#cmbingo19

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

It Should Have Been Him

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Warnings: angst, amnesia angst

Word Count: 322

amnesia (2020 card) for @cmbingo

A/N: aesthetic under the cut. pictures are not mine, but i made the aesthetic.

“Is she awake yet?” Spencer asks the doctor.

“Yes, she is, but--”

Spencer doesn’t listen to what the doctor has to say after the word yes. Spencer rushes inside your hospital room, relief washing over him when he sees you sitting up and drinking some juice the nurses gave to you. He takes a seat next to your bed and grabs your hand, kissing the back of it a couple of times before pulling away.

“I didn’t think you were going to wake up. You’ve been out a long time. How are you feeling?” he asks.

“I feel fine, but do I know you?” you ask in confusion, pulling your hand away from his.

Spencer’s world crashes immediately, crumbling all around him. The doctor comes in and pulls Spencer aside so as to not freak you out or anything.

“Why doesn’t she know who I am?”

“She has a severe case of amnesia. When she got injured, she hit her head pretty hard. I’m afraid I don’t know when or if she will get her memories back.”

The only reason you’re like this is because you sacrificed yourself for him. An unsub was angry at Spencer, and you put your life on the line to protect him. He should have been in this hospital room instead of you. He should have had his life taken from him instead of yours.

It’s his fault you’re like this.

“Is there anything I can do?” he clears his throat, trying his hardest not to cry.

“Surround her with family and friends. Don’t rush it or else it won’t happen. Just be there for her.”

He never thought you would be a victim of one of his unsubs, but it’s what happened and he can’t take it back. Instead, he is going to try to get you to remember who you are and who he is…

He won’t know what he’ll do if you can’t.

[dontshootmespence]

You Can Choose Your Family

Summary: When Y/N is left without a family after a devastating case, Rossi takes her in. Years later, when Joy finds her way back into her father’s life, how will Y/N handle it?

Words: 1,140

Warnings: Talk of death and murder! Just briefly.

A/N: My next entry for @cmbingo! This fulfills my found family square and a request from an anon that I kept until I could find the inspiration for it.

Seven years earlier

This couldn’t be real. 

You’d been punched in the chest. 

No matter how deeply you breathed, you couldn’t find relief.

Every word uttered from someone’s mouth turned into a whisper on the wind, barely heard, barely comprehended. 

“No, it’s not possible.” You broke down, eyes welling up with tears in an instant. Your entire life, gone. You inhaled sharply, words choked out in an attempt to breathe - find relief from this immediate unbearable pain. “They can’t be gone.”

The young agent’s eyes filled up, his lip trembling as he spoke the words again. “I’m sorry, Y/N. Your parents didn’t make it.”

“No! No! No!” You screamed and screamed and screamed, flailing against the nurses and doctors that came to your aide. A blood-curdling scream ripped from your throat, heard by nearly everyone on the hospital floor. 

Agent Rossi came rushing in, pulling the younger man out of the way as he appealed to you. “Y/N, Y/N, calm down!” Pushing the doctor aside, he wrapped his arms around you and let you scream into his chest. “I’m going to find the people who did this,” he whispered softly. “Y/N, I promise I won’t rest until I find them.” 

                                                             -----

Present Day

“Wait, what?” You laughed nervously.

It had been seven years since Rossi had taken you in at the age of 13. For some reason, you’d trusted him implicitly and when he’d expressed an interest in adopting you a year after your parents’ death you’d accepted enthusiastically. 

Just as he’d promised, he caught the couple that killed your parents and now they were rotting in jail. While he wasn’t a replacement, Rossi had become a father in every way that counted. He was gone frequently, but you still felt the love. Whenever he was home, you did everything together, from cooking to golfing to passing judgement on others - a national pastime. “What do you mean you have a daughter?”

“Remember that girl I told you about that accosted me at work? Her name was Joy and she claimed she was my daughter...turns out...that’s true.”

That punched in the chest feeling returned. It hadn’t since the fifth anniversary of your parents’ death, but here it was again, hard, heavy and immovable. “How old is she?” You asked, doing the best you could to mask the feeling of replacement that washed over your entire body.

“She’s 27. She has a husband and a son, named Kai. You remember me telling you about Hayden? She’s her mother.”

“Wow.” It was the only thing you could think to say. Why would he need you when he had a true born daughter? “How do you feel?” You hoped beyond hope that there would be a moment that you could naturally bow out of the conversation to go to your room and cry yourself to sleep. 

“A lot of things. I mean, it’s great. She seems like a wonderful girl. But it just came out of nowhere. I’m also angry at Hayden for keeping her from me. All the years I lost out on, you know?”

“Yea. Just take some time to process it, I guess.” Whether you were talking to him or yourself you weren’t sure. “You okay if I go do some homework?”

Distractedly, he replied, leaving you the moment to run. The moment you got into your room, you choked out a sob, covering your mouth so he wouldn’t hear. 

                                                            -----

Yet again, you were home alone while your makeshift father met with his real daughter. He’d only met with her a few times, but each time he went, your heart sunk. You didn’t go away to college, preferring to stay home with him, but that meant you had nowhere else to go. 

The smile on his face when he spoke of her, spoke of his grandson especially, it was like a knife twisting in your heart. You dared not take it out lest you bleed out. 

For hours and hours, you attempted to study, but you kept getting distracted. When you heard the lock in the door downstairs, you popped up from your bed and rushed downstairs. Maybe she would end up being a horrible person and he’d want nothing to do with her. As you rounded the corner, you saw the smile on his face and the picture in his hand. From far away, you could tell it was Joy and Kai.

Unwelcomed tears returned and you attempted to run back up the stairs when he called you. “Y/N? I’m home. How’re you? Have you had dinner yet?”

“No, not yet,” you said shakily, your attempts at disguising tears failing miserably. “Not really hungry.”

“What’s wrong?” He asked. “You’re crying.” 

He could hear it.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m good.”

“No you’re not. Did that boy do something to you? I swear I’ll kill him.”

You choked back a laugh. “No, he didn’t. Everything’s good, Pop. I swear.”

As you made your way up the stairs, you heard his footsteps behind you and felt his hand on your arm. “You are crying. Why? What happened? You know you can tell me.”

He still had the picture in his hand. You chanced a glance, confirming what you already knew. His new family. His real family. Once more, you insisted everything was fine.

Suddenly, the realization dawned on him. “It’s Joy, isn’t it?” He asked, horrified. “You think she’s replacing you.”

“She is, isn’t she?” You asked, tired of keeping the tears at bay. “She’s your real daughter. I’m just some girl you felt sorry for after her parents were brutally murdered.”

“No,” he said on the verge of tears himself. “You’re the daughter I chose. Against every worry I had about being a father, not being able to be there enough for you while I work. Against it all, I chose you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Joy found me and one day I’m sure I’ll end up feeling like her father, but right now I don’t. That’s why I’m trying to get to know her. So that one day I’ll be able to dote on two daughters instead of one.” The pool of tears fell down his cheeks as he pulled you close and you cried into his shoulder. “People say you can’t choose your family. Well, that’s bullshit.”

“You sound like Spencer,” you laughed. “Like a mix of you and Spencer.”

Pulling you back from his shoulder, he cradled your face in his hands, wiping your tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “I did choose my family. And the addition of someone else doesn’t take away from that. She may be older, but you’ll always be my first girl. No matter what.”

“You sure?” You laughed.

“Absolutely. You’re my girl. Now, you wanna cook dinner together?”

“Baked ziti?”

“Sounds great to me.”

[criminallyfanatic]

A Life in Doughnuts

summary: When Spencer finds someone with the same love of doughnuts as him, who can tell where it could go. this is also for the @cmbingo, for the square doughnut.

a/n ~ so I finally had some inspiration, and it based on the fact that Spencer loves doughnuts, which is debateable but he always seems so excited soooooo. Its a litter different to my usual style and longer than I though it would be but here we are and I hope you enjoy :)

It started over doughnuts. You were in your local coffee shop one morning and there was only one chocolate doughnut left, with sprinkles, of course. But you weren't the only one pining over this particular doughnut. Rather than one of you miss out, you decided to split it. 

You had seen each other before, almost every day, and would often pass casual conversation, except for the brief periods when he would disappear, only to return a day or two after, sometimes with a solemn look on his face, almost as if he had aged considerably in that two day period. It was then that conversation between you would simply consist of a few words and a tense smile. You never pushed it, but just seeing him would brighten your day.

 But that doughnut, it sparked the first proper conversation you had with the mysterious coffee shop man. Spencer Reid. 

Your first date was meant to be at some fancy restaurant in town, where the steak cost more than your rent, but he had to cancel at the last minute, having been called away on a case. When he landed 3 days later he called again to apologise. You told him you didn't care. Instead, you met him at Joe’s 24 hour diner, where he spilled his mind over coffee, which he described as nectar of the gods after the police coffee he had to suffer through, and a chocolate doughnut. 

He laughed when the chocolate smeared on your face and continued to laugh as you struggled to lick it off. He reached across the table to wipe it from your face, and it seemed like the world slowed down for a moment. His thumb stroked your face, and he left it there for a second, reluctant to pull back. Your face felt like it was on fire, and when he puled away, you felt as if you could still feel his warm hand on your cheek. You left that diner that night with a promise to see each other again soon and a parting kiss on the cheek. 

After the diner you continued to see each other almost every day in the coffee shop, and would meet up once a week for dinner. Your first kiss three weeks in  left the lingering taste of sweet chocolate and bitter coffee on your tongue and a hunger for more. 

Soon enough, your meetings became less formal. You would visit his apartment after work, often stopping by the coffee shop on the way, which you found was exactly half way between your two apartments. He would sometimes lie with his head in your lap, telling you all about the horrors from his job that haunted him. He was always sure to hold back though, the last thing he wanted to do was scare you with the worst humanity had to offer, what he faced on a daily basis. You would often tell him off all the dramas from work, and somehow it helped him to feel normal.

You met his team one Saturday afternoon. You had the day off, but the team had to work through the day to complete a backlog of paperwork. You had originally planned to spend the day lounging in his flat until he came home, but all you could think about was him hunched over his desk with no end in sight and you couldn't bear it. You turned up at the BAU that afternoon, a box of doughnuts in one hand and two coffees in the other. 

He kissed you on the cheek and introduced you to the team as his girlfriend, a smile lighting up his face the whole time. The team seemed to like you, but the box of doughnuts probably helped. JJ hugged you and Derek Morgan kissed you on the cheek. Penelope pulled you into a bone crushing hug and as she pulled away you could see Derek punching Spencer on the shoulder, a look of pride on his face, as Spencer smiled at the ground. When he glanced over at you, you could tell you had a similar smile on your own face.  

On your 28th birthday, Spencer woke you up with a candle in a doughnut. You blew out the candle as the sun began to creep through the cracks in the blinds. Spencer could have sworn you were an angel that morning, with your adorable bed head and massive smile and the sun giving you a golden halo. He couldn’t believe he could be so lucky to have someone like you in his life. When you kissed him that morning, he knew he had found what everyone was always talking about. 

He proposed that night at your surprise party, surrounded by all your friends. He didn't have a ring, so instead he grabbed the first round thing he could find, which just so happened to be a doughnut. You cried, pulling him into a hug before you both shared the doughnut. He promised to buy you a real ring the following day, but you doubted it could compare. 

When the two of you got married, Penelope baked you a doughnut cake. When you saw it you couldn't help but laugh. One of your favourite picture of the day was the two of you cutting the cake. You were staring at each other, the smiles on your faces larger than any you had ever seen, and the love in your eyes so strong that even as the picture faded over the years, it was unmistakeable the two of you belonged together. 

It was three months after your wedding that you told Spencer you were pregnant. He spun you in his arms and cried into your shoulder. He couldn’t ask for anything more, he felt as if everything had finally fallen into place. You just hoped they inherited your shared love of doughnuts 

a/n ~ I was tempted to end it with, and when the child was born, they named her doughnut, but I felt that was too far … or is it?

[heycasbutt]

Distract and Sedate

A/N: A little Reidniss lovin coming at you as another entry in to @cmbingo. This one fills my Reid and Prentiss Square. This is slightly explicit, there is some oral sex (male rec) so if that isn’t your jam, you can skip this. Other than that, enjoy!

She could feel the stress radiating off his body from the moment he stepped foot in the bullpen that morning. She could feel the weeks of pent up emotion just begging to be let out as he pushed open the door to her office that afternoon, his eyes cast down, one hand wrapped securely around the strap of his messenger bag.

“What’s going on, Spence?” She asked, walking around the desk to shut the door softly and placed one hand on his arm.

“I need it, Em. It’s bad,” Spencer whispered as he shook from her grasp and settled into the plush chair directly in front of the large desk.

“What exactly do you need?” She raked her hands through the mess of curls on his head, placing a soft kiss on the crown.

“You know..” Spencer growled softly.

“Ah ah. Don’t be a mean boy, you know mistress doesn’t like that,” Emily cooed in his ear, gently loosening the tie from his neck and undoing a few buttons.

“Yes mistress,” He sighed softly, melting into the back of the chair. Emily’s long fingers traced shapes on his chest while she whispered into his ear exactly what she had in store.

“I think you need to come over tonight and just let me take care of you, does that sound okay baby boy?”

“Y-Yes Mistress, 6:00?”

“Not one minute later or you’ll be punished, you hear?” Emily bit down softly on the young agent’s earlobe eliciting the most delicious of groans from deep within him.

“May I have a sample of what’s to come tonight, Mistress?” Spencer swallowed thickly as she came to rest on her knees in front of him.

“You’ve been pretty good today so I don’t see why not?”

She slowly lowered the zipper of his slacks, his arousal bulging against the cotton confines of his briefs. Her hand wrapped gingerly around the shaft as she pressed a small kiss to the dripping tip, a moan rumbled up from deep within Spencer his hands wrapped around the arms of the chair.

“Shh shh” Emily comforted softly as she gave kitten licks to the head, relishing in the salty tang of him on her tongue.

“Miss, please..” Spencer begged, beads of sweat formed in his brow.

Emily smirked at the term and began slowly taking the young doctor’s cock in her mouth inch by inch. Her own arousal was pooling in her silk panties and she clenched her thighs together tightly. Praying that he couldn’t smell how badly this turned her on.

“Ah fuck!” He groaned reaching for her hair, a shocked yelp making its way through his lips as she slapped his hands away and continued her ministrations.

His cock was hot and heavy on her tongue, and she loved the control she had over him in such a state. Her tongue swirled around the velvety tip, the now familiar tang washing over her tongue. She pulled away just as he reached the cusp of oblivion, a dissatisfied groan slipping between his lips.

“There will be more of that tonight if you’re a good boy today,” Emily smiled softly as she tucked him back into the cotton confines of his briefs, kissing the bulge softly before zipping up his pants with a sigh.

“Thank you, mistress,” Spencer half smiled, a hand cradling Emily’s face as he planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

“I shouldn’t allow that, but I’ll let it slide this time,” She smiled standing up and opening her office door.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Spencer whispered as he hastily exited the office.

The next 7 hours seemed to drag by at a snail’s pace. Swift glances exchanged between the pair, a reminder of what was to come that night.

6:00 came, and Spencer found himself in front of Emily’s modest condo. He knocked tentatively. They had been carrying on this affair for nearly a year but he couldn’t stop the feelings of nervousness that overcame him every time they would meet.

“Right on time, my pet,” Emily purred as she opened the door, dragging Spencer in by his tie. The growl that left his mouth was almost primal as the woman in front of him attached her lips to his neck, sucking the spot she knew drove him absolutely wild.

Emily’s curves were draped in a deep red lace teddy, her nails matched the sultry color.

“I need you,” Spencer whispered, gripping her hips in his hand as he ground his cock against her lace covered center. Groaning at the wetness to be found there.

“In a minute, my dear. Remember, good things come to good boys who wait” Emily dragged a single nail down Spencer’s chest, smirking softly as his eyes slid closed in pleasure.

[cmbingo]

Just Over Two Months To Go!

Can you believe it?!

It’s been a long year and an even tougher one for the fandom, leaving us to an extended hiatus. How are your cards looking?

Looking for some inspiration?

Or perhaps some visual motivation?

How about some crack to ease you back into writing/ creating?

Either way, we still want to hear from you! Let us know how you think the Bingo’s been so far and what you hope to accomplish before deadline. Ask questions, we’re here to help!

xoxo

Admins

[rt8815]

Mamihlapinatapai

This follows my Untitled: “Last Gasp” Inspired piece from last year, so it’s set in mid March-ish 2018. It also fills the “Mutual Pining” square on my CM Bingo card.

WC: Almost 1,900

Notes: Taylor and Jaime are two of McKinley’s bandmates. They will appear in an earlier set fic that I haven’t finished yet 😏

Mamihlapinatapai is a Yagan (of the Nyungar people) word which means, “the wordless, yet meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something but are both reluctant to start.”

—–

“Congrats, guys!” McKinley exclaimed, raising her glass. “The Dream Team is back together and Barnes has retreated to her office to lick her wounds. All is as it should be.”

“Cheers!” everyone toasted, laughing against their professional judgement.

JJ slid into the seat next to McKinley.

“It feels great to come back home,” Emily sighed, soaking in the sunset view from Rossi’s back yard.

McKinley sipped her Scotch, tapping the table suddenly when something occurred to her.

“Spencer, how ever will you tell your students you’ll no longer be teaching full-time?” Her hand flew to her heart. “Your fan club will be absolutely devastated, poor things,” she smirked, sounding anything but sympathetic.

Spencer almost choked on his wine. “Oh God, no,” he started, but just then Garcia joined them at the table.

“What’s this about fan club stuff? Are you planning costumes for a convention?” she asked.

Spencer buried his face in his hands and grumbled something that sounded like ‘piece of meat.’

McKinley stole a bit of Penelope’s Mai-tai before continuing. “No cons, Penny, unless you think dozens of shrieking harpies only there to drool over the male lead qualifies as a ‘convention.’”

Emily leaned around JJ. “Well, that piqued my interest. Go on.”

Spencer moaned, his voice muffled behind his palms.

“Nearly one hundred people came to his lecture this week,” McKinley stated. “They’ve become very popular…with the ladies.”

“Wow! Spence, that’s great,” JJ congratulated him, though she had a mischievous gleam in her eye.

“Yeah, Boy Wonder,” Penelope chimed in. “Why the bashfulness?” She’d had a few drinks and was a bit slow on the uptake.

McKinley rolled her eyes. “Penny, bubeleh, most of them weren’t there to learn,” she emphasized, staring pointedly at Spencer.

Penelope started to cotton on. “Oh,” she grinned. “You’re saying that they-”

“Got it baaad, got it baaad, got it baaad. They’re hot for teacher. Ow!”

Emily wolf-whistled as JJ stretched over the table to ruffle Spencer’s hair.

He finally reemerged, his face beet-red, though he appeared annoyed rather than angry.

“Ley, tell us more about these fangirls,” Garcia demanded, bouncing in anticipation. “Give us the deets.”

McKinley glanced at Spencer, who shrugged, apparently resigned to the good-natured ribbing.

“Do y’all remember The Bimbettes from Beauty and the Beast?” she asked, “and the “I Love You Eyelid Girl” from Raiders of the Lost Ark?”

Penelope giggled into her drink. “That bad, huh?”

“Ugh, worse,” groaned McKinley, now buzzed and losing her filter. “Both of those things cranked up to eleven.”

She rested her elbows on the table, imitating everything the students had done. “They weren’ listenin’ to a thang he said. They twirled their hair, got all doe-eyed and constantly ‘Ooohed’ and ‘Aaahed.’ Talk about flirtin’ up a storm. I swear a few of ‘em drooled.”

“You don’t say,” Emily snickered.

“It was disgusting. Those girls made such asses of themselves. I felt bad for ‘em really.”

“Uh-huh,” JJ chuckled, sounding unconvinced.

“No, honestly! They just would not back down. They stalked us through the hallway. I was worried they were gonna eat ‘im alive!” McKinley cried as she fluffed Spencer’s hair. “I had to keep Skindiana Jones here safe.”

“I uh, I don’t recall them stalking us,” Spencer interjected, “and I still don’t understand why women always-”

“Spence, read. the book. we gave you!”

“Seriously! This has happened on so. many. cases.”

“Yeah! Remember Lila Archer?”

McKinley whipped her head around. “Wait, what? Lila Archer the actress?”

“Yeah,” replied JJ. “Lila was a stalking victim 12 years ago. Spence stayed at her house. She pulled him into her pool and they made out.”

“Oh, she’s very pretty. I imagine that must’ve been quite something!”

“Don’t forget all the working ladies who hit on him,” Emily added.

“And the bartender who flirted with him,” slurred Penny.

Spencer shook his head. “Women go for guys like Morgan or Alvez, not me.”

McKinley frowned. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume that right there is false modesty. It’s not though, and that makes me sad.”

“I’m weird.”

“Weird should be a compliment,” McKinley countered.

“I ramble a lot-”

“Some find it endearing.”

“-about things nobody’s interested in.”

“I’m interested…”

But Spencer wasn’t paying attention.

“My hair’s too long…”

“It suits you, Spencer.”

“I dress like an eighty-year-old man.”

McKinley scrunched her face in amusement. “Yeah, like I said the other day, I’m fairly certain the whole tenured professor look is their kink. Face it, Pretty Boy: yer eye candy.”

Spencer grimaced and hoisted himself up from his chair.

“No, don’t go!” McKinley pleaded, loosely grabbing his forearms. “We’ll stop now, right guys?”

“Of course.”

“Sure.”

“Fine, I’ll zip my perfect, rosy lips.”

Spencer eyed them warily before lowering himself back down. As he drained his glass, McKinley resumed her elbows-on-table pose, feigning innocence.

“I do have one question for you though, Doctor.”

He arched an eyebrow. “What might that be?”

McKinley fiddled with his tie, unknotting it. “I’m worried about my grade in your class. T-t-t-teacher, can you see me after school?”

Spencer sputtered, blushing furiously, then jerked his tie out of her hand and stormed off as dignified as possible.

“I think of all the education that I missed,” she called after him, gesturing for the others to join her. They chorused, “But then my homework was never quite like this!”

They all dissolved into fits of laughter, although McKinley’s quickly dissipated.

“Shit, he’s my ride home. That’s gonna be awkward.”

Emily cleared her throat. “So, how long have you been in love with Reid?”

“I – what?” McKinley squeaked. “I’m not in love with Spencer! What gave you that idea?”

“That show you put on just now. Plus, I saw you two on my porch the other day. I have security cameras…with audio,” Emily admitted.

“Anyway, you’ve looked at each other differently for a while now. You act differently towards each other too. Maybe bringing up the lecture is your subconscious telling you that you two have evolved beyond friendship.”

McKinley shook her head. “Emily, we haven’t known each other long enough for that.”

“Granted, five months is fast,” said Tara, who’d slid into the table unnoticed, “but you’ve spent a lot of his sabbatical and regular time outside work together. Simply put? The quality of your and his friendship could well outweigh the length.”

“And the way you talked about those students?” JJ added. “You called them shrieking harpies and you sounded ready to rip them apart. I mean, I believe that they drooled over Spence, but you laid it on kind of thick. Was it all about keeping him safe, or was it also you telling them to back off?”

That had McKinley stumped. She remembered silently mocking the girls’ behavior, and how she smugly whispered, “It’s never gonna happen,” effectively saying Spencer was out of their league. What stood out the most was how she stared them down as she linked arms with him, deriving satisfaction from their…jealousy?

“Did I deliberately taunt them?” McKinley wondered to herself.

She recalled a sensation of hackles raising. There was no polite way to word it.

“I was marking my territory.”

McKinley had a sudden desire to take a shower.

Her feelings had undoubtedly shifted, but she had no frame of reference for them. And that frightened her.

She switched tactics. “Don’t forget that I’m aroace, guys. I don’t experience romantic or sexual attraction.”

Garcia popped up from her phone, where she’d been hunting down the ‘perfect first date venue.’ “You talk a lot about how sexy and pretty guys are, though. I’ve caught you staring at many a tuchus. What’s that about?” she winked.

McKinley cut eyes at her. “I’m asexual, Penny, not blind. I admired the Venus de Milo too, but I didn’t wanna hump it either.”

“Y’know, I used to identify as bi,” Penelope replied. “I was in my late twenties before I knew that I’m pan. It’s only for you to say but, it might be worth considering demi identities.”

That struck a chord with McKinley. It would require a lot of unpacking her emotions, but it was definitely worth considering.

…

Spencer stole glimpses at McKinley as he drove her home. She was drumming a beat on the armrest. He chuckled; she always did that while deep in thought.

Stopping at a light pulled her from her reverie. “Thank you for driving me home,” she said rather meekly.

“You’re welcome. Never take Uber or Lyft.” He coughed nervously. “You know, because it’s not the safest mode of transportation. Half of our cases start that way,” he joked.

McKinley grinned. “You’re an absolute prince for doing this, especially since I’m a rotten friend.”

Spencer’s jaw dropped. “No, you’re not! Is this about the lecture? Because it’s nothing the team hasn’t teased me about before.”

“Yeah, but I shoulda known they’d take the piss,” she whined, kicking her legs grumpily, “and I went too far with the song. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I forgive you,” he assured her as he stepped on the gas. “Although, I’d like to point out that I’ve never once brought up the men who hit on you at bars.”

“True,” McKinley breathed, playing with a loose thread on her blouse. “But that seems to have died down at O’Keeffe’s recently.”

Spencer pressed his lips together, eyes fixed on the road. She eyed him suspiciously.

“You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” she prodded him.

“Think fast.”

“It’s probably the team’s presence. Most of the regulars know who we are.”

Fortunately, she accepted his suggestion. “Yeah, that’s feasible.”

“Truth is I shoved my credentials in their faces once or twice,”he confessed silently.

“When that doesn’t work, I step between you and them while flashing my revolver, but I’m not owning up to any of that.”

Spencer parked in Taylor and Jaime’s driveway and walked McKinley to her tiny house in the backyard. Boogie bolted out to greet them, tail wagging vigorously.

At her door, she twisted around for a final goodnight, surprised to find Spencer standing so near. He raised his hand and combed his fingers through her hair.

“Cherry blossom,” he explained, showing the pale pink flower in his hand. Spencer reached up again, brushing hair out of her eyes, lingering this time.

McKinley found herself tilting her head into his hand.

“Please don’t stop playing with my hair. Is this what he feels when I play with his? Am I blushing? Is he blushing? What’s that look he’s giving me? Affection? Is that how I look at him? I wish he’d say something. I should say something, but I can’t speak. My heart’s pounding. What’s wrong with me? I never have trouble talking to Spencer. How can someone make me flustered and relaxed at the same time?”

Spencer moved even closer. “Ley, I was wondering -”

“Bork!”

They sprang apart, the spell broken, to see Boogie dancing impatiently. He jumped, placing his paws on Spencer’s thighs.

“Hey buddy, I’m not ignoring you,” he promised as he scratched the dog’s ears.

Satisfied, Boogie pushed open the door and stared expectantly at McKinley.

Spencer retreated down the stairs. “I should be going. Good night, Ley,” he said, the slightest note of disappointment in his voice.

“Night, Spencer. Text me when you get home?”

“Always,” he smiled up at her, stepping backwards towards the fence and through the gate.

—–

@illegalcerebral @dreatine @cynbx @cmbingo

Everyone else let me know if you’d like to be tagged in the future!

[stunudo]

Fancy Meeting You Here

A Criminal Minds Fan-fiction

Featuring: Dr. Spencer Reid, Elle Greenaway

2019 CM Bingo Square: Season 1

Requested by @illegalcerebral (about 6 months ago?)

A/N: Nothing you couldn’t find on the show, after hours! xoxo Stu

The bar was dark, though the after work crowds had thinned leaving the aisles more manageable. He still felt out of place, without a trivia night or a gaggle of agents around him to reaffirm his presence and purpose. He tugged at the strap of his bag, Dr. Spencer Reid never left home without it. It wasn’t even his go bag, it was just his satchel, but the weight of it kept him tethered in moments like this.

He knew the routine, act casual, wait at a booth in the back, try not to draw a lot of attention to himself. Even over six feet he was able to draw in on himself, to hide in plain sight, unfortunately it was years of practice and not the stealth of physical training that allowed the spindly man to weave among the bar-goers.

He ordered a club soda and began to people watch, which was a sort of profiler’s default in a crowd.

Elle didn’t know what to do with all of these notes that had been buzzing around her head since the train and the heat. The tenuous standoff that had very little to do with her job, but which had put her in the line of danger regardless. There was relief, but also a tarnished kind of guilt at the disgust she felt at her fellow passengers. Those who wouldn’t or couldn’t listen to reason. She couldn’t sit still, between the car ride out of the Texas sun and the jet ride to Virginia, sitting was all she had been granted.

She grabbed her keys and cell before heading for the door. She had never been to the bar before, but three minutes in and it was like every other establishment on this side of town. Cheap, for their surroundings, but still more than she needed to spend. Oddly spacious with a subtle vibe of old ashtrays and costume jewelry. A place her mothers’ friends would probably have gone, once upon a time. Before some creep had made her a widow at least.

She wasn’t going to think about her dad, she was her to stop thinking. After a couple sidelong glances from a guy down the bar, she ordered another shot. This had been a failed escape, but at least she wasn’t locked in her apartment alone for an hour. As she walked back to her car, letting the damp air clear her head, she dialed her phone and hung up. No, there was really only one safe choice to call tonight and she would understand if he didn’t pick up.

Spencer had grown to like this bar, not because of the time he spent people watching, but because the unsubstantiated way time seemed to slow around them. She would raise her eyebrows and he would grin like the exuberant nerd that he was and everything just clicked. He needed the reassurance of her deep glare tonight. Needed to be seen and heard while feeling the quick beat of his heart as their connection scorched through his veins.

Yet, there was that tiny doubt perched in the back of his mind, that she wouldn’t remember or chose to forget. He would simply finish his drink and take the train home, no harm no foul. But the well worn scars of rejection and humiliation were not so easily silenced inside the caverns of his mind. She was always the last to arrive, by agreement and temperament. He needn’t worry so hastily. Probably.

She gave him off the cuff instructions in a brusque tone. Quickly he had given up asking questions, instead repeating her statements as if reciting the last article he had read. She smiled when he gave her a breathy send off, the nervous energy she had been fighting all day had earned her a head full of bubbles. Perhaps that had been the bourbon. Either way, she had a destination. She left her car along the curb and walked to the nearest train station, needing to give him time to catch up.

When she spotted him an hour later, carefully checking his watch and drumming his fingers along his thigh she had to bite back a chuckle. Gosh he was such a mix of smarts and vulnerability and somehow, this gangly guy had saved her ass. The match had been struck: it was either time to light a fire or burn herself holding her breath. Elle marched to the center booth on the far wall where Spencer squinted behind glasses she hadn’t realized he needed.

She arrived in a rush, throwing her bag on the spare chair closest to the aisle. She leaned in and slipped her hand into his on his lap. The world floated into peripheral blotches of color and movement. She had chosen to show up and he had chosen to hold on, together anything was possible.

tags: @cmbingo @bluecatebluecatonecattwocat @heyworld07 @thespaceprincess @skrrrrrrrrrrt @luckypop6 @dontshootmespence @veroinnumera @holding-on-to-francis @gabriellewritermua @mysticpansy @bloowulf @ultrarebelheart @braziliangirlonasharkcity @dionnaea @tenaciousaracdeexpert @fbissaderekmorgan @frietjmeloen @rt8815 @cynbx @nelbie @greytoneworld  @sassyspacepizza @extremeobsessions101 @haendel-me-with-care @characterobsessed  @neongravest0nes

[katrina-cornwell]

Princess Charming

Pairing: Emily Prentiss x Jennifer Jareau

Description: Emily falls for a certain Disney princess. 

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1,069

A/N: This is my first entry for Criminal Minds Bingo for my Disney AU square. I hope you all like it!

It may be advertised as the most magical place in the world, but some days it sure didn’t feel like it. This was one of those days. It was an especially humid day and Emily’s hair was already starting to stick to the back of her neck. She walked down Main Street towards Cinderella’s Castle and Fantasyland. It was going to be a long day if this humidity doesn’t break. She made her way to the staff only area to get her assignment for the day. She normally worked in one of the shops but she would occasionally be stationed elsewhere.

As she approached the board she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Hey Emily, can you help zip me up?”

Emily’s heart skipped a beat when she turned and saw a slender blonde. She was wearing a blue Cinderella dress zipped about halfway up. She had swept her blonde hair over her shoulder so it wasn’t in the way of the zipper.

“Sure JJ” Emily answered. She was thankful her hands weren’t shaking as she carefully zipped up the dress.

“Thanks Em, you’re a lifesaver,” JJ said as she spun around and gave a dazzling smile.

“Anytime” Emily breathed.

“I’ve got to finish getting dressed before the guests come,” she laughed lifting up her skirt so Emily could see the converse she was wearing. “Somehow I don’t think Director Strauss would appreciate these!”

“No, I don’t think she would,” Emily laughed.

JJ turned and walked back to where the rest of her costume was.

“Prentiss, when are you going to ask her out?”

Emily whipped around to see Derek leaning against the assignment board watching her with a grin.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Emily huffed, “JJ is just a friend.”

“Maybe for now but I see the way you look at her” Derek replied. “Ever since you were moved to Fantasyland you’ve been making heart eyes at her.”

“Is it that obvious?” Emily said slightly panicked.

“To your friends yeah,” Derek laughed.

“Well too bad she doesn’t seem to feel the same way,” Emily said looking back over at JJ.

JJ had finished donning the rest of her costume and Will, dressed as Prince Charming, was dancing with her as if they were at a ball. JJ was laughing as Will lifted her and spun.

Emily turned back to Derek and the board, “see?”

“All I’m saying is it wouldn’t kill you to ask. Oh and by the way you’re with me in the gift shop so you can make all the heart eyes you want,” he teased.

He laughed as Emily took a playful swat at him.

The day seemed to drag on and on with no end in sight. Emily was finding it harder and harder to keep smiling at guests when every time she looked out the window she saw JJ and Will standing together. She knew they were in character but she still wasn’t a fan of the loving looks they were giving each other.

“Hey Em, you good?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m good” Emily broke her stare, “Why?”

“Well, you’ve been staring out the window almost all day.”

“Yeah it’s just what you said earlier had me thinking, but it’s hard to picture her liking me over prince charming over there.”

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short like that” Derek said.

“He’s literally every girl's dream. He is actually Prince Charming.”

“Not every girl’s dream” Derek patted her shoulder and went to go help a guest.

Finally, after the last guest left and the shop was secured Derek and Emily made their way back to the staff area.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” Derek said walking towards another group of staff members.

“Yeah sure thing,” Emily nodded walking towards where she kept her things.

She wanted to get home as soon as possible. She was hot and not really in the mood to socialize with other staff members. She grabbed her backpack and made her way to the exit.

“Hey Em wait!” JJ yelled jogging from a crowd of other staff members.

Emily turned to see JJ had shed her Cinderella costume in favor of jean shorts and a Mickey Mouse graphic tee.

“Hey JJ what’s up?”

“You got a minute?” she asked grabbing her necklace and moving the pendant on the chain.

“Sure.”

“Can uh can we go for a walk?” JJ sounded nervous.

Emily followed her out of the staff area and they started walking towards Main Street. The lights were still on but the park was just about empty now. It had been a long day, and Emily was beginning to feel anxious following JJ. 

JJ stopped and sat down on a bench. Emily paused slid off her backpack then joined her. She was practically shaking now.

“Em I…” JJ started trailing off as if she was searching for the right words “I’m not really sure how to say this. I was talking with Derek and…”

“JJ wait, I have something I need to say” Emily interrupted. She could feel her palms getting sweaty. “I…I really like you… like as more than a friend.”

“Oh thank god” JJ sighed sounding relieved.

“Wait what?”

“I was trying to ask you out, but I don’t know I guess I was just worried you’d say no. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah seriously,” JJ smiled, “Derek caught me staring at you a few days ago and has been trying to convince me to ask you out. Did you really think I couldn’t zip up my own dress just for the past week?”

“What about Will?” Emily asked.

“Him, nah he’s got nothing on you and besides he’s just a friend.”

Emily smiled. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest.

“You’ve got tomorrow off right?” Emily asked.

“Yeah.”

“How about we meet in the France Pavilion at 6 tomorrow night next to the mini Eiffel Tower?”

“Emily Prentiss, are you asking me to go to Paris with you?”

“Yes, yes I am,” Emily smiled.

“Sounds perfect, but let’s stay here for a little longer. I love the look of the castle lit up like this.”

JJ moved closer to Emily on the bench and rested her head on Emily’s shoulder. Emily felt as though she would never be able to stop smiling, maybe this was the most magical place in the world.

[ddreammcatcher]

Family sucks

This is my sixth entry for @cmbingo. I made a bingo! This fills the coworker sibling square.

Hotch knocks on my door and pokes his head in. I jump when he knocks. I thought that everyone else had gone home for the night. “Hey Kate, you have a visitor.” He says. I sigh. Who would be visiting me at this hour? None of my family told me that they were coming to visit. I get up and walk to the entrance of the bullpen. I see a tall man with a mass of dark brown curls. I stop in my tracks when I see him. Adam. The brother who I haven’t seen in years.

“Adam, what are you doing here?” I say annoyed to his back. He turns around when he hears my voice. “Hey Kate. I need your help.” Is all he says. I walk towards him hesitantly. He holds open his arms as to give me a hug. I walk up to him and slap him. Hotch is there in an instant. “Kate, walk away.” He says sternly. “Hotch, leave me alone.” I say annoyed. He doesn’t let go of my arm. “I think you should leave sir.” Hotch says coldly to Adam. Adam nods and leaves.

Hotch walks me back to my office. He closes the door behind us. “Do you want to tell me what that was about?” He asks. I sigh and shake my head no. “Okay, I’ll be in my office if you need anything.” Hotch says as he leaves. Once he leaves, I pull out my phone and call my mom.

It’s after 9, so I don’t think she’ll answer, but I have to try. She picks up on the last ring. “Hey Kate, whats up?” She asks with sleep in her voice. “Adam.” I say and then the tears start. His name jerks her awake. “Kate, honny, tell me what happened with Adam.” She says. “He showed up at my work. He asked for my help. I slapped him and my boss made him leave.” I say in between tears. “I’m sorry sweetie. I know how much it hurt when he left.” She says. “Do you have any idea why he would show up at my work after all this time?” I ask. “No, none. Last time I saw him was the day he left.” She says. “Okay, I should go. I have to explain what happened to my boss.” I say. “Okay, I love you.” She says. “I love you too.” I say as I hang up.

I drag myself to Hotch’s office and knock on his door. “Come in.” He says. I walk in and close the door behind myself. “Hey Kate. Are you okay?” He asks. I sigh. “Not really. The guy I slapped, his name is Adam. He’s my brother.” I say with a sigh. Hotch closes what he’s doing and looks at me. “Why did you slap him?” Hotch asks. “He left 6 years ago and I haven’t seen him since. When he left he told us not to contact him at all. I was really close with him when he left. He didn’t really give us an explanation when he left. He just told us that he didn’t want to have any part in our family anymore.” I say. Hotch just looks at me after that. His eyes have pity in them.

“Is this the first time you’ve seen him since then?” Hotch asks. I nod. “Seeing him again must have brought up a bunch of emotions for you.” He says. “Yeah, it did. He asked me for help. That’s the first thing he said to me.” I say in annoyance. He nods. “Go home Kate, we can talk about this tomorrow.” He says. I nod and go back to my office to get my stuff.

When I get home Adam’s sitting on my front steps. “Go away!” I yell at him as I stomp up the stairs past him. I unlock the door and quickly slam it shut on him. He pounds on the door. “Come on Kate, just listen to what I have to say.” He yells through the door. “If you don’t leave in the next 60 seconds I’m calling the police.” I say. He leaves me alone after that. The next morning when I leave, I see him in his car across the street. I don’t say anything to him, I just get in my car and head to work.

When I get to work, I go to my office and throw my stuff down on the other chair in my office. Penelope walks in and I sigh. “Don’t tell me we have a case. I can’t deal with that as well right now.” I say in annoyance. “No, I just wanted to see if you were okay.” She says. “I’m great.” I say sarcastically as I roll my eyes. “What’s going on Kate?” She asks gently. “I don’t really want to talk about it.” I say as I wipe a stray tear away. “Okay, I’m here if you want to talk.” She says as she leaves. I slam my door shut once she leaves. I really don’t want to deal with anything today.

A couple of minutes later, my door is knocked on. “Go away.” I say as my door opens. It’s Hotch. “Kate, are you okay?” He asks. “Close the door.” I say. He does and then leans against my desk. “He was at my house when I got home.” I say. “I think he’s still there.” Hotch looks worried. “Do you want me to have him brought in?” He asks. “No. I don’t want anything to do with him.” I say. “Okay. Can I at least have Garcia run a background check on him?” He asks. “Fine, but I get to be the one to ask her.” I say. He nods.

With that I get up and walk to Penelope’s office. I walk in without knocking. “Hey, you okay?” She asks. “Yeah, I need you to run a background check on someone.” I say quietly. “Okay, what's the name?” She asks as she types at her keyboard. “Adam Callahan.” I say. She looks at me confused, but nods anyway. About 5 minutes later, the first level of the background check is done. An arrest warrant pops up on her screen. “What is the warrant for?” I ask. “Give me a second.” She says as she pulls up the full document. “It says that he was involved in a car accident where the other driver died. He ran before he could be tried.” She says. The pit in my stomach gets 10 times bigger when she says that. “Can you read me the phone number to call please?” I ask. My voice breaks in the middle of the sentence. “Are you sure Kate?” She asks. I shake my head no and leave.

I find Hotch outside her door about to walk in. The tears have started and I can’t control them. “Kate wait!” Penelope says from behind me. Hotch pulls me into him and walks me backwards in to Penelope’s office. “Kate, what happened?” I don’t say anything, just keep crying. I know that I have to report him and if I don’t then Hotch will. Yet he’s my brother. I hate him but he’s still family. I finally control my tears and look at Hotch. “I’m sorry.” I say. “Don’t apologize. Just tell me what happened.” He says gently. I nod. “There’s a warrant out for his arrest. I know that I need to report him, but I don’t know if I can.” I say shakely.

Hotch doesn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. “Do you think you’ll be able to report him?” He asks. I shrug. “I don’t know.” I mumble. “Kate, if you don’t report him, I will have to.” He says sternly. I nod. “If you think it would be better if I did it thats okay. It’s up to you.” I sigh. “What do you think?” He asks. “I have to do it.” I say. I pull out my phone to make the call. Penelope hasn’t said anything for a while. When I say that she reads me the number.

“Houston police department, how may I help you?” A woman asks. I take a deep breath and start talking. “Hi, I’d like to report a sighting of Adam Callahan.” I state. “Okay. May I get your name and where you’re calling from please?” She asks. “I’m calling from Quantico, Virginia. My name is Kate Callahan.” I say. She doesn’t say anything for a minute. “Is he your brother?” She asks. “Yes.” I say as I break down in tears. I hand the phone to Hotch. I can’t do this anymore. I sit there and cry while I listen to his part of the conversation.

“Hello, may ask who I’m speaking to?” He asks. There’s a pause and he nods. “This is agent Aaron Hotchner. I am Kate Callahan’s boss.” He says after a short pause he continues. “The BAU of the FBI.” He states. “No. He showed up here yesterday asking for her help. I made him leave not knowing who he was just that Kate didn’t want to see him. He was at her house last night as well. This morning I encouraged her to do a background check, which is when we saw the arrest warrant.” There’s a long pause before he says anything else. “Understood. I will have agents dispatched to her address to bring him in if he’s still there. I look forward to meeting you.” He says curtly and hangs up.

I look at him. “They’re sending an agent here?” I say in disbelief. “Yeah. Turns out that the driver of the other car was an off duty police officer. They take the death of their own very personal. I’m sorry Kate.” He says. I get up and stomp back to my office. I can’t believe that I just did that. I reported my own brother. I shouldn’t have done that. I open the door of my office and slam it closed. It’s knocked on not that long after. “It’s open.” I snap. A scared looking agent walks in. “You have a visitor.” She says quickly and leaves. I sigh. I don’t want to deal with anyone right now. I march up to the doors of the bullpen to see Adam standing there.

When Hotch saw me storm past his office, he came out and stood by his door. I know that he’s following my movements with his eyes, but he hasn’t said anything. He doesn’t see Adam before I get to him.  “How dare you!” I scream at Adam. He takes a step back from me. “Kate. Let me explain.” He says. Before I can say anything else Hotch is there. He must have heard my scream and came running. “Kate. Walk away.” He says. I don’t say anything and don’t move. Hotch draws his gun. Derek and JJ followed Hotch out into the hallway. When Hotch draws his gun, they do as well.

“Hotch. Please don’t.” I say as the tears slide down my face. Adam puts his hands up and surrenders. “I have to Kate.” He says as he pulls a pair of cuffs out. He walks to Adam. “Adam Callahan, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used in a court of law.” I leave before he can finish. I can’t believe that that just happened.

I walk back to my office and plop down in my chair. I don’t close the door behind me. Hotch walks in shortly after. “You okay Kate?” He asks. “Not really.” I say. “Family’s hard. If you need anything let me know.” He says. The rest of the team followed him to my office and are standing in the doorway. “Thanks Hotch.”

[hyelinist]

wasn’t so sure if i should’ve posted my @cmbingo board, but now i’m just gonna post it here!

[marvelfanlife]

Thanks for participating! Please ask me or @cmbingo any questions you may have.

If any squares don’t work for you, please submit a substitution request (up to 5 squares) by March 1.

Have fun!

I am so excited to write up the squares! I already have a few ideas for the plot for some of these! 

[dontshootmespence]

Yesterday I Was Clever,  Today I Am Wise

Summary: Bogged down by the memories of people hurt and cases unsolved, Spencer turns to dilaudid for a second time, leaving his wife distraught and with no other options than to offer an ultimatum - kick the drugs or lose her. Will he continue his downward spiral and lose it all?

Words: 2,199

Warnings: Drug addiction and withdrawals, marriage problems, suicidal ideations. 

A/N: My next entry for @cmbingo! This fulfills my reassignment square. This is a follow-up to How Did We End Up Here? It was one of my very first pieces and I never intended to do a sequel to it, but once @alisoncdariel went all hyper in my inbox and asked if I’d do a sequel, I checked my Bingo card and I thought this could really work! I hope you enjoy! <3

For weeks after Y/N walked out of the BAU, Spencer floated around the BAU, inhabiting it like a ghost - papers moved, the clacking of keyboard keys could be heard, reports were submitted and cases continued to get solved - but he wasn’t present, not really. 

Everyone knew. If it had gone under the radar at all the first time around, it hadn’t now. 

“Reid, can I see you in my office?” Hotch called, his head poking out from his office.

Spencer glanced up and nodded silently, placing his pen back into the cup that held it before going to see what his boss needed. When he walked in the room, he saw the entire team, minus Rossi, standing there and turned to walk out, but Morgan slammed the door before he could leave, glaring at him to shut up and listen. “We know, kid. We all know.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t bullshit me,” Morgan snapped. His heart broke for his little brother, but it had to be done. “You’re not the only smart one here.”

Reluctantly, Spencer sat in the chair in front of Hotch’s desk and listened as they all cried. “You need help, Spence,” JJ said, sniffling. “You can’t keep going like this.”

“I’m fine. I can still do my job. I function.”

Hotch glared so hard Spencer could practically feel the holes being bored into his skull. “Barely. This isn’t an intervention, Reid. It’s an ultimatum.”

That caught his attention. “What are you talking about?”

“Either get help and get off the drugs or lose your job. We will be for you every step of the way if you need us and want our help, but I cannot let this go on.  I failed you once before. Not again.”

Vibrating with anger, Spencer stood up and felt the pull again, wanting nothing more than to bolt toward the door, drive home and shoot up until he couldn’t feel anymore. “So my wife leaves me, I have nothing and you threaten to take away the one thing that helps me live? Breathe? Forget all the bullshit we see? Fuck you all.”

He turned to leave and was stopped in his tracks when Hotch told him where Rossi was. “He’s in your apartment right now searching every nook and cranny of your apartment with other members of the Bureau that have been sworn to secrecy as a favor to me. There will be nothing there when you get back and whether you want our help or not one of us will be keeping you under surveillance at all times over the next couple of weeks.”

Spencer didn’t reply. He barely moved a muscle before looking toward Morgan, who still stood in front of the door. “Move.”

Grabbing his messenger bag on the way out of the office, Spencer sped into the elevator without another word. Maybe if he was lucky withdrawal symptoms would take him in the middle of the night.

                                                             ------

Walking out on Spencer had been the hardest thing you’d ever done, but something needed to change and he needed to be the one to change it; you couldn’t do it for him.

Some days you could go to and from work like any other day, acting as though you weren’t missing the love of your life with every fiber of your being, but other days the pain became unbearable. You should’ve come home and gotten a head start on the next day’s work, but instead you cried yourself to sleep, waking up hours later to the vibrating of your cellphone underneath your pillow.

“Hello?” You asked, voice croaking. 

You hadn’t even opened your eyes to see who was calling and then you heard his voice - raw and wounded. “Y/N? Please, I-”

“Spence, I can’t,” you replied, heart sinking into your chest like a black hole. “Things can’t go on like this. I have to go, I-”

“Please!?” He begged into the phone. “I’m not asking you to come back to me. Not yet anyway. I’m-” His voice cut off and you heard him stifle a grunt of pain. “The team raided my apartment. They took everything I had and it’s been 26 hours. The pain is-” Each word he spoke wavered more and more, pain overtaking his body until you heard him collapse to the floor of the home you’d once shared. “I just need to see you...until the pain subsides. Please...I know what I’ve put you through and that I don’t deserve this, but I need you.”

“I won’t bring you drugs.”

“I’m not asking you too. Just, please.” Maybe this was the kick in the ass he’d needed. But you weren’t going to get too hopeful just yet.

“I’ll be right there.”

Morgan had been sitting in his car watching Spencer’s apartment to make sure he didn’t try and go out to buy any replacement drugs. With a silent thank you, you rushed up the stairs and opened the door to see your apartment destroyed. Somehow, his drugs had gone missing. Once this was over you’d ask him what happened, but he’d come home to look for his secret stashes and found nothing. 

You found him in the bathtub fully clothed under ice cold water. “Spence...”

Crouching down, you pressed a hand to the side of his face and he opened his eyes. “Y/N...thank you.”

There wasn't much you could do for him. Apparently, he’d been using again for a while at an even higher dose than he’d used before. The drugs had to work their way out of his system. 

You called into work and took off claiming a family emergency. For the next six days, you cleaned his sweat-soaked laundry, prepared cold compresses, cooked whatever food he could eat and held him as the shakes took over. 

When he could speak without searing pain, he attempted to apologize, to beg you to come back, but it wasn’t that easy. He’d kicked the drugs for the second time and that was a start, but they weren’t the main problem. “It’s what lead you to take the drugs, Spence. Our lack of communication. The pain you see firsthand every day. Your inability to let me be my own person and make my own choices to bear those burdens with you. I’m not saying our marriage isn’t able to be saved. I still love you to the moon and back, but our relationship needs more than just a bandaid.”

Solemnly, he nodded, fresh tears falling from his lashes like stars in the sky. “I understand. But-but we can still try, right? As long as I’m willing to put in the work?”

“Absolutely. I’m willing if you are.”

                                                            ------

In the ensuing weeks, Spencer had to earn back Y/N’s trust little by little. As much as he hated to admit that the drugs had wormed their way back into his life for a second time, they had, and they weren’t responsible for his downward spiral - at least not wholly. 

Day after day, he went to NA meetings, vowing to go to at least one a week for the rest of his life no matter how clean he felt. It was a promise to no one but himself. With each passing day, he got stronger and stronger, feeling mentally and physically better than he had in years. 

“How are you feeling today?” Y/N asked, pressing a kiss to his lips as he walked in the door. They still weren’t living together again yet. They’d been apart for three months, but they talked or visited at least once a day and things finally felt like they were on the upswing again. “Better and better. Therapy is helping too.”

“I knew it would,” she whispered, blissfully resting her head against his chest. “We can start going as a couple too if that helps.”

Hesitating, Spencer kissed the top of her head. “Possibly yeah. I actually wanted to discuss what we’ve been talking about for the past few weeks.”

“Okay...” she said with a hint of uncertainty. “You sure?”

“Yes. Um, I told him that I didn’t want to burden you with what I see every day because it’s so personal and up close, and he understood that. With what we see every day, to pass that onto someone else almost feels negligent-”

“Spence, you have to-”

“Let me finish,” he pleaded. “I realize that I need to talk about these things with you and going forward, when things come back to me and I feel like I can’t handle them I’ll do that, but that doesn’t mean I need continue doing what I do.”

Eyes widening, Y/N leaned back against the kitchen counter. “You want to quit the BAU?”

“I don’t want to. I love making a different and I love the people I work with, but I can’t do it anymore and I think it’s okay for me to admit that. I was actually talking with him about reassignment within the Bureau - something that still made me feel like I’m helping people without being so ‘on the front lines’ so to speak. Maybe counterintelligence or counter terrorism, utilizing my profiling to go over reports and decipher where and when and how attacks might take place. It would be less fieldwork, which means I’d be further removed from the horror of it all, you know? Plus I’d be home more. We could start the family we always wanted and if I really wanted to I could consult for the BAU on occasion.”

It all made sense and she loved the idea of him being home. Before his downward spiral, they’d dreamt of starting a family, but she had to make sure. “You’ve been doing this for so long. It’s been a part of who you are. If you stop, do you think you could come to resent me? Like I made you choose between me and the BAU?”

“You didn’t. You aren’t. I love what I do, but I love you more. And my time at the BAU would still be an integral part of who I am. I’d just be allowing myself to grow, while taking care of myself and ensuring that I never leave you with the images running around in my head.”

With a subtle smile, Y/N tilted her head up and kissed Spencer’s chin. He sounded confident. He sounded like he knew what he wanted and how to get there. He was so much more comfortable in his own skin now. “If you think this is what’s best for you and our relationship, then I’m with you. I still think we should go to some couple’s therapy though. While you adjust to whatever new position you have?”

“That makes sense. I just know I need a change. Not because I don’t like what I do but because I need to take care of myself and it’s too much for me now. It reminds me of a quote for the 13th-century Persian poet, Rumi.”

Y/N giggled softly into his chest. In his downward spiral, he’d lost his love of info-dumping, which was one of the things she’d always loved about him. “What is it?”

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

                                                           ------

Shortly after they spoke about reassignment, Spencer went over his options with Hotch and the rest of the team, who were all totally on board with his decision so long as they got together once a week for dinner. “And you text me at least three times a week, Boy Wonder,” Penelope had added.

Counterterrorism was more than happy to take him on; his reputation preceded him. Analyzing reports had him doing a lot of what he had been doing with the BAU, just more removed from the field than his former work. There was a slightly different kind of pressure on him - the lives of thousands or millions on his mind rather than one - but it didn’t affect him as much as working with individuals had. 

While he adjusted to his new position, he and Y/N attended therapy once a week to discuss old traumas he’d endured and how they could both handle it going forward.

Reassignment wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right one.

“Hey, baby,” Y/N greeted as Spencer walked in the door just in time for dinner. With his new job, came a tighter schedule. He was home for dinner nearly every night. “How was work?”

“Still getting used to things, but my brain is still working and I’m still helping people, so I feel okay. I just have to get used to not working with my friends every day more than anything.”

“That’ll come with time,” she replied. “Maybe we can have them over for dinner next week as long as they don’t have a case?”

“I’d love that.” Spencer crossed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and taking a moment to appreciate the smell of her shampoo and the softness of her skin. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not giving up on me, on us.”

[criminallyfanatic]

Worried

this is my first fic for the cmbingo, it’s set during and after minimal loss (4.3), where the reader is in a secret relationship with Emily (because I love a secret relationship) and they are super worried about her and then after they don't want to stop staring at her when in bed cause their worried :) 

Emily Prentiss x reader 

warnings: mentions of violence and bruising, mild swearing but nothing too major I don't think

square filled: injury 

The purple bruises blossomed on her face, it could almost be considered poetic, if you weren't so damn worried. You traced them with your eyes, afraid to close them, as if something bad would happen if you did. You studied her breathing, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, it lulled you to see her so at peace, but you couldn't put to rest that nagging fear.

Your mind slipped back to when she was first taken. You were so wracked with fear you felt like you could barely move, let alone think straight. The team didn't know about your relationship, except for Hotch. He had pulled you aside, warned you to keep as much distance as possible, before looking at you with a saddened look in his eyes.

“You know, staring is considered rude by most people” her voice pulled you from your thoughts back to the present. Her eyes remained closed, but a smirk began to tug at her lips, relieving your fears slightly.

“You should be asleep” you whispered, moving slightly closer. 

“So should you” she said, finally opening her eyes. You stared deeply into them, the concern evident on your face. 

“I’m just … worried is all,” she didn't speak, only stared back with the same intensity, “I was so scared.” you could feel your eyes begin to well with tears, the floods threatening to break. you felt ridiculous. She was the one who was taken hostage, beaten. She should be the one crying, and yet you were the one who couldn't hold it together. 

“Hey, hey,” her hand came out from the covers to rest on your cheek, her thumb lightly stroking, soothing, “It’s ok. I’m ok.” She leant forward, slowly pressing her lips against yours, her body gently curling into you. Her warmth calmed you, reassured you that she was ok. It was going to be ok. 

She pulled away, but only just to where your noses were touching. “You know, there is one positive to come out of all of this.”

“Yeah,” you tilted your head to the side, eyebrows furrowed, “and what’s that?” 

“Well, after your little stunt, I’m pretty sure we don't have to keep us a secret from the team anymore 

Hotch had insisted you stay at the van with JJ. You paced so much you had practically made a trench in the ground. You didn't stop until you heard the low rumble of the convoy. Spinning round, you saw Emily and Spencer climbing from the cars and you raced forward, not caring about secrets or façade’s. 

Once you reached the cars you pulled her into you, wanting to feel her in your arms, know she was safe, alive. You feel the stares of the team not far from where you stood, but you couldn't care less, you just had to know she was ok. 

“Looks like someone was worried.” Morgan said to the gathered team, which now included JJ, who had come to check on Spencer. 

“We got hurt too, why don't we get hugs?” Spencer questioned, confused. He never did quite know how to read people.

“I’m not so sure that's a friendly hug, Spence.” JJ said, confirmed by the frantic kiss the two of you now shared, a few feet away. The team shared a collective hum and nod, many things now making sense, before dispersing in different directions, to give you some semblance of privacy. 

@cmbingo

[heycasbutt]

The Best Life

A/N: 5th entry for @cmbingo and this one fills my Future Fic square.

This is also smut adjacent, so again, if that offends you, you can totally skip this one and there will be no hard feelings!

March 14th had been a day nearly 4 years in the making. It was the day you were going to marry your best friend, the love of your life, and the father of your unborn child-Spencer Reid. The two of you hadn’t planned on getting married so soon but when you found out in late December that you were 3 weeks pregnant, Spencer insisted you get married. Not just because you were pregnant but because he loved you, and after talking it over, neither of you wanted to wait. You had been engaged for 2 years and were planning on a July wedding. But here you were, 15 weeks pregnant marrying Spencer Reid. 

“I look like a damn whale!” You whined for the 10th time in as many minutes that morning. 

“You look beautiful sweetheart,” Your mother smiled and secured a delicate necklace around your neck. Your hands came to rest over the lace material of your dress, softly caressing the small bump. 

“I told Spencer we should have just eloped at a courthouse and washed it all down with a can of Coke,” You smiled softly and laughed. The idea came up one night when you had gotten sick of wedding planning. You were sprawled on the couch, magazines scattered around you and Spencer was across the room, reading a book, sipping a can of Coke. 

***

“Why don’t we just elope and wash it down with some pizza and Coke?” You had questioned. 

Spencer raised an eyebrow at you, “You feel like that now but you and I know you’ll regret it later. And besides, Penelope would kill us if we eloped and she didn’t get to help plan our big day!”

“You might be right but I’m sick of planning our wedding,” You whined, crossing the living room and plopping down on Spencer’s lap. His hand came to rub your belly, his lips finding their way to yours, kissing you softly. 

“Tell you what, we have a big wedding but our reception will be filled with all the pizza and soda your little heart can handle,” Spencer kissed your cheek as you nodded in reluctant agreement. 

****

“You know you would regret not having this day if you’d done that,” Your mother echoed the words your fiancé had muttered just a few weeks prior. 

“I know. I know,” You smiled as you touched the delicate necklace around your neck. A gift from Spencer left in your hotel room this morning. The two of you had compromised and settled on a small wedding, at a barn in the country, just the BAU, Spencer’s mother and your parents. A dinner afterwards, and of course, dancing. 

“You just about ready princess?” Your dad walked into the room as you turned around. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes filled with tears. “Oh my God. My little angel. She’s actually getting married,” He hugged you softly and kissed your forehead. 

“Let’s do this, dad,” You smiled through your own tears and took his arm, kissing him on the cheek. 

It was a beautiful ceremony; intimate, and perfect, exactly what you had envisioned. Even Hotch blinked away a few tears while you and Spencer read your vows. Spencer’s vows of course included a statistic about how quickly the average human falls in love. You smiled through your tears again as you slid the gold band on Spencer’s finger and made him yours. Spencer joked that you were going to be dehydrated with all this crying. You smiled and told him to shut up before placing a searing kiss on his mouth.

Dinner was filled with toasts, wishing you and Spencer only the best in life. You had a permanent smile plastered to your face as you gently squeezed Spencer’s hand under the table. 

“I knew from the moment I met you I was going to marry you,” Spencer started “I knew because you were the only girl in the entire FBI that I knew had a TARDIS keychain on your work keys. You also always seemed to have a classic novel on your person. I knew because I watched in horror as you emptied the entire container of sugar into your coffee cup, now the two of us are going to have rotted teeth before we’re 40 with all this sugar. I thought that I couldn’t have been happier than I was the day you agreed to marry me. But when you told me you were pregnant with my baby, our child? That was the happiest day of my life, and then today, when you became mine for the rest of forever, I could hardly contain the joy I felt. I love you Y/N. Here’s to a long and happy life together. The three of us,” Spencer smiled and raised his glass, the room imitated the gesture and you wiped away yet another bout of tears as your husband sat down next to you. 

“I love you,” You whispered and kissed him gently. Spencer’s fingers laced their way through yours and he squeezed your hand gently. Spencer brought your hand to his mouth and kissed it gently.

“I love you most, my love,” Spencer whispered.

Before long, the two of you were heading to the dance floor, Penelope insisted that the one thing you keep was the first dance. 

Spencer pulled you close, his arm wrapping around your waist, your hand melding perfectly to his. Your free hand came to rest on the back of his neck, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“You know, I kind of like you in a tuxedo, Dr. Reid.” You whispered and kissed Spencer. He smiled against your lips and chuckled softly. 

“Well, I kind of like you in a wedding dress, Mrs. Reid,” Spencer smiled and pulled you closer.

“I look like a great white whale,” You groaned softly and looked down at the small bump separating the two of you. 

“Well, I think you look absolutely gorgeous, my beautiful wife.” Spencer smiled and spun you once more as the song ended. 

“Oh you two!!!” Penelope gushed as she ran over and pulled the two of you in for a hug. “My babies are married! My babies are having a baby! I get to be the godmother, right?” 

“We’ll see Pen,” You smiled and slid an arm around Spencer’s waist. 

“Of course you will be,” Spencer countered and kissed your head. “Now, I believe it’s time for the Mrs. and I to go consummate this Union,” Spencer said with a laugh as he pulled you towards the door. 

“You’re so inappropriate, Spence,” You laughed as he gave you one last kiss in front of the guests before opening the car door. 

***

You had been standing in front of the bathroom mirror of the hotel for 20 minutes. Trying to convince yourself you looked mildly sexy in the white negligee and matching thong you’d bought for that night. You looked at all the bumps and dips in your body and wondered why Spencer wanted you, what he saw in you. 

“You doing okay in there baby?” Spencer called from the bed. His bow tie was undone and hanging around his neck as he fiddled with the cuff links on his shirt. The top two buttons on his shirt were undone, finally allowing him to breathe. 

You took a deep breath, smoothed out the feather edged chiffon and opened the door. You shyly stepped into the bedroom, not wanting to make eye contact with Spencer. Surely he saw how disgusting a pregnant woman looked in lingerie. 

“Oh my God. You look like an angel,” Spencer whispered incredulously. Reaching out to pull you close, he ran his hands up your belly to your lace enclosed breasts. The fabric parted slightly as Spencer began to kiss up your body, following the path his hands took. 

Spencer stood up, bending slightly at the knees he picked you up and you eagerly wrapped your legs around his waist. His face buried in your cleavage as he licked, nipped, and sucked at the tender flesh. 

“Oh God Spence!” You moaned breathlessly as you tangled your fingers in his hair. He grunted softly in approval and roughly kneaded your hips. 

“You’re so sexy, you know that right?” Spencer growled low in your ear as he slid a hand down your lace panties, sliding one long finger in your waiting heat. 

You moaned in approval and tugged a little harder on his fawn colored locks. Causing a grunt to slip through his plump lips. 

“S-Spence, Oh Spence!” His name slipped through your lips like a prayer begging to be answered. Only this time, he was the answer. 

Spencer kissed slowly up your body, capturing your lips in a deep kiss before he whispered in your ear, “I can’t wait to feel this glorious pussy wrapped around my cock.”

You groaned softly, hands trailing down his chest to his belt, your fingers worked under the leather to quickly free him from his cotton confinement. 

“I love you,” Spencer whispered against your neck, grunting softly as your hand danced along his length. 

“Wanna show me how much you love me?” You giggled, discarding your panties and wrapping your legs around his waist. 

“Abso-fucking-lutely” He growled in your ear before taking your lips in a searing kiss. 

Married life was the best life. 

[cmbingo]

Welcome to Trope Bingo!

We, your dubious admins, are here to invite you to participate in a Fan Creation Event! We have been inspired and want to bring more love into the Criminal Minds Fandom!

What: A Prompt Game

Where: Tumblr Only (it’s easier this way, I swear)

How:

By filling out a little entry form to receive your 2019 CM Trope Bingo Card.

Taking the prompts and creating something (Visuals/ Fanfiction) for the squares.

Each Square will get you 10 profiles (points).

Each Bingo Complete will earn you an extra 25 profiles. (4 corners count)

Free Space can be left blank or you can fill it for an extra 15 profiles.

Fill your board and get the max points. I don’t know what that is right now, because I’m not Reid.

Specifics:

We will give you your Bingo Card through submissions, if you absolutely hate some of the squares you got, we will switch out up to 5, but only ONCE.

Fanfics must be a minimum of 300 words. No max! Go crazy! Imagine, oneshot, mini series, 100K+ fic! Just please use the keep reading feature for anything over 500 words.

For fanfiction, please tell us what square is being filled and a general summary for your story. 

Only one prompt can be used per square! Obviously, you may use the idea of two or three prompts within one fic, but each fic counts for one square.

In regards to fanfic, you can go angst, smut, crack, fluff, whatever you like. However, if you want to write smut, you must be over 18 and your mods will be checking. If your age isn’t listed on your page, we will not accept any smut fics from you. This is for our protection as well as yours.

Visuals must contain at least 3 elements. Ex: 2 images and a lyric or 3 gifs with a running theme. 

You must tag us! @cmbingo and use the hashtag ‘cmbingo19′

Registration ends: March 1, 2019

Submissions, Masterlist and Filled out Bingo Cards must be posted by December 23, 2019. Anything posted after that will not be reblogged by us.

Have any questions? Come ask us! We don’t bite :D

Example Card:

[rt8815]

Galentine’s Day

A very belated @cmbingo entry. Galentine’s Day stuff happens but it’s not the main/sole focus. This piece will be followed up by another CM Bingo story.

WC: 1,021

TW: The first half is naughty and suggestive? 😆

—

“Speeencer,” McKinley called softly as she stepped into her bedroom, coffee in hand. She chuckled at the sight of her boyfriend curled under the covers.

“I know you’re not asleep, you goof,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I heard you brushing your teeth not five minutes ago.”

He turned around, his back to McKinley, and snored dramatically.

“You still have toothpaste on your lips!”

Spencer inched his hand out from under the sheets and crooked his finger at her.

“Then come clean me up like you did last night,” he mumbled drowsily.

“Excuse me?” McKinley exclaimed, plunking the coffee onto the nightstand.

“You heard what I sa- gah!” Spencer cried in protest. She had yanked the sheets away from him, leaving him exposed to the cool air.

He rolled onto his back. “That’s just mean.”

McKinley leaned over him, shaking a finger in his face.

“I am a lady, and I will not be spoken to in a caddish manner,” she scolded.

Spencer reached up for a kiss – Yum, peppermint – eliciting a soft “Eek!” from McKinley when he pulled her down onto the bed.

“All I wanted was to spend a little time with you before heading out for Galentine’s with the ladies.”

“Isn’t that a day for single women?”

“Specifically, yes, but generally speaking it’s a day to enjoy time with girl friends. Emily’s dating, but she’ll be there too.”

“I don’t want you to go,” he whined, pressing another kiss to her lips.

“Well I can’t back out now, it’d be rude! Penny’s been planning this for weeks.”

Spencer flipped her over so she was beneath him. “You sure I can’t persuade you to stay?” he asked, nuzzling his face into McKinley’s neck, making it impossible for her to concentrate. Cheeky devil knew she was powerless against the beard.

“Again, I can’t…What’s-Her-Name would be upset!”

Spencer crawled down the bed to use her belly as a pillow. “You could tell them you have a headache,” he suggested, nudging her shirt up with his chin.

“Are you asking – that tickles! – are you asking me to lie to our friends so we can have sexy times?” she asked, ruffling his hair.

“I’m begging you to,” he pouted.

McKinley shook her head. “Spencer Dylan Reid, I am very disappointed in you!”

“Oooh, middle name. I am in trouble,” he snickered, continuing to tickle her with his scruff.

“Have you no shame, sir?”

“Not at the moment, no,” he answered, flashing his soft brown eyes at her.

She nearly lost it right then and there. “Stop it with the eye thing.”

“What eye thing?” he smirked. “Oof!”

McKinley had thumped a pillow upside his head.

“Seriously, I need to leave in an hour,” she giggled.

“Oh, good, we have plenty of time then,” he muttered, playing with the waistband of her pajama pants.

…

McKinley was only 15 minutes late, which was impressive, considering she’d had to shower again. She rushed into the café, unwinding her scarf as she slid into the booth where Emily, Tara, and Penelope sat waiting.

“Sorry, I slept through my alarm,” McKinley apologized. “Thanks for ordering my panini.”

Emily pushed the plate across the table, eyeing her strangely. “No problem.”

Swallowing a bite, McKinley glanced around the café. “Oh, yeah. JJ’s relaxing at home with Will, right?”

“No, Will’s working today. She got stuck in traffic after dropping off the boys at school.”

“Damn,” thought McKinley. “I didn’t expect her to hang around me after the L.A. incident. This is gonna be awkward.”

“Good,” McKinley nodded, her voice slightly pitchy. “She can take a day for herself, turn off agent mode.” And Mom. And wife…

“Anyway, you seem well-rested,” Emily commented.

“Yeah, I guess I needed that extra hour,” McKinley shrugged.

Emily grinned. “Is that extra hour why you’ve got a sway in your step and a hickey on your neck?”

“Shit.”

“What?! Oh em gee, since when?” Penny squealed.

“Yes, when exactly?” Tara added. “It’s important for the over-under.”

McKinley glared at them. “You’re terrible people, and y’all just gonna have to get your money back, because I ain’t tellin’.”

“Awww, c'mon,” Penny pleaded, her pouty face impossible to deny. “How about one juicy-but-not-in-a-dirty-way detail. Please?”

McKinley relented. “Spencer uses my ticklishness to his full advantage. There, are you satisfied?”

“Very,” Penny squeaked gleefully.

Emily squinted her eyes in thought. “So that’s why he’s been growing out his beard.”

They all broke into the naughtiest smiles, silently asking McKinley the same question.

Head in her hands, she confirmed their suspicions. “Yes, when I say his full advantage, I mean his full advantage…including what you’re thinking of right now.”

…

Penelope sure knew how to pack all the fun into a single day. They walked what felt like the whole city, overindulged at a wine tasting, took in a movie, and embraced the “shop ‘til you drop” mantra.

Being with a group took the pressure off of having to chat with JJ, who stuck to Emily’s side. Really the only awkward moment was Penelope insisting that McKinley get lingerie, even offering to pay for it herself. She agreed so JJ didn’t have to give Penelope her input like Emily and Tara.

They now sat in Emily’s living room, the conversation easy and free, letting McKinley’s mind wander.

“Ley, what’re you thinking about so hard?” Emily asked.

“How I’ve never had gal pals before,” McKinley replied, enough alcohol in her to open up. “I’m so grateful you’re my friends.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

“I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened if I’d stayed in London instead of coming to D.C., but I don’t let myself dwell on ‘what ifs.’ Things are what they are, and now I can’t imagine life without you all…or Spencer.”

There was a chorus of ‘awwws’ from the ladies, except for JJ, who walked away to grab more drinks and snacks.

“Girl, you. are. blushing,” Penny teased.

“It’s the wine,” McKinley snorted. “Let’s just watch some stupid rom-coms and play board games.”

All things considered, the day had gone surprisingly well.

She should’ve left it at that.

—

@cynbx Sorry I keep forgetting to tag you! Shame on me!