#emilys 2k party

[roosterforme]

Hey Em, idk if ur taking requests rn but could u maybe do something where teenage bradley or jake react to reader getting a lip piercing? 😭 i just got one recently and i’ve been thinking abt it sm. Love your writing 🫶🫶

Nonny, I'm going to include this with my teenage dirtbag collection from a few months ago, because it's a perfect fit! This is for my 2k followers party!

Bradley's unrequited crush on you stretched all the way back to freshman year when you were both fourteen years old. You had accidentally spilled chocolate pudding on his shoe in the school cafeteria, and when you laughed and simply said, "Oops," he fell half in love with you.

Now he was seventeen and about to graduate, and he'd never so much as asked you out. You were next to him in alphabetical order, and he saw you every day at school. And he'd never even so much as told you he liked you. 

After Carole dropped Bradley off at the football field to get ready for his commencement ceremony to begin, he was told to line up in alphabetical order. "Great," he muttered, shuffling up next to you alphabetically. "Hi," he managed to say, and you turned to face him, spilling your drink on his shoe.

"Oops," you said, and Bradley's eyes caught on the tiny lip piercing at the corner of your mouth. That wasn't there yesterday. And if he wasn't fully in love with you before, he sure was now. "Sorry, Bradshaw."

"I really like you," he blurted out, and you smiled at him before turning the other way as the line of students started moving forward. Bradley's heart was pounding as he followed you to the folding chairs and sat down next to you. He was probably going to die of embarrassment before he got his diploma.

He listened to the speeches and tried to focus, but your leg was brushing his. And then he felt your fingers on his hand, and he looked at you right when you said, "I really like you, too."

Then you kissed him. During the speech the valedictorian was giving. Right in front of everyone. Bradley was sure he would hear about this from his mom later, but he didn't care. Because he could feel your lip piercing rubbing along his own lips.

And then you settled back in your seat like nothing had even happened. But your fingers were still linked with his. And after you both had your diplomas, you told him your phone number, which he immediately memorized. And the next day, you let him feel your lip piercing with his mouth again.

[iamnotawomanimagod]

Happy 4th birthday, Dropout!

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[distantdarlings]

PARTY MONSTER // m. riddle

RATING: R / 2K words

Mattheo Riddle x Reader Insert (No gender-specific details, though mentioned that the reader is wearing a dress)

+ SUMMARY - You are invited to a Slytherin dorm party but cannot seem to find your friends anywhere. Your search is interrupted when someone else finds you. (Smut)

+ WARNINGS - Language, tension, sensuality, heavy kissing, petting, implied oral sex but not described, dom!Mattheo

+ MUSIC (listened to while writing) -

Party Monster - The Weeknd

---

The music overhead pounded throughout the stone halls. Dark green and blue lighting was strung from every possible hanger that could be found. A few green-flame candles hung suspended in the air above your head. The entire enormous room was coated in the house’s rich color.

Frankly, you were surprised none of the staff had been called down to see what the hell was going on. You figured one of the older students had put some kind of muting spell around the whole common room to keep everything private. The Slytherin common room was vast and intricately decorated. You’d only been inside of it a few times. Though students were not supposed to go into common rooms other than their own, you had been snuck in a couple of times for study sessions with some of your Slytherin friends. Because of this, you were a bit more comfortable finding your way around. 

You weaved through the dancing crowd, brushing past sweating, swaying bodies. You were dressed just about like everyone else but you still worried you stood out like a sore thumb. The general feeling of not belonging made you a bit nervous. Nobody had ever told a professor when you had been in here before but you couldn’t help but keep your head down as you looked for your friends. 

Since there were no classes tomorrow, you had agreed to come to this party, though you were now wondering if it was a mistake. The burning stench of firewhisky found its way to your nostrils, making your eyes water slightly. Somehow in your journey to track your friends down, a glass of the strong stuff found its way into your hand. You sighed in defeat and raised the cup to your lips. Hopefully, it hadn’t belonged to someone else.

After another few minutes of wandering aimlessly, you had just about given up on finding your friends when a set of long, dark fingers slid their way around your waist to the front of your stomach. You laughed at the slightly ticklish feeling and turned around.

“Emily, I’ve been looking—oh!” The smile on your face faded. Before you stood the exact opposite of your best friend. A darkened boy with an intoxicated smirk on his face. His eyes hung low almost like he was tired and his lips appeared slightly swollen. The hand not around you cradled a full-sized bottle of firewhisky. You willed your eyes not to widen as he tilted the ashen bottle back. His lips curled determinedly around the mouth of the glass container, the suction from his drinking forming a dark bleed around his lips. So that was why his lips were so swollen, you thought. Your eyebrows screwed together as you pushed that thought away from your mind.

“My name is not Emily,” the boy smirked, his hand falling away from your waist as you turned. 

“I know that—I’m sorry, I thought you were my friend,” you tried to explain. You struggled to pull your eyes away from his black ones, yet no matter how hard you tried, they just seemed to drag you deeper into them. 

“You know who I am?” he asks. You knew who he was. Mattheo Riddle. He was infamous within the walls of this castle. Everyone knew who he was. They knew his attitude, his friends, or his body and you happened to know all three. By acquaintance, anyway. A girl that sat behind you in your Herbology class had—apparently—slept with him a few months ago and had managed to describe everything about him. She, fortunately, did not leave out a single detail and that, along with seeing Mattheo in the hallways on the way to class, had been the subject of your fantasies for a while now. 

You finally pulled your eyes away from his and looked down at your painted nails. He got around often and quickly and you knew that. He wasn’t actually interested in you, he—

His fingers gently slipped beneath your chin. He tilted your face up to look back at his. Your eyes fluttered as you struggled to not look away. It was honestly hard to look straight at him. The expression on his face and the firewhisky beginning to broil in your system started to make this whole situation seem better and better. What had you been saying? He wasn’t actually interested in you? He was just a player?

His tongue slipped between his lips to gently wet them. He never broke eye contact with you. Your eyes glanced down at the bottle in his free hand. He caught the change in your line of vision and chuckled darkly.

“Head back, love,” he cooed, pushing your chin back slowly and raising the bottle. 

You were not going to fuck this boy.

***

His room was dark and smelled lightly of candle smoke and something rather…earthy. Mattheo walked past the extinguished fireplace on the left wall and further into the room. You felt his fingers unfurl from yours as he tossed his wand onto the bedside table, the wooden object hit the surface with a clatter. He whispered something and the fire to your left erupted in flames. It was bright and too warm for your liking but the boy it illuminated was cut like David.

Mattheo walked back over to you. His softly carved fingers traced slowly up your arms. Though you wore a long-sleeved dress, you could still feel the boy’s fingertips through the material. A shudder passed through you as his eyes found your lips. 

He pressed his hand tightly against the small of your back, pulling you close against his body. You recognized this position as the one that he had done while he was dancing out in the common room only moments before. Your hips melded against Mattheo’s as you let him roll you back. You closed your eyes as you allowed Mattheo to support you, your hands clutching the collar of his white shirt. You felt your back crane against his hand, as the boy pressed his head in the crook of your neck. You hid a smile as your fingers slid in his curled hair. His lips and tongue found purchase against your soft skin. Your fingers tightened in the strands and didn’t release when he groaned against your neck. 

It was endearing how Mattheo seemed to incorporate sex into everything, but you knew it was probably more of a teenaged-boy-hormone thing rather than an artistic thing. Mattheo was an experienced boy, that much was clear, but you weren’t. You’d never gone further than kissing but the way that Mattheo moved your body within his hands made you feel like you’d always known. Like you’d always felt that rhythm that Mattheo kept in his body. Maybe that was a bad thing, but at this moment you didn’t care. Mattheo’s lips against your skin and the firewhisky in your blood seemed to dull a lot of caution.

He pulled you as close to him as you would go. Your lips trembled as the boy walked you backward to his bed, molding his red lips against your chest. You weren't sure how you felt about this, feeling a boy's touch and wanting more. If your parents knew what you were up to right now, they'd murder you but this was your small way of rebelling against them. You were a young student, for Merlin’s sake, you figured it was time for you to have a little fun. Being magical was the greatest thing that ever happened to you, but now you wanted to experience a little bit of mundanity as well. No magic, no spells, no potions, just your bodies moving together.

"K—" you breathed out, your chest shuddering beneath the pressure of the other's closeness.

"What?" Mattheo asked, his eyes flicking up to yours.

You looked into his eyes, wanting nothing more than to fall into them. You wanted to fill the brunette's arms wrapped around you and his cold lips on your chest. You wanted to feel his heartstrings wrap around your throat and suffocate you. You no longer cared about any consequences at the moment, you just wanted him.

"Kiss me." 

Mattheo exhaled shakily and pressed his lips to yours, holding your face in place with his firm fingers. You wrapped your arms around his neck, attempting to be closer to him in any way possible. 

You felt Mattheo’s hands fall away from your back and slip beneath the underside of your thighs. You let out a gasp as he lifted you off the ground and pressed you to the wall just beside his bed. The feeling of the stone behind you and Mattheo’s rough body in front of you made you shudder with delight. Your legs tightened around his waist, pressing his belt buckle tightly against you. Black spots appeared at the corner of your eyes.

The brown-haired boy's lips melded perfectly with your own, allowing you to see that this was what you wanted. 

You unwrapped your legs from the other's tight waist, placing your feet gently on the floor. You pushed Mattheo backwards and over to the bed. The boy fell against it and allowed you to straddle his hips.

“Baby,” he let the word slide out slowly as your hips slid against his. His head tilted back against the bed, exposing his throat so perfectly to you. You laid down against him and bruised his throat. If Mattheo was a player, you were the end to that. Every touch and whisper of a breath against his bare skin had him keening for you like you were oxygen and he was drowning. 

He pulled your lips back to his own, feeling the way your chest pressed so beautifully against his own. You let out a small moan at the taste of Mattheo’s tongue.

He brought his fingers up to your hair, burying them within the soft strands. Your chest rumbled against Mattheo’s at the feeling of the boy gently tugging on your hair. He chuckled meanly at the reaction he pulled out of you. His fist suddenly closed tightly around your hair, yanking your head to the side. You whined at the sudden pain in your scalp as he rolled the two of you over.

The brunette's hands quickly traveled down to your waist, pulling the hem of your dress up to your waist. His nimble fingers found their way to the thin panty straps on either side of your hips. The white lace contrasted gorgeously with his honeyed skin as his fingers curled the fabric tightly within themselves.

“Don’t rip those,” you growled when the tension being applied to the fabric started to become too much. 

“Don’t tell me what to do,” he responded in the same tone.

“Mattheo, I’m serious—they were fucking expensive,” you gripped the hair at the front of his scalp, holding his head back to look you in the eye.

“All for me?” he whispered, his fingers still not releasing the straps of fabric. 

“All for whoever was going to get it tonight,” you joked, warning him with your eyes. “You think you’re special?” 

His eyes darkened at my words. I was lying through my teeth. He was special and, truly, had been the reason you dressed up for tonight. You’d already been crushing for months, so you figured it was time to try and act on it a bit. If it didn’t work, you’d drop it and move on. But if it did… 

“Nobody else out there would ever make you feel like I would,” he growled, his fingers snapping the fabric finally. You yelped in protest at the beautiful torn fabric settling on either side of you.

“You dick—”

“Shut the fuck up—I’ll buy you new ones,” he settled himself between your thighs. “Won’t be the first time I do it either.”

You rolled your eyes at his ridiculous comment, trying your best not to just kick him right where he was. He was goddamn annoying but, fuck, did he look good down there. His eyes watched you closely, his head tilting slightly.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks. 

“Wondering if I go and get Blaise, this will go any faster,” you smirked, knowing that would rile him up. His smile faded and his eyes darkened once more. He gripped the back of your thighs roughly, digging his fingernails into your fleshy skin, and yanked you to the edge of his bed as fast as he could. 

“We’ll see if you still want Blaise by the end of tonight.”

[railingsofsorrow]

Dress

[emily prentiss x reader]

summary: you're dressed in red, her favorite color. and emily has a hard time wrapping her mind around that or around the fact that she wants to kiss you senseless tonight.  pairing: emily prentiss x f!reader  w.c: 2K   warnings/content: morcia & their antics; flirting; suggestive content (no smut); kissing; fluff; friends that want to be more than friends but haven't had the guts to say that to one another trope.

A/N: here is my entry for the @imagining-in-the-margins's CM Pride Challenge! The chosen prompt was “Are they... flirting?” “Big time.” with the pairing emily prentiss x reader slightly inspired by taylor swift's dress. I hope you like it! I had so much fun writing this. 

[part of “the taylor swift anthology”] 

navi masterpost 

cm masterlist 

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❝ say many name and everything just stops,

I don't want you like a best friend.

only bought this dress so you could take it off. ❞

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“Are they... flirting?” Derek squints trying to see you and Emily's figure angled towards one another in the bar. His sight isn't perfect but he can't be imagining things.  

Penelope huffs out a laugh, giving him a look of that's your question? “Big time.” 

"It was about damn time." He mumbles, sipping into his whiskey as a gasp beside him makes him direct his attention back to his favourite blonde in the whole world. She was staring at him wide-eyed as if he had just described the secret path to Atlantis. "What?" 

Penelope slaps his chest, causing him to protest in disbelief.  

"Baby girl, what the hell?" 

"You know something!" She points her perfectly done long nails at him, earning a raised brow. "You know about... them." And then, as he follows to where she's pointing attempting to be discreet, Derek finally understands. "Yeah, yeah, spill the beans. Now." 

Derek takes another sip of his drink to hide the smirk stretching out on his lips.  

"We all know they're completely head over heels for one another, that's not news." 

"But you know more and I don't need to be a profiler to notice that in your entire handsome face. Derek." She presses impatiently. "Did Emily say something to you? Is she finally gonna make a move?" 

"Oh, please," Derek chuckles, patting her shoulders sympathetically. "The move already happened. They are just attempting to pretend it didn't. And they are doing a poor job at it. Just look at that." He mentions the pair across the room from them. You were currently brushing a dark strand of Emily's hair behind her ear, a sideways smile dancing on your lips.  

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Emily hadn't been in a party mood. Or a little gathering, as Rossi likes to call it. But she was convinced to leave her house by a very compelling text that came from you, who was the only person who could really convince her to do anything, even knitting, which is something she had no idea how it even worked, but if you asked for a knitted beanie, she would buy the materials right this second. 

Joy Rossi. That is who the gathering in Rossi's fancy place is for. Emily is currently celebrating you and the dress you picked for this event because that proved to be more important.  

"Red looks really good on you, did you know that?" 

The disarming smile you send her way is enough to make her falter on her feet.  

"Yes, I do." You step closer. "And... did you know that I'm only wearing this one because I know it's your favorite color?" Her breathing fails for a long minute and her eyes fall on your red lips. It's like you're taunting her with that smug grin.  

“Really?” Emily tilts her head to keep staring at you as she takes a sip of her drink, her lips pursing around the reusable straw. She watches as your eyes travel downwards to her mouth and satisfaction bubbles inside her chest. Clearly, she's not the only one being affected tonight. “So you're wearing it for me? I feel special.” 

A smirk stretches across your mouth as your hand lifts to brush back a strand of her dark silky hair behind her ear. Emily tenses up when your fingers graze the back of her neck, but you quickly draw your hand back and she almost frowns in disappointment. 

“You are special.” You gently bump your elbow with hers when you rest back to stare at the enormous area in the backyard of David Rossi's mansion. Small groups of people shared conversations and the kids played around without a care for their sleep schedule. Alex waves at you from across the room and you watch as she starts walking over. “So special that I only bought it so you could take it off.” 

As expected, she chokes up on her drink and you caress her back tenderly while holding back a laugh. “You good, Em?” 

She gives you a look that can only be interpreted as a glare mixed with lust as she glances up and down your frame.  

“I'm— I'm perfect.” Emily clears her throat when Alex gets to where you are. She hugs you first and then Emily, you're smiling like a Cheshire cat probably. You love it when you successfully get what you want: tease Emily.  

“Oh, look at the two of you. I've missed this.” Blake comments, sipping on her champagne.  

“We missed you,” you say truthfully, squeezing her arm with a soft smile. It is the truth, Alex Blake was an important addition to the team and you will forever miss her on your daily routine at the BAU.  

She offers you a grateful smile and the conversation follows for a few minutes until Alex has to go and you and Emily are left alone. Again.  

Somehow, you don't find any complaints about that. 

“Hey,” you nudge the back of her hand to call for her attention. She had already been looking at you, when you take notice of that you feel the side of your neck warm-up. “Dance with me?” 

Emily finally diverts her attention from you and it settles on the empty makeshift dance floor.  

“Nobody's dancing.” 

You hum, dragging your hand towards hers to pull her softly with you. She follows with a groan, feigning annoyance which you know couldn't be farther from the truth. An annoyed Emily would have a permanent scowl on her pretty face and lips pulled downwards. But now she's displaying one of her award-winning grins and there isn't one single limb in her body that holds tension. Not as you're here, anyway. Not as she's in your presence. 

“We are,” you inform, guiding both of her hands to your waist and placing both of your arms around her shoulders, your fingers immediately reaching the back of her neck. “You look beautiful tonight. I forgot to say that before.” 

She pulls you closer carefully and you feel her hands move upwards, fingers drawing circles on your back.  

Emily suddenly doesn't care that she's in the public eye not trying to hold herself back from something she's wanted for years. She's been so used to hiding that whatever it is that the both of you are doing is frightening and freeing at the same time. It might be the alcohol —she hasn't had that much of it — but you're showing interest and she doesn't feel as if this is one-sided anymore.  

“Thank you.” 

“Of course,” you caress the baby hairs on the back of her neck. “It's not like you ever get out of my mind and you look beautiful every day so...” 

Emily looks away and laughs and you feel your brain burst in flames because yes, she really is beautiful and I can't think straight right now with her laughing.  

“You should stop that.” Emily warns. She's teasing you and you decide to play into her antics by pretending to be completely innocent. 

“Stop what?” 

“That.” She lowers her hands to the small of your back, tightening her hold there as you sway to the slow song. “I'm trying really hard not to kiss you right now.” The way her breathing tickles the side of your face, makes you immediately close the gap between your lips but you refrain from doing so. There's still some common sense left in your slight inebriated state of mind.  

“Why are you trying,” you croak out, voice rough, lifting your thumb to her jaw, outlining the thin scar she earned when she was a kid. You lean back a bit to be able to look her in the eye so there's no breach in your communication. “Stop trying, Emily. I'm here.” I want to kiss you too. You've no idea how bad I want that.

Her eyes fall to your lips, “are you sure?” The warmth of her hand is grounding and it is possibly the only thing keeping you upright at that moment.  

“Yes.”  

But she takes too long and you're the one who closes the small distance left between the two of you. Her arms wrap around your middle and she brings you closer to her body when your lips connect.  

It's a damn loud whistling that splits you apart. Your brows are pulled into a frown of confusion when you take notice of your friends gathered together laughing. You caught Penelope shushing Derek and this is what you need to know what's going on. All eyes are on you. Not all of them, most people had left already and now it's only whoever is part of the BAU and their partners. Even Rossi's daughter, who the party was for in the first place, had already left.  

“You couldn't have done that a month ago?” Luke Alvez whines from his table beside Spencer, who's outstretching a hand towards him. When the money is placed on top of his palm, he winks at Luke in victory.  

You hide your face in Emily's neck, cursing under your breath. She attempts to comfort you by rubbing her hands up and down your back. 

“Cut it out.” Emily rolls her eyes at her friends.

“You bet on us?” You exclaim in disbelief, disentangling yourself from her to place your hand on your hips. Emily watches you get ready to put everyone in their place and she can't even be mad about anything else when the scowl on your face is one more thing she wants to kiss. Though what you say surprises her and everyone who's waiting for you to yell at them. “Who won?”  

Derek, JJ, and Spencer raise their arms as a trio of toddlers admitting they did something wrong.  

“We bet something was going to happen tonight.” Derek wriggles his brows. “But I think I can say for everyone that we all knew you're completely whipped for each other.” 

JJ groans loudly, “yes. It's embarrassing.”  

Thanks to your friends, your face must be the same color as your dress. 

“I think half of that money should be ours.” Emily tugs you closer to her again, wrapping a protective arm around your shoulders. “We technically made you win.” 

“But you had no idea,” Spencer interjects, shaking his head. “Technically, you weren't even going to come tonight. She convinced you. So she should get half of the money, not you— Ow!” 

“Pretty boy,” Derek hisses. “Shut up. There are no technicalities, we won!” 

“Well, I'm just saying—”  

You block off the rest of their bickering to realize Emily's dragging you away from all the attention, something you're very grateful for.  

“Sorry about that.” Emily gives you a guilty smile as you finally get inside the house.  

“Are you sorry for kissing me, Emily Prentiss?” 

Her eyes widen comically, “wha—No! I just, I was saying sorry because of that whole thing they did—” you cut her off with a peck to her lips, chucking at her bewildered expression.  

“I'm messing with you. And don't be sorry, cause I'm not.” 

The grin plastered on her face is contagious. When she kisses you again, it's more urgent, needy, desperate.  

“My apartment or yours?” You ask breathless when your back hits the kitchen counter and she starts kissing down your neck.  

“Mine. It's closer.” She pulls you in for another passionate kiss before you drag her to exit the house. 

“Great, cause none of us is in any condition to drive and I can't wait for you to take this dress off of me.”  

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[jinkiezzsstuff]

I absolutely loved the Emily and Charlie ideas you wrote so I was hoping to request another Charlie x male reader with some smut (but not the main focus). Idea being everyone going out for an evening with Charlie staying at the hotel to work, secretly wanting some company but telling everyone to have fun anyway. Reader didn't go out and found her later in the evening (maybe can tell how she's feeling) so offers some company/someone to cuddle. The main smut I'd like to include would be her leaving some scratch or kiss marks and her being quite touchy/hands on.

I’m so glad you enjoyed the others teehee i tried my best with this so i hope you enjoy it but im not too happy with how it turned out tbh, idk why, i guess it could be because i didn’t feel like during the smut scenes i did charlie justice, lmk what you think.

Charlie x male!reader

After Party

warnings: creampie, biting, scratching, kinda rushed smut, angsty charlie, possibly ooc charlie but i can’t tell, charlie n vaggie are friends, im not sure if there’s anything else, oh swearing, NOT PROOFREAD beware of errors.

word count: 2K

Charlie was tired. Between her father disbelieving in her, Alastor picking a fight with him, the failed meeting with Adam, and finding out Vaggie was an angel? She was over and exhausted. She tried to keep up her mood but she just couldn’t stop the spiralling thought process of handling everything on her own. It seemed like every step forward she had to take four steps back, nobody believed or respected her.

“Cmon, we needa little par-tay.” Angel whined pushing himself over the back of the couch dramatically. Charlie hummed, barely listening as the crowd of sinners lingered in the little living room-like area. “We don’t need anymore fuckin parties, spider.” Husk muttered before taking a big swig of his drink. “I don’t know, I think a little bit of recreational activity could really brighten the spirits!” Alastor exclaimed, and as much as Charlie would like to join the fun, if she didn’t finish up the work she had she knew it would only stress her out further, but she knew the others worked hard too and deserved a little treat.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out some cash and beckoned over Alastor. “Here, why don’t you take everyone out to relax?” She said softly, despite her desire for company and hope that one of the few would stay back to assist. “Aren’tcha comin’ toots?” Angel who jumped up the moment Charlie pulled out money asked, putting one of his hands on her shoulder. “Oh no, i’ve got sooo much to do here, you guys go on without me! Bond a little!” She smiled as brightly as she could, although anyone with a keen eye could tell it was forced. In the back of her mind she was hoping for more punch back, more of her friends to beg her to come out with them, but instead they shrugged her off and left rather quickly.

Sighing Charlie rung her hands together and walked up the stairs slowly, vacant and alone, the hotel now seemed so eerie. She made her way to an office one that had been used by the whole team she had, so herself, Vaggie and Alastor. She plopped herself lazily on the ripped leather office chair, air slowly escaping the cheap foam as she did. Charlie couldn’t help the bitter feelings stirring around in her; she was always happy to help her friends and wanted them to have fun and relax, she just wished maybe they cared a little more about her? It was a confusing sensation, she knew Vaggie cared, but at times she felt more like a personal body guard rather than friend, and Alastor, she knew deep down, didn’t actually care.

Opening her phone she decided to try and ease her mind before sorting out the paperwork she had piling, unfortunately the universe wasn’t kind to her. Opening Sinstagram the first sight she was greeted with was Angels varying posts and stories which included all the crew members piled into a booth enjoying their drink of choice. It made a scorned yucky feeling of jealousy tangle within her stomach. Groaning she pulled open a drawer and stuck her phone in it, slamming it shut after. “It’s better to just work.” The princess mumble pulling the first stack of papers near her; the billing’s for their failed comercial.

After an hour of word Charlie sat back in her seat and messaged her sore neck. Pulling her phone from the drawer she checked the time. 23:48. Having no idea when the others would get back, she shuffled from the office to the second story balcony for some air. “Oh sorry I didn’t know you were here!” Charlie exclaimed, seeing you leant over the balcony railing. Looking over your shoulder you gave the little devil a warm smile. “You can join.” You say beckoning her forward, with a sigh and a forced smile Charlie came up alongside you, mimicking your stance. “What’re you still doing here?” Charlie questioned eyeing you from her peripheral. Your brow quirked and your face turned to confusion, with a quick hum you replied. “Just relaxing..?” The statement came out uncertain and wobbly, but you weren’t quite sure what she meant.

“No, i mean why didn’t you go out with the others?” Your head tilted back as you let out an ‘ah’, now understanding what she meant. “I just, well, this is the only time i get free yknow, always gotta be doing something so it’s nice to be alone, but i also want to have fun with them, but that drains me yknow?” Charlie quickly nodded her head at that completely understanding where you were coming from. “Yeah i know what you mean. I wish somebody stayed back with me.” Nudging yourself lightly into her, she met your eyes with curiosity floating in her own. “Well I stayed back, why don’t we relax together?” You suggest warmly, smiling fondly down at her. Charlie momentarily stuttered, blushing at the way her mind wandered to naughty places.

“Ahem, uh, sure! Yes! Let’s do that!” The princess fumbled, pushing herself away from your hold. You could tell she was flustered as she walked off leading you to whatever part of the hotel she’d choose to relax in, you felt a little voice in the back of your head egging you on to tease her, and who were you to deny your great mind. “Alrighty this it my room! Uhhh, why don’t we watch a movie or something..?” Charlie trailed off leading you into her bedroom.

You took a quick look around enjoying the aesthetic her room held. Charlie kicked her shoes off and pulled her jacket from her shoulders. “You can lounge on the bed if you want, i totally don’t mind!” You grinned and got onto the bed, watching as she frantically ran around “Calm down hun, you look real stressed.” You urged her frantic pacing causing loose hairs to tangle and fly out from her ponytail. “Ugh, i know!” Sighing she finally plopped on the bed beside you and laid back hands folded on her stomach and eyes closed. Leaning over slightly to look down on her, you observed her somewhat relaxed face as you watched her slow her breathing down. Assumably trying to cease the slow crawling panic that was clawing at her. “It may be a little forward but I heard compression and hugs can help stress, you wanna cuddle or some shit?” Your voice came out slightly tight a little unsure of how to go about the request. Charlie’s eyes fluttered opened and blinked toward you, after a moment of silent contemplation Charlie sighed happily opening her arms. With a huff and a smile you scooted down, wrapping your arms around her while laying beside her.

She scooted up into your side, her right hand sliding up your chest and around your shoulder. It sent shivers down your spine, and blood straight to your dick, embarrassingly so. Ignoring the sensation, your hand gently traced shapes into Charlie’s side where your arm was placed. Charlie’s head slowly lifted and shifted from the bed to your chest, tucking herself under your chin. Her hair tickled at your nose and chin, you could smell her shampoo and the perfume she’d used. You tightened your grip subtly, enjoying the warmth she let off, and with a hum she swung one of her legs over your hips, twisting her body entirely against you.

You took a deep breath attempting to calm your heart and the tightening sensation in your pants. Like the devil spawn she is, Charlie began tracing your chest, flattening her palm against your chest and trailing down from your neck, to the hem of your jeans, and back up to your neck again. Taking a deep breath you brought your hand up to you with her hair in attempts to distract you.

“Thanks for this.” She mumbled nuzzling her face further into your chest. You hummed eyes lazily dancing around shapes your eyes made up on the canopy above. “Any time.” You replied after a moment. The two of you laid there silently, softly the two of you let your hands drift across eachother innocently. It wasn’t until charlie’s hand ducted under your shirt to touch your bare chest that the air in the room got thick and heated. Breath hitching you zeroed in on her claws softly scratching down your chest. “Charlie,” You warned as her claw nicked the waistband of your jeans. Charlie knew good and well what she was doing, could you blame her? You’ve always been so attentive to her feelings and emotional state, the first to check on her after a stressful situation and give her the best advice you could.

With sudden need shooting through Charlie she straddled your waist bracing herself against your chest. Your hands reflexively went to her hips, eyes shooting up to meet her own attempting to figure out what the hell she was doing. She traced her claws down your tshirt covered chest, and when she made it to the bottom her hands wiggled underneath the fabric to paw at your warm skin. As she did you traced circles on her hips, and quirked a questioning brow at her. “Whatcha up to princess?” Charlie smiled shyly, trying to hide her face in her shoulder. “I just want to repay you for your kindness towards me.”

Your face twisted with worry, abruptly you sat up, making her gasp and tucked your hands behind her back to keep her from falling. “I don’t want you to feel like you owe me,” You quickly say, however Charlie pushed you back down, shushing you as she did. “It’s more then just that, i think you know they though. Let’s relax, desttress.” With that being said, you tossed aside your tshirt while Charlie eagerly undid your pants, hands shaking as she did. Your hands decided not to diddly saddle and undo her pants simultaneously, needing to feel her speedily.

You were already achingly hard, precum dripping down your shaft as Charlie shakily gripped you giving your head a soft squeeze. Pulling her hand away Charlie kicked off the pants that clung underneath her knees, and readied herself against you. You hummed out in pleasure relaxing into the mattress as she sunk down onto you, above you Charlie whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, clenching onto every vein and ridge. It was delectable, she couldn’t understand why she’d never gone for this before. Bottoming out, Charlie’s legs shook, her body would involuntarily convulse every now and again as she attempted to adjust to the size of you. Falling forward unable to keep herself up she sunk her nails into your chest making you groan deeply, bucking your hips up into hers.

Nuzzling herself into your neck as you took the reigns, thrusting up into her at a steady pace, she began to leave teeth marks and hickies along your neck, desperate moans broken out between nips and bites. Your arms encased her pulling her near as you roughly fucked up into her at a brutal pace, her juices dripping down you. Erotic, loud slapping noises were all that you could hear in the room accompanied by Charlie’s whimpers and please. “Fuckkk, yknow how long i’ve waited for this? They don’t know what their missing not staying around someone like you.” You say splaying your fingers through her hair as you do, at this point Charlie’s body laid limp atop your own, your knees up and angled to continue your rapid pace.

“Please,” Charlie begged clenching tightly around you, you huffed out a moan that you attempted to cover and slid your hands down to squeeze her ass. Groaning loudly, you pushed her over, still inside you hovered over her, pulling her legs up over your shoulders to gain new access. With this angle you were able to hit different areas making Charlie squeal. “Oh fuck Charlie,” You groaned as your balls slapped against her ass, finally you felt the band snapping and slowly you filled her with cum, pumping all of what you had inside her. Charlie cried out clenching, and convulsing against you. She tried to inch away screaming your name loudly as she road out her high against you. When the two of you had finished, catching your breaths, you laid beside her, pulling her into your chest.

She rolled her head from one side to face you, her eyes glazed over barely seeming like she was there. “Didja mean what you said about wanting this for so long?” You nodded at her, the softness in her voice was music to your ears and made goosebumps crawl against your skin. “Yeah, since i got here, you’ve had my eye.” Humming softly the princess said nothing, but buried her head in your chest.

[sequinsmile-x]

I Knew You'd Linger Like a Tattoo Kiss - Head Kisses

-x-

A series of unrelated one-shots and mini fics about the many types of kisses Aaron and Emily share.

-x-

Hi friends,

Here's another one of these prompts to wrap up the week. This is just soft, with a touch of mommy issues because I can't help myself.

Please see the masterlist for a full list of tags, and the list of prompts for this series.

-x-

Words: 2k

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

Emily tried to avoid one-on-one time with her mother as much as possible. It was easier to do since she’d had Samuel, the 18-month-old and Jack both excellent distractions for Elizabeth when she came over to the house, her love for her grandsons obvious whenever they were together. 

On her worst days, Emily envied her mother's relationship with Samuel and Jack. The easy way she showed her love for them, the affection Emily had to earn when she was young given away as if it was free. It was nothing but proof to her that Elizabeth had always been capable of it, but had prioritised different things when she was young. 

She’d tried to get out of lunch with her mother, not entirely in the mood to be her best self after a rough night with Samuel. He was sick, the 18-month-old refusing to sleep and crying if he was anywhere but in her arms, so she and Aaron had barely slept as they took turns to soothe him. She’d almost called her mom to tell her she couldn’t make it, but Aaron had encouraged her out of the door, reminding her if she didn’t do it now she’d just have to rearrange it after a week of building herself up to it. She’d kissed him goodbye, whilst grumbling about his need to always be so damn sensible, and she’d made her way to her mother’s favourite restaurant. 

The first thing she does when she arrives is order the biggest coffee she can, wanting to make sure she is as alert as she possibly could be. She’s barely sat down for 5 minutes when she hears her mother’s voice echoing around her.

“Emily,” she exclaims, stamping a kiss on each of Emily’s cheeks as she stands to greet her, “It’s good to see you,” she says, frowning as she pulls back, “Are you okay? You look exhausted.” 

She suppresses an eye roll and clenches her teeth, wondering if it is too early to order a glass of wine, “Thanks, Mom,” she says as she takes her seat again, “Sammy is sick so we had a rough night.”

“Oh no,” Elizabeth says as she sits down, “Is he okay?” 

Emily nods, “He’ll be fine, it’s just a bug Jack brought home from school. He’ll be okay in a day or two. He’s all about me when he’s sick though,” she says, unable to pretend she didn’t enjoy all the extra snuggles from her toddler who was seemingly always on the go these days, “So Aaron tried to help but I was up most the night.” 

Elizabeth raises her eyebrows, “Well, if you didn’t coddle him so much he’d manage just fine I’m sure.” 

She sucks in a deep breath and smiles tightly, knowing that the only way to stop herself from biting at the bait offered to her was to change the conversation. “How are you, Mom? How’s work?” 

Her technique works, just as it always did, and she sits back and half listens as Elizabeth talks about work and the embassy. She checks her phone to make sure Aaron hasn’t attempted to contact her, and she smiles at the picture of Samuel and Jack that she has set as her wallpaper, the two of them giggling at something Aaron had said. 

“You’ll never guess who I saw - Steve Clemente.” 

Emily frowns, “Who?” 

Elizabeth rolls her eyes, “Really, Emily. You’ve met the man at my Christmas party the last few years. He’s the President over at Primrose Academy.” 

She hums and nods, “Of course, sorry,” she replies, sipping her coffee, “I remember now.” 

“Well, I was able to get Samuel on the list for their Preschool programme,” she says, opening up her menu, missing the confusion that passes across Emily’s face, “We’re a bit late but this is why it pays to know people.” 

“Sammy is 18 months old.” 

Elizabeth sighs, “It’s like you’re being purposely obtuse today,” she says, shaking her head as she looks back up at her, “I know how old my grandson is, Emily. But the waiting list for these programmes is 2 years. It’s a very prestigious school.” 

Emily presses her lips together and swallows thickly, preparing herself for an argument, “I appreciate the effort, Mom. But we’re not going to be sending him to private school.” 

Elizabeth’s head snaps up, her eyebrows furrowed as she looks at her daughter, “Excuse me?” 

“When the time comes we’re going to send him to the same preschool Jack went to,” she says, looking around for the waiter, the idea of a glass of wine with lunch more appealing than it had ever been, “It’s a great school.” 

Elizabeth sighs, “Emily, Samuel has the benefit of the Prentiss name-”

“He’s a Hotchner,” she corrects, her smile tight as she stares at her mother. 

“What?”

“Sammy. His surname is Hotchner, not Prentiss.” 

“You’re being obtuse again, I know that too. But you seem to be ignoring the benefits your son has purely from who we are.” 

The waiter chooses that moment to walk over, his smile kind as he starts to ask what they want to drink, a question Emily answers before he’s finished asking.

“Wine, please. A large glass.” 

The waiter clears his throat, looking back and forth between the two of them, “Any particular one, ma’am?” 

“Whichever one is closest.” ___

She smiles as she steps into her house, the tension automatically seeping from her shoulders the second the warmth of home washes over her. She hears cartoons coming from the living room and she walks in to find Jack sitting on the couch, his focus on the television. 

“Hey sweetie,” she says as she leans over the back of the couch and kisses the top of his head, “Are you okay?” 

He nods, barely looking away from his favourite show, “Yeah. How was grandma?” 

“She was…” she scrunches her nose up and blows out a breath, “Grandma,” she smiles at him, “Where are Daddy and your brother?” 

“Upstairs,” he replies, “Dad is trying to get Sammy to nap,” he shrugs at her, “It wasn’t going very well.” 

She laughs and leans down to kiss his head again, “I’m going to go see if I can help,” she says, pushing his hair from his forehead, “We’re upstairs if you need us, okay?” 

“Okay, Mom.” 

She heads upstairs and smiles as she steps into the nursery, love spreading through her chest as she’s met with the image of her husband pacing back and forth, their grumpy toddler in his arms. 

“Come on, buddy. You’ll feel better if you nap.”

“No,” Samuel grunts, rubbing his face against Aaron’s chest.

“Daddy’s right,” Emily says from the doorway, both of them looking at her at the same time, matching expressions on their faces, “You’ll feel better if you nap.”

“Mama!” Samuel exclaims, his lower lip pushed out in a pout as he reaches out for her, scrambling in Aaron’s arms. 

“I’ve got you, baby,” she says, lifting him into her arms and kissing the top of his head, “Mama’s got you,” she looks up at her husband, “You’ve been giving Daddy a hard time whilst I’ve been gone?” 

“Only you have the magic touch, it seems,” Aaron says, kissing the top of her head and then her lips as she tilts her head up, “How was lunch?”

She groans and runs her hand up and down Samuel’s back, “It was as expected,” she grumbles, turning her attention back to their son who was already a little calmer, “You want to get some sleep, sweet boy?” 

“Not tired,” he complains, and Aaron hides a smile, a look in his eyes that lets her know exactly what he’s thinking. 

He gets that from you.

“Well, I am,” she says, kissing his head again as she walks towards the loveseat in the corner of the room, “Why don’t we all just sit down for a little while.” 

“‘kay,” he says, pressing his face against her neck as she sits down. She rests her cheek against the top of his head and rubs circles on his back, knowing it is a surefire way to get him to fall asleep. 

Aaron joins them, his arm around her shoulders, and he pulls her closer, “Want to talk about it?” 

She hums, “She mentioned getting Sammy onto a list for a private preschool.” 

Aaron frowns, “He’s 18 months old.” 

She chuckles, “That’s what I said too,” she replies before her smile slips away, “I made it clear that isn’t what we want but…” she blows out a shaky breath, “But then she made it clear she didn’t agree.” 

He tightens his grip on her, his lips against her hairline as he blows out a slow breath, an obvious attempt to keep his cool, “What did she say, sweetheart?” 

“She said I’m risking my kid's futures for the sake of being stubborn.” 

He clenches his teeth and sighs, stamping a kiss against her head before he replies, “That’s not true, Em.” 

“I know,” she sighs, shaking her head a little as she looks down at Samuel, the little boy halfway to sleep already, “At least I think I do,” she looks up at Aaron and offers a half-shrug, “I don’t know. I hated going to private school, and I want something different for the boys. But we could afford it,” she licks her lower lip, “Hell, we could afford to send half a dozen kids to private school all the way through to high school if we want to,” she raises an eyebrow at him when she watches something spark in his eyes, “Down boy,” she jokes and they share a smile, “We could afford it but…that doesn’t mean we should do it, does it?” 

“Of course not, sweetheart,” he says, tucking some of her hair behind her ear, “We know what’s best for our children, not your mother, or an old friend of hers, but us,” he smiles softly, “And if we want to send Sammy and Jack to public school, or all half a dozen of them,” he winks when she rolls her eyes, “Then we will. And we can change our minds in the future if we want to. But you aren’t doing them a disservice or depriving them of something because you want them to have a different experience to you.” 

She nods, leaning forward and pressing her forehead against his shoulder, “I know,” she says, believing this time, and she blows out a slow breath, “I just never felt like I could be myself at those places,” she says, “All that mattered was getting good grades and being the best,” she sighs contentedly when he kisses the top of her head, “I never want the boys to think that’s all they are good for.” 

“They won’t,” he assures her, kissing her head one more time before he encourages her to look up at him, “You’re an excellent mom, Em,” he says, his smile growing as hers does, “Our boys are lucky to have you.” 

She stamps a kiss against his lips, “They are lucky to have you too.”

He smiles and looks down, shaking his head slightly when he sees that Samuel is fast asleep, “He’s sleeping.” 

She hums and looks at her son, his nose bright red and sore from where he’d been rubbing his fists against it, “Poor baby, was he okay whilst I was gone?” 

Aaron nods, “He was fine, he missed you - but he always does when you’re not here,” he runs his fingers up and down her arm, drawing a soothing pattern as they silently agree to stay sitting there with their son for a while, “So, about this half a dozen kids-”

“Aaron.” 

[nhasablogg]

But you keep me alive

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Characters: Hotch, the BAU team

Summary: Reid and Garcia host a Halloween party. Hotch isn't sure if he should attend.

A/N: The team bonding/Halloween party option in my Criminal Minds poll won, so here you have some Hotch angst and found family set in season 3. Enjoy!

Words: 2k

(Read it on AO3)

Hotch wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to come. Maybe the prospect of spending another weekend alone at home, or sneaking into the office to work when he wasn’t supposed to, was finally starting to look too gloomy even for him. “Remember to dress up,” Reid had told him, all excitement that Hotch had never felt for Halloween until Jack had been born and he’d been picturing what it would be like to bring him out with him for trick or treating. But Jack was too little for it, or maybe had just become big enough to appreciate it had it not been for the divorce. Hotch didn’t dare ask to have him for the weekend in case he would suddenly have to get on the jet and leave. He wasn’t sure his heart would take it, this time.

He stood in front of Garcia’s apartment, for Reid and Garcia seemed to both have this shared love of dressing up that they decided to host together, and wondered if anyone was even expecting his presence. If not, would he be bringing the party down if he knocked? His costume was in his pocket, some stupid devil's horn he was certain wouldn’t go well with his regular suit anyway, but if Reid showed any disappointment over his half-assed attempt at dressing up he would say he was dressed as a bad cop. It wouldn’t be a lie.

It was warm for late october. Humid. It nearly pissed him off, that everything in his life had been turned upside down and even the weather wasn’t what it was supposed to be. He found himself lamenting over the unnecessary nowadays, maybe as a coping mechanism. Stepping in a puddle he hadn’t seen. His coffee being too hot, or too cold, never just right. When someone decided to buy the team cookies and got the kind he’d never told them he didn’t like. It was stupid. He felt stupid. He didn’t even feel proud over not snapping at anyone for silly inconveniences because he wasn’t supposed to be doing that anyway. His team had enough on their plates without him being unreasonable. From Rossi appearing and seemingly replacing Gideon before Reid had even gotten over his departure, to Garcia being shot, to JJ and Emily having to witness yet another woman around their age get killed for no reason other than that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And then there were the unspoken things, like the sobriety coin Reid kept fiddling with when he didn’t think anyone could see him. Hotch supposed his own divorce was an unspoken thing too. He wasn’t sure if he wanted anyone to bring it up with him when he wasn’t ready for it.

As he stood in front of the door, hand hovering over the doorbell, he wished Gideon hadn’t disappeared from the face of the earth. He was, not too surprisingly, the only person he would consider talking to about this, not from a friendly perspective necessarily but more because they’d been forced into this sort of proximity. Both older, both in a position of power over the rest of the team. Sharing rooms, sharing afternoons. He reckoned Rossi, with his usually flawless observational skills, would eventually replace him, but they weren’t there yet. Hotch didn’t know what to say to him, or where he had him. And Rossi was bolder than Gideon. Rossi wasn’t afraid of provoking the truth out of him.

Hotch dropped his hand. Wondered if he was a coward for never speaking plainly to his team members about their problems or if he was doing it to allow them some sort of guise of privacy. Partying with them was not giving them privacy. He would simply be a presence looming in the corner which would make them less relaxed.

The door opened just as he was about to turn around. “I gave you enough time, but this is getting ridiculous.” It was Emily. She was dressed in cowboy attire and had something glazed over her eyes and Hotch realized most of his team were probably several drinks in. “Are you coming or not?”

He straightened, surprisingly happy that she was speaking to him like a friend, with a tinge of impatience, nearly exasperation. “I’m coming. Just needed to brace myself for what I was about to see in here.”

She grinned, her smile always reaching her eyes, and grabbed his wrist to pull him inside. The staircase was echoey, but the sound of blasting music could just about be heard over their steps. It wasn’t loud enough to warrant a warning this early in the night, which was good because it would be just their luck if a team of seven BAU members got arrested for something so stupid.

Would make a good story though.

Hotch made sure to put on his horns before Emily pushed the apartment door open and they were met with music, laughter, and the delicious scent of something homebaked, something sweet and nostalgic.

“Was I supposed to bring something?” he asked, suddenly horrified, but Emily just shook her head before he was engulfed by the rest of his team, all dressed in ridiculous costumes from fairies to some sort of obscure fantasy creature he’d never seen. Morgan was, hilariously enough, dressed as a cop.

“Check this out,” he said, showing off his fake baton. “I’ve also got handcuffs for when Garcia starts dancing on tables and I have to restrain her.”

“Kinky.” Garcia was dressed in something purple and fluffy that probably only made sense to her and maybe Reid. She was behind the kitchen counter, stirring a red concoction which looked both terrifying and maybe a little appealing right now. Hotch had had a long day.

“You dressed up.” Reid appeared in his wizard costume, smiling from ear to ear even though Hotch’s horns could barely be called dressing up.

He cleared his throat. “I was afraid I would be turned away at the door if I didn’t.”

“Reid brought an extra costume in case you didn’t,” Rossi said, dressed as a very unrealistic vampire complete with fake fangs and red color dripping down his chin. He was grinning, as if showing off the fangs. “You should be happy you got dressed up because it looked complicated.”

“I should totally do a closet change in the middle of the party,” Reid said, vibrating on the spot at the thought, or maybe due to the bass of the music. It was bound to give Hotch a headache. He could tell.

“Here you go, sir,” Garcia said, suddenly in front of him with a glass filled with the red punch. “Tell me if you think it’s too weak and I’ll rectify that immediately.”

Hotch took a sip and nearly spit it out from how strong it was. “No, no, it’s good, Garcia, don’t worry.”

She smiled giddily and disappeared. Hotch would find she had trouble being still, just like he would come to discover that JJ, who he’d nearly missed due to how still she was on the couch, became calmer the drunker she got. Reid became giggly and bold, unused to drinking, but he seemed to also know his limits well enough. Rossi would be the same, as would Morgan, except that he would be dancing more than anything. Emily would also become bolder, louder, none of them self conscious. All of them at home.

And Hotch? Hotch would stay sober. Hotch was terrified of losing control that night.

He settled next to JJ once the attention wasn’t on him anymore. She smiled, but didn’t say anything, which he appreciated. The music seemed to have gotten just a tad louder, with an old 90s club banger making the silverware in the cupboards clatter, Morgan already swaying to it while holding onto Garcia’s hips, the two of them moving together, platonic soulmates in a way Hotch had never fully understood but never questioned. Reid was circling around them, placing fake spiders and spider webs around the apartment even though they were everywhere already. Fake skulls on the coffee table. Candy which looked like ghosts on plates. Hotch was watching him, watching him come into his own the older he got. He’d been so busy that he’d nearly missed the signs, but he’d noticed when he’d stopped. When he’d stopped and had started getting help. It had been Hotch’s first indicator that if he needed to lead this team well he needed to get out of his own head.

“You’re not drinking,” JJ said, leaning closer to be heard over the music. She had her own half-empty drink on the table in front of them, although it was more pink than red. Hotch wondered how late he’d been if Garcia had had time to make a whole new punch for his arrival.

“Don’t tell them,” Hotch said, pointing to the others with his glass. “They’re too excited to be reasonable about it.”

She let out a laugh. “Fair enough. I’ll cover you when you want to pour some out to not raise their suspicion.”

“And I’ll pretend as if I didn’t hear,” Rossi said from behind them. Hotch hadn’t realized he was there.

Hotch found himself, miraculously, grinning. “Thank you. I’ll remember this next time we have our annual evaluations.”

Emily had joined whatever Morgan and Garcia were doing, all hips and arms, with Morgan occasionally dropping it low in a way he knew he wouldn’t be doing around colleagues had they not been forced into the intimacy only a family had. Reid was still circling them in a way that it nearly looked rehearsed, all of them knowing exactly where they belonged, until Emily grabbed for Reid, too, to bring him into the huddle. He seemed uncertain for the first time since Hotch had arrived, his role suddenly changing from the excited Halloween enthusiast into something else. Something he wasn’t used to. He glanced back at him, or possibly at JJ, whom he knew he was close to anyway, as if asking for help, but JJ simply leaned back with a smile. Once Morgan joined in by grabbing Reid’s hips to force him to move, Rossi sat down beside Hotch, as if wanting to enjoy a show.

“I don’t know how to,” they heard Reid say as the song changed, looking alarmed, but Morgan simply curled his fingers over his side, something Hotch had seen so often that he knew exactly that that was what he’d done without really seeing it properly. Reid jerked away, and then twitched to the other side when Morgan repeated the action on his other side, tickling the kid into moving.

“That’s brilliant,” Rossi said with a chuckle, and Hotch had to agree, although he felt a bit bad for Reid when Garcia and Emily joined in, all three of them poking and prodding at his midriff, lower back, ribs, until he’d curled up with laughter, unable to get away and promising to dance. At least that was what Hotch assumed, as he started swaying to the music the moment they backed off, looking flustered, but not necessarily uncomfortable. Aware that he was safe here, with all of them.

“You gonna join them?” Hotch asked JJ, who simply shook her head, opting instead to grab her drink to take a sip.

“Are you?” Rossi shot back, and Hotch nearly laughed at the question and then laughed for real when Rossi suddenly stood to join the group, swaying hips and shaking shoulders in a way that made Hotch wonder if he was dreaming.

“Okay, I feel compelled to join now,” JJ said, taking another sip before standing. “Emily will kill me if I don’t.”

As if on cue Emily broke out of the group and went to grab her, pulling her onto the makeshift dance floor by the hand, the two of them embracing each other tightly as if they’d been friends for years.

Hotch leaned back and cradled his drink, watching his team and realizing he was happy to have come, after all.

[rootedinrevisions]

Chasing Us: Part 9

SUMMARY: The wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and the start of the reception. Hannah says something that could ruin the friendship and relationship between her and Tyler during a dance.

WARNINGS: NONE

WORD COUNT: 2k

PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5 I PART 6 I PART 7 I PART 8

TAG LIST: @omgbrianab I @shanimallina87

The sun had begun its descent, casting a warm, golden glow over the beach. The gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore provided the perfect backdrop for the wedding ceremony, adding to the romantic ambiance. Guests were already seated, their chairs arranged in neat rows facing an elegant arch adorned with lush white flowers and flowing greenery. The entire scene looked like it had been plucked straight from a dream.

Hannah stood with the other bridesmaid, Caroline, in the main suite of the house, taking one last look in the mirror. Her hair had been styled in loose waves that cascaded down her back, and her makeup was soft and natural, enhancing her already striking features. The bridesmaid dress she wore - a soft blush color - hugged her figure perfectly, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement as the moment she'd been waiting for all day was finally here.

"Are you ready?" Emily asked, stepping into the room in her wedding dress, looking every bit the radiant bride.

Hannah smiled, taking in the sight of her little sister. "You look stunning, Em," she said, her voice full of affection.

Emily grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Thanks, Hannah. And you look beautiful too."

Hannah reached out and took Emily's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Let's go make you a Mrs.," she said, her voice light but filled with meaning.

The two sisters shared a brief, emotional hug before heading downstairs to join the rest of the bridal party. As they made their way out of the house and towards the beach, Hannah could feel her heart pounding with anticipation. The ceremony was about to begin.

Guests turned in their seats as the bridal party approached, the soft music from the string quartet floating through the air. Tyler, standing near the front with the groomsmen, caught sight of Hannah, and his breath hitched. She was breathtaking.

Hannah took her place at the front, lining up with the other bridesmaid, her eyes briefly meeting Tyler's. He gave her a small reassuring smile, which she returned, feeling a sense of calm wash over her.

The music shifted, signaling the bride's entrance. All eyes turned toward the house as Emily, escorted by their father, began her walk down the aisle. She looked ethereal, her dress flowing behind her like a soft cloud, and there was a collective sigh from the guests as she made her way to the altar.

Tyler's eyes, however, kept drifting back to Hannah. There was something about the way she carried herself, the way she smiled, that had him completely captivated. He knew he was supposed to be focusing on the ceremony, but he couldn't help it - Hannah was all he could see.

As the ceremony began, the officiant spoke words of love and commitment, but for Hannah and Tyler, the world seemed to narrow down to just the two of them. They exchanged glances, each one filled with unspoken emotions, as the vows were read.

When the officiant asked if anyone had any objections, a playful smirk tugged at the corner of Tyler's lips, and Hannah had to suppress a giggle. But the moment quickly passed, and everyone focused on the couple before them, who were head over heels in love.

Finally, after what felt like both an eternity and just a fleeting moment, the officiant pronounced Emily and Matt husband and wife. The guests erupted into applause as the couple shared their first kiss as a married couple, the sound of the ocean waves and the setting sun creating a perfect backdrop for the moment.

Hannah's heart swelled with happiness for her sister, but as she caught another glance from Tyler, she couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold for them. There was something in his eyes, something that made her believe that this day might not just be about Emily and Matt's love story - but the beginning of her own.

As the ceremony concluded and the newlyweds led the way back up the beach, the guests followed, making their way to the mansion for the cocktail hour. The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the sprawling front yard where tables were elegantly arranged, each adorned with candles and small floral arrangements that mirrored the beachside decor. The air buzzed with excitement as everyone settled into the relaxed atmosphere, drinks in hand and laughter filling the space.

Hannah found herself in the middle of a small group of family and friends, exchanging stories and catching up with relatives she hadn't seen in years. She was just finishing a conversation with her cousin when she felt a gentle hand on her waist. Startled for only a brief moment, she turned to see Tyler standing next to her, a warm smile on his face.

"There you are," he said softly, his thumb lightly brushing against her side. The casual intimacy of the gesture sent a shiver down her spine, and she found herself leaning slightly into him.

"Hey," she responded, her voice light with affection. She turned to the group she had been chatting with and introduced him, her voice proud. "Everyone, this is Tyler."

Tyler offered a polite smile and a firm handshake to each person, exchanging pleasantries and charming the small crowd with ease. Throughout the introductions, his hand remained on Hannah's waist, a constant, reassuring presence that she found herself growing increasingly comfortable with. It was a simple touch, but one that communicated more than words could.

As the conversations continued, Hannah could feel Tyler's hand gently sliding up to rest on her lower back, a subtle shift that made her heart flutter. She wasn't used to this kind of public display of affection, but with Tyler, it felt natural - right even. It was as though his touch anchored her, providing a sense of calm amid the whirlwind of socializing.

She introduced him to more of her family and friends, and each time, Tyler's hand remained steady on her back, a silent reassurance that he was right there with her. It was a small gesture, but one that didn't go unnoticed by those around them. Her friends exchanged knowing glances, and her aunts whispered amongst themselves, clearly approving of the man by her side.

At one point, as they moved to a different group of guests, Tyler leaned in close, his breath warm against her ear. "You look beautiful tonight," he whispered, his voice just for her.

Hannah felt her cheeks warm, a soft blush creeping up her neck. "Thank you," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked up at him. The way he looked at her at the moment, with such sincerity, made her heart skip a beat.

They continue to mingle, Tyler never once letting go of her. His hand would occasionally slide up to her shoulder or down to the small of her back, but it never strayed far. Each touch was a quiet reminder of his presence, his care, and his growing affection for her.

The cocktail hour seemed to pass in a blur, filled with laughter, toasts, and more introductions. But through it all, the connection between Hannah and Tyler grew stronger, the unspoken bond between them becoming more tangible with every passing moment.

As the staff began ushering guests towards the reception area, where dinner and dancing awaited, Tyler finally moved his hand from her waist, only to take her hand in his. He gave it a gentle squeeze, and Hannah couldn't help but smile, knowing that no matter what the rest of the evening held, they were in this together.

The backyard has been transformed into a beautiful reception area. The entire space was bathed in soft, warm light as Tyler and Hannah made their way to their designated table. The room buzzed with the hum of conversation and laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the soft strains of background music setting the perfect ambiance for the evening. The table they found themselves at was nestled near the front, offering a clear view of the dance floor. Hannah's parents, her brother, and his wife were already seated, greeting them with warm smiles.

As dinner was served, the table became a hub of lively conversation. Her parents recounted old family stories, her brother shared a few lighthearted jokes, and Tyler fit right in, his easy charm winning over everyone at the table. Hannah found herself watching him more than she should have, her heart skipping a beat each time he laughed or flashed her a quick smile. It was a surreal moment - one that felt so natural, yet tinged with an undercurrent of something she couldn't quite place.

The meal passed quickly, and soon, it was time for the toasts and speeches. Matt's brother Ben delivered heartfelt words, followed by Jake. Then Hannah's parents took a moment to share their well-wishes for the newlyweds. Hannah joined in the applause, her heart swelling with emotion as she watched her sister beam with happiness.

After the speeches, the cake was cut, and the space was filled with the sweet scent of buttercream and vanilla. The guests indulged in the dessert as the DJ began setting up for the dancing portion of the night. The lights dimmed slightly, casting a romantic glow over the makeshift dancefloor as the bride and groom took to the dance floor for their first dance.

Hannah watched them with a wistful smile, her gaze lingering on the way they twirled together, lost in their own world. It was a picture-perfect moment, one she couldn't quite help but admire. The song was slow and sweet, the kind that made you believe in love and happy endings.

When the song ended, the DJ invited everyone to join the newlyweds on the dance floor. Slowly, couples began to rise from their seats, filling the space with swaying bodies and laughter. Hannah remained at the table, content to watch for a moment, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

As the dance floor filled, Tyler, who had been quietly observing her leaned in close. "You're not going to let me have all the fun, are you?" he teased, his voice low and playful.

Hannah smiled, ready to offer an excuse about not being much of a dancer, but before she could, Tyler stood up and extended his hand to her. "Come on," he said with a grin. "You can't say no to your boyfriend."

Before she could object, Tyler gently took her hand and led her to the dance floor. The music shifted to a slower song, and Tyler pulled her close, one hand resting on her waist while the other held hers securely. Hannah's heart raced as they began to sway to the music, the closeness of his body to hers making it hard to think straight.

"Thank you for being here," she murmured, glancing up at him through her lashes. "It means a lot."

Tyler's gaze softened as he looked down at her. "I'm glad I came," he replied, his voice sincere.

Hannah laughed softly, trying to ease the tension she suddenly felt. "We've gotten pretty good at pretending, haven't we?"

For a moment, Tyler didn't respond. His expression grew serious, and Hannah immediately regretted her words, wondering if she'd said something she shouldn't have. The silence stretched on, and just as she was about to speak again, Tyler stopped moving. He looked at her, his eyes filled with something she couldn't quite decipher.

"I didn't know we were still pretending," he said quietly, his voice tinged with an emotion that made her breath catch.

Before she could respond, Tyler gently released her hand and stepped back, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the dance floor. The space around her seemed to close in on her as she watched him walk away, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to fall out to him, to explain, to say something - anything - but her voice caught in her throat.

As she took a step forward, determined to follow him, she was intercepted by a family friend who wanted to say hello. The interruption was brief, but it was enough time for Tyler to slip away. By the time she could excuse herself, he was gone, lost in the crowd of guests mingling around the edges of the dance floor.

Hannah's eyes scanned the backyard, her heart sinking as she realized she couldn't find him. Panic began to bubble up inside her, a mix of heartbreak and worry swirling in her chest. She needed to find him, to clear the air, and to understand what he meant. But no matter where she looked, Tyler was nowhere to be found.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Paradise: Part One

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2k

Summary: Spencer finally meets your parents, but it doesn’t go as well as you thought it was going to go. Are you a bad girlfriend for letting your dad treat him that way, or is it completely out of your control?

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

x

"A fool's paradise is a wise man's hell." - Thomas Fuller

The bruises still linger on your face from when Ben hit and slapped you. The pain is long gone, but whenever Spencer sees them, he can't help but feel guilty all over again. You're sitting at your desk at the end of the work day, applying makeup to cover the bruises. Spencer sits at his desk, but instead of finishing his work, he's staring at you.

You can feel the waves of guilt wash over him, and your hand shakes as you try not to feel his guilt as your own.

"Stop doing that, Spencer," you mutter and finish putting on eyeliner.

"What am I doing?" he asks innocently.

"They don't hurt anymore."

You finish with your eyes and dab some powder foundation on your chin.

"Why are you doing your makeup this late at night?" Derek asks as he passes by your desk.

"Spencer and I are having a date night. I want to look pretty."

Spencer gets up and walks over to you before stopping at the back of your chair. You tip your head back to look at him, and he smiles lovingly.

"You're already pretty."

He leans down and kisses you, Spider-Man style.

"Where are you guys going?"

"I know a pretty good Indian restaurant that's open all night. She's never had Indian food, and I need to introduce her to a whole other world."

"You two have fun. I have my own date to attend to," Emily says and puts on her jacket.

"You got a date? With who?" Derek asks.

"My hot tub."

"Now that sounds like a party."

"You're so not invited," she says playfully.

JJ walks through the two glass doors with her hand on her pregnant belly. You can't believe she is having a baby, but you're so excited. You're going to spoil the shit out of her baby whether she wants you to or not. She might be happy about having her baby, but she isn't happy with the news she has to give her team.

"Hold up, guys. Change of plans. I'm glad I caught you."

"Is everything okay?" Emily asks.

"I've been on the phone with a sheriff in Nevada. There's been a series of suspicious accidents in the Reno area that may be connected."

"JJ, can't this wait until morning?" Derek sighs.

"I don't think so. If I'm right about this, I think we'll be leaving first thing tomorrow. Sorry."

She leaves the group and heads to the briefing room, and Derek and Emily head to their desks to unpack their things. You turn to Spencer with an understanding frown.

"Looks like date night will have to wait."

"We can go after this case," he says and pulls you close.

"You got it," you grin.

You lean up and kiss him but keep it short and sweet. You two head to the briefing room and take your seats while JJ starts.

"Three nights ago outside Reno, this car was hit by a tractor-trailer."

She pulls up a picture of a wrecked car on the side of a highway.

"Any survivors?"

"The truck driver walked away unharmed. Jonathan and Rebecca Gallen, the passengers in the car, were DOA. When the local sheriff arrived on the scene, he noticed several things: no blood spatter inside the car, no seat belt burns, and no lacerations from the airbags."

"They were dead before the accident," Spencer confirms.

"The autopsy confirmed that and the cause of death. Blunt force head trauma, and evidence of rape and torture to the woman."

"The unsub wasn't very successful at hiding the fact that he murdered two people," Hotch sighs.

"There's a chance he has gotten away with it before. After I spoke to the sheriff, I had Garcia look into any similar accidents near the California and Nevada border. She found two with a similar MO in the past couple of weeks. Both were couples in a car hit by a tractor-trailer. It's always a man and a woman stopped right in the middle of the road, and it's always at night on a remote highway."

"It can't be a coincidence the victim type and this very specific MO are the same in all three cases," Rossi says. "Was Garcia able to find any connection between them?"

"One thing they have in common is that they all disappeared for forty-eight hours prior to the accidents."

"We know what he does to his victims during that time. We just need to figure out where he finds them."

The briefing wraps up, and you all shuffle out of the room to gather your things for the long plane ride to Vegas. Your parents have been living there since they moved a couple of years ago. They were always moving across the country when you were younger, so hearing about this doesn't surprise you.

Maybe Spencer can finally meet them.

"Hey, wait a sec," you stop Spencer from going to his desk. "My parents live in Vegas. If I call them, and they have the time, do you want to meet them? Maybe we can have lunch or dinner together. I've met your mom, and I'd really like for you to meet them."

"That sounds awesome. I'd love to do that," he nods with a smile.

"Great," your eyes light up. He leaves your side, and you take out your phone to call your mom. She doesn't answer, but she might be sleeping since it's late where she is. "Hey, mom. I know it's late, but my job is taking me to Reno if you and Dad have some time to come up there? Maybe we can do lunch or dinner? I want you to meet someone. I love you!"

With that out of the way, you're able to gather your go-bag and meet everyone on the plane. It's just after dawn when you're at a cruising altitude, and JJ takes out some over-the-ear headphones to place on her growing belly.

"JJ?" Emily asks, looking at the headphones in question.

"It's so the baby can't hear."

"What is he listening to?"

"Beethoven."

"I personally preferred Mozart, myself," Spencer says. "Be careful to limit his exposure to one hour a day. Amniotic fluids have a tendency to amplify sound."

"Thanks for the reminder, Doc," she chuckles before getting down to business. "Okay, so, all three crashes were on highways outside of Carson City, Lake Tahoe, and Reno."

"All cities with a large and diverse transit population. Not to mention the thousands of locals mixing with seasonal workers. It's an endless pool of victims to choose from."

"Rebecca was beaten badly," Hotch notes about the victim. "Her ribs are broken ante-mortem. He'd need time and privacy to do this. That would suggest the killer either lives or works in the area."

"He's going to such extremes to try and hide the murders. Maybe he has a connection to the victims?" Derek wonders.

"What does the press know?" Rossi asks JJ.

"All media outlets are reporting an accident."

"The one thing going for us is the killer has no idea we know. That helps us."

"JJ, when we land, would you explain to Sheriff Bruner and his deputies how important it is to keep this quiet? If the unsub finds out we're here, all bets are off. He could change his MO or just pick up and find his victims somewhere else," Hotch asks.

And JJ did just that once you landed. Sheriff Bruner waits for you at the Reno police department, and he shakes hands with Hotch once you get in. The other officers don't know why you need to keep this quiet, so the Sheriff addresses them.

"From this point on, the company line is simple. The FBI is here to investigate a missing person."

"You may be thinking, if the public knew the truth, they might be able to help us," JJ says. "However, we can't risk this getting out because this killer needs to believe he's getting away with murder. Any future calls related to this investigation can be directed to me or Agent Hotchner. Remember, if we can just keep a lid on this now It'll only help us later. Thanks."

The other officers go back to what they were doing before. The Sheriff walks you to where you'll be set up.

"It's not much, but it's a place to hang your hats."

"All we need is a table and an evidence board," Hotch says.

"Sheriff, if you don't mind, some of us would like to go to the site of the accident," Rossi asks.

"I'll have a deputy take you. Rebecca's father is coming in to claim the bodies."

"Do you have any aerial photos of the crash sites?"

"We didn't think to get any."

"Not a problem. I'll have our technical analyst get some from the NSA. I'd like to see what the areas surrounding the highways are like."

The Sheriff brings over a map of the area where all of the crash sites have been. The map is unmarked, but Spencer grabs a pen to mark down the spots of the accidents.

"The first victims, Fritz and Johanna Dietrich were found ten days ago after visiting from Germany. Their accident site was on Highway 50 just south of Lake Tahoe."

Spencer marks that on the map.

"The second couple, Melissa and Tom Taylor were from Oregon. They were found on the 267, northeast of Lake Tahoe, not far from the interstate." Spencer marks that as well. "The latest victims, Jonathan and Rebecca Gallen were from Arizona. Their accident occurred between Reno and Carson City on Highway 395."

"All three couples were staying in the area without reservations, and the only transactions on their credit cards were from gas stations hundreds of miles away," JJ says.

"The common theme here is no paper trail. If no one can contact them or trace them, they become the perfect victims."

Before you leave, Rossi gets those satellite photos from Penelope, but he doesn't look at them right away. He wants to wait until he's at the crime scene to compare them to the area.

Hotch and JJ stay behind to talk to Rebecca's father, Spencer stays behind to work on the profile, and the rest of you are taken to the newest car accident site. The truck driver who rammed into the small car is still on the side of the road talking with the officers since it's still so new. Jonathan and Rebecca's energies are faint because they didn't die here. They were placed in that car and left to be hit well after they died.

You're not sure you can see what happened before they died or where they died.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go home now and tell my wife that I didn't kill that couple," the older truck driver says once you get there.

"Sir, we're gonna have to ask you not to do that."

"Everyone believes I killed them. You don't know what that feels like."

You do, but you're not going to tell him that.

"We understand what we're asking of you, but this is an extremely important part of our investigation," you say. "We need the public to continue to believe this was an accident."

"Mr. Jones, we will catch this guy," the sheriff assures. "When we do, your good name will be vindicated. I promise you that."

"Fine," Mr. Jones sighs. "If I can think of anything that would be of use to you, I'll let you know."

"Thank you for your time." Mr. Jones heads back to his truck. "This guy could've left the bodies anywhere."

"He didn't, and there is a reason for that. This behavior tells us the risk of leaving the bodies where he killed them is greater than the risk he takes staging these accidents." Rossi takes out the file containing the satellite photos. "Here are the satellite photos."

He lays them out on the hood of the police car so you all can see. Each accident site has curves winding around them so a car or a semi-truck wouldn't be able to see them until it's too late.

"Look at that. All three accident sites have similar blind curves," you point out. "What are these areas just off the highway?"

"Some are fire roads and some are trails for off-road vehicles such as ATVs."

"We know this guy's organized. It looks like he plans his escapes in advance."

"I found something, boss," one of the officers says as he jogs away from the crushed car. He hands over the item he found that's in an evidence bag. "It's a matchbook."

The matchbook is from a diner called Flo's, and you, Derek, and Emily decide to go over there and see if you can't get some intel.

x

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[em-prentiss]

to leave the warmest bed I've ever known

-----

She lets go of his wrist and gently runs her fingers through his hair like she’s always thought of doing, just once, to see how it feels. It’s soft in her hand, dark as night against her skin, and Emily smiles. Aaron’s eyes flutter closed.

Or, it’s JJ’s wedding, and Aaron knows Emily is leaving. He tries to stop it.

Word count: 2k

-----

Her hand is so soft. He’d never held it fully in his like this before, only soft brushes of her palm against his or the meeting of their fingertips as she passed him a bottle of water. His thumb absentmindedly runs over her knuckles, something he’s unaware of, something that makes her cheeks heat.

They’re closer than they’ve ever been before. His hand is warm on her lower back, urging her closer, right up against his chest, and hers is on his shoulder, gripping the material of his jacket between her fingers to stop herself from sliding her hand into his soft looking hair.

They move with an easy, practiced rhythm; similar to the way they move in the field, in sync more often than not. It makes Aaron smile. “You’re a good dancer,” he says, his mouth right at her ear, and she smiles. “Of course I am,” Emily declares, “I’m an ambassador’s daughter. I attended balls in my sleep.”

“I remember.” He murmurs, and those two words make her close her eyes and tighten her grip on his fingers.

He’d been a security guard at her mother’s estate and she’d been a bored college student home for the summer. She had teased him lightly, gone out of her way to see him before she left for yet another bar, another outing with her friends. She’d always been drawn to him—and him to her—but he was engaged to Haley so nothing happened, and perhaps that’s the biggest shame of it all.

“You never asked me to dance,” she muses, her voice low. “I’m still very offended by that.” Emily looks up at him and smiles, the tight corners of it fading for the first time that night.

“If it makes you feel better, I wanted to,” he says, and she raises her brows in disbelief. His hand moves to settle on the curve of her waist. “God, I did, Emily. You looked so beautiful.”

She ducks her head in embarrassment, her cheeks heating as his words. She remembers that night, when her mother was hosting yet another one of her mind numbing parties. He’d been standing guard near the door and she felt his burning gaze on her all night, caressing the bare skin exposed by her red dress as she danced with man after man her mother threw at her.

“Did I?” Her lips curve into a smile and he sees the indent of her dimple in her cheek. Aaron has to force his gaze back to her eyes to stop himself from doing something stupid, like kissing her. 

But that’s a mistake too. Her eyes are warm and beautiful, the tiny pinpricks of light above them melting into her irises. He sinks into them, falls deeper than he has already. “You looked pretty okay, I guess,” she teases. 

Emily is rewarded by the sound of his warm laugh against her ear. Her heart skips at the sound and she holds her breath, wishing she could just trap herself in this moment. Her and him, so close together she can feel the heat of his body through her dress.

Aaron looks down at her as she suddenly grows silent, her eyes unfocused. He swallows tightly. She’s been that way ever since she arrived, the look in her eyes thinly veiled with a distracting smile. It scares him, that look, because he knows her well enough by now to know this means she’s going to run. Again. It’s something he can’t even bear the though of.

“What are you thinking?” He whispers, keeping his voice low so it doesn’t break. 

She doesn’t hear him, still replaying his laugh over in her head, shoving aside other memories to make room for it. She knows she’ll need it, something warm to soothe the cold ache of London. 

Aaron’s throat tightens. “Emily.” He squeezes her waist, and her gaze snaps to his. 

“Hm? Sorry, could you repeat that?” She laughs lightly. It’s as terrifying as it is impressive that she’s able to hide her emotions so well. 

He doesn’t laugh back. Emily swallows, the desperate way he’s looking at her finally registering in her brain. He knows. 

She almost laughs, because of course he does.

“What were you thinking about?” He rasps out, tightening his hold on her when her her eyes widen in panic. Don’t run, he pleads. Not now. 

Emily’s heart slams in her chest and she licks her dry lips. “What?” He asks softly, ever persistent, even though he desperately doesn’t want her to answer because he knows what she’ll say.

She forces out a dry chuckle, “That stack of paperwork on my desk,” she looks at him pleadingly, silently begging him to play along. “Though I’m sure yours-”

“Leaving.” He cuts her off roughly. Emily shakes her head and drops her gaze, feeling the press of tears in the back of her throat, all too familiar lately ever since her return.

They’re not even dancing anymore, Emily thinks as she surveys the other pairs on the dance floor. They’re just moving aimlessly, his hand still on her waist and hers on his shoulder; a ruse for them to touch each other, because they never have before, not like this.

Aaron’s heart drops straight to his feet. He bends down to meet her gaze, a sheen in her eyes that matches the one in his. “Tell me I’m wrong,” he begs. Emily looks away, her throat tight as she swallows. 

“Hotch..” She trails off. The song is over and she tries to slip her hand from his grip, but he doesn’t let her go. She can see Morgan approaching, chasing after her for another dance because he knows it’ll be her last, too. Emily tugs her hand harder and he lets go, his palm dropping from her waist. 

Her hand is unbearably cold at her side. She wraps her shawl tighter around her body, suppressing a shiver and avoiding Aaron’s gaze as she walks past him.

For a moment he’s frozen as she takes Morgan’s hand, her tight smile back on her lips. Aaron moves without feeling it, approaching them and placing a hand on Morgan’s shoulder, halting their dance.

“Sorry, would you mind if I stole Emily for this song? It’s my favorite,” he says hoarsely, the mindless lie slipping through his teeth.

Morgan takes one look at him and glances at Emily, clocks in the expressions on their faces and lets go of her. “Sure, man.” He says softly, the desperate look in Hotch’s eyes telling him he knows, too.

“Save me the next one, princess.” He smiles as he walks away. She nods wordlessly, looking after him as he approaches Penelope, feeling Aaron’s burning gaze on her.

Emily doesn’t dare look at him. “I need some water,” she says quietly, bolting before he can reply. He wonders for a minute if he should leave her alone, give her some space; they did have a date tomorrow. But he thinks of the look in her eyes, her skittishness, and he’s not sure he can trust she’ll stay another day. 

She’s gone, already disappeared into the house, and just the absence of her in this moment makes his heart clench. Aaron follows her into the kitchen. She’s turned away from him, her dark head bent as she looks down. 

He stands in front of her, bends his head down to meet her eyes. “Why, Emily?” He whispers.

“Stop it, Aaron.”

He’s stunned into silence, his name on her tongue halting him in his tracks.

“Stop.” She whispers, tears finally rolling down her cheeks. She wipes them off roughly. “You know damn well why.”

Her voice is ragged, defeated, and Aaron feels his heart drop.

“Garcia still looks at me like I’m about to disappear. Reid,” her voice trembles and she clenches her hands into fists. “Reid doesn’t trust me anymore.” A sob escapes her lips and she turns away, looks at the floor. “He won’t talk to me, he won’t even look me in the eye. He flinched when I hugged him the other day.” Emily presses her palms against her eyes in an attempt to staunch her tears, but the dam’s been broken. It’s every hurt she hadn’t let herself feel since she got back, every paper thin cut they’ve unknowingly inflicted on her, and she’s finally bleeding out.

Tears burn in the back of Aaron’s throat as he watches her tremble, shaking like a leaf before his eyes. “Emily..” he moves closer to her but stops shy of actually touching her, though his hands twitch at his sides.

She removes her palms and looks at him through blurry eyes. Emily blinks the tears away and feels the heat travel down her cheeks and drip off her chin.

“Nothing fits, Aaron,” she says hoarsely, her voice cracking. “I don’t fit. I ruined it all.” She whispers brokenly, looking into his eyes and allowing him to see this side of her, because even through her hurt she knows he’d understand.

“No, Emily,” he refutes firmly. He slowly moves closer, and when she doesn’t shy away he wraps her tightly in his arms, his forehead pressed to her hair. She clutches him tightly, her nails digging into his shirt so hard she’s surprised it doesn’t tear. Emily stuffs her face in his warm neck and shakily breathes in. He’s so familiar; the scent of his cologne and the feel of his body against hers, though they’ve never done this before. 

“You didn’t ruin it, sweetheart,” he soothes, his hand rubbing her trembling back, feeling her sharp breaths staccato against his neck.

“Didn’t I?” She laughs bitterly. She ignores the nickname he called her, because she knows if she doesn’t he’d somehow make her stay. And she can’t do that.

“No.” He pulls back to look at her, cupping her face to gently force her watery gaze on his. “It’s not your fault, Emily,” he says, but he knows his words have no effect on her. She’s set in her decision, they both know that, but he can’t help but try.

“Sure,” she wipes her wet cheeks and looks up at him, holding one of his wrists. “Thank you for saying that.” She smiles softly, the realest one he’d seen all night. She doesn’t believe him, but she gets some peace knowing he does.

“I mean it,” Aaron grits out roughly, feeling her slip through his fingers. “Don’t go, Emily. It’ll get better, I swear it will.” He whispers, his thumb stroking her cheek, catching a final tear leaking out from the corner of her eye.

Emily shakes her head, “I can’t stay, Aaron.” She lets go of his wrist and gently runs her fingers through his hair like she’s always thought of doing, just once, to see how it feels. It’s soft in her hand, dark as night against her skin, and Emily smiles. Aaron’s eyes flutter closed. He leans into her touch, just savoring the feeling of her hand when she pulls away. He opens his eyes.

“You’re the only one who didn’t make me feel different,” she whispers, her eyes shining. “Thank you for that.”

She pulls away, lets his hands fall from her face, and it feels so much like goodbye—because it is—he almost sinks to his knees.

“Don���t go.” He says quietly, a last futile attempt at keeping her with him. Emily smiles sadly, her heart twisting at the rasp in his voice, the slightest sheen of tears in his eyes.

“I have to.”

She adjusts her wrap around her body and wipes away any lingering tears, mentally making a note to hide for a few minutes in the bathroom, let the redness of her eyes and cheeks fade.

He watches her turn his back on him and walk away, like she’s done so many times before. 17 years ago, 8 months ago, and now; like a cycle they can’t stop themselves from repeating.

“I love you.” Aaron whispers when she’s at the doorway. 

Emily stops, closing her eyes against another onslaught of tears. She swallows against the lump in her throat. “I know.” Her voice is thick and low, trembling the slightest bit, just like the line of her shoulders.

Aaron closes his eyes as she walks away, unable to see it one more time.

[404-mind-not-found]

Original designs for some of the characters I made for my currently WIP FNAF fic- Dreams Before Souls. The original fic was called In the Evening, and it was a one-shot about the Emily siblings dealing with their parents' deaths. I've since changed a lot of the story including the date- the story's now set in 1975 instead of 1967. Mrs. Afton also does not make an appearance until the epilogue. The new plot for the fic is essentially how I think the FNAF timeline started. Henry works at a failing mechanics company as he tries to find his big break through a robotics competition. He also tries to get the attention of a lady he met at a party, all while dealing with William's sudden appearances in his friend group and the secrets that were about to be unleashed... Chapter one out... hopefully not too long? I've got almost 2k done atm. Also there's a chance that one day it will become inaccurate to the lore if some crazy Fredbear's origins stuff comes out, consider it an AU. ^^

[roosterforme]

Congratulations on 2k!! 🍻🎉

Prompt: Bradley loses his virginity in collage. after a collage party to a super sweet girl, in his dorm.

Thanks Mak! This is for my 2k followers party!

"Do you want to come back to my dorm room with me?" you asked quietly, lacing your fingers through his.

Bradley's heart was pounding. He'd had a crush on you for months, ever since you sat next to him in Economics 101 and smiled. He'd finally asked you out and you said yes.

"Yeah, okay," he said nervously, and both of you left the loud party together. But once he was in your room, lit only by your purple lava lamp, he blurted out, "I want to do this, but I've never done it before."

You removed your lips from his neck and shifted to look up at him, straddling his lap in your desk chair. "That's okay. I've only done it a few times," you whispered, running your fingers through his hair.

Bradley undressed you slowly, and you let him explore your body with his hands and his lips. When you led him to your bed and guided him to lay back, he let you do the same with his body. He was afraid he was going to cum when you rolled a condom on for him, but he held it together.

You straddled him, sliding down his length, and he was absolutely certain nothing had ever felt this good before. He was pretty sure he lasted ten minutes, only by sheer willpower. And when you invited him to sleepover with you, he readily agreed.

[starsignchaser]

hello everyone and welcome to the March 2024 edition of emily's fic recs! If you saw my post this weekend you know that I bookmarked 57 fics this month... yeah idk how that happened but just know that this is gonna be a bit of a long one.

this month's list contains Jegulus, Wolfstar, and Drarry for a total of 28 fics. there are some all-time faves in this list (march was a good month) so I hope you enjoy!

without further ado, lets dive in :)

Jegulus

blue and yellow skies by alarainai, salmon_says (142k, 27/27, rated M)

Quidditch Rivals turned Quidditch Lovers. That's what the world sees them as, at least.

Too bad Regulus hates James Potter's guts, and James? Well, it doesn't matter what he feels about their definitely fake, definitely emotionless relationship.

just cute quidditch boys who love each other

i fell hard (in your arms tonight) by grimjobs (17.9k, 9/9, rated G)

Regulus didn't know he was touch starved until James started touching him.

cute boys and silly misunderstandings

i've got my eye on you by artiest (10k, rated M)

James and Regulus are friends with benefits except they're both ridiculously in love with each other.

this one was so good I had to give it an instant reread as I was putting my list together. angsty happy in-love boys

Many Happy Halloweens by SnarkyMagpie (7.6k, rated M)

Monsters come out on Halloween, but Regulus Black will gladly fight any horror, whether it's a dragon or anxiety, to protect his family.

Jeggy dads!!!!!! Technically single dad James with Harry and then Reggie joining their family <3333

stuck by you (and the glue) by cleargreen (4.7k, rated G)

The two most important people in James's life finally meet. This is how it goes.

baby harry has a crush on his dad's boyf reg

Whoops. by my_castlescrumbling (2k, rated T)

Regulus is a TA for Professor Monty Potter and Monty keeps trying to set Regulus up with his son. Regulus always refuses, of course. But what happens when, at the end of the term, he goes to the Potter Christmas Party?

yayyy happenstance!!!

a little death by noasmirrorball (1.6k, rated E)

James wakes Regulus up with a little surprise.

this is just straight up porn

heatwaves by regscupid (1.5k, rated E)

With the exit of May, James quickly came to realize he could not deal with what June brought with it. June meant hotter weather. Their flat didn’t have air conditioning.

reg in crop tops makes james' brain go mush

Wolfstar

wading in waist-high water by colgatebluemintygel (82k, 9/9, rated E)

Remus is a PhD student and hobbyist baker who finds himself adrift following his father’s death. On a whim, he enters the Great British Bake Off...

ONE OF MY FAVES OF THE MONTH!!! a wonderful balance of funny moments, bits of angst, and mostly just a lot of love between these two boys

Like Real People Do by third_crow (36k, 3/3, rated T)

Or, Remus works as a barista and Sirius comes in every morning with the world's cutest baby, and man, these two just wrote the book on mutual pining, huh?

I LOVED THIS FIC!!! there is so much angst but it is so worth it because these two are meant to find each other every time

To Be Alone With You by Shay_Fae (16.6k, 4/4, rated M)

In the summer of their sixth year, Remus Lupin tried to kill himself.

MAJOR TW for this one (as you can see from the description) but also such a beautiful take on Sirius's love for Remus and their dynamic

my castle crumbled overnight by YellowLark23 (9k, 2/2, rated T)

Sirius deals with his parents’ abuse while at school, but he never realizes just how dangerous the game they're playing is.

This fic is more black brothers focused but there is sweet background wolfstar hurt/comfort :)

i've got diamonds in my eyes (for you) by crushofdoves (6k, 2/2, rated E)

Sirius and Remus are in big, soft, filthy love.

this is so hot and also just feels so real for a sex scene like they literally stop to have a grilled cheese in the middle it's perfect

Remus' Impromptu Study Break by ravenclaw_with_no_friends (5.6k, rated E)

“Sod off Pads, I’m mad at you,” Remus decided his best way out would just be to go have a shower. He got out of the bed, picking up his pyjama bottoms to hold in front of his crotch.

wolfstar smut with sirius making the first move hehe

i was sinking and now i'm sunk by crushofdoves (3.9k, rated E)

The air between them felt electric, crackling with intention and Sirius hoped they were on the same page.

bookstore employee remus having his way with sirius in the back room

Ways to be Gentle by Quietlemonhush (3.6k, rated E)

Sirius has a bad day. Remus reminds him what softness feels like.

sad sirius being given all the love by his moony

Drarry

A Dented Old Street Sign by orphanghost (27k, rated M)

Draco knows they aren't the only students who will be completing their NEWTs this year, but they are the only ones whose home fireplaces were disconnected from the floo network by the ministry.

At least, Draco assumes as much until he sees the light falling out from the front door of one of the other rickety old houses in front of them and the three figures cast in its warm glow.

the golden trio and returning slytherins are neighbors in Hogsmede for 8th year. tension, hijinks, and love ensues

With Great Yawns and Stretchings by sugar_screw (22k, rated T)

The coffee is very good. Really. And the cats are so cute. That's why Harry goes so often.

ONE OF MY FAVES OF THE MONTH!! just sweet boys who love cats and grow together and kiss!!!

Cascade by Avonne (18.7k, rated M)

Harry wants to touch, and Draco wants to be touched. If only they could figure it out.

I want to take every 8th year fic in hold them close in my arms because these boys are so sad and fucked up but they keep finding each other and making it work. one of my faves!

Sourdough by academicdisaster (17k, rated M)

Draco writes romance novels and doesn't leave his apartment much. Harry bakes bread and sells it to Draco. Draco is quite weird. Harry might like that.

read tags before reading!!! contains some off screen heavy angst but sooo good. Again, you will always catch me at the scene of a weird little draco fic

Magical Menagerie by DorthyAnn (16k, 7/7, rated T)

Convinced by Hermione to get a new pet, Harry goes to Magical Menagerie and finds it's now owned by Draco Malfoy who has changed since the war… in a good way, a really good way.

sweet weirdo draco you will always have my heart

Said and Unsaid (or, The Value of Knowing When to Stop Talking) by bryoneybrynn (14.8k, 3/3, rated T)

When the Interrogator asked if he had anything to say on his own behalf, Draco shook his head, his lips pressed tight in a thin line. There was nothing to say that wouldn’t sound like an excuse.

again, love me an 8th year fix-it fic

Slow Show by Avonne (14.7k, rated M)

Harry doesn't know the kind of love that isn't forged in pain. He doesn't understand slow and calm and easy. He can't trust unconditional. After all, how could Draco love him if he's not allowed to sacrifice himself for it? Draco shows him.

I just can't get enough of harry being a self-sacrificing idiot and Draco being the one who can consistently cut through his bs and be like "hey!!! stop that dummy, we all love you (but me especially)"

I'll keep you (safe and sound) by arminaa (13k, 4/4, rated E)

Harry takes temporary custody of Teddy while Andromeda's comatose at St Mungo's after an accident, and Draco, his something-with-benefits, shows up unexpectedly to help.

two awkward boys who don't know how to tell each other they like each other (with baby Teddy!)

Title of Their Sex Tape by Cibee (12k, rated T)

Undercover! Heists! Draco pining for Harry! Harry being oblivious, but also can't help noticing how good Draco smells! Banters and jokes! That's about it.

Brooklyn 99-esque fic with v sweet will they/won't they moments. also the line "“I confess,” Draco said quietly. “That I had hope ... you would choose me this time.”" !!!!!!!

By Any Other Name by dracognition (8k, rated E)

A botched love potion makes it so that everyone in Harry's vicinity is madly in love with him—everyone except Draco, that is.

everyone is in love with Harry, INCLUDING Draco!!! hehehe

Swipe Right by mee4ever (2k, rated G)

Or then one where Harry swipes right, and it turns out Draco does too.

I love their banter/flirting in this one so much!!!

Harry Potter Gets a Job [ART] by dustmouth (106 pages, rated M)

Harry returns home from Romania to find Arthur Weasley has a new apprentice, and there's an extra place set for dinner.

I love this art style and the story is just so perfect, def suggest checking out more by dustmouth if you enjoy this

[gogandmagog]

Okay, cute! Tagged by @batrachised! Thanks so much for thinking of me, you’re the actual best!

1-How many works do you have on AO3? 

Aw, man. Not a single one. I’m on fanfiction.net, because I feel like it’s the best spot to find fellowship with other likeminded or book-based Montgomery readers. (At least for the Anne series.) 

2-What's your total AO3 word count?    Not a lot! I’ve written four weency sketches that don’t actually even count fully as stories, because there’s scarcely any plot, only niceties and overall sweetness. My word count is something around 6.7K, which is piteous, following batrachised! 

3-What fandoms do you write for?    Lucy Maud Montgomery. I’ve done a lot of Anne, and little of Emily. 

4-What are your top 5 fics by kudos?    I haven’t even written five! I’m probably unqualified for this whole list of questions. Is a kudo interchangeable with a follow? My most followed is the Smugglers Jug.

5-Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?    Yes, of course! If anyone has a fanfiction.net account, and they left me a comment, I’ve responded over private message, which is the vehicle that ff.net allows for such correspondence. It never feels like enough, though! In a perfect world, I’d be able to take you out for coffee or tea, as a way of saying thanks. Comments or reviews mean so much. 

6-What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?  

Angst? I don’t know her. 

7-What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 

Sincerely all of them. Anne and Gilbert are happy in canon, and all I even do are canon expansion/inserts.

8-Do you get hate on fics? 

Mercifully, no. I’d probably cry. I can’t imagine what inspires people to leave hateful comments. It’s fan fiction! It’s supposed to be fun!

9-Do you write smut? If so what kind? 

Please, I’m blushing. I’m actually writing something right now (when I say ‘right now,’ I just mean that it’s a Word document I’ve glanced at in the last six weeks) that I’ll have to label as M! But it’s not all that explicit, and it’s really just something seen by a third party. And anyway, we’ll see if I can ever summon the courage needed to post it.

10-Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not yet, sorry!

11-Have you ever had a fic stolen?     I don’t think so! Small potatoes. 

12-Have you ever had a fic translated?    One time someone asked me if they could "podfic" one of my works, but this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to such a thing. 

13-Have you ever cowritten a fic before? 

I didn’t even know that was a thing! I love it.

14-What's your all-time favourite ship? 

Walter/Una? Walter’s parents, too.

15-What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? 

I mean… speaking of crossovers! I have about 2K words done of an Ingleside/the Alienist (they exist is the same time period, and only 1200 KM apart; in my brain this is totally feasible) crossover that sees an awful murderer land in Glen St. Mary, and Doctor Blythe being relied upon by Doctor Kreizler for professional assistance throughout. I might have the time to complete this when I’m 85.

16-What are your writing strengths? 

I think it’s a strength that I always want to be writing, isn’t it?

17-What are your writing weaknesses? 

I can’t stop writing run-on sentences. Like… think an entire paragraph that’s one sentence. I’m wholly aware that I do it. But I still can’t stop. I’m out of control, really. In other places, while it’s true I always want to be writing, I also can’t write unless I have the right pen the exact environment and circumstances that I feel are conducive to my best writing. (A desk, my favourite lappy, an empty house, pink noise, and a coffee.) If one small thing is off, I’m useless to my own endeavours.

18-Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? 

I could do it in Lushootseed?

19-First fandom you wrote for? 

Lucy Maud Montgomery books. First I read for, first I wrote for, first I ever cared enough about to seek ‘more’ of. We can add ‘only’ here too.

20-Favorite fic you've ever written? 

Awoo, I don’t know! They all stress me out equally? No matter what, I’ll always think to myself, ‘yikes, I could have done that better.’ I wish this had asked for recs, though! I have a bunch of those.

21-Tagging:

@dandelionsandderivatives! 🫶🏻

[mediocre-writerr]

a mediocre 2k party!!

2031 FRIENDS!! Y’ALL ARE AMAZING! If you want to participate in this little party, i have a variety of prompts based off lyrics from my favorite songs for you to choose from. you could choose one of the prompts and create a scenario out of it or just have me quote it in the blurb, up to you! also lmk if you want angst, fluff, or nsfw. when you request through my inbox please note that it is for the mediocre 2k party and what character you would like it to be written for. for those of you don’t know these are the characters i am currently writing for: criminal minds: jennifer jareau, emily prentiss, euphoria: cassie howard, lexi howard, maddy perez, mcu: kate bishop, natasha romanoff, wanda maximoff, you: love quinn, guinevere beck

prompt lists: 

“but all the we are is all that we’ll ever be, cause he’s the one waiting at home” - (smoke slow, joshua bassett)

“i’ll be fine for tonight with you by my side, but don’t you know you’re my lifeline) - (lifeline, joshua bassett)

“something keeps me holding on to nothing” - (haunted, taylor swift)

“when i told you ‘i’m fine’, you were lied to” - (mess it up, gracie abrams)

“i’ll be your summer sun forever” - (forever winter, taylor swift)

“nothing to say, when everything gets in the way” - (as it was, harry styles)

“i know heaven’s a thing, i go there when you touch me” - (false god, taylor swift)

“you’re a crisis of my faith” - (would’ve, could’ve, should’ve, taylor swift)

“but you had no problem leaving, now i’m the one to feel it” - (friend, gracie abrams)

“i still love you, i promise” - (i miss you, i’m sorry, gracie abrams)

“please don’t ever become a stranger, whose laugh i could recognize anywhere” - (new year’s day, taylor swift)

“i once believed love would be burning red, but it’s golden” - (daylight, taylor swift)

“and i need you sometimes, we’ll be alright” - (feels like, gracie abrams)

“i miss the shape of your lips” - (to be so lonely, harry styles)

“from strangers to lovers to enemies” - (in the kitchen, renne rapp)

“so i’ll leave before you go, cause there’s no tears when its my fault” - (let the grass grow, ruel)

“she could be perfect, but the problem is, she’ll never be you) - (somebody’s nobody, alexander 23)

“call me on your way home, don’t matter the time” - (on your way home, patrick droney)

“sacred new beginnings that became my religion” - (cornelia street, taylor swift)

“guess i’d die to keep your eyes on me” - (reckless driving, lizzy mcalpine)

“did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room” - (question, taylor swift)

“hash brown, egg yolk, i will always love you” - (keep driving, harry styles)

“i didn’t choose this town, i dream of getting out, there’s just one who could make me stay” - (you’re on your own kid, taylor swift)

“there’s many different way that you can kill the one you love, the slowest way is never loving them enough” - (high infidelity, taylor swift)

“london is lonely without you” - (london is lonely, holly humberstone)

“all our best years are behind, what a brutal way to die” - (where do we go now?, gracie abrams)

“i’m not worried about where you are, or who you go home to, i’m just thinking about you” (little freak, harry styles)

“and i wake with your memory over me” (maroon, taylor swift)

“i’m sure that i would like her, if i were slightly nicer” - (rockland, gracie abrams)

“and i’ll dream each night of some version of you that i might not have, but did not lose” - (stick season, noah kahan

[sequinsmile-x]

Like a Light

It's the annual FBI blood draw and Aaron has an adverse reaction to donating.

He was never going to live this down.

-x-

Hi friends,

Really not sure where this came from, it's just a silly little thing that wouldn't leave me alone.

I hope you enjoy this and please let me know what you think <3

-x-

Warnings: mentions of blood, pregnancy (the fic is not about pregnancy, but Emily is pregnant in it)

Words: 2k

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

Emily blows out a breath as she drops her pen onto her desk, her eyes flicking between her pile of complete paperwork and what she still had to do. She looks at her husband’s empty office and then all of her friends abandoned desks and she groans. She shakes her head at herself as she stands up, one hand on her bump and the other on the desk as she supports herself.

“Come on kid,” she says, rubbing a circle where she feels her baby moving, “Let’s go see, Daddy.” 

She was 7 months along and regulated to desk duty. It had happened a little earlier than she would have originally liked, but ultimately she was grateful for it. She was tired and sore and couldn't even begin to imagine how she’d feel in eight weeks when she was still pregnant. She was looking forward to meeting her baby, to find out what she was having since she and Aaron had decided to keep it a secret until they were born, but she was also looking forward to having more control over her body again. 

She was uncomfortable almost all the time. Her breasts hurt and were two cups sizes bigger than they used to be. Her lower back had a persistent ache and she had acne like she hadn’t since she was a teenager. 

She smiles to herself as she walks towards the temporary medical room that had been set up in the conference room, and the large sign that was displayed outside. 

FBI Blood Drive. 

There were definitely some benefits to being pregnant, and today getting out of the annual blood drive felt like one of them. 

It was the BAU’s turn, and they’d all been in the conference room for around 20 minutes. Even though she couldn’t donate herself that didn’t mean she couldn’t sit with them for a while. She smiles as she walks into the room, her eyes immediately meeting her husband’s. 

“Hi.” 

“Hi sweetheart,” Aaron says, smiling at her from across the room, “What are you doing here?” 

She shrugs as she starts to walk across towards him, “I was bored in the bullpen by myself,” she says, smiling at her friends as they all lay on their loungers, all in different stages of the blood donation process, “Thought I’d come to join the party.” 

JJ chuckles as she nods towards the catheter in her arm, “How long has it been since you went to a party, Em?” 

Emily smiles as she rubs over her bump, “Not sure, but it’s been at least 7 months.” 

Derek raises his eyebrow at her from where he was lying, grimacing as the nurse tightens the tourniquet around his tricep, “I see you managed to get out of this, Princess.” 

She rolls her eyes as she sits next to Aaron’s lounger, her hand on her bump as she lowers herself down, “Yes, Derek, I decided to have a whole ass baby just to get out of the FBI blood drive this year,” she quips, her smile turning into a smirk. “It was either this or fake my death again, and the pre-work involved with pregnancy is a lot more enjoyable.” 

She chuckles as her husband and her friends groan at the same time, protesting her suggestive comment simultaneously. 

“Em.” 

“Prentiss.” 

Emily looks at Aaron and shrugs her shoulders innocently, “Am I wrong?” 

Aaron shakes his head at her and then winces as the nurse pulls the catheter out of his arm now his donation is complete and presses a bandaid to his skin. 

“Just sit here for about 15 minutes and then you are good to go, Agent Hotchner,” the nurse says, smiling at him as she offers him a cookie, “Make sure you eat that.” 

“Thanks,” he says, smiling politely at her. He starts to open the cookie but gets interrupted when his phone starts to ring. He pulls it out of his pocket and sighs when he sees Strauss’s name on the screen. He answers it quickly, “Hotchner.” 

Emily initially tries to listen in on his conversation but is distracted when the nurse hands a cookie to her, a kind smile on her face. 

“Oh,” Emily says, looking at the baked good, salivating at just the thought of it, “I didn’t donate,” she says, resting her hand on her bump.

“Oh I know,” the nurse says, winking at her as she holds the plate of cookies even closer, “But when I was having my youngest, I had such a sweet tooth. Plus you’re having a whole ass baby,” she says, her eye sparkling slightly as she repeats Emily’s words from earlier, “You deserve a cookie.” 

She nods and takes one of them, “Thank you,” she says, already tearing into the packet, “I do deserve it.” 

She takes a bite and moans at the taste, shooting a glare at Dave across the room when he laughs at her, but any comment she may have made is stopped as Aaron sits up, his phone still against his ear. 

“Of course ma’am, I’ll be there straight away.” He hangs up the phone and stands up, turning to look at Emily, “I need to go see Strauss, there’s an issue with the budgeting report.” 

“Agent Hotchner,” the nurse says, standing up herself, “You really need to sit down, it’s only been a couple of minutes-”

“I’ll be okay,” he says, already thinking about how Strauss was going to yell at him, to use paperwork as an excuse to eat into his evening with Emily and Jack, “I really need to go…”

He drifts off as he steps away from the lounger and he’s hit with a wave of nausea. It feels like time slows down as he tries to shake it off, but it only makes it worse. The floor starts to sway beneath him and his vision starts to tunnel. He tries to rest his hand on the lounger to support his weight but he misses, his co-ordination gone. 

The last thing he’s aware of before he hits the floor is the nurse and Emily calling out his name. “Agent Hotchner.”

“Aaron.”

___

The first thing he thinks when he wakes up is that he is never going to live this down. 

He groans as he opens his eyes, the light-headed feeling still lingering as his vision starts to clear. He has two nurses standing in front of him, both of them looking concerned, and he groans again. 

“Agent Hotchner, are you feeling okay? You fainted.” 

“I’m fine,” he says, his words sounding weak to his own ears. He blinks a couple of times, grateful when his eyesight finally clears entirely. 

“We’ll help you up,” the nurse says, and he doesn’t shake off the help, knowing he would likely still be unsteady on his feet. He stands up and they each hook their arm through one of his and guide him back to his lounger. “You didn’t hit your head so that’s good,” the nurse replies, placing a bottle of water on the small table next to him, “Drink that and eat your cookie. And don’t stand up again until we say you can.” 

He hears a chuckle from the other side of the room and he glares at Derek, his stern look doing nothing to dampen his friend's amusement. Aaron feels a squeeze of his hand and he turns to look at his wife, his heart clenching in his chest at the poorly concealed concern painted across her face, “I’m fine, Em. I promise. I just stood up too quickly.” 

She isn’t sure she believes him. 

She’d watched it happen in slow motion. She’d seen how his eyes had glazed over as he fell to the ground like he weighed nothing, even though she knows exactly how heavy he is. Before she was too pregnant to do anything other than sleep on her side wrapped around a special pillow, she loved to sleep with him half on top of her, the weight of him a comfort, something that would always bring her back to herself when her nightmares came calling. 

It had scared the shit out of her, her panic way outweighing the situation, her love for him making it hard to breathe until he woke up. She’d tried to help but everyone, the medical staff and the team, had all told her to sit down. For once, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to defy what someone had told her and she’d sat in the chair next to his lounger, her hand on her bump as her baby started to move even more, spurred on by the spike in her blood pressure. 

She’ll tell him all of this later when they are home. When Jack was in bed and she could give herself space to feel everything she was feeling right now, because she knows she’ll cry, forever at the mercy of her hormones, and she doesn’t want to do that here. 

So she falls back into what she knows, at best, is a defence mechanism, and she smirks at him, the teasing comment slipping past her lips without any resistance. 

“If this is what happens when you donate blood I dread to think what you’ll be like in the delivery room when I give birth.” 

Aaron smiles at her and squeezes her hand, well aware that she was deflecting, that she preferred to use humour in moments like this, storing up her real emotions for when they got home. 

“The length’s you’ll go to in order to get out of a meeting with Strauss,” Dave quips, smirking when everyone, including Emily and Aaron, laugh.

“It’s a good thing you have a room full of witnesses,” JJ adds, an amused smile spreading across her face, “Otherwise I don’t think she’d believe you.” 

Emily starts to feel irritation bubbling in her gut, even though Aaron seemed to be taking the gentle mocking from everyone quite well, doing nothing more than smiling and rolling his eyes as their friends took it in turns to make fun of him. She can’t really explain why she’s feeling so protective, why her spine straightens out as her body tenses whilst everyone merely carries on what she’d started, but she’d stopped trying to figure out her emotions the moment she realised she was pregnant. She sees Derek open his mouth, and it’s her final straw, the snap of her control over how she was feeling reverberating around her head. 

“Stop making fun of him,” she says, cutting off Derek before he can even speak as the words escape before she can stop them, irritation she doesn’t fully understand burning in her chest. She looks at Derek and narrows her eyes, “Don’t make me bring up the time you and Reid got stuck in an elevator and screamed like little girls when it jolted.” 

“Hey,” Spencer says, frowning as he looks at her, “I didn’t even say anything.” 

“Sorry Spence,” she says, smiling apologetically at him, “Collateral damage.” 

“You started it, Em,” Derek says, furrowing his brow at her, “So you’re allowed to make fun of him and we’re not.” 

“Exactly,” she replies, “I’m his wife,” she says, raising her eyebrow in challenge when Derek looks at her like that isn’t explanation enough, “You’re allowed to make fun of him the moment you’re the one who sucks his-”

“Okay, thank you sweetheart,” Aaron says, cutting her off before she can say anything else, his hand firm around hers, “I appreciate the support but I’m fine, I promise.” 

She grumbles under her breath, her irritation still flowing through her veins, setting her on fire from the inside out. She looks at his still uneaten cookie and then back at him.

“You’d better eat that,” she says, narrowing her eyes at him, “Or I will, and I don’t want to be responsible for you fainting a second time today.” 

Aaron sighs as he hears barely concealed laughter from across the room, and he picks up the cookie and takes a bite.

He was never going to live this down. 

-x-

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