight to voicemail.

"Something wrong?" Iroh asked. Zuko sighed and shook his head.

"No, uncle. Nothing at all."

Zuko didn't hear from Mai until the following day. He hadn't tried to reach out to her again, so he didn't know when she had unblocked him. Suddenly, his phone started ringing and her name and picture showed up.

"Hello?" Zuko said groggily. He had been taken off the pain medication, but the effects hadn't worn off yet.

"Why is your door unlocked?" Mai asked. "Where are you?" Anger boiled up in Zuko's body, unhindered by the lingering drugs.

"The hospital," he told her dryly. "My appendix ruptured." He had at least the satisfaction of hearing her gasp.

"What hospital are you at?" she asked. "How long have you been there?"

"I've been here since I called you to tell you I needed to go to the hospital," Zuko snapped. Mai let out an irritated huff.

"Well, I would've come if you'd told me it was that serious," she said. "It just sounded like you were overreacting about a stomach flu! Where are you? When are you getting checked out?"

"They're discharging me tomorrow," Zuko told her.

"Do you need a ride home?" Mai asked.

"It's taken care of," he said, shortly. "Uncle's coming to get me, so you don't have to bother about it."

"Why are you being so bratty about this?" Mai demanded. "I said I was sorry!" She hadn't, but Zuko chose not to point that out.

"Where were you?" he asked instead.

"Out with friends." That answered absolutely nothing, but the tone of her voice told Zuko that was all the answer he would get.

"Whatever," he huffed. Mai was silent on the other end for a long moment.

"You want me to bring some food?" she asked. She sounded unusually subdued. "I can bring you something at the hospital, or I can make something for when you get back, tomorrow."

"It's fine," Zuko sighed. "I'm staying with Uncle for a few days."

"Are you going to be all mopey about this?" Mai demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko turned his head to scowl at his phone.

"You're doing that woe-is-me, kicked puppy voice you do," Mai said. "I'm sorry I didn't rush over when you called, but I had been drinking, so it's not like I would've been able to take you anyway."

"So instead of saying that, you blocked me?" Zuko's grip on the phone tightened, and he resisted the urge to hurl it across the room. Surely it shouldn't be this hard being in a relationship. Surely it shouldn't be a battle to get his girlfriend to be sympathetic to him after he almost died and needed emergency surgery. The machine monitoring his heartrate started making an alarmed beeping noise, and Zuko forced himself to take a deep breath.

"You know what?" Mai said quietly. "I'm going to let you go. Clearly you need some rest."

"Mai-"

"See you later, Zuko."

The call dropped. Mai had hung up on him again. Zuko's heartrate dropped to it's normal pace.

Mai didn't call again after that, and Zuko didn't call either. She sent him a few texts during the time that he was at his uncle's house recovering. He sent her very short responses. He was fine. He would be home after his stiches were removed.

A day or two into his stay, another message came through.

Hey Just wanted to see how you were doing This is Katara, by the way. Your neighbor Your uncle gave me your number Hope that's ok

Zuko was fine with it, it turned out. More fine than a man with a girlfriend should be, maybe.

When he finally returned to his apartment, his first call was to let Mai know hie was home. She didn't live far, and she wasn't busy. Fifteen minutes later, she was at his door, looking sullen and bored.

"Glad to see you're okay," she said.

"Yeah." Zuko led her into the apartment and sat at the table. Uncle had left him with cookies, among other assorted reheatable dishes. He offered one to Mai. She declined. Then there was nothing else to stall with.

"Why did you block me?" he asked Mai. There was no heat in his voice, no anger. He genuinely wanted to know. Mai scowled at him.

"Seriously? You're not over that yet?"

"I just want to know why," Zuko pressed.

"You were bugging me," Mai shrugged carelessly. "I was out with friends, and I thought you were just trying to get me to leave early."

"When have I ever done that to you?" Indignation flashed through Zuko, hot and bright. Mai just shrugged again. She sat back in her seat and folded her arms.

"I'm sorry, alright?" she huffed. "Can you just drop it now?" Zuko leaned back and studied Mai. He had been with her for five years. She was his first ever high school girlfriend. Had she always been so dismissive?

"I needed you," he said. That made Mai roll her eyes skyward.

"I promise it won't happen again," she said. Zuko shut his eyes and shook his head.

He had other questions. Lots of them. For one thing it occurred to him that she might be cheating, and the reason she refused to answer or come to him when he called was because she was busy with some other guy. It wouldn't have been the first time. He could ask and give her a chance to lie about it. He could even pretend to believe her. Or she might be telling the truth and he was wrong about her cheating. It didn't matter, he realized suddenly. Her answer didn't matter, so he wouldn't ask.

"It won't happen again," he agreed at last. "Mai... I think we should break up."

Zuko's next call was to Katara. The day after his messy break up with Mai, having cleaned up the remains of his cookies and the plate they were on, Zuko dialed Katara's number.

"Hello?" she said, sounding uncertain.

"Hey...um...Zuko here." Zuko's face flushed hotly when he heard her giggle on the other end.

"I know," she said. "I have your number, remember? How are you doing? Are you back?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm back. I'm feeling a lot better. A little sore, but I can get around."

"I'm glad to hear it." And she sounded genuinely glad. "You didn't have to do all that to meet me, though. You could've just knocked on my door and said hi."

"And waste an opener like puking my guts and almost dying in your car?" Zuko was rewarded with another giggle. She had a nice laugh, he thought. It was so easy to talk to her.

"It was a memorable opener, I'll give you that," she said, laughing again.

"Yeah." Zuko swallowed hard against his suddenly dry mouth. "I was actually calling to thank you. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been here."

"Don't worry about it," Katara said. "I'm just glad I was able to help."

"Yes, well..." Zuko chided himself for being such a coward, and he forced his next words out. "I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me. To thank you! To say thanks for saving my life."

"Zuko, you don't owe me anything," Katara said gently. Zuko's heart fell into his stomach.

"Oh...I just thought I'd offer." He tried to keep his tone even and friendly as he hit his forehead with his other hand. Stupid. This was a stupid, stupid idea. "If you're not interested, I understand."

"I didn't say I wasn't interested," Katara said quietly. "Just that you don't owe me. I-I wouldn't mind having dinner with you. Just...you know, not as an obligation you think you owe me."

"Oh..."

Oh!

"What if it's not an obligation?" Zuko asked. "What if-I'm asking because I think you're kind and pretty and I'd like to get to know you better?"

Katara went silent for what felt like a nerve-wrackingly long time, but was likely just a few short seconds. Then she said the three sweetest words Zuko thought he'd ever heard.

"It's a date."

[rollingsins]

all hers, part xxvi

part i | part ii | part iii | part iv | part v | part vi | part vii | part viii | part ix | part x | part xi | part xii | part xiii | part xiv | part xv | part xvi | part xvii | part xviii | part xix | part xx | part xxi | part xxii | part xxiii | part xxiv | part xxv | part xxvi | epilogue

summary: In the aftermath of everything, back to Woodsboro YN and Tara go.

warnings: (+18), Tara is Ghostface, mention of violence.

word count: 2.3k

a/n: this is a bit of a nothing chapter, apologies in advance. This is also the penultimate chapter, part of why I've been procrastinating so long. but alas, all good things must come to an end ;'))

The trip back to Woodsboro hospital is smoother than anticipated. 

The morphine does wonders for your pain, but not so much for your coherence. By the time you’re rolled out into the ambulance, you’ve told Tara how pretty she is at least six times and declared Sam ‘best sister-in-law in the world’ at least three. 

Thankfully, Nurse Rosario is nowhere to be found. 

Although Tara had mellowed slightly after your last talk, you’re not keen for a repeat. After she’d plied you with enough morphine to take down a horse, she’d disappeared. Perhaps heeding the warning of Tara’s stormy glare. 

Tara rides in the ambulance with you, her hand pressed in yours. Sam sits beside you (Dewey had re-romandeered the car they’d stolen with a sigh and a forgiving smile). 

By the time you’re rolled into Woodsboro hospital, it’s near noon. Your Dad’s insurance has paid for a private room for him, your Mom and you and so you tilt your neck eagerly as you’re rolled onto the floor, searching each face for the familiarity of your parents. 

“Your parents are here,” Says one of the EMTs, noticing the way your head tilts around madly, “Your Mom is getting a scan done, your Dad is with her. They’re both okay. They’ll be here soon.” 

“Thanks,” You say, though it doesn’t sate your anxiety. That won’t be gone until they’re both here with you.

The floor is awash with busy doctors and nurses. 

Most don’t give you a second look. 

Except for one. 

Nurse Dawson is standing near one of the nurses stations when you’re rolled into your room. 

You see her first, though Tara doesn’t notice her. 

And when Nurse Dawson turns and sees your girlfriend, her face falls. 

Only for a moment. Her face conflicts, but the professionalism wins out. 

She straightens her shoulders. 

And you can tell by the look on her face she’s the one assigned to you. 

Tara smiles at you as the EMTs settle you into your new bed. Oblivious to the carnage she causes. 

It’s like some sort of reverse superpower. 

The ability to somehow irritate every medical professional assigned to her. 

You sigh and lean back into your pillows as the nurse approaches. 

“YN. Ms Carpenter,” She says politely enough, “Nice to see you again.” 

Tara looks over impatient. You can tell by the lack of recognition in her face she doesn’t recognise the nurse. Instead, she looks over to Sam. 

“Sure,” Says Tara, nonplussed, “I’m going to need another bed in here for my sister. She spent last night on a couple of plastic chairs.”

You look around the room. 

There’s two empty beds - presumably for your mother and father. It’s cramped in here, more so than usual with your family reunion. You can tell before the Nurse speaks Tara isn’t going to like her answer. 

“We don’t have beds to spare for visitors, Tara,” Nurse Dawson says pointedly, “Perhaps you and your sister could come back in the morning.” 

Tara stares a moment. 

Then her eyes narrow. 

You tug gently at her hand trying to draw her attention. 

“Babe,” You touch her arm gently, “Maybe it’s not a terrible idea. You and Sam could both go home and get some rest.”

“Absolutely not,” Tara says, voice indignant, “I’m not leaving you alone, baby.”

“Mom and Dad will be here with me,” You assure, but Tara’s turned her glare towards you, “Seriously babe. I’ll be okay.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Says Tara, voice final. She shoots a look over to Nurse Dawson, “I’ll sleep on the floor if I have to.” 

-

Your Mom is wheeled back in first. 

You sit up in your bed so abruptly you almost knock Tara to the floor. 

Your Mom is misty-eyed, gaze a little unfocused, undoubtedly strung out on pain medication. Her eyes well when she sees you, hand twitching as she sits a little taller in her seat. 

“Mom,” You croak, “Mom, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, darling,” She says. The nurse wheels her into the slot beside you and she reaches for your hand, “Are you okay?” 

Sam wanders off to leave you to your reunion, but Tara stays nestled into your side. Your Mom’s leg is gone, and you can’t help the flood of tears that burst through each time your gaze wanders down. 

“It’s alright, YN,” Your Mom assures, “I’m alive. Dad’s alive. You’re alive. That’s all that matters.” 

Your Dad follows in, shortly after. 

He’s in a wheelchair, looking so frail with dark circles under his eyes and milky, pale skin. He squeezes your hand and leans forward to press a kiss to your cheek.

And then he surveys Tara. 

She’s sitting up now, your hand still pressed firmly in hers. He watches quietly for a moment. You almost think he’s about to ask her to leave when he reaches out, and outstretches his hand. 

Tara blinks in surprise. 

Your eyebrows furrow. 

Your Dad looks serious. The kind of seriousness usually accompanied by a raise in tone or the promise of his shotgun. But there’s none of that now.  

Hesitantly, Tara takes his hand. 

“Thank you,” He says, as she clasps her hand in his. He shakes it firmly, “Thank you for saving my daughter.”

Tara doesn’t say anything. 

You look at your Dad. His voice is earnest, his brows pinched.

He looks open.

Like he’s about to cry. 

“Dad,” You say, voice soft.

He squeezes Tara’s hand once, then lets her go. Slowly, he wheels towards you, eyes misty. 

“You,” He says as he pulls you into a hug, “Are never leaving my side again.” 

He pulls back slightly and thinks. 

“Or hers.” 

-

When the dust settles and your Dad has got the last of his dewey, sappy words out, the room moves back into normality. 

Normality now, it seems, is absurdity. 

Tara and your Dad are watching a ball game together. You survey them, eyebrow raised, sharing a look of bewilderment with Sam as she walks back into the room. 

“Hey,” Says Sam, tray of donuts in hand. Tara and your Dad don’t look up from the TV, “What are we watching?” 

“Giants,” Says Tara. She lounges back into your hospital bed, nestling her head on your shoulder, “Flores is killing it.” 

“About damn time,” Grumbles your Dad, “He spent the last game striking out.” 

“Speaking of striking out,” You say, eyebrow raised at Sam, “Did you speak to Nurse Dawson about a spare bed?” 

Sam shakes her head. 

“It’s fine,” She says, “I’d rather sleep in my own bed anyway. Besides,” 

She eyes your Mom and Dad.

“It seems like a family affair in here anyway. You’re sure you don’t want to come with me, Tara? The nurse seemed pretty insistent that no more beds would fit.” 

“I’m sure.” Tara says, voice flat. She curls a protective arm around your waist. 

You flash Sam a small smile, “It’s fine, Sam. She can sleep with me. She’s little, she fits.” 

Sam purses her lips. 

Tara glares up at you. 

“I am not little.” She says, frowning. 

You press a kiss to her lips. 

“Okay, then big guy, better go home with Sam.” You tease. 

She pouts. Nudges her face into your neck. 

“I fit,” She tells Sam, and then turns her attention back to the ball game. 

Sam makes her departure, shortly thereafter. Your Dad falls asleep midway through the game, your Mom is wheeled off for an MRI at just the moment Tara’s friends make an appearance. 

Liv’s bought flowers, Chad and Mindy follow in with wide eyes. They hug you, settle down into the seats by your bed, careful not to wake your snoring Father. 

“Hey,” Mindy says, “How are you feeling?” 

“She’s okay,” Says Tara, smoothing your hair back, “Now the morphines kicked in, right baby?” 

“Right,” You echo, sitting up slightly. 

Liv smiles. 

“These are for you,” She says, “Tara said they were your favorite.” 

“Thanks Liv,” You say with a smile. 

Mindy settles on the chair to your left, Chad and Liv hover near the end of your bed. 

Mindy leans over to you, a little wide eyed. 

“The Sheriff,” She says, chewing her lip, “Damn it. I should have guessed.” 

“I just don’t understand,” Says Liv, eyebrows pinched, “Why would she kill her own son?” 

Tara shifts, uncomfortably. Mindy rolls her eyes. 

“She didn’t kill her own son, dumbass,” Says Mindy, “Isn’t it obvious?” 

You swallow. 

“There’s no body” Mindy says, leaning forward in her seat, a little excited, “When Ghostface kills, there’s always a body.” 

Liv blinks back at her. 

“What if…” Mindy says, eyes squinted like she’s thinking hard, “What if Wes isn’t dead at all. What if that’s just what he wanted us all to think? What if there’s a third Ghostface, and it’s him?”

Your heart hammers. 

A wave of nausea rises at the theory, but before you can voice your displeasure, Chad beats you too it. 

“Give it up, Nancy Drew,” He says, shaking his head, “You haven’t been right a single time. All those powerpoints for nothing. I think it’s time to pack it in.” 

Mindy pouts, slumping back in her seat.

“I could have been right,” She says, but Chad raises a hand. 

“But you weren’t. Jesus. Leave it alone.” 

He pats your hand, not unkindly, “The important thing is Ghostface is gone and YN and Tara are okay.” 

“Thanks Chad,” You say. 

He leans back in his seat, eyebrows pinched. 

“I just don’t get why she did it at all,” Says Chad, tilting his head in a frown, “Same with Richie. Why? It all seems so pointless.” 

Tara stirs, pressing a comforting kiss to the side of your neck. 

“That’s for the police to figure out,” She says, squeezing your hand, “For now? Let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth.” 

-

The days pass by in a blur of morphine, and nausea and the blare of Tara and your Dad’s newfound hobby of watching sports games together. 

Tara sleeps at your side, dotes on you like a baby bird who has fallen from the nest. 

Sam stops by in the afternoons, Nurse Dawson avoids the two of you as best she can, coming into your room wordlessly and appraising Tara with a resentful glare everytime she changes your bandages. 

Dewey returns to take your statement, takes Tara and Sam away for hours to question them, but ultimately, the case is clear cut. 

The Sheriff is Ghostface, Richie her accomplice, and by the seventh day of your hospital stay, Dewey informs you the police are closing the case as solved. 

It would be worrying - the police’s utter lack of comprehension - had it not been in your favor. 

So you nod your head and squeeze Tara’s hand as you accept his apology for the Woodsboro police failing you both. 

“We’ll be suing the police department,” Says your Father curtly, before Dewey can make his exit, “For gross negligence and endangering the life of my daughter.” 

You sigh. 

Tara cocks her head, as if she’s about to list off a variety of law firms she’s learned of through her extensive research before you squeeze her shoulder, and pull her back down to you. 

Your Mother huffs before you can say anything. 

“We’re not suing anybody,” Says your Mom firmly. She offers Dewey the smallest of smiles, “Thank you, Deputy Riley.”

“We should be suing the police,” Tara grumbles later, when she’s helping you into the back of Sam’s car. 

You’d be discharged by a happy Nurse Dawson. Your Mom and Dad would stay a little longer in the hospital while you slept over at Tara’s for a few nights. 

Hospitals give you the creeps, and you didn’t want to spend any more time there than necessary. 

Tara slips your seatbelt around your waist and you pull her in for a brief kiss. 

“What’s all that about not looking a gift horse in the mouth?” You say quietly as Sam slips into the drivers seat and Tara falls quiet. 

Your stomach is still a little sore - you feel it now as Tara and Sam help you up the staircase to her bedroom. 

“Watch it Sam, you neanderthal,” Tara snaps as Sam almost steps on your foot as they're half-carrying you to bed. 

You scold her if you had the strength. Instead, you focus all your energy into trying not to focus on the searing pain in your side as Tara slips you into her sheets. 

“Sorry, YN,” Sam says quietly before Tara shoos her out. 

You’re sweating a little, gone is the morphine. Nurse Dawson had put you on something else - something a little less addictive, and a little more prone to letting the pain in. 

You groan as Tara slides into the spot next to you, soothing your pain with the press of her lips. 

“Does it hurt, baby?” She asks, brown eyes mournful, “Do you want me to get you your pills?” 

You shake your head. 

The pain stings, like a dull ache, but it doesn’t hurt so much you need more. You touch her arm, nestle yourself into her side. 

“Just stay with me and I’ll be fine,” You say, as she curls her arm around your waist. She leans down and places a protective kiss to the top of your head. 

“I don’t like seeing you like this,” She admits, softly. You lean up and she presses the softest kiss to your lips, “Do you want me to see if Chad can get you something stronger?” 

“No babe,” You chide, gently, “I’m fine.” 

Tara thinks. 

“Do you want me to go down on you?” She asks, hopeful, “That might make you feel better.” 

You laugh. 

“Might make me feel better, or you feel better?” You ask. 

“Both,” She says with a pout. 

You lean up to her, press another warm kiss to her lips.

“Just stay with me,” You say, “As long as you’re here I’ll be fine.” 

Tara rubs her hand along the stretch of your back. 

“Okay,” She says, voice soft, “I’ll just stay here with you.”

[ticktockmyclockworkhart]

I don't really think of any modern AUs for red dead for some reason, idk, I have modern AU thoughts for any other piece of media that takes place in the past but for some reason I just can't separate these guys from the old west for the life of me

BUT the one modern AU thought I had and that I have very frequently is the thought of the entire Van Der Linde gang going to disneyland. That thought just tickles me. Like

Tilly, Mary-Beth and Karen make it their mission to go meet every single disney princess and they also kidnap Arthur and make him go with them. But he actually ends up having a kinda fun time because he enjoys wonder and whimsy, doesn't mean every character interaction before they took pictures wasn't stiflingly awkward though. he mumbled the entire time and refused to do any whimsical poses for the pictures

Hosea and Dutch are camped out somewhere shady by the park entrance with everyone's bags and snacks and water to act as home base and collect all their idiots at the end of the day, the only time they move is when an employee runs up to them and asks if the exhausted man with the scars on his face who fell asleep on a bench in direct sunlight by splash mountain and may or may not be suffering heat stroke belongs to them and they have to go help John before the park calls an ambulance. They go on exactly one ride at night, the jungle cruise, with arthur and john. Hosea laughs at all the skipper's bad jokes and Dutch thinks the whole thing is fucking stupid

Susan is also camped out with them but she gets worried about everyone too often and keeps getting up to go to everyone's last known location to make sure they're alright, but at some point Sean tells her to go take a picture with the evil stepmother from cinderella because they look like twins so she just goes back to Hosea and Dutch and lets them fend for themselves

Lenny is genuinely having a fucking BLAST but is really embarrassed about it. He does get a picture with belle because she's his favorite disney princess (bookworms ftw) and he runs into Arthur there being held captive by the girls, they both rib each other about what brought them there later. After everything is said and done though he and Arthur totally go on some rides together

Sean WAS hanging out with Lenny but they got separated within like three minutes of entering the park because Sean kept wandering off so Lenny left him to fend for himself, but he actually stayed out of trouble the entire time, surprisingly. He just rode the carousel again and again for like 8 hours because he was piss drunk before he even got to the park (since you can't drink there) and if he closed his eyes it almost didn't give him motion sickness (he never considered the possibility that he could also just not ride anything? Or maybe go to where Hosea and Dutch said they'd be?)

John is living that one viral post where he sat on a bench and fell asleep from heat exhaustion, then woke up to his ice cream melted all over him and mickey mouse putting a cold towel on his forehead. He was there because Jack wanted to ride splash mountain btw and John was terrified of getting on

Kieran lived one of my magical disney park experiences, which was he went on one ride with the group and was feeling good about being included, but then he got off the ride and literally couldn't find a single person he rode with, so he's wandering the park aimlessly worrying if everyone just left him there (this is not exactly what happened to me btw. I went on a ride with an uncle who is no longer an uncle who had a tbi and so could act unpredictably some times, mostly by virtue of being incredibly spacy, he got out of line to go get a drink and when he came back the line had moved up a lot more so he just told me he'd meet me at the end of the ride. Then at the end of the ride I literally could not find him. I wandered the entire area for like twenty minutes realizing he'd wandered off somewhere before I finally gave up and reported it to my cousin who I kid you not was completely unfazed and told me not to worry about it, they'd find him eventually. I still felt so bad about it even after he turned up not even thinking twice about the whole thing)

Abigail is busy being a responsible mother to two children (her husband and also Jack), Jack is having the absolute time of his life and they've lost John about ten times because he's too scared to go on the rides and also too scared of the disney characters to join them for pictures so Abigail eventually gave up looking for him, Dutch and Hosea would find him and babysit him (they did)

Pearson is floating around between the different groups, he's got the big backpack with the snacks, water and sunscreen in it while Hosea and Dutch were holding onto whatever he couldn't carry. He's like pretty ambivalent about everything happening and is kinda just happy to be there, but he is hella interested in all the food vendors and taking notes on what everyone in the gang seemed to enjoy so he can try and make it himself later

Swanson got a little too silly before coming to the park and ended up stuck on the magic teacups ride because he couldn't process how to get off. He was at park lost and found for like two hours before Dutch and Hosea found him, only for him to end up stuck on the teacups AGAIN like an hour later

Sadie thinks this entire trip is fucking stupid and she exclusively sticks to the biggest thrill rides, spending most of her time in california adventure (is that part of the park still called that? it's changed so much since I've last been there), a few people who also enjoy thrill rides have tried accompanying her on her bender but she literally never takes a break and apparently can't get motion sickness

Bill is lost. He was pretty sure he was with Javier and the Marstons at first, but he lost them at some point and now he's stuck in the star wars land and doesn't know where the exit is, small children keep pointing at him and making wookie noises, and he really just needs a drink tbh

Javier has been EVERYWHERE. He has a plan and an itinerary, either keep pace with him or you're getting left behind (rip Bill). He finishes his schedule within like three hours and then goes to hang out with Sadie on her masochistic thrill ride loop before he has to tap out after like five thrill rides in quick succession. He started the day hanging out with the Marstons and Jack insisted he wear a pair of mickey mouse ears, so like the cool uncle he is he agreed and in every picture he's in he's standing there in bedazzled mouse ears with an extremely stoic expression on his face

Charles silently slinks off to critter country (is it still called that? idk how the park has changed) upon getting there because he wants to go see winnie the pooh. After a couple hours of wandering aimlessly and wanting to hit people who crowd too close to him he finds and joins Lenny and Arthur. They go on some rides and then go see winnie the pooh again. Tigger grabs Arthur by the hands and makes him bounce with him and Arthur is in such a whimsical mood and has been doing goofy shit around the park all day at this point that he actually enthusiastically participates. Charles considers it a 10/10 time

Micah was definitely not allowed into the park. 100%

Strauss didn't want to come to disneyland, he had work to do, and the entire gang tried their hardest but unlike several of the other gang members they were unable to force Strauss to join. Party pooper :(

Uncle is having a great fuckin time. He went onto the haunted mansion and just fell asleep and rode the loop until he was personally escorted off by staff because they were worried he died in his sleep or something

Trelawny is there!! They have not seen him for four months but he is there for some reason! Late into the night Arthur got onto the haunted mansion, turned to his left and Trelawny was just. there in the doombuggy with him

[rainkays]

EVERYWHERE, EVERYTHING. | LEE HARKER X READER

(SUMMARY) when you, an emt, meet special agent lee harker, it doesn’t take long for you to fall for each other.

(WARNINGS) none/mentions of smoking

(NOTES) hi hi everyone !! just wanted to say THANK U SO MUCH for all the love on my first lee fic and to everyone who’s been sending asks/suggestions for future fics <3 this was an anon suggestion/ask and i absolutely love the idea of lee with an emt gf so i hope u guys enjoy !

WE DIDN’T KNOW THE SUN WAS COLLAPSING

TIL THE SEAS ROSE, &

THE BUILDINGS CAME CRASHING

it was another long night, the cold wind biting at lee’s skin as she stood, leant against the side of an ambulance recalling the details of the crime scene she’d been called out to to local law enforcement while you attended to the victim in the back of the vehicle. she almost felt like a kid again when she saw you pull onto the scene. there you were, hopping out of the ambulance and rushing inside to help as soon as you arrived. there you were throwing her a soft smile like you’d known her your whole life. suddenly she felt a little less cold.

she’d finally finished with the scene report, the cops finally starting to trickle away as you’d finished up securing the patient, ready to leave. she was waiting by the car, carter still inside when you swung out from the back of the vehicle.

“agent harker?”

you spoke, head cocked to the side as you looked over at lee for a response. her mouth went dry for a moment, admiring the way the moonlight hit your face just right when you looked at her like this.

“is there something i can do…”

she finally spoke, mentally kicking herself for sounding so cordial in stark contrast to your soft tone. the gravel crunched beneath her boots as she walked closer to you.

“i was wondering if you’d like to take a ride along, that is, if you’re not too busy. might want to get his statement when he wakes up.”

you gestured toward the victim in the back of the car, head leaning against the open door as you watched the gears in lee’s head turn.

“i’m supposed to be waiting for-”

“harker! tag along with the poor girl, won’t you?”

carter spoke, making his presence known on the porch as lee’s head turned sharply and gave him a blank stare. he shrugged, smiling slightly as you let out a quiet laugh.

“i guess that settles it then.”

you opened the door wider, waiting for lee to climb in before swinging them both shut, your shoulder brushing against hers in the process. lee would have to thank carter later, she thought.

TWO BODIES RIDDLED WITH

SCARS FROM OUR PRETEENS

it had been a few excruciating months since lee last saw you. she was ashamed to admit that she’d spent so much of free time thinking about you. sure, her colleagues treated her like any other agent, tolerated her, but the kindness you’d shown her in one night was a cut right through the bone.

she could barely hide the disappointment on her face when she watched emt’s pull up to a crime scene, not one of them being you. it was selfish of her, of course. but she couldn’t help that you’d had bewitched her, body and soul. it was rare for her to be captured by a person like this. which made it even more hand shakingly painful the longer she went without you.

it was almost past midnight when lee had finally gathered her belongings and began to walk downstairs to leave headquarters. she was tired, eyes half shut and a dull ache in the back of her head as she flinched at the fluorescent lighting. she made her way to the elevator, the door almost closing, opening once more much to her suprise. and there you were. standing there like no time had passed at all. your med bag was slung over your shoulder, strands of hair falling into your face as you stepped in next to her. there it was again, that smile of yours. the one that she’d been thinking of ever since she saw you.

“fancy seeing you here, harker.”

you spoke, running a hand through your hair as you looked her over, eyes soft. she could’ve sworn the elevator wasn’t this hot when she got in. a strand of hair fell in your face, lee unable to stop herself as she instinctively brushed it out of your way. she didn’t miss the way you looked up at her, or the way your breathing stopped for a moment.

“what are you doing here so late?”

she spoke, trying to change the subject before you could say anything about what she’d just done. you looked over at her, clearly surprised that she decided to initiate the conversation.

“i was dropping something off and i uh- i thought i’d come and see you.”

lee couldn’t stop the way her head jerked to look over at you, a puzzled look on her face.

“what?”

you laughed, the one that had been playing in the back of her mind for weeks since the last time she saw you.

“i enjoyed talking to you when we met, you know. most officers or agents could care less about what i do.”

you trailed off, looking down for a moment before lee the elevator dinged and the doors opened. you walked out, the doors almost closing before lee finally snapped out of it and walked toward you.

“i don’t- you came to see me?”

“it can’t be that hard to believe, can it?”

lee shook her head, a genuine laugh coming from her, one that you wish you could’ve bottled up and kept in that very moment.

“you have no idea.”

EVERYWHERE, EVERYTHING

I WANNA LOVE YOU ‘TIL

WE’RE FOOD FOR THE WORMS TO EAT

it was a few months later, many nights spent in hole in the wall bars on your off days in which you sipped a whiskey sour and lee listened to you intently. most of the bars close to head quarters were filled with young, rowdy recruits and bright lights that were the opposite of the crowd you wanted to hang around with lee. you both preferred the more quiet, dimly lit environments that were only frequented by the few locals on their days off.

you’d grown to know lee more and more by the day. the way she purposefully showed up to scenes where her presence was likely unneeded, just to see you. you were guilty of doing the same, of course. stopping into headquarters, getting looks from the other agents as you swung around the doorframe into lee’s small office. she was always delighted to see you even moving to sit on the floor and give you her chair whenever you show up.

then there were the nights spent at her home, shoulders touching on the back porch as you talked over a cigarette that was passed between the two of you. lee felt the sort of tension that had built up between the two of you. it was inevitable, but it couldn’t help but make her hands shake every time she was near you.

“you know, i was thinking about taking some time off and going down to california.”

you spoke, exhaling the smoke from your cigarette before handing it back to lee, awaiting her response. she let it crackle between her fingertips as she responded.

“that sounds nice. i’ve never been to california.”

you hummed, leaning further into her side, her posture folding a bit to allow you to lean comfortably against her. you fingers found hers, dancing around, almost interlacing them together.

“i think the sun could do you some good. both of us.”

lee tilted her head towards you, absorbing your words. she thought about it, the idea of spending a california summer with you. taking a long drive down the coast, spending nights sitting at a quiet beach, watching the waves crash at your feet. sure, she’d seen oregon beaches, but they were nothing compared to california.

“i used to go all the time when i was a kid. my dad and i, we’d get to the beach and run straight into the water, i’d play catch with my dogs until the sunset and i was burnt to hell.”

you laughed, smoothing your hair over your shoulder as a small smile formed on lee’s face as she listened.

“i’d like that.”

she spoke, not realizing she’d said the words out loud.

“i’d like being there, with you.”

she clarified, your hands finally intertwining as she spoke out the words. your hand found its way to her cheekbone, resting there as she instinctively tilted her head into your touch as you spoke softly.

“me too.”

‘TIL OUR FINGERS DECOMPOSE

KEEP MY HAND IN YOURS

2 YEARS LATER, JULY 1992. CALIFORNIA.

the radio played quietly in the old convertible you’d bought for your birthday last year at an auction, lee’s hand draped over the wheel as you leaned over the door. the wind whipped your hair around, the smell of salt in the air as you navigated the winding roads. it was surreal to finally be here, with lee. you looked over at her, the smile on her face as she took in the scenery, much different than what the two of you were used to.

“we made it baby.”

you whispered, hand clutching her own as you smiled so hard your cheeks began to hurt. you never would’ve imaged you’d be here, with the agent you met all that time ago. it didn’t take long for you to fall in love with lee, not when she made it so easy. she was everything you could ever want. caring, attentive, smart, and incredibly in love with you.

the two of you had spent the day wandering around small beach towns, driving by the rows of colorful houses, the golden retrievers on the beach reminding you of your childhood. it was therapeutic to see lee like this, so relaxed, and the experience was for you too. it had been too long since either of you was able to step back from your work and truly decompress. after some slight convincing, you’d even swam in the ocean with lee. her hands rested on your waist, yours slung around her neck. the sun was setting as you rested your head against her shoulder, listening to the sound of the crashing waves.

part of you was a little melancholy, knowing this had to end, but the other part of you imagine what your life will be like here. some odd years down the line and maybe you and lee could find yourselves a home here, maybe get a dog or two.

“what are you thinking about?”

lee spoke, reading your mind like she always did. her hand brushed wet strands of hair away from your face, fingers softly brushing over your cheekbone.

“just how happy i am to be here with you.”

you hummed, enjoying the feeling of her warm hands on her lower back, a stark contrast to the cold waters you found yourselves in. she pulled you closer, a small act that never failed to make your cheeks warm, as you wrapped your arms around her tighter. the water rose and fell at your waist, the salt foam against your skin.

lee’s fingers connected the constellations between the freckles on your face, the california sun working wonders for you. she always had this way of admiring you that made you feel like you’d hung the stars in her sky.

her hands cradled the back of your head, fingers tangling through the wet strands of your hair. you rested your forehead against hers, the quiet sound of the ocean filling your senses.

“maybe we can stay here.”

lee whispered, a quiet vow to you.

[friendly-neighborhood-boricua]

[6] You Get A Visitor in the ER

Summary: You're working overtime when you get a visit from an unexpected someone who makes your shift just a bit less excruciating.

Notes: Marauders modern elementary school AU, kindergarten teacher!James Potter x nurse!single mom!reader.

A/N (26/7/2024): this is edited but still kinda short so I may come back to it at some point and add some things ... second to last chapter yay!

Previous Part: James Takes Liam to School Next Part: Kindergarten Graduation Series Masterlist here

About two weeks ago, you woke up in the middle of the night to a hard thump from Liam’s room

You were in his doorway in a flash, of course, because what if he’s dying

And tbh you were kinda close

Turns out he fell out of his bed and the lower right side of his abdomen was hurting really bad

You figured out pretty quick that he probably had appendicitis, which is definitely not ideal

So one rather tense ambulance ride and night in the ER and OR later, you wheeled Liam out of the hospital in a wheelchair so he wouldn't mess up his stitches too much after literally getting an organ removed

You texted James to let him know what happened and that Liam would be staying hope from school for a week to recover

(James had managed to give you his number under the guise of offering to drive Liam to and from school in the future and although you haven't had to ask or even use his number at all, he still has you as one of his pinned contacts)

(Sirius and Remus make fun of him for it)

(Your contact photo is actually a photo of Liam where he's smiling really big while mixing cookie dough for your birthday, which was about three months ago)

As always, James was totally sympathetic and understanding and even dropped by your apartment after school with work for Laim so he wouldn't fall too far behind

You took the week off from work to watch Liam, of course

But you're paying for it now bc your CNO super sucks and isn't understanding at all when it comes to your kid

So now he has you working a fucking double to make up for your missed days

Two 12-hour shifts in a row, 6AM to 6AM

Not fucking fun, dude

(Your CNO is the absolute worst—this is the one that James is pretty sure violates labor laws pretty consistently)

He actually wanted you to do three doubles over the next two weeks but Poppy (not the CNO, but she’s been a nurse at this hospital for time immemorial) told him off, so you only have to do the one today

And at the very least, it’s in the ER

Which isn’t terrible

Definitely not as bad as med-surg

I mean yeah, it can be stressful but it’s nowhere near as bad as medical dramas make it out to be, and it’s pretty rewarding most of the time

It’s a Friday, so Tonks watched Liam in the morning and took him to school, where Ms. Hope picked him up and held onto him for a couple hours until it was time for Ron's sleepover, which she then dropped him off at

So he’s safe and taken care of

And it’s been a pretty quiet night tbh

There was a big car crash during rush hour in the morning but beyond that, nothing super crazy or out of the ordinary

So now you’re on triage duty with Poppy (which just means you and her are hanging out and talking while waiting for something—anything—to happen)

Lily, one of the administrative aides that checks people into the ER, finally pokes her head into the ER at half past ten at night, and it’s rather urgent

Apparently someone’s cut their had pretty badly

You lose a rapid-fire game of rock paper scissors against Poppy, so it’s you that goes to evaluate the patient

But when you enter the ER fast track, you’re really quite surprised

"James?"

To be fair, James is also quite surprised to see you, it's just that he's more smiley and pleased than distressed

He’s hovering near one of the beds and has what seems to be a kitchen towel wrapped around his palm, which you now see has been bleeding quite profusely

You’re at his side embarrassingly quickly and asking him standard questions as he stares at you with a rather glassy look on his face

What happened? Cut my hand while cooking. Can you feel your hand? Um, yeah, it … it hurts pretty bad. Can you tell if it’s still bleeding? I can’t really, no. Do you feel lightheaded at all? Mm, yeah, just … just a bit. Did someone drive you here? Yeah, um, Sirius did … they told him to wait in the lobby.

James is in shock, that much is clear

You ease him to take a seat on the bed and quickly grab a couple forms, which you fill out as you continue asking him questions

Poor boy gets really concerned when you make for the door to the ER proper but ofc you reassure him you’ll be back in a second

You ask Poppy to get Dr. Longbottom before quickly returning to James

And James—Sweet Summer Child James—he's just asking you what you’re doing here so late, if Liam is at Ms. Hope’s, just random questions that aren’t super related to one another

He’s super out of it but you entertain his thoughts and answer whatever questions come to his mind as you ensure that his kitchen towel is applying a decent enough amount of pressure

Alice shows up pretty quickly with a suture tray and asks you to clean James’ cut as she gets ready, which you readily do

You also let her know that James isn’t exactly all there, to which she smiles amusedly and says she can see that lmao

James is kinda confused at first when Alice tries to take away the towel around his hand, but you gently explain what's happening and he understands pretty quick

He looks down at his hand when you finally uncover the cut (it’s long but clean—easy to stitch right up) and poor boy gets a little too light headed at the sight of all the blood that’s covering his hands and the kitchen towel and your latex-gloved hands

James just about falls over onto your shoulder lmaooooo

He doesn’t quite pass out, just like a severe wave of lightheadedness

You quickly encourage him off of your shoulder and you and Alice manage to lay him down on the hospital bed just so he won’t fall off of it and hurt himself if he does decide to pass out

The cut is easy to clean despite how bloody it is, and you round the bed to James’ opposite side as Alice prepares to administer the anesthetic and sew James’ hand up

This entire time, James has just been following your around with his eyes

He’s never gotten to see you work before and it’s really quite interesting to him

And he loves that you’re taking care of him (Such Gentle! Yay!)

Alice asks you to keep James talking and distracted while she sews him up and you happily obliged

It’s kinda hard to keep James talking though because he just keeps asking you questions

By the time Alice is finished with James’ hand, you’ve told him about Liam’s recovery, your shift so far, and how shitty your CNO is for making you work a double

James is much more lucid by the time his stitches are finished which is great because he was sort of starting to worry you

But he’s pretty much all there now :)

He’s also disclosed to you that he cut his hand while trying to take the pit out of an avocado, which you find absolutely hilarious even though you couldn’t really laugh at your own patient

Alice leaves you to wrap James’ hand in protective gauze and give him post-op care instructions

And James is honestly thrilled that your shift has been a quiet one

Because he’s sure that if anyone beyond you two were in the fast track, they would have seen clear as day how he looked at you while you wrapped some soft gauze firmly around his palm

He’s lucky though because you’re tired after working for about sixteen hours with eight still to go, so you don’t really notice the look in his eyes

You give him the normal spiel—wash around the area of the stitches with soap and water not hydrogen peroxide, put vaseline over it, wrap in a non-stick bandage, the works

By the time you’re done, James is just kinda staring at you

You tack on at the end that he can always text you or drop by your apartment to make sure he’s taking care of them correctly

Sirius leaps up from his chair in the lobby when he sees James finally come out of the ER

He was lowkey super worried bc he knows James is the slightest bit squeamish around blood

But now he’s also like super confused bc James is looking at his newly bandaged hand like it had the best compliment ever written on the palm

It’s only on the car ride home that Sirius finally weasels it out of James

Apparently Liam’s mom was working in the ER and she was the one who bandaged up his hand for him after he got stitched up

And apparently, when James was complaining lightly that his palm still hurt right as he was about to leave, she brushed a light kiss against his palm and whispered something to him about how kisses make everything better

Sirius practically has to pick his jaw up off the floor as he and James walked into the latter’s apartment, where Remus had apparently finished their rather bloody attempt at guacamole

And then of course he made James explain what happened to Remus, who just laughs and shakes his head

James’ only regret is that he was too stunned to do anything except wave goodbye as you left

Next Part: Kindergarten Graduation

[1d1195]

Committed Extra II

Read the rest here: Committed

Based on this ask

I always suggest listening to this TikTok while reading this series but I think they remind me SO much of Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.

Warnings: 18+, smut, maybe a little more romantic-smut than smut-smut but anyways. Please ignore any continuity errors from previous parts. I couldn't find what I was looking for but it doesn't mean they don't exist. not suitable for Ramadan

~3.2k words

Harry had seen her in a bathing suit. He had seen her in skirts that were not suitable for school and a dress that showed off so much of her cleavage he wondered why she didn't just wear a bra instead. The idea of seeing her fully naked was far beyond what he could possibly imagine. It was every one of his fantasies and more.

Harry had no way of getting his hands on her beautiful mind and soul. So he was going to devour her body instead.

Sarah was going to Mitch’s, which meant her place was empty.

Harry didn’t have any clothes or anything, but he didn’t care. There were leftover items between himself and Mitch so as long as they didn’t have to attend a wedding there was an outfit for him the next day.

The car ride was silent. Unless he heard her heartbeat, which was extremely plausible because it was beating so hard. He held her hand, like he had ten thousand times before, but now it was different. Because Harry loved her. Like really loved her. The way she always dreamed of him loving her. Every time she remembered he loved her she squeezed his hand. It brought a smile to his face, and she swore the needle of the speedometer crept up another increment just to get them home faster.

The logistics of the night hadn’t dawned on her until they were in her apartment living room. Silent as Harry locked the door behind him. Nerves started to swim in her bloodstream. They had incredible chemistry, their friendship was solid, she had seen Harry at his worst—sick with the stomach bug that required a complete change of clothes, and he had seen her sweaty and covered with dirt after helping her dad in the backyard.

If the sex was bad, what would it say about their relationship?

It couldn’t be bad, right? She had waited so long to have Harry in her life in this capacity. Friendship was their opener. Saying I love you was the main setlist. Sex was just the encore. It would be fine.

Right?!

“Are y’okay, kitten?” He asked.

“Hmm?”

“You’re ‘bout t’squeeze m’fingers off m’hand,” she released the death grip she had on it. “Tell me,” he ordered, but his voice was soft.

“I’m so nervous.”

“Nervous?” He repeated.

“What if the sex is bad?”

He chuckled. “I highly doubt it will be bad,” he pulled her close, trapping her against his body, cupping the side of her face and kissing her as if he had kissed her in the very spot a thousand times before. “But m’not with you for the sex.”

“Well, I don’t know what you were up to while I was gone but I haven’t had sex in a year and a half so I would like it to be good,” she murmured.

His eyes scanned her face, searching for something. “Y’think I had sex with someone else while y’were gone?” He asked.

She rolled. “That’s what you took away from that?”

“Who did you sleep with a year and a half ago?” He asked ignoring her follow-up question.

“It’s none of your business!”

“Your body s’all mine now,” he said simply. But it set her skin aflame and her heart into a frantic beat that had her worrying she would need an ambulance on standby outside the building. “S’very much m’business,” he murmured.

“Harry,” she sighed pinching the bridge of her nose. “That guy I went out with for like a month?”

“You slept with him?”

“We went out for a month, Harry.”

“But he was awful.”

“You thought everyone I dated was awful.”

“They were,” he said petulantly. She sighed.

“When did you last have sex?” She asked.

“I don’t know, three years ago?” It should have been embarrassing. But it wasn’t. This was his best friend and he didn’t care.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah right,” she snorted. “No really, I told you. You have to tell me.”

“M’not kidding kitten,” his voice was firm.

“You haven’t had sex in three years?” She still sounded incredulous, and Harry just stared at her waiting for it to click. Her lips parted. “How...why...?”

“When I realized I was in love with y’kitten,” he shrugged. “Didn’t want t’have sex.”

“So you were just going to...never have sex again?”

He shrugged again. “I hadn’t thought ‘bout it t’be honest.”

It was so quiet in the apartment, not even her rapid heartbeat made a sound. “What if it’s bad? What if I’m bad at it? What if it’s not—”

“Kitten,” he sighed and shook his head. “We were terrible at French, and we took three years of it together. We’ll practice. M’not in love with y’because of sex. Obviously—loved y’before sex was an option. M’in love with you because you’re m’favorite person. M’only person,” he reminded her. “I don’t care about sex.”

It should have relieved her but it didn’t. “I want it to be good,” she whispered.

“I do too, kitten. Trust me. But s’not the end all be all.”

Quiet, surrounded them again. “C’mon,” he hummed and tugged her toward the bedroom. “Jus’ say stop if y’need a minute,” he pulled her jacket off her shoulders and bent to slip her shoes off. She felt like Cinderella. He was so gentle and while she was slightly terrified it would suck and he would realize he hated her, it was normal. Harry getting ready to undress her was normal feeling. It was warm, gentle, and all things that were Harry. She felt safe and maybe finally she realized he was probably right. Sex wouldn’t be bad. “We don’t have t’do this tonight either, kitten.”

“No way, you’ve been waiting three years and I think my vibrator is dead so it’s going to have to work,” she explained.

He groaned quietly, began kissing the length of her neck and making the noise vibrate her skin and veins in a way that nearly made her knees give out. “Well, charge it, because I have t’see that,” his breath was hot on her skin making her dizzy.

They stood and kissed for at least three minutes, her hands tugging at the hair on the back of his head silently begging for him to get closer. It was so quiet in her room she was starting to feel uneasy. “Can we put on some music or something?” She whispered.

“Turn on your radio?” He suggested kissing the curve of her neck and shoulder, taking the collar of her shirt away from her neck.

She shook her head. “I downloaded your music onto a CD, and I love you, but I think fucking to the sound of you and our friends would be a little too much for me.”

He chuckled against her skin forgoing the kisses and pulled his phone from his pocket and set up a random playlist.

Harry’s mouth found hers again and he gently guided her back onto her bed. His fingers started to push her shirt up her torso. She pulled away from his mouth and stilled his hands. “What are you doing?” She asked quickly. He chuckled.

“Trying t’take your shirt off. Do y’want t’stop?”

She shook her head trying to shake the nerves away. “Sorry,” her cheeks reddened.

“S’okay,” he assured her. “S’new, s’gonna be a little weird probably,” he amended.

She swallowed. “I don’t really like my body,” she whispered. “I don’t really talk about that with you...” she reminded him.

She was wrong. She was so beautiful and in Harry’s eyes there wasn’t any reason for her to feel ashamed or insecure about her body. It was perfect, exactly as she was. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “M’gonna make y’feel beautiful or we’re never having sex again,” he chuckled.

She giggled despite herself and nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“M’sure,” he nodded firmly. “M’gonna take m’shirt off first, then.”

“No, don’t do that, that’s not fair,” she stopped his hands before he could tug it over his head. “I can’t take my shirt off after yours.”

He laughed a little louder this time and he kissed her sweetly, pecking at her lips over and over as he pulled away. “We can’t do this without being naked, kitten.”

She took a deep breath, sighed, and pulled her shirt over her head.

Harry had seen her in a bathing suit. He had seen her in skirts that were not suitable for school and a dress that showed off so much of her cleavage he wondered why she didn't just wear a bra instead. The idea of seeing her fully naked was far beyond what he could possibly imagine. It was every one of his fantasies and more.

Harry had no way of getting his hands on her beautiful mind and soul. So, he was going to devour her body instead.

His gaze scanned her upper half for a few moments admiring the tiny little bow on the center of her bra right between her breasts. He kissed the swell of each one every so slightly spilling out of the cup. Her breath caught in her throat and Harry kissed upwards, bringing his lips back to hers and he pulled off his own shirt without any fanfare. Harry often walked around without a shirt, when at the pool or a beach he obviously didn’t wear a shirt. This she was used to. Her hands roamed his body and his skin felt so warm and so nice she couldn’t believe she thought this could be bad.

Harry couldn’t get her zipper down.

She giggled and Harry snorted. “Didn’t know y’were gonna wear a chastity belt, kitten.”

The clasp of her bracelet somehow managed to catch on to the fabric of his boxers a few moments later. “Jesus,” she sighed and brought her face so close to the fabric to work it free Harry turned a bright shade of red, cleared his throat and she realized her hand was resting on his dick to get it undone.

“Oops,” she whispered and pulled back. Harry chuckled softly. Every awkward moment was completed with more kisses that by the time Harry finished struggling with the clasp of her bra, (“I’ve never seen a bra with a snap like this!”  “It’s comfier!”) There were only Harry’s boxers and her underwear between them.

“There’s no going back,” she reminded him.

“I don’t want t’go back,” his voice was thick with the promise.

“Me either,” she whispered.

“Kitten,” he tilted her chin up from her staring at his chest. He brought her gaze back to his. “M’so in love with you. Always.”

She nodded. “I love you too,” she smiled.

He brought his mouth to cover hers again and a new feeling took over. The air was hotter, thicker, like they were moving through a pool of water. His lips never stopped kissing her, his tongue stroking softly against her lip as he did. It made her shiver. He curled closer to her, his hand reaching between them and skimming the outside of her panties. Her breath caught at the touch of his fingers on her suddenly aching center. Harry went back to kissing down her throat, over to the space where the curve of her shoulder met her neck. “Want t’make y’feel so good, kitten,” his voice was husky.

She already thought she was going to come undone from just his fingers touching the outside of her underwear and his throaty whisper. His fingers deftly pulled the fabric to the side, and he slid his finger down through the wetness that had accumulated between her leg. She shivered again and moaned softly again. He hadn’t even done anything. But his fingers were searching. Not for what she felt was aching for him most, but for her clit and he found it so quickly it made her cry out as he skillfully circled the pad of his finger on it not too hard but not too soft. “S’good, baby,” he hummed quietly and continued to kiss her. “You’re nice and wet, kitten. Who’s that for?”

“You,” her voice hardly carried through the whisper.

“Good,” he mumbled and dropped his finger lower, teasing her, because it felt like she was clenching, begging his finger to enter her.

Maybe if she had met Harry that night and hadn’t known his personality so well, she would have been shyer and wouldn’t have had the reaction she did. But part of her felt a little competitive and if he was going to tease her, she wasn’t going to let him enjoy it too much.

She pressed her hand to the outside of his boxers, feeling how hard he was and making him gasp at the touch. His hand stilled between her legs, and she tugged his boxers lower, so his dick escaped the fabric. He groaned as she wrapped her fingers around him. “Kitten,” he grunted into her skin, and she sighed as his fingers continued to circle her clit and search for something that she wasn’t sure Harry was going to find.

“Kitten, I haven’t had sex in three years,” he groaned.

“So...you better get inside me quick?” She suggested.

He groaned again. “Yes,” he nodded against her collarbone. “Please,” he almost whined. “Condom?” She nodded and pointed to her nightstand drawer.

She couldn’t disagree. Harry had double the time on her since her last intimate moment, but she wanted him so badly in her she thought if they waited any longer, she would cry. She removed her underwear and Harry sat up to remove his boxers.

Of course, she just finished feeling how big, hard, and long he was. But it was another thing entirely to see his length literally in the flesh. “Did y’jus’ gulp?”

Her cheeks warmed. “You’re...big,” she murmured.

He snorted putting the condom in place. “Y’know how t’give a guy an ego,” but she could see the way his cheeks pinked.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “I’m just...I want it,” she caught his gaze and as awkward as everything felt, looking into the pretty green eyes of her best friend, this was not. “I want everything with you.”

Harry’s gaze softened and he dropped his hips between her legs and caught her lips again. The sound of gentle music, their tangled breath, and the skin-to-skin contact was the only noise in the room. Harry reached between them again and slid the head of his cock along the wetness that pooled between her legs again. She moaned, loudly and without abandon. Harry grunted and pushed himself inside her.

It was like sliding the final puzzle piece together. They locked into a position that felt so right, so perfect, every bit of that awkwardness went away as quickly as it appeared. Harry groaned and buried his face in her neck again. It was his new favorite spot, tucked into the curve that smelled like her perfume and her hair. It was entirely her, and so perfect. “Fuck, kitten,” he grunted letting her have a minute to stretch to accommodate his body. It had been a while since there was a dick inside her and despite how wet Harry made her it didn’t help the ache that started as he settled perfectly between her thighs.

“Oh my God,” she whispered breathlessly. “Wow,” she mumbled.

Harry focused on breathing deeply so he wouldn’t burst the second one of them shifted. “We can jus’ stay like this,” he murmured. “Nothing else, for the rest of our lives.”

She kissed the side of his head and nodded. “Yes, please.”

He pulled back slightly, his body readjusted to the feeling and his gaze was hungry as he looked her in the eye. “You are my everything,” he whispered.

Her heart fluttered, as good as Harry’s body felt inside her, it was nothing in comparison to the way his words touched her. “I love you,” she whispered because everything else she thought to say seemed inadequate.

He smiled and brought his mouth to hers, kissed her deeply and started to move.

It felt fast and slow at the same time. A juxtaposition that she didn’t know was possible. Every time Harry’s hips pushed from hers to create a heavenly friction, she followed him begging for him to come back. It felt like being apart from him, even the inch he moved to make everything feel better, was too much. She thought if it felt any better, she would cry.

“Fuck,” he groaned pumping into her at a steady rhythm. Her hands searched his body, the length of his back, digging her nails into his hips to keep him close to her. His hands held her hips in place so he was able to provide the right leverage that angled his cock, so it hit every right spot.

“Baby,” she moaned into his neck and kissed his skin. He groaned again in response. He twisted her as if he had done it about a thousand times and suddenly, she was on top of him. Pressing her hands onto his chest and moving her hips up and down so she was gliding rhythmically up and down his length.

“This was a horrible idea,” he moaned. “M’gonna finish jus’ looking at you.”

She blushed, covered her face with one hand, and laughed lightly. “It feels so good,” she whispered. “I don’t want to leave this bed.”

Harry brought her body close, one hand cupping the back of her neck and other slid down her back, gripping her butt. “We don’t have to,” his voice was hungry and he sealed his lips between hers.

“I’m going to...” she bit the inside of her lip and buried her face into his neck again. “Oh my God,” she moaned.

Harry answered her moan with his own again and met each of her thrusts with his hips. “S’good, kitten. Fuck,” he sighed. “Wanted this for so long,” he brought her mouth. “Can’t wait for you t’cum all over me and then do it all over again,” he groaned.

His voice made her ache all over. She was already aching. She wanted to stay like this for the rest of her life. Maybe longer if it was allowed.

She had a vibrator and she had sex enough times to know when she was going to have a good orgasm. But this was nothing like that.

This was so much more. The connection she felt to Harry the adoration and love she felt was more than any tingling, body shaking reaction she ever had when Harry thrusted into her just so. “Oh there, there, there,” she begged and dropped her face to his neck again with a heavy sigh.

“M’here, kitten,” he promised holding her close to him. “Right there,” he repeated thrusting as she rode through the toe-curling, body shaking orgasm. He nipped at her shoulder as he finished. Sighing heavily she dropped to him fully, her body warm, and he kissed her forehead. He brushed her hair down kissed her again. “Gotta get off, kitten,” he murmured.

“I already did,” she mumbled back.

He chuckled. “Just two minutes, kitten,” he assured her. “I love you,” he whispered. She sighed deeply, rolled to the side and let Harry get out of bed quickly. When he returned from the bathroom she was sprawled across the bed facedown. “You okay, m’love?” He asked.

She nodded. “I love you too, Harry.”

He chuckled, wrapping himself around her like a koala bear. “Good.”

“Wanna do it again?” She asked.

He laughed and kissed along her back. “Already?” He asked.

“Gotta make-up for all that lost time. And three years, Harry!”

He smiled against her skin. “Give me a minute.”

“Take all the time you need. We have forever now.”

--

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[katuschka]

Olalla Chapter Six 2/2

Josh Kiszka x f!OC x Jake Kiszka

So, the second part of Chapter Six is here. Thank you for you patience.

7.148 words

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, intended for adult readers. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental. Also, if you're under 18, go find some other entertainment elsewhere.

Warnings (are spoilers): shock, physical and emotional exhaustion, angst, language, homophobia, smut (retrospective)

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Part 2/2: Agnieszka, Zakopane

Agnieszka was dragged to the Emergency in spite of constantly insisting that she was completely fine, even though she could barely whisper those words at one point. Outwardly, she suffered just a few minor scratches, but her body gave out anyway. 

The initial shock subsided after several minutes, but even after her heart stopped racing and it was possible to breathe again, she was still weak and disoriented. Not having eaten anything since lunch the previous day – and that was just soup – she was exhausted, hypoglycemic and dehydrated, as she gave almost all her tea to Joshua to keep him warm.

After they gave her fluids and grape sugar and it was time to try to go down, she could still barely stand. They managed to descend two hundred more metres before the world around her started to spin and she sat down on a flat stone with a thud to prevent herself from falling. The rescue guys immediately offered to call another helicopter, but she stubbornly refused. She was fine. Other people might need it more. Lone wolves who lay somewhere alone and wounded, while their women were dying from worry at home. No more…

Moreover, she needed to keep moving to prevent herself from thinking. Thinking hurt more. Mentally, she was in that helicopter flying north, still holding him. She couldn’t stand the thought of him disappearing in the distance. 

With her father’s help, they managed to descend the transverse ridge and go as far as the crossroad in the middle of the upper valley before she finally admitted that she couldn’t go any further. Thankfully, together with several other sleep-deprived or lightly injured people who had spent the night on makeshift beds in Murowaniec, they were allowed to use the ski lift up to Kasprowy Wierch, there changing to the first cable car ride back down to Kuznice, where the ambulance was already waiting.

It was almost 10:30 when she got back home from the hospital, fearing the inevitable.

“I can call him,” Maya offered sympathetically. 

“No….” Even with a generous dose of vitamins and minerals now running through her veins, Agnieszka was still weak and tired, but resolute all the same, turning to Mama Bear again. Almost everything else had been taken care of and Maya’s husband and kids, who had also spent the night, were already waiting for her in the garden. It was her time to go back home. “No, I can do this. And I have to. Mom’s here. And dad. Don’t worry about me, I’m ok.”

Maya did worry. Still reluctant to leave, she made her sister strong tea with milk and honey first. When they hugged goodbye at last, she whispered in her ear: “Go to Krakow, Ninotschka. You used to be a happy and lively girl, but it’s been years since you were that person and I saw glimpses of her earlier this week. Don’t close those doors again. At least not yet.” 

No, not yet. Whatever would happen from now on, she would not be able to close those doors soon. Or ever again. She felt like she was standing out in the open air, exposed to wild elements and unable to find her way back to her old inner fortress. The place in which her melancholic soul now resided was a wild and unkempt garden, and he was the sun whose rays shone through the leaves, making it grow and keeping her warm. And just like the sun, he would disappear below the western horizon eventually. 

She’d been thinking about it while in the Emergency when they finally forced her to keep still, with her mind racing and shutting down in turns. He did this to her. The feeling was overwhelming, but not painful, just bittersweet. She needed to see him again, only if just to tell him. Who knows what would happen next. Maybe she would rot in the darkness, maybe another light would appear in her sky; but it was certain that she couldn’t go back. In fact, she dreaded that stale place now.  

She also dreaded the phone call, but it was her responsibility and it was inevitable. 

What was she supposed to tell him? Did Joshua tell him about what happened between them? Delivering news like this was never easy, but now she also thought it was completely her fault. Maya said he was stable and out of immediate danger, but drifting in and out of consciousness still. Thank god. It calmed her down a bit. 

It was ten past eleven now, which meant 4 a.m. in Nashville. Maybe she should wait until their morning, maybe she would even know more by then…no, this was important. Surely, he would be angry if he learned that she waited…

Standing behind the reception counter, she took a deep breath and dialed the number. 

“Yes?” 

“Hello, this is Agnieszka Sikorska. Am I speaking with Jake Kishka? I’m really sorry for waking you up, this is an em…,” her voice faltered. She swallowed and quickly continued, and it sounded almost hysterical this time. “This is an emergency!” Calm down, Agnieszka, for god’s sake! She had to sit down.

A brief pause, as he looked at the number again, and his apprehension grew, followed by the first wave of fear. 

“No, no…I’m, uh, still awake, actually. How can I …uh…help you?”

If Joshua’s voice was like crystallized honey, Jake’s was blackberry jam. Pleasant, calm and soothing, even though his own heart rate went through the roof the moment she said your brother. She tried to explain the situation quickly, while leaving out all the personal details. Not now. Still, he had to stop her a few times when she stuttered or stopped making sense, or when her accent became too incomprehensible due to her agitation. He even asked her if she was ok a few times, to which she always replied “just tired, don’t mind me.” 

He was clearly very upset himself; she could hear it in his own voice, but he remained kind to her, for which she was grateful. Both her body and mind couldn’t endure anything else, even though she assured Maya that she was fine. 

It was still the most exhausting call of her life, and she slid down in her chair with slight relief when it was over, noticing only then that she had used her personal phone. Fuck! Unprofessional! With her heart beating wildly again, she quickly texted him the official contact number, asking if he would use that one in the future if necessary. 

He didn’t. He kept using this number.

They texted a few times during that afternoon, mostly regarding his travel arrangements as well as some stupid bureaucratic shit, until one particular message made her heart skip a beat. 

JK: The doctor said it was you who found him.

It looked like a simple statement, but it felt like a question. She started panicking, not ready to disclose this part of the story with him just yet. It took her five minutes to come up with the most neutral response. 

AS: Yes, I was there before the mountain rescue arrived. 

She could see him writing something and stopping repeatedly and watched the disappearing and reappearing three dots fixedly until another message finally appeared on her display.

JK: Why?

Shit. Think Neszka, think…

AS: I’m a licensed mountaineer and a part-time guide. I decided to help after the storm when we lost contact. 

Waiting for his next message was excruciating. He clearly wrote and deleted a few sentences or at least words before he hit send. 

JK: OK.  JK: Will we meet? 

She couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was playing some sort of game of vigilance with her and it took all her remaining brain power to compose yet another professional and evasive reply about having to meet eventually because Joshua’s things were still in his room. He replied with another simple “ok” fifteen minutes later. 

Clearly, he had already suspected something and she just hoped that she extinguished the fire for now. Always having hated online communication, because so much was lost in translation, she thought it best to deal with this face to face when the time would come, and when she wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed and so on edge. 

The face… it suddenly occurred to her. While rubbing her temples to ease the headache, she pictured another chaotic, curly freak and the idea made her smile. Wondering if they had the same eyes and suddenly curious, she opened her laptop and typed both their names in the search bar. No, not curly. It was like opening Pandora’s box. It only added to the whirlwind she felt. 

She discovered a new version of Joshua. Several versions, actually. Cheeky, wild, flamboyant, moody. She had seen a few pictures already; they were included in that article. Nothing could prepare her for this, though. He was still there somewhere, his kind and frisky eyes still visible behind all that glitter and make-up. She knew this was probably mostly just gimmicks. A mask we all put on at work. Hers was a welcoming and competent servant. Some of it was however so far from what she knew that she made her ask herself if she really fully knew the man. His world was broad, and so was his whole personality that could fill the vast space. He came here to her ordinary corner of the planet and entered her ordinary life to pretend to be an ordinary guy for a while. It felt bittersweet. 

He took her breath away. She already knew. She had heard him. Yet she listened with her mouth open and her heart aching. He clearly had this power over people…making them ache for him. Even the people who couldn’t know him personally had that yearning written all over their hopeful faces, as he went down to hold their hands, or cheeks. Or to hug them, even. Silly girls. And boys. Agnieszka was an idiot too, but she had no regrets now. If she could ask for one more kiss, she probably would. Was it a good idea? Probably not. Did it matter? Not anymore. As long as he lived. 

It was pure, selfless love. It should have hurt, but strangely, it didn’t. It felt bittersweet. 

Bittersweet, bittersweet, bittersweet… That’s what it was. She felt mournful and strangely happy at the same time. 

Then there was Jake. It seemed like Mother Nature marveled at her creation and decided to split that miracle in two to give the world twice as much. They complemented each other. Like two celestial lights revolving around each other. It was fascinating to watch one play and the other respond. One high, the other low, or both hitting the same note, fighting for dominance under those stage lights, loud and frantic… 

She had to squeeze her eyes shut. The lack of sleep and exhaustion were surely playing tricks with her mind, because this couldn’t be possible. The other Joshua in her dream was never Joshua.   

She lost track of time, fully immersed in these new discoveries. Hours flew by and it was almost 5pm when her mother stormed into the lobby, startling her. Agnieszka jumped, taking her headphones off hastily, only to hear her mom furiously reproaching her for not taking proper care of herself. She was supposed to be in bed! Well, the doctor said… She hadn’t eaten anything yet. Again! Yeah, true, but I’m not hungry. She’s pale as a Grim Reaper. To be honest, I’m probably running on adrenaline only. I’m shaking a little. And…

“You stink! When was the last time you showered?”

The question made Agnieszka’s stomach do a backflip and she shivered at the memory. Just as she shivered when he pressed her against the tiles back up in that cottage on Gubalowka. She was involuntarily reliving it again. One hand placed between her forehead and the wet, slippery wall, the other reaching behind her to grab at his hair. Angry with him for how good he made her feel, she pulled at it until he wailed in her ear and bit her earlobe in retaliation. Unbelievably gentle one moment, he could turn to a fierce beast on the slightest impulse. It was a bit overwhelming. He didn’t know it, because he couldn’t see her face, but he made her cry. 

The fact that he made her feel cherished and worthy when he was selflessly making love to her in that pillowy bed wasn’t surprising. How could it be? Honestly, she expected he would be like that. Dominik was like that, and it was the reason why she both craved and dreaded getting physical with Joshua. She expected him to be the same, to be a sweetheart. And then, when it would be his time to leave, she expected that she wouldn’t even be able to be mad at him. Just as it was impossible to be mad at Dominik. When he died, she wanted to be berserk, to translate her pain into fury. If she could have just one more minute with him, she’d scratch his eyes out. 

And that was a lie. She’d just imagine doing that, knowing too well that he would kindly let her, and that’s why she’d never do it. A wolf while in the wild, he turned to a meek lamb when he was with her. She was treated like a doll, and also mourned like one. Meanwhile, the smouldering embers of her grief threatened to suffocate her from the inside. 

Her attempts to release that tension in the arms of other guys always worked for a while, but it never really healed her. At the end of the day, there was no one to tell her that everything would be ok, no one to stroke her hair or to kiss the tip of her nose. She tried to convince herself that she didn’t need it. And that was a lie…

Joshua was unpredictable and fierce. It was exactly this that took her breath away. Literally. With his left arm wrapped tightly around her waist, her every shallow inhale was laboured and further interrupted by his frantic pounding. She dared to fight back and he reciprocated every blow. She dug her fingernails in his forearm and he snaked his hand upwards to wrap his finger around her throat. She pulled his hair again and his next violent thrust pinned her to the cold and slippery wall. 

He opened that door, let the fresh air in and pulled her out of her self-induced confinement, all of that while taking what he wanted. But even when he was driven by this primal lust and ferociously chasing his own high, the tiniest hints and gestures kept silently screaming this is for you. A fleeting kiss on the back of her neck, his fingertips tenderly brushing over her shoulder, his nose rubbing against her cheek. He still made her feel like she mattered. Always. 

Always!

It happened just 48 hours ago, but it felt like weeks. Weeks without sleep, food or self-care. She didn’t realize she was drifting away, once again lost in her daydreaming, until she heard her mom’s suddenly soothing tone from behind her. She looked at the frozen screen with unconcealed concern and  wrapped her arms around Agnieszka’s shoulders. “Come one, Neszka, let’s clean you up. I made you some żurek.”

Clean, fed, and put to bed with freshly washed sheets, she slept until 9 in the morning the next day. The rest of the morning passed in a haze. She tried to clear her head simply by focusing on her usual tasks and responsibilities in spite of her mother’s constant laments that she should stay in bed and rest. How could she? They needed another pair of hands, as the new guests were about to arrive, and she also needed to keep herself occupied, otherwise she’d end up watching him again. Watching them again. The dream, simply strange at first, now gave her goosebumps every time she recalled it. 

It all felt like a dream. She was in love with a dream. The new day brought a new perspective and yesterday's whirlwind of emotions now descended on her shoulders like fine dust. So much had changed, but it didn’t feel bad. It was just different. After all, she wasn’t the same person he had found here. It was time to wake up. In order to do that, she had to see him again, to tell him, to give a proper goodbye this time. She had been living in a limbo for too long. 

She tried to call the hospital, but they were no longer willing to give her any information, because they were “already in contact with Mr. Kiszka.” The nurse – however – took mercy on her, telling her at least that he was going to be transferred to a regular, semi-private room the next day, where she would be able to visit him. That meant he was recovering quickly. Thank god.

No new messages from Jake. 

It started to rain later in the afternoon, and the rising wind that came with it brought a new sense of peace. Earlier that day, mom baked sweet rolls with new blueberries and Agnieszka now found herself sitting on the veranda with a cup of steaming coffee and nibbling at the delicious pastry. And thinking. 

She had spent the last two days rethinking her life, but it was mostly just a raving mess because she’d been raving mad. Yet, strangely, everything was true. 

As the proverbial fog in her head dissipated, her senses sharpened. The cool air felt crispy and soothing on her skin, the coniferous and mildewy scents of the wet garden filled her nostrils as well as her heart. She loved this. She loved the scented valleys and the towering peaks and the bubbling streams and the smell of sour dough and smoked cheese. This was home. She took a sip of the bitter liquid and smiled. Maybe love was not such a bad idea. She could still have children whom she would show all the wonders. She could bake blueberry pastries for them and walk along the ridges with them. 

Sudden footsteps disturbed her daydreaming. 

“Hey babe.”

Bartek sat next to her without being invited to do so, but she didn’t really care. She just glanced at him and then fixed her stare on the small spruces at the back of the garden again. 

“I’m sorry you’ve had such a…uh…rough week.”

“Uh huh…”

“So…feeling better? Do you want a smoke?”

“Yeah, a bit. And no, but thank you.” She noticed a squirrel running across the garden and it made her smile again. 

“Could you at least look at me? I’m sorry for having been such an asshole, ok?. I brought you something.” 

She could feel him placing something in her lap and looked down to see a heart-shaped chocolate box. It made her snicker. What a cringy gesture. It was rude of her, but she didn’t care. “And what the hell is that?”

“A peace offering. I figured you liked presents, and maybe you would like a distraction too, hmm?” he answered and put the dishevelled strands of her hair back behind her ear. It felt invasive and humiliating all of the sudden, both his words and gestures, and she had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from splashing the still hot coffee right in his face. She had brought this upon herself though. 

“Get lost Bart,” she sighed. “You can’t buy my affection with chocolate, you did things that cannot be fixed with your apologies and I definitely don’t need nor want that kind of distraction right now.”

“What? You’re a dyke now? Certainly worked when he tried to buy your “affection” with trinkets. Did his rainbow jizz fuck up your brain?” 

It made her jump up on her feet, while tossing the box unceremoniously back at him. Pity they never really talked much. If she had known what a blinkered prick he was, she would never let him touch her with a mere tip of his finger. Maya had known all along. “Get out of my sight before I kick your ass!” 

He watched her with a crooked smile and cleared his throat before responding. “Hmm, yeah, as I said, you’re just a bitch. Great for business. Your only advantage is that you’re pretty, but that won’t last long, baby. You’re getting older. This is the last time we’re here. Expect some hearty reviews.” With that, he slowly got up and turned to leave.

“Oh I’m heartbroken,” she called after him. 

The darkness swallowed her newfound piece and the morning sun didn’t bring it back. It was Saturday, which meant she would be able to see him at last, which meant her heart started beating fast the moment she opened her eyes and anxiety came creeping back. She even started rethinking her previous resolution to go to Krakow. 

Still no new messages from Jake. He was keeping her in the dark and she didn’t dare to call or text him. There was no objective reason to do so, and the subjective ones still scared her. Maybe going as soon as possible would ensure her a valuable moment of privacy with Joshua before Jake would arrive. 

And maybe it was a bad idea. 

It was early, so she resumed her usual routine as the work was still the best way to fight off the oppressive feelings that lay heavy on her chest. She was just changing sheets in one of the just vacated rooms and her father appeared in the doorway. 

“Are you going?”

She turned around to look at him and smiled weakly. “I’ve been thinking about it, but I have no new information and no one from his family contacted me since Thursday afternoon. Maybe I should wait. Besides, it’s Saturday and you need my help.”

He nodded his head and straightened his moustache. “Yes, that sounds reasonable…”

There was a bit “BUT” hanging in the air and she raised her eyebrows at him. He chuckled and continued. “But we’re not a reasonable lot. Your grandmother would tell you that you’re just avoiding your fears and you know she would be right.”

And that was the truth. 

“It doesn’t change the fact that you need my help. A large group from Estonia is arriving today.” She was stubborn, but she was also his daughter and he didn’t budge. 

“I’ll be fine. I’ll have Maya on the phone. Go. Just don’t tell mom. She already thinks you lost your marbles.” The moment he disappeared from the doorframe, whistling his favourite tune, her phone vibrated. 

JK: Miss Sikorska, we just landed in Krakow. Please contact me when it’s convenient. 

It was from Jake and it was strangely formal. She would swear he called her by her name when they first talked on the phone. Ok, let’s get this over with. Time to go and face them both. She sighed and slid her phone back in her jean shorts pocket before she finished the task at hand and went back to her room to get ready. 

The morning had been a bit chilly after yesterday’s storm, but the sun soon warmed the air enough to justify wearing a longer sundress, which she complemented with white canvas sneakers. 

The ride was anything but pleasant. She could feel the unpleasant cocktail of adrenaline and cortisol poisoning her body slowly, making her feel like there was lye running through her veins instead of blood. She was already nearing Krakow when her phone chimed with another text from Jake.

JK: We need to talk.

It made her suck air through her gritted teeth. So he was already there and it looked like they already talked. What more was there to tell? Maybe Joshua couldn’t remember what really happened and his brother needed the whole story. Yeah, probably. Then she remembered their phone call from a week ago which she partly overheard. Given the circumstances, having another affair that ended in him being in a hospital probably didn’t impress Jake much, either. The intrusive thoughts that it was all her fault came creeping back again, and she tried to shake them off, but her heart kept beating faster the closer she got. Ten minutes later, she finally parked the car, but it took her ten more to get out, clutching the steering wheel nervously. 

The walk through the hospital corridor was a long one, her feet clapping against the floor in spite of the fact that she wore just sandshoes. It felt like she was announcing her arrival exorbitantly. She stopped by his door, hesitating for a moment. Only after a passing nurse asked her if she needed help, she finally raised her hand and knocked three times. 

“Come in,” a friendly, woman's voice answered. Agnieszka slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Noticing the other patient first, she greeted him with a hushed and bashful Dzień dobry, before she stepped inside and looked around. “Hey, I’m…” The room fell quiet immediately. And it was…crowded. Her eyes fell on Joshua first. His expression was unreadable. There was a mixture of amiability and sadness in his eyes, and his jaw clenched. A kind-looking woman, who was undoubtedly his mother, greeted her with a friendly and polite, yet reserved smile. Then there was Jake, looking first at his brother, then at her, watching her as if she was a wasp that just flew into the room, and… her stomach sank the moment she saw him in the farthest corner. A taller man in a linen shirt with rolled-up sleeves that revealed his toned arms, decorated with beaded and woven bracelets, his dark hair tied in a messy low bun. He looked at her with polite confusion and she couldn’t help but notice how beautiful his eyes were. His features were just as baby face as Joshua’s, but overall a bit more distinctive. He looked indigenous. There was no denying who he was. She suddenly wished she possessed the ability to vanish into thin air. This was a terrible mistake. A complete lack of judgement on her part. Maybe she really was losing her marbles. What if Joshua in fact didn’t want her here at all. The possibility hadn’t occurred to her for one second, and now she felt completely and utterly stupid. Fuck!

Jake was the first one to approach her and extended his hand formally. “You must be Agnieszka. Pleasure to meet you,” he greeted her, while still looking like he’d rather eat glass. “It would be much more pleasurable if you informed me beforehand. Just like I did,” he added with a hiss, forcing those words through his clenched jaw. 

“Jake!” 

It always surprised her how much power Joshua’s voice held. Ever when his tone was outwardly calm, it oozed dominance. He sounded unnaturally hoarse right now and he looked so frail on that hospital bed, but it didn’t stop him from taking the reins. She desperately wanted to run to him and pull him in a tight embrace, but she knew she couldn’t. To her relief, he extended his hand and motioned her to come closer. Jake returned back to his place by the window and put on his sunglasses, which surprised her and her astonished reaction was met with a pout. 

Joshua took her hand in his and turned to the woman sitting to his left, which made her feel even more uneasy…if that was even possible. “Mom, this is Olalla, the girl who found and saved me.” A bit melodramatic. I didn’t save you. He smiled at her and his mother mirrored him, asking her to tell them more about what really happened. 

She tried. Omitting the details that were not to be told in that room, she tried to explain everything from the moment they noticed he was missing to the arrival of the mountain rescue. In the meantime, Joshua tried to tell her something with just his eyes and it didn’t escape Christopher’s attention. He looked at her, then back at Joshua, and his face turned to stone. Jake noticed too.

“I think we’ll just go get your stuff now, Josh. What do you think, Miss Sikorska?” 

Josh cast him a wary look and Jake reciprocated. They glared at each other for a few seconds before he continued: “It’s a bit crowded here, and I’m sure you’ll appreciate having your stuff back. We’ll be back soon.” With that he motioned to Agnieszka to follow him out the door. She couldn’t refuse. 

Only when they were a safe distance from Josh’s room, walking side by side down the long corridor that led to the main staircase, he continued: “When you called, you somehow forgot to mention how well you two know each other.”

She swallowed hard. “It wasn’t relevant.”

“I think it is.” 

He didn’t say anything else until they got in the car, and it felt longer than the whole ride there.It was excruciating, and he seemed as if he reveled in it. Still hiding behind his shades, hands in his pockets, he was driving her crazy with his aloof demeanour. They shared similar features, yet each one of them had such a unique personality that they didn’t seem like twins at all.   

When they exited the parking lot, he spoke again. “So, you fucked him, huh?” It wasn’t a question, so she didn’t bother answering. 

“Well, you can’t blame me for being surprised,” he added after a while. 

Focusing on driving was becoming harder the more she felt his eyes on her. “I don’t. To be honest, I still don’t understand why he was ever interested in me.” She kept her eyes on the road, not daring to look at him. The past tense was a deliberate choice. She wanted to let him know she knew her place. He passed that over in silence. 

“Well, I do. You’re an exceptionally beautiful woman, if you don’t mind me saying that, and my brother has a weakness for beautiful things.”

That made her look at him, just to see him grinning at her. Without being able to see his eyes, she couldn’t tell what he was really up to, so she tried to lighten the mood a bit. It was a feeble attempt, but worth a try. “Are you hitting on me?”

It made him burst out laughing. “Is it working?”

“No.”

Then I’m not.” 

After another moment of silence, he put the sunglasses off and looked directly at her. “But I do make you nervous. Why?”

She clutched the steering wheel. So many reasons; none of them she could possibly tell him. “I’m aware that you don’t like me. It’s pretty obvious. And I understand why, because I clearly overstepped. I repent, ok?”

“Fair enough.” 

After a while, he pointed at the phone on her console. “Any pictures in there? Or, perhaps, videos?”

“No!” He was making her blood boil now.

“You should know that…”

“I know who he is, I know who you are, and I know what happened…”

“Well, that’s the point…”

“No, it’s not! I didn’t know until Tuesday! And I know now only because he told me!” Well, that’s almost true. 

“Really!?”

Yeah, really, you fucker. Believe it or not, it was not just fucking. “Look, I’m not stupid. I knew from the start that this would be just a temporary fling.” She cringed at the word she used. A greater part of her adulthood was filled with temporary flings, and this was not that. To be honest, she didn’t know what to call it.  “I don’t want anything from him, from you, from anyone… All I want now is to talk to him. I need to…I need to thank him.”

“For…”

“None of your business,” she quickly interrupted him and he cleared his throat to retaliate, his nostrils flaring, so she quickly added: “I’m sorry, it’s just deeply personal. Believe it or not, we shared more than just bodily fluids.”

Jake scoffed, cleared his throat and looked out the side window at the hills that appeared on the west. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing.” She didn’t counter that. 

They went silent again for another few minutes before she mustered enough courage to ask: “So…they’re back together?” 

“We arrived just two hours before you appeared there,” he looked at her as if she was dense, then added: “But I’m hopeful they will.” 

Agnieszka took a deep breath and bit her lip. Bittersweet, bittersweet, bittersweet. He deserves it.  “That’s good. I’m glad.” 

Jake cast her another wary side glance but didn’t say anything. After several more excruciating minutes, she broke the silence one more time. “I need to talk to him. In private, I mean.”

“Not the best time.” 

“I figured…maybe another day?”

“Maybe.” Jake was evidently a man of a few words. He was definitely not willing to make it any easier for her. She couldn’t blame him though. He must have thought her an intruder, and that’s exactly what she was, to be honest. That man was from his world. She would never be. 

When they arrived, she ushered him straight to Joshua’s room. As they went up the stairs and he took his glasses off again, she noticed how worn and distressed he really looked. “Umm, do you need anything? Tea? Coffee? You must be hungry, too. I can make you a supper if you want.”

“That’s kind, thank you, but I’m good,” he replied wearily as they reached the final landing. She nodded and unlocked the door.

“So, here it is. I’m going to go wait in the lobby.” The room was just as Joshua left it on Wednesday morning. Entering the guests’ rooms was against the rules unless they specifically asked to have them cleaned, so she didn’t date to pack his stuff. Not that she hadn’t broken the rule before when she went there to fetch his clothes for him, but Jake didn’t need to know that. 

The attic room was small and the air in it a bit stifled after days with the only window closed. As soon as she opened the door, they were welcomed with the unmistakable scent of him: his unwashed clothes from previous days mixed with his sweet, oriental cologne. It was too much, and she excused herself quickly when her stomach turned into a knot. He had left such an imprint here, and now it was finally over. No time left for them.

Jake didn’t bother with folding Josh’s clothes, he just threw them into the suitcase in bundles, just as he picked them up from the floor, or chairs, or the bed. He wanted to spend as little time as possible in that place. Opening the upper, half closed drawer of a large wooden dresser, where Josh had put his underwear, he found his journal thrown casually on a pile of socks. 

He was usually allowed to read those pages; he had done that many times before. Granted, it was generally with Josh open permission, but still. They had no secrets between them. Until recently. Obviously, a lot had happened here during just one week and Josh hadn’t called just once since last Saturday. So, naturally, Jake was curious. He sat down in the bed and opened the notebook. 

The first thing he noticed were new, revised lyrics to a song they had written together two weeks ago. It was a very personal piece, for both of them. Sad, too. But the ending was supposed to be hopeful, just like Tears of Rain. And that’s how Josh wrote it at first. But then he completely changed it, and now the last verse was just pure misery and doom. Was it really worth it to come here, alone? Are you happier now, brother? 

He turned the page to the last entry and his jaw clenched as he started reading his brother’s rambling about needing a break and having to step away to evaluate shit. 

The new album was out and plenty of work ahead of them. It was bad enough that Jake now had to have the whole leg of an upcoming tour canceled, but learning about Josh’s plans to leave the band for a while was the last straw. Well, you can’t, you fucker. We have a contract. However, it didn’t matter that he couldn’t. Josh never cared about things he was forced to do, which would mean that everything would go in vain, because he’d ruin it anyway with his blatant indifference.

Now it was Jake’s turn to feel hopeless, but as he always preferred anger to misery, he chose to be livid instead, quickly turning his fury towards the only person whom he illogically decided to be responsible for all that shit. She looked like a veela, and she undoubtedly was one, both enchanting and deadly! Fucking bitch! 

He quickly packed the rest of Josh’s things and stormed downstairs, only to find her arguing with a bunch of guys. Still on the stairway, he saw her slap the face of the one that stood nearest to her, and as soon as he entered the lobby, all eyes turned to him. She looked shaken, the guy next to her greeted him with a venomous glare and his two buddies looked at him from head to toe and smirked.

“Ach, I see, Olalla. You’re quick!” one of them said loudly in English and sneered. He turned to Jake then, resting his eyes on Jake’s nearly unbuttoned shirt.  “Probably had to try the other one, because his brother’s limp dick…” 

He didn’t even realize what he was doing until his fist collided with the guy’s chin. Soon he felt another blow reverberate the bones of his own jaw and the impact made him bite his tongue in surprise. Agnieszka was shouting something, but he didn’t understand and he didn’t care, being locked with someone else’s body and thrown against a table a moment later. Whatever she screamed, it clearly worked, as they quickly left the two of them alone. 

Spitting blood, he slowly straightened, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spat at her: “I’ve had enough!” 

“Jake, please...”

“I’m Mr. Kiszka to you. I’m taking an uber back to Krakow. Or a taxi …or whatever you got here. I just need a phone number.” 

So that’s how it was going to end. He told her she was not welcome, and snapped the last feeble thread that she was holding onto. It was definitive, and it would all end without the only thing that really kept her sane – the closure she so desperately needed. “Alright…?... but it’s over 100 kilometres. I can drive you back…I…,” she offered, her voice already trembling.

“There’s no need. Just give me the number.” His voice was cold and his face looked like a stone. She desperately searched it for clues, but if there were any, they were hidden behind his shades that he put back on. The silence he kept felt like a roar that rattled her bones. This was turning into a nightmare, but she functioned on autopilot, turning around to get one of the leaflets they had prepared for their guests. She handed it to him with shaking hands. 

“Thank you for everything Miss Sikorska. Your services are no longer needed.” With that, he grabbed the handle of Josh’s suitcase, turned to the door and left. 

Mom found her sitting in the corner behind the counter an hour later. 

The sun was already setting when Jake arrived at the hospital, finding his mother sitting on a bench in the hall outside Josh’s room.

“Mom? What are you doing here?” They were allowed in Josh’s room this late only because the other patient agreed. Having travelled around the world to see their son and brother was a rather convincing argument. Nevertheless, wandering around the corridors wasn’t exactly part of the deal. 

“I just needed a minute,” she sighed, stretching her legs before her. She looked unnaturally pensive, just like when she worried that he wouldn’t graduate and pleading or yelling at him no longer worked. 

“Why? Something happened?”

Ignoring his question, she glanced over his shoulder. “Where’s the girl?”

Ok, whatever this was, it was not good. He must have told her and that probably meant she wasn’t the only other person who knew. “I took a taxi. She stayed in Zakopane. Whyy…?”

“Was it her decision?”

He looked in her eyes and felt like a little boy again. This wasn’t right. She should be on his side. He did the right thing. “No…”

“Oh Jake…”

This was bad. He had a BAD feeling. What did the idiot do?! Ignoring his mom’s feeble attempts to stop him, he sprinted into Josh’s room, bursting the door open and earning a string of incoherent reproaches from Josh’s room mate. Josh was sitting cross-legged on his bed with his head bent down, examining his palms as if they held the answers to his questions or something. He looked up slowly, a bewildered expression on his face. His eyes were dry, but still red and puffy. It was quite obvious that he had been crying. A lot. But most importantly, he was alone. “Where’s Christopher?” 

“I…he…is Olalla coming?” Josh’s tone was feeble and strangely monotonous, almost stripped of all colour. He was emotionally exhausted to the point of being almost indifferent. 

“Answer my question!” Jake was already raising his own voice, ignoring their mom who grabbed him by the shoulders from behind, trying to shush him. He gripped the top rail of the second chair to keep himself grounded, but his pursed lips and flared nostrils told Josh there was a storm raging behind his brother's cold appearance. 

Josh could feel another wave of nausea gripping at his insides. The headache was slowly creeping back again and he had to take a few deep breaths first, while Jake kept looking daggers at him. “I…well, he’s not stupid! He kinda figured what’s going on, Jake. Not that I denied anything, I couldn’t do that…,” he tilted his head back down as another sob ripped through his chest. “He’s probably on his way to the airport right now.”

Jake punched the wall, oblivious to the fact that Josh’s roommate was holding his remote, already alarming the nurses. “You’re a fucking idiot!”

“Why? Is Neszka mad? I need to tell her what I told him. I need to be sincere with her too.” 

Jake just scoffed, shaking his head while still gripping the backrest. 

“WHERE’S OLALLA, JAKE?!?”

“She’s not coming.” 

Josh watched him for a few seconds, his face slowly turning from angry to hopeless. He heaved then, and only managed to lean over the bed before he threw up on the floor.

@its-interesting-van-kleep @edgingthedarkness @writingcold @thewritingbeforesunrise @lvnterninthenight @fleet-of-fiction @takenbythemadness @myownparadise96 @gvfstuddedmajesty @josh-iamyour-mama @jazzyfigz @tripthelightfantastix @sanguinebats @love-isnt-greed @klarxtr @kiszkas-canvas @wetkleenex-gvf

[itsthestutterforme]

“Invisible String” 2/2 (Rafe Cameron x black!reader)

Summary: It’s been three months since you’ve no contact with Rafe. Then one random night he calls you in the middle of the night to tell you that he’s been shot.

Notes: GIF is not mine, this isn’t beta’d, angst, reader is in love with Rafe

**

Rafe hasn’t left your mind since you got back from winter break.

The last few days of winter break was a blur. You had cried the entire ride back to your house where Wheezie and Cane were waiting for you.

So you knew you had to pull yourself together so Wheezie wouldn’t worry, but she already knew. She knew how it was going to end the second you left to go looking for her brother.

He’s changed since you left for college and Wheezie definitely noticed. Her and him weren’t close but anyone with eyes could see how you made Rafe better.

“What did he say?” Wheezie had asked you when you walked back through the door. “He uh.. he said he didn’t want to leave. How long has been like this?” You asked. “I think it was sometime after he helped you move to college,”

The conversation echoed through your head. The incessant buzzing from your phone pulled you out of your sleep. You’d hardly call it sleep. All you were doing was closing your eyes while your thoughts went rampid.

Picking up your phone, your eyes widened when Rafe’s picture appeared on your phone. You had immediately answered, not caring if you looked desperate.

You missed him. You missed how things were before you went to Duke. You weren’t sure what you expected when you picked up but anything would have worked for you.

“Rafe?” You whispered, not wanting to wake your roommate. All you heard was Rafe’s heavy breathing. “Hello?”

“Y/N? Y/N, I-“ he choked on a cough, “I need you. I-I’ve been shot,” “Oh my God. Send me your location now, Rafe! I’ll call the police. Just put pressure on the wound.” “Okay, okay,” tears swelled in your eyes when you heard his strained voice. Your phone chimed with his location.

“Is it bad?” You asked, but you were answered with pained groans. “Rafe! Tell me how bad is it?” Your roommate stirred in her bed but you didn’t care at this point.

“I got hit.. in my leg,” Your heart was beating in your ears at this point. You prayed that he wasn’t hit in his femoral artery. He would bleed out in seconds.

“Just apply pressure to the wound okay?” You tell him. Jumping off your bed, you took your roommate’s phone in your hands. Swiping to the emergency screen on her phone, you dialed 911.

“911, what’s your emergency?” “Hello? Um my friend was just shot in the leg,” you gave her the address and she deployed the ambulance. She said it was six minutes out. You just hoped that he has that long.

“Okay, thank you so much.” You said to the operator before hanging up. “Rafe, you still there? The ambulance is six minutes away. You have to be awake when they get there, okay?” “Okay,” he says faintly.

“I mean it, Rafe. Do. Not. Close. Your. Eyes.” “I said okay, Y/N.” You let out a shaky sigh. Putting him on speaker, you rushed to put on the nearest sweatpants and sweater.

Slipping on your favorite pair of fuzzy crocs, you grabbed your purse and ran out of the dorm. “Are you running?” He asks once he heard your uneven breathing. “I’m running to my car. Yeah. I’m coming to Outter Banks,” You unlocked the car and tossed your purse in the passenger seat as you slid in.

“No. I’ll be okay, baby. You don’t have to-“ “I’m going. You’re not going to change my mind. Just focus on staying awake, Rafe.” Starting the car, you reversed out of the spot and made your way to the freeway you know very well.

He hums in response. Wait a second, did he just call you baby?

“Rafe?” You croaked, your chest heaved as you tried to control your sobs when you didn’t hear anything. You couldn’t even hear his breathing.

“Please don’t die,” you begged. Not a few moments later, you heard a door burst open and the sound of a radio getting closer.

“Oh Thank God,” you said, wiping away some of your tears. The commotion from tending to his wounds and putting him on a gurney calmed you. At least he was getting the help that he needed.

You heard small clips of information from the EMT saying that the bullet didn’t nick the femoral artery, which was your main concern.

The last thing you heard was the door slamming shut. The sirens sounded further and further from the phone and you took that as a sign to hang up. Once you clicked the red button, your breath caught in your throat from how frantic you were sobbing.

You pressed a hand on your chest to control yourself but your breathing only came in short gasps. You pulled over to the side of the road, your throat scratched raw from the crying.

“Whoa, what’s happening?” Rafe knelt down next to you. His hands cupped your cheeks and lifted up so you were looking at him.

“What’s going on?” “Can’t-can’t breathe,” you choked out. Tears blurred your vision and you could barely feel your hands at this point.

Rafe looked unsure of what to do. He scanned your body for injuries and didn’t see anything. You weren’t even bleeding. “Should I call an ambulance?”

You shook your head no and pushed his hands away from your face as you tried to take a deep breath. “Panic atta..” you lungs contracted and burned from the lack of oxygen.

“Panic attack? You’re having a panic attack? Oh shit, okay.” He took your hands into his and rubbed the back of your hands with his thumb.

“Okay, I need you to follow what I’m saying. Alright? Take some deep breathes with me,” you tried to say that you couldn’t but the words caught in your throat.

“In,” he inhaled deeply, “Out,” he said on the exhale. Your eyes searched his as you subconsciously followed what he was saying. In. Out.

“How did you do that?” “Wheezie used to have panic attacks whenever we tried to take her to school. There was this kid bullying her,” Rafe explains.

“But what’s going on? Why are you panicking?” He adds, squeezing your hands. “I’m scared of boats,” you hesitate and Rafe was quiet for a moment.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me anything?” He snaps. “I didn’t want you to make fun of me,” you snapped back. “I wouldn’t do that,” “You did before,” you tried to pull away from his hands but he kept his grip.

“I wouldn’t have teased you for that. You need to promise me that next time you’re nervous about something, you tell me.” “Say it,” he adds.

“I promise,” “Good. I’ll tell the boys to turn the boat around,” your eyes widen when he goes to stand up. “No! No, I’ll be okay. I just have to thug it out,”

“You don’t have to thug anything out. You’re uncomfortable. That’s enough reason for me.” “Rafe, please.”

He stares at you and watched as you wiped away the tears before they dried on your cheeks. “Fine, but I’m staying down here with you,”

“Thank you,” you said after a few moments of silence. “Of course,”

The memory relaxed you the point where your breathing was back to normal. Resting your head against the seat, you take a moment to compose yourself before merging back on the highway.

By the time you got to Outter Banks, the sun had risen and your eyes felt heavy. But you had to see him.

“Hi, I’m here for Rafe Cameron,” you told the nurse at the front desk.

“Are you alright, ma’am? You look like you’re about to pass out,” “Oh, no. I’m fine. I’ve just been driving all night to get here.”

“You should sit down,” “I will. Once I see him, please.” “Are you family?” “Practically, yes.” “Well we can’t allow non-family members back in the rooms, miss. It’s policy.”

“Ma’am, has anyone been in to see him since he’s been here?” You asked. She checked the log on the computer.

“No, they haven’t.” “Well I assure you that’s not going to change. He’s.. separated from his family. They practically disowned him. Please ma’am. I’m all he has and I thought he wasn’t going to make it.” Your voice became shaky over the last few words.

She gives you a sympathetic look. “Of course, sweetie. I’m so sorry to hear that. He’s in room 208.” “Thank you,” you said breathlessly.

Moving to walk down the hall, she calls after you. “I’ll have a nurse come in to check your vitals just in case, alright?”

“Okay,” you gave her an appreciative look before going to find Rafe’s room.

Thankfully it was the third room on the left. For the first time in hours, you felt like you could breathe again.

Rafe’s eyes snapped from the TV to you and he let out a breath. “Y/N,” Rafe says, attempting to sit up. “You look.. you don’t look good, Rafe.”

You were hesitant in entering the room.

He was in worse shape than you thought. He had a black eye and a busted lip. He had a few bruises littering his left cheek.

His right leg was wrapped and elevated to prevent swelling. If that’s just what his face looked like, you could only imagine what the rest of him looked like.

“I know you probably hate me right now,” “I don’t hate you, Rafe.” You finally crossed the threshold and approached his bed side.

“Oh God,” you covered your mouth at when you got a closer look at his injuries. “I’m so sorry,” you croaked, tears staining your cheeks. “It’s not your fault,” “Did you need surgery?”

“Yeah, one of my kidneys ruptured so they went in to fix it.” You let out a sob in your hand as the realization came in front of you.

If you hadn’t called the ambulance when you did, Rafe wouldn’t be alive right now.

“I’m surprised you came,” “Of course I came. You’re my best friend. Just because we had a break from things, doesn’t mean you stopped being my best friend.” You reassured, you watched tears run down his cheeks. He groaned as he tried to sit up once again and reached for you.

You wrapped your arms around him, careful not to apply too much pressure. But he didn’t care as he proceeded to crush you with his arms.

“I fucked up, Y/N. I am so sorry.” He says into your neck. You pulled away and held his face, examining his injuries at a closer look when you felt a weird sensation behind your eyes.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Rafe’s voice sounded like it was a mile away.

Your body felt like you were levitating off the ground and black wisps crept into your vision. You must of fell because you felt the cold tile of the hospital floor against your cheek.

You could feel the blood rushing to your face, the left side of your face felt warm. The last thing you heard was Rafe yelling for a nurse.

[chrisevansonly]

The Night From Hell (Little Duck au🐣)

pairing: Chris Evans x Female Reader (Momma Evans) x Arlie Mae

summary: Chris never in a million years thought he’d get a phone call like the one he got as he sat down to feel Wesley, and his whole world shattered…

warnings: angst angst angst, injuries more on momma than arlie, mentions of drunk driving, medical terminology, a bit of comfort and fluff

a/n: idk why i’ve been hooked on this idea, but here it is, angst filled teehee, don’t worry i’ll give the family a break for a while after this and only write fluff but for now, enjoy 🫶🏻

word count: 2,067

The loud ringing in your ears seemed to get louder and louder the more aware and awake you’d become, still strapped in the driver’s seat, your neck stinging painfully, and judging by the seatbelts tight hold on you, it had burned your neck. You knew for certain you had blacked out, but for how long? That was still undetermined. Everything ached, your ribs, back, not to mention your head which had started to pound repeatedly, but what snapped you out of your haze were Arlie’s cries from the backseat

“M-Momma!”

“I’m here baby…I’m gonna get you out my love, are you hurt?”

“Y-yes, owie momma”

Biting your lip to keep from crying out yourself, you unstrapped the seatbelt, sirens now filling the space around you as you managed to get out and limp over to open the back door. When you got it open, Arlie reached for you, eyes bloodshot, but thankfully she looked okay, a few scratches on her arms and cheek from broken glass 

“Momma you bleeding”

“I-I know my love, I’m okay, we’re okay though”

You pulled her into your arms before sitting on the asphalt against the back tire, if there was anything you were thankful for right now it was for Volvo and how amazing the cars they made were, all you could see was a mangled mess of metal from the other car that hit you, but yours, albeit messed up, still looked somewhat decent

“Want daddy, I want daddy momma!”

An ambulance, followed by fire and police showed up, paramedics getting out and jogging in your direction, but you could feel yourself fading slowly

“D-Daddy will be here soon baby..p-promise..”

“Momma? Momma!!”

You had tried to fight the feeling you’d been getting while sitting against your car with Arlie holding onto you, but her voice was the last thing you’d heard before passing out, and it looked like you weren’t going to be waking up

-

Arlie was crying and shaking your arm trying to get you up, she was frantic and at only 4 years old she didn’t know what to do, she was terrified as she watched you fall and hit the pavement, her screams causing two paramedics to run over 

“Hi honey, hey little one, can you tell me your name sweetie?”

Arlie looked towards the young medic who crouched down to her while her partner rushed to your side to make sure you were breathing 

“Help Momma pwease!”

“Alright honey, we’re gonna help your mommy, but can you tell me your name...?”

“A-Arlie”

The medic smiled 

“Hi Arlie, I’m Jess, it’s nice to meet you” 

Jess paused before a few other people came to get you situated on a stretcher, which only caused more panic to build in little Arlie’s chest 

“Arlie, we are going to ride with your mom in the ambulance, okay? We’re going to check out your little cuts and get them nice and clean, okay?”

Jess held her arms out slowly and Arlie was quick to enter her embrace so she could pick Arlie up and walk with her behind the stretcher 

“Want my daddy”

“We can call him when we get inside okay?”

Arlie nodded and they both got into the back of the ambulance and watched as you were hooked up to a few monitors and had begun to get IVs placed along your arms all while Arlie had to watch you lay silent, and that is what scared her the most, she’d never seen her momma like this at all…she was too quiet…way too quiet

-

Chris had just put Wesley down for bed when his phone went off again, ringing from the countertop in the kitchen downstairs, he’d heard it go off once a few minutes ago, and couldn’t get too it, so he jogged down the stairs, turning the phone to see an unknown number

“Hello?”

“Hi is this Mr. Evans?”

Chris had started to feel anxious before he’d picked up the phone but now that feeling started to rise 

“Yes, this is him, can I ask who’s calling?”

“This is Jess McNeil, I’m a paramedic with the Newton County fire department, I’m a paramedic, there’s been an accident involving your wife and daughter”

There is no singular word or feeling to describe just how Chris felt in this moment, the sheer panic as he moved over to open his laptop, sending his mother a series of texts, the urgency in them telling her to come to the house as soon as possible. If Chris ended up going into Boston tonight, he didn’t want Wesley to be in a hospital around sick people, nor did he think he could hold it together enough for his son

“I-Wait how’d this happen, are they alright? Where are you headed, are they hurt bad...?”

“Mr. Evans, I assure you we are doing everything we possibly can for your wife right now, I can’t discuss all the details over the phone, but she is in critical condition as we speak, we are heading towards Massachusetts General Hospital, your daughter is fine, minor injuries”

Chris went to ask another question or try to get any more information on your condition when he heard his sweet little girl’s voice come through the speaker 

“Daddy, you there daddy?”

He sniffled quietly, his emotions no longer being held back

“I’m here baby, I’m here Arlie, are you okay duck?”

“I scared daddy, can you come get me and momma pwease…don’t wike it here…too loud”

The fear in her voice and slight tremble in speech making his heart clench tighter in his chest 

“I’m going to come see you and momma right now, you’ll be okay baby I promise, you stay with Jess until I get there, okay? I promise, I love you so much Arlie Mae”

“I love you daddy”

For the next couple minutes while Chris gathered a bag with clothes and pyjamas for himself, Arlie and you, they’d stayed on the phone until his mother arrived at the house, only then did Chris hang up and make his way into Wesley’s room to kiss his forehead whispering a quiet ‘I love you so much’ before going down to explain everything to Lisa and the night his little family was in for

-

Chris had never driven into Boston as fast as he did tonight, his car screeching into the parking lot at Mass Gen as he slid it into park, the emergency room lights casting a hue amidst the puddles of rain in the parking lot. He’d slung the bag of clothes over his shoulder before jogging to the entrance, it didn’t take him long to find Arlie first who was sitting with Jess playing with a puzzle and some blocks 

“Oh, thank god…”

Arlie turned and jumped up instantly taking off towards Chris 

“Daddy!” 

“Hi baby, oh god, thank you god…you’re okay baby”

He took her into his arms instantly as she clung to him, Chris never wanted to let her go, but pulled back after a few minutes to inspect her cheek were a band aid lay, covering one of the bigger cuts

“I’m so happy you’re okay Arlie, I was so worried”

Chris pressed a few kisses to her forehead before turning to smile at Jess who’d made her way over to say goodbye as her team was going back out 

“Thank you so much, for looking after my girls…I can’t thank you enough”

Jess smiled and nodded 

“Of course, Arlie is a great storyteller, and if it’s any ease to your mind, your wife was awake when we arrived, I’m sure they’ll have a room for her soon”

Chris nodded and sent her a small smile, thanking her once again before he and Arlie chose an uncrowded corner to sit in, letting her change into some pyjamas before she curled up next to Chris, opting to watch a show quietly on his phone while they both waited for any news on your condition, right now it felt like they’d be waiting all night. 

-

You were more than aware of the situation you were in, the hospital bed far less comfortable than your own, the steady beeping from the monitor attached to your heart, the drip of the iv’s every few seconds, you felt like shit, there was no sugar coating that at all. Thankfully you didn’t end up needing surgery at all, and you’d been getting settled into this room when a knock at the door paused your movements to get comfortable 

“Mrs. Evans, I have some guests here to see you, they’ve been waiting very patiently”

You knew immediately who it was and nodded, still not trusting of your voice just yet. A tired smile on your face when the door opened further and Arlie stood there with Chris, her little eyes lighting up instantly 

“Momma!!”

She ran to you, and you could already feel the tears spill gently down your cheeks, everything was so overwhelming 

“H-Hi my baby”

Chris came over shortly after, tears in his eyes as well

“Arlie, remember, gentle with Momma for the next while okay?”

She turned and nodded at her dad before holding your hand gently, Chris moving to the other side to lean down and press a kiss to your forehead

“Hi handsome, sorry for the little scare”

He couldn’t help the quiet laugh that escaped him, knowing you were trying to bring some slight humour to the situation, it was too hard to look at this any differently. Arlie had managed to climb into the bed beside you, laying her head on your shoulder gently, just wanting to be close to you

“Momma, can we go home pwease?”

“Well, my love, I can’t go home just yet, I’ve got some pretty big owies I need looked at, but you and daddy can go home anytime” 

You could see Chris tense slightly out of the corner of your eye, you knew he wouldn’t want to leave, but what you didn’t expect was Arlie to shake her head, and hold the hospital gown you had on tighter in her hands, a soft yawn spilling out 

“I stay if momma stays…”

You smiled watching her closer her eyes as her voice trailed off, this was the last place you’d ever thought the two of you would end up, but you were more than grateful you’d gotten the worst of it, you didn’t know what you would have done if this was Arlie in your place instead of you 

“The uh doctor, told me all your injuries, but said we should be able to leave in a few days...”

“Chris?”

He looked at you, the anxiety swimming behind his tired eyes, you could see right through him every time, but this was the first time you’d ever seen him this scared

“I’m okay baby, I know you’re scared, and anxious…I want to let you feel those feelings, but I’m right here, I’m okay, Arlie is okay”

He nodded leaning his head on your thigh as he gripped your hand gently, squeezing it to find more comfort 

“I thought I lost you both…and-and then when the medic told me you were in critical condition, I thought I was l-losing you Y/N…god when I got that call…my ma is home with Wes, I drove straight here”

“I can only imagine how that felt, truth be told I really don’t remember much other than getting Arlie out of the car…god that car saved our lives Chris”

Chris pulled his head back to look at you once again, just taking everything in, almost as if you’d disappear, and you almost had tonight 

“I love you, and I love Arlie so fucking much I need you to know that, and I need you to know I’ll make sure you both get better, and get any help you need, no matter what it takes” 

Bringing a hand up to cup his cheek softly you nodded, no words needed to be exchanged as Chris leaned into your touch, feeling grateful that soon he’d be able to take his two favourite girls home. He never ever wanted to feel what he had tonight, and how he felt when he got that call, so as he watched his wife and daughter sleep, he called Lisa to fill her in, and let her know everything would be okay, he’d make sure of it. 

[midwestmade29]

Imagine Request ✨

To anonymous: I hope this is everything you hoped for! I'm not sure if I did it properly, but I can assure you I did my absolute best to follow your request. Thanks again for the request…I loved it 🖤

Original anonymous request: "Can I send a Christian Cage x Female!Reader imagine? So what is we have Evil Dilf Christian, The Patriarch, The TNT Champ, the Face of AEW in a serious long term established relationship with a loving America’s Sweetheart, Sunshine Baby Face reader. Is the kind of relationship they’ve never played up on TV and even though they don’t post about each other too often, the fans and everyone is well aware they’re together. Maybe the reader is in a high stakes contender ship match and she ends up injuring herself somehow. This causes Christian to break character and come out to help get her out of the ring and loaded into the ambulance to get checked out and it ultimately ends up with her having surgery and Christian being the best boyfriend/fiance/husband (you can choose that!) he can be and takes care of his woman while she recovers?" Word count: 950 GIFs are not mine. Credit goes to their original creators. I selected each GIF to further help visualize the things happening in the story 🙂

Disclaimers: Some cursing, injury sustained (broken bone), pain due to injury, ambulance ride, mention of hospital and surgery. Read at your own discretion.

“After tonight, we will be the TNT and TBS champs. You’re going to do great baby,” Christian whispered into your ear. You had dreamt about having the shiny belt around your waist ever since you arrived in AEW. You worked your ass off to get this title shot and you’ll be damned if you don’t give the match your all! “You’re going to be watching, right?” you asked while Christian embraced you. “Of course! They need me for a pre taping in a minute, but my eyes will be glued to the monitor the entire time.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, this contest is set for one fall with a 20-minute time limit. It is for the TBS Championship!” Justin Robert’s announced, your music blasting through the speakers immediately after. Excalibur hyped up the match, “And here comes everyone’s ray of sunshine, Y/N! She’s looking to take down our reigning TBS champ Julia Hart after securing a title shot last Saturday on Collision. Let’s watch as these two fierce competitors take on one another!” You smiled and waved at everyone while you stood in the ring waiting for Julia to make her entrance. “We love you Y/N!” one fan cried out, and smiled when you blew them a playful kiss. You stood in the darkness when Julia’s music hit, nerves calming a little when you thought about celebrating your victory with your favorite temperamental Patriarch later.

“That’s it baby, don’t ease up! Show her who the real champ is!” Christian yelled at the tv monitor while he watched you. “Don’t count Y/N out guys. She’s holding her own against the champ very well!” Taz praised. “Smart man,” Christian laughed to himself, but his laughter stopped abruptly when he watched you attempt to use Julia’s new finisher against her, landing awkwardly on your feet before your leg buckled causing you to fall. You sat in the center of the ring writhing in pain while you grasped at your ankle. Everyone in the crowd cringed while they watched the replay on the big screen. You tried to stand, wailing in pain when you put pressure on your ankle. “Bryce, my ankle! Something’s wrong with my ankle! I felt a snap and now I can’t move it!”

“Something isn’t right. What the hell happened?!” Tony Kahn’s voice crackled through Bryce’s earpiece. Julia leaned against the turnbuckle, laughing in delight at your pain as she stayed in character. “If Y/N can finish the match, wrap it up and change the finish. Julia will retain!” Tony Kahn called the audible, Bryce sighing in defeat because he knew tonight was supposed to be your night. He bent over and asked if you were able to continue, you grimaced and nodded yes. You stumbled to your feet, trying to hold back your tears as you hopped over to Julia on one leg. She read the situation correctly when she gave you a thrust kick that knocked you back down, instantly locking you in her submission hold Heartless. “Could this be it for Y/N folks?!” Taz shouted as everyone was on the edge of their seats, hoping that you weren’t going to tap out.

“What the fuck was that?! Y/N was supposed to win! Shit!” Christian roared when he saw you laying in the ring with your eyes skewered shut. He bolted through the backstage area and down the ramp and into the ring as the cameras captured his every move. “Christian Cage?! What the hell is he doing here?” Tony Schiavone questioned. Everyone was surprised by Christian breaking character as he knelt by your side while Doc Sampson examined you. No one knew if this was a part of a storyline or if it was real since you and Christian kept your relationship out of AEW. You were placed on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance while everyone watched. Christian held your hand the entire ride to the hospital, assuring you that you were going to be okay. The sirens wailed in the night as you rode in the back of the ambulance. You were delirious from the pain that was consuming you, and your body was slowly coming out of fight or flight mode.

“I’m right here, baby! Take it easy, try not to move your legs. The doctor said the surgery went well!” Christian sat next to your hospital bed holding your hand, rubbing his thumb across your knuckles, and kissing them. Your engagement ring caught his eye, making him smile and chuckle to himself. You were still groggy from surgery, but coherent enough to notice his bright smile. “What’s that smile for?” you murmured as you stroked his cheek with your hand. “I was just thinking about our upcoming vows. In sickness and in health. I guess we’re practicing that part now, aren’t we?”

Recovery was difficult, but you had the best caregiver by your side! Christian waited on you hand and foot making sure you never had to lift a finger. He never missed a doctor’s appointment and made sure to do whatever he could to comfort you after a physical therapy session. As he helped you get situated in bed, an overwhelming sense of gratitude washed over you as you watched the man that most people viewed as evil and cantankerous cover you with a blanket and kiss your forehead. Christian really is the best fiancé!

“Thank you, baby. For everything! You risked a lot when you ran to the ring to help me. You’ve been by my side through this whole ordeal and loving me through it all. It means so much to me having you in my corner.”

“I know you’d do the same for me Y/N.”

“In a heartbeat, Christian.”

[storiesforallfandoms]

need help ~ nikki sixx;the dirt

word count: 1789

request?: yes!

“The dirt Nikki sixx x female reader, the reader been best friends with Nikki sense they were kids and became friends through them having terrible home lives, when motley Crüe started up she was their cheering him on. The reader also been in love with Nikki for a long time but when Nikki starts taking heroin she ends up finding him and taking care of him and this happens more than once but after he overdoses the reader snaps and says that she can’t keep watching the man she loves doing heroin. Please and thank you”

description: after finding her friend overdosing, they have a heavy talk about his addiction and his desire to get help

pairing: nikki sixx x female!reader

warnings: swearing, mentions of drugs, mentions of overdosing, lil angst?

masterlist (one, two)

It wasn’t the first time I had found Nikki in the midst of one of his highs. In fact, it was becoming such a regular occurrence that I usually expected Nikki to be high as a kite whenever I went to see him.

What I didn’t expect this time around was to find him almost dead. Or...I guess completely dead.

I had gotten a call from one of his junkie friends - also nothing new. He sounded frantic and scared as he tried to tell me there was something wrong with Nikki. I thought at first that maybe he was just too high and was freaking out because Nikki was also high, so I wasn’t too alarmed at first. I drove to the address that the guy had given me, convinced that I was going to have to carry Nikki back home yet again and nurse him through his heroin hangover.

When I showed up to the house and found it completely abandoned, a feeling of dread started to grow in me. I walked into the house to find Nikki on his own, passed out, with ghostly pale skin and dried vomit on his mouth and chest. My heart stopped as I fell next to Nikki and checked his pulse. When I couldn’t find one, I immediately called 911.

The ride to the hospital was mostly a blur. The paramedics let me ride with Nikki, but I was basically curled up in an anxiety filled ball as I watched them trying to operate on Nikki. Just when I had lost all hope of him being helped, one of the paramedics injected him with something and he gasped back to life.

Nikki was put in a hospital room to make sure the drugs fully left his system before he was discharged. They allowed me to stay with him since he had no other immediate family to call. I slept in the chair by his bedside while he went through his detox, which was probably the most uncomfortable I had ever been. But I didn’t want to leave until I knew Nikki was okay. I wanted him to wake up so I could tell him that I couldn’t keep doing this.

I was eating a bland hospital food meal when Nikki woke up. I watched him slowly come to life before taking in his surroundings. He turned his head and focused his attention on me.

“(Y/N)? Where am I?” he asked.

“The hospital,” I responded. “Do you remember much about last night?”

He shook his head. “I don’t remember anything.”

“You...um...well, you overdosed, Nik. Your heart stopped and everything. One of the paramedics managed to re-start it in the ambulance.”

“Oh.” I couldn’t read his facial expression, but I assumed he was shocked by this news. Or at least I hoped he was.

I sat at the edge of my chair, looking down at my hands. I couldn’t look at him. The words bubbling in my throat were hard to get out.”

“Nik, I can’t do this anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

I started picking at my hands. My vision was becoming blurry, but I refused to let Nikki see. I had to remain strong so I didn’t back down from this decision.

“I can’t keep watching you nearly kill yourself with drugs. I can’t keep finding you high out of your mind and having to take care of you until you’re well enough to shoot up again.”

“What are you saying, (Y/N)?”

I took a deep breath and forced out, “I can’t be friends with you while you’re like this, Nikki. I can’t keep doing this to myself.”

Silence filled the room. I was picking at a hangnail on my thumb until I accidentally made it bleed. I stuck my thumb in my mouth to try and combat the bleeding, which resulted in me finally looking up at Nikki. He was looking at me with sad eyes. I was a little caught off guard by the reaction and felt guilt building inside of me.

“You...you don’t want to be friends anymore?” he asked. “(Y/N), we’ve been friends since we were in diapers. You really want to end all that?”

I nodded. “I have to, Nikki. I can’t do this anymore. This isn’t good for me, and I can’t come to your rescue and worry that I’m going to find you dead permanently.”

“That’s not gonna happen.”

“I didn’t think so either, until I walked into a crack house to find you unresponsive and alone.”

“That’s because those idiots left me. That won’t happen again.”

I shook my head. My guilt was quickly being replaced with anger. He wasn’t understanding what I was saying. He wasn’t understanding the severity of the situation I had found him in the night before. He wasn’t going to get clean, he was just thinking about when he could get his next high.

I had to get out of there. I was no longer worried that I would go back on my decision, but rather I was worried of what I might say while angry. I got up from my chair, my body aching from being there for so long, and collected my things to leave.

“So this is it?” Nikki questioned as I headed for the door. “A lifetime of friendship and you’re throwing it away while I’m recovering from a near death experience?”

“Don’t give me that shit, Nikki!” I snapped. “It wouldn’t have been a near experience if it weren’t for me! In fact, there has probably been a number of times I’ve saved your ass. And do I get so much as a ‘thank you, (Y/N)’, ‘I appreciate you, (Y/N)’, ‘I’ll stop taking drugs and nearly killing myself, (Y/N)’?”

“I never asked you to do any of that.”

“No, you didn’t, but I still did. Because I love you. And I can’t watch the man I love killing himself anymore!”

The silence that hung between us was thicker now. I felt a wetness on my cheek as I realized I had finally let the tears start falling. This was exactly what I hadn’t wanted to say, but now it was out there and I couldn’t take it back.

I quickly threw myself out of Nikki’s hospital room. I made a beeline for the elevator, trying to put as much distance between me and that room as I could.

At least admitting my feelings made it easier for him to let me go, I thought to myself.

The sudden sound of hospital machines beeping followed by voices yelling drew my attention back to Nikki’s room. The brunette rock star was trying to shove past the number of hospital staff that was trying to coax him back into his room.

“Sir, you’re still detoxing, you have to go back to your room until the doctor discharges you,” a nurse was saying as she tried to push Nikki back into his room.

“I’ll go back in if she comes with me,” Nikki said, pointing towards me.

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment as the staff looked at me. “Nikki, you have to finish your treatment. Go back in and I’ll come see you when you’re better.”

“I don’t believe you,” he said. “I think if you walk out now that I’ll never see you again, and you can’t leave me after what you just told me.”

It felt like my throat was closing over from trying to hold back the fresh tears welling in my eyes. I managed to choke out, “I can’t.”

Nikki finally managed to break away from the staff trying to restrain him and rushed over to me. Before I could realize what he was doing, his hands were grabbing my face and his lips were on mine. It was far from being the picture perfect kiss you see in romantic comedies. It was rough and almost felt desperate. But it was a kiss, and I couldn’t help but get lost in it because it was something I had been dreaming of for years.

It was broken up when two hospital guards appeared and grabbed Nikki, forcing him away from me and back to his room. He tried to fight against them, but when he saw that I was following them now he stopped and allowed them to put him back in his bed and hook him back up to the machines he had been attached to.

I sat back down in the uncomfortable chair and we were right back to where we had been moments before, as if the last ten minutes hadn’t happened at all.

“So,” I started, “was that...real?”

He gave me a funny look. “How could it not be real?”

“I don’t know, it could’ve just been a tactic to get me to come back into the room.”

Nikki chuckled a little. “You don’t think there’s even the smallest possibility that I did that because I also have feelings for you and I didn’t want you to walk away without me telling you that?”

I shrugged my shoulder, which caused him to laugh again. “You’re so cute.”

It was hard not to smile when he said that, but I quickly wiped the smile from my face. “I still mean what I said, though. This admitting that we have feelings for one another isn’t going to change my mind. If anything, I’m much more firm on my decision that I’m not going to sit around and watch you kill yourself.”

Nikki sighed and nodded his head. “I know. I have a problem, (Y/N). I didn’t want to admit it, but I always knew that I did. I crashed Tommy’s wedding because I was high, I’ve ruined friendships, I almost died. I almost lost you. It’s just not worth it anymore. I can’t keep living like this.”

I moved closer to his bed and took his hand in mine. When his eyes met with mine I felt like my breath was taken away. He was always so handsome, even now when he was being his most vulnerable with me. Especially now that he was being his most vulnerable with me.

“We’ll get you help, Nik,” I told him. “There’s plenty of good rehab facilities you can go to, or you can try and do it on your own without the help of professionals. Either way, I’m going to be by your side every step of your recovery.”

“And when I’m clean, I’m going to do what I should’ve done a very long time ago and I’m going to take you out on a proper date.”

I smiled again at him and said, “It sounds like a deal.”

[gaysullengirl]

𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞. 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, black cat

❝  fucked up, anxious ❞ -imperfect for you, ariana grande

Since Spencer took the subway to work everyday Isabelle gave him a ride to the bar.

According to Spencer it was the bar the team went to almost every time.

It was perfect- they had music but it wasn’t too loud, it was never super busy, and the lighting wasn’t too harsh nor too dreary.

“It’s a busy night, I guess.” Spencer commented when they walked in, there wasn’t an ambulance of people but it was definitely busy.

Emily waved the two over to a booth, on one side sat Morgan, Emily and Garcia and the other sat Isabelle, Spencer, and Jj.

Morgan handed the new addition to the team a beer and she gladly accepted while spencer denied with a disgusted look on his face.

“So Isabelle, where are you from?” Emily asked, the team hadn’t really got a chance to know Isabelle, they worked a case right after one and their minds were pre occupied by wondering how Spencer was doing.

“Oh I’m from Warrenton, it’s a small farming town just an hour away from here.” Isabelle responded.

“It’s nice that your parents are kinda close! My parents live four and a half hours away.” Jj said.

“Yeah.” Isabelle said in a flat tone, “Do you visit your parents a lot?” Asked Derek.

“No- well they don’t live there anymore.” Isabelle responded and slightly sunk into the booth.

Thankfully Spencer re directed the conversation and the group talked for a while- after an hour Jj had to return home.

Emily was currently using the restroom while Derek dragged Spencer to get drinks with him.

“I know your mom is missing too!” Garcia blurted.

Isabelle felt her heart drop, she stared into Penelope’s eyes.

“Um I-I when I was looking into your sister’s disappearance I noticed your mom is also missing too- not officially but she kinda just dropped of the face of the earth.”

“She left us.” Isabelle choked out.

“She never emptied her bank account or anything she-.”

“No offense but you weren’t there and I was, she left and probably went back to Mexico or something.”

“Probably?-“

“Here are your drinks, ladies.” Morgan announced while handing Garcia a strawberry daiquiri and Isabelle an espresso martini.

“One second, I’ll be right back” Isabelle announced just as Emily returned to her seat.

“She’s got you in a choke hold, huh?” Morgan laughed.

“What?” Spencer inquired, his voice going up an octave.

“A few days ago you were at each other’s throats, and now you’re fine so I suspect Spencer’s in love.” He said the last part in a sing songy voice.

“No, we just made up.”

“You kissed and made up?” Derek smirked.

“No we just made up.” Spencer defended and saw Emily smile, “Come one Emily! you can’t seriously believe Derek.”

“I don’t know.” She laughed.

“What we aren’t having relations whatsoever!” He protested.

“Holy shit your face is so red.” Morgan laughed.

“Awww! Baby Spence is blushing.” Garcia laughed and gently pinched his cheek.

Spencer swiped her hand away and covered his cheek.

Isabelle walked to the table, “Hey guys, I’m gonna get going.”

“Do you want me to drive you home? you had two and a half drinks.”

“Thanks but I’m fine.”

Spencer opened his mouth to object, “and for my weight 4 drinks per hour is the number of drinks need to reach an .08% BAC.” Isabelle argued but still saw worry in Spencer’s eyes.

“If you really want you can watch me walk in a straight line.” Isabelle joked.

“Okay.” Spencer said and sat back waiting for Isabelle to walk.

“I was joking, Spence.” She smiled, “I’m perfectly coherent, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She smiled and ruffled his hair.

Spencer was preoccupied watching Isabelle leave the bar to notice his co workers snickering.

He turned toward them and Morgan spoke, “Spencer you are whipped!”

“No I’m not!”

“Spencer do you even know what that means?” Emily asked and Spencer shook his head.

“Should we tell him?” Emily asked Morgan and Garcia, they both shook their heads.

“I don’t know what you guys mean but once I find out I will disapprove that accusation.”

୨୧

Isabelle did everything in her power to avoid Penelope the next day, she had almost made it, she was walking to the elevator when Penelope stopped her.

“I know you don’t want to talk about it and that’s fine! and I won’t tell anyone- I mean last time I said that I ended up telling Spencer about your sister- but that’s because I didn’t know you and I was hoping Spencer could talk with you.”

“Anyway I pinky swear this time I won’t tell anyone!” She let out a heavy breath.

“and if you ever need to talk to someone I’m here.”She smiled, “oh! and here’s a figurine for your desk!” Garcia exclaimed.

She handed Isabelle a small black cat figurine that adorned a dark red collar.

“You remind me of a black cat because you’re quiet and reserved and I noticed you wear a lot of red.”

“Did you buy this for me?”

“No, I have a bunch of different cats and dogs with different collars, that one used to have a light blue collar but I painted it red for you.”

“You painted it just for me?” Isabelle asked in disbelief, it was such a simple gesture that meant so much to Isabelle.

She engulfed Penelope in a hug, which surprised both of them, it seemed like Isabelle’s body hugged her before she could even think.

Isabelle awkwardly pulled away.

Penelope couldn’t resist smiling “You know one day I’ll give you an orange cat figure instead.”

Isabelle raised her eyebrows, “Black cats are perceived as more standoffish but orange cats are perceived as more friendly and open, one day you’ll act like that around us.”

“You’re slowly starting to become part of the family.”

authors note!

posting this at panera lol

[imzadi-caskett-huddy]

It Started With a Kiss (1/?)

This idea came to me while watching “Knockdown.” Initially it was just gonna be a one-shot; however, lying in bed after watching the episode, I was struck with the idea that there should be several parts, at least covering a couple of episodes through the end of season 3. I’m not sure if I will extend it into some of the season 4 episodes or not…it just depends on how the characters speak to me as I’m writing. But there are at least several season 3 episodes that are going to be dealt with.

I’m starting it after that night in “Knockdown” when they had to save Ryan and Esposito. I figure Kate didn’t go to see Lockwood in prison until at least the next day, so this chapter will take place between the time we see her fixing Castle’s hand in the ambulance and when we see her at the prison.

The way I’m planning to deal with future chapters is everything up to the point I tell you the scene starts is going to be just like in the episode. The only parts I’m either rewriting or adding are what you see here. If anything else from an episode needs to change so that it fits my version, I’ll let you know in the beginning.

I’m also still working on Hell Hath No Fury, so I’m going to do my best to rotate updates between that and this one until this one is complete.

I don’t own Castle, unfortunately.

xxxxx

Castle is seated in the back of an ambulance getting his hand wrapped; he'd insisted he didn't need to go to the hospital. Once the medic finished, he climbed out of the vehicle. Castle winced at the tightness of the bandage and started to unwrap it, glancing up when he felt Beckett’s presence.

“Hey there, Chuck Norris. How’s the hand?” she asked, climbing up into the ambulance and taking a seat across from him with a small smile.

“Excruciating.”

She gently took his hand in hers and began rewrapping his hand. Her touch was delicate as she focused on his injury, her fingers caressing his skin softly.

“How’s Ryan and Esposito?” he asked her, trying to focus on anything but the way her soft touch was making him feel. After the kiss they shared earlier in the evening, the last thing he needed was more of her touch. As it was, he would have a very difficult time getting to sleep later, and he was sure the way she felt in his arms, the way she’d tasted when she kissed him back would monopolize his dreams for a few nights at least.

“Mild hypothermia, wounded pride. Guess which one will heal first?” she finished up with his hand and looked up at him with a smile. “Thank you, for having my back in there,” she said with a soft look in her eyes.

He gave her a smile. “Always,” he promised her.

She gently touched his knee to help her balance for a moment so she could hop down from the ambulance. She turned back to offer him her hand to help steady himself as he climbed down as well, keeping his good hand for a few moments longer than necessary once he was on his feet in front of her. “We’re pretty much wrapped up here for the night; I can finish up everything tomorrow,” she started. “I was going to offer to buy you a drink seeing as you saved my ass in there, but it’s pretty late to go to a bar. Can I offer you a drink at my apartment instead?”

“I’d like that,” he answered her with a grin. He’d take anything she’d offer him these days, and since she’d already told him earlier that Josh was in Africa, he was more than happy to keep her company after the case they’d had; at least he’d be able to pretend she wasn’t with the doctor for an hour or so.

“Alright,” she smiled. “Come on, Castle,” she nudged his shoulder lightly with hers, gesturing for him to follow her back to her car.

The ride back to her apartment was pretty much in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. She couldn’t get the kiss they’d shared out of her head. It was supposed to be fake, a ruse to distract the guard so that she could take him out. The problem was it hadn’t felt fake to her at all, from either of them.

She knew Castle well enough by now and trusted him enough to know he genuinely hadn’t meant anything by kissing her at first; he had just been improvising when his initial plan hadn’t worked. But the way it felt when his lips covered hers, even as innocent as it had been initially, set her entire body on fire in a way she’d never felt before…it certainly never felt like that when she kissed Josh. Then she thought of the way he’d jumped on Lockwood and literally beat him senseless with his bare hands to save her, and she suddenly wasn’t sure that asking him back to her apartment for a drink at this time of night had been her best idea.

He’d told his mother a couple of days ago when this case had started that it wasn’t about the books anymore. His need to be her partner, to continue to risk his life to be by her side had nothing to do with research and everything to do with her. His mother had been right in telling him it was time he was honest with himself about why he was doing it. He only wished he could be honest with Beckett about his motive as well.

He’d come close to telling her earlier in her apartment when she asked him why he kept coming back, but he’d chickened out; this case, anything related to her mother’s case, made her

vulnerable. He didn’t want to be the jackass that added to her problems by being selfish; besides, she had a boyfriend, so he highly doubted she would return his sentiments.

But now instead of going home alone, she had asked him to join her for a drink at her apartment where they would be alone. That had to mean she felt something, right? And she had kissed him back earlier; sure, it was under the ruse of a fake kiss. But fake kisses didn’t require her tongue in his mouth, didn’t require her moaning or her hands in his hair or her body pressed against his quite so tightly.

“Come on, Castle,” she said softly, once she parked her car on the street near the front of her building, which she was allowed to do because of her police plates.

Her voice shook him out of his thoughts, and he got out and followed her inside. The elevator ride remained quiet, as did the walk down the hallway to her apartment.

“Make yourself comfortable,” she told him, closing and locking the door behind them. She moved to her kitchen and grabbed a couple of glasses as well as a bottle of whiskey. She carried it over to the living room where he had made himself comfortable on her sofa and sat them down on the coffee table in front of it. Taking a seat, she poured a half a glass for each of them and clinked her glass against his. “To the best partner a girl could ask for,” she smiled, downing about half the liquid in her glass.

Her words made him grin and his eyes light up as he downed about half the liquid in his own glass as well. “Really?”

She nodded. “Except he doesn’t really help with paperwork,” she teased, setting her glass on the table and standing. “I’m going to change, I’ll be right back,” she told him, disappearing into her room.

He grinned a little more, pretty satisfied with himself at the moment, and finished the liquid in his glass before pouring himself a refill from the bottle. He leaned back into the cushions and relaxed, enjoying the drink in his hands as he waited for her to return.

It didn’t take long for Beckett to change her clothes. She’d remained in her jeans, only opting to change out of her work shirt into a more casual and comfortable t-shirt, and she’d removed her heels and placed her gun and badge in her nightstand. She offered him a smile as she rejoined him on the couch, taking her glass and curling her legs up comfortably as she turned her attention to him.

Almost an hour and a half later, he had her laughing hard as he told her a story about his mother. He was a couple of drinks ahead of her; he hadn’t drunk enough to not know what he was doing or saying, but he had definitely drunk enough to be looser and braver with his words and

feelings. He stopped laughing and got quiet for a moment, getting serious. “You know, you asked me why I keep coming back. I told you it’s because I’m your plucky sidekick…but that’s not entirely true,” he started softly.

She stopped laughing when she realized he was getting serious. His words had her finishing what was left of the alcohol in her glass and placing it on the table. She hadn’t had as much to drink as he had, and she’d always been great at holding her liquor. She was relaxed and loose, but she wasn’t sure if she’d had enough whiskey to handle where he was taking their conversation; then again, maybe it was better that she hadn’t had any more than she'd had at this point. She wasn’t sure yet. “Castle…” she tried to stop him.

“A wise woman told me that I should be honest with myself about why I’m doing this," he started, echoing the words of his mother from a few days ago. "She pointed out to me that I wrote 22 novels before I met you, and didn’t have to spend every day in a police station. It’s not about the research anymore. It hasn’t been about the books for a long time. Even Vulcan Simmons saw it, Kate.”

“Rick…” she tried to get his attention, to stop him before they went down this road. She hadn’t had a chance to process everything from the last few days, much less the kiss they’d shared earlier, the way he’d so bravely saved her life, or her own feelings about him and what it all meant. She certainly was not in a position to deal with everything tonight after 3 glasses of whiskey, despite the fact that she wasn’t drunk.

He placed his empty glass on the table as well and shifted closer to her. “So if I’m being honest with myself about why, I want to give you an honest answer too,” he said softly, drawing a deep breath. “It’s because I’m in love with you, Kate,” he continued in the same soft voice. “I keep coming back, I keep showing up to murder scenes in the middle of the night and hanging around because I love you.”

His words made her freeze; not only had he said them once…oh no…Castle was an overachiever and said them twice. She knew he’d had a couple more drinks than her, but she also knew that he wasn’t drunk enough to not know what was coming out of his mouth. This wasn’t a drunk confession that he wouldn’t remember tomorrow.

She had no idea how to respond to them. She cared for him; she knew she felt more than friendship for him, but she had a boyfriend. Even without dating Josh to complicate things, he’d ended things with Gina only a couple of weeks prior, and now he was here professing his feelings for her? It was making her head spin.

Why couldn’t he have had this epiphany back in May when she was trying to tell him she liked him? Why couldn’t he have just not asked Gina to go to the Hamptons immediately after she’d turned him down? Why hadn't he given her a little time to reconsider, or even gone alone? Now

there were 8 months of…complicated and significant others…between them.

Before she even knew what was happening, his lips were on hers, soft and tentative. After only a couple of seconds, she placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back slightly. “Castle…I can’t do this tonight…” she murmured.

He sighed and hung his head. “I’m sorry…” he immediately began to apologize.

Her hand on his arm stopped him. “You don’t have to apologize,” she told him softly, standing and pulling him to his feet. “But it is late. And you’ve had enough to drink.” She decided playing it off as the alcohol would keep things from getting weird between them; at least that's what she hoped.

“I’m not drunk, Beckett,” he told her, wondering if that’s why she had stopped him.

“Maybe not. But you’ve had enough whiskey to kiss me, which I know you wouldn’t have done without the alcohol, so it’s time for you to go home.” She began to gently guide him towards her front door, grabbing his jacket along the way.

“I kissed you earlier without alcohol,” he tried to reason.

She shook her head. “It was fake, Castle...a distraction to get past the guard.”

“Didn’t feel completely fake to me,” he pointed out.

She sighed softly, handing him his coat at the door. “Castle, it's late.” She opened her door for him and gave him a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?”

He sighed deeply. Her rejection had been gentle, but it still stung. “Goodnight, Kate,” he said softly, leaving her apartment.

She closed the door behind him, locking it, before leaning back against it and closing her eyes. What the hell had just happened between them? She had known he was attracted to her, but his confession had completely taken her by surprise. And while she knew she definitely felt something for him other than physical attraction, she had a boyfriend...a safe boyfriend...whom she might be able to love if she just stayed with him. She had no idea if she was ready to risk her heart with him; he’d already broken it once in May. She’d already ended one relationship to be with him and gotten burned. She wasn’t so sure she was ready to do that again.

Castle rested his head against the wall of the elevator as he rode down, telling himself he’d been an idiot for confessing his feelings like that. “What did you think was going to happen? She has a boyfriend, you idiot...she isn't the type of woman to cheat on her boyfriend for you,” he

murmured to himself. Maybe she was right, and he had had too much to drink; he was sure he wouldn’t have thought to confess his love for her…or kiss her…without the liquid courage he’d had.

When the cold January air hit his face as he walked outside, he suddenly realized what word she'd used. Tonight. She’d told him she couldn’t do this tonight. That left him with hope that maybe she wanted to do this one day. She didn’t say never, after all. She had been nice about letting him down. She hadn’t shot him…or even smacked him…when he’d kissed her. She had simply said she couldn’t do this tonight.

He decided then…he would wait, he would fight for her. Maybe not in a completely obvious way, and definitely not in a physical way because he was sure she wouldn’t like that. But he would be there; he’d keep showing up for her. That was already one thing he had over Josh…he wasn’t halfway around the world when she needed someone. He was actually there. And he would be there for her whenever she let him be. She may have been dating another man, but she didn’t have a ring on her finger yet; she didn’t seem as committed to Josh as he’d thought...she still told him things she didn't confide in her boyfriend, like the murder board she kept hidden in her apartment; he still had hope. And in the meantime, he wouldn't be stupid enough to start dating other women; he would wait for her.

xxxxx

Alright, that’s the first chapter. Hopefully you guys like this one. It will get to Castle and Beckett happiness, trust me. You’re just gonna have to go on the journey with me.

As always, I love hearing feedback if you feel so inclined! Thanks for reading!

[lildashofheaven1]

‘How to Save a Life’

Joseph Quinn x female Y/n

‼️TW: suicide, cursing‼️

Step one you say

"We need to talk" Joseph says as they sit on the sofa together, he wants to address why Y/ns been so distant lately, the reason being she was suffering severely with her depression and  seeing as he's always on set he didn't notice

You walk he says

"Sit down its just a talk" he says as she stands up

He smiles politely back at you

You stare politely right on through

Some sort of window to your right as he goes left and you stay right

Joe sighs in frustration and walks away.

Y/n runs to their bathroom and lock herself in the room as she heard joe storm out of our apartment

Y/n feels her anxiety burning in her chest

Between the lines of fear and blame. You begin to wonder why you came.

"Where did i go wrong" y/n sobs as she fall to the ground.

I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

"And i would of stayed up with her all night"Joseph says to Jamie sitting in Jamies apartment explaining everything thats happened between him and y/n

Y/n grabs pill bottles and down them all without a second thought wanting the pain to end and to be able to slip away.

Had i known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best cause after all you do know best

Try to slip past his defence without granting innocence

Lay down a list of what is wrong the things you've told him all along

"Im sorry joey " y/n cries as she felt the pills take over as her skin was met with the cold flooring of our bathroom.

And i pray to god he heard you

I pray to god he hears you

"Mate you gotta go back around there ill come with to make sure it doesn't get too argumentative " Jamie suggests to joe as he agrees and they both walk back to his and y/n's apartment.

Joseph and jamie were terrified of what they saw when they opened the door of the bathroom and saw y/n laying unconscious.

Jamie immediately called an ambulance.

Joe held y/n's weak frame and cried

"Where did i go wrong?!" He sobbed as jamie ran a comforting hand along his shoulder as he was on hold with the ambulance.

I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And i would of stayed up with you all night

The paramedics arrived and pulled joe away from y/n as they tried to save her and bring her back to him.

Had i known

They shocked her twice but there was nothing

How to save a life

"Okay I've got a pulse lets get her in the ambulance and get her to the hospital!" The female paramedic ordered.

Joseph sighed a sigh of relief but remembered its not over yet.

On the car ride there he thought of every-time he treated y/n not as well as she deserved.

As he begins to raise his voice you lower yours and grant him one last choice

Drive until you loose the road or break with the ones you've followed

He will do one of two things, he will admit to everything

Or he'll say he's just not the same and you'll begin to wonder why you came

Watching the doctors try to keep y/n alive was heart breaking as she had lost her pulse on the ride here.

"Where did i go wrong" joseph whispered to steve o

"No where man, she couldnt tell you she needed help shell pull through" jamie reassured.

"Mr Quinn, we have to take you girlfriend to surgery as her heart has been deeply affected by the drugs she took"a doctor said to the crying man.

Joe and Jamie sat for what felt like hours waiting for the news that y/n was okay.

I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And i would have stayed up with you all night.

Had i known

"Poor girl, must of had a really bad fight with her boyfriend for her to do this" the surgeon muttered as she performed on y/n.

How to save a life

The doctors all swarmed y/n as they heard her heartbeat monitor go unsteady again

"Where did i go wrong?!" Joseph repeated to jamie as his emotions were getting the best of him

I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And i would have stayed up with you all night.

Had i known how to save a life

"Heartbeats back to normal shes steady for now" the lead surgeon announced.

"Alright lets close her up and get her back to her room" the less enthusiastic surgeon said

How to save a life

Joe finally broke down as Jamie comforts his friend

"Shes gonna be okay mate, y/ns a tough cookie shes gonna pull through" jamie tried to make the best of a bad situation.

"Mr Quinn, you can be with your girlfriend now" a doctor said to joe as he rose from his seat and went straight to the room that the doctor was referencing to.

When joe approached the room he immediately went to y/ns side and held her hand that had an IV in it and her face was a sickly pale he had never seen before.

"Look joe, you stay here ill go to you guys apartment and get some stuff for you both" jamie said after seeing that y/n was okay for now.

"Thanks man, i would of fallen apart without you today" joe smiled at him.

"Hey your alright, its what im here for" jamie smiled before leaving the room to go grab stuff.

"Darling i need you to stay alive" joe said to the lifeless y/n.

"Can you live for me? Please?"he added

"Where did i go wrong?" Joe asked for what felt like the 100th time this night

I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

"And i would of stayed up with you all night"he added

Had i know

How to save a life.