#corpse x reader fluff

[satellitespinner]

corpse bride au ellie williams anyone?

[bosinclairsgff]

Lady Slashers Meeting their girlfriend

Includes: Baby Firefly, Amanda Young, Amber Freeman

Warnings: saw trap, hinting at kidnap

A/n I have the biggest crush on Baby

- You met Baby when you were hitchhiking through Texas. You had been trying to make your way home to whatever state you live in and somehow found yourself standing next to Baby. “Hey there! Where ya heading?” She giggles. “Just trying to make it home to (your state).” You respond. After you guys make conversation, she realizes she’s taken a liking to you. She invites you over for the night. You accept and when a car pulls up to give you a ride you both get in together.

- When you make it to her house she offers you a cup of hot chocolate, which you accept happily. Baby sits next to you on the couch in the living room and turns on the TV. You aren’t really paying attention to the movie playing. Your more interested in how cool her house is. It’s like a museum of oddities and curiosity! “I love your house Baby, it’s truly amazing.” You say looking at her. Her eyes light up! “Thank you sugar, that’s so sweet.” She smiles.

- After an hour or so you guys decide to head to bed. Baby insists you sleep in her room with her. Which you absolutely don’t mind. Her room is just as eccentric as the rest of the house. You can tell she really loves baby dolls. “Ready for bed sugar? I got extra blankets just in case ya got cold.” Baby says. You nod and thank her. “Which side of the bed do you want?” You ask. She laughs at this question. “I don’t care honey. I’ll sleep anywhere as long as I’m sleeping with you.” She smirks playfully. You can feel your face heating up. Baby slips under the covers on the left side of the bed as you take the right. You both stay silent for a few minutes but baby takes the roll in ruining said silence. “Ya know…we could cuddle if ya like to.” She turns to face you. You guys are inches away from each other, you can feel her breath on your face. She smells like liquor and hot chocolate. A mixture you normally wouldn’t like, but coming from her you don’t mind. “Okay..I wouldn’t mind that.” You can feel yourself turning a bright red. She slips her hand over your waist and pulls you towards her. Baby let’s out a soft sigh as she closes her eyes to fall asleep. As she falls asleep first you follow shortly after.

- The next day you guys get to know each other better. Learning all her likes a dislikes, meeting her brothers and her mama. You and mama get along very well. You stay with the family for a few days really feeling at home and at peace with Baby. However, all good things must come to an end. “I really should get back home Baby.” You say softly one day as you girls are laying in bed. She sits up immediately. “What! Why? I thought ya liked it here sweetheart.” She pouts. “I want to stay but what about my life and my responsibilities?” You tell her as you rub small circles on her hand. Baby thinks for a moment about what to say. “You can make a life here. I’m not letting you leave me. I want to be with you and I know you want to be with me.” She says in almost a dark tone. You had to be honest with yourself, it scared you seeing her like this but also made you feel safe knowing how much she cherishes you. “Well I suppose if you won’t let me leave I’m stuck here, with you…which isn’t so bad I guess.” You smile. Baby’s whole demeanor changes, she’s full of happiness and love again. Without much warning she leans in and kisses your lips. You of course accept the kiss graciously, kissing her back.

- After a month of living with the family you and Baby officially started dating. By this time you had found out their dirty little secrets. You couldn’t do much about it, yes you loved Baby but she did tell you that you couldn’t leave her.

- You had seen on the news about how there was a serial killer on the loose called Jigsaw. You were never to worried you’d run into him, I mean you were a nobody really. All you did was go to work and come home, on the rare occasion you’d go out with a few girlfriends but never often. That’s actually how all this started, you had just started walking home from the bar when someone in a pig mask came out of nowhere, stabbing you in the neck with something. After that assault you quickly started to get drowsy, within seconds you were fast asleep. When you awoke you found yourself bond to a chair, as your hands had been duct taped to the arms. On your head was a metal contraption. When you started to panic a TV in the corner turned on only to show a puppet. This puppet explained that he simply wanted to “play” a game. You have 60 seconds to free yourself from the reverse bear trap, as he called it, or it would permanently open your jaw. As in your head would be torn apart. To escape this trap you had to remove the key to the lock keeping it on you from a man’s stomach. Before you could truly take all of this in the TV cut off leaving you to start your game. As soon as you escaped the chair a timer started. You frantically tried the get the bear trap off without a key, it wouldn’t budge. You knew what you had to do. When you had finished getting the key and getting the trap off just in time, you passed out. Awaking to the fluorescent lights of a hospital room.

- Yes, you had survived the trap but you had been absolutely terrified of everything since that day. You were more great full for life, sure, you still always looked behind your shoulder and locked every door you entered. After a month or so you slowly started getting back into the groove of things. Which must be some cruel joke the universe was playing on you because as soon as things started to seem okay, you meet John. Who, as you came to know was behind the traps and murders. Though, he claims he never murdered anyone. John wanted you to help him with his work, make the traps, kidnap the people. You of course wanted absolutely nothing to do with that. You weren’t a psychopath who enjoyed hurting people. You loved people. However you didn’t have much of a choice.

- You had joined Johns team of apprentices, which is where you met her. Amanda Young. At first she really didn’t seem to like you all that much. She’d do anything in her power to absolutely avoid you. At first you took it personally but then you saw how she treated Mark. In that case you were thankful for how she treated you. Slowly you started to get her to open up. Saying hi to her when you would come in to work on traps or clean up the warehouse. Grabbing her a coffee when you got one for yourself. Eventually you two started to hangout even outside of working for John.

- After a while of constantly spending time with her you realized how much you liked her. You started to wonder if, maybe, she felt the same towards you. That’s when you decided to ask her one night. You guys normally hung out at your apartment, watching movies and eating unhealthy snacks. You let her choose the movie. As you guys were sitting on the couch, laying on opposite sides. You sat up, paused the movie and looked at her. “Mandy, I have something to tell you and ask you.” You state while looking down at your hands. What’s wrong? Did something happen!?” She questions with a worried expression. “What..no everything is fine don’t worry. I just. I wanted to tell you that, I have serious feelings for you and I was wondering if maybe you spelt the same.” You look up at her with a red face. For a moment she stays silent, which you internally start panic. “I-it’s okay! Let’s just forget I said anything.” You reach for the TV remote with was laying close to her. You lean over to get it and she grabs your face planting a kiss directly on your soft lips. Of course your taken completely off guard, not in a bad way though. After a second of pure bliss she ends the kiss. “I have feelings for you too y/n I was just scared I’d lose you if I said anything.” Amanda says shyly.

- You two officially started dating that night.

Amber Freeman

- You had just moved to Woodsboro, and were very nervous starting at a new high school. Yeah, you were a senior but it was still scary. The first day you started you bumped into a girl named Amber, at first you thought she may yell at you as she looked so intimidating. Yet all she did was smile and tell you it’s not a problem. In your last class of the day you saw a familiar face upon the unfamiliar setting. It was Amber sitting alone in the back of the class. You made your way to her and asked if you might sit next to her. She happily made space for you. Over the next month you two become good friends. Exchanging numbers as to keep contact even outside of the class. She texted you good morning and goodnight everyday. Amber made you feel wanted and safe, no one would fuck with her or you. Even her friend group liked you.

- You guys would usually hangout all together as a group but there were times when she just wanted to be alone with you. She’d treat you to a horror movie or sneak over late at night. Amber just loved alone time with you, where she knew you were completely hers. You started to notice little hints that she liked you. Such as when she’d hold your hand when you guys watch scary movies, or how she got very jealous whenever you talked to other girls. There are even times where she’d rest her hand on your leg while you guys ate lunch in the cafeteria.

- One night at a party you both had been glued to each other all night. You found yourself cuddling with her on the couch and watching whatever was on TV. She was sitting up, you were in her lap and she was playing with your hair. You can’t remember the last time you felt this happy. After a while of this she suddenly stopped and told you to look at her. Confused, you did as she said. Sitting up you looked at her with tired eyes. “Is everything okay?” You questioned. She’s nods in response. “There’s something I need to ask you y/n, I’ve been thinking about it for a few weeks.” Amber says looking into your eyes. “What is it? You can ask me anything.” You say. She stays silent for a moment, thinking. “I want you to be my girlfriend. I really, really like you and I want you to be mind.” She says while looking down. You can’t believe what you just heard. You almost don’t at first thinking maybe you did fall asleep and this is a dream. “Of course I’ll be your girlfriend!” You softly yell. Her whole face lights up and she smiles. Leaning in you kiss her on the lips softly while cupping her face with your hands.

[bones-of-a-rabbit]

pov ur abt to b kisst by a shy lord/prince who is so so so extremely smitten with u

[lunardragon00]

OT8 Halloween Fics

— featuring OT8 in some of my favorite Halloween/Halloween-esce movies — From Tim Burton's Corpse Bride to Neil Jordan's Interview with a Vampire more information below....

let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist

[minkyungseokie]

Influencers

All my favorite YouTube and TikTok influencers that are rarely written about!

Arthurtv

Arthur Frederick, better known online as Arthur TV, is a Jersey commentary YouTuber known for his entertaining commentary and calm.

Wroetoshaw

Harold "Harry" Christopher George Lewis better known online as W2S (short for Wroetoshaw), is a Guernsey-British YouTuber known for his FIFA Draft and Pack videos. He is also widely known for his real-life challenges with his family and friends. Harry is one of the seven members of the Sidemen.

TBJZL

Tobit John "Tobi" Brown better known online as TBJZL (short for Tobjizzle), is an English YouTuber best known for his FIFA gaming videos. He is a member of the Sidemen.

Jake Webber

Jake Webber is an American YouTuber and musician who uploads vlogs, music, and challenge videos. He is also known for his quick-cutting videos. He also has a live channel where he often uploads food videos.

Fundy

Floris Damen better known online as Fundy (also known as ItsFundy and FFundage), is a Dutch YouTuber and Twitch streamer known for his alterations and videos about the game Minecraft.

George Clarkey

George Arthur Clarke better known online as George Clarkey, is an English YouTuber and TikToker, best known for his funny commentary & reaction videos about trending topics. He has co-hosted the popular podcast The Useless Hotline Podcast

ChrisMD

Christopher Michael Dixon better known online as ChrisMD , is a Jersey YouTuber best known for his football challenges and FIFA pack opening videos.,He lives in London, England, United Kingdom.

Corpse Husband

Corpse Husband  also known as CORPSE, is an American YouTuber and musician from San Diego, California, United States. He is best known for his deep, distinguishable voice and playing Among Us with other YouTubers and Twitch streamers, along with his horror narrations.

Disguised Toast

Jeremy Wang better known online as Disguised Toast (or simply Toast), is an Taiwanese-born Canadian gaming YouTuber and Twitch streamer who mainly makes content around League of Legends and Among Us on both platforms.

Sykkuno

Thomas  better known online as Sykkuno is an American YouTuber, live streamer, and former Twitch streamer who is mainly known for his gaming content.

The Eret

Alastair better known online as Eret (also known as TheEret), is an English gaming YouTuber known for playing Minecraft on YouTube and Twitch.

Spifey

George "Geo" Anderson better known online as Spifey, is an English Minecraft gaming YouTube channel that shows off older versions of the game. Some of the content on Spifey's channel include listening to certain annoying songs to win money for a long period of time with users of Minecraft on the servers and trolling his friends with cursed Minecraft mods

Skeppy

Zak Ahmed better known online as Skeppy, is an American YouTuber known for his Minecraft challenge videos involving numerous contestants and his collaborations with fellow YouTuber BadBoyHalo.

Quackity

Alexis "Alex" Maldonado better known online as Quackity (formerly QuackityHQ), is a Mexican YouTuber and Twitch streamer known for playing the video game Minecraft and his raid videos.

kennysong

Kenny Song is a famous TikTok star, Instagram star, and food influencer from the US. He shares Asian cuisine and simple meal and snack options. He also posts shorts videos alongside his cooking videos

[sheepiemc]

Seven Stupid Reasons to Summon a Demon

Reason #1: lonely

It was a day that started like any other. 

Your alarm went off (like always). 

You got ready for work (like always). 

You commuted (like always). 

You did your job for four hours (like always). 

Then, it was time for lunch. 

Normally, you opt to stay inside “the office” (or wherever it is that you work) and bring something from home to save money. But looking at your lunch — the same thing you eat almost every day — makes you sigh. 

You look out the window to the city down below. It was a gloomy morning, but now that it is midday, the sun is starting to shine through the clouds. A beam of sunlight lands on your skin and you enjoy the warmth. The ring on your finger catches the light and you look down at it. 

How ridiculous would it be to summon a demon to have lunch with you because you don’t want to eat alone? You banish the thought from your mind. You don’t want to disturb the demon you were thinking of; you are certain he has a lot on his plate (like always) and he wouldn’t appreciate being  bothered with something so trivial (like always). 

You sigh and look outside again. Maybe the fresh air will do you some good. You decide to spend your lunch break walking around downtown just because you can. Honestly, you don’t know why you don’t do this more often. You can find a lot of hidden gems this way. 

You wander around aimlessly before you happen upon a record store. It's just a little hole-in-the-wall place, mostly unassuming. When you step in, however, you're greeted by a music-lover's paradise. Multi-colored vinyl records, signed band posters, and album covers decorate the walls. The atmosphere is groovy and retro, speaking to a bygone era of funk and flower power. There’s even a disco ball hanging from the ceiling! You take in the scenery for a moment as you stand in the doorway. 

“‘Sup.” The guy behind the counter greets you without looking up. “If there’s anything you need help with or want to listen to let me know.” You nod, even though he isn’t looking at you, and go to explore the stacks. 

Your fingertips brush past rows and rows of records. You search all your favorite genres, looking out for your favorite bands, and find some gems. You don’t have a lot of money right now, so you can’t go crazy. You twist the ring on your finger as you contemplate what to get.

Actually, now that you think about it…

Maybe you can find something to add to your “special collection”. 

See, you were inspired by a certain demon to develop a “cursed” record collection of your own. Since cursed magical items are hard to come by on earth, whenever you find yourself in a place that sells records, you like to check out the classical music section for albums that feature, or are inspired by the devil. It's something you like to share with him and only him. After shuffling through the stacks, you find something you think will work. You smile impishly to yourself, proud of your new purchase.  

You make it through the rest of the workday thinking about the record. You aren't going to listen to it just yet; you like to share the experience with the devil himself. It's a good excuse to summon him from the Devildom — well, good enough for you anyway. You like to have a few more albums to listen to before you call him, so you don't feel as guilty for asking him to stay a bit longer. 

You take a deep breath when you finally arrive in your quiet room, in your now-still apartment. You place the record on top of the others and take a look around — empty, except for your cat, sleeping peacefully on your bed. You could invite friends over to fill the silence, but your friends are notoriously terrible at last-minute plans. You absentmindedly twist the ring on your finger. 

You need something to fill this oppressive quiet, your fingers itch and ache, you have to DO something. 

You have to play the piano. 

You go out to your living room, where you keep a digital piano. It’s a little fancier than a regular old keyboard but you live in a small apartment and you're not exactly rolling in it so it's the best you can do. 

The room is dark. 

You hate the silence. 

You sit at the bench and flex your fingers, hovering above the black and white keys. No sheet music, right now you just need to play your emotions. You play a low note and listen to it reverberate. 

Then a chord. 

Then another. 

You close your eyes and start improvising a melancholic melody over a haunting chord progression. You are so lost in what you’re creating you don't notice the blue light flooding the dark room. It’s gone almost as soon as it arrived and it brings with it a figure covered in shadow, a figure you also don’t notice. He stands tall in the center of your room, tilting his head to the side as he listens. Once he gathers what happened intuitively, he stands over you, proudly watching you pour your potent emotions into your playing. 

You strike a final chord and exhale loudly, ruminating on the final note. You gasp lightly when a teardrop you didn't notice falls from your face onto the keys. 

You nearly jump out of your skin when another chord is struck up the piano. The shadow figure reveals himself to be the very demon you were thinking about while playing. Lucifer doesn't look at you as he continues to play a lighter melody. Your hands jump away from the keys and press against the rapidly beating heart in your chest.

He continues to play, not yet sitting. His sketch sounds hopeful, almost as if to say, "I'm glad to have you with me again." He sneaks a glance at you and smirks, finally taking a seat on the bench next to you. You just watch him, absolutely mesmerized, still in shock that he's really in front of you. 

He stops playing and looks at the keys closest to you, a signal — it's your turn again. Your melody is more playful than moody this time, there's a lightness now that wasn’t there before. Lucifer responds with something firm and grounded. When it's your turn, you tickle your way closer to his side. He gets lower, too. You scoot closer. From the corner of your eye, you see him smile a little bit wider. In the middle of his turn, you start playing again and together you improvise a beautiful, colorful piece of music together, full of happiness and longing, celebrating each other. 

When you can’t contain your excitement any longer, you interrupt the song and throw your arms around him. The force of you throwing your entire body weight at him only pushes him over slightly — he’s quick to catch you in his arms, twisting his torso to face you. 

“I can’t believe you’re here,” you say into his neck. It comes out as barely a whisper. 

You feel more than hear the chuckle rumble in his chest. “You’re the one who summoned me here.” 

You pull back just enough to look at him. “Would you believe me if I said I didn’t do it on purpose?” 

He looks at the keys on the digital piano. “Something was calling out to me.” 

“I guess I’ve been kinda lonely today… And I was thinking about you… A lot…” 

Lucifer hums contentedly, stern lines on his face smoothing out. Obviously, he likes it when you stroke his ego. 

You roll your eyes playfully and bury your face in his neck again. “I’m sorry for summoning you by accident, I know you're very busy but…” You play with his tie. “Can you stay here a bit, with me?” 

Lucifer sighs softly. You steel yourself for the words you're sure will come out of his mouth, “I can’t” or “Not right now”. 

“MC, I don’t think you realize that I want to see you just as much as, if not more so than, you want to see me.” He traces his finger along your jaw and lifts your chin so that you're looking at him. “If I’ve made you think I feel otherwise, that is my fault and I must apologize.” 

You feel your heart skip a beat when the Avatar of Pride apologizes to you, a lowly human. You’re in such a state of shock, you don’t know what to say so Lucifer continues to fill the silence. “If I had the ability to summon you to my side whenever I wanted, I can’t say I wouldn’t abuse that power greatly.” 

His hand rests at the side of your face, thumb wiping another tear you didn’t even know fell. You got so used to that rowdy house in the Devildom, so full of people and chaos, that coming home to your quiet, little one-bedroom apartment in the human world every day has been wearing you down. More tears start to flow as the weight of your loneliness comes crashing down on you.

You hold him tighter and press your face into his shoulder, hiding in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I’m such a mess,” you say, laughing.  

He chuckles. “Don’t apologize. I appreciate all aspects of you. Even when you are a mess.” 

You sit on the piano bench for what you wish was all eternity but is likely only about 10 minutes before you reluctantly untangle yourself from the demon you unwittingly called to this realm. 

“Well, since you're here…” You stand, pull him from the bench, and lead him to your bedroom… where you keep your records! You present him with the newest addition to your collection with a wide smile. 

He takes it from your hands and looks at the cover thoughtfully. He reads the title out loud, “The Mephisto Waltz & Other 'Satanic' Piano Music Of Franz Liszt - John Ogdon”. 

He looks back at you. “Interesting,” he says in the most uninterested tone. You laugh out loud, you thought he might like that. 

“Well, if you don’t want to listen to it, I can just-” You reach for the record but he pulls it out of your reach. 

“I never said that.” 

He walks over to your record player and carefully sets it up while you sit on the edge of your bed. When the music starts up, you're surprised by how fast-paced it is but you're still into it. Luci looks at your desk chair meaningfully then back at you. You scowl and shake your head slightly, tapping the edge of the bed next to you. He smiles and sits down beside you.

You lean against him, sneakily snaking your arms around his middle, and play with one of his hands. 

You feel him relax, almost imperceptibly, leaning into your touch. He chuckles, and softly says under his breath, “This brings back memories.” 

He closes his eyes and you lift your head to stare at him, left wondering whatever the hell he meant by that. You would ask, but he loves to be intentionally vague whenever you bring up his involvement in the lives of humans from the past. 

"This isn't what I thought this song would be," you quietly admit as you play with his gloved fingers. 

"Oh?" 

"It's called a waltz, so I thought, you know, we would be able to dance to it…"

"You wish to dance with me?" He says in a teasing tone, one that makes your face feel hot. 

"WELL, I JUST THOUGHT-"

"That would be fairly amusing…" He says, almost more to himself than to you.

He uses his free hand to lift your chin up so that you're looking at him. If your face wasn't red before, it definitely is now. 

"It was a silly idea, we don't-" 

"No, no. I believe I would like to dance with you as well." 

His smile is rather wolfish as he stands from your bed and pulls you up along with him. The next song on the record starts and it isn't very apt for a dance, either.

"The music-" You begin to protest before Lucifer snaps his finger and the record begins to glow with a blue light. A record scratch abruptly interrupts the music when Chopin's Waltz in A minor, B. 150 starts to flow through the speaker. 

He pulls your body to the proper position, one hand on your waist, the other cradling yours. Of course, he'll lead. You roll your eyes playfully. 

"Do you remember how to do this?" He asks, amused. 

"Pshh, of course I do," you say right before accidentally stepping on his foot. "Oop, sorry." 

He chuckles. "Follow my lead." 

And you do. You dance around your little room, only stepping on him a few more times before you get the hang of it again. ("It's been a long time, okay??") You twirl and pivot, avoiding tiny obstacles around your room, laughing when you attempt to take the lead by spinning him out and back into your arms. 

He finishes the dance by lifting you by the waist and spinning around. You giggle uncontrollably, feeling lighter than you have in months. When he brings you back down, you lace your hands together behind his neck and put your head on his shoulder. The music shifts to something soft that you can slow dance to. His arms tighten around your waist, holding you close as you sway together. 

“I really needed this,” you say. “I’ve missed you guys so much.”

You feel him stiffen slightly at the remark. You smile to yourself, delighted that something so small could affect him. 

You look up at him, “I’ve missed you most, of course.”

He smiles down at you and the affection you see in his eyes is so genuine, it embarrasses you. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, MC.”

You look down to hide your quickly reddening face. “I wish I could summon you more often but I know you’re very busy. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.”

“Oh, yes,” Lucifer hums, as if he has to think hard about what he was doing before this, “I believe I was in a meeting with Lord Diavolo.”

“Lord Diavolo!?” Your eyes widen with panic. You push yourself away to look him straight in his face, hoping he’s just teasing you. 

His wolfish grin returns as he smooths down a lock of hair that is out of place on your head. “Yes, but it was one of those frivolous meetings he likes to trick me into. ‘Oh, Lucifer, you must try this bottle of Demonus I found in the depths of the labyrinthine cellar.’ Nothing truly important, I promise.”

Relief quickly washes over you and you relax back into his embrace. “So... I get to keep you a little longer?” 

“Tonight?” His hold around you tightens. “You may keep me as long as you wish.”

[a-writer-on-elm-street]

Warm Bodies

pairing: otis x gn!reader

summary: in which you don't want to sleep alone so you find yourself seeking out otis's room in the middle of the night

warnings: mentions of dead bodies, a bit of dry humping

a/n: since this has basically been my bedtime scenario for the last few nights, i figured i'd turn it into a little fic. i feel like otis might be a little bit out of character in it i'm not sure but i hope you enjoy! :)

word count: 763

Your heartbeat was pounding in your ears as you stood outside Otis's door, your fingers curled around the handle. You'd been standing like this for the last five minutes, unsure on whether you wanted to disturb him. You just didn't know what to do.

You'd been lying awake in your make-shift bed downstairs for the past few hours, the same tormenting thoughts circling around your mind. Otis was the only one who could ever shut them up, which was why you'd found yourself creeping up the stairs towards his room.

You took a nervous breath, finally deciding to turn the door knob, the click of the door opening making you flinch.

You quietly stepped into the room, and Otis remained where he was on the bed, unmoving. You almost considered just turning around and walking straight back out the door when he hadn't woken up. But you supposed the worst he could do was kill you, so you might as well see this through.

You carefully reached a hand out, skating your fingers along his forearm.

"Otis," you whispered.

You almost fell backwards when he suddenly jerked up in the bed, his hand roughly catching your wrist as he glared at you in the dark. "What the fuck are you doin' in here?"

"I can't sleep."

"Okay, well let me help you with that. Go back downstairs, lay the fuck down, and close your goddamn eyes."

"You know what? Fuck you." You hissed, shaking your wrist free and turning around, deciding that this whole thing was pointless, considering he was an asshole.

"Alright, wait," he said then, stopping you in your tracks. "Just─get back here."

You did as he said, turning and walking back towards the bed.

"Why can't you sleep?" He sighed.

"I dunno, I guess my mind won't shut the fuck up."

"I know the feelin'," he answered, a breath of laughter leaving his lips. "But what'd you want me to do about it?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Excuse me?" He questioned, his glare only seeming to return now as he remained propped up on his side.

"You know what, never mind. I'll just go back downstairs."

You turned around to leave but you were quickly stopped when you felt his fingers curl around your wrist, pulling you back.

Otis didn't say anything as you stood there staring at him, but he shifted back on the bed slightly, creating a space beside him.

"Well, come on then," he complained. "Don't just fuckin' stand there."

You quickly situated yourself in the space next to him then, a sudden warmth spreading through your chest when you felt his breath on your shoulder.

"You know, you're lucky I've been sleeping alone these past few nights."

"Those girls are no good for you anyway," you scoffed, a tinge of jealousy creeping over you.

"Why the fuck not?"

"Well they ain't breathin' for a start," you told him. "It might do you good to have a warm body in your bed for once."

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

"Well...they can't do this," you spoke softly, as you reached a hand down between your bodies, ghosting your fingers over his already growing erection.

"What else can't they do?" He chuckled, his beard scraping against your arm as he shifted closer slightly.

"They can't do this," you answered, leaning closer to him and brushing your lips against his.

You'd always had something close to a connection with Otis, something that seemed to run a little deeper than just a mutual attraction. He gave you pieces of himself, and in return you gave him everything.

You allowed him into your body, and into your mind...and into your heart. It wasn't love, you knew that. But it was definitely something. An invisible string that seemed to tie you to each other.

He wasn't like this with the girls he imprisoned here. He didn't allow them to feel his breath on their skin, and he certainly didn't allow them the control he allowed you. It made you feel special somehow.

"Would you care to show me what else you can do that they can't?" Otis smirked, running a hand down your thigh.

You simply nodded, swinging your leg over his hip and pushing him onto his back, pulling a low groan from his throat when you began to gently move your hips against him.

"You know, I'm startin' to think you may have a point," he groaned, his fingers digging into your ass. "Havin' a warm body in my bed is actually real fuckin' nice."

[Main Masterlist]

[sleepingdeath-light]

autistic male s/o hcs ; otis

requested by ; thatboymikey (09/10/23)

fandom(s) ; house of 1000 corpses / slashers

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; otis b. driftwood

outline ; “Hello :) can I request some Otis driftwood head cannons with a male reader? And the reader is autistic and sometimes goes non verbal at times if you’re fine with that, that would be amazing thank you so much.”

warning(s) ; brief references to canon typical violence, but mostly fluff!

otis is an asshole — a murderer, a kidnapper, someone who will torture anyone and everyone who he comes across with a smile on his face — but he does actually care about his family and about you as his boyfriend (even if he denies having a soft spot with everything he’s got)

after being with you for long enough he’s able to pick up on when you’re going to go non verbal and, having an adopted brother that is also non verbal, he’s more than able to communicate with you at times like that — he’s a murderer, sure, but he’s a murderer with a strong sense of community who practises sign language in his free time (he’s not the best… like, at all, but he knows just enough to scrape by during conversation with you)

he’s absolutely targeted people for being homophobic or ableist towards you — hell, he’s killed for far less so that shouldn’t be a shock — but he never uses them for his art because they don’t deserve to be preserved, so he just dumps them in the mass grave with the rest of the clan (he also makes their deaths much more intense and painful, but that’s par for the course with a partner like him)

alternates between calling you his ‘boyfriend’ and his ‘husband’ — he doesn’t give a shit about marriage as a concept, nor about anything else that’s legally binding, but he likes the possessive undertones of the title and will use it every now and then when someone just isn’t getting the hint (or if he knows you like it when he calls you that)

very physically affectionate in a sexual way, especially when you have ‘guests’ and one of them is looking at you in a way he doesn’t like, and that includes everything that you could think of: wet messy kisses to your temple, making out in full view of everyone, groping your body, pulling you down onto his lap, grinding his hips against your ass, turning your head to face him before kissing you very roughly, etc.

in short, it’s impossible for any visitors to not realise that you’re otis’ boyfriend (his man, his boy toy, his life partner, his husband in every sense except legally, not that either of you cared) and they’d have to be especially dense (or especially masochistic) to try and flirt with you after all of that

he doesn’t really get autism as a concept but he tries to understand with your help — even if a lot of his questions (usually asked when he’s high on several substances and when you’re cuddled up together in bed after a wild day or night) can be a bit blunt or strangely phrased

[belokhvostikova]

Thinking about Eddie wearing corpse makeup for one of his Corroded Coffin performances, but sealing it with your red lipstick on his cheek from your kiss stain.

[eddievanhammettmunson]

Corpse husband with Eddie

Undead Eddie x female reader

Author’s note- I wanted to make the corpse bride with Eddie. BUT I always wanted corpse bride to end with victor and Emily getting married so that’s what I’ve done here. If this does well or if people want it I will make an esternate where the reader ends up with Steve. 4.6k words

Warnings- death and lots of it. Technically suicide. Not proofread.

Summary- when you’re set to marry the lovely Steve Harrington but you keep messing up your vows you go to the forest to clear your head. But you end up somewhere well….dead.

It was supposed to be a glorious day. A glorious day for a wedding rehearsal between you and your soon to be husband Steve Harrington. But somehow you knew it was doomed from the start. Hell you didn’t even know the guy outside of the rumors you’d heard about him in highschool. The wedding was arranged by both of your parents and neither of you got a say in it.

When you got to the wedding rehearsal however your nerves were somewhat calmed when you happened to meet your soon to be husband in the foyer while you were hiding from your parents. You were surprised that he was not only was he just as handsome as you remembered from highschool but he was nice. Well as nice as someone being married off by their parents can be.

He had been sweet and funny and all around charming and you actually were able to believe for a second that maybe a marriage with him wouldn’t be so bad. That was until your parents showed up again and forced you two to join the rehearsal.

The rehearsal hadn’t gotten very far. There you were standing at the altar and all you had to do was say your vows. “With this hand I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty for i will be your wine. With this candle I will light your way in darkness. With this ring I ask you to be mine.”

Simple enough yet for some reason you managed to trip over and forget almost every word. Your parents were humiliated. Steve’s parents were furious. Suddenly the officiant stops the rehearsal and turns to you.

Simple enough yet for some reason you managed to trip over and forget almost every word. Your parents were humiliated. Steve’s parents were furious. Suddenly the officiant stops the rehearsal and turns to you.

Simple enough yet for some reason you managed to trip over and forget almost every word. Your parents were humiliated. Steve’s parents were furious. Suddenly the officiant stops the rehearsal and turns to you.

“This Wedding cannot happen. Not until you have learned your vows young lady.”

You stood there for a moment before turning and running out of the room without looking back. You refused to make eye contact with anybody in the room lest you feel their disappointment. Even when you hear Steve calling after you. You refuse to turn and face him.

You run out of the building and you run and run until you find yourself alone in the woods. You begin to walk very slowly. Muttering to yourself about how stupid you believe you are. You then twist the engagement ring on your finger and you begin to rehearse your vows.

“With this hand I will….I will…. Drown in sorrow? No no no. Okay with this hand I will lift your sorrows. Your cups will never empty for i will be your wine. With this candle I will…. Light your father on fire it seems Jesus Christ I can’t do this.” You stop and see a bench in the middle of a clearing in the forest. You remember this bench from high school. People used to come out here to do drug deals.

You take a seat on the bench and take a deep breath. When you open your eyes you decide to try saying your vows one more time. “With this hand I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty for i will be your wine. With this candle I will light your way in darkness. With this ring I ask you to be mine.” You slam your hands down on the bench in triumph.

Standing from the bench you look at the little ring on your engagement finger and you sigh twirling it a bit. You begin to pace and speak to yourself.

“I just thought my life would have a greater purpose rather than getting married…not that I don’t wanna get married….” You sigh “i just thought it would be my decision. Just cause I’m getting married doesn’t mean I can’t find a greater purpose. Okay one more time for luck. With this hand I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty for i will be your wine. With this candle I will light your way in darkness. With this ring I ask you to be mine.” You slide the ring off of your finger and put it on the bench.

As soon as the ring touches the table there’s a shift in the atmosphere. The forest is suddenly colder than before. The wind is blowing wildly and you can hear the snapping of branches in the distance.

Suddenly from the distance you see a bunch of crows swarming around a tree. And from that tree emerges a tall man. Or what appears to be a man. As he stalks towards you he whispers two words.

“I do”

You begin to run. Not caring about direction. Just needing an escape. As you run your met with branches and twists and turns and crows all around you.

You make it back In to town. You see the building for the wedding rehearsal and you think you’re safe. You take a deep breath and turn towards the building only to be met face to face with the man.

This is the first time you get to see him up close when you’re not running. You can see gashes along his face and body. Exposed bone poking through at his arms and legs. Flesh ripped away across his body. His skin was pale beyond comprehension. His eyes were wide and dark. And the worst part is you recognized him.

There wasn’t much time to comprehend anything before he spoke.

“May I kiss the bride?” He began to lean in and you wanted to scream. But as he leaned in you were swarmed by dozens of birds and suddenly everything started to fade away into the sounds around you. Then everything went black.

***

As you began to open your eyes you hear voices and murmuring surround you.

“Looks like we got a new arrival”

“I think she fainted on the way here”

“Lemme get closer i want to see her”

As you open your eyes you feel a boney hand on the back of your neck helping to support you. You blink your eyes a few times and try to adjust.

“Wh-what’s happened to me?” You ask as you sit up and take in your surroundings.

“Holy shit man! I think she’s breathing? Is-is she alive?”

Your eyes snap open very wide as you look around at the people helping you. You stand up and back up against a slimy vine filled wall.

There he was. Eddie Munson. The boy who died in the earth quake a year ago. Next to him? Billy Hargrove. The boy who died in the mall fire. Next to him was Barbra. The student who died due to being exposed to chemicals from that lab.

As you look around the room your met with the sights of the dead from all around Hawkins. People you used to know. And suddenly you had the dreaded thought.

“Am I dead?” You look around the room and nobody answers until you look to Eddie.

“Nope sweetheart. You’re all good. Alive and well and flesh and bone.”

You breathe a sigh of relief. But then you inhale sharply again. If you weren’t dead then where the hell were you. And why were you here?

As you look around the room you see Billy and a girl you used to know named heather. She takes a drink of something and toasts to Billy and then looks to you.

“To the newlyweds!” Her and Billy say together.

“N-newlyweds?” You say in confusion.

Eddie strides over to you and wraps an arm around your shoulder.

“Yeah sweetheart. You said your vows so perfectly.”

“I did? I did!” You turn around and begin to smash your head into the wall.

“WAKE UP!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!!”

As you slam your head into the wall you feel a hand on your shoulder so you turn around to see a tall boney man handing you a drink.

“Hello I’m Benny. I’m the head chef down here. I will be creating your weddin feast!”

You gasp and step back bumping into Eddie. Suddenly Eddie’s eye pops out and a little Maggot appears.

It looks to you and begins to speak. “Wedding feast! I’m starving!”

You attempt to move away from Eddie but everywhere you turn there are more dead people. People you used to know. Everything has you petrified until you back into a counter with a knife on the table. You grab hold of the knife and life it into the air.

“Everybody stop!”

The rooms freezes and turns to you.

“I need answers. What the hell is this place. How are you all here?”

Eddie laughs and steps towards you. “Well that’s kind of a long story.”

“A tragic tale it is. A tale of adventure, passion, and a murder most foul.” You turn towards the voice and see a man sitting at a table. You recognize him as the founder of Hawkins AV club. He used to date Miss Byers until he died tragically a few years back.

The room falls quiet as the man begins to tell the story.

“Well our boy was a freak. Known for miles around. When a mysterious man began to plague our town. He was plenty hideous and had a plan to hash. And our poor little boy got roped in fast. So when Eddie’s friends tried to help him he just couldn’t cope. So our mystery man came up with a plan to interlope. So the crew conjured up a plan to meet late at night. They told not a soul kept the whole thing tight. They were prepared to bring down the mystery man with a good old fight. He didn’t bring much just a shield and a spear. Waiting all night to fight the man. Then when the time came our boy was a hero. But with the last of his strength the mystery man summoned all his bats and had the boy eaten to death. Now when he opened his eyes he was dead as dust. His spear was missing and his heart was bust. So he made a vow lying under that sky that he’d wait for his true love to come set him free. Waiting for someone to ask for his hand. Then out of the blue comes this woman who vows forever to be by his side. And that’s the story of our corpse husband.”

As you process everything the man just told you. You feel two boney arms wrap their way around your waist and it makes you jump. And run away out of the room. You run all the way until you’re in the middle of a forest again. You recognize the forest as Hawkins but it’s different. It’s covered in vines and tentacles and it’s disgusting. But you run anyways. Until you reach that familiar bench. Your stop to take a breath and you turn around only to be met with Eddie once again.

You scream and jump back at the sight of him.

He hold his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” He chuckles and steps forward.

“Look y/n I know this can be a lot to take. How about we just sit down on the bench and you can ask me whatever you want and I’ll tell you.”

You hesitate and then sit back on the bench.

“Okay. What is this place.”

“It’s called the upside down. It’s like Hawkins but full of creepy crawlers and nasty shit.”

“How are you all here? I mean you’re all dead.”

“I don’t know sweetheart. I wish I did.”

You sat there for a moment and took a deep breath.

“So we’re married?”

“Yupperoonie.”

“Look Eddie I’m terribly sorry about what happened to you and how you died. I really am. But I need to get home.”

“This is your home now y/n”

“Eddie you can’t be serious. I’m alive. I have a life. Family to get back to.”

“Well we can go say goodbye if you want?”

“You’d let me do that?”

“Sweetheart I’d let you do anything.”

“Well how do we get there?”

“We have to dig through the tree to get there. It’s pretty easy from our side since the tree is rotten. Getting back here to the upside down is the hard part. You’ll have to be quick so that the tree gate doesn’t close.”

Eddie stands and walks to a nearby tree where he starts ripping into it with his bare hands. Once the tree is opened he gestures for you to come over and he pretends like he’s holding the door open for you as he bows and allows you to crawl through the tree.

You come out on the other side in a normal looking Forrest near the bench you once knew. You debate on what you’re supposed to do. Deciding to tell Eddie to stay in the forest while you go say goodbye to your family when really you were going to seek out Steve and get his help.

“Eddie. I think you should stay here while I say goodbye to my family.”

“You’re probably right. I don’t think they’d be very approving of me….even if I were alive honestly.”

There’s a strange feeling of guilt in your chest when he says that. You remember him from High school and although you weren’t close you always knew him to be a nice person who happened to be a bit boisterous. If anything you found his lunch time antics entertaining.

“I’ll be back in a jif eddie.”

And with that you were off through the forest. You made your way to the Harrington estate and saw the light to Steve bedroom on. The only problem was his room was on the second floor. As you snuck around the house and looked for an entry point you stumbled upon the kitchen window where you see Mr and Mrs Harrington sat at the table having a discussion.

“I just don’t know what we’re going to do about that girl. Can’t even learn her vows.”

“You’re right. This isn’t good for our business deal.”

“Maybe we should just let Steve marry that Wheeler girl like he’d wanted.”

Upon hearing that your mind flashes to images of Nancy Wheeler and her relationship with the king Steve Harrington. Still you persist and move past the window making your way round the house to where you see some vines to grab to climb up to Steve’s room.

You carefully place your feet on the vines and begin your climb. When you reach the second floor you see Steve sitting on the edge of his bed and you can hear him on the phone.

“Yeah Nance…..I know….maybe she doesn’t want to marry me.”

He’s on the phone with Nancy? You watch as he continues to talk on the phone until you hear a loud SNAP of a branch coming from below you and suddenly you’re plummeting towards the ground.

You scream and close your eyes and brace yourself for the hard impact that doesn’t come. Instead you’re enveloped by two large arms that break your fall. You open your eyes to see Eddie holding you.

As you look up at him you realize he’s fuming. Absolutely angry beyond belief.

“Steve?”

“What?”

“Why are you at Steve Harringtons house?”

“W-well. Well he’s my fiancé.”

“But I’m your husband. And we’re leaving.”

Still in his arms he carries you back into the Forrest and through the tree to the upside down. When you get back into the upside down he sets you down and walks over to the bench and sits down and puts his face in his hands.

“And I thought this was all going so well.”

You walk up to him and place a hand on his shoulder.

“Look Eddie I’m sorry. But this just can’t happen.”

“Why not? It’s my eye isn’t it?”

“No your eye is lovely. But Eddie were just to different. I mean you’re dead.”

“You should have thought about that before you asked me to marry you.”

“Why can’t you understand it was a mistake Eddie!! I would never ask you to marry me!”

As soon as the words leave your mouth you feel instant regret as you watch Eddie slowly rise from the bench and wander off towards the town.

***

As Eddie wanders on his own he ponders his relationship with you. And the maggot in his eye pops out and slithers onto his shoulders. Eddie sits down against a wall and sighs.

“Maybe she’s better off with Mr I have a pulse. Maybe she’s right.”

“Oh that guys nothing compared to you Eddie.”

“But she’s right. I’m dead. She’s alive.”

“But did she say her vows to him?”

“Well no…. But she doesn’t leave me.”

“She just needs to see how special you can be Eddie.”

“If I touch a burning candle I can feel no pain

If you cut me with a knife it's still the same

And I know his heart is beating

And I know that I am dead

Yet the pain here that I feel

Try and tell me it's not real

It seems that I still have a tear to shed”

“Oh Eddie don’t worry she’ll come around and see the amazing man that you are.”

***

In the forest where Eddie left you, you gather some dead flowers into a bouquet and walk towards the town where you search for Eddie. You ask around to some of the dead people in town and they tell you that you can find Eddie in an old trailer on the other side of town. So that’s where you go.

When you get there you find him sitting on the porch strumming his guitar. You walk up quietly and set the bouquet on porch next to you.

“I’m sorry Eddie. I’m sorry I lied to you about seeing my family. It’s just-this day. Nothing has gone according to plan.”

He says nothing as he strums his guitar. Instead you pick up a guitar that was sitting next to him and that says “this machine slays dragons” and you begin to strum a tune similar to the one he’s strumming. And you continue to strum until you’re creating a beautiful medley together.

Eddie begins to get so into it that his boney hand detaches from his body and begins a riff all on its own and even hops onto your guitar and runs up your arm and around your shoulders. Making both you and him laugh.

“Sorry about the enthusiasm.”

“I like your enthusiasm Eddie.”

You grab the hand that’s on your shoulder and his empty wrist and you reattach the hand to his arm. When you should let it go you don’t. Instead your hand lingers there. You look into Eddie’s eyes and see him looking back at you. You clear your throat and look back down at the guitar.

“I really am sorry Eddie. I should have been honest with you.”

“Don’t worry about it y/n I get it. You’re dead and I’m alive.”

“If it’s any consolation Eddie I wouldn’t have any qualms about marrying you if you were alive.”

He laughs and sets the guitar down next to him.

“Now that I find hard to believe.”

“Really Eddie I mean it. I remember you from high school. How sweet you were to all the weird kids. How boisterous and brave you were. I mean you were amazing.”

“I was a freak.”

“Stop that. You’re not a freak Eddie. You’re awesome is what you are.”

“I’m dead is what I am.”

You’re about to say something when suddenly people are running past you and towards the forest. You stop one of them and ask them what’s going on.

“NEW ARRIVAL.”

Is all they yell at you before they continue on their way to the Forrest. When you get there everyone is excited and bustling around the way they were when you’d arrived. That’s when you see him. Tommy H. Steve’s ex best friend.

“Tommy!?” He turns to face you.

“Y/n? What the hell are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here! Tommy you’re dead? What happened?”

“Was drinking and driving and well bam now I’m here.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah and I’m sorry to hear you and Steve didn’t work out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well didnt you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“He’s marrying Nancy Wheeler tomorrow.”

Your heart doesn’t break but your chest feels a twinge of disappointment to know that you’d gone missing for a day and instead of looking for you your fiancé just moves on to another girl.

“Time to pick up the pieces and move on I suppose right y/n.” He puts a hand on your shoulder and then turns to move about the room.

You begin to think on his words. He may be right. You’ve been in this place for almost a whole day and it seems like nobody even cares that you’re gone. And the one person who does care about you, you’ve treated like absolute garbage. You walk back off alone into the Forrest and to the bench you originally started at.

You sit down and examine the wedding band on your finger. That’s when you hear Eddie’s voice in the distance.

“Oh billy what am I supposed to do? She just walked off! Are all women like this?”

Billy laughs and puts a hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “Im afraid so man. I’m afraid so. But we’ve got something to talk about man.”

You nestle up against a tree and listen closely to their conversation.

“Let me tell him!” The magot says.

“Shhhhh. Well man there’s a problem with your marriage.”

“What?!”

“Well your vows are binding until death do you part.”

“Uh huh. So?”

“Well man. Death has already parted you. You’re dead and she’s alive. Can’t work.”

“Dude if she finds out she’ll leave! There has to be something we can do!”

“Don’t worry man there’s a way.”

“What is it?”

“We have to kill her!!!”

“WHAT?!”

“Y/n would have to give up the life she had forever. She would need to repeat her vows and drink the venom of the demobats.”

“But the venom of the demobats would kill her just like it did to me.”

“Exactly Eddie. She’d be dead with you.”

You’re taken aback and shocked as you peak around the tree. Eddie thinks on it for only a moment before dropping to his knees in the forest.

“I could never ask her to do that for me.” He says in a low and quiet voice.

You look at Eddie on the ground. You think back to him in highschool and how sweet he was, you think back to him catching you earlier and saving you. To holding his hand and playing the guitar with him. And decide to step out from behind the tree.

“You don’t have to.” You say quietly as you walk up to him and offer your hand for him to stand up. He looks up at you with tears in your eyes.

“Y/n if you do this…there’s no going back. Do you understand?”

As Billy says this and Eddie stands fully you wrap your hand around Eddie’s tighter and intertwine your fingers as you look at him.

“I do.”

***

You walk back into the town and gather all the dead.

“HELLO EVERYBODY. We’ve decided to do this thing properly. So father what you can and meet us at Hawkins high school!”

Everyone is overjoyed as they begin to prepare for the wedding. Benny starts on the cake, Billy and heather are on decorations. And Barbra is helping you with your wedding dress.

You go to the town and break the window of a shop covered in vines and you find an exquisite dress to wear. Barbra does your hair and before you know it you’re meeting back at the school.

***

At the school you walk into the gymnasium to see rows of the dead sitting and facing Eddie at the altar who is now wearing a suit. On a table nearby there’s a towering cake and a lot of food.

Billy stands next to Eddie as the officiant. In his hands he holds a cup which you can only assume to be the venom of a demobat inside. Once your presence is noticed the crowd starts singing “here comes the bride.”

You take that as your queue to begin walking down the isle. As you do you look to Eddie who is smiling as he wipes a tear from his eye.

You reach the altar and stand in front of Eddie.

“Hi” you mouth at him and he mouths it back. You giggle a little.

“Dearly beloved and departed we are gathered here today to join this woman and this corpse in marriage. Living first.”

You take a deep breath and raise your hand.

“With this hand I will lift your sorrows, your cup will never empty for i will be your wine. With this candle I will light your way in darkness. With this ring I ask you to be mine.”

“Now Eddie.”

“With this hand I will lift your sorrows, your cup will never empty for i will be your wine. With this candle I will light your way in darkness. With this ring I ask you to be mine”

He places one of his own rings onto your finger. And you take off your wedding band and place it on his pinky.

You then take the cup from Billy and hold it in your hands as you look at Eddie. You go to take a sip but his hand flies to the top of your cup.

“Y/n” he whispers. “Are you sure about this?”

You take your own hand and bring it up to ciò his face.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

You remove his hands from atop the cup and quickly take a swig of the venom. It burns as it goes down so badly that it makes you drop the cup from your hand as you begin to cough. Your coughing is so bad that you bend over and Eddie reaches out a hand to steady you. The pain only lasts for a moment as you collapse into his arms and see nothing but total darkness.

As you awaken you look up into Eddie big brown eyes and you reach out a now pale hand to cup his face. You realize you no longer have to breathe and you no longer have a heart beat you just feel cold.

You move to stand and he stands with you.

“You May now kiss the bride.”

Eddie looks at you for approval and you give him a slight nod before leaning in and sealing you marriage with a kiss. The crowd cheers and goes wild at the kiss and Eddie grabs you closer to him and dips you towards the floor. When he brings you back up and the two of you break from the kiss he rests his forehead against yours.

“Ready for eternity sweetheart?”

The end.

[inciting-chaos-series]

The Night Shift: Chapter Four

If you'd like to be tagged when new chapters are posted let me know! -Ghostiewvlf ✦ The Night Shift Masterpost ✦

➢ Tag List: @valleys

➢Author: Ghostiewvlf & JTheGhost ➢ Rating: Mature ➢ Pairings: Corpse X reader | Corpse X y/n ➢ Themes: Slow Burn | Coworkers To Lovers | Angst | Holiday | Mutual Pining | Fluff | Smut? | Hurt/Comfort | Soulmates | Fake Relationships | Miscommunication | Forced Proximity | Found Family | ➢ Warnings: Crude Humor | Suicidal Jokes/Ideation | Drinking | Smoking |

➢Summary:

You work the night shift at a local dog kennel for boarding and daycare. You love the peace and quiet of the shift, but just when you get comfortable- a few break-ins happen around town, and upper management decides to place your quiet, brooding, shift lead on the schedule with you.

☽✧ Chapter Four: Fun & Games ✧☾

-Y/N POV-

After spending all day in labs and lectures you really were not on your A game for tonight's shift. You felt completely fried- mentally and physically. Walking across campus to and from your science and math courses and arriving on time when you had barely a five minute window between them had been exhausting, and the content in the classes left you wondering if you even had brain cells left. 

If you had any energy left you would try to remember to not set your schedule this way for your last semester- though the way your feet dragged as you entered the building and clocked in had you realizing it was no use. 

“Damn- long day?” Liz chuckled from behind the reception counter. 

“So long…” Your voice sounded defeated as it left your mouth. 

“Well, good news- most everyone was picked up from boarding today- we did have one drop off though…” Her voice wavered in uncertainty as you joined her behind the counter. 

“Oh yeah? Who got dropped o-” 

“Just the coolest little dude ever…”

You turned to the comically deep voiced interrupter and watched as Logan walked in from the adjoining break room with a small black Shetland puppy cradled in his arms. 

“Oh my god!” You swooned over the dog and cautiously approached to pet him, earning a laugh from both Liz and your boss as the puppy struggled out of Logan’s hold and into yours. 

“Suppose that will make your night a bit better huh?” Liz laughed out as she gathered her things to leave. “Also… Ryder wasn't picked up from daycare today. I emailed his owners and they requested to leave him here tonight, they're aware of the charges but still need to be billed, I left it open on the computer for you guys.” 

“Is this the universe apologizing for my long day?” You laughed as the puppy licked incessantly at your face. 

“Guess so…” Liz smiled and shrugged as she headed out, wishing you an easy night. 

“So, if you had a rough day- I’m guessing you’ll want to finish up that invoice, since you’ve got some furry company…” Logan chuckled. “I suppose I can lend you my son and get started on dinners.” He rolled his eyes playfully. 

“Oh so he’s your son now? Have you let his owners know- should I send them a quick update email while I’m at it?” 

“Fuck off…” His laugh was much more sincere than you expected as he waved off your comment on his way to the back. You smiled to yourself and got settled at the computer to invoice Ryder’s owners and collect payment, keeping the small puppy in your lap as he absently chewed your hoodie strings. 

---

“Do you drink coffee or tea?” He broke the silence between you as the dogs started to settle down from playing outside. 

“Um, tea usually…” you laughed softly and gave him a questioning glance, “why do you ask?”

“I don’t know- thought I’d ask in case I stop and get us drinks again.” He shrugged as he grinned down at the puppy jumping at his ankles. He groaned dramatically as he sat on a rock and placed the small dog in his lap- chuckling as it immediately gnawed at his fingers. “Plus I don’t know much about you- and if we’re gonna work most nights together I should probably learn the basics.” 

“Fair point.” You smiled and sat beside an exhausted looking Ryder a few feet from him. “That coffee was really good, especially for how cold it was.” You chuckled. “I usually get iced chais, so that wouldn't have been as ideal. What about you?” 

“Well, glad I made that call then. Cause I get the same…” He chuckled. “I mean- usually I turn to- stronger drinks- but chai will suffice at work.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want any red wine stains on our clothes at work…” You teased as you pet the panting dog beside you.

“Of course not… totally unprofessional.” He laughed along and rolled his eyes. 

“Well, if we're getting to know each other- umm…” you paused as you thought of good questions (that were at least somewhat professionally appropriate) to ask of your boss. “What made you get into animal care?” 

“Hmm, well I’ve always wanted my own animal- but I’m not sure that my lifestyle or whatever would allow me to properly take care of one, or that I could handle it I guess… I started out just watching my friends' dogs or cats. Then I saw an opening here and figured it would be a nice place to work.” He shrugged and smiled before meeting your gaze. “What about you? I know you worked on the vet side for a while- and you were at an ER before this right?” 

“That's… super cute? Sorry just- picturing you- deep voice and intimidating nature… as a pet sitter, it's strange to think about.” You laughed at the thought. 

“I know… I don’t really look- or sound- the type huh?” He chuckled in agreement and you shook your head and smiled.

“But um- yeah I did. ER was really cool, I got to see a lot of interesting cases there… and working on the vet side here was nice since I still needed more experience for vet school, but both those jobs were really demanding, and I needed to cut back so I could focus more on finishing school- so this seemed perfect for me right now.” 

“I'm glad…” he smiled sweetly, “-you’re smart and deserve to take the time you need to get your school stuff sorted. Especially if you have such a good plan.” 

“I wouldn’t say it’s a good plan- I mean, who knows what I’ll really end up doing.” You scoffed softly. “I never really wanted to go to college or anything but my family pressured me into it, saying I could never make it as anything without it.” 

“Well that's just- not true…” He scoffed loudly.

“No?”

“Definitely not. I mean, I basically raised myself- I was never close with my family- so I don’t really understand that perspective, but school never worked for me. I ended up dropping out pretty early…” he shrugged and turned his attention back to the puppy, now falling asleep in his lap. “I mean, it’s difficult dropping out so young and being like ‘I'm gonna make something of myself someday, I’m gonna do something big-’ but it’s definitely doable.With or without schooling.” His voice softened slightly as he spoke. You couldn’t help but stare at him, almost in awe, at how much he revealed. 

“I’m sorry Logan. That sounds… awful- I’m sorry you went though that…” you paused, “-but thank you. I suppose you’re right, it is difficult for sure… making a name for yourself, or figuring out what to do in life. ” You weren't really sure how to respond to such a candid response. 

“Eh, that's how life goes right?” He chuckled awkwardly, carefully picking up the sleeping puppy as he rose to his feet. “Spose we should let these guys back in, everyone seems tuckered out.” 

“Yeah, suppose we should.” You carefully stood as well, hoping to not rile up the dogs again as you all made your way in for the night. 

-Logan’s POV-

He stayed quiet as the two of you cleaned around the building, silently admonishing himself for his loose lips earlier. He had no idea why he’d shared so much, why talking with you made it so easy to share what seemed like all the most negative things about him. Maybe he was compensating- getting it all out in the open about how he was toxic to befriend so you’d turn tail sooner rather than later. 

He couldn’t help the nagging feeling of relief though, having told you a bit about himself and getting such a kind response. You probably just felt awkward, or pitied him, after all. He shouldn’t make it a regular thing. 

Eventually when you both had finished cleaning, you settled in at the front desk again. He was grateful when you pulled out your notebook and binder from your bag, knowing you would need quiet to do your homework and he couldn’t run his mouth any longer. He did find it a bit funny when you asked if he minded, of course he didn’t care if you got some homework done, especially with the awkward tension in the air now. He put on some soft lofi for you and scrolled on his phone as you worked. Every few minutes or so he’d sneak a glance at your papers, instantly regretting it as he was greeted with complex molecules, chemistry equations, and the pervasive fact that you were far more intelligent than he ever considered himself.

You huffed loudly, breaking the silence as you pushed your papers away and leaned back in the chair. He turned to give you a questioning glance. 

“If you’re stuck on something- I hope you aren't going to ask me for help.” He chuckled. “Because if I lock eyes with your papers again my brain will melt.” 

“No, no…” He bit down on the inside of his cheek as you laughed. “I’m finished. It’s not all correct, but I’m done.” 

“Ah, well good… its aura is haunting the entire room.” He chuckled, cringing away as you put everything back in your bag. 

“Yeah, believe me I know.” You pursed your lips and leaned back again. “You can put on regular music again if you want… Unless you brought your laptop?” 

“Fuck, you remembered that I said that?” He groaned and hid his face in his hands. 

“Sure do, so when you bringin it?”

“Hmmm…” he paused, humming suspiciously. “I don’t know I feel like- if I had some dirt on you, I might be more motivated to remember to bring it…” He insinuated with poorly feigned innocence.

“Wow, blackmail- that's bold.” You giggled, he merely winked in response, a sly grin across his lips. “I guess I’ll have to think of some dirt on me then…” 

The rest of the night was fairly calm. He pulled up some games on the computer for you two to pass the time, and he continued to joke with you throughout the night until it was time to clock out. 

“See you Thursday I guess…” He dramatically huffed as he walked with you to your cars. 

“Are you pouting about the shifts you work alone now?” You laughed as you tossed your things into your car, he smiled and rolled his eyes. 

“Hey, my two to three shifts I have alone are boring now…” 

“Right, because you’re such a conversationalist…” 

“Fuck off…” he chuckled before pausing as he did the same, “drive safe, text me when you get home…” 

He again waited until you were safely out onto the road before pulling out and heading home himself. He took a longer route home this time, opting to stop and pick up some groceries on his way-  not because it would keep his mind off you or from overthinking everything he said, it was only because his fridge and pantry were barren. 

After arriving home and putting everything away, he couldn’t help but feel anxious as he saw you still hadn’t messaged him. He groaned and took a swig from a new bottle of wine he’d gotten and began typing. 

Logan 🐺:

Did you make it home ok?

You: 

Right, sorry… forgot lol yes I did

He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

You: 

Were you worried? lol

Logan 🐺:

Well yeah you didn’t text me 😤

Sorry I care if my friends get home safe… sheesh

You: 

Oh so were friends now? Lmao 

He laughed as he sent back a barrage of offended gifs and memes. He couldn’t really remember the last time he’d been so eager to continue a conversation. 

You: 

Don't be butthurt haha, I just only ever see you at work is all 

Logan 🐺:

Well you're so busy with school- otherwise we could hangout

You: 

Hey don't blame me- you make my work schedule, you know what days I’m off 🤷‍♀️

Logan 🐺:

Fine… fair point…

Sunday?

You: 

I’ll think about it…

He rolled his eyes and sent a few gifs of graves before tossing his phone aside and attempting to wipe the ridiculous smile off his face. He knew this was likely a mistake, but he didn’t really care right now, maybe it was time to make a new friend. 

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[rotten-corpses-blog]

This worked really well the last time so I'm doing it again. Also totally unrelated, but how would you guys like a good ole Billy and Sam, family au fic? I saw something on Instagram and it has my goblin brain in a choke hold.

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[ladyfly]

Two Ghosts And A Fleshy 2: Cry Me A River

Morning came far too quickly for your liking. You had opted to just sleep in. However, your sunny roommate though better of that as he tore the blinds open. A full 5 years of living together and the bastard still wouldn't let you sleep in. He used to tell you "Sunrise means open eyes!" You were not having it though.

You and Moon had convinced him waking up at eight was perfectly fine. You were not being a "lazy bones" as he called it. You just needed more sleep than most. A solid nine hours was good for you. You slowly sat up and shot Sun a playful glare.

He ignored your look "Today is a special day!"

You huffed "Special enough to let me sleep in?"

Sun stared at you for a moment before laughing loudly "Don't be silly! You are alive! You should be spending time enjoying that life! Not wasting it away sleeping."

You roll your eyes as you get dressed "I need sleep to properly enjoy what life I have."

Sun glared back at you "Get downstairs before I go get Moon to possess you and make you go."

You throw a sock at him. It goes through his body. He gives you a flat look before walking through your body. You shiver as a cold breeze passes through you. With a chuckle you make your way downstairs. The faint smell of coffee draws you to the kitchen.

Moon started the pot for you. They can't interact with the world enough to make you a full blown breakfast. But pushing a button on a coffee pot is simple enough that it doesn't drain them of too much energy. Every interaction with the living takes energy. Spend too much energy and they disappear for a while.

You asked them where they weren't but they said they weren't ready to tell you yet. They did tell you that when they leave they stay in the house. Apparently this house had a lot of secrete passages. You knew where some of them were. The rest Sun and Moon had no idea how to open.

Moon walks through you, they call it a ghost hug, "Happy anniversary Fleshy! Did you sleep well?"

You nod as you put bread in the toaster "I did! Happy Anniversary! What are we doing today? I know y'all had something planned."

Sun nods "Yeah! Something special! We want to show you after breakfast. So eat up Sunflower!"

You nod "I have something for you two as well. Just a second!" You take your phone out and open a picture flipping it to the boys "It's a life size human shaped body pillow!"

Sun squeals "Sunflower!"

Moon grins "Now we can cuddle better!"

You nod and set your phone down on the counter so they can keep looking. Sun and Moon can possess objects. Once in a while they possess a stuffed toy for you to hold at night. It's the only way they can feel you touching them. It's diluted a bit, but better than nothing. Only one of them does it at a time.

It takes a lot of energy for them to do it. Whichever one did it is gone the next day leaving you with the other. They call it a fair trade off. One spends the night with you and the other the day. It works for you because you like sleeping with something in your arms.

Breakfast finished it's time to see your surprise. Usually it's a new hidden passage. Something feels different about this. Though you can't put your finger on why. Maybe it's they way they are acting. Maybe it's the fact that today is special. Whatever it is you follow behind your spectral friends.

They lead you to the fireplace in the parlor. They stand Moon on the left and Sun on the right. They look nervous. Sun fidgets in place wringing his ghostly hands.

Moon gives a weak unsure smile "We... This is.... Our bod-..."

Sun takes a deep breath "We died in this house..." He bites his lip "Our... Oh gosh. Our bones... Our bones are behind the fire place."

Moon nods "We were. Now we don't remember this much. We were trapped behind there. We don't remember why. We tried to get out."

Sun puts a hand you can't feel on your shoulder "This room only opens from the outside. Our bones are in that room. If you don-"

"I want to bury them." You retort.

Sun looks shocked "What?"

You nod "Bury them. Outside. Somewhere nice on the property. You deserve it."

Moon frowns "What if it makes us go away?"

"Go away?" you ask.

Moon nods "Pass on to the other side. Move on. Go away."

You take a deep breath visibly upset "Then.... Then you go away. Not that I want you to leave! It just doesn't feel right leaving you behind the fireplace."

Sun passes through you "Oh sunflower. That's very sweet of you, but we don't want to go."

You shake your head "We'll meet again on the other side. It's ok. Besides, you'll get to see Great Aunt Agatha again."

Moon nods and points to a brick in the back of the fireplace "Push that in. It'll make a handle appear. Pull on it and twist to open the door."

You follow his instructions and a secrete door opens. On the other side of the door is a small 8ft by 8ft room. Two skeletons lay together in a corner. They are dressed like jesters. A few tears fall from your eyes as you walk over to them. You can tell who is who. One is dressed in blue and yellow.

And the other is dressed in red and yellow. It's gross. You know it is. You know if anyone saw you do this they would berate you. You reach your hands out and pet the top of their heads tenderly.

You wipe your eye with the back of your hand "I'm sorry this happened to you. I bet you were the life of the party. Do you know where you want to be buried?"

Sun nods "Yes. We spend a lot of time together in the kitchen. The oak tree in the window."

Moon nods and you set off to dig some holes. It takes you all day but by sunset your task is done. You even made two headstones out of wood. The bodies are neatly wrapped in white bed sheets and placed in the graves.

You stand overlooking them "I'm sorry something so terrible happened to you. I wish I had known you when you were alive. At least that way I could have hugged you. I wish you the best in the afterlife. I'm so happy I met you! Sunny, I promise to keep planting flowers. I'll plant sunflowers on your grave. I'll miss our games together. Moon, I'll be sure to watch your favorite movies at least once a year. I'll miss your pranks. The house will be quiet without the two of you in it. I'll try to keep it full of laughter!"

Sun sniffles "I am going to miss you so much! I'll be waiting at the gates of heaven or whatever for you. When I see you again I'm giving you the biggest hug ever!"

Moon smiles "I know you'll do great things. Get a cat and name it after me."

You nod and begin to fill the graves doing your best to fill them at the same time. When at last they are full Sun and Moon begin to fade away.

Moon looks at his fading form "Wait! No! I have more to say!"

Sun screams "WE LOVE YO-"

And they are gone. You drop to the ground and ugly cry loudly. You cry so much you fall asleep outside. When you wake up the next morning it feels wrong. Like a big piece of you is gone. Because it is. Your best friends are gone forever. You did hear what Sun was saying.

You don't know what to do with that piece of information. You suppose the only thing you can do is take things one day at a time. The house feels empty when you get inside. The warm feelings it once had are gone. You are truly alone in the house right now.

Waking up the next morning feels wrong. Your Sunny is not there to tear the curtains open. Moon is not scaring you in the bathroom. You don't have a warm conversation over coffee. You didn't even realize how attached you had become to the duo. Life would never be the same again.

Three weeks later the large person sized pillow you ordered arrived. You brought it inside but nothing more. You couldn't look at it yet. It was too painful. Late that night you found yourself having a hard time sleeping. Might as well open the box. At least you could pretend they are still around.

Inside the box was a pillow about six feet tall. One side looked like Moon and the other Sun. Seeing the pillow made you cry again. You clutched it to your chest in the front entryway.

Fat hot tears trailing down your cheeks "Why is it so hard! I said goodbye! Why did you have to go?" You clutch the pillow tighter "I love you! I love you!"

That night you fall asleep on the floor clutching the pillow to you. Tears still streaming as you drift off. The next morning you are forced awake by the curtain in the room being pulled open.

A warm and familiar voice tells you gently "Sunrise means open eyes. You are alive. You should be spending time enjoying that life! Not wasting it away sleeping Sunflower."

You start to cry again believing your mind is playing tricks on you "STOP IT! STOP IT! IT'S NOT FAIR!" You let out a loud wail into the empty house.

Two warm arms wrap around you. You don't fight them. Far too tired to do anything but cry. Your arms hang limply at your side. Something soft brushed your cheek and you crack an eye open. Feathers, no not just feathers. Wings. Two white pristine wings.

A large familiar yellow hand brushes against your cheek "It's ok. Let it all out. I have you."

You can't stop the tears so you continue to cry thoroughly confused. You are picked up off of the floor and carried to the kitchen. Inside is a jaw dropping sight. Moon is standing at the stove fixing food. Two white wing and a halo on his head. A new flood of tears.

A white wing from behind you wipes at your face "You are going to shrivel up at this rate."

"What the hell is happening?!" You wail out.

Sun turns you in his arms so he can look at you "We are your guardian angels. Here to protect you from the forces of evil."

You hiccup "I don't understand."

Moon turns around "We got into heaven and fought to be your guardian angels. The big man saw how miserable we were up there and let us down here to keep you safe."

"Safe from what?" You sniffle out.

Sun smiles warmly "We can talk about that some other time. Right now you need food and water."

You nod and take a deep breath to help calm you. Moon sets down a cup of coffee and an omelet onto the island. He takes your chin and tips your face toward him.

He smiles softly and leans down "Can I kiss you?"

You nod unable to do anything else. His eyes light up as he kisses you on the lips.

Moon hums as he pulls back "We can touch you now. I for one intend to touch you all over all the time."

Sun gasps "Moon! Don't make it sound so dirty!" He rolls his eyes giving you a chaste kiss "We want to touch everywhere we couldn't before and make you feel loved."

Moon chuckles "That was dirty Sun."

Sun sets you down "No it was not!"

Moon nods "Yes it was."

You sip your coffee as their argument continues. Things feel more right than they had before. Life will never be the same and you wouldn't change it for the world.

[writingouthere]

singledad!Sukuna x neighbor!reader-Sukuna and Yuuji really want you to join their family! role reversal from my other series, think this will just be a one-shot though. Yuuji is Sukuna's brother but he's raised him since he was a baby and Yuuji calls him dad.

cw: Sukuna is manipulative and also a murderer but everyone's happy and you're both aware so it's okay. this is really just fluff.

"I....want you to be my mommy?"

Sukuna scowled as Yuuji looked more confused than ever.

"No, no that is not what you're saying kid. You're just going to tell her about how the other kids' mommies on the playground make you feel left out."

"But they don't, Megumi's mommy always gives me a snack when I'm hungry!"

"That's not his mommy, that's Megumi's daddy," Sukuna corrected, wondering if this was just a hopeless endeavor. He could have easily followed a plan this simple when he was four, but Yuuji was too soft. This was what happened when you raised a kid in a stable, loving environment. They lost the ability to go for the jugular when needed.

"But Megumi's daddy calls him mommy?" Sukuna didn't hold back his groan. You were going to be coming back from your morning walk any minute. He didn't have time for Yuuji to not get basic directions or to explain the dynamics of that Gojo family.

"Look when we go out there, just look sad and I'll handle the rest."

"But I'm not sad, I'm happy. We're going to the park and Megumi's mommy is bringing mochi today!"

"Shit kid, do you want a mom or not?" Sukuna asked, trying not to roll his eyes as be bent down to snap on the velcro straps on Yuuji's light up sneakers.

"I don't need a mom, I have you," Yuuji said. He looked uncharacteristically defiant and Sukuna couldn't help feeling proud of his little brother.

It had been touch and go when Yuuji was a baby. Sukuna had still been a kid himself and they didn't have any money and Yuuji's mom was even crazier than Sukuna's. Their father nowhere to be seen. Since Sukuna and Uraume had spread the pieces of his corpse around the city.

Sukuna pushed these memories aside and ruffled Yuuji's hair. "I know you don't need one, we only need each other." Yuuji nodded, his little head moving with all his conviction. "But it might be nice, right?"

Yuuji seemed thoughtful before finally biting his lip and looking down at his sneakers. He tapped them, making the red and black lights flash.

"She's really nice, I like her."

"I like her too," Sukuna said and he heard the sound of your sneakers slapping against the tiled hallway. "So let's go and look sad, okay?" Yuuji nodded, determined now and Sukuna grabbed his backpack before the two brothers went out into the hall.

You were just taking your keys out of your bag and you turned to the brothers, a smile on your face. "Good morning gentlemen, it's nice to see you. Heading out?"

That was when you noticed Yuuji's downturned expression. Sukuna saw your face shift into one of concern and he resisted a smirk.

Sukuna cleared his throat and squeezed Yuuji's hand. Good boy. "We're heading out to the park, you know the one by the high school."

"Oooh, that's nice. You like that park, right Yuuji? You said it was the biggest one in the whole city," you crouched down so you could look Yuuji in the eye and Yuuji seemed to forget he was supposed to be sad for a minute because he jumped up and down, the lights of his shoes flashing in the dim hallway.

"Yeah, it has the best swings too!" You ooohed and aawed appropriately while Sukuna tried not to smack his head against the wall. Maybe he and this kid weren't related after all, fuck.

Yuuji seemed to notice his expression because he stopped jumping to look down at feet. He put out his lower lip and used the tip of one of shoes to mess with a scuff mark on the linoleum. It would have made a more pathetic visage if his shoes weren't still lit up.

"Yuuji," you said, coming closer so you could kneel on the ground in front of the boy. The sight of you on your knees did something to Sukuna, but he pushed it aside to see what the brat had in mind. So far, he wasn't impressed with the performance. "Is something wrong?"

"It's just," Yuuji let out a sad sigh that wouldn't get him a gig in a car commercial. "Megumi and his mommy will be there and it makes me feel sad because all the other kids have mommies and I don't." God, there was no way you could be buying this, Sukuna looked at you and saw that your eyes looked a little watery.

Huh, look at that. Maybe he wouldn't have to kick the kid out, after all.

"I'm sorry Yuuji, that must be hard," you said and you reached out and swiped out where Yuuji had even managed to shed a tear. Sukuna felt so proud. "But I know that your dad is really excited to take you and the two of you are going to have so much fun!"

"Could you come too?" Yuuji asked and you bit your lip. Yuuji looked up and batted his little doe eyes at you. "It would make me really happy if you came with us. We could all have fun together."

"I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"It wouldn't be intruding," Sukuna cut in. "If you're busy though no worries, I know we'll have fun just the two of us. Right, Yuuji?"

Yuuji bit his lip and Sukuna could tell he was torn between showing how excited he was to spend time with his dad and being 'sad' so you would join them.

You looked between the two before seeming to come to some kind of decision. "If you don't mind waiting while I change, I'd be happy to join you two. Should I bring anything?"

"I think we're all set. We'll wait outside for you," Sukuna said and Yuuji went up and gave you a big hug that you returned.

Sukuna took Yuuji outside to wait for you, the kid occupying himself with a mostly washed away hopscotch chalk sketch. Sukuna alternated between watching him and texting Uraume who was claiming to be over him and his nonsense. Sukuna would take it more seriously if Uraume hadn't been saying that for going on twenty years. He knew they loved him, fucking sap.

Soon, but not soon enough, you came bounding down the stairs. A scarf tied around your neck, your turtleneck exposed by the open top button of your coat. He couldn't keep letting you be single, looking all pretty like that. He was too greedy for that.

Besides, looking the way you did and knowing your big heart, it was just a matter of time before some nice loser tricked you into settling with them and he just couldn't have that. The idea of you taking someone else home to your warm apartment with it's million throw blankets and a cookie jar, an actual cookie jar, he was convinced you kept stocked up just for Yuuji, made him want to commit another murder.

"Ready?" you asked and Sukuna nodded while Yuuji took your hand in his right and Sukuna's in his left.

"Let's go!"

Yuuji's enthusiasm was contagious and the two of you chatted all the way to the park. Sukuna saw some people shoot you all looks as you walked. Sukuna was used to people viewing him with suspicion, even fear. His tattoos, dyed hair and general demeanor making people cross the street to avoid him. Something about you and Yuuji seemed to balance him out though and people reacted as if they were just looking at a cute family going out on a Saturday.

You didn't seem to notice either way and just continued talking to Yuuji about some new anime for kids Sukuna had probably had to suffer through but hadn't retained any memory of.

As soon as you all got to the park, Yuuji took off with barely a good-bye. You seemed concerned and Sukuna bumped your shoulder with his. "Don't stress, he just sees the Fushiguro kid over there. See, they're already fucking around."

He pointed to where Yuuji was chasing around a scowling dark haired boy the same age as him. Sukuna didn't buy the scowl for a second.

He had once run into the kid and his weird dads at the grocery store and the kid had scolded him when he figured out Yuuji wasn't with him. Sukuna would have knocked the kid down a peg if he wasn't actually four years old and if his 'mommy' didn't low key give him the creeps. Sukuna was pretty sure he wasn't the only person guilty of homicide currently at this playground.

"That's so cute," you cooed and Sukuna nodded along while he took you over to some picnic tables. Unfortunately one of them was already occupied.

"Aww if it isn't Sukuna. How nice it is to see your lovely face on a Saturday morning!"

"Gojo."

Sukuna was ready to leave it there but then the bastard got up and walked over. His partner continued sipping on a large cup of boba, watching from his seat although he gave you a little wave.

"Who is this, new girlfriend?" Gojo asked tilting down his sunglasses to look you up and down.

You laughed and introduced yourself while Megumi's parents did the same. Gojo grabbed your hand when you held it out and kissed the back of it, his lips curved into a smile even as he lingered, his fingers clearly holding onto where your pulse would be. Sukuna moved closer to you and put a hand around your waist, the gesture a clear sign for the other man to back off which Sukuna knew Gojo understood because the bitch fucking smiled at him.

Sukuna didn't necessarily take any of Gojo's flirtations seriously. He flirted with every mom and dad on the playground, including him when they first met. He'd even seen him flirt with the guy who worked the ice cream truck so egregiously the kid had looked on the verge of passing out. His partner never seemed bothered and Sukuna wondered if he was just that secure in the relationship or if he hoped someone would finally come along and get the annoying man away from him.

As usual though, Gojo lost interest quickly and went back to his husband who didn't say anything as Gojo lay across his lap like some kind of housecat.

"There are children here," Sukuna said. Mostly out of spite and not jealousy that the two of you weren't curled up like that.

"Don't be homophobic," Gojo said and you snorted before looking innocent when Sukuna shot you a look.

"Alright, let's go see what Yuuji's up to." Sukuna went along with your excuse, mostly just because he liked the feeling of your hand in his. The two of you wandered closer to the playground where Megumi and Yuuji were currently engaged in a game with some other kids that Sukuna couldn't have possibly guessed the subject of.

The kids alternated running around the large structure, disappearing into tunnels, jumping down to hide underneath slides and behind climbing walls. Every time Yuuji popped back up to view he would wave and call out to you both. Sukuna still felt a little warm whenever the kid called him dad and the look you gave him after made him feel caught.

"So, I can see why Yuuji was so sad those morning. Megumi's parents are just vicious monsters," you said and Sukuna was so taken aback he knew his expression didn't hide it well. You smiled and swung your hand that was still in his, turning so you could look at him.

"I don't think that's what the issue was," Sukuna managed and you nodded.

"Right, it must have been because he's so lonely," you said before the two of you were interrupted by the sound of children's ecstatic laughter. You both looked to where Yuuji was now being chased by an entire horde of children.

"I'm the curse, you have to catch me," he yelled out and the other children screamed and laughed as they tried to grab him. Yuuji had never had a hard time making friends and that was very evident in the way he got kids of all ages, even the quiet ones to join in on his game.

"You can have friends and still be lonely," Sukuna argued and you gave him just the softest look. It wasn't fair for you to see through his schemes and still look at him like that.

"Are you lonely, Sukuna?" You got closer to him, your hand still got in his and you were so warm. "Maybe I should come home with you, then?"

Sukuna couldn't have stopped himself from kissing you even if he wanted to, which he didn't. He let go of your hand so he could cup your face in both of his palms. You moaned your approval into his mouth and he responded by nipping your upper lip, pulling you up to meet him as he leaned down to kiss you. Sukuna was about to risk another arrest by taking you right here in the park before a familiar voice called out to the both of you.

"Hey now, there's children here."

Sukuna turned to give the infuriating dumbfuck a piece of his mind when you distracted him by pulling him back to you and giving him a quick peck on the lips. He could leave the fight with Gojo for another day, he supposed. He knew he'd win anyway.

You're smiling and you look so happy and Sukuna doesn't feel the least amount of guilt in getting you here. Even if you knew it was a trick.

Although.

Did this mean you knew that all those times he was "stuck at work" and needed someone to watch Yuuji were a lie too? Or that he actually could cook and the one time he set the building fire alarm off had been because he started an actual fire and not just him burning dinner and two of them didn't actually need you to invite them to dinner so much? Did you also know that your radiator hadn't just stopped working randomly but he had broke it, knowing you would call him because your super never answered, and when he said a part was still missing and you would just have to stay the night at his and Yuuji's place-

Sukuna looked at you more closely and you just kept smiling.

As Yuuji called for the two of you to come help him and Megumi on the swings, Sukuna wondered if he had ever trapped you, even once. Or if you had just let him catch you.

Watching you push Yuuji as the boy screamed for you to go "higher, higher!" he decided he didn't care. Fuck, it might just be better. Knowing you were maybe as crazy as he was.

shout out to the dad at the park today who had the audacity to play with his toddler and have a cute dog at the same time.

also I liked the end of this so much I may just write a prequel of Sukuna and reader taking turns gaslighting the other into a relationship, we'll see.

Edit: wrote the prequel, here!

[cupidkenji]

killshot, baby

Pairing: Aaron Hotch x Doctor!Fem!reader Cw: Fluff (for real this time), LONGING (this is literally 9k words of pure yearning idek how I did that), mentions of blood, Hotch gets shot, Jack being adorable, Jack gets injured too :(, no explicit age gap, this is just rlly cute idk it's sweet I love Hotch so much I need him Summary: When you get hired as the BAU's stand-by medic, the team leader ends up being the hardest part of your job. Disclaimer: Reader is chubby! She's always fat coded, but like usual she's not described here. Just know a chubby person was imagined when writing this <3 WC: 9k (Hotch is the love of my life I could go on about him forever) This is definitely not medically accurate, please just enjoy for the sake of the story. I LOVE HOTCH I WANNA SMOOCH HIM

As weird as it was, band aids were the thing you remembered most from your childhood. You grew up as a canvas for any sort of scrape, cut, or bruise. Any wound that made your parents feel mildly worried to utterly terrified were ones that decorated your body frequently. You never tried to assign any meaning to why you became a doctor, simply crediting it as your call to the profession - to people. If you had to, though, your consistently bruised adolescent body is the best root cause you could think of. It seemed only right that the kid who couldn’t keep her skin in tact would grow to love helping others. You liked to think that’s how you kept your head an average size. Your bosses and co-workers had raved about your abilities no matter the job you took, and after a while you had to start prioritizing keeping your humility. You had started as just a kid with bruises. 

You tended to ground yourself with those same memories in times like this. For as long as you’d worked in the hospital, you held some disdain for agents. You saw many federal ones, being so close to the HQ for divisions like Behavioral Analysis, but some locals swung by too. You’d had far too many experiences of them being snappy, demanding, and usually inconsiderate to the team of people trying to save someone. You understood the individuals you were committed to helping often got there by doing monstrous things, but demanding to talk to someone when they were bleeding out and half-conscious always forced your tongue between your teeth in an effort to stay respectful. Especially now, pushing a stretcher with 3 other workers while trying to shake off the feds trailing after him. You recognized them, Agents Rossi and Hotchner, if you remembered correctly. 

“We’ll need to talk to him immediately.” The man - Rossi, you assumed, seeing as he was going gray and had less of a charge fueling his steps - spoke quickly as the two men followed your team.

“Be here when he’s out of surgery.” You didn’t bother to look back, trying to convey your annoyance and praying they got the hint. 

“He’s killed three women and has another one hostage. We don’t have time.” The other one piped up, easily keeping pace with you.

Abandoning your previous strategy, you let your team push the man into the operating room, shutting the door behind them and whipping around to face the duo. “I understand that, sir, believe me.” You were more elevated than you would have liked, years of unease unfortunately slipping through your efforts to withhold them. “But whatever happened when you found him left him barely breathing. You can’t speak to a corpse. You’ll have your time when he’s stable. Go do your job and let me do mine.” You tensed your calves planning to turn around, but quickly felt the guilt catch up to you. “I’ll call you if he wakes up.”

“If?” 

You sighed. You hated profilers. “I’ll call you.” 

“Call the headquarters.” He was scribbling down a number on the back of a hospital business card. “Ask for Agent Hotch. We’ll be waiting.” You nodded your head once, taking the card from his hands. He started walking away as he thanked you. “We appreciate it.” Sure.

–

The surgery to save the man had been a trip and half. One of the bullets had internally ricocheted, and the other two were lodged next to crucial arteries. You praised your mother for giving you steady hands as you inched them out of him. It took you and your team six hours and fifteen minutes to get his heartbeat steady, you estimated he’d be knocked out all night. You should call, you thought. You had no idea how late these people worked but they were more than likely expecting to talk tonight and you didn’t know if that’d be possible. You fished the card out of your pocket, his handwriting was impressively neat for how fast he’d written the number. You heard the line ring twice before someone picked up. 

“This is Penelope Garcia with the Behavioral Analysis Unit, who am I speaking to?”

“Uh- I’m Dr. L/n down at Quantico Med. I’m looking for Agent Hotch?” Your words tilted up at the end of your sentence. The casual nature of his shortened name left a weird feeling in your mouth after you said it. “I have an update on a patient he was asking after.”

“Is this about an unsub?” 

“A what?” She lacked professionalism. You wondered briefly if he had just given you the phone number of an employee.

“I’m sorry-” she laughed slightly. “Is this about a suspect? Hotch told me someone might be calling.”

“Um - yeah it’s about a suspect. He was brought in earlier. Is Agent Hotch there? I’m sorry ma’am but I've been in an operating room for the past 6 hours and I want to go home.” You hoped she’d respect your honesty, you really didn’t have the patience to explain yourself to someone new. 

She chuckled. “I got you honey, I’ll page you over.” The line went dead for a second before the ringing resumed. Please be quick, you prayed, get me out of this fucking hospital.

“Hotchner.” His voice was rougher over the phone. You guessed the long hours started to weigh on him by this time of night. You always felt it the most around this time, too.

“Hi, sir. This is Dr. L/n from the hospital. We managed to stabilize your guy, but it’s unlikely he’ll be up before tomorrow. I know it was assumed he’d be awake tonight but it took longer to operate than expected.” Your guys put 3 bullets in him, so sorry for the inconvenience. “I’ll be here all day tomorrow. You can come by at any time and I’ll let you in.”

“Are you positive we can’t talk to him tonight? I understand the situation is difficult but this case is extremely time sensitive. I’m sure that’s not lost on you.” You cursed the man for not being more condescending in his delivery. Thinking of the poor person either trapped or dead right now due to the guy you just saved made you sick. 

“I know.” Fucking hell. “I can wake him up.” A quarter dose of adrenaline works wonders. “Be here in fifteen minutes. You won’t have much time to talk to him.”

“Thank you.” He hung up. You put your head in your hands. Just a little kid with bruises.

– 

The layout of the BAU made you envious of the workers here. You’re sure they’d dealt with atrocities beyond what the average person could stomach, but you also worked within the belly of the beast and man were those hospital hallways claustrophobic. The daylight shone beautifully through the large windows, and you asked yourself if you’d be able to cope with all the paperwork in exchange for a feel like this. There weren’t any front desks, nowhere to sign in, so you sat in one of the chairs by the door and waited to see if something would happen. You had been specifically requested to visit the building , a note signed ‘Strauss’ being left with the hospital secretary. You didn’t like being called on by a stranger, it made you nervous beyond belief. You’re sure anyone walking by assumed you were being charged with something. Sweating like a sinner in church.

“Dr. L/n?” A woman was standing near you, having completely avoided your eyesight until now. “I’m the board supervisor, Erin Strauss. Thank you for coming.” The woman was nice enough, but she seemed rigid, clearly confident in her authority. She led you to her office and gestured to the chair facing her desk.

“I’ll cut right to the chase.” She smoothed her pencil skirt as she sat down. “The BAU is seeking a stand-by medic and I’d like to offer you the position. You’re revered highly by your previous places of employment and your current boss has only good things to say. Along with a personal reference by an employee of mine, you’re certainly a person of interest. You’d be working interchangeably with three other individuals, however you would be the first one called when needed.”

That is definitely not what you were expecting. You were almost immediately ready to turn down the offer. You didn’t work well with cops. You worked well in a hospital, going into the field to patch the wounds of both good and evil was a less than appealing deal to you. 

“You’d be on call while you worked your current position at Quantico Medical, when you’re at home you can remain there, but you’ll be flying with the rest of the team when they leave. You will be entered into a federal database, and employed as a stand-in for hospitals near you when working abroad.” She went on to explain you’d be paid salary, and when you heard just how much you could add to your monthly income by doing this, you took it. You were doing fine, you definitely didn’t need the financial boost, but you had family that could use it. Your niece had been close to turning down college because of the cost, so some extra money could really set her up. 

“Excellent. You’ll start your field training next Monday.” She was shuffling papers into a hefty stack as she talked. “Come back when you’ve finished this and I’ll arrange a team meeting.” The stack was even heavier than you expected when you picked it up. It was far too early to be regretting your decision. 

–

The first day of training had been easy enough. You weren’t an agent, so you avoided having to learn weapons or combat. It generally consisted of learning efficiency, along with how to work properly with agents and the expected etiquette when dealing with an unsub. You had met the team only once by now. Everyone had been nice - Garcia especially - but aside from her nobody had been particularly welcoming. The conditions of your job were a bit strange, basically capitalizing on the what ifs that came with the FBI title, and that created a bit of distance between you and the rest of the team. They questioned the necessity of you, they’d survived this long without a stand-by medic with them, why did they need one now?

Above any disregard for those in law enforcement sat your stubbornness. You knew they were on the fence about you, the most logical thing for you to do now would be attend every session required of you and prove yourself through pure accomplishment. Easy in theory, much harder to execute when Aaron Hotch is the one you’re learning from. He was a good teacher - you’d give him that - he had a confidence to him that easily dominated a room, attracted eyes in a way other men couldn’t manage. You’d ignored the initial stir in your stomach when meeting him in favor of attempting to scold him and his partner. Now, it was much harder to quell the slight pound in your head or the sweat on your palms. He was just standing up front, lecturing on the importance of a team, but his attire was the only thing able to break through the haze in your mind. Every time he’d shown up at the hospital, he’d donned a suit, a slightly baggy blazer worked incredibly well as a shield to your curiosity. That had clearly changed, as he shed the overcoat when talking to the class, having just a white button up adorn his torso. You took notice of the rolled up sleeves, clearing your throat quietly to snap yourself back into focus. You had the intention of snuffing out this little thing of yours but were a living contradiction at this point, setting on the goal of avoidance while barely ignoring the sight of the veins on his arms. You pondered the thought of sleeping with some man at a bar just to get this out of your system, but remembered how little projecting attraction onto someone else helps a situation. In other words, you were probably fucked.

– 

The first mission you worked with the team had you flying to a tiny Georgia town to investigate a string of bodies being found in ransacked homes. It seemed to be a simple motive, robbery turned to murder, but the team was called down to help once the kill count hit five. You had been expecting a long commercial flight, figuring you’d need to invest in a good neck pillow and some aspirin. Nobody had bothered to inform you the Bureau utilized private air travel, or that you’d be flying in one with people you’d known for two weeks. You’re sure you looked a little out of place, looking around the plane without being obvious you were doing it and adjusting to the sight of couches on planes. The others, having had this privilege for years now, took their respective seats. You had been nervous about that, unfortunately. The unsure feeling of where to sit reminding you painfully of high school cafeterias and inferior reputations. The only open seat happened to be right next to the man you’d been ducking away from the past two weeks. Lovely. He took a moment to look at you when you sat. You were prepared to talk to him, but for now you busied yourself with rummaging through your bag looking for nothing and pretending not to see him in your peripherals.

“Do you get sick on planes?” He seemed to have a deeper motive when he asked, like you saying yes would solve a puzzle in his head.

“Not really.” You’d only been on a plane a handful of times. “Turbulence can make me nervous, but I think that’s fairly normal.” You thought momentarily that perhaps he would blame your obvious anxiety on that instead of his proximity to you. He was a profiler, you’re sure he picked up on tells for nerves you weren’t even aware you had, but maybe he’d write it off. “Why do you ask?”

“You seem…” He trailed off for a moment, looking over your face to try and categorize your expression. “I don’t know, lost?” He smiled, light and easy, and you realized he was trying to reach out to you. The comfortability in the gesture made your head spin. It was like a shot of morphine, enveloping your body in a dull elation - an escape. You wanted that comfortability, wanted him to feel weightless around you. There had been a certain tension between the two of you since you started. He was warmer than the rest, but also more awkward. Your first real interaction had been an outburst, and it left you hesitant to talk to him. 

You chuckled at his remark. “No I -” You shook your head as you spoke, as if shaking off his accusation. “Nobody told me about the jet. You’d think exclusive aircraft would be in the job predecessor.”

He nodded in agreement, holding a slight upturn on his lips. “Yes, you would.” He glances away to check the time, looking back to you quickly like you were his homebase. “Strauss has a habit of getting ahead of herself. Plus, we’re all pretty used to it by now. I have to remind her sometimes that normal provisions don’t have a TI.”

“I’m sure.” It was clear she’d worked with the unit for a while. “Even if they did, though, they’d never find another Garcia.” You thought of the woman, bright and sparkly and incredibly good at her job. “You guys are lucky to have her.”

He stared at you, losing a hint of the lightheartedness and letting a wave of genuinity intertwine with it. “You have her too, Y/n.” His eyes were like a trap, rich pools of honey just begging to tug you down in. “You’re a member of this team. Don’t think your newness makes you inferior to anyone else on it. We’re lucky to have you too.”

Fuck, you were whipped. “I really appreciate that, sir.”

He smiled, shaking his head and waving you off. “Don’t with the sir, please. It’s bad enough when Garcia does it. You can call me Aaron.” Not even the other team members called him that, a thought that seemed to strike you both simultaneously. “Or Hotch, whatever you prefer.”

You just looked at him, letting a smile rouse your lips and trying your hardest not to let the effect he had on you reach your face. “Ok.”

–

The first case had been good training wheels, simply tending to a vic who needed stitches and getting a feel for the life of a field agent. You’d been adjusting nicely to it, quickly getting used to working random hospitals and waiting to be needed on an active crime scene. The others had warmed up to you tremendously after getting back, opening their circle for one more, and you couldn’t be more grateful. A team like this was something you’d wanted for a while, growing more and more unsatisfied with the callous ER workspace by the day. Ironically, there was much more life in jobs dealing with murder. He had also been warming up to you. The two of you hit the status of work-place friends nearly instantly. The endearing encounter on the plane simmered inside you for a while. The memory of it prompting you to keep talking to him, always searching for a fix of the painkiller you’d felt that day. 

You weren’t a profiler, but you were unfathomably infatuated, leading you to never miss his tone getting softer with you, or any one of his touches that lingered for just a second too long. It just barely bypassed the line of friendship, but you never lost sight of that linear barrier, so it was incredibly prevalent to you when he breached it. You scoffed at the idea of any reciprocity, brushing off every remark made by a coworker or the one horrific time you heard JJ refer to the two of you as ‘mom and dad.’ This wasn’t a plausible thing. This was a stupid workplace crush that was more of a hindrance than anything. The growing closeness between you and him would have it’s effects properly restrained to the confines of your head, only permitted to express themselves once you were away from the man. It was an odd dynamic, but Aaron wasn’t an obvious guy, so trying to define the edges of you two would only draw attention to the fact you had been looking at all. No thank you.

“Shit.” The team was sitting around the table going over their files. You were mainly there for support, as you were never a part of the lead up to the catch, the chase. You heard Hotch mumble the exclamation under his breath and looked over to see the trouble. He was looking down at his phone, jaw resting between his thumb and pointer finger. You got up and moved to sit next to him, the motion virtually ignored by everyone else as they continued searching for connections.

“Everything ok?” You mumbled to him, trying not to disturb your friends who were nearly nose-deep in their files. 

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Jack’s sitter canceled. I wanted to stay here to go over the latest crime scene but I guess I’ll have to raincheck.” The killings of your latest unsub had been increasing. You knew the collective stress that was starting to boil within the team. Him going home would only slow them down, a horrible addition to a killer that was speeding up. 

You volunteered your night away before you even got a chance to think about it. 

“I can watch him.” 

Surprise was apparent in the raise of his eyebrows. “I appreciate it, but I couldn’t ask that of you.

You’re fairly certain you would do anything he asked of you, but the nobility of the man in this case almost made you roll your eyes. “No, please. I offered and I would love to. I’m not helping anyone just sitting here, and you leaving would slow them down. You know what to look for here, I don’t. I don’t want another girl going missing just cause your sitter flaked. I can do it.”

He seemed mildly speechless. “I -” He paused, trying to find the wording he wanted. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll send you the address, if you’re sure.” He looked at you with more adoration than you’d ever had directed at you, so intense your eyes instinctively ducked down. “Thank you, Y/n.” He was so touched by the action it made you slightly sad to think about. Had no one ever helped him? Maybe you were raised weird, this seemed hardly beyond common decency to you. 

“What are friends for?” He exhaled a slight laugh in gratuitous agreement, but you saw the glimmer of his eyes dull slightly. The notion surely reflected in your own eyes as the words burned your tongue. Friends.

–

Jack was a delight. A well mannered, clearly well raised kid. Parts of his dad shined so vibrantly in him that you’re sure you’d be able to pick him out of a crowd based on mannerisms alone. Hotch had called Jack’s daycare, verifying your identity and giving you the ok to go pick him up. He seemed quiet on the way home, but rushed to give you a tour of the house, and excitedly led you to his line up of toy trains once you’d entered the place. There was a shift between you and Hotch that happened when you gave the offer. A shift that was now only just settling in you. This was his house. His space, his stuff, his place of security. He’d invited you into it, gave you permission to enter it, to exist within it, and it was strangely intoxicating. He was intoxicating, and you realized quickly how much you ached for the permanence of it. You’d made Jack dinner, played for a bit, went out for ice cream per his pleading, and wished him a peaceful goodnight when his bedtime rolled around. He’d dubbed you his ‘best babysitter ever’ and you knew as soon as the words hit your ears that you’d be watching him again. You’re sure situations like today popped up frequently for Hotch, you could be a valuable asset to him when you had free time. He would be saving money too. No need to pay a sitter when you were being paid by the Bureau every second you were there. Aaron had gotten home a few minutes past one, utterly exhausted and uncharacteristically apologetic. He was sorry for being gone so long, making you stay so late, everything and anything the man could apologize for was pouring out of his mouth. He’d welcomed you to stay, but his hair was messy from messing with it all night, and he’d ditched the suit jacket for a gray long sleeve. You’d wanted to take the opportunity, wanted to bask in the safety of him for as long as he’d allow it, but those restrained thoughts were clawing the walls of your skull with a vigor unlike anything you’d felt before. It would be abhorrent to dream about the man while in the confines of his home. You couldn’t do that - you wouldn’t. You brushed off any apology he could conjure and let him escort you out the door. His hand was on your lower back, and his voice was low from the siphoning nature of the day. 

“Thank you, again.” He looked at you. “You’re a lifesaver.” You’d expected to hear some humor in his voice. The start of banter between friends, a casual appreciation for a job well done, but there wasn’t any. He sounded rough, slightly beat down, his eyes filled with a sincerity all aimed at you. A blend of pure adoration and a deeper level of dedication. Was this a commitment? What kind?

Heat bubbled in your stomach as you made eye contact. “Please.” You shook your head slightly. “Jack’s an angel. You’re clearly as good at this as you are profiling.” You nodded in the vague direction of Jack’s bedroom as you referenced the kid. “It was my pleasure. I’d love to do it again, if you’ll let me.” 

He sighed out a small laugh and broke your gaze for a moment, looking back to you as he spoke. “I’d like that.”

–

You’d seen Jack a multitude of times after that. Aaron was never particularly fond of asking you, claiming that he appreciated the gesture but it was mainly Jack’s begging that made him cave. That, and your persistence. You liked Jack a lot, and more selfishly, you liked being around Aaron’s stuff. It was a little creepy, yes, but you felt better acquainted with him after being around his things. An energetic type of understanding, the type that deepened a connection without words. He was needed late tonight, and as much as you hated denying an offer to see Jack, you had priorities at the hospital. The previous sitter wasn’t able to watch him, so she gave a personal recommendation, and Jack got stuck with a stranger. You thought about him while working, probing and patching people half-focused with the desire to be elsewhere. You’d felt mildly guilty about it, but it’s not like it altered your work, so you figured it was harmless. 

You wondered slightly if you manifested the event you were watching play out. You watched in pure disbelief as a sobbing Jack was being carried into the ER by a flustered blonde woman. There was blood staining the right sleeve of his shirt, pouring out of his skin in a surplus and completely soaking through the material. A jagged piece of glass was standing at attention in his wrist, having sliced through the fabric like butter. He was marked ‘urgent,’ who knows if the shard had hit an artery or where the glass had come from. 

Most other doctors were busy, either operating or tending to patients. You’d walked to the front desk, remaining as calm as your racing heart would let you, and told the secretary to assign the case to you. “I know this one. Let me take him.” She just nodded, marking your name down as the primary doctor and allowing you to take him back. 

Walking up to the blonde woman, you assumed this had been the new babysitter. She was a wreck, trying to explain what happened through her own hysteria while simultaneously having her words drowned out by the crying child. “It’s ok, ma’am.” You’d reassured her, obviously she hadn’t intended the injury. “Let me take him, I’m a friend of his father.” You saw the calmness dilate her eyes, making itself apparent in the relaxation of her tense shoulders. You removed the bleeding boy from her arms, holding him against you and cooing at him the way you would a baby. You took him to a stretcher a few feet away and laid him down, ensuring his wounded arm stayed flat in an attempt to slow the blood. He was on the brink of passing out, his body not having nearly enough energy for the sobbing on top of losing vital fluid. “Jack.” You addressed him directly, two more doctors aiding your transfer to an examination room. “I need you to stay with me, buddy. Just a little longer, I promise. You’re gonna be just fine.” You pushed with one hand, caressing his non-injured arm to emphasize your affection. “Just a little longer.” You looked at him in between looking forward to keep the stretcher straight, seeing that same adoration from his father’s eyes mirrored in his. You felt protective, realizing you cared for the Hotchners much more than you let yourself believe. Little kid with bruises, you skimmed through your origins in your mind in an attempt to center your focus. Just a little kid with bruises.

Two hours later, Jack was stitched up and sleeping soundly. You knew his sitter had called Hotch, probably as soon as something happened, and were not surprised to find him idle in a waiting room chair. He was leaned forward, head in his hands and knee bouncing violently. He heard footsteps getting closer, a feeling within him recognizing them as yours, and he looked up. His eyes were teary, tired. The look of a concerned father.

“How is he?” You’d never witnessed this type of worry in him, heard the amount of desperation in his voice.

You smiled lightly as a predecessor to Jack’s wellbeing. “He’s fine. Glass missed his arteries. We had him patched up in around an hour and a half. Gave him a lollipop and a light sedative to get him to rest. He should be all set to go in the morning.” 

He sighed, and the amount of stress that audibly left his body made you feel a little lighter from where you stood. “Thank God.”

“Hey man, give us a little credit.” You joked, relieved when you heard the slight laugh come from his downturned head. Pity laugh, probably, but it was a cherished sound nonetheless. 

“You have full credit, Y/n.” He shook his head, raising it to look at you. “Quite the hero.”

You almost physically recoiled from the term, rushing to correct him while maintaining the lighthearted nature. “Definitely not.” You rejected the praise. “Just doing my job. I’m glad I could help him.”

He leaned back in his chair, relaxing for a second before he planned to stand up. “Noble.” He chuckled. “But you helped my son. That’s about as heroic as it gets to me, doc.”

Blood rushed to your ears at your professional title being used so affectionately. “Go check on your kid, Hotch.” You waved back towards the direction of Jack, knowing that even though he was asleep, he’d want to see him anyway. You also hoped the slight distraction would draw his attention away from your increasingly flustered state. “You’ll have plenty of time to praise me.” You weren’t entirely sure you’d wanted the sentence to exit your mouth, but it was too late to bite your tongue.

He raised his eyebrows so slightly that you scolded yourself for having noticed. Such a minuscule action that seemed to move mountains within your brain. “Oh?”

“Shut up.” You rolled your eyes at your own remark. “I’m walking away. You know what I meant.”

“Mhm.” He smiled, nodding his head dramatically and rising from his seat. “Just name a time and place, doc. I’ll do good on that promise.”

You went momentarily braindead, hoping your eyes weren’t giving away the less than work appropriate feeling pumping through your veins. You stared baffled at him for what was definitely a millisecond too long before giving a half-shocked, half-flattered laugh and gesturing him away. “Say that when you’re not obviously sleep deprived and delirious and maybe we can arrange it.” The last thing you heard was him, laughing the way you do when you’re very serious but desperately trying to pass it off as a joke. You knew it well, having done it almost every time you were around him since you started. Comfortable, witty retorts between  friends. “Have a good night, Aaron.” 

Aaron, he thought. He’d remember that.

– 

That had been the second shift between the two of you. Felt immediately by both parties and tossing you both into the deep end of whatever you’d been building with him. He’d been much more touchy, seemingly subconscious on his part but noticed by every part of your body, mind, and soul. You thought about what it could mean, then sunk even further into your incoherent mind when realizing just how subconscious the actions really were. He was just drawn to you. You had viscerally fought that conclusion as it came to you but it genuinely could not be anything else. He was touching you more because - whether on the surface or deeper down - he just wanted to, and that fact was wrecking you. You were so fucking into him that it hurt. Hurt to look at him or be in his home watching Jack or have his knee pressed against yours in the back of car during a team outing. It all hurt because he wasn’t yours. He seemed into you, too. Of course, you didn’t know to what extent. You worried maybe he hadn’t said anything yet because he simply didn’t like you enough, and that hurt more than any other factor. It was a foolish notion - one you would have abandoned instantly had you peeked inside his head - but alas, no such luck.

He’d been more relaxed, too. The two of you reaching a point in your relationship you hadn’t ever let yourself dream about. He was funny, achieving that lightness around you that you’d wanted from the start. He’d gotten riskier, amping up the dial on his remarks a bit. Starting with those like the hospital, ending with ones that made you have to take a breather in the room where they kept the coffee. It hadn’t gone unnoticed, per say, but the others were certainly ignorant to the true depth of the change. You simply couldn’t measure it by witnessing, you had to feel it. And fuck were you feeling it. 

A week or so after Jack’s ER visit, you’d asked after him. You didn’t know if the regret was immediate, but it flooded through you quickly. Aaron got nervous, shifty, like you’d touched a live wire of his and he now had to patch it up before it blew. You got concerned, asking if something happened with his stitches or if Jack was now showing some sort of trauma response to the event. Was that even plausible? You weren’t sure, PTSD wasn’t exactly your strong suit. However, he quickly stated that wasn’t the case, noting that Jack was actually in perfect health and had been relentless about wanting you over for dinner.

“He’s grateful.” Hotch was smiling with paternal reluctance, proud of his son for having such good morals but also uncomfortable with the possibility of rejection he was facing. “He wants to see you, say thank you for “saving his life.” He emphasized the last bit in a sarcastic tone, both of you knowing his life hadn’t been in danger but also knowing that fact wouldn’t deter the boy from considering you some type of guardian angel. “Would you be up for it?” If you hadn’t been so focused on snuffing out the heat rushing to your face, you would have seen that same heat reflected in a slight pink across his cheeks. 

“Definitely.” You smiled at the thought of the boy bugging his dad about getting you to the house. “When were you thinking?”

“Saturday night?” Both of you were scheduled to be off that day, and you found yourself begging whatever merciful being would listen to not have some lead to chase that day. “He’ll want the day to prepare.” He chuckled.

“Oh no.” You joked. Prepare? You couldn’t even begin to imagine what that meant. “Well, I am extremely curious to find out what an eight year old boy has to prepare for. How about seven? Would that be good?”

Aaron felt his palms start to sweat. He’d never actually been around his house when you’d been there, only seeing you on your way out. “That’s perfect.”

“Great.” You smiled, checking the time and realizing you needed to get going to the hospital. “I’m looking forward to it.” You nodded slightly as one last confirmation and headed out, suppressing a giddy smile while trying to force yourself into a headspace you could work in. 

In the meantime, Aaron watched you walk off from where he’d been perched on your desk, entirely oblivious to the man watching the scene.

“As I live and breathe.” Rossi had crept up on him, not spooking him but rather suspending him in a state of immeasurable embarrassment. “Aaron Hotcher has a crush.” The man held his shoulder, patting him there like a father witnessing his son get his first girlfriend. “She’s a good one. Quite the eye you got, Aaron.” Then he was gone, walking away with Aaron’s dignity clasped in his hands. Closing his eyes in pure mortification, Hotch simply thanked God that nobody else was around for that and walked away with the intention of fusing to his office chair to avoid ever looking at Rossi again. At least you’d said yes, he thought. He didn’t know how he’d cope with his friend watching him swing and miss.

–

The daylight seemed to be anticipating this more than you were, hours passing by like minutes until eventually the sun woke you up on Saturday morning. It was blazing through the cracks in your blinds, settling in slim lines across your floor, as light and gentle as snow. You’d been rehearsing your poker face in preparation for tonight. Writing safety manuals for any ungodly situation that could happen, everything from a fire to Aaron gaining the ability to read your mind and unearthing what you really thought about him. You were so happy that Jack held you in such high esteem, but your hands were shaking at the thought of sitting down with him and his father and acting like it wasn’t the dynamic you fucking dreamt about. You knew it was a good sign of compatibility if someone’s cat liked you - did their child liking you mean the same thing? You hoped Jack’s seemingly innate approval of you gave you at least a couple brownie points. Aaron had called you a hero. Swiftly ignoring the memory of what he’d said after he called you a hero, you pulled out your phone. You and him didn’t really speak outside of work and babysitting schedules, but you were pacing around your room and needed something to give you a semblance of structure, a reassurance - even if it was just for the time. You texted, asking if you were still on for tonight, then went to go make breakfast and inevitably pace some more. He’d gotten back to you about twenty minutes later, confirming the time and giving details of how excited Jack was about it. You smiled at that, praying tonight would be as smooth as humanly possible and you could walk away with an ounce of emotional control. You set an intention, this wouldn’t deepen your feelings for Aaron. Was it a pointless goal? Yes. Was it also highly unlikely to prove true? Yes. But the loose plan you worked around the resolution almost completely extinguished the anxiety that had been blazing for hours now. It would be fine, you thought. Completely and utterly fine. 

The same words were looping through your thoughts when you got to his front door. Casual - but still minorly more dressed up than he’d seen you. You’d put a little extra effort into your appearance, mainly to pass the time if you were honest, and you walked in with mild confidence fueling your steps. You did your best not to ogle him, he was in an attire that was already threatening to unravel the safety net of the goal you set. You were used to the suits hidden beneath blazers you cursed the existence of, maybe a snippet of his forearms when he rolled up his sleeves late at night. Now, though, he sported a simple black tee, more comfortable than you’d ever seen him. Domesticity was practically oozing from the entire situation. You felt the pieces slip into place as Jack ran up behind him, and you almost cried with how badly you wanted this feeling to be your normal. 

“Hey, buddy.” You laughed as he hugged you, reciprocating the act as well as you could from the multiple feet you had on his height. “How’s the arm?”

He raised up his wrist, now gauze free and proudly showed off the scar there. You played up the genuine admiration you felt for him. “That’s a pretty gnarly scar.” He nodded in response, probably feeling cool for the evidence he handled such an injury. “I don’t want to see you back in my operating room, you hear me? Scared the life out of us.” The scolding was playful, and he giggled at your words.

Aaron huffed in agreement, cocking his head to the side slightly. “You can say that again.” Jack looked between you two, smiling and seemingly thinking something neither of you could decipher. To break the moment of silence, Aaron patted his shoulder. “Why don’t you tell her what’s on the menu, buddy?”

He told you, and you hummed along to his words, commenting that it sounded delicious and actually meaning it. He ran away a second later - presumably back to whatever he’d been doing before you got there - and left you and Aaron alone. Venturing into the kitchen, you saw multiple pans and pots sitting neatly on the stove, table set and ready to be utilized. Everything was being kept warm, and you finally gained an appetite after having wrestled with nerves all day. 

“Do you want a drink?” He asked it while entering the kitchen, pausing to look at you. 

“Please.” You were desperate to calm yourself, eager to subdue the shaking of your hands. “Do you have any wine?” You weren’t the biggest fan, but you couldn’t think of a drink more fitting for the evening.

He nodded slightly. “Red or white?”

“White.”

He chuckled. “Thought so.” It was quiet, more to himself than you as he was already walking away from you when he said it. He’d thought about what kind of wine you liked, you thought. He’d thought about you. He pulled two wine glasses down from the cupboard, then walked over to the fridge. He reached above it, barely having to stretch, and pulled an uncorked bottle from the storage up there. You felt your legs tense looking at how tall he was, how sure he was of his actions. Jesus. It’s been five minutes and you were crumbling. You watched his hands as he uncorked the bottle, reading the label and realizing the brand.

You furrowed your eyebrows. “Seems a little fancy for a dinner.”

He laughed under his breath as he finished pouring the glasses, walking back over to sit next to you on the island stools. “You’re a guest of honor.” He placed yours in front of you. “I thought it was fitting.” 

You searched, but couldn’t find the humor in his tone. You raised your eyebrows slightly. “Am I?” It was sarcastic, you needed to stop the heat in your stomach from spreading. “I didn’t know doing your job earned such a title.”

He was drinking as you spoke, finishing his sip before joking back. “You’re a doctor.” He said. “I thought you knew that better than anyone.”

You sucked air through your teeth as if wounded by his words. “Touche.” You took a sip of your drink, relishing the taste. Damn, he didn’t come to play. He laughed, and you set your glass back down. “Ok, I have to know.” He drew his attention to you. “What the hell did Jack need the day to prepare for?” The question had been on your mind since he asked you.

He took a drink, chuckling with a mouthful then swallowing so he could reply. “He actually helped cook most of this.” He nodded towards the stove full of different dishes. “That was what he needed the day for. Time for trial and error.”

You grinned at the thought of Jack and Aaron spending the day in aprons, making sure everything turned out perfect. “That is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”

He looked back towards Jack, coloring in the living room, close enough to see but far enough to miss your discussions. “He gets nervous around you.”

That surprised you. “Why on Earth would he be nervous around me?” You took your turn looking at the boy, an idea hitting you and making you feel sick. “Wait, I didn’t do something did I?”

He looked back at you, smiling. “No, no. Nothing like that. He gets nervous because he likes you. He knows who you are to me, too, so he wants to make a good impression.”

Your mind latched onto that sentence and played it like a broken record, bouncing between your ears over and over. “Oh?” Your lips were curling up at the corners, eyebrows furrowing as you got ready to hold him to that statement. “And who might I be to you, Aaron?”

Fuck. He’d let that slip past his lips without even thinking about it. So used to being in the confidential company of his son. Good thing he used to be a lawyer and could lie his ass off. “Most of his sitters aren’t also my coworkers.” He delivered it the smoothest way he could, smiling and drinking to hopefully exude a false comfortability that he certainly wasn’t feeling.

“Mhm.” You narrowed your eyes at him, trying to look sarcastic but in truth downplaying the sting you felt. What if this had been one-sided all along? You hadn’t prepped a safety guide for that.

Luckily, Jack came sprinting into the kitchen a second later, pleading with his father to eat now. Clinging to his leg and declaring how hunger was killing him by the second, dramatically threatening to wither away before your very eyes. You both shared a look, agreeing silently to put the kid out of his misery. The instinctual nature of the act hit you like a bolt of lightning. Both of you so in tune it was comical. The dinner had been lovely, and you reminded yourself to encourage Jack to keep up his cooking hobby. Maybe you could foster a professional chef. You’d talked with them both, light and the happiest you’d felt in a while. There it was, you realized. That weightless feeling you wanted to give him. You felt it in yourself too, and you could only pray it was because he felt it first. When dinner concluded, you’d help clean up while Jack resumed his coloring. His bedtime was soon, and you didn’t want him to spend his last hour washing pans. He was nearly delirious by the time 9:00 graced the clock, tired from the preparation of the day and needing to get to sleep. He’d given you a hug goodnight, thanked you for coming like the gentleman he was, and that was the last you saw of him. The rest of your time there was spent on the couch with Aaron, you both held a second glass of wine, and you noticed it manifest in the blush on his face. He was gorgeous, and you were staring. You know your eyes went to his lips a couple times as he spoke, low and rougher as the time ushered more light out of the sky. You saw his eyes slip down a few times too, this sort of unspoken, agonizing rule of look don’t touch. He’d walked you to the door, thanked you for your attendance, and then you were leaving. Sitting in your car, warm on the inside from both his presence and the anger you felt at yourself for not just kissing him. You were so incredibly needy for this - for him, and that fact just sat with you, like a raincloud constantly in a state of downpour, never letting you forget the pure fucking craving you had for him.

–

You think the start of your blackout was Morgan’s panicked voice over the speaker. You’d been stationed in your typical hut, equipped with medical gear and waiting on someone to need you. It was almost never your team in need of service, typically you were tending to an injured hostage or sometimes the unsub themselves, but never your friends. Your breath had been baited since you’d heard the gun go off. You knew the case was dealing with an aggressive attacker, you’d been expecting a fight, but nothing is ever more excruciating than waiting to hear who the shot was meant for. Derek crying out your name followed by a “get in here. Hotch is down, we need you in here.” had you ready to run the soles of your shoes down to dust just to make it in time. In time. God, in time for what? You’d ran past Emily and Rossi hauling out the unsub, anger evident in their treatment of him. How bad was it? How bad had he got him to have them acting like that?

The scene was bloody. Your brain switching off and forcing you into autopilot as you registered the pool of Hotch’s blood that Morgan was kneeling in. He was putting pressure on the wound, an attempt to stop the bleeding but it was flowing like a river. He wouldn’t make it to the hospital like this, you realized. He wouldn’t make it to the fucking hospital. You were holding his life in between your hands right now, the slightest tremor could sever that chord and you were feeling the pressure hard. Aaron was leaned against the wall, slumping down slightly which was only making the bleeding increase under the internal pressure. 

You looked at Morgan, putting on the bravest face you could muster and effectively seizing control of the situation. “Morgan.” You got his attention quickly. “On three I need you to lift him away from the wall. I need to check for an exit wound.” He just nodded, doing exactly as you’d told him when you reached three. You checked the area, finding an exit wound in nearly the same spot. It’d been a straight line. You sighed in relief. Thank fucking God. “Ok, Morgan, I need you to put pressure on the wound on his back. I’m going to stitch the front to give us the time we need for the hospital drive but I need you to hold it. You got me?” 

He nodded once. “I got it.” He moved his hand from the front to the back, Aaron wincing at the switch.

You took out the numbing cream from your pack, knowing it wouldn’t do much for a gushing bullet wound but hoping it would at least quell the sting of a needle. You took out the needle, threading it with hands frighteningly stagnant as the adrenaline gave you tunnel vision. You had to save him. “Aaron.” You looked at him as you prepped his skin for the procedure. “I’m gonna need to double stitch this, and it’s gonna hurt like hell. I need you to stay with me.” 

The man just nodded, exhaling in exhaustion. “Do it.”

You worked as quickly as possible, gaining hope as you listened to the ambulance approach. “There you go.” You said under your breath, at this point you couldn’t tell if you were reassuring him or yourself.  You looked to Morgan, who was still sealing the other injury. “Help me get him up. Keep your hand on there. These stitches are gonna give us twenty minutes tops. Hold his shoulders straight and walk quickly.” You counted again, both of you rising when you hit three, taking the man with you. The walk to the ambulance was the longest of your life. Aaron was clinging to his consciousness but you knew he was losing grip. Finally getting him to the stretcher and slamming the doors was a relief like nothing else. There was no time to debate anyone else going, you rushed him in and sat right down beside him, taking off almost immediately after. The bleeding had slowed, and your hand took the place of Morgan’s on his back. Since he was laying down, his full weight was on it, and you felt the circulation lessen more and more as it remained there. You couldn’t care less, you’d let the blood drain from your entire arm if it meant Aaron’s survival. He hadn’t passed out, which you thought was miraculous, simply walked the line of decently delirious. Groaning under his breath at every slight bump in the road. 

“Why am I always having to save you Hotchner men?” You knew now wasn’t the time to be humorous, but you would have done anything to deviate from the tears in your eyes, the ball in your throat. You finally understood why it was frowned upon to date coworkers - it should be illegal to care this much. 

“I don’t know, honey.” The pet name was the kicker, allowing a tear to break the dam and roll down your cheek as he chuckled. “You seem to be pretty damn good at it, though.” You laughed too, fighting the devastation you felt at the sight of him with the fact that he was clearly well enough to still be joking. “I should have kissed you when you came for dinner.”

Fuck. “Aaron, now is not the time.” You chuckled slightly as more tears fell. This is absurd.

“I know but-” He flinched as the ambulance hit another bump. Almost there. “I might as well say it now.” You wondered if there was genuinely something wrong with him. “You’ve been all I can think about since the moment-'' He paused to breathe slightly in exertion, you giving a disapproving look as his confession took it’s toll. “since the moment you started, you know that?”

“You are dying! Please, for the love of God, Aaron. Use this energy to prevent that from happening.” Your scolding was dramatic, but your actual concern shone brightly through your ruse of sarcasm. 

“Exactly.” He was being equally as sarcastic. How on Earth did he manage this with a rapidly declining life force. “Give a dying man a chance. How unfortunate would it be if the last thing I hear before I go out is the woman of my dreams rejecting me?”

“Jesus Christ.” You shook your head in pure amazement. This was by far the most goal oriented man you’d ever met. “I’ll let you take me out if you shut the hell up and save your energy.” He smiled, letting his head hit the reclined back of the stretcher. “After you get better.” You added, reminding him that his recovery took priority. “Deal?”

“Deal.” This was probably the most insufferable man you’d ever met. “Such a good motivator.”

Scratch that. Most insufferable man ever.