#Long Distance Moving Companies Boston | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tieronecrush · 1 year

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hot & heavy

chapter one: southern nights

neighbor!joel x f!reader

series masterlist

series rating: E (18+ only, MDNI), nothing explicit in this part but future parts will be

series summary:

over the course of three summers, joel miller becomes woven into your life. the first summer is spent falling for him; nannying his daughter and sneaking around with him in a burning love affair. you know how you feel about joel, he isn’t so sure about how it all is gonna work. the second summer is brief. a month spent at home after graduation and before you move to boston for your dream job. one look at you, one time hearing your voice, and joel is hooked again. he pines over you for that month, but you think — how is long distance of over a thousand miles going to work for a single dad? the third summer, you return home burnt out and pride bruised from your post-grad life. you need time to feel at home again, like your complete self, so you’ve come back home with no return ticket booked. it’s only a matter of time before joel seeks you out, slowly spending more time with you. without an inevitable end to the summer looming over you both, what chances are you willing to take?

word count: 4.4k

warnings: NO USE OF Y/N, NO OUTBREAK (don’t need to worry about the mushies), age gap (joel is 30/31, reader is 22), canon-divergent (sarah is 7 y/o), mild alcohol use, mentions of food/eating, pet name (sweetheart), polite southern manners (*cough* sir *cough*), feeling familial and self pressure

“I can see a truck pulling up now! C’mere, see if you can get a glimpse of them. You’ve got better eyes.”

Your mother is standing at the side of the picture window in your living room, attempting to stealthily get a good look at the new neighbors moving in next door. Her hand waves you over from where you’re standing at the bottom of the stairs, disheveled from the sleep that is still fogging most of your brain.

You definitely have to be half asleep because you comply with your mother’s urgent pleas, the bottoms of your bare feet sticking to the humid wood floors. You are fresh-air people, as your mother says, leaving all the windows and doors open for as long as humanly possible in the summer. It only lasts for the first few weeks of warmer weather, and eventually, everything gets sealed up and the house becomes a frigid ice box with the way your parents crank the air conditioning. Peeling your feet off the floor one last time, you stop in front of the glass.

Standing next to your mother, fully visible in the open window, you study the moving truck that’s pulled into the driveway adjacent to yours.

A local company. Must already be from Austin.

Behind the massive truck, a navy blue Ford pickup that you don’t recognize coasts down the asphalt, getting thrown into park in front of the lawn of the vacant house. Two men, maybe early thirties if you had to guess, climb out of the driver’s side and passenger seat, already talking over each other.

The one at the passenger side has dark brown, nearly black hair that looks just long enough to need a trim and frames his face with curls. Fairly tall, firm build. The white ribbed tank top that he’s wearing hugs his torso underneath the green shirt thrown on over it, buttons undone. He has a shit-eating grin on his face about something that must have been said, hand banging on the side of the car before he walks back towards the bed to grab a cardboard box out of it.

The other, the one that’s come out of the driver’s side, looks a bit older than the passenger. Much more cropped, but still messy, lighter brown hair sweeps down onto his forehead, the back of it curling up slightly at the nape of his neck. Definitely could use a haircut, too, but the bedhead is endearing. A hand reaches up to scratch at the trim beard and mustache that he’s sporting, the facial hair framing his strong jaw nicely. His eyebrows are furrowing in frustration or annoyance, or maybe a bit of both while his head shakes back and forth at whatever his companion joked about. He makes the grumpy stare charming, and you suddenly have the thought that you’d like to know if he’s always got that crease in his brow or if that’s only reserved for the man who was unpacking the truck now. The muscles in his biceps flex as he shuts his door, t-shirt pulling taut over his chest as he steps to open the rear door, a grin growing on his face.

Out from the backseat pops the most adorable little girl you’ve seen. Looks to be about seven or eight years old, maybe, with tiny, sweet features and dressed in a lilac shirt and denim Bermuda shorts. She’s got voluminous, kinky curls that show off natural highlights in the Texas sunshine. She’s giggling and giddy, reaching for the man who opened the door to help her down from the raised truck. He scoops her up, a shriek of laughter coming from the little girl as he slings her over his shoulder. More muscles flex in his back as he carries the weight easily, walking back to the bed of the pickup to grab some bags out of it to bring inside.

So tunnel-visioned on the vignette of family life playing out in front of you, you didn’t even think that you could be seen. A voyeur of your street, you forget that your curtains are drawn, the window is open, and a large pane of clear glass is the only thing in front of you. As if he could feel the burn of your stare, the eyes observing his movements, the man carrying the little girl turns towards your house. His stare catches your own that was already trained on him, a friendly smile plastered to his face as he raises the hand holding the girl in a short wave.

Mortifying. The first impression that your new neighbor, your attractive new neighbor, had of you was you, standing in ratty cotton sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt, hair falling out of the hair tie at the back of your head. Heat warmed your cheeks and the back of your neck at the embarrassment of being caught, and of being caught in this outfit.

Your mother next to you erupts in laughter, turning away from the window as you grumble under your breath about that interaction being her fault. Trudging back up the stairs to get ready for the day, annoyance is still twisted in your expression. You skip back down the stairs to the kitchen, dressed and hair fixed up, skidding into the open room to see your dad at the table alone, the newspaper in his hand with the job listing page already pulled out and set at your usual spot.

“Morning, kiddo.”

“G’morning, Dad.”

Sliding into the wooden chair at the kitchen table, you start to look over the listings in search of a summer position to occupy your time at home before you start your last year of university in the fall. There are a few postings for dogwalkers, hostesses, and waitresses that you’ve already seen or applied to in the last week. A couple of bartending jobs catch your eye, thinking about the tips to be made, but your thoughts quickly deflate when they require state licensing.

A huff of disappointment rolls from your lips when your mom comes back inside through the door to the garage, an artful smile pulling at her lips. She’s looking directly at you, the expression making you uneasy in anticipation of whatever news or plan she’s concocted. Your mother meddles, in the most loving way possible, but she can’t help but stick her nose in everyone’s business. So the next words out of her mouth really shouldn’t surprise you, but they do make your stomach turn with newfound anxiety.

“So, I just met the new neighbors. Well, one neighbor and his daughter, I guess. The Millers. His name is Joel, and his daughter’s name is Sarah, she proudly told me she was seven years old and starting the second grade in the fall. The other guy we saw was his brother that he introduced me to, Tommy.”

You’re currently rereading the same job listing over and over again to avoid looking at your mom, feigning disinterest as you nod slowly at what she’s saying. At the same time, your nerves zip in excitement at knowing his name now, and you bite your tongue to ask your mom to continue, knowing she’d tease your eagerness.

Instead, you let her tell you about the rest of the brief interaction, recalling whichever neighborhood Joel had said they moved from and how he and his brother have lived in Austin their entire lives.

“Oh! I almost forgot to tell you both,” your mom addresses your father for the first time in the conversation, the call to his attention making him lower the newspaper to look at her, a silent nod getting her to continue, “I invited them over for a barbecue tonight to take a break from moving in and have a nice meal after their long day. I’m gonna need you to run to the store for me, and I’ll have to get to cleaning the house…”

Your mom’s plan for the day and list of chores trail off in your ears as a buzz muffles it. Your hot neighbor was coming over to your house, tonight, and you were going to have to face him after being caught blatantly staring.

How great for you.

The sliding screen door pulls shut behind you with a woosh and a click, returning to its pathetic job of keeping insects out of the house while letting the slightly cooler evening air in. Foamy flip-flops smack against the weather-worn oak wood deck as you shuffle over to the large silver grill that your dad commands. Steel wool scrapes against the metal grates of the inside; your dad’s bent over to get better leverage to clean all the burnt bits off.

The beach-themed melamine platter weighs heavy in your hands, covered with burgers, hot dogs, and brats - plus a couple of veggie burgers - to the point where the design of crustaceans and shells in the waves and beach towels laid out on the sand is completely disguised.

“I didn’t ask what they like to eat, so I got everything I could think of! You can’t assume these days with all these new folks moving to Austin, I’m trying to be considerate,” is what your mother said to you when you asked if she was planning to feed the whole block or a small army with the amount of food that was going on the grill.

Don’t even get started on the sides.

You set the platter piled with meat on the webbed black iron patio table to the side of the grill, shuffling over to stand at the edge of the deck, overlooking the chlorine-blue pool water that shines in the slowly fading sunlight. Your parents had installed the in-ground pool the first summer you’d been home from college, jokingly claiming it was their way to make sure you came home every summer, and your brother, Chris, too when he went away to school a short two years after you.

To be honest, it may have been a joke, but it was definitely part of the reason you came back each summer. That, and you just felt more yourself, more at ease at home. It was your comfort zone, but after spending every school year pushing yourself out of your comfort zone academically and socially, you always wanted to return to the warm, sun-soaked home that you grew up in. Maybe that made you more dependent on your parents still, maybe your friends saw it as immature, but you knew what you wanted to do, and you weren’t going to suffer over break just to seem like “an adult” like your friends thought they did.

“You gonna go for a swim, kiddo?”

Your dad’s voice pulls you out of your thoughts, focusing your eyes back from the wide aperture they had fallen into as you stood mesmerized by the water moving down below you. Clearing your throat, you cross your arms over your chest as you turn back to your dad at the grill, the clicks of the gas burners lighting aflame while he twists the dials at the front.

“Maybe later. Once this attempt of Mom’s to get the first gossip on the new neighbor is over.”

Your dad laughs softly at your lightly satirical joke at your mother’s expense, shaking his head and giving you one of those looks that says ‘just do as your mother says like you always do.’

“Well, you can relax plenty later. Just be on your best behavior for the neighbors, will ya?” He laughs at his own comment, the sarcasm coating the request he’d made. You’ve never made waves in your family, in your friend group, in your neighborhood. Always known as the “sweet girl” to your older neighbors, the “golden child” to your peers and your family. Your initially reserved nature gives everyone the impression that you are a polite, kind Southern belle. If only they could read minds.

Flip flops thwacking with each step as you cross the deck again, slipping inside through the sliding door. Skating past the kitchen quickly before your mom can rope you into helping with more preparation, you take the stairs two at a time to get up to your room to get ready.

You’d be lying to yourself if you said that there was a small part of you that was excited to meet Joel. The majority of you burns with embarrassment and is dreading having to face him after getting caught in your voyeurism this morning, but with how attractive he was, it could be a bit fun to have him as a neighbor next door.

Which is why you’re standing in front of your full-length mirror, hair fixed up from the state it was in when he first saw you and a short, light blue sundress on. Eyelets and embroidery covered the dress, the square neckline was framed by cap sleeves. It was modest enough to keep your intentions for dressing up hidden from your parents, but it was revealing enough to make you feel confident to face your hot neighbor for an official introduction.

The next half an hour is spent following your mom’s instructions, most of them being silent points of her finger while she’s absorbed in another task. Every so often you make eye contact with Chris through the patio door, him in the middle of the same treatment from your dad out by the grill.

At one point, your mom is so tunnel-visioned that when you finish the last assignment she’d given you, you slip out to where your dad and brother are now lounging in the chairs around the table on one side of the deck. The metal scrapes against the wood as you pull out one and take a seat, sighing gratefully when Chris passes you a beer from the cooler next to him. The cap twists off with a hiss and a pop, the water from the melted ice dripping onto your chest. As you tip the bottle to your lips and dab off the water before it runs down your skin to the neckline of your dress, the Millers walk up the steps at the side of the deck, tumbling greetings over each other.

Your dad stands, your brother behind him as they take a few steps to meet Joel and Tommy halfway. Polite handshakes are exchanged while you get up out of your seat, beer left on the table to go get the embarrassment over with.

Sarah stands shyly next to her dad, her little shoulder completely encompassed by her dad’s hand as she looks up at all the men around her starting to talk about the latest Astros game. You smile softly at her and give her a wave as you move to stand with everyone, a slight smile growing on her face at someone acknowledging her. She steps away from her subtle hiding place next to Joel, the movement causing Joel to glance down at her before his eyes turn up to you.

A friendly smile ticks up one side of his mouth, brown eyes speckling with caramel highlights as he squints in the sunlight to take a step forward and reach out his hand to you.

“I’m Joel, the new neighbor.”

You give him a firm, polite handshake with a warm grin attached to it, nodding your head.

Please dear God, or whatever is out there, don’t let him mention this morning.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir. Hope today hasn’t been too much of a nightmare moving in.” Nerves bubble in your stomach, but you can’t help but feel them turn to butterflies when his eyes darken ever so slightly at the word ‘sir’, hand quickly falling out of yours and resting back on Sarah’s shoulder as he clears his throat quietly.

“Hasn’t been too bad, right bug? You wanna introduce yourself?” His eyebrows raise encouragingly to his daughter and the nickname warms your heart, watching as Sarah grows more confident to stand up straight, a smile on her face.

“My name’s Sarah,” she directs towards you and then turns to her dad, waving him to crouch down to her level so she can whisper at the not-so-subtle kid's volume, “What do I say after that?”

Joel chuckles lightly and whispers back to her quietly enough for you not to hear. He stands up straight again, watching Sarah.

“It’s nice to meet you, miss!” she turns to Joel again, beaming proudly, “Is that right?”

He nods and looks back at you as you laugh softly, a wide smile on your face from the adorable and incredibly polite greeting Sarah’s given you. His own smile pulls larger as you bend down to be at eye level with her, warmth emanating from you introduce yourself just as Sarah did and fall into conversation with her.

She tells you all about her last school year in the first grade, her favorite toys, and how excited she is for her summer camp. The two of you have moved to sit next to each other on the outdoor couch, your drink forgotten next to you as you listen to the bubbly seven-year-old.

Joel and Tommy stay in conversation with your dad and Chris near the grill, standing around in a semi-circle and making small talk about sports, weather, and the sturdiness of your deck. Joel and Tommy mentioned having a contracting business together, and your dad ran with it, asking them every question under the sun about the longevity of the build that was done a few years ago.

Your mom comes out to join them for a bit, sitting with you and Sarah as you talk with each other before she gathers all the meat fresh off the grill to bring inside and finish setting up everything.

A few more minutes pass before your mom pops her head out and calls everyone in to make a plate. You stand up and wait for Sarah to climb off the couch, following behind her bouncy curls. Everyone’s made it through the door ahead of you, except for Joel as he lingers to wait for his daughter. One of his hands finds her head as he carefully ushers her inside, turning to you with a sincere look in his eyes.

“Thanks for keeping her entertained. She loves to talk, doesn’t really get that from me,” he drawls out, his accent a bit thicker than yours. You shake your head, waving a hand at him to dismiss him.

“She’s the one keeping me entertained, I’m surprised I’m not boring her with my lack of summer plans to discuss. She’s very excited for day camp,” you chuckle quietly, still standing less than a foot from Joel at the sliding door. You can smell the body wash he must’ve used in the shower before coming over, fresh eucalyptus and birch mixing with the richer cedarwood and bergamot of what you assume is his cologne.

“Oh, yeah. Big time. She was begging me to sign her up finally this year and it made sense with my work schedule getting busier. But, still, thanks for hanging out with her.” He nods toward the door, gesturing for you to walk in ahead of him. His hand hovers behind your back as you step in ahead of him, fingers brushing your dress lightly before he quickly pulls them away.

You stand to the side to let the guests go through to get their food first, Joel helping Sarah put everything she wants onto a plate while balancing his own. Tommy happily starts eating what’s already on his plate halfway through the line, earning a jab in the side from his older brother. Once everyone’s gotten what they wanted, you all pile back outside to the deck to sit around and eat.

The table isn’t large enough for everyone, so it ends up being your parents, Chris, and Tommy sitting around it while you, Joel, and Sarah sit around the patio lounge set. Sarah happily sits on the ground at the coffee table, you slipping a cushion down for her to rest on before sitting in one of the chairs across from the couch.

Joel’s settled next to his daughter, facing you as he wipes his mouth with his napkin.

“So, uh, your dad said you’re going into your last year at TCU? What’re you studying?”

“Public Relations and Advertising. I’m hoping—”

“She wants to move to Boston!” Sarah interjects with a mouthful of hotdog bun.

Joel looks at her with a gently reprimanding look, “Bug, please don’t talk with your mouth full. ‘S not polite.”

He turns back to you after patting his daughter’s curls, lips curled up to one side.

“Boston, huh? What’s all the way up there?”

“Not here,” you laugh softly, shrugging your shoulders as you stab a piece of potato salad with your fork, “I love Austin, don’t get me wrong, but living here my whole life and going to school only three hours away in Fort Worth feels like I haven’t seen much outside of Texas. Plus, there’re some good agencies up there and it’s not as scary of a move like New York or Los Angeles would be.”

Joel nods in understanding, speaking up after he finishes a bite, “I get that. Haven’t lived anywhere but Austin my whole life, but I can understand wanting to experience new things.”

You might be imagining things, but you swear you can hear his voice drop deeper in the last half of his sentence. It sends a flutter between your legs, and the back of your neck burns with chagrin.

Conversation continues to flow easily between you and Joel, and Sarah, too. Your parents don’t ask you to help clean up because you’re so invested, laughing quietly at his subtle humor and smiling widely when Sarah adds in her commentary or tells a story.

Tommy and Chris join you all on the lounge furniture, falling into a wider group discussion of neighborhood politics and what fun things you and Chris got up to when you were around Sarah’s age.

Joel’s eyes stay trained on you whenever you're speaking, even glancing at you when you’re both listening to someone else. The eye contact from him stirs your stomach and hitches your breath, your own stare avoiding his when it gets a bit too intense.

Hours are consumed quickly, the twilight blue skies dimming your backyard so that only the porch and string lights illuminate the deck. Low light and the late hour have soothed Sarah to sleep, her small frame tucked into Joel’s side. He keeps a hand on her back while she rests, everyone looking at her tenderly.

Joel asks you and your mom if you know of any other neighbors with young kids that are going to the park district day camp for the summer, wondering if there’s a possibility to carpool or arrange some care for Sarah when he’s got a busy schedule.

Not knowing anything yourself since you don’t live here full time anymore, you turn to your mom and watch as the gears turn in her head, eyes lighting up with an idea.

“Actually, haven’t you been looking for a summer job, honey? Maybe you could nanny Sarah! Drop her off when Joel can’t, pick her up every day, and watch her until Joel gets home from work. That is, if you’d be interested in that, Joel.”

Your mouth opens and closes as you try to stutter out a response, feeling a bit flustered at your mom’s out-of-the-blue suggestion. Plus, you aren’t sure you could manage to work for your hot neighbor and to see him often; it was one thing to have a crush and pine freely from afar, but spending time in his house? Seeing him every day?

Your thighs press together as your mind races with thoughts about more of Joel in all aspects.

Being the ever-so-polite Southern daughter you were raised to be, you turn to Joel with a glittering smile and nod despite the stomach acid creeping up your throat with your nerves.

“I’d love to help out if you need it. Spending my summer with Sarah would be fun.”

At your confirmation of the offer, Joel pauses for a moment to look down at his sleeping daughter, heading swinging back to you with a boyish grin on his face.

“Guess that solves my problem then. Think you can start next week? Her first day is Wednesday.”

Arrangements are made with Joel as the Miller crew gets ready to leave, your own family have said their goodbyes and retiring inside to clean up after the night. Joel and you stand on the deck next to the stairs that lead to your side yard and over to their house. He shifts on his feet, passing Sarah from his arms to Tommy’s for his younger brother to get her home.

Joel’s arms stretch up briefly, giving you the slightest peek at the bottom of his stomach when his t-shirt lifts. Saliva floods your mouth as the thought of kissing there when you’re on your knees for him passes through your mind quickly.

Stop thinking about him like that. Yeah, he’s hot but he’s also now going to be employing you.

“Thanks again for offering to nanny, Sarah. She’s gonna be real excited when I tell her in the mornin’. You sure you don’t wanna take the out now?” His hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans, a coy smile on his face.

“It’s really no problem at all. Like I said, I think it will be a fun summer.”

There’s no hidden meaning to your words, but for some reason Joel drops your stare after you speak, glancing down at his boots before he raises his head again, his smile a hint wider.

His drawl coats the words as he replies, “Well, it’s definitely gonna be somethin’, sweetheart.”

Joel turns on the heel of his boot, bounding down the short staircase and over toward his yard. He looks back once, a short wave raised towards you as he calls out a ‘goodnight’ to your frozen frame on your deck.

The front door of the Miller house clicks closed and you finally exhale the breath you didn’t realize you were holding in. Slow movements carry you inside and up to your room, flopping down to your bed on your back. One had rested on your stomach filled with butterflies, the other over your heart to feel the quickened rhythm.

Joel was right, this summer was definitely going to be something. And you were eager to find out what exactly it could be.

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ssahotstuff · 2 years

Text

Day 9–Cockwarming

Aaron Hotchner x reader

Warnings: Cockwarming, unprotected sex, mentions of the BAU and cases

Word Count: 1.5 k

Your relationship with Aaron could be classified as many things. First and foremost, you were his partner in the field, always having his back no matter what sort of situation you found yourselves in. More importantly though, you were his girlfriend, the person he looked to when things got too much to bare, or if he needed a shoulder to lean on. Your strong, stoic man had a hard time letting people in, but it had came naturally for him with you. He quickly found himself attached at your hip, always asking for your insight, making sure your voice was heard amongst the team, since you were the newest and youngest member of the team. He always made sure you didn't feel left out, that if you had something to say, everyone else was listening too, because you'd been right more than once and when you first joined the team, they had a hard time trusting your judgement simply because they didn't know you. Aaron put his foot down and told everyone you were just as much a part of the team as them and that your theories were good, great in fact, you'd just been overlooked by them.

It had been Aaron to make the first move. He came to your room after a case you solved when everyone else was stumped, making you feel much better about your place on the team and how they perceived you. You still weren't certain until Aaron showed up, his hands at his sides as he waited for you to answer the door. He'd told you that you did an excellent job on the case and asked if he could come in, and given your not so tiny crush on him, you were happy to spend your evening tucked away with your boss in a dimly lit hotel room, sitting at the small table that occupied the corner space. For hours, the two of you sat up talking; he told you about Haley, volunteering the information because you'd never ask him. He talked about the Boston Reaper and what the case had stolen from him, opening up to you for the first time as you sat back and listened.

Things changed between the two of you after that. He started pairing you up with him, taking you everywhere. The nightly visits became a regular occurrence; he'd come sit with you after a case, staying until you were both too tired to see. It wasn't until about a month in that you suggested he just share your bed, it was plenty big enough and you didn't mind the company. It took him less than a second to agree, climbing under the covers with you and turning the light out. He didn't even try to keep distance between your bodies; his sought yours out, his arm wrapping around you while you rested your head on his shoulder, using him for a pillow.

Waking up together felt more normal than you wanted to admit. His alarm went off around 6, because you were supposed to be at the airstrip by 7:30. For a while you just laid there, talking quietly, the birds still silent outside, nothing but your hushed voices could be heard. It was then that he decided to kiss you, the entire world going still as his lips met yours. In that moment, nothing else mattered except kissing him back, letting him know you wanted him just as much. You'd been inseparable since.

On nights like tonight, when you were both still working late, you often found yourself on the couch in his office, working on reports before the two of you went home for the night. He'd sit beside you and you'd work mostly in silence unless either of you had a question for one another, but it was peaceful, much better than working alone at your desk. The paperwork had seemed to pile up since the last time you did it, the stack of reports much bigger than normal. You could tell Aaron was ready to go, often glancing at the clock to check the time. You were excited to finally be finished too, to go home and curl up in bed with him after the long week you'd both had.

"Whatever we don't finish in the next hour can come home with us," he decided, sighing heavily as he sat his pen down for the first time in hours, prompting you to take a break with him. He stood up, crossing the room to lock the door before he came back to the couch, sitting back before he pulled you to sit in his lap, your back against his chest.

"Sounds good to me. My hand was starting to cramp up," Aaron was quick to grab your hand, lacing his fingers with yours as you leaned back, letting your head drop to his shoulder. His nose brushed your jaw before his lips collided with your skin, first your neck, his tongue leaving a trail of warmth wherever it went. His hands fell to your thighs, giving them a gentle squeeze before his hips rutted into you from below. You could feel him, stiff and needy through his slacks and the only thing on your mind was helping him take care of it.

"Pretty girl. Think you can stay still while I finish up?" He made you lean forward long enough to undo his belt and the button of his slacks, tugging his boxers past his knees. His next order of business was reaching under your skirt to pull down the pair of lace panties you'd put on that morning just to tease him; you barely had time to blink before they were on the floor. He pumped his length a few times before bringing you back to his lap, letting his cock rest inside of you, a breathy groan falling from his lips as you sank down on him.

"Lean back, gonna use your lap to work," he explained, so you situated yourself to where he could still see, his cock pulsing inside of you at the slightest movement. He grabbed his pen and began to write, a little shakier than before, but still perfectly legible.

"You feel so good, Aaron," you tried your best to stay still but couldn't control the wiggling of your hips. He chuckled lowly before putting a hand on your hip to keep you still.

"If you can wait until I finish, I'll bend you over my desk," he told you, his knuckles white as he gripped his pen, working hard to finish quickly. As composed as he was trying to act, he was struggling with you on top of him.

"You better hurry then," you breathed, going still so he could write uninterrupted, his pen flying across the paper quicker than your eyes could keep up. He'd occasionally roll his hips into you, your sweet moans enough to have his pen hovering over the paper, and him unable to do anything other than thrust into you from below. He'd give in momentarily, but eventually he'd start writing again, only stunned for a moment.

"You're being so good, sweetheart. I'm almost done," his voice was unsteady as he worked with all of his might to finish, finally capping the pen and giving you his full attention. Your hips began to move expeditiously, his cock gliding into you with precision, perfectly against your g-spot, your pussy involuntarily clenching around him; he hissed; leaving handprints on your ass from grabbing you from behind. You leaned forward slightly so you could put your hands on his knees, working his dick at the best angle, your skirt up past your waist as you slid up and down on him.

"Fuck baby, just like that. You look so fucking good," he growled through clenched teeth, helping you move your hips, his hands on your waist.

"So close," you murmured, going even faster, the slamming of your hips echoing throughout his small office, but you were the only ones around to hear. He grabbed your hair, tugging gently, his breathing growing ragged as he got closer to his climax.

"Wait for me," he commanded, taking over for you and drilling deep inside of you, causing you to yelp. You could barely keep your eyes open, your bottom lip pulled between your teeth. Aaron was quite literally throbbing inside of you, each time you took him deeper you could feel him; he was dangerously close, giving you every ounce of energy he could muster as the both of you came together, your name rolling off his tongue as he pulled you onto his length, finishing deep inside of you. For a minute you stayed just like that, with his cock still sputtering inside of you, his hands still on your waist.

"You ready to go home?" He asked finally, but you were wide awake now, excited to get to the bed so your night could really get started.

Master tags: @wheelsupkels @periodtcevans @hausofwhores @criminallyobsessedcm @tojithesourcerkiller @fireworksinthesky @pedrohoe04 @rousethemouse @thegettingbyp2 @mojo366

#ssa aaron hotchner smut #ssa hotchner smut #aaron hotchner x you #aaron hotchner au #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner x fem!reader #aaron hotchner x reader smut #aaron hotchner fic #aaron hotchner gif #Aaron hotchner #criminal minds #Hotch #aaron hotchner x fem reader #Aaron hotchner smut #hotch smut #hotch x reader

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our-marvel-universe · 1 year

Text

IRL

Pairing: Jake Jensen x reader

Warnings: Non - just fluff

WC: 1.7k

Summary: You and Jake work together and you're really good friends…but you've never met IRL.

A03 Link

“So…” Missy looks at you raising an eyebrow

“So what?” you ask as you scroll through your inbox

“Next week is the big day, what are you going to wear!?”

You turn your head giving your friend your full attention.

“What are you talking about?”

“Your long distance work buddy. He starts Monday” your best friend smirks into her coffee cup as you shake your head in disbelief.

“No, no he doesn’t start for another 2 weeks!”

“Nope” she says, exaggerating the P, “Change of plans, they asked him to move up his start date so he would be settled in before all the upgrades next month. Which your boyfriend will be heading up.” Miss adds with a smirk. You’re in such shock you don’t even stop to correct her.

“Lucky for you, your best friend works in HR and can keep you in the loop about these things” Missy is smug as she gives you a wink but you don’t even notice your brain is moving a mile a minute trying to process all this information. He’s going to be here MONDAY. There is only 1 weekend standing between you and…

“Ohh” Missy says, dropping her voice down to a whisper “by the way I reviewed the policies and the two of you are good to go. You can bang as much as you want, although if you bang in the office try not to get caught, the paperwork will be a nightmare for me!”

“Oh my, Missy!” You say slapping her arm “cut it out. Seriously. Last thing I need is for him to think I’m some pervert before he even gets settled in!” You scoff.

Missy, naturally ignores your scolding and continues on her matchmaking mission for you and a certain IT associate.

“Do you think he’s cuter in person? I bet he’s cuter in person” She muses.

“Well I wouldn’t know. I don’t even know what he looks like.” You say trying to calm your internal turmoil.

“Oh I’m well aware I can’t believe you haven’t looked him up I mean you aren’t the slightest bit curious as to” You cut her off before she can finish that thought.

“I can’t believe he starts next week. More importantly I can’t believe he didn’t tell me!?” I mean why wouldn’t he tell me?”

“Ohh come on, it’s understandable.” Missy says in an attempt to comfort you. I mean he is very busy with a cross country move. He probably forgot. Or figured you’d find out I mean” Missy says as she puts a hand on your shoulder. “The important thing is the guy you’ve been crushing on forever will be working a mere few feet away where you can drool over him in person. Think of how much more vivid your fantasies will be once you see him in person. You can tell a lot about a man from his walk you know.” She says wiggling her eyebrows.

You slap her hand off you and attempt to hold back your laugh, lest you encourage her. How someone with a mouth as filthy as hers ended up in HR you will never know.

Jake. Jake Jensen will be here in person with you in just a few days. You will finally get to lay eyes on the man you’ve been crushing on for the past 6 months.

You and Jake both worked for the same company, a startup based out of Boston. You work at the office although a lot of your coworkers work remotely from all over the country, including Jake.

You were first introduced to him 6 months ago when you were having technical problems and he helped you, virtually of course. When you called for help you were lucky enough to have him answer. From the moment you heard his voice you were completely enamored with him. The two of you immediately clicked and not too long after you found yourselves talking outside of work.

You and him have really gotten to know each other. What started as emails and slack messages eventually turned into texting and talking on the phone late into the night. As much as you liked him, you never brought it up, afraid of not only the “we work together” conundrum but there was also the we live 2,000 miles apart issue. So you let your feelings grow, but never bothered to say anything to him.

Then a month ago he told you the big news. He was relocating to Boston to be closer to his sister and her kids, which meant he’d be able to work right out of headquarters with you. When he first told you, your heart soared at the possibilities. Being able to see him talk to him face to face, the thought was too much. You are already so smitten with him! And it’s easy over text but…in person..you’re afraid you’ll freeze up.

Or worse what if he’s not how you imagined? You could have built up this amazing man in your head but what if the real one falls flat? Or worse what if he’s as great as you imagine but he doesn’t like you the way you like him. There are way too many variables. Maybe it would just be better if he stayed where he was!

But that is not an option. No matter what you want he is on his way here. Hell he’s probably already here in the city unpacking his stuff right now. Your heart picks up at the idea he may be near you.

It’s first thing Monday morning and your day is already awful. You changed outfits 6 times. Yes 6. 4 times last night and then twice more this morning. Despite the cute fit you are wearing you feel a wreck. You were tossing and turning all night, only to fall asleep only moments before your alarm went off. Then to make matters worse, you spilled your coffee, not on your outfit thank god, but still no coffee for you. You didn’t have time to stop for another cup since you were already cutting it close on time.

You are rushing into the building determined to not be late. You completely miss the handsome man in glasses at the front desk trying to check in.

Missy finds you in the break room attempting to make a cup of tea and is kind enough to let you vent over your terrible weekend and even worse morning.

“Seriously Missy, this day could not possibly get worse and it’s not even 930am. Maybe I should just call it and head home.” you sigh. “I don’t have any meetings scheduled today. I’ll just tell Carly I’m not feeling well and do the rest of my work from home”

"Do it. Take care of you…" You love Missy. She may be a little vulgar and definitely NSFW but she was always so supportive of you.

Firm in your decision. You’re headed back to your desk to write up a quick email to your boss and then head out.

Turning the corner you slam into what you assume to be a brick wall someone added to the office over the weekend, leading you to drop your drink and fall onto the ground.

You vaguely hear an “ohh God” through your haze as you try to not completely lose your shit. Looking down you take deep breaths through your nose as you push your tongue into the roof of your mouth in an attempt to keep the tears at bay.

“Oh my god I am so sorry are you alright!?”

The person you bumped into crouches down in front of you and you are completely taken aback.

Turns out the man who made you drop your second beverage of the day was rather handsome and his beautiful blue eyes were trained right on you.

After triple checking you were ok the man you bumped into ran to get some napkins. He insisted on helping you clean up.

You’re sure he’ll be back in a moment but before he arrives you see Dave from HR walking towards you.

“Hey what happened here?”

“Ohh there was a bit of an accident. I bumped into someone but he’s going to get paper towels now.”

“Ohh man ok well I was just looking for, Ohh Jake there you are!”

You turn and see your mystery man walking towards you, paper towels in hand.

“Ohh, hey Dave, sorry I was headed down to find you but..” Jake tapers off while gesturing between you, him and your spill.

“It’s totally fine man. Take your time, no rush! Maybe once you two are done cleaning up and Jake is ready maybe you can show him back to my office?” Dave says, looking directly at you.

“Ughh yeah, sure” You reply. Your over tired and under caffeinated brain is trying to make sense of everything that’s happening. As you are slowly trying to make sense of things you turn to Jake and see him sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck before he looks over at you.

“Guess I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Jake, Jake Jensen, IT. I mean I work in IT.” He says sticking out his hand for you to shake.

You can’t believe it, this is Jake your Jake and he is so handsome and…shaking your head you remember your manners. Shaking his hand you introduce yourself. Jake’s face lights up as soon as you say your name. The two of you stand there holding hands for longer than necessary before you recover and remember to separate.

You grabbed some paper towels from him and you both start to clean up.

“You know this is not how I envisioned our first meeting…” You confess.

“I know,” Jake replies “I didn’t think it’d be so easy to sweep you off your feet.”

You laugh out loud at his super lame pick up line. Although you have to admit that line along with that blush has you crushing even harder on your newest coworker.

A/N - what did you think of these 2? I have been toying around with this fic for a while and there could possibly be a part 2... leave a comment and let me know what you think!

#jake jensen #jake jensen x reader #jake jensen fluff #Jake Jensen fic #Kes Writes

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chrisbitchtree · 9 months

Text

All For You

This is my contribution to the @harringrove-relay-race!

The day Billy’s life changed forever was a Sunday in May. He’d never forget that for the rest of his life. He’d never forget how brightly the sun shone as he packed up his car and drove east, as his father kicked him out, refusing to pay for any more of Billy’s college tuition after finding him in bed with his friend Matt a week after they arrived home for summer vacation.

His was given the option to stay and continue to have his dad pay for his college education, but the conditions were that he move home and live there while finishing out his last two years of school, and that he give up his friends and his “lifestyle” as Neil called it.

Billy refused. He couldn’t live under Neil’s roof again. And suddenly the whole state of California, not just San Francisco, seemed too small, so he got in his car and drove. He hadn’t been aiming for the Midwest, had originally planned on Boston, but that’s where he’d landed, after his car had broken down on the side of the highway just outside of Chicago. Finding he liked the pace of the city more than he thought he would, he decided to stick around for a bit.

He applied anywhere he could, and the first place to call him back for an interview and offer him a job was a catering company. He’d worked as a waiter on and off through his first couple years of college, for extra spending money, so he was confident that he could do the job well.

He made friends easily, people who accepted him for who he was, falling in with a group of fellow servers, Heather and her girlfriend Robin, and their friend Steve, gorgeous, funny, goofy Steve, who could make Billy weak in the knees with one smile, and thoughts of whom filled Billy’s every waking hour, and most of his dreams too. They would work long hours, day after day, serving at all sorts of upscale events, and when they were done their shifts, they’d hit the clubs or bars, or go see a movie, then head to the diner for late night shakes and fries.

When Billy decided to stay long term, applying for and getting a transfer slot at a local university, he had to find a place to live. Heather had been nice enough to offer up her couch for the summer, but that couldn’t be a long term solution, so Billy put out feelers for a potential roommate. It turned out that Steve was looking for one as well, so it worked out perfectly.

It seemed like a match made in heaven. They were the same age, both out on their own with no ties to family, working hard to make a name for themselves in the world. Steve was an especially hard worker, going to school for culinary management by day, and working as a server by night and on weekends. He’d also pick up shifts in the prep kitchen when he could, telling Billy that it was important for him to know how all aspects of a food business worked if he wanted to own his own restaurant or catering business some day.

Billy really admired Steve’s drive, and it only added to his attraction to the other boy. He tried to fight his feelings for Steve, but it was hard when he was so sweet and kind, funny and thoughtful, and looked like he did to boot. He had long legs that seemed to go on forever in his black server’s pants, a lean, toned swimmer’s body, and soft looking, wild brown hair that curled up in some spots and flopped over in others.

Billy wanted nothing more than to kiss Steve’s plush pink lips while running his hands through it. It felt like he and Steve were maybe building to something, but it was always hard to tell. One minute, Steve would be flirty, touching Billy’s arm as they talked, and the next, he’d be moving to the other side of the couch, keeping a safe distance between them.

In the face of this, Billy tried to tamp down his feelings, doing his best to just enjoy his friendship with Steve. They would help each other study, make sure the other ate, they worked and partied together, and it was really starting to feel to Billy like he had a family again, between Steve, Heather, and Robin.

Then, Billy had to go ahead and combine his bad habits of jumping to conclusions and opening his big mouth without thinking about what he was going to say first. He and Steve had both been scheduled to work a massive Christmas party for some regular clients of theirs, the Harringtons. They hired the catering company almost every single Saturday evening, for small dinner parties, and they were Billy’s least favourite events to work, because the Harringtons were so awful.

They were rude to the staff, telling them that they were slow and lazy, and constantly made up stupid white lies, like saying that they’d asked for white win when they were poured a glass of red, even though the servers knew that they’d asked for red, or saying that their steaks were overcooked, even when they were a perfect medium rare. The only thing that kept the catering company coming back was how well the jobs paid, and the generous tips that the Harringtons would give them at the end of each event.

Nobody ever wanted to work a Saturday night, but Billy would be fine with working every single Saturday if it meant he never had to serve those awful people again, so he was deeply frustrated to see his name on the list of servers for their Christmas event. He knew there would be a huge payout for it though, so he decided to just grin and bear it, and hope the night would go by quickly.

Thankfully, it did go by relatively fast, and at the end of the shift, he went looking for Steve, hoping that they could ride back to the warehouse space that the catering company ran out of in the same big white food service van. As he rounded the corner towards the Harrington’s front hall, he heard Steve speaking in hushed tones with a woman. That was weird. The female voice didn’t sound like anyone from work.

Curious, Billy froze in place and listened. “Son,” the woman said. “You know you’re welcome home at anytime. In fact, we hope that you’ll join us for Christmas dinner. You just need to stop that. And in case you need help making your decision, here you go.”

Mom,” Steve replied, his tone stern. “I don’t want this. And I told you and dad that I’m not changing my mind. Take this back. I don’t want it. We’ll see about Christmas.”

“I’ll throw it in the trash if you don’t keep it,” the woman said, before walking away, her heels clacking on the tile floor. She rounded the corner, followed by Steve, who was stuffing an envelope into the pocket of his black pants.

Holy shit. Steve was the Harrington’s son. He wasn’t like Billy at all. He flattened himself against the wall, trying to remain unseen. Thankfully, he did, both Steve and Mrs. Harrington too wrapped up in the argument they’d just been having to pay attention to anything else.

Billy was fuming. All this time, Steve had been acting like he was just a regular guy, trying to scrape by, with no one to care for him, just like Billy, but in reality, he was richer than Billy could ever dream of being, and he had a family, right there in town, that seemed to care about him and want him around, even if they were assholes to almost everyone else. And here, Billy had thought he and Steve would spend Christmas together. Sure, he’d never actually asked, but it seemed to make sense. Where else would either of them go? Billy had already been trying to see if he could fit a small turkey in their apartment sized oven, and Steve was planning on spending the day with his rich family in their mansion!

He tried to act normal on the ride back to work, and on the car ride back home, but by the time they got back to their apartment, he couldn’t hold back anymore. “So, I hear you have big plans for Christmas day, huh? Gonna go over to mommy and daddy’s and let them spoil you? I can’t believe you never told me that the Harringtons were your parents, Steve. You just sat back and let us complain about what assholes they are, and it turns out you’re their fucking spawn! Did you think that was funny, asshole? I hope you enjoy your fancy meal while I sit here all alone eating a frozen dinner and getting drunk off cheap wine.”

Steve, who’d been in the middle of taking off his coat when Billy started his little rant, stood frozen, his eyes wide, his face ashen, his jacket half on and half off. Billy could see the bulging envelope in his pocket. It probably had a giant wad of cash in it.

“Billy, I…” he started, but Billy cut him off, too mad to listen.

“I just don’t understand how you could do this. All the months we’ve known each other, and we’ve lived together for almost four months, struggling to make rent and pay the bills, and you’ve got an endless supply of cash right there. I heard your mom give you the envelope of money. I saw it in your pocket.” He pulled off his coat, throwing it towards the hall closet, and stomped to his room, slamming the door shut.

He hoped that Steve would leave him alone so he could cool off, but no such luck. Not a minute passed before Steve was yanking Billy’s door open. Hands on his hips, he looked like he was about to lay into Billy, so Billy grabbed his headphones, turning on his music and cranking it up loud. He closed his eyes and laid back on his bed, doing his best to ignore Steve.

It worked for a little while, but then Steve was snatching the headphones off his head. “Hey, asshole!” he shouted. “Did you ever think for one fucking second about asking me why exactly I’m struggling to pay for stuff if my parents are loaded?”

Huh, yeah, Billy hadn’t really thought to ask. “Because you’re a massive idiot who doesn’t know how to be happy with what he has?”

“No, dumbass, because, exactly like you, I was kicked out of my house for being queer. But unlike you, I don’t have the benefit of being halfway across the country from my parents. They hire the catering company almost every week, just to keep an eye on me, and remind me of the lifestyle I left behind, and I don’t want to say anything about it to anyone because they bring in good money for the business, and despite my repeated requests for my parents to leave me alone outside of work, they’re constantly trying to bribe me to come back, with the conditions that I take something they choose in school and marry a woman.

But I don’t want that. I want to own a restaurant. I want to make a name for myself. I want to date guys. I actually wanted to date you, you fucking prick. Until tonight, that is. I really liked you, but it turns out you’re just as awful and judgemental as everyone else in my life. I was going to ask you if you wanted to spend Christmas together, and I took the money from my mom so I could afford to buy you a Christmas present, but I really hope that you enjoy that frozen dinner and boxed wine. I’ll talk to Heather and Robin about going there.”

Billy sat speechless as he watched Steve walk out of his room, slamming the door behind him. He was such an idiot. He had to make this better somehow, but he had no clue what the fuck to do. It wouldn’t be enough to just say sorry. His big mouth had pushed them way beyond that. No, he needed to make a grand gesture, something that would really show Steve how much he meant to Billy.

It came to him the next morning as he was hiding out in his bedroom, listening to the sounds of Steve getting ready to go to work, a shift he and Billy thankfully didn’t share. Steve had mentioned that he was going to spend Christmas with Heather and Robin, since Billy had gotten himself ex-communicated.

Robin and Heather, from a small town in Texas, couldn’t afford to go home for the holidays, so they were staying in Chicago. If that was the situation the two of them were in, there were probably others, at work and school, that couldn’t afford to make the trip home, or didn’t have family to spend the time with. Maybe Billy could offer to host a potluck dinner at the apartment, to show Steve that he wasn’t alone, and that he had a lot of people, most especially Billy, who cared about him.

As soon as he heard the front door shut and the key turn in the lock, Billy sprang out of bed and raced to the living room, scooping up the phone, cord stretching across the floor, and dialed Robin and Heather’s number.

He’d been so caught up in how to make this better that he’d never considered that Steve would have already told them what happened. He sat through a full half hour of both women trading the phone back and forth as they took turns berating him for his behaviour the previous evening. He knew he deserved it, but it didn’t make it any less embarrassing to hear all the stupid shit he’d done repeated back to him.

When they were done, and he had apologized profusely, promising to never hurt Steve again, he told them his plan. After another round of promises to never intentionally hurt Steve again, they agreed to get him back to his and Billy’s apartment on the evening of the 25th.

When Steve got home that day, he reluctantly listened to Billy’s apology, and just as reluctantly accepted it, telling Billy that he knew he hadn’t meant it, and was just being a hot headed asshole, which Billy deserved, but since they were out of school for the semester now, any time they weren’t working over the next two weeks consisted of Steve mostly avoiding Billy by going right to his room when he got home, or leaving the apartment altogether for long stretches of time.

A small part of Billy hoped that anger wasn’t the only reason that Steve was avoiding Billy, that maybe he still had feelings for Billy too, and just felt awkward about addressing those feelings now. He didn’t want to get his hopes up too high though.

Billy tried to spend that time working on himself, seeking out a therapist who could help him work through his feelings of jealousy and resentment towards anyone who he perceived as having an easier time than him in life, and help him work through his abandonment issues, both things he’d spent way too long shoving down inside himself until they bubbled up to the surface, out of his control.

He also contacted everyone at work and his school friends that said they didn’t have anywhere to go for the holidays, making them all promise to keep it a secret from Steve. His invitations had an overwhelmingly positive response, which both saddened and heartened him. He’d never thought of how many other people felt alone as he did.

Steve spent the night of the 24th at Robin and Heather’s apartment, so Billy worked to prep the apartment as best as he could. They didn’t have much furniture in their apartment, and there wouldn’t be much room for extra tables and chairs anyway, so he decided they would all eat on the floor. He bought bright red and green tablecloths at the dollar store and draped them all across the living room floor after pushing the couch and armchair against the wall, and a few of tomorrow’s guests have loaned him Christmas lights and decorations, and one even brought over a tiny tree.

He was actually pretty happy with it by the time he was done. Now he just had to wait. He made cookies to fill the time, ten different kinds, from his mother’s handwritten recipes, one of the only things he brought with him when he moved to remind him of her. By the time he stopped for the night, the counters were full of baked goods.

The next day, as the guests started to arrive, Billy grew more and more worried that Steve wouldn’t show up. He didn’t know what kind of plan Robin and Heather had concocted to get Steve to go back to his apartment, he’d left that to them and trusted that they’d follow through with it, but he was starting to second guess whether they’d be successful.

They said they’d have Steve at the apartment by 6pm, but that ticked by, and then 6:15, and 6:30, and Billy was starting to give up hope, resigning himself to failure. He had an apartment full of friends, but no Steve, the one who mattered the most. Then, just as the clock struck 6:45, the door flew open, and Billy could hear Steve’s voice, even from back in the kitchen, where he was grabbing more napkins.

“I still don’t get why…” the words died on Steve’s lips just as Billy rounded the corner to their living room. There stood Steve, with Robin and Heather behind him. Steve looked as beautiful as ever, hair flopping in his eyes under his hat, and a startled look on his face as he took in the space, packed full of their friends and coworkers. He locked eyes with Billy, who suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

“Billy, can I talk to you? In my bedroom?” Steve asked.

Billy followed silently behind him.

“You have a lot of nerve, having all of our mutual friends over for a Christmas party at our apartment while I’m over at Robin and Heather’s, sulking. You’re really trying to hurt me as much as possible, aren’t you? We just came to get the bottle opener. Robin broke theirs. If you don’t need it for your party guests, I’ll just take it and get out of your hair, so the festivities can continue.”

Oh god, this really wasn’t going according to plan. “Steve, I didn’t plan a party for while you were gone. This party is for you. Well, for you and for everyone who didn’t have anywhere else to go for Christmas. But mostly for you. I wanted to show you how many people you have in your life, that you don’t need your parents. We’re your family now. I’m really, really sorry about what I said to you that night, but you mean more to me than anything, and I just wanted to make you happy. I don’t think you’re a spoiled brat. I think you’re the most amazing, hardworking, kind, special person I’ve ever met, and I hope you’ll give me a chance to prove that to you.”

A small smile started in the corner of Steve’s mouth, the first thing even close to Steve’s usual grin that Billy had seen in weeks. “Ok, I’ll think about forgiving you. On one condition.”

“Anything. I’ll do anything for you, Steve.”

Steve opened his bedside table and pulled out a sprig of something green. “I was going to use this stupid mistletoe to finally try to make a move on you tonight, but I’m gonna leave the move making to you now.” He handed the sprig to Billy, who held it over their heads.

He leaned in close to Steve. “Can I kiss you, you beautiful goof?”

Steve didn’t respond, and instead just pressed his lips to Billy’s own. They stayed like that for a long while, until someone knocked on the door, letting Billy know that his kitchen timer was going off for the hors d’oeuvres.

“Come help me in the kitchen?” Billy asked, holding out his hand. Steve took it, following him out of the room.

The spent the rest of the party glued to each other’s sides, and Billy could tell from the soft looks Steve gave him, and the giant grin plastered to his face that this had been the right move. Billy was beyond happy that the plan had worked. Laying in bed that night, holding Steve in his arms, Billy thanked whatever higher power had decided he was worthy of a second chance at happiness.

*** From that year onwards, every single Christmas, no matter where their lives took them, through the opening of their first, then second restaurant, marriage, and the adoption of both of their children, one thing never changed. Every single December, they put the word out to anyone and everyone they knew that they were welcome in their home for a celebration of friendship and found family come Christmas day.

Please look forward to the amazing work from the next contributor, @oopsiedaisiesbaby!

#harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #billy x steve #harringrove relay race #harringrove fic #chrisbitchtree writes

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nerdzzone · 1 year

Text

Worlds Apart

Chapter Three

Summary: Single mom, Bridget Clark, thought that she was fine by herself. Moving her son to a new town and out of the hustle and bustle of Boston, she thought that life would be quieter and simpler, but a chance encounter with a certain Hollywood actor only a week after their big move had her questioning everything. Bridget was faced with the ultimate decision of head vs heart, but would letting her guard down prove to be worth the risk?

Series Masterlist

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To say that Bridget was nervous would be an understatement.

She knew that there was really no need to be - she’d already been in Chris’ company several times and they’d spent almost the entire day together on Saturday as he helped her paint her house - but there was something different about the fact that he was taking her on an official date. Even though he’d done nothing to encourage any stress, she felt like there was more pressure on the evening ahead of her than any other time they’d spent together. She was amazed that he’d even wanted to take her out and she knew that she wouldn’t be getting another invitation any time soon if she blew it.

She was trying not to worry too much as she’d clearly already made a decent enough impression to have him willing to go out with her in the first place, but it lingered in her mind just how different their lives were. “I think you’re pretty great” had been his response when she’d called herself boring, but while she had been half-joking, it was a valid concern. He was a movie star. His life was - at least some of the time - filled with the glamour of Hollywood, parties with some of the most famous people on the planet, and attending events that she had only ever watched on television from the comfort of her couch. Whereas she spent most of her time surrounded by books, trying to coax children into discovering the joy of reading or hanging out with her four year old. She was content with her life, but it was wildly different to his and she was skeptical that once he realized just how ordinary she was that he would still disagree with her use of the word ‘boring’.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror of the staff room bathroom at the library didn’t give her any extra confidence. Considering she was meeting him straight after she was done at work, she hadn’t had time to change. She’d planned her outfit for the day with the knowledge that she would be seeing him after, but she had to keep it practical for the library too and as she looked herself over she wondered if she’d made the wrong choice. She looked nice enough in the black turtleneck sweater and black jeans that she’d picked out and paired with her long black coat so she would be warm enough if they happened to be walking any distance, but the simplicity only added to her fear of being unremarkable.

However, she didn’t have time to go home and change so she knew there was nothing to be done about it and while she wanted to make a good impression and show the best of herself to Chris, she wasn’t really willing to put on much of an act to entice him. If the mundanity of her life wasn’t something he could accept then she figured it was better to know that sooner rather than later.

Pulling her out of her thoughts, her phone vibrated on the counter next to the sink as a message from Chris popped up on the screen.

Hey, I’m outside!

It sent a flicker of nervous excitement down her spine and after giving her hair one last tousle to make sure it looked okay, she hurried out to meet him and found him leaning against one of the pillars outside the main door. It was amazing how well he really could blend in and go unnoticed as people wandered by him without batting an eye - especially when he caught her attention so quickly. Of course, she had been looking for him, but he looked so handsome that she was surprised that anyone could pass by without being distracted by him.

“Hi,” he greeted her as he noticed her approaching him. “Wow, you look great.”

“I was just thinking the same thing about you,” she informed him, matching the smile on his face. “But I hope we’re not going anywhere too fancy, my work clothes might not be up to five star standard.”

“Wow, five star on the first date?” Chris raised an eyebrow as his smile shifted into a smirk. “You have high expectations.”

“I really don’t,” she assured him. “I’m not really ever a five star kinda girl. I prefer to stick to the cheap stuff so I don’t get a taste for finer things than I can afford.”

Her words were said with an air of jest and Chris chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders.

“The finer things usually aren’t worth the price,” he admitted. “But how about we go for something in the middle? Is Italian okay?”

“Yeah, Italian sounds great.”

“Perfect,” Chris nodded before leading her down the path towards the main road. “I know a place nearby. The food is great and I trust them to be discreet.”

“Oh, you trust them? Is this where you take all your other dates too?”

“There you go again, making your assumptions.” Chris playfully rolled his eyes and Bridget bit back a grin as he sarcastically replied, “Yeah, I’m there every month for a new first date.”

“I knew it,” Bridget let out a dramatic sigh. “At least you must know what to order by now, I guess.”

“I can recommend a few things,” he chuckled with a nod. “But pretty much everything they have is a safe bet.”

Trusting his judgement, Bridget felt another flush of excitement - this time from the thought of getting to know her new town. Spending time with Chris was obviously the best part of the evening, but after living there for almost two months, she was happy to finally be finding some nice local places to enjoy. She’d had several recommendations from her co-workers, but she’d been so busy settling into her new house and her new job that socialising had taken a bit of a back seat. So, as Chris held open the door to the busy restaurant and she was hit by the mouthwatering smell of unmistakably Italian food, she felt a renewed sense of gratitude that he’d suggested their date.

As promised, the staff were happy to be discreet and quickly led them to a table towards the back of the room - away from most of the prying eyes of the seating area and anyone waiting to be seated - and after a quick browse of the menu Chris ordered them each a glass of wine and a serving of his favourite pasta dish. They made small talk as they waited with Chris asking about how her work day had been, but once their drinks arrived they moved onto more personal things.

“This is my Ma’s favourite wine,” he informed her when she complimented his choice. “I usually order it whenever I see it on a menu.”

“She has good taste,” Bridget commended. “I normally lean towards white wine over red, but this one’s really nice!”

“She does have good taste, she’s a wise woman.”

The affection in Chris’ voice rang out clearly and his obvious love for her tugged on Bridget’s heart.

“You seem really close to your family,” she observed as she sipped her wine. “At least, with your sister and your mom.”

“I am,” Chris nodded, even though the smile that slid onto his face would have been answer enough. “We’re all very close. Carly’s my older sister, but I have a younger one too and a younger brother. We all try to get together as often as we can.”

There was a pang of jealousy in her stomach, but Bridget forced it down as she matched his smile.

“That’s really nice. What about your dad?”

“We’re close too, but my parents are divorced and I don’t see him quite as often as I see my Ma,” he admitted. “But what about you? Are you close with your family?”

“Not really,” Bridget shrugged, hesitating slightly as she knew a more accurate answer would have been ‘no, not at all’. “My dad’s a surgeon, my mom’s a lawyer, and I was an accident. They really didn’t have much time for me with their busy careers.”

She kept her tone nonchalant despite the heaviness to what she was saying. It was something she’d accepted long ago and while the distance between her and her parents still stung, it wasn’t something she was eager to dive into on the first date.

“That’s rough,” Chris frowned. “Any siblings?”

“Yeah, one brother,” she informed him. “But he’s thirteen years older than me which is probably another reason why my parents struggled with me. They’d already done the whole kid thing by the time I arrived.”

“That seems a little unfair to you…”

“I always thought so,” Bridget agreed with a sad smile. “But Gavin - my brother - always tried to be supportive so we kept in touch and we’ve been trying to get closer over the last few years. And my best friend Molly is like a sister to me. We’ve known each other since we were ten so her and her husband are like family now.”

“Sometimes the family that you make yourself is just as good as the one you’re born with,” Chris mused wisely. “Some of my best friends I’ve known since I was a kid too and they’re just as much like family as my real brothers and sisters.”

“That’s really sweet, I think those relationships can be just as important as family,” Bridget nodded. “It’s good to have people who choose to stick around because they really love you and not just because they’re family.”

Having just discussed how Chris was close to his family, she knew he could easily argue that not all families only stick together out of some sense of obligation, but she resisted the urge to blurt out a quick clarification and was relieved when he voiced his agreement.

“Absolutely,” he insisted as a soft smirk slipped onto his face. “And they can help in ways your family might not want to, my lifelong friends are the best at keeping me humble. They’re always quick to crack jokes or remind me about some of my more embarrassing moments if my ego starts getting too big.”

“Wow,” Bridget smiled. “That must be a full time job for them.”

Chris chuckled and shook his head at her teasing dig.

“Nah, it’s more of a hobby,” he insisted. “They get too much joy out of it for it to be considered work.”

“That’s a fair point,” Bridget giggled. “But it’s good that you have people like that, we all need people who just see through everything else and know us for who we really are.”

“Oh, for sure, and I give as much as I get so it all works out,” Chris agreed before shifting the conversation back to her. “So, does Molly live nearby?”

Bridget couldn’t hold back the grin that slid onto her face at the opportunity to talk about her friend and eagerly explained that Molly did live fairly close as she lived in the downtown area of Boston, but that she was hoping to convince her to embrace the small town life as well. Their food arrived and briefly interrupted the conversation, but after thanking the waiter and taking a moment to taste the food - and compliment Chris for the amazing recommendation - Bridget circled back to what she was saying by adding that she was hopeful that her friend would be more willing to leave the big city life behind when she was ready to have kids.

“Is that why you wanted to get out of the city?” Chris asked. “Because of Landon?”

“That was the biggest reason,” Bridget nodded. “Part of it was selfish - because I was just tired of all the noise and chaos - but it does give him so much more freedom. I love that we have a backyard and there’s so many outdoor places we can explore.”

“There’s a lot of great places to hike around here, I can show you a few of them sometime if you’d like,” Chris offered, earning an enthusiastic nod from Bridget. “But what about Landon? Does he like it here so far?”

“I think so,” Bridget smiled. “I don’t think he’s noticed a huge change, but he seems pretty happy here.”

“That’s great, he seems like a really good kid.”

“He is,” Bridget agreed, her pride shining through in her voice as she was unable to resist gushing about the child she’d been missing all week. “We got really lucky with him. He’s just so much fun and I genuinely love spending time with him. He can be a little wild - he’s definitely a super high energy kid - but he’s smart and funny and always super enthusiastic about whatever activity he’s doing.”

“Sounds like Little League will be perfect for him then,” Chris chuckled. “Has he started yet?”

“No, it starts next week, but he’s so excited. He set up bases in our backyard and was practicing running around them. He’s actually pretty fast so as long as he can actually hit the ball, I think he might be pretty good at it.”

“Hitting the ball is the hardest part,” Chris nodded before admitting, “It was my downfall when it came to baseball.”

“It is a pretty key element,” Bridget giggled before confessing, “Sports are definitely not a natural talent for me though, so any skill that Landon has will have to be credited to his dad.”

“It’s not something that everyone is cut out for,” Chris shrugged. “I think I tried most of them when I was younger, but nothing really stuck. As far as hobbies go, I was always way more into the acting and musical theatre side of things - just to give you a clear idea of how cool I was.”

His words were said with a self-deprecating chuckle, but Bridget leapt to his defense.

“Hey, you’re talking to someone who spent at least seventy-five percent of her teenage years reading in a library,” she reminded him. “Musical theatre is my kind of cool.”

“Not many people agree,” Chris smiled. “So I appreciate that.”

“Well, I bet people think it’s cool now that you’re such a big star,” Bridget teased. “Did you always know you wanted to be an actor?”

Chris happily launched into an explanation of how his career came to be and the passion in his voice had Bridget feeling relieved. It was a question that she was sure he’d answered a million times in various interviews over the years so while it was something that she would rather hear from him than read on the internet, she expected it to be a topic that he was tired of discussing. However, the enthusiasm he spoke with pushed any doubts out of her mind as she was engrossed in his answer and she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pride at the success he’d found after getting started by simply working hard and chasing after his dream.

For the rest of their meal, the conversation flowed just as well as it had at the start. Bridget was surprised by how easy Chris was to talk to, especially considering she usually thought of herself as awkward and overly self-aware around people she didn’t know. But with Chris, it was like she’d known him for far longer than the couple of months that she had through their brief encounters. He put her at ease and charmed her with his humour and beautiful smile and made her reluctant for things to come to an end as they finished their main course. That was why she had another suggestion when Chris asked if she would be interested in splitting a dessert.

“There’s an ice cream place just around the corner that I’ve been wanting to try,” Bridget admitted. “But I know it’s still kinda cold so feel free to tell me that it’s a dumb idea…”

“I don’t think ice cream is ever a dumb idea,” Chris insisted. “Especially when I know the place you’re talking about and know how good their ice cream is.”

“Really?” Bridget eyed him suspiciously, feeling like a child as she didn’t want to get her hopes up too high. “Even though it’s like forty degrees outside?”

“Trust me, that ice cream is worth the risk of frostbite.”

The sincerity in his voice had a laugh slipping from Bridget’s lips as he flagged down the waiter to get their bill. They bickered briefly over who was going to pay, but even though she was more than happy to pay her share, Bridget quickly relented knowing that there wasn’t much chance that Chris was going to let her contribute. She settled for simply thanking him profusely and insisted that dessert was on her to which Chris reluctantly agreed as he followed her out of the restaurant.

The ice cream parlour really was just around the corner and only took them a few short minutes to walk to. If the surprisingly large number of customers inside was anything to go by then Chris was right about it being worth the risk of frostbite because it seemed half the town had the same idea that they’d had. Despite Chris’ general level of comfort in his hometown, Bridget could see the increase in tension as he pulled the collar of his coat up a little higher and seemed more aware of his surroundings than he’d been throughout the earlier part of their evening so - considering it was such a clear and calm evening - she suggested they take their dessert to go and enjoy the beginnings of spring.

“I still can’t get over how many stars there are out here,” she mused as they strolled down the sidewalk. “I mean, there’s probably as many stars in the city but there’s always too many lights to see them. I never noticed what we were missing until we moved here.”

“It is pretty spectacular,” Chris agreed as he licked a drip off the side of his cone. “I get lost looking up at it all sometimes. It’s pretty humbling to know we’re so small in such a vast universe.”

“It’s terrifying,” Bridget corrected, earning a chuckle from Chris.

“Not a fan of space?”

“Not really,” she wrinkled her nose. “It kinda freaks me out, if I’m being honest. I’m very happy staying safely down here on Earth and doing all my space adventuring through books.”

“It can be a little overwhelming to think about everything that might be out there,” Chris admitted. “But I’d love to go if I ever got the chance. I’m kind of a huge space nerd so it’s like the ultimate dream.”

“Well, you’re braver than I am,” Bridget conceded. “But if you ever do get the chance and you’re allowed to bring a partner then I’m sure Landon would be more than happy to keep you company.”

“Yeah? Is he into space?”

“Recently, he is, yeah,” Bridget nodded. “We watched Toy Story for the first time a few weeks ago and he fell in love with Buzz Lightyear so we spent almost all our free time that week learning about astronauts.”

“That’s really cool!” For a moment, Bridget thought his words were sarcastic, but when she glanced over at him she could see the intrigue sparkling in his eyes. “I remember how amazed I was when I first learned about all the other planets and everything that might be out there, it must be great to get to watch your own kid go through those mind blowing moments.”

There was an awe in his voice, mixed with a hint of longing that tugged at Bridget’s heart. Introducing Landon to all the fascinating things in the world was one of the joys of parenting, but it wasn’t the kind of thing that she would have expected a bachelor like Chris to be so interested in. It was such a simple observation, but it just solidified Bridget’s belief that there was more to the man beside her than being the Hollywood hotshot that she’d assumed he’d be before she got to know him.

“It really is, it can be pretty magical,” Bridget agreed. “But my knowledge is limited, I think he was a little disappointed. If you wanna come over some time and share in his space excitement then please, feel free.”

Chris seemed a little surprised by her offer and she realized that they hadn’t had any kind of conversation about how Landon would come into the mix if they were to continue seeing each other. She felt her cheeks grow hot as she worried she’d overstepped, but Chris jumped in before she could backtrack.

“I’d really like that,” he informed her, flashing her a smile that he quickly hid behind what was left of his ice cream. “Has he ever been to the planetarium? I haven’t been in years, but it’s a really interesting place.”

“He hasn’t been, but I bet he’d love it. We should go sometime.”

“That would be really fun.”

He sounded so genuine that Bridget couldn’t hold back the grin that slid onto her face as her heart fluttered in her chest. It was such a relief to her that the idea of doing things with Landon wasn’t something that pushed Chris away. Even though it wasn’t something she was eager to admit, their date that night was her first foray into dating since Landon was born and she’d often worried through the years that he would be a hurdle not many men would be willing to overcome. She’d been clear when he asked her out that Landon would always be a priority to her, but hearing that Chris was eager to make a connection with him as well did a lot to ease her anxiety.

They walked in silence for a couple of blocks as they enjoyed the quiet and the last of their dessert, but as they finished and threw their napkins in the closest garbage can, a shiver ran through Bridget’s body that she knew hadn’t escaped Chris’ notice. She’d tried to hide it - not wanting the cold to prematurely wind up their evening together - but she was pleasantly surprised when Chris held out his arm for her to hold and pulled her close against his side when she accepted the offer. She could feel the warmth radiating off of his body as their close proximity suddenly had a whiff of his lingering cologne surrounding her. She was so distracted by his intoxicating scent and the feel of the hard muscles under the sleeve of his jacket that she didn’t realized he’d asked her a question until she caught the questioning look he was giving her.

“Sorry, what?”

She cringed as the question fell from her lips, but she suddenly found it hard to think clearly.

“I asked where you parked,” Chris informed her, his amusement dancing in the smile on his face. “Is your car nearby?”

Bridget took a moment to take in their surroundings and puzzle out what block they were on before she came to a disappointing revelation.

“It’s pretty close,” she admitted. “Just across the street.”

She pointed in the direction they were already walking to the parking lot near the library. Chris nodded and continued to lead them down the sidewalk, but after another moment of silence, he spoke again. However, this time the nervous edge to his voice had Bridget feeling unsettled.

“So, there’s something I should tell you,” he admitted. “Something I probably should have mentioned before we went out tonight.”

“Hmm,” Bridget mused as she flashed him an anxious smile. “Well, that’s never good…”

“It’s probably not as ominous as I made it sound,” he admitted as they crossed the road and entered the parking lot. “But I have to go away for a while, I probably won’t be around much at all for the next couple months.”

She felt the knot forming in her stomach tighten as a wave of disappointment washed over her. He sounded genuine, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t enjoyed their evening as much as she had and was looking for a convenient way to get out of seeing her again any time soon.

“Where are you going?” She asked, hoping to sound unaffected by his admission before diving into her usual defense mechanism of cracking a joke as she added, “Are you sneaking off to see your secret family?”

Her question had Chris’ shoulders shaking as he chuckled and shook his head.

“I can be pretty discreet when I need to be, but I’m not sure that I could hide a secret wife and kids,” he pointed out before giving her the real explanation. “I have to go to L.A. for the premiere of the new Captain America movie and after that we’re headed off on the international press tour. I should have told you sooner, but I lost track of how close it was and I was just really excited that you agreed to go out with me.”

There was a sheepishness to his confession that had Bridget relaxing slightly despite the fact that his news was still disheartening even if his reasoning was understandable. It was bad timing considering they barely even had a solid friendship established before he had to disappear, but the fact that he seemed as displeased about it as she was did at least give her some hope. She took a moment to take in his explanation until they made it to her car and she leaned back against the hood as she nodded her head.

“That’s okay,” she assured him. “I have to admit that I’ll miss you since I’ve gotten kinda used to running into you around town, but we’re supposed to be taking things slow anyway, right?”

Of course, she hadn’t meant one date every two months when she’d requested that they ease into things, but a little bit of distance certainly wouldn’t hurt their attempts to pace themselves. As long as they could stay in touch, it could provide a good way for them to get to know each other in other ways before they got too romantic. However, the way Chris leaned in and rested his hand on the hood of her car by her hip as he left only a few inches of space between their bodies had her suddenly wondering why she’d ever decided they shouldn’t just fall into bed together.

“I’ve been wondering about that,” he admitted, his voice suddenly low and huskier than it had been moments before. “How slow is ‘slow’ exactly? Am I allowed to kiss you?”

Bridget felt her breath catch in her chest as the question had her tracing her tongue along her lips until she managed to gather herself enough to nod her head.

“I think that would count as slow,” she decided, glancing up at him from under her long eyelashes. “Especially since you’re going away for months, one kiss before that seems pretty reasonable to me.”

“I thought so,” Chris smirked, lifting a hand to cup her chin and tilt it up towards him. “But I thought it was polite to check first.”

Before Bridget could get another word out, he closed the space between them to press his lips against hers. Immediately, she melted against him as her eyes fluttered shut and she tried to relax enough to let herself do what came naturally. It had been an embarrassingly long time since she’d been kissed at all and she doubted if she’d ever been kissed with as much carefully measured skill as Chris was currently using, but she knew that overthinking it wouldn’t help. Luckily, thinking at all was not an easy task as the way Chris’ lips moved against hers had her in a daze. Her hands gripped at his shirt like she was scared he was going to disappear and when he finally pulled away she felt herself chasing his lips for a brief moment until she regained a little bit of sense.

Letting out a quiet hum, she slowly opened her eyes to meet his as he rested his forehead against hers.

“That was…nice.”

It was a weak way to describe the moment they’d just shared, but his lips had left her too stunned to think of any more descriptive words and he chuckled at her obviously distracted state.

“It was nice,” he agreed. “Hopefully it’ll be enough to keep me on your mind while I’m away.”

“I think it’ll do the trick,” Bridget nodded as a soft smile slid onto her face. “But will I be able to reach you at all while you’re gone?”

“Yeah, definitely. I’ll have my phone with me even when we go to other countries.” However, his eager assurance was followed by a grimace as he took a step back, reluctantly moving his body away from hers. “But I’ll be honest, I might not be great at answering. The press days are long and pretty exhausting so with the time difference getting in the way too, it can be difficult.”

Reading between the lines of his answer, Bridget felt her heart sink.

“It’s okay if you don’t want me to bug you,” she assured him, hoping he couldn’t hear the disappointment in her voice. “I know you’ll be working, I don’t want to distract you.”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant,” he quickly insisted, the shock in his voice easing her concern. “I’d love the distraction, just wanted to warn you so you don’t think I’m being a dick if I don’t answer as fast as I should.”

He flashed her a smirk that had all the doubts sliding from her mind as a smile of her own slid onto her face.

“Okay, well, I promise not to hold it against you if you ignore me because you’re too busy being adored by your millions of fans.” Her tone was teasing and earned an eye roll from Chris before she asked, “When do you leave?”

“Friday.”

The word fell from his lips as a sigh and Bridget realized that they wouldn’t be seeing each other again before he left. There was another wave of disappointment, but she tried to look on the bright side.

“Well, I’m glad we got to do this before you leave.”

“Me too,” Chris smiled. “I had a really great time tonight.”

Bridget agreed as she pulled her car keys out of her purse and after another quick hug and a kiss on her cheek, she found herself climbing into her car feeling a little bittersweet.

The date had gone well - better than Bridget had even let herself expect it would - but the knowledge that she wouldn’t be seeing him for at least the next couple of months was a stark reminder of why she needed not to get ahead of herself. It was easy to get swept up in anyone at the start when everything is new and exciting, things are carefree and no one’s baggage has started to interfere. Dating someone as charismatic and attractive as Chris, it was even easier to let her heart run away before her head could catch up and while Bridget would admit that she had begun to let herself wonder what the future might look like if they kept seeing each other, his time away might provide the perfect opportunity for her to make sure she’s keeping a level head.

After their date, she knew he was something she wanted to pursue, but she knew she needed to take some time to think about what that might look like and if it was realistically something that could work. That is, if Chris was even still interested after he spent the next few months touring around the world with all his Hollywood pals with no time to think about her.

But Bridget tried to push all the negative thoughts from her mind and as she drove out of the parking lot - waving to Chris in her rearview mirror - she let her mind linger on the way the heat had pooled in her stomach as he kissed her and her heart fluttered every time he laughed. He made her feel giddy and giggly in a way that she hadn’t in a very long time and she had a feeling that spending more time with him could lead to something that was worth a little risk.

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