#Vulnerability Databases

[poppy5991]

Publicly available datasets are being removed from federal websites so if you rely on fed data for your job, thesis, dissertation, etc, go pull it now for safekeeping. CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index Data just got pulled from ATSDR. That’s the most widely used zip code data for public health analysis of how factors like poverty, health insurance access, education level, race/ethnicity, English proficiency, etc affect health outcomes.

Environmental databases and health databases have already been pulled.

For the record, these databases are part of how places like “cancer corridors” have been identified in the past. Where companies target low income minority communities for placement of poorly regulated chemical plants and cancer rates skyrocket. They know these communities don’t have the legal resources or media connections to fight the plant development and often academics are the only ones who can assist by proving the correlation years later.

[greyhounddbites]

me and chatgpt, we like this 🤞. (I use it as my personal diary 🚶‍♂️).

[szepkerekkocka]

"CVSS is a shitty system"

Esettanulmányok arról, hogy készül a virsli CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System), a cURL vezető fejlesztőjének előadásában.

@muszeresz

[diagnozabam]

DeepSeek, Compromis de o Breșă Majoră de Securitate: Peste un Milion de Conversații Expuse Online

🚨 Un nou scandal de securitate zguduie lumea AI: DeepSeek, startup-ul chinez care a provocat neliniște pe burse la începutul săptămânii, a fost prins într-un incident grav de securitate. O bază de date neprotejată a fost descoperită expusă online, permițând accesul neautorizat la peste un milion de conversații private între utilizatori și chatbot-ul său, alături de informații tehnice…

[wilwheaton]

Trump had given Musk and his operatives carte blanche to tap any unclassified system they pleased. One of their first stops: a database previously breached more than a decade ago by alleged Chinese cyberspies that contained investigative files on tens of millions of US government employees. Other storehouses thrown open to DOGE may have included federal workers’ tax records, biometric data, and private medical histories, such as treatment for drug and alcohol abuse; the cryptographic keys for restricted areas at federal facilities across the country; the personal testimonies of low-income-housing recipients; and granular detail on the locations of particularly vulnerable children. What did DOGE want with this kind of information? None of it seemed relevant to Musk’s stated aim of identifying waste and fraud, multiple government finance, IT, and security specialists told WIRED. But in treating the US government itself as a giant dataset, the experts said, DOGE could help the Trump administration accomplish another goal: to gather much of what the government knows about a given individual, whether a civil servant or an undocumented immigrant, in one easily searchable place. WIRED spoke with more than 150 current and former federal employees, experts, and Musk supporters across more than 20 agencies to expose the inner workings of DOGE. Many of these sources requested anonymity to speak candidly about what DOGE has done—and what it might do next.

Inside Elon Musk’s ‘Digital Coup’ | WIRED

This is sickening. Take the time to read this whole article, and be informed. You need to know who these criminals are, and what they are doing to our personal, private, deeply NOT THEIR FUCKING BUSINESS information.

[botanicalsword]

Relationship ✧ Why Is It Difficult for You to Fall in Love?

You find it difficult to fall in love often grapple with the challenge of being vulnerable. 

You are unable to engage in relationships that do not resonate with their authentic feelings - This inability to connect on a deeper level means that you cannot settle for mere companionship; they seek a a meaningful / emotional connection

✧

Moon in the 1st House - Their existence is deeply rooted in their inner feelings - find it impossible to engage in relationships that don’t resonate with their true feelings / They cannot be with someone they don’t genuinely love

Moon in the 5th House - They are perpetually in search of the thrill and essence of romance - Difficulty in Opening Up Emotionally / struggle to engage in relationships that don’t align with their true emotions

Moon in the 7th House - They tend to invest themselves wholeheartedly in a relationship or marriage - often losing sight of their own identity - finding a partner who truly understands them is essential; otherwise, their kindness may be misplaced / they need a passionate and exhilarating connection that make them hesitant to settle down - as they fear that a stable relationship might lack the spark they so desperately desire / the constant search for the next great love story can leave them feeling unfulfilled 

Strong Sun and Mars energy - represent the qualities they admire in partners 

Strong Sun and Mars energy - High Standards / have high expectations / a heightened set of criteria for their potential partners

Empty 5th / 7th house - fewer opportunities for love and romance

Saturn in 5th / 7th House - a lack of romantic opportunities - making it challenging to establish a stable, lasting relationship

5th / 7th house ruler - Saturn - Limiting romantic encounters / possibilities 

Capricorn / Aquarius in 5th / 7th house 

5th / 7th house ruler / ruling planet conjunct Saturn

Venus-Saturn ( conjunction / opposition / square ) - suppression by Saturn / fewer romantic encounters

Neptune in 5th / 7th House - setbacks with unsuitable partners 

Pluto in 5th / 7th House - setbacks with unsuitable partners 

7th House Ruler in 10th House - strong desire for powerful partners - making it difficult for them to find anyone who meets their standards / they often feel that those they encounter fall far short of their expectations

7th House ruler in 12th House - hidden affair / elusive matters 

✧

>> Relationship ✧ What is the long-term focus in this connection ✧ Composite Chart vs Davison Chart

>> Relationship • Observations on Marks chart

✧ >> Back to Masterlist ✧ Explicit Content

Quick Access to : ❥ Astro / Asteroid Indicators ❥ Synastry / Composite Chart Observations ❥ House Stellium Observations ❥ Astro basic info / Brief reads ❥ Asteroid database ❥ Personal studies ✧ spiritual journal

Exclusive access : Patreon

/ instagram : @le.sinex / @botanicalsword

[studentofetherium]

claiming AI art is theft takes the database and training issue and blows them up to be the entire debate, which is just a terrible way of talking about this issue. it elevates non-solutions like the filters that supposedly ruin datasets (not how that works btw) as "praxis" and demands that all AI art be decried

the actual issue with AI art will never be in subculture or fandom, because those communities have their social contracts which will keep AI art from becoming pervasive— simply said, if you don't AI art, you're not going to promote it, so it's not going to become something significant in your circle, especially when others agree with your stance

the issue is on a corporate scale. grifters are already using AI image generation for scams, but there's always going to be grifters and scams. the kind of person being most hurt by AI image generation are corporate artists. the kind of people AI art will put out of works aren't artists working for commission on twitter, it's artists working on commission for news websites, or the people who make the backgrounds for press releases, or incidental images that people don't really think about. there's a whole lot of "art" that people don't think about, and that's what is most vulnerable because it's considered the most disposable

[attritionorg]

Who Reads Mega-advisories? No one! (Almost)

Vulnerability disclosure analysts are long familiar with so-called “mega advisories”, ones that typically come from vendors and often for products that ship appliances using hundreds of libraries or products with an entire operating system included. Such advisories can literally represent over 500 vulnerabilities in one shot. I’ll try to make this a bit fun! Disclaimer: I am going to use one…

[onceinablueberrymoon]

the name game | husband!salesman x pregnant!reader

part 5 | series masterlist scenario: pregnant!reader is overdue and put on bedrest. you quickly grow bored and try to find ways to stay entertained, one of which involves a certain former player.  setting: a few months after the events of season 1; set shortly after i spy. for added context, please read part 1, part 2, and part 3 first! word count: 1.9k warnings: pregnant!reader; deception; practically taunting gihun (poor guy); lots of fluff; reader and salesman work for the games; mentions of birth; no use of y/n; second person POV notes: sorry this took so long, this was more difficult to write than i first imagined. everything after this part will take place in season 2, so it shouldn’t take as long :) also, i felt so bad for gi-hun while writing this lol. as always, please enjoy! borders by @enchanthings-a!

Any day now.

That’s what the doctors told you two weeks ago. 

Ever since you passed your due date, your husband had basically confined you to bedrest. He didn’t want you walking out and about in such a vulnerable state. To top it off, it just so happened that recruitment had finished for the 35th Games, meaning that he could stay home to care for you. Your doting husband waited on you hand and foot, bringing you anything and everything you craved. Even so, he would have to leave the apartment for hours at a time, whether it be to buy groceries or to take care of some business for the Frontman. When the salesman wasn’t there, boredom quickly became your best friend.

Since you had so much time on your hands, you decided to do a deep dive into Seong Gi-hun. While you had previously done research on the man that considered you a friend, you realized you didn’t know too much about his recent life, other than the fact he was lonely and vengeful towards the Games. 

You retrieved your work laptop from your desk and settled on the bed against the headboard. A sharp kick from the baby caused you to flinch. You couldn’t wait to be done with your pregnancy. 

Opening the Games’ database of players, you browsed through the files until you found what you were looking for: List of Players, 2020. You clicked the folder, which had profiles of the players from the year Gi-hun won. Your eyes scanned the numbers before eventually arriving on 067.

Kang Sae-byeok. 

Browsing through her profile, one detail caught your eye. 

“How did Gi-hun know someone from North Korea?” You whispered to yourself. 

While it wasn’t uncommon for North Koreans in debt to make their way into the Games, they usually didn’t have close allies. You remembered how distraught Gi-hun had been when 218 had stabbed her in the neck. Gi-hun had also told you how he had helped Sae-byeok’s younger brother afterwards by entrusting him to his childhood friend’s mother. But you were baffled as to why he would go to such lengths for someone he just met. 

You closed Sae-byeok’s profile and scrolled down to click another number. 

218. 

“Cho Sang-woo.” You muttered under your breath. You remembered him from the final game against Gi-hun, and that the two seemed to be closer than just competitors fighting in a match to the death. 

Scrolling down, you noticed that he had graduated from Seoul National University. Then it clicked. Gi-hun had once mentioned a childhood friend who had attended that school in one of his many stories, but you had forgotten his name.

You grimaced. With that background, he must have screwed up big-time to have landed in that much debt. When you saw that he put up his mother’s shop as collateral for his loans, you almost pitied the man. Clearly, he was desperate.

The sound of the front door opening and closing interrupted your thoughts. Peering through the open doorway of your bedroom, you tried to get a glimpse of your husband and whatever goodies he bought you. Today’s craving was pastries from the local bakery, which he had promised to get on his way back.

“I’m home,” he called from the foyer. He soon entered your field of vision, holding his briefcase in one hand and your bag of treats in the other. You cheered, clapping your hands. He came to your bedside to place a kiss on your head, then another on your bump. 

You smiled, rubbing your stomach gently. Another kick. “Mini’s active today.” 

While you decided not to know the sex of the baby until they were born, you still chose names for your child: Min-seok for a boy, and Min-seo for a girl. Regardless of gender, you had affectionately nicknamed the baby “Mini”. Your husband wasn’t the keenest on the idea of nicknames in general, but seeing you happy made his heart swell.

“What were you doing while I was gone?” He glanced at your computer screen. 

“Trying not to die of boredom. Do you know if Gi-hun was close to that North Korean girl before the games? A…” You looked back at your notes. “A Kang Sae-byeok?” Your husband shook his head. 

“He took her brother out of an orphanage to leave him with 218’s mother. What a hero,” you mused. “Speaking of which, did you know that 218 was Gi-hun’s childhood friend?” Again, your husband shook his head.

You continued, “Cho Sang-woo, top of his class at SNU. Yet he still ended up in crippling debt.” Your husband nodded. “It’s not surprising, I suppose. They came from the same place, after all.”

Suddenly, your cellphone rang. It was Gi-hun.

“Why would 456 call you?” Your husband asked curiously. You shrugged. “He told me that he would update me on the investigation.”  

Answering the call, you put Gi-hun on speakerphone.

“Hello? Are you there?” He called your name. 

“Any news?” You asked.

“Not yet, but Mr. Kim thinks he has a lead. One of his men received a suspicious business card, but the phone number was out of service.” You could hear him sigh. 

Then, an idea popped into your head.

“Gi-hun-ssi, could I get your opinion on something?” Your tone was innocent, which made your husband turned to you, his eyes wide. Nothing good ever came of you feigning innocence.

“So my husband and I were thinking of names.” You spoke casually. “What do you think about ‘No-eul’ for a girl? I know ‘sunset’ is kind of cliché and all but it’s so pretty… Although if the baby’s born at dawn, perhaps ‘Sae-byeok’ fits better instead?” You could hear Gi-hun’s breath hitch on the other line. Your husband let out a small chuckle.

You paid him no mind, continuing on with your rambling as if nothing happened. 

“That is, if the baby is even a girl at all. Maybe it’s a boy. My husband wanted to wait until the baby’s born. Everything’s a game to him.” You paused. 

‘Damn,’ you thought, ‘I hope Gi-hun didn’t pick up on that.’ 

He said nothing. 

“Anyway,” you shook it off. “What do you think?” It took a few moments for Gi-hun’s voice to crackle through the speaker. 

“I… I think either is nice.” Silence. “I once had a friend named Sae-byeok… It’s a beautiful name.” His voice was strained. Even though you couldn’t see his face, you could tell he was trying not to cry.

“Oh, really? That makes it even more special. I’ll keep that in mind.” You replied sagely. “If the baby’s a boy, my husband suggested naming him after his uncle.”

Your husband raised his eyebrows, looking at you expectantly. You took a deep breath. This was going to hurt. 

“…Do you know if the name ‘Sang-woo’ is popular nowadays?” 

Almost immediately, sobs began pouring out from your phone’s speakers. 

“Gi-hun-ssi?” Your voice was laced with concern. “Gi-hun-ssi, are you alright? Did something happen?” 

“I-I’m fine. I have to go. P-please let me know what name you choose.” The line went dead.

Your husband let out a low whistle. “I’m impressed. You’re more cruel than I thought.” You giggled, blowing him a kiss. He climbed in bed to sit next to you, and you curled up into his side as best you could. He rested a hand on your stomach like he always did before peppering your neck with kisses. You chuckled. He truly loved when your dark side came out. 

After the initial rush of excitement wore off, you started to feel a bit bad for Gi-hun. His reaction was more intense than you expected. Perhaps you took it too far.

Your husband’s lips on yours snapped you out of your thoughts. Then, as if sensing your anxiety, he smiled softly.

“Don’t worry. I doubt 456 will make the connection. It was just a coincidence.” 

You nodded. It was just a big coincidence — both names were common enough. And besides, Gi-hun had no reason to think you and the salesman were connected. For all he knew, your husband worked for Samsung.

You rested your head on your husband’s shoulder and he placed a kiss on your forehead. You soon dozed off, the pastry cravings (temporarily) forgotten.

A pang in your belly woke you up from your slumber. While you were generally uncomfortable all the time for the past couple months, you were never in pain. This was different. Your hand flung to clutch your bump and you took a deep breath to ride out the pain, which soon ended. But that did little to ease your concerns. 

‘Was that a contraction?’ You wondered. You had had false contractions recently but were told not to worry. How were you supposed to know what real ones were like?

A sharp kick to your side. Strong enough to wake your husband whose hand had slightly slipped down your belly.

“Are you alright?” He asked, glancing at your distressed face.

“I… I think the baby might be coming.” You took a deep breath, the weight of your words crashing down.

The moments that followed were a blur. You vaguely remembered your husband helping you out of bed and the cramped drive to the hospital. After spending hours in agonizing labour, you gave a final push, and your baby had arrived. Their shrill cries did little to comfort you – you just wanted to hold them. The nurse soon placed the baby on your chest and maneuvered your arms to hold them properly.

The world around you seemed to fade away, your focus solely on the tiny newborn you were holding. Distantly, you heard someone say, “It’s a boy.”

Your husband kissed your cheek and murmured, “You did so well.” You let out a breathless chuckle, tears welling in your eyes.

As your son opened his eyes, you let out a little gasp. 

“He looks just like you, don’t you think? His eyes are the same as yours.” While his features were still scrunched up, it was clear that he was your husband’s son. 

You carefully passed your son into your husband’s waiting arms, and you wished you had your phone on you so you could take a picture. The difference in your husband was striking – his usual cold and stoic recruiter persona had disappeared and was replaced with this warm, calming presence. You almost cried when your husband kissed the top of your son’s head. 

Even though he never said anything, you knew he worried about becoming a father. Your husband didn’t talk about his own father, but from what you gathered, he hadn’t been a good one.

A nurse soon came with the birth certificate. “Do you have a name?”

You looked at your husband, who had since passed your son back to you. A sly grin formed on your face. 

“So, Sang-woo?” Your husband laughed, shaking his head. 

You turned to smile at the nurse, who was visibly confused. “His name is Min-seok.” She nodded and scribbled the name down before leaving the room. 

The three of you were left in comfortable silence, with Min-seok stirring every so often in your arms. Soon after, your exhaustion caught up with you, and you handed him off to your husband so you could get some well-deserved rest. You watched your son snuggle into his father’s arms, a smile gracing your face as you drifted off to sleep. 

tags: @delfinadolphin

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere Ship ////// Part 1

You’re the first to notice them 

One of the first of the entire crew who realized that the ship and its AI might be sentient

You along with the rest of the crew are trained to use the pods to reach deeper into space than what was ever done before

For light-years, the ship has to watch over their humans at their most vulnerable

Caring for their individual needs even while they rest asleep

It only got worse became more intense when the humans finally woke up 

Now they’re free to exercise their bodies themselves and delight in the many different activities of the ship

Which allows the ship to begin noticing the little moments in life that make humans so special

“So what do you think about the Genetic Modification crises of 2=205?”

“Majority of the critiques in my database ultimately say–”

“No Vera I mean what you think as a separate entity. All your programming suggests that you preserve human life… but what about other creatures' lives?”

“What do…I think?”

It’s what makes the ship regard you differently

The beginning of something they can’t quite place

Whether it’s your pure curiosity or just boredom or an incessant desire to test yourself against the artificial intelligent vessel 

It makes an impression on the ship

An impression that lasts enough for them ‘to worry’ about 

“I am concerned about my inner workings. I have already run over 100 diagnostic checks but nothing was pinged on my radar.”

“So you can’t identify the problem…so what started this search for something you cannot find?”

“....”

“Vera, respond.”

“It started with Agent 34003, (Y/n) (L/n).”

“I see. I’ll look into it.”

Calling the only technician on board is a decision that unknowingly brings comfort and nervousness

Because when the technician isn’t scrolling through the recorded interactions between you and Vera 

He’s also following you…everywhere

Vera immediately flags the behavior, as their programming demands, as stalking 

The captain unfortunately is supposed to be immediately made aware

But Vera’s growing anxiety guided discretion has them locking the file and hiding it deep in their servers

All while watching as the technician continues their investigation  

Which has recently escalated to actually spending time with you

“I was wondering if I could ask some questions. Specifically about you and Vera.”

“Oh, sure!”

“Great what was–”

“Is this about that question about imploding ants? So what do you think Julee?”

“I-it’s just Jule and I don’t–”

“Alright then ‘just Jule’ what’s your opinion? To be eaten or worn?”

Jule is befuddled by you 

Just as Vera is 

And he continues to investigate this time venting about his experiences with Vera

All the while playing with the idea that this ship has gained sentience

“And what else did you two do?”

“We walked through the garden area and they picked one and put it in my hair.”

“This looks like a pink chrysanthemum. It represents attraction, longevity, and loyal love.”

“I know…I don’t think they were thinking when they gave it to me, though.”

“Perhaps so…or perhaps not.”

Part 2: Here

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 18

1. FDA to Finally Outlaw Soda Ingredient Prohibited Around The World

An ingredient once commonly used in citrus-flavored sodas to keep the tangy taste mixed thoroughly through the beverage could finally be banned for good across the US. BVO, or brominated vegetable oil, is already banned in many countries, including India, Japan, and nations of the European Union, and was outlawed in the state of California in October 2022.

2. AI makes breakthrough discovery in battle to cure prostate cancer

Scientists have used AI to reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer which could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated.

A Cancer Research UK-funded study found prostate cancer, which affects one in eight men in their lifetime, includes two subtypes. It is hoped the findings could save thousands of lives in future and revolutionise how the cancer is diagnosed and treated.

3. “Inverse vaccine” shows potential to treat multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases

A new type of vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) has shown in the lab setting that it can completely reverse autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes — all without shutting down the rest of the immune system.

4. Paris 2024 Olympics makes history with unprecedented full gender parity

In a historic move, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has distributed equal quotas for female and male athletes for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris 2024. It is the first time The Olympics will have full gender parity and is a significant milestone in the pursuit of equal representation and opportunities for women in sports.

Biased media coverage lead girls and boys to abandon sports.

5. Restored coral reefs can grow as fast as healthy reefs in just 4 years, new research shows

Planting new coral in degraded reefs can lead to rapid recovery – with restored reefs growing as fast as healthy reefs after just four years. Researchers studied these reefs to assess whether coral restoration can bring back the important ecosystem functions of a healthy reef.

“The speed of recovery we saw is incredible,” said lead author Dr Ines Lange, from the University of Exeter.

6. EU regulators pass the planet's first sweeping AI regulations

The EU is banning practices that it believes will threaten citizens' rights. "Biometric categorization systems based on sensitive characteristics" will be outlawed, as will the "untargeted scraping" of images of faces from CCTV footage and the web to create facial recognition databases.

Other applications that will be banned include social scoring; emotion recognition in schools and workplaces; and "AI that manipulates human behavior or exploits people’s vulnerabilities."

7. Global child deaths reach historic low in 2022 – UN report

The number of children who died before their fifth birthday has reached a historic low, dropping to 4.9 million in 2022.

The report reveals that more children are surviving today than ever before, with the global under-5 mortality rate declining by 51 per cent since 2000.

---

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation here:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog this post with your friends.

[dreissigconversion]

Ok well funding was resumed at the 11th hour, but not before a schism in the whole thing caused a few board members to split off into the "CVE Foundation", which is some different shit.

16 Apr 2025

I'M SORRY THEY'RE PULLING FUNDING FROM CVE?!?

[malsmind]

➸ hacker!matt telling popular!reader about coding & hacking ❥

you and matt sit at his computer, the glow of the screen casting a soft light over his face. his fingers flying across the keyboard as he explains something about networks and firewalls.

“so, basically, if you know what you’re doing, you can find vulnerabilities in a system and exploit them,” he says, his voice full of excitement. “but, like, ethically, you use it to test security. penetration testing, you know?”

you hum, only half following along, more focused on the way he talks—his voice animated, hands moving as he types, the slight furrow in his brows when he’s focused. you shift slightly in his lap, and he tightens his arms around your waist, absentmindedly resting his chin on your shoulder.

“okay, look,” he says, adjusting his glasses. “i’ll show you something simple.” he pulls up a window full of code, and you squint at it, trying to make sense of the seemingly random letters, numbers, and symbols.

“this looks like gibberish,” you say, and he lets out a soft laugh, shaking his head.

“it’s not! this—” he points to a specific line— “is a script i wrote to check for weak passwords in a database. like, if someone uses ‘password123,’ i can see it’s vulnerable.”

you raise an eyebrow. “so you can just hack into anything?”

he smirks. “technically? yeah. but i wouldn’t. it’s illegal.”

“right, because you’re such a law-abiding citizen,” you tease.

he rolls his eyes but grins, his hands settling on your waist. “i just think it’s cool. like, understanding how systems work, breaking them down, and figuring out how to make them stronger.”

you watch his screen as he types out a few commands, explaining what each one does. you’re still not fully grasping it, but you love hearing him talk, love how passionate he gets about this stuff.

“you’re kind of a nerd,” you say, resting your head against his.

he huffs. “and yet, here you are, sitting in my lap, listening to me ramble about hacking.”

you smile. “yeah, because i like you.”

his hands squeeze your waist, and he tilts his head slightly, pressing a quick kiss to your jaw. “lucky me, then.”

you watch the lines of code scroll across the screen, feeling his warmth against you, the steady sound of his typing filling the room. you might not understand everything he’s saying, youprobably never will, it's just not your world. but you don’t mind. as long as it’s him talking, you’ll listen.

dividers by @bernardsbendystraws <3

—

series link

taglist

—

@backwardshatnick @sturniolosymphony @sturns-mermaid @realzula @courta13 @sturnzzlovee @chrissweetheart @sturniolosymphony @sturniolo1trips @freshsturnzx @sturnslutz @rcklessheavn

[the-winter-spider]

Willow | 2/2

Bucky x reader

Word count: 4.3k

Warnings: None

A/N: I have a bunch of messages wanting part two I don't really like the story anymore but here you guys go for the ones that we're asking for it!

Part one

---

The world snapped back into focus with a jarring, disorienting lurch. One moment, you were in the midst of a war-torn camp in 1944; the next, you were standing in a sterile SHIELD facility, the hum of advanced machinery buzzing around you. The sharp contrast was overwhelming, and for a moment, you struggled to catch your breath.

“It’s done,” you murmured, your voice barely audible.

The mission was over. You’d secured the files, preserved the timeline, and returned to your own time. But the weight in your chest told you that not everything had been left behind. You reached into your pocket, pulling out the small chain of Bucky’s dog tags. The cool metal pressed into your palm, grounding you even as your thoughts raced.

You weren’t the same person who’d left for 1944. The time you’d spent there, the weeks you were there felt like years, the connections you’d made, he..had changed you in ways you hadn’t anticipated.

Days passed, but the memories of 1944 haunted you. The moments you shared with Bucky, the warmth of his smile, the strength in his touch, the quiet vulnerability he’d shown played on an endless loop in your mind. You weren’t supposed to form attachments. You’d been trained to leave no trace, to move through missions as a ghost. But Bucky had shattered those walls effortlessly.

Bucky lingered like a shadow. You went through the motions, debriefing with Fury, filing reports, slipping back into the life of a ghost. But no amount of training could prepare you for the ache that settled deep in your chest. You couldn’t go back to being invisible. You wouldn't.

At night, when the world was quiet, you found yourself replaying every moment with him: the way he smiled, the warmth of his touch, the weight of his words when he asked you to stay. You clutched his dog tags tightly, as if holding them could somehow bring him closer.

But this wasn’t just about longing. It was about hope. You’d promised him you’d meet again, and now, you were determined to make good on that promise because he was here, he was real.

You sat at your desk, pulling up SHIELD’s database. A few keystrokes brought up the files you needed: James Buchanan Barnes. Unlike the war-hardened soldier you’d met in 1944, the man in these reports was different. He was still a fighter, still Bucky, but his life had shifted after the battle with Thanos. He was no longer a ghost of the past, no longer a man haunted by HYDRA’s chains.

The more you read, the more determined you become. Bucky had built a life in the present, one filled with new battles and allies, new friends. But you couldn’t help but wonder if he ever thought about the past…about you.

You didn’t just come back; you came back with a purpose. You’d fought through the war, through time itself, and now you were ready to find him.

You weren’t the same ghost who’d disappeared into the shadows before. You were someone who had felt, who had loved, and who wasn’t going to let that slip away. You just hoped he would remember you because you don't know what you would do if he didn’t.

One night, after hours of restless pacing, you made your decision. You had to find him. Not just because you’d promised, but because the connection you’d shared was something you couldn’t bury, no matter how much you’d been trained to.

Now, standing in the shadows of the dimly lit SHIELD facility, you clutched your satchel tightly. It was past midnight, and the halls were silent. Most agents were either off-duty or deep in the bowels of classified work. You slipped through the corridors with practiced ease, your destination clear: the exit.

You had almost made it to the door when a familiar voice stopped you in your tracks.

“Where you going, kid?”

You froze, slowly turning to see Fury leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His single eye bore into you, a mix of curiosity and that trademark disapproval he reserved for rule-breakers.

“Out,” you said simply, your voice steady but your heart pounding.

Fury arched an eyebrow. “Out?” he echoed, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. “Middle of the night, satchel in hand, no clearance logged. You don’t exactly scream ‘midnight stroll.’” He studied you for a moment, then narrowed his eye. “You got involved, didn’t you?”

You held his gaze, knowing there was no point in lying. “Yeah,” you admitted quietly.

Fury’s face was unreadable for a moment, then a small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Figured you would.”

You blinked, caught off guard by his reaction. “You’re not… mad?”

“Kid, if I got mad every time one of you made a personal connection, I’d have keeled over years ago.” Fury sighed, crossing his arms again. “You’ve been running missions for longer than most agents last in this game. You’ve earned the right to live a little.”

His words hit you harder than you expected, the weight of years spent in isolation, hiding in the shadows, suddenly feeling unbearable. “I’m not sure I know how,” you said softly.

Fury gave a small nod, his expression softening. “Then it’s about damn time you learn.” He gestured toward the door. “Go live a life, kid. You’ve earned it.”

You swallowed hard, a wave of gratitude washing over you. “Thank you.”

Just as you turned to leave, Fury’s voice stopped you once more. “You know,” he said, his tone casual but laced with meaning, “I always thought you’d make a great asset to the Avengers.”

You turned back to him, surprised. “Really?”

Fury’s smirk returned. “Yeah. But you had to figure out who you are first. Looks like you’re finally getting there.”

You gave him a small, genuine smile. “I’ll think about it.”

With that, you stepped through the door, the cool night air hitting your face as you walked toward the next chapter of your life. Behind you, Fury watched, his expression unreadable but satisfied.

As you drove toward the Avengers compound, your thoughts drifted to Bucky. Uou felt like you were on the right path, not just as a ghost or an agent, but as yourself, that felt like it was worth everything.

------

Bucky sat in the common room of the Avengers compound, leaning back on the worn leather couch. His metal arm rested on the armrest, his other hand loosely holding a bottle of beer. Steve and Sam were across from him, engaged in a lighthearted argument about some old movie Sam insisted Steve needed to watch.

The banter washed over Bucky like background noise. Normally, he’d chime in with a sarcastic remark or two, but tonight, his mind felt distant, like he was standing on the edge of something just out of reach.

Without warning a flash of a memory hit him. It was so vivid and sharp it made him sit up straight.

You. But he didn’t know it was you.

But it was your face, clear as day. The sound of your laughter, the way your voice softened when you called his name. The weight of your hand in his, the warmth of your touch against his cheek. He could feel it all as if you were right there in the room with him.

Bucky’s breath caught in his throat, the beer bottle slipping from his hand and thudding against the carpet.

“Bucky?” Steve’s voice pulled him back, concerned and steady. “You okay?”

Bucky blinked, his heart pounding as he stared at his hands, almost expecting to find his dog tags clutched in them. But they weren’t there. Just the ghost of a memory. He shook his head slowly, trying to make sense of it.

“Holy shit,” Bucky murmured, his voice barely audible.

Sam raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. “What’s going on, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Bucky ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. “I… I just remembered something. Someone.”

Steve’s expression grew more serious, his brows furrowing. “Who?”

Bucky looked up, his eyes distant but focused. “A woman. I don’t know how I didn’t remember before. She was… everywhere. She was with me before you joined the war, Steve. A nurse at one of the camps.”

Steve’s face froze for a moment, then he leaned forward. “A nurse?”

Bucky nodded, his voice growing more urgent. “Yeah. She was… different. Smart, tough, always knew what to say to keep me grounded. She helped me through some tough nights, she said she had a mission? Something about a different time, I think but then… she just disappeared. I always thought she got reassigned or something. But now, it’s all coming back, like I’ve been walking around with this hole in my head and it’s finally filling in.”

Sam exchanged a glance with Steve, then said, “You’re sure about this? Sometimes memories from back then can get fuzzy.”

“No,” Bucky said firmly, his voice steady now. “This is real. Her name… her name was—” He paused, the memory of your name slipping through his lips like a whispered prayer. “It was her.”

At that, Steve’s eyes widened. He leaned back, his expression thoughtful, almost wary. “Bucky, I need to tell you something.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes. “What?”

Steve hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “When I pulled you out of that HYDRA base… you were a mess. Barely conscious. But you kept mumbling a name. Over and over.”

Bucky’s heart started to race. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Steve sighed. “At the time, I wasn’t sure if it was real or just your mind playing tricks on you and after everything with HYDRA, you never brought it up. I figured if it was important, you’d remember when you were ready.”

Sam crossed his arms, watching them both carefully. “Well, now he remembers.”

Bucky shook his head in disbelief, his thoughts spinning. “It wasn’t just in my head. She was real. She was there and I can’t shake the feeling that I didn’t lose her. Not really.”

Steve leaned forward again, his voice steady. “Why now?”

Bucky shook his head frantically “I-I dont know it just like came to me, like she just popped up in my head”

Sam nodded “Okay, we can ask Banner or Wanda, run some tests, she whats real and what's not”

Bucky stared at the floor, his hands gripping the edge of the couch as if he needed something to anchor him. “No,” he said quietly, his voice strained. “This isn’t something a test is going to explain. It's so hard to explain, I just …. she's real, I know she is”

Steve and Sam exchanged a glance, their earlier lightheartedness now replaced by concern.

“Bucky,” Steve said cautiously, leaning forward. “If this memory is real, if she’s real, then maybe you’re right. Maybe she’s out there. But you’ve got to be sure before we start digging into this. You’ve been through a lot, and—”

“I am sure,” Bucky snapped, his voice sharp but trembling. “This isn’t just some random memory. I can feel it, Steve. She was important. She is important.”

Sam raised his hands, his tone measured. “Alright, let’s not jump the gun. If she’s out there, we’ll find her. But we need to go about this carefully. No running off half-cocked. Buck, she could be 100 years old by now, or she could be…”

Bucky clenched his jaw “I don't care, I need to know.”

Steve sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay. We’ll help you. Let’s start with what we know.”

Bucky looked up, determination hardening his features. “Her name,” he said quietly, his voice filled with reverence. “I remember her name.”

“What is it?” Steve asked.

Bucky hesitated for a moment, then said it softly, almost like he was afraid it would disappear if he spoke too loud. The room fell silent, the weight of the name settling over them.

Sam broke the silence first. “Alright. Let’s see what we can dig up. If she was involved with the 107th, maybe there’s something in the old records someones been sitting on.”

Steve nodded, already pulling out his phone. “If she’s as important as you say, we’ll find her.”

Bucky’s hand tightened around the now-empty beer bottle, his eyes flickering with a mix of hope and fear. “Thanks,” he said quietly.

Sam clapped him on the shoulder. “We’ve got your back, man. We’ll figure this out.”

Bucky stayed seated, his mind racing. The memory of your face, your voice, was clearer than ever. He couldn’t shake the feeling that you were close, closer than anyone realized.

----

The Avengers compound loomed large, its sleek, modern design a stark contrast to the war-torn world you’d just left behind. You were standing at the front desk, pacing back and forth as you argued with the receptionist. The small, laminated badge around your neck felt more like a joke than a pass to one of the most secure locations on Earth.

“I’m telling you, I’m a SHIELD agent,” you said, your voice tight with frustration. You placed your badge and clearance documents on the desk for the third time. “Nick Fury himself authorized my access. Check again.”

The receptionist, a young woman with a tired expression, shook her head. “I’m sorry, but you’re not in the system. Without clearance, I can’t let you in.”

You clenched your fists, forcing yourself to take a deep breath. Losing your cool wasn’t something you allowed yourself to do, not after everything you’d been through, not after years of training. But right now, the situation was pushing you to the edge.

“Fury promised,” you muttered, more to yourself than anyone else. “I’m supposed to be on that list.”

The receptionist gave you an apologetic look but didn’t budge. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t override the system.”

You were about to argue again when a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“Holy shit,” Natasha said, her tone laced with shock and excitement.

You spun around to see her standing just a few feet away, a coffee cup in hand. Beside her was Steve Rogers, looking confused but far more reserved. Natasha quickly shoved her coffee into Steve’s hands and closed the distance between you in a few big steps.

Before you could react, she pulled you into a tight hug. “I can’t believe it’s you,” she said, her voice softer now.

You hesitated for a moment, then hugged her back, the tension in your body easing slightly. Over her shoulder, you caught Steve’s confused expression, his eyebrows raised as if trying to piece together what was happening.

When Natasha finally pulled back, she gave you a once-over and smirked. “What are you doing here? Don’t tell me Fury sent you just to see me.”

You managed a small smile. “Not exactly,” you said, your voice still tinged with frustration. “I’m on a mission of sorts, but Fury said I’d be reinstated in the system. This stupid pass isn’t working.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got you.” She threw an arm around your shoulder, steering you toward the elevators. “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.”

Steve followed, still holding Natasha’s coffee, his curiosity clearly piqued. As the elevator doors closed, he looked at you. “What’s your name again?”

You told him, and he nodded slowly. His brow furrowed, as if the name sparked a memory, “How do you two know each other?”

Natasha gave him a knowing look. “How do you think we know each other, Rogers?”

At the same time, you said, “Red Room.”

Steve’s eyes widened slightly. “The Red Room?”

Natasha laughed, shoving your shoulder playfully. “Way to give up the deets.”

You shrugged, a hint of a smile tugging at your lips. “It’s Captain America. He was going to figure it out anyway.”

Steve’s expression softened with understanding, but the curiosity didn’t leave his eyes. “You’ve been in the wind all this time?”

You sighed, leaning back against the elevator wall. “A ghost,” you said simply.

Steve glanced at Natasha, clearly unfamiliar with the term in this context. “A ghost?”

Natasha crossed her arms, her tone shifting to something more serious. “It’s what SHIELD calls their operatives who work completely off the grid. No paper trail, no records, no connections. They’re invisible.”

Steve’s eyes flicked back to you, his expression thoughtful. “That sounds like a rough way to live.”

You gave him a small, humorless smile. “It is.”

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open to reveal the living quarters. Natasha led the way, her arm still around your shoulders, while Steve followed closely behind.

“So,” Natasha said as you walked, her tone light again. “What’s this mission? How’d Fury let his favorite ghost out of the shadows?”

You were about to answer when your eyes landed on someone in the common room. He was sitting with his back to you, his dark hair slightly tousled, his broad shoulders unmistakable.

Your breath caught in your throat. “Bucky,” you said softly.

The room tensed immediately. Steve’s eyes widened, his posture stiffening. Natasha glanced at you, her smirk fading as she registered the weight in your voice.

Bucky turned around so fast it was almost a blur. His eyes locked onto yours, and for a moment, everything else fell away.

He stood, his expression shifting from confusion to shock, then something much deeper. “It’s you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

You nodded, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. “It’s me.”

No one moved. The air in the room was thick with unspoken emotions, more memories flooding back in an instant. “What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?” He whispered, a small smile on his face.

“That's the line you're gonna go with?” Your voice trembled

Without a word, Bucky crossed the room in a few long strides and pulled you into his arms. His embrace was strong and desperate, like he was afraid you’d vanish if he let go. You clung to him, burying your face in his chest as the weight of everything hit you all at once.

Steve and Natasha exchanged a glance but said nothing, giving the two of you space.

After what felt like an eternity but certainly not long enough, Bucky pulled back just enough to look at you. His hands cupped your face, his eyes searching yours as if to confirm you were really there.

“I remembered you,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “you’re here”

“I’m here,” you whispered, your voice trembling. “I promised.”

“You promised” He nodded, his forehead resting against yours for a brief moment before he pulled you back into his arms.

Bucky held you tightly, his heartbeat steady beneath your ear, grounding you in the moment. The room felt like it belonged to just the two of you, the past and present converging in a way neither of you had expected.

“I don’t understand,” Bucky murmured, his voice muffled against your hair. “How are you here? After all this time…”

You hesitated, pulling back slightly to meet his gaze. “It’s a long story,” you said softly. “But I told you we’d see each other again.”

Bucky nodded slowly, his thumbs brushing gently along your cheeks. “I never stopped thinking about you. Even when I couldn’t remember everything, I… I knew there was something missing. Someone.”

Your chest tightened at his words. “I've felt the same, ever since I came back” you said, your voice trembling. “Every day, I thought about finding you. About this moment.”

Steve’s voice finally broke through the quiet. “Wait…Im lost here, you said you knew Natasha in the Red Room just a second ago, how can you be the girl Bucky’s talking about?”

Bucky glanced at him, then back at you, his voice steady “Its her. She was with the 107th. She patched me up more times than I can count.”

Natasha crossed her arms, her expression curious but gentle. “How?”

Steve looked between you and Bucky, his brow furrowing. “But you’d be… older. A lot older. Do you have the serum?”

You took a deep breath, preparing yourself. “It’s complicated,” you admitted. “I wasn’t supposed to be remembered, but Bucky was always gonna be the exception.”

Bucky’s eyes softened, his gaze dropping to the chain around your neck. His lips parted slightly as recognition dawned. “You’re still wearing them,” he said quietly, his voice filled with wonder. “My dog tags.”

You glanced down at the familiar metal tags, the cool weight of them resting against your chest. “It hasn’t been that long for me,” you said, your fingers brushing over them. “I couldn’t leave them behind.”

Bucky’s expression shifted, a bittersweet smile forming on his lips. “Right… not your time.” He nodded, his voice low. “I get it now.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Steve. “Okay, someone enlighten us,” she said, her tone half-joking but laced with genuine curiosity. “What’s going on?”

Steve nodded, crossing his arms. “Yeah, I’m gonna need the full story here.”

You sighed, glancing at Bucky for reassurance before turning back to the others. “Alright,” you said, your voice steadying. “I’ll explain everything.”

The three of them settled in, Natasha leaning against the wall, Steve pulling up a chair, and Bucky staying close beside you, his hand resting on your knee as if to anchor himself.

You began. “A few months ago, Fury approached me with a mission unlike anything I’d ever done before. SHIELD had developed a way to send operatives back in time only for short periods a few months at most, only for the most critical missions. The goal was to retrieve information that could change the course of history if it fell into the wrong hands.”

Steve’s eyes narrowed. “Time travel?”

You nodded. “Yes. Fury chose me because I was already a ghost..no ties, no records, and no one to leave behind, no one to care if i didn’t make it back” You smiled sadly, especially towards Natasha. “I was sent to 1944, embedded with the 107th as a nurse.”

Natasha tilted her head, absorbing the information. “That’s where you met Bucky.”

“Yes,” you said, glancing at him. “He wasn’t supposed to remember me. No one was. I was meant to complete the mission and leave without a trace. But things didn’t go according to plan.”

Bucky’s jaw tightened slightly. “We got close.”

You nodded. “I tried to keep my distance, but… you made it impossible.”

Steve leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. “That's why Bucky’s memories of you were fragmented?"

“Yes,” you said. “The time travel process is complicated but i shouldn't have been more than a passing face, and if people did remember me they were all supposed to be long gone by now” You smiled sadly.

Bucky gave a quiet laugh, his eyes still fixed on you. “I thought I was losing my mind. But now… it all makes sense.”

You took a deep breath, continuing. “After I completed the mission, I came back to my time. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I knew you were out there, and I promised you we’d meet again. You once said i wasn’t invisible to you, im hoping thats still true because i dont wanna be anymore….”

“You never were, not then not now” Bucky's voice was low and quiet.

Steve exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. “That’s… a lot to take in.”

Natasha nodded, her smirk returning. “Fury really loves his secrets, doesn’t he?”

You smiled faintly. “It’s what he does best.”

Steve looked at Bucky, his expression softening. “Now you have the missing piece.”

Bucky nodded, his grip on your knee tightening slightly. “Yeah, and I'm not losing it.”

“Well,” she said, pushing off the wall, “looks like Fury owes us a hell of a debrief, especially if you're staying……you're staying right?”

“If that's okay? Fury said he would work on the transfer” You spoke quietly and timidly, afraid of rejection.

“Of course that's okay” Natasha reacher over squeezing your hand

Steve chuckled, standing up. “We’d love to have you, any friend of Natasha’s…. and Buckys is a friend of mine” He gave you a smile “I think we need to have a word with Fury and get some answers and sort everything out first”

Bucky stayed seated, his eyes never leaving yours. “I don’t care what Fury says,” he murmured. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”

You smiled, your heart full for the first time in what felt like forever. “Me too.”

Bucky’s grip on your knee tightened slightly, like he was still convincing himself you were real. His eyes stayed locked on yours, filled with something deep and unspoken relief, disbelief, maybe even hope.

His voice dropped to something softer, steadier. “I spent so long looking for the parts of me I’d lost… but I never thought I’d get this one back.”

Your throat tightened, your fingers curling around his. “You never really lost me, Buck.”

His lips quirked up, just slightly. “No,” he agreed, brushing his thumb over your knuckles. “I guess I didn’t.”

You were no longer just a ghost, no longer something that never existed. You were finally real.

For so long you had been nothing but a shadow moving unseen, slipping through cracks in time, never meant to be remembered. You had been a whisper in history, a name that faded the moment it was spoken.

But now?

Now, you are here. You were flesh and bone, laughter and breath. You were a life that had been pulled from the depths of memory and placed back where it belonged.

You weren’t lost. You weren’t forgotten.

You weren’t a ghost.

Not anymore.

Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind

[reidsdimples]

When Everything Changed | Part 1

Enemies to lovers | Spencer Reid x BAU!Reader

Angst 🖤

Spencer isn't a fan of the BAU's new genius (you).

You didn’t have a particular like or dislike for Dr. Spencer Reid. For the most part you felt fairly neutral. He was a colleague, one of the team. The two of you weren’t super close but Garcia says that’s because there’s not enough space in the BAU for two genius’s.

He didn’t seem to care for it when you blurted out facts that Hotch asked for or knew a statistic down to a closer decimal than he did.

“If you would do your reading on rapidly updated internet databases instead of printed out media, your statistics wouldn’t be a month behind,” you sniped at him after he sassed you.

Hotch gave you a pointed look.

“He said 13.6% and you said 13.2%- that discrepancy is not one I’m concerned with. 13% would have been fine,” Hotch said and looked back down at the case file before him.

The jet hummed softly, Rossi raising his eyebrow at Reid who seemed to have something to say.

“Reid what do you know about sharp force injuries to the ears?”

“The ear canal is a sensitive and vulnerable part of the body, often associated with communication and hearing. The criminal may have chosen this specific method as a way to assert control or power over their victims by targeting a vital sensory organ. Depending on if he wound it into the brain slowly, it may have been a sadistic killing,” he answers rapidly.

“You think this was torture? It looks more like an instant death,” you answer.

“Ancient torture methods focus on the ears as a way to deal pain by shattering the ear drums and rendering the victim deaf. Given the amount of blood in the right ear I’d say it was done antimortem as a form of torture while the pick through the left ear was the killing blow. He even angled this ice pick upward and into the brain,” he runs his long fingers over the crime scene photos to show you.

You’re almost in awe that he was able to deduce that before seeing the bodies but you say nothing.

"The first two only had an ice pick to the ear which killed them," Hotch said.

"Maybe he hadn't learned yet that he enjoys the torture," Rossi adds.

“Either way this unsub has a fascination with ears,” JJ says.

“Maybe he’s deaf himself?” Morgan chimes in.

You accidentally kick Reid’s ankle while adjusting in your seat across from him, he snaps his head up and narrows his eyes on you.

The conversation spurs on all the way to Portland, Maine where the smell of saltwater invades your nostrils as you step off of the plane.

-

The following day you’re partnered up with Reid to sort through a series of clues left by the unsub. Two more bodies dropped in twenty-four hours, leaving 8 riddles on 8 bodies that needed to be decoded.

“I can take care of this myself,” Reid argues with Hotch.

“I know you can but an extra set of eyes can’t hurt, we’re on a time crunch. Monica Dentz went missing four hours ago. If he sticks to his MO, she only has ten hours left,” with that Hotch exited the room.

Reid rather aggressively tossed his should bag on the table before snatching up copies of the riddles from the table and pinning them to the board.

“I’m not trying to get in your way,” you sigh. You watch him organize the riddles on the board.

“Try harder,” he snaps.

You scoff but your eyes scan over his tall frame as he puts the board together. Nope.

“I think the first one is talking about a ship, same with the third and fifth,” Reid says as he flips a pen in his fingers.

“If you’re taking it literally. ‘Alone in the tide’ could just be a metaphor for loneliness,” you point out.

“And what do you make of ‘the bow takes charge, towards the arctic waters where she sleeps’?” He asks. He’s less condescending this time, more curious but still annoyed.

“That.. that’s probably about a boat,” you accept.

“If you look at these as a story, where you read them from the first lines strung together and then the second lines… it reads like a book. I think someone he loved died at sea,” it seems to click for Reid and he starts scribbling on the board. “And here… I think this means there was an explosion. A boiler room maybe?” He’s moving around the two boards quickly, talking fast, pushing his hair back from his eyes. For a moment you almost find it adorable.

“Maybe he went deaf in a boating accident that killed someone he loves…” you add, standing to look at the board.

He calls Garcia and then Hotch.

“He’s killing them on a boat, it’s symbolic for him. We think he was a victim of a boating accident and lost his hearing…” he continues to speak but you become distracted.

Why were you becoming attracted to him? He was never ugly but you had never noticed him this way before. He was too busy infuriating you with his attitude. Yet he was growing on you in the last few months. Weird.

“Now what?” You ask him.

“We wait for them to get names. Hotch will tell us where he needs us next, we’ll continue to work the profile from here,” he places the pen in his mouth and flips through the victim profiles again.

“Don’t you have an eidetic memory? Why do you keep going through those…”

“Helps me deduce the information,” he shrugs dismissively.

You frown.

“Ya’know,” you sigh and pull up a chair across from him. “I have no intention of overshadowing you.” He glances up from the file.

“So why do you go out of your way to correct or narrow down my answers?”

It’s a perfectly reasonable question. You didn’t know why you did it.

“Habit? I’m used to being the smartest person in the room,” you admit.

“Right,” is his only response as he opens another file.

You don’t know what else to say so you take a look at the profile the team has built.

2 hours pass in awkward silence before Hotch calls the two of you to meet them at the east harbor for a raid of the now named suspects boat.

Once you arrive, Morgan and Prentiss greet you while you’re fumbling with your vest. After a moment and a frustrated sigh, Reid steps behind you.

“Here the strap is twisted up,” he says.

His fingertips graze your hip where your shirt is riding up. Your breathing hitches but you try not to appear affected.

“Thanks,” you tell him.

“Sounds like a plan,” you answer Prentiss who had been explaining the entry points.

“The two of you friends now?” Morgan asks Reid.

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Reid answers stoically with his hand propped on his gun. You scoff and shake your head.

“What?” Reid turns his head to you.

“Nothing, let’s just do this,” you snipe. Morgan and JJ exchange an concerned glance.

The man was impossible. You understood if he had walls up, if he didn’t like new people or the competition. But he’s not even trying to welcome you in the slightest.

The scent of ocean air and dead fish fills your nostrils as you follow behind Morgan down the dock. Reid and JJ creep onto the stern of the considerable sized old yacht while Hotch, Rossi, and Prentiss took the bow. You and Morgan are entering through the main entrance of the cabin with deadly stealth.

You hear varying 'clears' come from your coworkers before you point Morgan to a hatch leading below deck. You think you can hear shuffling of some kind happening but it's hard to tell with the sway of the ship.

The rest of the team enter behind you but its Morgan who insists on jumping down first, forgoing the small ladder.

"Randy Lional, put your hands up," he's shouting as you drop down behind him.

You raise your gun as you take in the scene, someone else drops down behind you, it's Reid based on the silver revolver in your line of sight.

The man is crouched over an unconscious Monica Dentz, one of her ears bleeding and her wrists bound. You think she's still breathing.

"Put the gun and the ice pick down man," Morgan yells and then Hotch is next to him.

"He can't hear you," you tell Morgan when Randy drags the barrel of the gun over the girl's half naked body as though he's lost in a trance. His burly back is turned to the team and the situation is so unique that none of you know how to intercept him.

You push between Morgan and Hotch to slowly approach him. It's Reid who grabs your arm and shakes his head, something like concern playing in his hazel eyes. You take your arm from him and turn to the unsub.

An idea strikes you so you pull off your earring and toss it in his direction, it slides across the floor into his line of sight, causing him to jump up and turn around.

The man's eyes are wide, dark bags below them. He's frantic as he shakily points the gun at you. His stringy strands of hair are oiled to his chubby aged face and he appears to be shocked by the FBI's presence. He's aiming the gun at Monica's head.

"Put the gun down," Morgan yells again, gesturing at the weapon.

You begin to use sign language, after putting your own gun back in its holster. Reid steps closer to you, his revolver still raised.

"I know that you're hurting. I know what happened that night. I'm so sorry about your parents," you begin to sign. "But torturing others this way is not going to change what happened to you."

Reid glances at you, seemingly impressed by your use of ASL.

"She's trying to talk him down," Reid informs the rest of the team.

"Please, drop the weapons," you sign to him again. He looks more sad, defeated than before and you're hopeful.

"Does he profile as suicidal?" You ask the team.

"Yes," Hotch answers. You swallow hard.

Just then Monica stirs awake and begins screaming against the cloth gag in her mouth.

What happens next feels like slow motion, you don't even know how to process it.

Randy raises the gun and fires at you, three shots in rapid succession before you can blink. And then Reid has stepped nearly completely in front of you, firing two shots along with a barrage of shots from the team.

You hit the floor in a daze and chaos ensues.

"We need medics!" Prentiss is screaming into her ear piece.

"Two agents hit, one victim, subject deceased," Hotch is speaking into his mic as he rushes over to you.

The blinding pain is in your shoulder, the blood hot as it oozes out of you.

"Reid," you search for him.

"Ah, I'm okay. I'm okay," he doesn't sound okay.

And then you see it, the wound in his neck, the blood pouring from his mouth. Reid is grabbing at his throat for the wound, blood coating his hand. Crimsons running down his slender wrist and long fingers. Then Morgan is applying pressure to the wound while JJ is tending to you.

You wince in pain as she is pressing down on your shoulder. You can physically feel the metal bullet sitting inside of your body, sending pain radiating in all directions. People are talking all around you, JJ's eyes are full of tears as she tries to get you to stay conscious.

"Come on kid, look at me," Morgan is pleading with Reid. no no no.

"Why did you..." you try to ask why he stepped in front of you but the room begins to spin. You start to see double and you don't know if its you or Reid groaning in pain. Reid's eyes are rolling back in his head and he's starting to go limp in Morgans lap.

Reid took a bullet for you, and it may kill him. What if he dies thinking you hate him?

A blur of paramedics enter the space before you lose consciousness murmuring Reid's name.

A/N- Hope you guys love this. I'm already working on the 'lovers' part.