#first time I know my alarms didn’t go off because my phone was stuck on a ‘your phone failed to update’ pop up that alarms can’t close

[purpleminte]

Kinda sucks to feel entirely dependent on your phone for something like waking up in the morning.

Like literally the only thing between me waking up at a reasonable time and me waking up two or three hours late is just whether or not my alarms decide to go off.

[miriellesandthegiantpeach]

Re-Do | Bucktommy

Buck and Tommy are standing just inside Harbor’s helicopter hangar. There’s a duffle bag in Tommy’s hand and Buck is looking pensively at the chopper waiting for Tommy. It feels eerily similar to standing outside the LAX terminal saying goodbye to Abby all those years ago. Even though Buck knows that Tommy isn’t leaving indefinitely; it’s just a special deployment to Vegas because there’s a wildfire that’s gotten out of hand. Two weeks tops, then I'll be back, you won’t even have time to miss me. Tommy said to Buck as they drove to the station.

“Baby? Did you hear me?” Tommy asks and Buck comes back to the present turning to Tommy.

“Huh? Sorry, I was lost in thought-” Buck sighs.

“Clearly,” Tommy laughs and grabs Buck’s hand. “I should be going, I’ll be home in no time, okay? Thanks for driving me.”

Dropping his shoulders in a slouch, Buck breathes out, “Yeah, yeah, okay.” He pulls Tommy in close by the hand to kiss him soundly. “Come back to me,” Buck whispers against Tommy’s lips.

“Always, baby.” Tommy smiles at his boyfriend and understands his worries - Buck is used to being left, but he also knows not to bring attention to it. “I’ll call when I land, okay?” Buck nods, there’s still tension in his brow. “Hey, I love you. Miss you already,” Tommy says and presses one more hard kiss to Buck’s lips.

“Love you too, be safe,” Buck smiles and Tommy makes his way to the chopper, his hand staying connected to Tommy’s as long as possible.

Stuck in horrendous LA rush hour traffic, Buck gets a call from Tommy just over an hour after leaving him at Harbor. “Hey, babe. You landed already? That was fast. I’m still stuck on the 5.”

“Oh yeah, the perks of having access to a helicopter. Just touched down at the Vegas airport. That giant LED sphere thing freaks me out. It has a face on it and its eyes followed my helicopter as I flew by. Did you see the picture I sent?” Buck sneaks a peek at his phone and sees a picture of the giant dome on the strip from Tommy’s point of view, and sure enough the eyes of the face were looking straight up at Tommy’s chopper.

“It knew you were flying and wanted to get a good look at the hot pilot,” Buck laughs and Tommy scoffs.

“I don’t like it,” Tommy says, totally deadpan. “Huh? Yeah, my boyfriend,” Tommy says to someone else and it still makes Buck’s heart flutter hearing the designation coming from Tommy so casually. “Garcia says hi,” Tommy turns his attention back to Buck. “I’ll text later, just letting you know I landed safely, don’t miss me too much.”

“You know I will,” Buck says, putting on a whiney voice. “Talk soon, baby.” He hangs up the phone with Tommy and feels lighter.

Tommy was right, Buck didn’t have time to miss him between work and taking up Maddie on babysitting requests. Also Tommy is in constant communication with him; they text more often than when Tommy’s home. Tommy texts him updates on containment of the fire and silly selfies and Buck will send pictures of him and Jee doing various things like tea parties or coloring.

Ten days in, Buck is at the station fresh off the phone with Tommy. “How’s that Vegas fire?” Bobby asks.

“It’s about 70% contained so they’ll be releasing the out of state firefighters first," Buck says, unable to contain his giddy smile.

Buck is still looking down at his phone so he doesn’t catch Bobby’s knowing smile. Tommy called Bobby about two hours ago saying he’s on his way back and wants to surprise Buck at the station so don’t tell him.

Bobby checks his phone, seeing a message from Tommy that he’s five minutes away.

Still here, Bobby texts back, willing the alarm not to go off. They’re all up in the kitchen relaxing. When the five minutes pass Bobby goes to the railing and looks down and sees Tommy walk into the open garage. He immediately spots Bobby and gives him a two fingered salute.

“Hey, Buck seems like you have a visitor,” Bobby shouts over to Buck standing at the sink. Buck perks up and jogs over next to Bobby and honest to god gasps when he sees Tommy downstairs. He flies down the stairs, taking them two at a time like he can’t get to Tommy fast enough. “Oh my god, you’re here! I thought you’d said at least one more day!” Tommy catches Buck in his arms and stumbles a few steps with the momentum.

“Well you said come back to you, so I asked to be released early and they let me go,” Tommy says laughing into Buck’s neck.

The smell and feel of Tommy’s arms locked around him makes Buck feel at home, feel more grounded. With an arm locked around Tommy’s neck, Buck kisses him a little less chaste than probably appropriate for being at work, but he hasn’t kissed Tommy in ten days and needs to make up for lost time.

They break apart and Buck rubs his nose against Tommy’s smiling until his cheeks hurt. “Come up upstairs, everyone’s here, at least until the next call,” Buck says and pulls Tommy up the stairs by the hand.

Tommy settles on a barstool at the kitchen island and tells everyone about the job in Vegas; recounts all the exciting bits with enthusiasm. All the while one arm securely wrapped around Buck’s waist and gesturing with the other. Buck’s eyes never leave Tommy and his smile never falters, asking questions that spark more details and exciting moments of the trip.

“It’s been almost nine months and they still look like they're in the honeymoon phase,” Hen notes to Chim.

“That’s what happens when you find your person. Trust me I’m sure I look like that with Maddie and you look at Karen like that too,” Chim remarks. He discreetly snaps a candid photo of them and sends it to Maddie. Guess who’s back early, he texts the photo to Maddie.

***

Buck’s sits heavily on the couch- today was a long day to say the least. A call came in at 3am, on his 21st hour of his shift and as he was lowering himself down on a rope he slipped and grabbed the rope at the exact wrong time, dislocating his right shoulder. He screamed out in the white hot flash of pain and fell until the harness caught him. They used one of the ambulances to transport him to the emergency room.

Two hours later Tommy escorts him from the car into his house and onto the couch. Buck’s arm is in a sling and even with the pain meds the pain still radiates from his shoulder. Buck groans and leans his head back on the couch, just another injury that will put him out of work. His mind flashbacks to his whole leg in a cast and him being couch-ridden as Ali told him she can’t handle the risk his job comes with.

As he’s spiraling Tommy comes into the living room with a mug of hot tea for Buck. “Pain that bad, baby? You look miserable right now. I thought they gave you a good dose before we left.”

Realizing that his face is being way too loud at the moment, Buck softens his brow and opens his eyes. “Oh no, it’s dulled pretty good, I was just thinking about- you know what it’s dumb. Forget it,” he sighs and drags a hand down his face. Tommy sets the tea down and sits next to Evan on the couch, lining up their legs.

“Hey, whatever it is, it’s not dumb. However big or small, I wanna know what’s going on,” Tommy says to him and waits patiently for whatever Evan is willing to divulge.

”I- uh. It’s just, remember Ali? I was with her when the ladder truck fell on my leg, scared the shit out of her apparently and the day I got home from the hospital she broke up with me. She couldn’t handle the stress and worry that comes with the job,” Buck explains. He reaches for the tea just to keep his attention on something other than Tommy for a moment.

“I see. And I’m guessing this situation reminds you of that?” Tommy asks and Buck nods minutely. “Well, I hope you know I’m not going anywhere. I hate to see you hurt of course, but the nice thing is I know exactly what the risks are. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve dislocated something.” Buck finally meets Tommy’s eyes and sees a ghost of a smile on his lips. Something about Tommy’s unwavering steadiness and calm washes away any doubt Buck has.

Three days later Tommy catches Buck rubbing at the unkept beard coming in on his jaw. He wraps around Buck and quietly asks, “getting a little scruffy, I kind of like actually.” Buck laughs at that and reaches for his electric razor. The weight feels awkward in his left hand.

“It gets itchy like this,” Buck notes and frowns at the razor. Tommy releases him and opens the medicine cabinet and takes out a regular metal razor and shaving cream.

“Let me,” he says and maneuvers Buck so he’s turned around and leaning against the sink. Tommy spreads the foam gently and meticulously along Buck’s jaw, mouth, and chin. “The old fashioned way- always gets a closer shave,” Tommy says barely above a whisper.

There’s something so intimate about Tommy shaving him. Maybe it’s the way Tommy’s thumb and forefinger holding his chin, or the way his eyes are zeroed in on the path of the razor scraping down Buck’s cheek, or the way his eyes flick to Buck’s and causes him to smile or wink. It’s a simple act that makes Buck feel so precious in Tommy’s hands. Maybe he can stand the sling for a little while longer.

***

”Fuck him, Fuck him,” Buck spits out as he paces around Tommy’s kitchen. “That motherfucker thinks he’s above human decency!”

“You wanna tell me what happened?” Tommy says calmly despite the rising anger in his chest. He’s never surprised now about Gerrard’s new slight, but wishes he could shield Buck and 118 from that.

“It isn’t anything that can be reported really, it’s all the microaggressions, all his fucking snide ass comments. It just gets under my skin and makes me hate work,” Buck sits heavily at the island and groans into his hands. “I feel like he singles me out because he knows you and I are together. All these homophobic-adjacent comments, like he wants to rile me up and just UGH. Fuck him.”

Tommy hates Gerrard, but even more hates that he’s making his boyfriend miserable. An idea comes to him.

“I‘ll talk to the fire chief, remind him why Gerrard got transferred out of the 118 in the first place,” Tommy suggests. Buck looks up in a panic.

“No-no, that’ll only make things worse, you know how long these complaints take to actually make a difference. Once Gerrard gets wind of the complaints, he’ll get even worse,” Buck rushes out.

“Babe, if there’s a way I could help I want to, I can’t just stand on the sidelines while he’s making your life hell,” Tommy tries.

Buck stands and walks to the other side of the counter and smooths his hands along Tommy’s shoulders, seeing the tension release. They’re silent for a few minutes, searching each other’s eyes, trying their best to communicate all their worries and needs.

“Don’t,” Buck says with finality. Tommy huffs and presses his mouth into a thin line. “I know you want to fix this, but I don’t want you involved with him. Again. So, I’m asking you to keep this here.”

“Okay,” Tommy says with a nod and a squeeze to Buck’s waist. Buck thanks him with a kiss to the nose.

A week or so later Buck walks through the door exhausted and irritable. He’s making it a regular habit of going straight to Tommy’s after work because he needs the comfort of his boyfriend.

Tommy envelopes him in a tight hug, “I can guess, but how was work?”

“Shitty is the new normal. Gerrard will never change and I have to just get through it. At least everyone else hates him too,” Buck mumbles into the soft fabric of Tommy’s t-shirt.

“Ah yes, nothing like strengthening a bond by the power of collective disdain,” Tommy replies scratching down Buck’s back making him hum in response.

Buck realizes that nothing has changed since his last rant about Gerrard to Tommy and leans back to look at Tommy’s face inquisitively.

“Nothing’s changed,” Buck says. “You didn’t do anything.” At first Tommy’s confused but he remembers the conversation they had.

“I didn’t. You asked me not to. Did you think I’d go behind your back?”

You asked me not to. Like it was simple, like Tommy didn’t need clarification or a deeper reason. Just because he asked Tommy not to do something, he didn’t.

“I-I, I’m just surprised I guess? So many people think they know what’s best for me and go around me to do what they think is right despite what I’ve said.” Buck looks shocked but pleased. Tommy just smiles at him,

“I can’t speak for everyone, Evan, but I trust you. You know what you’re doing. Yes I always want to help and be there for you, but I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. And I love you very much because of that.” Tommy pecks Buck’s lips.

“And I love you for listening and taking my word for it,” Buck grins, knowing that with Tommy he’s on equal ground. The irritation of the day is completely melted away and forgotten. Buck slides his hands up Tommy’s chest and shoulders to clasp his hands around the back of his neck.

”Now do you wanna listen to what I’m thinking about doing to you to let off some steam?” Buck quirks his left eyebrow and bites his lip, knowing Tommy’s eyes will follow.

Tommy leans in and noses along the jut of Buck’s jaw and says into his ear, “all ears, baby.”

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

Zoomies

Zoomies: Y/N likes to keep her private life private, especially from her close friends at Star Labs. Unfortunately, she is forced to reveal a secret of hers when her daughter’s day care closes for the day.

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Toddler Shenanigans.

To Note: Barry Allen x Female!Reader, Reader has a Daughter.

Request: @twilightlover2007: My idea for the next is the team doesn't know about Y/N's life outside of working at Star Labs until one day she brings a special little guest with her due to some unforeseen circumstances. She brings in her 2 year old daughter. HR and her daughter become fast friends; I wanna see a kid fascinated by all the stuff in Star Labs and when she sees the flash suit she squeals as she's a huge fan of his. I would love for her to have feelings towards Barry but she never said anything mostly cus she's a single mama. (Dad either died or is not involved).

Authors Note: For some reason I get the feeling that HR would make a great babysitter, also, little baby gorl in flash onesie? So adorable! —🐝

Word Count: ~3.7k

“…sorry to inform you that the daycare workers of Central City’s Toddler Town are out with the flu and thus we are unable to open up the daycare to look after your little one. We offer our most sincerest apologies and will work to…” Lowering your phone, you looked at your daughter who was happily shoveling Cheerio’s into her mouth, oblivious to the troubles in your life.

“Well, looks like you’re stuck with me today, kiddo,” You sighed out, massaging the place on your forehead where you already felt a headache forming. This morning hadn’t gotten off to a good start. First, your alarm clock had failed to go off, then your daughter didn’t want to get changed into her clothes for the day, and to add to that, the daycare that usually looked after your daughter while you were at work had closed because most of its workers had come down with the flu.

It wasn’t the worse thing in the world, but life as a single mother wasn’t easy and you savored the moments you had to yourself. Well, a quick call into to work and you could work at home for the day… but your daughter would be a distraction, and a very good one at that. An idea came to you. Cisco and the others would be at the lab, and that meant plenty of extra eyes and ears to keep track of your daughter.

“Not the safest place but it’s better than stuck at home with you climbing up the walls.” You sighed to yourself, setting your phone down and reaching for a washcloth to clean up the mess your daughter had made while eating breakfast. She wasn’t that bad of a messy eater, but she did sometimes get enthusiastic with her food, and that usually ended up with food projectiles raining around the circumference of her highchair. Cleaning up the cheerios was a quick task, and by the time you were done, Y/D/N was kicking in her seat and waving her arms at you, obviously wanting down.

“Mama!” Y/D/N exclaimed, her feet kicking against the high chair. “Down, down!”

Setting aside the washcloth, you picked her up and set her against your hip before reaching for a wet wipe on the kitchen counter to wipe her… you guessed it… messy face.

“Were you eating your Cheerios or just playing with them?” You asked as she giggled and tried to hide her face from your attempts to wipe at her cheeks. Little meaty fists half heartedly smacked at your hands, and withdrawing the wet wiped, you looked at your daughter with a raised eyebrow. “What? You want to have food stuck to your face all day?”

“I want down!” She squealed, kicking her legs against your body. Letting out a soft chuckle, you lowered her to the floor and watched her dart off for her toys neatly packed away in her toy box. Keeping up with your daughter was difficult, from the moment she woke up to the moment she passed out, she was on the go. She didn’t walk, she sprinted. Where she got the energy, you didn’t know, but you did know one thing: Y/D/N was going to be a firecracker when she grew up.

You watched as she pulled out her beloved flash stuffed toy and started zooming around the kitchen, making noises as she went. She absolutely adored the Flash, he was her hero and idol. If she could grow up to be him, she would. Well, she’d be meeting Barry for the first time today, and while you wouldn’t tell her that it was him that was the Flash, she would probably be over the moon about all the Flash paraphernalia.

So while your daughter ran around, you cleaned up the kitchen and started gathering your required supplies to be working at the lab. Packing a backpack, you started adding a few things for Y/D/N to tide her over for the day, mainly a few books, some colored pencils, and several snacks. If you ran out of things to keep Y/D/N entertained at the lab, well, there was plenty there that she could play with safely. Tucking your wallet and car keys into your backpack, you shouldered it before looking around for your wayward daughter.

“Y/D/N?” You heard a giggle from the living room adjacent to the kitchen, and Y/D/N head popped up over the side of the couch, mischief in her eyes. Grabbing her coat, you held it out. “Come on, it’s time to go!”

She slipped from the couch and hurried over, her sock covered feet scurrying across the floor. Somewhere in the time you had been gathering your things, your daughter had managed to get herself into her favorite flash once complete with a hood that had little lightning bolts.

“Y/D/N…” Little lips pouted up at you as she wrapped her arms around her red covered body and turned her chin.

“Don’t wanna change!”

“What happened to the clothes you were wearing during breakfast?” You asked, your eyebrows pinching together as you looked around for the discarded clothes. She wasn’t the best at dressing herself yet, but she could wriggle in and out of clothes enough to change them. Currently, her favorite onesie that mimicked Barry’s suit, was only half zipped up, her left arm was bunched at her elbow, and the onsie itself was shifted on her body so it was longer on one side.

Just by the look on her face and the pleading in her eyes, you found yourself folding to your two and a half year’s wishes. Shaking your head while laughing, you fixed the lopsided onsie so it was on her body correctly and flipped up the hood, watching as her eyes lit up. With an enormous grin on her face, she let you put her coat on over her onesie, and that grin only widened when you pulled out her red Flash sneakers that had little wings attached to them.

“Gotta complete the look, right?” You explained as you tucked her feet into them. With her shoes and coat on, her flash stuffed toy in hand, and your backpack slung across your back, you picked her up and carried her out of the apartment.

“…above all, I need you to listen to the adults, okay?” You spoke  from where you were kneeling in front of her. “No touching things that aren’t yours or we might not be invited back.”

Y/D/N nodded at you in all seriousness, and despite the seriousness of the conversation, it was hard to keep a strait face while she was dressed so adorably. Looking up at the building, you silently wondered how your team mates would react once they found out that you, a single woman not in a relationship, had a daughter. Your life outside the team was private, you had never really talked about it because, well, single mothers didn’t usually have a good reputation. That was going to change today and you only hoped that your friends would take kindly to Y/D/N.

Taking your daughter’s tiny hand in yours, you walked towards the entrance, wondering what you were going to say when the team set their eyes on the little girl next to you dressed as the flash. When people saw her, their hearts melted she was that adorable, but would the team be mad at you because you had never told them about her? You were about to find out.

Entering the building, Y/D/N started skipping along side you, kicking her light up flash sneakers. The lights flickered off the walls of the lab and as you neared the cortex, you heard a heated conversation between Cisco and Caitlin regarding the design of Barry’s suit and the sensors within it.

“I’m telling you, it will look ridiculously cool and help with Barry��s aerodynamics.” Cisco’s voice rang out.

“That’s absurd, Cisco, his suit needs to be affective, not aesthetically pleasing.” Caitlin argued back as you and your daughter emerged from the hall. Caitlin and Cisco were standing head to head, both with sour faces.

“Aesthetics is part of the package,” Cisco insisted. Caitlin snorted and shook her head, then she caught sight of you. You waved at her as her eyes went wide and next to you, your daughter tugged on your coat.

“Mama, who are they?” She whispered, hiding behind you but poking her hooded head out from behind your legs.

“These are my friends,” You explained, lifting your eyes from your daughter to your friends. “This is Cisco and Caitlin.”

“Oh my God that’s a tiny child,” Cisco eked out with strained tone. “Why do you have a tiny child, Y/N?”

Caitlin gave Cisco a look before stepping forwards and bending down.

“Hi, my name is Caitlin. What’s your name?” Caitlin asked. Your daughter edged a little further out from behind you and kept her eyes on the floor.

“I’m Y/D/N,” She said shyly, still hugging your leg. You cleared your throat.

“Y/D/N’s daycare is closed today,” You explained, looking down at your daughter.

“I’m still trying to process the fact that you have a kid,” Cisco said, his voice high. As you were snorting, your daughter let out a dramatic gasp and darted forwards.

“Y/D/N!” You exclaimed as she moved her feet across the cortex to body slam the glass screen that covered Barry’s suit when he wasn’t using it. She pressed her face against the glass, her body practically vibrating.

“Mommy, mommy! Look, it’s the Flash!” She gasped, only briefly glancing back at you for a moment before gluing her eyes back on Barry’s suit.

“That’s not the Flash, baby,” You spoke up, hurrying forwards. “That’s just his suit, you know, like how you have your suit?”

“OMG, she’s exactly like a mini Y/N.” Cisco whispered from behind you. You shot a dirty look over your shoulder at Cisco taking a dig at your mostly hidden love for Barry. Well, a lot of people knew you loved Barry, but you know, Barry wasn’t exactly the most observant of people when it came to the romantic feelings of others. Besides, you had your daughter to look after, your feelings for Barry would always come second to her. In addition, how could you ever compete with Barry’s first love, Iris? While Y/D/N continued to fawn and preen over Barry’s suit, you took a step back and rubbed your forehead.

“You look exhausted,” Caitlin commented, walking over to where you stood. You looked at her and shook your head.

“I’m a single mother of a child that seems to have an unlimited amount of energy through the day.” You told her. “Half the time I am watching I spend chasing after her and the other half I spend searching for her. She doesn’t give me a break.”

“You could always put a tracking device on her,” Cisco chipped in as he walked over with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Your head was snapping to his faster than a mother hearing her child talk back.

“You want me to put a tracking device on my daughter!?” You hissed under your breath. Cisco held up his hands.

“I’m just saying,” He said in his defense. “You’d always know where she is.”

Sighing out in frustration, you ran hand over your head and looked back at your daughter fawning over the various Flash paraphernalia scattered around the cortex. She was having the time of her life.

“I don’t want to become a helicopter mom,” You sighed softly. Caitlin cocked her head to the side and gave you a shrug.

“You are a mom, I think you are entitled of being a helicopter mom at this age. Toddlers get themselves into the strangest of situations.” Caitlin told you before you both looked to where your daughter had been standing. She was gone.

“Snicker doodles,” You cursed, your head swiveling around in search of your daughter. “This happens every time!” Trying not to panic, you began searching for your child with Caitlin and Cisco’s help.

“I think that tracking device would be helpful right about now…” Cisco spoke as you poked your head into the nearest bathroom. She wasn’t there.

“Not the time, Cisco!” You uttered out, feeling like a bobble head with how much your head was snapping around trying to find your naughty daughter. “Y/D/N!”

“I’m sure she couldn’t have gone far,” Caitlin spoke up, going to the cortex desk and pulling up the security cameras. Just as you looked at the possible hallways Y/D/N could have wandered down… you heard a squeal of laughter coming from the labs. The three of you hurried in the direction of the labs. You hurried to the labs and upon emerging into the spacious room, you stopped short.

HR had your daughter perched on his hip while he stood in front of a white board, and your daughter was currently drawing all over the board with what you only hoped, was a dry erase marker.

“Oh thank God,” You sighed out, putting your hands on your knees and breathing out a breath in relief. You literally felt like you had lost a few years off your life, loosing Y/D/N is the labs. “Y/D/N!”

At your sharp call, Y/D/N’s head snapped around and HR looked your way.

“This little precious Flash wandered in here!” HR happily explained as you marched up to him with a frown on your lips.

“Y/D/N Y/L/N,” You started. “What did I tell you about wandering off!?”

Her lip wobbled as her face fell, she knew she shouldn’t have run off on you. You let out a sigh at her face.

“You make me worry so much when you do that. If you want to go somewhere, you need to tell me first, okay?” You said as you walked up to HR and made sure you had eye contact with your daughter.

“Sorry,” Y/D/N whispered out, slumping against HR’s shoulder. She knew she had done something wrong, and that was all you needed out of her, to recognize that what she had done was wrong. So softening your face, you let your eyes lift to HR.

“I see you made a friend?” That had her perking up and a smile starting to grow on her face. Her little face beamed up at HR and she started kicking her feet in happiness.

“HR! HR!” She chanted, her little fist gripping his shirt. HR beamed back at her and tickled her side, making more squeals of laughter erupt from her lips.

“Mystery case of where Y/D/N went is solved, I’m gonna go work on that tracking device.” Cisco said, placing a hand on your shoulder as he passed you. You didn’t have the constitution at this point to tell him otherwise.

“HR, do you mind watching Y/D/N for a little while? I need to get some work done.” You softly asked while Y/D/N went back to dragging the hopefully dry erase marker, across the white board. This time HR was beaming at you and gave you a thumbs up.

“Me and the little one can spend hours drawing!” HR said excitedly, true excitement glowing within his blue eyes. You felt better about leaving her in his hands, after all you knew that Y/D/N already seemed to adore HR and he her.

“I owe you one,” You told him before back away and leaving the two to play with the whiteboard.

The day had gone wickedly fast, much to your surprise. HR had kept Y/D/N so entertained you were sure that the two were best friends by the end of your work day. Between drawing on the whiteboard, HR reading one of his novels to her, and the finger painting session, you were convinced HR was a God at babysitting. That or he had a natural disposition with children. Either way, the pair adored each other and you dreaded the moment you had to separate them.

Work ended for you and you were shifting into team flash mode. Barry had arrived for patrol for the night and had yet to cross paths with HR and your daughter, so that conversation hadn’t happened yet. The night kept everyone busy and at some point, Y/D/N had passed out while being carried around by HR, and he hadn’t bothered to put her down. So drool was slowly collecting on his shoulder. HR hardly seemed to care, or notice that he was still carrying her around. Looks like you found yourself a potential babysitter.

You got into helping Barry navigate the streets of Central City as Cisco monitored the police channels. There wasn’t much going on tonight, mostly just a few burgleries, one fire, and a cat stuck in a tree that had already scratched three firemen trying to get it down. Barry had manged it, but he had earned himself a nice set of scratches on his cheek. It was a good thing he healed fast or his coworkers would have questions in the morning.

You were clicking through a few feeds of security camera’s when Barry blew in, done with patrolling for the night. You looked up at his cheek as he pulled down his cowl and frowned.

“That cat did a doozy on you, Barry,” You spoke. Barry let out a snort at your words and walked over to where you sat at the cortex’s curve desk.

“First time I’ve dealt with resistance during a rescue.” Barry spoke, his fingers brushing over the healing scratches. “How’s your night been? Cisco said you had to work here today?”

And there is it… how exactly did you go about talking about this? How did you tell Barry that you had been hiding your daughter away from the team since the moment you found out you were pregnant? As it turned out, you didn’t have to say anything. 

HR came walking into the cortex, your daughter still drooling away fast asleep on his shoulder, while twirling one of his drumsticks in his free hand. Barry spared him a glance and then did a double take, his brows pinching together as his mind worked over the fact that HR was carrying a child.

“B.A.!” HR exclaimed. “You’re back! How was your night?”

HR happily walked over, oblivious to Barry’s gawking, as he was his usual cheerful self. You watched as Barry’s eyes ran over your daughters form, dressed in her flash onesie, which was now dirty. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who she belonged to… she was after all, a spitting image of you. HR stuffed his drumstick in his back pocket and began patting Y/D/N’s back as he hummed and went to talk to Cisco.

Your eyes dropped to your lap as Barry turned back around to face you.

“Y/N?” Barry asked, his voice still soft. You pursed your lips and hesitantly raised your eyes to meet his in trepidation. “I— I didn’t realize you had a daughter…”

You cleared your throat, feeling your cheeks warm in shame.

“Yes, well, I’m not exactly proud to be a single mother.” You murmured softly. “Her daycare is closed today and I needed help watching her… she’s a handful since she never stops running around until she’s passed out from exhaustion.”

Barry’s face softened and he let out a breath through his nose.

“Nonstop the whole day? Sounds like she’s got a serious case of the zoomies.” He chuckled. You joined in and rubbed your tired eyes.

“Yes, well, she also idolizes the Flash. I think she’s trying to get as fast as him.” You reply, glancing at your daughter passed out on HR’s shoulder. “She’s obsessed with that onesie.”

“She’s cute,” Barry commented before studying you closer. “You know, Y/N, we wouldn’t have judged you for being a single mother.”

“I know, it’s my pride,” You admitted. “As a single mother I think I’m trying to prove that I am capable of providing for her the way she needs.”

“You don’t need to do that alone,” Barry told you, giving you one of his heart stopping smiles. “We’re here for you, just like you’ve always been here for us. Next time you need help just call me.”

“Barry, I can’t ask that of you. Not when you are dealing with your own issues and Iris…” You told him. Barry shook his head at you.

“Iris and I broke up a while ago, we just don’t seem to work.” He explained, rolling his head to the side. “We— it’s probably not ever going to work, I thought I loved her for so many years. I’ve been ignorant to those around me.”

You shrugged at him.

“You were in love, Barry.” He scratched the back of his head.

“Was I?” Barry asked, his eyes momentarily distant. “Look, Y/N, I know if this sounds weird, but do you want to go out some time? I feel like I’ve never really known you and I want to know you better.”

You stared at Barry, your cheeks warming. Barry must have seen something on your face because he was turning a shade of pink and scrambling for words.

“I know you’re busy with Y/D/N and all, but I also want to get to know her too, she’s important in your life. Probably the most important thing actually, I mean, she already likes the Flash? You think I have a chance at getting her to like me?” You started laughing at Barry’s word scramble.

“Barry, I’m pretty sure she’ll like you the way you are, no Flash needed to convince her.” You told him. Barry’s face turned bright once more.

“Great! Because there is this Flash day event involving kids, there’s support to be a bunch of little kid activities she might like and since she already likes the Flash…”

“She’ll love that.” You spoke, cocking your head at your sleeping daughter. “She eats, sleeps, and breathes, all things Flash.”

“Great! I’ll text you the details when I get home,” Barry said with a glowing smile before the two of you looked back over to HR who was still patting Y/D/N on the back. He really didn’t seem to even know he was doing it. “He’s a natural with kids, isn’t he.”

“Surprising, isn’t it.” You said with a tired sigh. “But those two sure seem to adore each other.”

Date Published: 6/30/22

Last Edit: 5/1/23

Barry Allen Masterlist

[lovecoremarbs]

Waking Up on a Weekday

fandom: smiling friends

prompt: charlie dompler/reader

words: 722

summary: Just some Charlie/Reader practice fluff, enjoy!

notes: This is my first time writing for Charlie so excuse me if he's out of character as this was just a practice fic!

The light shined through the blackout curtains of Charlie’s small apartment window, and of course, due to his luck, it shined directly onto the sleeping critter's face.

Charlie groaned, his eyes slowly blinking as he woke up from his usual four hours of sleep but this time was a bit different.

He was rather warmer than usual, which is saying a lot because his apartment barely had any air conditioning so waking up rather hot was the norm for him.

He knew what the reason was though, and damn did he not mind a bit.

Your sleeping form was practically glued to his side, your arms wrapped around him as you softly snored from your own slumber.

Charlie softly smiled as he kissed your forehead, chuckling to himself as the kiss made you slightly stir in your sleep.

His hand made its way to the back of your head, gently stroking your hair as he continued to hold you close to him hoping nothing would disturb you.

Life hated Charlie though, he had to be at work in an hour and he knew the bus was already on its way to his stop as he lifted his head to check the alarm clock.

He released an exasperated sigh as he laid on his back and let his head hit the pillow, God he hated work sometimes.

Sure, he was thankful his work partner was easy to get along with (even if he didn’t share Pim’s whimsical view on the job), and sometimes the job was simply just waiting around in the break room on his phone until his boss got a call and he was assigned to the next one.

When he was assigned a job? Fuck, it was so stressful and insane, on some days he dreaded coming into work.

But after that moment of thinking about work, waking up with you in his arms, getting to watch your peaceful state as you slept in his bed?

Nah, work wasn’t on his mind anymore. “Fuck that.”

“Charlie?” A soft but hoarse voice spoke to him, snapping him out of his thoughts as he looked down to see a half-awake you looking up at him.

“Oh fuck, was I saying shit out loud?” Charlie frowned slightly, he didn’t mean to wake you up but the damage had already been done.

“Yeah, but it’s ok. I probably needed to wake up soon anyway.” You sat up in his bed, wearing only one of his shirts and your underwear.

“Sorry babe,” He sat up with you, stretching his arms and blinking a few more times to properly wake up.

“Like I said, it’s ok. You gotta get to work right?” You both got out of bed, throwing his clothes at him as he trudged around the room trying to get ready in time.

“Yeah, that’s the plan anyway.” He spoke between brushing his teeth, the toothbrush stuck out of his mouth as he tied his shoes near the front door of his apartment.

You continued to help him get ready whether it was by throwing bread into the toaster or lint-rolled his hoodie so it didn’t have any dust or debris on the stained fabric.

You handed his hoodie to him as he munched on his toast, kissing him on the cheek as he opened the front door which earned you a small smile.

“Bye hon, have a good day at work.” You lived for these domestic moments between the two of you, even though you weren’t married and didn’t plan on it for the time being, it was still comforting to know you could be like this.

“Thanks, I’ll try.” He stuffed his keys into his sweatpants pocket as he waved you off, his form disappearing from your sight as he walked to the bus stop.

You leaned against the door frame for a few seconds and smiled before entering back inside, ready to make yourself your own breakfast.

You were interrupted while eating a pop-tart by a text notification going off on your phone, glancing down at it to see a simple text from Charlie.

‘forgot to say it love you’

You smiled to yourself at the no caps and punctuation, “Damn you Dompler, you're too lovable.” You spoke to yourself before sending a text of your own.

‘Love ya too dummy.’

[kaleldobrev]

Lookin’ at the Stars

Pairing: Beau Arlen x Mom!Reader

Summary: Beau takes you and your daughter out on a special family date to look at the night sky

Original Prompt: Requested by @deansbbyx | I don’t think Beau Arlen gets a lot of love so I was thinkin som fluffy family fic with him and reader

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: A whole lot of fluff

Authors Note: So this is my first time writing for Beau and I hope I was able to do his character justice! | Thanks to my lovely friend @thatonewriter15 for beta reading this for me | I hope this came out just as fluffy as you were hoping my friend! | If you liked this, don’t forget to like & reblog. I really appreciate it! Feedback is always welcome ♡

You woke up groaning to the sound of your alarm. 6am on the dot. For as long as you could remember you’ve never been a morning person; but that quickly changed once you had Amelia — your daughter who, despite being a pain in your side sometimes and thinks she’s attached to your hip, is honestly one of the best things that’s ever happened to you.

Once you had her, you had to become a morning person much to your dismay. In the beginning it was hard as prior to having her you never got up before 9am as you worked afternoon shifts — there was simply no reason to get up at 6 or 7am. But once the two of you developed a routine it became easier; the two of you working as teammates.

But today, for some reason, it felt even harder for you to get up. You felt drained, your eyes were still heavy, all you wanted more than anything was to get back to sleep. Your alarm went off again and you tried your hardest not to throw your phone across the room. With another groan, you shut off your alarm and got out of bed slowly, the hardwood flooring of your apartment felt cold against your feet. As soon as your feet touched the wood there was a knock on the door. Another groan left your lips; Amelia jumped out of bed and started running down the hall.

“Don’t worry mommy I got the door!” She beamed, her little feet smacking against the wood.

“Mel, let mom get the door okay?” You said, rushing out your bedroom door.

“But what if it’s —”

“It’s not him Sweetheart. He doesn’t come over this early you know that.” You said, and her face dropped. “Don’t be sad Sweetie. I know you want to see him, I want to too. But we’re probably not going to see him until later when he’s done with work.”

“At the Sheriffs office!” Amelia said, happy with herself that she remembered.

“Yes, at the Sheriffs office.” You smiled, slightly praising her.

Another knock came at the door and there was a part of you that was getting a little mad at the persistentness. It was 6 in the morning — who could possibly be coming at this hour? “Special delivery!” You knew that voice from anywhere, and it a matter of seconds that annoyance you had melted away.

Amelia looked at you, hands on her hips. “Told you it was your boyfriend!” She said, sticking her tongue out at you. You stuck your tongue out at her back, and she couldn’t help but giggle. Once opening the door you didn’t even have a chance to greet your boyfriend before Amelia was running past you to get to him. “Beau!” She called, and without warning jumped into his arms.

Not fully prepared for her to do that, the bag of what you assumed to be food almost fell out of his hands as he wrapped his arms around her, making sure she didn’t fall out of his arms. “Hey Kiddo,” he said, his voice in a similar joyful tone as hers was in. “How we doin’ this mornin’?” He asked, his accent a little bit more prominent than usual.

Amelia looked at him, her arms around his neck. “Good now that you’re here!” She beamed — you couldn’t help but agree with her answer.

Beau looked at you and smiled, and you couldn’t help but look at the two of them; happy that he had taken an instant liking to Amelia (and vice versa). “How about you darlin’?”

“You know I’m always happy to see you.” You grinned.

“You better be. Because I come bearing gifts.” He stated holding up a white paper bag.

“If that gift is food you are more than welcome to come inside.” You teased. “Let me take that since you’re too busy with your favorite.” You said, gently tickling your daughter in her side as she wriggled.

“Mom! Stop!” She laughed.

“Okay, okay.” You said kissing her on the cheek. “And one for you,” you said as you gave him a quick peck.

“Gross!” Amelia said.

“So, what brings you here so early? You never come this early.” You said, taking a sip of your orange juice.

“I uh, I took the day off actually.” He said, and you couldn’t help but look at him with disbelief.

“You? You took the day off?” You asked. “You never do that.”

“Yeah well, first time for everything.” He said. “Jenny insisted.”

“Ah.” Was all you said before taking a giant bite out of your breakfast wrap.

“I like her. She’s always so nice to me. And her hair is really pretty.” Amelia chimed in, mouth full of waffles. “Mommy when are you going to hang out with her again?”

“Probably this weekend Sweetheart. But we have to see, you know how busy she can be.” You stated; Amelia’s face dropped. “But I’m sure as soon as I mention you she’ll try and rush over.” You winked, causing her to smile. “You know how much she adores you.”

“Oh she sure does.” Beau let out a small chuckle. “I was thinking, you two don’t have any plans today right? Well, besides school for this one.”

“Not that I can think of. Why? What did you have in mind?” You asked curious.

“I was thinking, if you two are up for it, we could find a nice empty field somewhere, take some chairs, make some food, make a fire, watch the night sky.” He said, his voice sounding a tad nervous. It almost sounded more nervous than it did when he initially asked you out on your first date a few months ago.

“So camping without the camping?” You clarified.

“Essentially yes.” He said. “Think of it as a…family date night.”

“Family date night?” You smiled, loving the sound of that.

“That sounds like fun!” Amelia almost yelled. The only reason it didn’t come out as a yell was because her mouth was still full of waffles.

“What she said.” You said pointing to Amelia.

“Okay mommy how do I look?” Your daughter asked as she did a small spin to showcase her outfit. Like usual, she decided that she wanted to wear something sparkly for the occasion as she believed wearing something with sparkles was the epitome of fashion — reasons why she somehow convinced you to wear something sparkly on your first date with Beau, thankfully he found it cute.

“As cute as always Sweetie.” You said. “How about me?” You too did a similar type of spin as her as you showcased your outfit. It wasn’t sparkling (much to your daughters dismay), but you thought it matched her outfit well.

“You look beautiful mommy!” She said, side hugging you.

“Thanks Bean.” You said kissing her on the top of the head. “Now, I need you to make me a promise tonight okay?” You began as you kneeled in front of her, taking her hands in yours.

“No promises but I can try.” She grinned — she was becoming more and more like you each day.

You let out a small laugh. “I appreciate the honesty.” You smiled. “But, it’s gonna be a little chilly tonight so I need you to keep the jacket on okay?”

“But won’t the fire keep us warm?” She asked.

“Yes, but, we still need to keep our jackets on. You know why? Because it’ll keep us even extra warm.” You smiled.

“Okay.” Amelia said, a little disappointed.

“Can we shake on it?” You asked, now holding out your hand for her to shake.

“It’s a promise.” The two of you said in unison as you shook hands.

The drive to the field went like a blur but it was filled with song after song of you and Amelia singing to the radio as Beau chimed in during random verses. And like Amelia fashion, she found it the funniest thing whenever Beau would chime in, as he wouldn’t be as serious about getting the lyrics right like you and her tried to do.

As soon as Beau parked, Amelia went straight to the door handle trying to open the door. “Open the door! Open the door!” Her patience running thin.

“Alright alright. Don’t worry it’s not a race.” Beau said, his voice calm.

“Sorry sorry. I’m just excited.” Amelia said as she removed her hand from the door handle.

As you were about to speak to reassure her that she didn’t need to apologize Beau did it for you. “No need to apologize Bean. I’m glad you’re excited.” He leaned in. “Wanna know a secret?”

“Yes.” She leaned in too, whispering.

“I’m excited too.” He smiled, whispering back. “Alright, I’ll open the door in five. Want to give me a countdown?”

Amelia kicked her feet with excitement. “Yes! One…two…three…four…five!” As soon as your daughter said five, Beau unlocked the doors and Amelia — without hesitation, opened the door and jumped out of the car.

As you watched her get out of the car and run into the empty field you pulled into, you couldn’t help but watch her as she ran around in circles occupying herself. Turning to Beau you smiled. “Thanks for this.” You said, placing your hand on his cheek.

“No need to thank me. I wanted to do this.” He reassured you, placing his hand on your thigh.

“I know but…I really do mean it. I really appreciate you doing this for Amelia…for me.”

“I’d do anything for both of you. You know that.” He gave your thigh a squeeze.

“I love you.” You said, slightly whispering.

“Love you too.” He said, leaning in and kissing you. “Come on, let’s go get her before she burns the field down.”

You grinned. “You know she would if she could.”

“Well, I don’t plan on making any arrests tonight. Well…not until later tonight.” He winked. “And with…permission of course ma’am.”

“Permission granted.” You winked back, the two of you kissing again.

“Okay so I brought your second favorite thing besides waffles.” Beau began as he started reaching into a bag next to him. As he grabbed the bag he pointed at Amelia. “No peaking.”

“No peaking!” She repeated back shutting her eyes and placing her hands over them.

“Are you peaking?” He asked her and then looked over at you.

“She keeps her word.” You said rubbing your hands together over the fire.

“Alright. I trust you.” He said. “Quick, how many fingers am I holding up?” He asked, not even putting any of his fingers up.

“Beau!” Amelia couldn’t help but let out the biggest giggle. It was the type of giggle you hadn’t heard her have in such a long time — and that was something that genuinely made you smile.

“Alright alright.” He said. “Open your eyes.” As her eyes opened he held the bag of marshmallows in his hand and her eyes light up like Christmas tree lights.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” She exclaimed getting up from her chair and running toward Beau with her hands out. Before she asked her next question she looked over at you, slight puppy dog eyes. “Mommy can I have one now?”

You couldn’t help but smile. “Ask Beau Sweetheart.”

She turned to him, her hands still out. “May I have a marshmallow please?”

“Well, you did say please.” He said opening the bag. “Just one, because we’re going to make s’mores in a few.” He placed a marshmallow in her hand, her face continued to beam with joy.

“Thank you!” She said placing the entire marshmallow in her mouth.

“You want one?” He asked, a marshmallow between his pointer finger and thumb looking at you.

“Sure. What will it cost me?” You asked, getting up from your own chair and walking toward him.

“Hmmm,” he was deep in thought. “Kiss me?”

“I can do that.” You leaned down, your hands on either side of his face as you kissed him.

“Ewwww.” You heard Amelia say from a few feet away. “Adults are gross.” She said, scrunching her face in disgust.

The two of you pulled away and you took the marshmallow from his hands. “Sorry Mel, we’ll be more careful.” Beau said, giving you a look of amusement.

As the night went on, things started to wind down and it was finally getting to one of your favorite parts of the night: looking up at the night sky. Although it was something the three of you were doing a majority of the night between the laughing, story telling, and food eating, this was the first time the three of you weren’t doing anything but looking up at the sky.

“You know, I’ve lived here all my life and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at the sky.” You said, Beau’s arm around you now as Amelia made herself comfortable lying on a combination of not only your lap but Beau’s.

“It really is beautiful,” he agreed. “You know, as much as I love Texas, I’ll give Montana this, it does have some beautiful views.” He said looking at you as he said it.

You felt yourself blush at his compliment. “The views have definitely gotten better since you came to town.”

“Are you two going to kiss now?” Amelia said, looking up at the both of you.

“We could but, you do think it’s gross.” Beau commented.

“I’ll allow it.” Amelia said.

Beau and you exchanged looks. “You sure Bean?” You asked.

“I’m sure mommy. I’ll even close my eyes.” She said covering her eyes with her hands. “Whenever you’re ready.”

You and Beau let out small laughs. “With the permission of Amelia, can I kiss you darlin’?” He asked slightly leaning in.

“Yes you may.” You said, leaning in as well.

“Are you two kissing?” Amelia asked her eyes still closed. “Cause it doesn’t sound like it.”

Beau and you looked at Amelia, both of you holding back a laugh. “Come ‘ere.” You said, fully leaning in now and kissing him.

Tag List: @jackles010378 @syrma-sensei @k-slla @deansbbyx @justletmereadfanfic If you'd like to be added to a tag list, let me know!

[f1-stuff]

Body swap??? 👀👀👀

Took me ages to respond to this, but have no fear! Bc a 1k snippet is here... -> WIP game

This has to be a dream.

It’s the only reasonable explanation - the only explanation that doesn’t make him feel on the verge of a panic attack. Except, of course, that he doesn’t remember if he’s ever thought to himself, ‘this is a dream,’ while actually dreaming. But there’s a first time for everything, right?

He’s been staring at the reflection (his reflection?) in the mirror for twenty minutes now, thinking or hoping that somehow, he’ll blink and it won’t be Carlos Sainz staring back at him anymore. 

He pinches himself. 

Nothing.

He splashes cold water on his face.

Nothing.

He leans in closer, poking his cheek, rubbing his eyes as if the problem is his vision. All it succeeds in doing is getting an eyelash stuck in his eye that he then spends the next ten minutes cursing and trying to extract, eye red and watering.

“Hello,” he says. And it sounds like Carlos. “What the hell is going on?”

If this is a dream (nightmare, he corrects), then it’s the realest fucking dream (nightmare) he’s ever had.

He really has to pee.

Instead, he strides back into the bedroom, finding the source of the alarm in the pocket of a pair of jeans on the floor. The phone unlocks when it sees his face (Carlos’ face) and he finally silences it, his fingers awkward and too large on the screen and- fucking, not his. The hotel room plunges into quiet.

Until the phone in his hand pings, and he looks back down to see a text from ‘Charles.’ From him. But not from him because he’s right here. Which means...

Charles: Are you awake?

A shiver goes down his spine.

He throws on the jeans, a nearby discarded shirt, and some shoes, and marches down the hall (rather clumsily) toward his actual hotel room - the one he’d fallen asleep in last night and the night before that and the night before that. The room he’s been sleeping in since they arrived in Australia on Monday, and the room he was supposed to be leaving from this morning. In less than an hour, in fact.

He knocks on the door. It opens.

He doesn’t know why he’s surprised, but who would’ve thought, it’s still shocking to see his own face staring back at him, even when he expects it.

“Mierda,” Carlos says. Carlos as Charles. Carlos in Charles’ body and in Charles’ voice, cursing in Spanish like it’s second nature, as natural as breathing.

“My thoughts, exactly,” Charles says, right before Carlos tugs him inside and shuts the door.

They stare at one another for an extended beat, eyes blinking in disbelief, heads spinning.

“Okay...” Carlos says.

“Okay? What do you mean, ‘okay’?” Charles says, baffled at the reaction.

“I don’t know! I just- I didn’t mean ‘okay’ like...”

“What the hell is going on, Carlos?”

“Just...breathe, Charles,” he says, holding onto Charles’ arms and guiding him to sit on the bed. “We will figure this out.”

“How? What is ‘this,’ even?” 

“Well...” Carlos raises his brows, but it’s Charles’ brows. He gestures between the two of them. “We are...switched, no?”

“Obviously,” Charles groans, covering his face with hands that are slightly bigger than he’s used to. “But how, Carlos? Did something happen last night, or...?”

“I don’t remember anything.”

“I don’t either,” Charles says, sighing, and dropping his hands to his lap. His knee is vibrating up and down rapidly, heel tapping against the floor.

“What is wrong with you?” Carlos asks.

“Me?”

“You are vibrating, practically.”

“I’m trying not to have a panic attack, Carlos,” he nearly shouts, then takes a breath to calm down. “And, also, I really have to pee.”

“Well, fuck, then do it!” Carlos says, gesturing at the bathroom.

“But...” Charles trails off, flushing a bit in embarrassment. 

“Oh, come on, Charles,” Carlos groans, in sudden understanding, rolling his eyes. “We have all the same parts.”

“I know that!” Charles mumbles, his face flushing even darker. “It is just...personal. I don’t know.”

“Well, things are going to get pretty personal so...” Carlos throws his hands up, and Charles can’t get over how it feels to watch his own body doing something his mind hasn’t instructed it to do. “Unless you want to get even more uncomfortable, you’re going to have to pee, mate.”

“Fine,” Charles says, striding off into the bathroom and shutting the door.

After undoubtedly the weirdest two minutes of his life thus far, he emerges from the bathroom with a red face, collapsing back onto the bed.

“Oh, look. You survived,” Carlos says, deadpan.

“Asshole,” Charles mumbles, avoiding eye contact.

He expects Carlos to maybe make a joke - a 'did you like what you saw' type remark, or something similar. But he doesn't. And instead, they fall into a tense silence.

“We have to leave for the airport in twenty minutes,” Carlos says, eventually. Charles sighs. “And I’m pretty sure we both need to shower and pack-”

Oh, god, Charles thinks. And I thought peeing was gonna be weird. The fact that he’d need to eventually shower had clearly slipped his mind. The mental image of Carlos showering in his body - washing himself and...everything else. It made Charles’ stomach flip over nervously.

Carlos must see something in his expression because his voice softens with his next words.

“Charles.” He waits until Charles meets his gaze. “If you’re not comfortable...with me-”

“No, it’s okay,” Charles interrupts, quickly. He’s aware that he’s making this weirder than it needs to be. It’s just showering. And what’s the alternative? Neither of them shower for the rest of...however long this lasts? “You’re right. We should shower and pack, and then...I don’t know. Figure this out in Maranello.”

“Okay,” Carlos says, nodding.

There’s a beat where neither of them move.

“Okay, I’ll go,” Charles says, awkwardly, standing and moving toward the door.

But before he gets very far, “Don’t forget my computer on the desk! Or my razor by the sink. Or-”

“Do you want to just do it yourself?” Charles interrupts, raising his brows. “Let’s pack our own shit.”

“Oh, right,” Carlos says, nodding. “Good idea.”

They swap room keys and then, belatedly, phones and phone cases, so that they can have their own phones but not raise suspicion. Then Carlos, looking like Charles in every physical way, walks out of the room to pack up his things in Carlos’ room.

This is gonna be so confusing.

Right, so...one problem at a time.

[writtenonreceipts]

It's Day 7 of @officialfeysandweek2023 so I may as well post this.

Find the other parts here or on AO3

You can also follow @writtenonreceiptswrites where I'll solely post/reblog my fic. Please consider reblogging, tumblr is throwing a fit over me being able to tag users.

.*.*.*.*.*.

The Lives We Live

An alarm went off somewhere in Feyre’s subconscious.  Groaning, she flopped an arm out, smacking into a solid form.  Rhysand.  She still wasn’t used to waking up beside him every moring.  Not that she was complaining.  Not at all.

The alarm on her phone rang again and Feyre reached out to her bedside table to turn it off.  She did not want to get up and go to work.  Even if it was Friday, just the thought of dealing with her responsibilities was an abysmal thought.

Instead, she nestled in closer to Rhys’ side and managed to wrap her arm around his waist and snuggle in closer to him.

There was something about waking up next to her boyfriend.  She didn’t know quite how to describe it--it was comforting, it was real, it was home.  Propping her chin on his chest, she watched him sleep.  His lips were parted as he snored and his eyes fluttered in a dream of some sort.

She loved him.  Pure and simple.  And she loved being able to watch him like this.  He was soft and open as he slept.  It provided a different look on him, one that was meant just for her.  That alone filled her with an indescribable warmth.

So she watched him and trailed a finger along the tattoos of his chest.  He often slept without a shirt, which Feyre had quickly learned to appreciate, and it gave her ample opportunity to admire him.

“Darling, are you watching me sleep?” The mumbled words startled Feyre enough to pause her movements.

She smiled and shook her head. Rhys cracked an eye open. 

“Liar,” he murmured.

You’re awake, she mouthed since one arm was tucked around him and the other still rested on his chest.

A low laugh rumbled in Rhys’ chest as he brought one arm up to wrap around her and keep her close.

“You’ve got an attitude this morning,” he said.

Feyre shrugged and pressed a kiss to his chest.

Rhys sighed and began running a hand idly down her arm. “What time is it?”

Feyre flashed a five and a one with her fingers before promptly disentangling herself from him.  She danced away when Rhys tried to pull her back to his side.  She’d been late for work already this week because of her boyfriend and she would not let him goad her into a lazy morning again.

They’d finally finished moving her into his apartment, a startling new step for Feyre, and things had been going well.  Even if it was strange to suddenly be sharing a space with someone--Feyre decided she wouldn’t trade this for the world.

“Five more minutes!” Rhys called after her.

Feyre turned and stuck out her tongue before signing, some of us have to work.

He cursed and gathered her pillow into his arms.

Poor, spoiled thing he was.  He didn’t have to head to the club until noon, and then it would be a long night until he returned home.  He could afford to sleep in while Feyre had a stricter schedule to maintain.

Humming to herself, Feyre pulled her hair into a bun before slowly stripping out of her pajamas on the way to the bathroom.  She was well aware of the way Rhys was watching her.  Teasing him had quickly become one of her favorite past times and one she wouldn’t give up any time soon.

She turned the water of the shower on to heat up before stepping in.

Rhys joined her two minutes later.

…

Rhys leaned back in his desk chair as he stared at the account sheets before him.  When first starting the business, Rhys hadn’t expected spending this much time going over numbers and invoices.  He’d imagined owning a club would be fun, entertaining, different.  And it was, more or less.  But he was also the boss.  The one that everyone relied on.  The one who actually had to work and be responsible.

He ran a hand over his face.  It was barely two in the afternoon, his day had only just started and he was ready to go back home.  

His phone remained silent where it was propped before him.  No messages from Feyre or even Thea.  Ever since communication had opened back up with his family, Thea had texted him nearly constantly.  Whether it was memes, updates on her basketball season, or simple smiley faces--Thea was as near a constant companion to him as Feyre was.  It was something Rhys had come to cherish more than anything else.

Unfortunately, he was left to his own devices today. 

He shot off a message to Feyre, because he could, even though he knew she was probably in a meeting.  He couldn’t help but reach out multiple times within the same hour even if it was a smiling emoji.  He would need to make sure neither of his brothers ever got a hold of his phone.

Running a hand through his hair, Rhys stood.  He needed to stretch his legs and go for a quick walk around the club.  If he stayed in this damn office any longer he was going to go insane.

He trailed down to the bar level where a few people were enjoying lunch.  During the afternoons, the bar and kitchen acted as a restaurant based on reservations only and brought in a decent amount of extra money for the club.  Plus there were a few of the waitstaff that enjoyed the earlier hours too.

“Inventory finished already?” Cassian was down on the main dance floor running a sweep of lights and other technical issues.  He glanced up as Rhys approached, clipboard in hand.

Rhys shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Dude, the deadline's tomorrow, isn’t it?” Cassian shot him a knowing grin and checked something off on his lists.

Rhys flipped his brother off. “Screw you.”

That only sent Cassian to laughing full out now.  It was impossible to Rhys that Cassian of all people seemed to take to his job so naturally.  He kept to everything with order and made sure things were kept within a plan.  He might have been a jock all through high school and college, but Cassian really was one of the smartest persons Rhys knew, no matter what anyone said.

“A bit high strung today, eh?” Cassian asked. “Is Feyre on vacation or--”

Rhys tried, and failed, to punch his brother.  Cassian dodged the blow easily and barked out a laugh as he held his hands up in supplication.

“Easy, Rhysie, just a joke.”

“You’re an ass, Cass,” Rhys growled.  It was going to be a long day and it wasn’t even four. “You try staring at inventory sheets for hours on end and tell me how you like it.”

Cassian shrugged. “I’m good down here, thanks.”

Of course he was.  Cassian had always preferred the hands on sort of work.  When they’d first struck up this plan of opening up a nightclub, Cassian had insisted he wanted nothing to do with paperwork.  Azriel had said he could do behind the scenes work, but much like Cassian, sitting around and not doing something hadn’t been appealing.  So, Rhys had taken to doing all of that formal work.  Not that he minded.  Problem solving had always been something he enjoyed.

Rhys began pacing the club's dancefloor, checking everything over.  It had been what Cassian was just doing, but the alternative was going back upstairs and staring at paperwork.  Which he was fine with.  Except for right now.

“You’re stalling!” Cassian shouted after him.  

Rhys ignored him.

…

Feyre wanted more than anything to reach for her phone and check the messages waiting for her.  The meetings of the day had been ridiculously long, boring, and unnecessary.  Sometimes she seriously considered her choice of work. But she couldn't make a living on the little art commissions she brought in on occasion. So here she was. 

Eventually her boss drew things to a close. Feyre made sure she had her assignments for the week written and gathered.

As she was finally able to leave, Feyre could only think about getting home.  Since it was Friday, she knew she would be left alone most of the night.  Fridays were usually the busiest of the weekend and it could be well into the morning when Rhys would get home.  Even when he said he’d try and be early, Feyre knew it just wasn’t feasible.

Usually Rhys spent most of his time at the club taking care of things that no one else could, or would.  He was the face of the company, in truth.  And while Cassian and Azriel had their own duties that only they took care of, sometimes it was the big ticket items that fell on Rhys.  He never complained though.  And while Feyre loved that he was passionate about his work, that he was happy, she sometimes hated being home alone. 

Shaking those thoughts from her head, she started to prepare for dinner.

As veggies were roasting in the oven, Feyre looked at her phone. It was almost eight and Rhys hadn't texted her back.  He usually did before the big rush began and the rest of the night got too busy.  Even if it was just an emoji or a simple darling.  

It was fine. She knew sometimes he got caught up with things. There was probably an emergency that needed his expertise. That or Cassian pulled him into a round of drinks.  Or maybe he’d needed to step in at the bar, that happened on occasion when Balthazar got too overwhelmed.

Sighing, Feyre prepped a small salad to attend her roasted veggies.  Even when they hadn’t been living together there were nights like this.  She’d even gone two full days without seeing or talking to him.  That had been the worst.

A part of her wanted to run down to the club, just to pay him a little visit.  Nothing more than a quick kiss and maybe drop off some home cooked food that wasn’t smothered in grease.  She dismissed the thought as quickly as it came.

She didn’t always need to go running to his side just as he didn’t hers.  Sure she missed him, but he would be off Monday.  They could have their lazy day then and remain wrapped up in each other as long as they wanted.

She did her best to let that thought fuel her on as she finished prepping her dinner.

As she curled up on the couch, Feyre put on The Office hoping that would be enough to keep her company.  Mor was gone on a weekend getaway with her girlfriend and Nesta and Elain were busy too.  

Just her, then.

She ignored the pang of loneliness that ran through her and instead forced herself to watch all the cringy scenes of this stupid show hoping it would be enough to distract her.

… 

Four in the damned morning.

Rhys had to find a way to get home earlier.  This was getting ridiculous.  Especially when he knew what was waiting for him.

He eased into the apartment as quietly as he could.  Kicking off his shoes and dropping his jacket onto a spare chair all he wanted was to go to bed.  His usual care and attention would have to take a small lapse.  He made it all of two steps toward the bedroom when he noticed the small pile on the couch.

Feyre was curled up beneath a pile of blankets, the Netflix pause screen bouncing on the television.  She’d thought to wait up for him.

The sight made his heart squeeze and he walked around the couch to where she lay.  

Honey blonde hair fell around her in waves and her hands tucked beneath her chin.  She looked so peaceful that Rhys didn’t want to risk waking her to carry her off to bed.  Instead, he eased her head from the pillow it rested on, trying to replace it with his own body.

Feyre let out a small groan and shifted.

“Go back to sleep, darling,” he whispered, hoping she was still close to dreamland.

She shifted, sitting up with a long languid stretch.  It took several blinks and a very annoyed but adorable frown for her to realize that he was home.

Feyre grunted in as close to an actual word as he’d ever heard, before she promptly collapsed back on top of him, arms immediately wrapping about him.  Chuckling, Rhys took the brunt of her weight and eased back onto the couch.

He ran a hand up and down her back as she slowly relaxed into him.  He thought she’d lull back to sleep, expected it, but when he looked down at her where she was propped against his chest, her bright blue eyes were wide open, glowing dimly in the television light.

“Go to sleep, darling,” he prompted again.  Her mouth pulled to one side and he could just guess what she was thinking. “I’m fine, just another long night.”

One brow quirked high, but she only sighed and tightened her hold on him.  Soon, her eyes fell shut and her breathing evened out again.

They’d have many more days like this, Rhys knew.  One’s where they’d barely see each other except in sleep deprived mindlessness.  He already dreaded when the next one would come.  But for now, he’d relish having just this night curled up together.  Tomorrow would certainly be just as long so he’d take what he could get.

It wasn’t long until he too felt his eyes grow heavy.  And with the familiar weight of Feyre pressed against him and the promise of tomorrow, Rhys drifted off to sleep.

.*.*.*.*.

will try and add tags later

[that1-storyteller]

Every Little Experience <3

BLLK Boys (mainly Karasu) x ???? reader (Fem!)

Warnings: Foul language, uhm I’m not sure yet I’ll just figure it out along the way. Gory descriptions, heavily traumatized reader, biases against guys, sarcasm lol.

Blue lock. Two words. Two little words, and behind them was an opportunity of a life time. Uncle Ego Was hired by a woman he called Anri-Chan, to make the world’ s best striker. You may not know much about the sport, but you knew this was huge.

Ego always included you any anything he did, in some way or another. Though this was by far the furthest he’d ever gone to involve you.

You were going to work in blue lock with him. As his assistant. As great as it was to build up experience as a sixteen year old getting into tech and psychology, Ego was…less than ideal to work with. He was demanding to an absurd degree, great, right? In the end, he is your uncle and provides great experience and opportunities. It, in the long run, was worth it.

But you pissed him off, so your first day in the eerie ass building, you were stuck doing maintenance checks and cleaning. Fuck. All you did was rig his noodles…wasn’t that serious, damn… and karma was pretty instant with that prank, you tripped on the rug and face planted immediately after the trap was set. Your poor eye. Bruised on your first day of work.

Now, like the soon-to-be candidates of Blue Lock, you were stuck living there. You were allowed to have your phone, you had your own room, bathroom, etc. It was fairly nice compared to what you observed what the candidates were being treated with. You also, depending on how many tasks you did and how well the job was done, got to pick your meals. Courtesy of your uncle. You got to come in a few days prior to decorate your space as you wished, go over the rules, learn the layout, etc. It was an uncomfortably large building, to say the least.

The biggest rule, or at least the one Uncle Ego and Anri-Chan emphasized the most was,

Limit your contact with the players.

Easy enough. You had no interest in a bunch of (most likely) stuck up, narcissistic jocks who only care about soccer. To be fair, here they were literally fighting for their futures that revolved around soccer, it would be understandable to be desperate and focused, no? Like rats in a cage, attached to a man’s face with one side lit ablaze. Desperate, scared, and tearing into each other just to survive. A raw instinctual thing, really. Always enjoyable to observe…

Well, anywho, not people you’d want to interact with.

So here you were, setting each and every room to be perfect, all because Ego was petty over a prank.

Last quarters, team Z’s. Each sleeping bag was perfectly laid out, the bathrooms organized, towels folded. What a shame it would be, hard work waisted on slobbish boys… sigh. They’d be here tomorrow, and the experiment would begin. Hurray!

…

Your alarm blared in your ears, the sun rising, though you couldn’t see it. No windows, how unfortunate. You sluggishly dressed, very casual clothing for today, you decided. You threw on leggings and a large hoodie, putting on a smidge bit of make-up as well. It fit the occasion. Today you’d be greeting the candidates and handing them their…uniforms? Outfits? You weren’t sure exactly what to call those uncomfortably skin tight data collectors. The word would come to you later, you were sure.

This was the only time you were allowed to purposely converse with the subjects- er hmm, “diamonds in the rough”, as Uncle Ego called them. In your eyes, they were kind of like lab rats. Soccer gods in the making, was a nice way to put it. Poor boys didn’t know what was coming, you felt….only slightly guilty to be apart of their torment. Only slightly.

…

Through the doors they charged, a large herd of brawny, muscle-headed, boys.

“Anri-Chan, I don’t particularly wan’t to be the one to take their phones. It’s like taking crack from an addicted drug dealer, bad news. I fear they’ll bite me, males my age are a bit peculiar, no?”

Anri laughed, finding your bias against guys hilarious. As well as the way you spoke, so odd for a sixteen year old. So amusing to her.

“Y/N! They won’t bite! God, what, do you think they’re wild animals?”

“They may as well be,”

She snorted.

Guy after guy retrieved his suit and info. Many grumbling about the rules, some refusing to giving up their addiction device. After some fierce battles and trickery, they gave it up. Willingly or not. Then navigated their way to their rooms. A sweet looking boy walked up, eyes wide with …maybe it was anxiety, or just uncertainty? You couldn’t tell, maybe a mixture of both.

“Hello Miss, I’m sorry but I don’t know where I’m going, I’m not great with direction. Could you help me? Oh god, am I being a bother? I shouldn’t have asked, I’m so sorry!” He was so quick to panic…

“Hey, hey, don’t fret, you aren’t a bother dear. It’s my job to help, let me guide you,” You baby talked him a bit, it oddly felt necessary with his anxious, meek demeanor.

You waved to Anri, letting her know you’d be gone, and walked with the anxious boy. He was muscular, obviously so. You found humor in how anxious he was for someone who could’ve easily beat the ever-loving crap out of anyone. He had short brown hair and eye-catching forest green iris’s. You found them lovely. They were large and noticeable, very cute. If only he’d stand straight, with correct posture he’d be tall, definitely would help him in the long run. More attractive, even…

“What team are you assigned to, dear?”

“Team A, I-I’m Tokimitsu, by the way…” He stumbled over his words, his nerves messing with him oh so obviously. He fidgeted around with his fingers. Poor guy probably needed therapy and meds.

“I’m Y/N, nice to make your acquaintance, Tokimitsu-sama. What led you to be here? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

He ranted a bit, he seemed to loosen up after you gave a conversation starter. He kept spewing soccer facts like it was his job, very cute. His love of soccer was impressive, but so would be everyone else’s. It would have to be, to end up in Blue Lock. You listened to him ramble as you showed him to his team’s room, adding your thoughts here and there.

…

Every so often people would catch your eye, their hairstyles, accents, outfits, posture, etc. Many unique and out there, those of which you loved to observe. Though, the comments from the tall, tan, blonde guy with pink ends were definitely not necessary…soccer perv.

Someone who really caught your eye, was a purple haired boy. He had a cute mole by his eye, hmm. You couldn’t find a perfect word to match it with. Made you feel weird, in a pleasant way. He was tall, as were many of the participants here, an air of confidence clung to him. Though, you had a feeling… mmm… maybe you were overthinking him. Over analyzing. When he spoke, oh when he spoke…sharp, intellectual, pleasant, hell it soothed a part of your brain you didn’t know needed soothed. Oddly everything about him tugged at your heart. What the fuck. He wasn’t even really polite, his gaze seemed judging. The same gaze you laid upon other people. The people you often deemed boring and a waist of time. Now on you. The look, about to title someone mediocre. You knew it, so similar to your own… He was so….interesting. Made your brain buzz with thought mere moments after laying eyes on him. If you were to struggle to not converse with any candidates, it would be him. Your brain wandered to the wonderful conversations you could have and analyze. Oh, and his eye’s fought yours as well. You thought Tokimitsu’s were nice, but this boy’s took lovely to a whole new level. Breath taking. Enchanting, if you dared. His hair reminded you of something, you just couldn’t think of it at the moment…a certain animal. Hmmm.

“Hey Miss, why should I hand over my phone to you, you don’t look particularly responsible. What if you lose it, or damage my property? Hm?”

You blinked and snapped out of it.

“I’m only following orders. If harm were to come to your addiction device of devil, then you’d be fully repaid. You’d receive a new device as well as money.” You gave a slightly irritated smile. Though he was charming, he’d be a pain in the ass. Much like how you imagined how doing his hair in the morning was. “Please hand it over, sir-“

“Tabito Karasu,” He interrupted.

“Mr. Karasu, then.”

He handed it over and you gently placed it in the bag, so he was reassured it was fine. Though, you suspected he didn’t actually care all that much.

“You certain you’re qualified to work here?” You’re sure he’s referring to your casual outfit, sure it wasn’t fancy like Anri’s but why would you get dressed up to greet a bunch of lab rats? Hm?

“Very.”

Oh, what an interesting experience this was going to be.

Pt.1 |Pt.2 Coming soon!|

[densi-mber]

Purpose

A/N: Oh yes, we’re back with my favorite storyline to hate.

***

Most days, Deeks was pretty good at keeping himself distracted from his current situation as a FLETC cadet. For the most part, it involved filling every spare moment he could do he didn’t have time to consider anything else. If he was busy, if he was exhausted, then he didn’t have the time to consider the true suckiness of it all.

Then there were days like today. He’d barely slept last night after an insanely frustrating day, and today he knew he’d face more of the same. Now that their automatic biases had worn off, most of his instructors had come to like him, or at the very least, appreciate that he knew what he was doing. There were a couple though, that seemed insistent on trying to knock him down a peg whenever possible.

That usually meant setting him overly complicated tasks or calling on him with particularly difficult questions. All the while, Deeks simmered with the knowledge that he’d done this for a living for years. He didn’t need to simulate getting stuck in a car with a bomb, because he’d lived variations of that scenario a dozen times over.

When Deeks lost the positivity that most people knew him for, he did so spectacularly. His discontent turned to anger and melancholy, which quickly spiraled into a depression of sorts. Right now, he was still in the angry and unsettled state and after spending a sleepless night cooped up in his room, he needed to get out.

The campus kept a pretty strict curfew that lasted until six in the morning. As soon as it ended, Deeks hit one of the many trails surrounding the grounds. He’d become well acquainted with the dirt paths over the last several weeks between the daily mandatory runs and his own solo circuits.

The run didn’t help nearly as much as he’d hoped. Though it had depleted some of his anger, he’d also had ample time to mull over everything from the last several weeks, which didn’t improve his mood. By the time he made it back to his room, he was sore, sweaty, and still frustrated.

“Damn it,” he swore when he checked his phone just a little after 7, and found a missed call from Kensi. He called her back, but of course she didn’t answer. Spitting out a heartfelt and considerably less benign epithet, dropped onto the bed with a sigh.

Being away from Kensi might be the worst part. Aside from missing her desperately, every day he was gone, the chance that something terrible would happen increased. Kessler, some other vindictive criminal, or the usual dangers that came with their jobs.

His alarm letting him know there was 45 minutes before his first class came far too soon. He dragged himself back off the bed, and headed downstairs to the cafeteria. He through the stations on autopilot, collecting a random bowl of fruit, toast, and eggs, even though he wasn’t hungry, and chose a table as far back as possible.

“Hey Deeks,” Jake said, swinging in beside Deeks with his tray. Apparently the subtle request for space hadn’t worked. Deeks didn’t need to look to know Charlie and Omar weren’t far behind.

“Hey man.”

“We were thinking of getting in some practice at the range after ethics. You wanna join us? Give us some more tips.”

“Thanks, but I’m, uh, not really in the mood today,” Deeks told him. He fully intended to go back to his room and fall into bed the moment he finished with the day’s classes.

“Since when?” Charlie asked, digging into a pile of eggs. “Not to be rude, but you do kind of love to show off your marksmanship.”

“To be fair, he’s better than almost any other cadet. Even a couple teachers,” Omar added with a chuckle. “Don’t tell Ritcher I said that.”

“Guys, I appreciate the offer. I’m really not up to the banter right now,” Deeks snapped. There was a moment of silence, which was almost worse than the chatter.

Jake was the first to recover. “Woah. Did we do something to upset you?”

“Jake, give him some space,” Omar said softly.

“No, it’s ok.” Deeks sighed. “I’m sorry. You guys didn’t do anything. I am just…having a couple of rough days. I didn’t mean to take it out on any of you.”

“Hey, it happens, man.” Omar’s easy forgiveness almost drew a smile from Deeks. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not sure if you wanna hear me whine,” Deeks said.

“Eh, you’ve put up with trying to teach us law, we handle it,” Charlie decided, nudging Deeks shoulder. “You’ll feel better. And if you don’t, we’ll sneak in some beer.”

“Oh lord, just what I need. Contraband.” This time, Deeks actually did smile.

“So, what’s going on?” Charlie prompted again.

Sighing, Deeks tried to gather his tumultuous feelings into a cohesive thought. “Sometimes…it feels like me being here is pointless,” he started. “I mean, what am I really gaining from being here? Is a couple months of classes I don’t really need going to make a difference to either of the organizations that decided my skills are no longer or use them? I’m not helping my team. I’m certainly not supporting my team. And when this is over, I have no real guarantee that any of it will be worth it.”

He’d said more than he intended, and while it was certainly therapeutic to give a voice to his frustration, it felt like he’d provided potential ammunition.

“I disagree. You’ve made a huge difference and you do have a purpose,” Charlie argued unexpectedly. He almost looked angry, which was odd given the topic.

“How so?” Deeks asked.

Charlie gestured between himself, Omar, and Jake. “You’re looking at the evidence right here. You’ve taught us so much we never would have gotten on our own.”

“You would have been fine.”

“Maybe,” Omar said. “It would have been a lot harder. Even without the tutoring, you’ve been a mentor like no one else. You don’t judge or try to make things harder to prove a point.” He paused and looked directly at Deeks. “I know you’d rather be back with your team, and your family, but you do have a purpose here. Even if it’s not the one you expected.”

“What he said,” Jake said.

“That’s pretty smart,” Deeks murmured.

“Well, we learned from the best.”

“Thanks for the pep talk.”

“It’s only fair, you’ve given us enough of them,” Charlie reasoned. “You feel better.”

“Minutely,” Deeks said honestly.

“Well, there’s still the option for some liquid cheer.”

Shaking his head, Deeks held his hands up. “As your lawyer and a cadet, I’m removing myself from this conversation before I’m implicated in any of this.”

“Sweet, we’ve got a lawyer,” Jake said enthusiastically.

As the banter continued, Deeks sat back. He wasn’t anywhere near happy, but he supposed it did help to know his time here wasn’t completely wasted.

***

A/N: If you’re unfamiliar with Charlie, Jake, and Omar, I have a whole AU FLETC storyline for Deeks that goes much differently that the canon events.

I’ve always figured that going to FLETC with Deeks’ level of experience and skill would be quite frustrating in many ways. He’d undoubtedly taken many of the courses as continuing ed as we saw in early on in the show and learned through hands-on experience.

[strawbearytae]

stigma📎

“popular”! jungkook x underclassman! reader

genre: angst, hurt no comfort

synopsis: A lazy date between you and Jungkook is interrupted by Jimin. It would be the first time your best friend meets your boyfriend. The confrontation is already nerve-wrecking even without that fact that the two of you have your masks off.

series: part of my papercuts smau

———

Giggling as Jungkook proceeded to whisk the bowl though half the contents were stuck to his shirt, you continued to take pictures of him. After deciding to skip class (how responsible of you two) since the two of you had already completed the next two weeks' worth of projects, you and Jungkook decided to try the thing you were both bad at while the other teaches. Which was cooking for you and baking for him. The lasagna you made wasn’t too bad, a little burnt on the side because your supposed teacher for it decided to lay you down on the counter and make out with you instead of watching the oven as he ought to have.

“Yah.” Jungkook pouted as he blew a stray bang away from his face with a faux glare, “Stop taking pictures of me and teach me how to do this.”

“But this is so much more fun.” You smiled as you snapped another picture of his expression. “You’re so cute.”

You saw Jungkook’s face heat up with your phone, “y-yah! Don’t say stuff like that so easily.”

You practically grinned, “I’m not. I’m just telling the truth about my boyfriend.”

Jungkook bit his lip and looked away, obviously enjoying hearing you call him your boyfriend. For the last few weeks that the title had been given to him, he had been collecting those small moments when you called that. He always blushed underneath his mask before answering in a stuttering tone, which was why you referred to him as that in the first place. He practically obsessed over those little moments, replaying the slight roll of your r’s when you said “boyfriend.” Sometimes he wondered how “Jungkook” would sound from your lips.

“Yah~” You went over and clasped your arms around his waist, “Don’t look away.”

Jungkook continued to look above you, making you huff.

“Ju-Jaegguk.” You quickly caught yourself, “Please?”

“Hey Y/N are Mimi’s files on the coffee table-”

The quick shuffling of feet, the hasty voice, the door slamming open with the shoes clumsily thrown off moments before should’ve been a warning sign. An alarm to the storm that was about to unleash in your apartment, one that you could’ve avoided. One that you should have.

But you didn’t. And now you, Jungkook and Jimin were all staring at each other as Jimin reached for Mimi’s files on the coffee table. Jimin’s eyes bounced between you and Jungkook, expression shifting somewhere between confusion and bewilderment to a twisted gleam of realization.

Jungkook went white as he shifted his gaze at you. You couldn’t bear to return his stare.

Jimin was first to speak, “What is he doing here?”

You urged yourself to speak without shaking, “He’s my boyfriend.”

Jimin’s eyes furrowed, “I thought Jaegguk was your boyfriend.”

“Yes.” You nearly whispered, “He is.”

The silence was suffocating, Jungkook’s arms slightly shifted to grasp your waist. That move didn’t go unnoticed by Jimin.

“You’ve been dating Jungkook this whole time?!” Jimin took a step back as if the news had been physically blowing, “Him? Out of everyone in the world, him?” Jimin’s voice cracked into a shriek, “Again?”

“I didn’t know.” You pleaded, “We didn’t know. Not at first.”

Jungkook nodded with you in agreement.

“Since when.” Jimin demanded, “Since when did you know you were dating someone that broke your heart? Since when you decided to give your fucking heart to someone that broke your trust and literally pushed you into nearly killing yourself?” Your eyes widened, “Don’t act like I didn’t know, Y/N.” Jimin glared with glistening eyes, “I saw how you stopped eating and started obsessing over how you look. We heard your little mantra, Y/N. We all did. Tae, Miya and Yoongi hyung, we all noticed.

“Why...” You felt your knees sway, “Why didn’t any of you say anything?”

Jimin scoffed, sniffing, “You think we didn’t? How about all the times we asked you to stop going to the gym, that you were pushing yourself too hard? How about all the times that Miya coaxed you to get out of bed before you wasted yourself away from only leaving for class and exercise?” You saw Jimin’s fists shake, “How about all the times Tae, Yoongi hyung and I brought you food, complimented you, and tried to convince you to stop. The times that Tae requested you to make so many fucking cupcakes even though he hates carrot cake just so you’d eat one? You never did. You never looked at what we were trying to help you with. You didn’t even notice; you just mumbled your stupid mantra to yourself and pushed all of us away.”

Jimin was right. You never noticed your friends’ efforts to help you or little nudges for therapy. You had only been focused on yourself and presenting yourself as a perfect little packaged doll. You never noticed things beyond your own peripheral before you met Jungkook again. You were tunnel-visioned to fulfill your own delusion at the cost of your friends.

You were a shitty friend if you could call yourself that even.

Jimin’s voice went heavy, “And when we finally thought you were doing better, you’re out with this” he pointed to Jungkook, “Fucker again? After he started all this shit for you?”

“I didn’t know.” You whispered, stepping away from Jungkook to Jimin. Pleading him to give you a chance to explain, to apologize, “Jimin, I’m sorry-”

“No.” Jimin shielded himself, “I can’t do this, Y/N. You-” He let out a strangled sound before pushing his hair out of his face, “I don’t want to tell you what to do, Y/N. I love you. You’re one of my best friends but how... could you keep this from me. After everything he put you through.” He sent Jungkook a glare over his shoulder, you didn’t notice Jungkook lowering his head in shame.

“Woah, guys we’re gonna get a noise complaint-” Taehyung shuffled into your apartment, immediately freezing at the sight of Jimin’s angry tears. “Shit.”

Jimin snapped back to face Taehyung, “You knew?”

Taehyung curled his lips, “Only recently...”

“You got to be fuckin kidding me.”

“Jimin!” Taehyung called out after him as he stormed out of the apartment. He looked at you and Jungkook, “He’s knows?”

You bit your lip, “Yes.”

“Jungkook?”

“Yeah?” His voice was shaky.

“You knew?”

Jungkook lowered his head even further.

“Did. You. Know?” Taehyung’s voice had a dangerous edge to it.

“Yes.” Jungkook whispered.

“Since when.” Taehyung nearly snarled.

His gaze shifted over to you before they it went back down to the floor, “Since before Y/N knew.”

You snapped your head back to him, “What?!” Jungkook didn’t respond as Taehyung left, “You knew?”

Jungkook nodded hesitantly.

“You knew that I knew what this was.” You motioned to the two of you, “You knew?”

“Yes.”

You focused your gaze at him, tears of frustration building up in your eyes. “Why didn’t you say anything? We-” You took in a sharp breath, “We were just lying to ourselves, weren’t we?”

“Y/N, no I-” Jungkook reached out his hands for you before you smacked them away.

“This wasn’t going to work out, was it?” You leaned your head back before you looked at him again. His back was hunched over, and his hands were clasped in front of him like a disciplined child, “It was just a lie.”

“Y/N...” He pleaded, “I didn’t want to make you feel bad for me. I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to stay, I didn’t want to make you choose between you and your friends, I just wanted to wait until everything settled down before we talked-”

“What so you take away my choice to decide?” You willed yourself not to cry as angry tears pricked from your eyes, “You knew that I would stay, Jungkook. You knew that I would choose you and that would do everything in my power to make my friends understand. You-” You looked away from him, “You didn’t make that choice to protect me, Jungkook.” He opened his mouth to protest but you continued, “You made that choice because you didn’t want to be responsible, just like last time.”

Those last four words made him clamp his mouth shut.

Perhaps you were right. Jungkook didn’t want to be held responsible for spiraling your life. Like he did in high school, he didn’t want to make you choose. He didn’t want you to be brought into his orbit of insults from his ex-classmates or the flood of insecurities he carried. He just wanted to wait until everything popped, to be able to live like nothing happened, that there were no issues, before everything came to light. A part of him knew that if he talked to you, everything could have solved itself. But what guarantee did he have? His last experience with a relationship had consequences that lasted for the last 3 years. He only knew what an ugly ending was like, and he presumed that that was the only ending he deserved.

He hadn’t stopped the bomb because he expected the fallout as he did. Always.

You clenched your fists at his silence, “Jungkook.”

His ears perked at the sound of his name. His real name. But unlike the times that he imagined you saying it as you gigglrf “Jaegguk” with the slow, lazy “ook” that was laced with adoration, you said it with disappointment. With resentment.

“I’m tired.” You sighed, “I’m tired of us being like this. I’m tired of us not working out. I’m tired of the lies that we told to keep each other. We built so much trust in this, we invested our secrets and confessions but the very foundation of everything was a lie.”

“Y/N, please-”

“I don’t want to do this.” You cried, “Why was it you? Why did it have to be you?” You nearly pleaded, “Why is it always you?”

“I’m sorry.” Jungkook pleaded automatically, “I’m sorry, Y/N. I am so sorry.”

“No, Jungkook.” His name on your lips seemed to wound him further, “I’m sorry.” You walked to your room and shut the door.

He didn’t stop you.

———

32. stigma🖊

<- prev next->

masterlist

synopsis: flirting with your crush of 3 years wasn’t something you thought of when first getting twitter, a nasty breakup wasn’t what you expected either… but why is it that after 3 years and loads of droning on self-improvement and trying to become “that” girl, your gym buddy reminds you of the one person you wanted to forget?

a/n: Sorry if this is such low quality, I haven’t had the time to really edit these past few weeks. I have applications due in about two weeks so everything has been very hectic. Thank you to everyone who asked me if I’m alright! I’m not dead (yet!). Please hit that rblg button as a pat on the head for me for a good job (•ᴗ•◍)!

taglist❕

@epiph4ny @90s-belladonna @bubblytaetae @somelazysundays @flowerprincejin @silscintilla @chanscase143 @koostarcandy @l7bangtan @bluxjun @mwitsmejk @vwinterr-bearr @xx-sikki-nixx-xx @haitani-22 @wrmnssoul @rjsmochii @halesandy @vicki1031 @peachyjk97 @therapysides @rinkud @pb-n-juju @teti-menchon0604 @jay-fireheart @bjoriis @fancycollectormoon @yoonabeo

message me to be added on the taglist

[deans-baby-momma]

Law & Love Chapter 15

Life was good. Hell, it was great! For the first time in over two fucking years,  things were actually looking up for Y/N.

Yea okay. She got laid, fucked ten ways to Sunday, bent into positions she couldn't ever describe but that's not all. She had a friend. 

A bona fide, genuine friend. So what if they knew what the other looked like naked, what the other tasted like, Cordell was proving to be an integral part of her life.

For a few weeks now, they have talked daily and texted numerous times a day. She listened to him as he told her about his trouble with his daughter, Stella, dating the neighbor and family nemesis boy; about his son, August, being on the fast track to be on the national honor society for their school.

She listened to him tell all about his brother Liam being in the running for some political office; not that she really paid attention to, because she knows from previous experience, politics can make or break any relationship. 

He heard about her monotonous and humdrum days at the diner; the most exciting thing being the gossip of the mayor's daughter getting pregnant by the town's degenerate and running off with him.

"Order up!" Pops announces as he sits a plate on the order shelf but Y/N’s mind is stuck on something Cordi said last night. 

Was he serious? Did he actually think it was a good idea? Was he just horny and needed a good fuck and knew I'd be willing?

"Maybe you just need to get away?" he had suggested. "New place, different scenery. You could come to Texas and visit."

The consistent dinging of the order bell pulls her from her recollections and she turns to look at Pops. "Sorry," she apologizes and grabs the order, walking away to deliver it.

As soon as she comes to consciousness,  she knows something is wrong. Before Y/N even opens her eyes, she can sense something is different. There is a silence around her, a stillness like never before.

She slowly lifts her eyelids and is met with complete and utter darkness, not a light in sight. She turns to look at the alarm clock and can't see anything; the usual red glowing numbers aren't there.

Y/N realizes quickly that the power is out. Grabbing her phone and turning it on, she notices that it is 4:45 am; that explains the darkness, the sun has yet to rise. 

She rolls back over and tries to go back to sleep but Cordell’s words begin ringing in her head again. “"Maybe you just need to get away?" New place, different scenery. You could come to Texas and visit." “I’d love to see you again Y/N. Introduce you to my family.”

As she lays there contemplating his suggestion, the sun rises and not long after her phone beeps with a message. 

‘Power’s out. Won’t be opening the diner until it’s restored. And since tomorrow we’re closed anyway, have a good weekend!’

It doesn't take Y/N long to decide what she’s going to do with her free time. She’s going to Austin. 

Opening up a travel app on the phone, she quickly finds a direct flight out of Helena Regional Airport, straight to Austin-Bergstrom. She enters her card info and waits for the confirmation before she makes my next move.

As soon as the email arrives with the information she is seeking, she texts Cordell.

‘Up for a visitor this weekend?’

‘Depends on who is visiting ;)’ 

‘Well, thanks to the storm I didn’t even know rolled through town, I have a couple of days off from the diner. Thought I’d take you up on your offer…..if it’s still legitimate :D’

‘It’s legit and open-ended. Come on down. What time does your flight get in?’

‘7.’

‘I’ll be at the airport waiting. Can’t wait to see you!’

‘Can’t wait to see you either…….and meet your kids.’

‘Oh. Shit! I hope this doesn’t dampen your spirit but it’s just going to be me here this time. Fam’s gone on the annual Walker Camping Expedition.’

‘Oh. Well, if you don’t mind me impeding on your alone time. Why didn’t you go with?’

‘You aren’t impending on anyone’s alone time. I had to stay back because we are close to getting some imperative evidence that’s needed to make an arrest. Cap told me I was going to have to pull out of the yearly trip.’

‘Oh. Well, guess I’ll see you at 7 roomie.’

‘See you at 7, darlin.,’

Packing for the trip is simple. A couple of outfits for the days she’s in Austin and her essentials. Y/N is packed and ready to go two hours before time to leave. She uses that time to shower and dress comfortably for the plane ride.

Knowing that the Walker family is out of town and it’s going to be just Cordell and herself in the house,Y/N  takes the time to shave everywhere and wash everything. She even gets the idea of the perfect outfit in her mind as she’s bathing. 

A cute little red and white striped sundress with spaghetti straps and a built-in bra. Y/N smiles mischievously as she decides to go bare under the skirt too. If Cordi gets too handsy, he’s going to be in for one hell of a surprise!

When the text comes through that her Uber has arrived, she grabs her bags and  purse and locks up before handing my luggage to the driver. Once she’s on her way, she grabs her phone and texts Cordell once more.

‘Just got in the car with a complete stranger, trusting them to take me to the airport and drop me off. If you don’t hear from me in an hour, send rescue. LOL’

‘Darlin’ that’s no laughing matter to a Ranger. Text me as soon as you get through security. Please. Be safe.’

‘My big Texan hero’ she adds an emoji with heart eyes to the end. 

The driver is quiet as they drive toward the airport and Y/N is thankful. How do you tell someone that you’re taking a 5 hour flight to Texas to hopefully get railed by a moose of a man with the cock to match. She’d probably look like a maniac….or a whore. 

As soon as the car pulls up to the drop off area, the driver stops the car and gets out to hand her her luggage. Y/N thanks with a sizable tip and turns to head into the airport. The terminal is busy but not bustling as she makes her way to the counter to pick up her ticket. 

Once through security and her bag has been checked and tagged and headed off to be loaded, she pulls her phone out and texts Cordell.

‘Safe and secure awaiting boarding call’

‘Good. See you soon.’

She doesn't even give another thought to the fact that only a thin piece of material separates her naked body from the others inside the building. She open a game on my phone and begin trying to beat the next level until her flight is called.

The flight from Helena to Austin is smooth and with no hiccups. A few minutes after 7 pm, Texas time, Y/N is walking down the boarding ramp, searching for baggage claim. She doesn’t even see Cordell standing there.

As she is watching for her luggage, a hand lands on her shoulder and she hears his voice.

“Excuse me Miss,” he says authoratively. “You look a bit lost. Do you need a guide?”

Y/N turns and looks up at the tall man behind her with a smile. “Why officer, that would be wonderful.”

They both laugh and then wrap their arms around each other and squeeze. “Good to see you again Y/N.”

“Same for you Gigantor,” Y/N giggles.

As soon as she gets her luggage, they take off toward Cordell’s truck to head to the Walker Family Ranch.

@spnbaby-67 @sea040561 @delightfullykrispypeach @larajadeschmidt13 @atc74 @vicariouslythruspn @squirrelnotsam @sandlee44 @blacktithe7 @hoboal87 @mogaruke @supraveng @deandreamernp @akshi8278 @lyarr24 @kazsrm67 @chriszgirl92 @deanwithscissors @raisinggray @fanfic-n-tabulous @hobby27 @stoneyggirl2 @brownbearhusky @purpleeclipseeggsland @kmc1989 @deans-spinster-witch @yvonneeeeeeee @tmb510 @globetrotter28

[iamryujin]

Void Attempts Log

✿ First Attempt I discovered the void some time in September and told my bff about it. A tarot reading I did told us it would be something worth trying so we both tried that night. I know nothing about meditation so I followed a guided one and felt I could picture what I was supposed to picture quite vividly but I didn't shift or reach the void state. I ended up having a lucid dream but only found out later you can reach the void through lucid dreams.

✿ Second Attempt Researched a lot more about the void this time, including different methods and decided to try out a few. I spent hours trying different meditation videos. I was getting annoyed because some of them made me feel more irritated than relaxed (Yoga Nidra as one that just made me uncomfortable). Finally I found an alpha state one that worked instantly, I was surprised because I almost thought I had been hypnotized. After reaching the alpha state I tried counting down to the void but kept losing focus and just fell asleep, but I decided I would stick with this meditation.

✿ Third Attempt I had a lucid dream where I affirmed for the void state and I started floating but then the dream location just changed.

✿ Fourth Attempt I had a lucid dream where I was being chased by an animal so I climbed a tree, when I was in the tree I realized I was dreaming and tried to affirm for the void even though I was super high strung in the dream since I was being chased. My dream location just changed from being in the tree to me being at a school, I tried to affirm again but woke up.

✿ Fifth Attempt Stuck to my usual alpha state mediation and as I was counting down to the void I started to feel myself sinking into my bed, then I felt my bed shaking and then I couldn't feel my body but I could still hear my fan and the meditation music. After that, I think I must have fallen asleep but I woke up and I was surrounded in blackness and thought I was falling. Then I started to go up and down but I got excited thinking I was in the void and immediately exited and was in my bedroom again.

✿ Sixth Attempt I was having a nightmare and realized I was dreaming so I affirmed for the void but just woke up.

✿ Seventh Attempt I had another lucid dream and decided I needed to spend a while in the dream before I affirmed so I walked around and explored. I was in a random neighborhood so I walked into one of the houses and just looked around. I got sucked back into the dream though because all of a sudden I only remembered what I was supposed to do when I had wandered into a music store and woke up.

✿ Eighth Attempt My bff and I finally decided we would try every night together and not randomly anymore. I followed my alpha state mediation and entered the alpha state instantly but kept getting lost counting down to the void state and woke up.

✿ Ninth Attempt Used the FILD technique but forgot to do a reality check and only realized I had become lucid after my alarm went off again because I accidentally pressed snooze and didn't actually turn my alarm off. Tried again but didn't lucid dream.

✿ Tenth Attempt I tried the FILD technique a total of three times. The first time I remembered to try my reality check but it didn’t work so I assumed I was still awake and kept trying until I actually woke up and realized I had been lucid already. For reference, the reality check I used was trying to make my fingers go through the palm of my other hand and since I couldn’t no matter how hard I pressed so I thought I was still awake. The second time, I felt myself being lifted up from my bed instantly but then I felt myself float back down so I decided to do a reality check again thinking I maybe woke up. The reality check failed so I picked my phone up to text my bff about my attempts and how I was annoyed only to actually wake up halfway through writing the texts. I tried again for a third time and knew I had become lucid and affirmed for the void and began floating and falling but I woke up. 

[firstelevens]

we can follow the sparks, I'll drive

sam/bucky | au | rated t | 2k words

An extremely fluffy alternate epilogue to the Sam/Bucky Formula One AU, midnight driving with the windows down.

( also on AO3 )

Back when he and Steve were still at the racing academy, one of the trainers used to say that most of Bucky’s mid-race overtakes happened because he was such an annoying presence on the track that other drivers would fall back just to get away from him.

He eventually figured out more effective maneuvers than pure persistent irritation, but he’s never been opposed to bringing back a classic, which explains how he’s chosen to spend his morning.

“Barnes,” growls Sam, for the third or fourth time, and Bucky feels it rumble through his chest where it’s pressed against Sam’s side.

“Sorry, did you need something?” he asks, as mildly as possible. (It’s a little muffled: when he opted to flop down on Sam and go fully boneless, he ended up with a face full of Sam’s pecs, and turning his head hasn’t fully solved that problem.)

“What I needed,” says Sam, “is to have left this hotel room twenty minutes ago, but I was stopped by an overgrown toddler.”

Bucky would feel bad, except that in spite of his complaints, Sam has made absolutely no effort to extricate himself from Bucky’s hold. He’s been idly playing with Bucky’s hair for at least the last ten minutes, and it feels so good that Bucky’s regretting all the years that he kept his hair short and missed out on the way Sam’s fingers feel running through it.

“You’re the one who got back in bed,” he says. “It’s almost like you didn’t even want to go to that brunch where you can’t eat anything and you just have to smile awkwardly in selfies with celebrities until you feel like your face is gonna get stuck that way.”

“I literally just sat down to put my watch on.”

“Who puts on their watch before they put on a shirt, Wilson?”

“People whose partners have no concept of getting places on time, that’s who.”

Bucky snorts. “You were already late before you ended up here.”

“And whose fault was that?” asks Sam drily. 

“I guess we’ll never know,” says Bucky, whose first instinct when Sam’s alarm went off at six this morning was to say, ‘Absolutely fucking not,’ and shut the phone inside a drawer.

He can feel the slightest tremor of Sam’s shoulder as he tries not to laugh, but Bucky doesn’t bother to bite back his own giddy smile when Sam turns and presses a kiss to his hairline. “I guess we won’t.”

“Anyway,” says Bucky, “there’s no point in going down there now. All those Hollywood people? You know that pressed juice line is going to be a nightmare, and how are you going to start your day without a pineapple-tumeric-ginger juice?”

“And is being trapped here in this bed somehow an effective alternative to that?”

“It is if your favorite person ordered your juice from room service.”

“Man, I can’t believe Steve went and ordered me room service, and from a hotel he’s not even staying at,” says Sam. “What a great guy.”

Bucky pushes away from Sam so he can level a glare at him. “You’re not as funny as you think you- hey!”

There’s maybe a reason why Sam is famous for his maneuvering around tight corners. The second that Bucky pulls away even a little bit, he wriggles out from underneath him, disentangling their legs and smoothly rolling off the bed in a single motion.

“That was a dirty play,” Bucky says, slumping against the pillows and frowning.

Sam just grins at him, triumphant. “Three months out of the game and you’re already losing your edge, huh, Barnes?”

Bucky doesn’t have a response, mostly because Sam always looks stupid attractive when he’s like this, all cocky and teasing, and it doesn’t help that those tailored linen pants fit him like a dream. He’s saved from being called out for gawping when there’s a knock at the door and Sam moves to answer it.

He can hear Sam chatting with whoever stopped by, so he grabs his phone off the charger and checks his notifications, heart-ing the photos that Steve just sent of Ellie and the new baby and sending off a text to Olivia to tell her how much he approves of Sam’s outfit today. Then he swipes over to the group chat where he’s got more than fifty notifications and scrolls all the way back to where he last left off, reading through the messages like he’s skimming the headlines.

He’s still catching up when Sam comes in wheeling the room service cart—a good call, given that Bucky is neither dressed nor technically supposed to be in here—and subsequently steals a strawberry off of Bucky’s waffles.

“I’m going to let that slide because I know strawberries are the closest you’re getting to dessert until this race is over,” says Bucky, only glancing up before turning back to his texts. “No Rihanna at the brunch, by the way. Just a bunch of TikTok stars and actors from CW shows. Are you sure you want to go to this?”

Sam raises an eyebrow as he pours a cup of coffee. “What are you, running surveillance on the dining room?”

Bucky holds up his phone. “Hope said she didn’t recognize anyone there, and then Tandy was keeping an eye out for Rihanna but apparently she’s not making an appearance because it would be too busy with the press, so-”

“Hang on,” says Sam. “You’re in a group chat with Hope and Tandy? Why?”

“Not just Hope and Tandy,” says Bucky. “Colleen, too, obviously, and Gert, and Olivia Walker, and–”

“Are you talking about the WAGs? You’re part of that chat?”

He nods. “Colleen said the invite was my retirement present.”

“But…why?”

“It’s for the partners of active Formula One drivers,” says Bucky, shrugging. “And last I checked, I was the partner of an active Formula One driver, unless this is your way of breaking up with me for making you late to brunch.”

“Yeah, I’m real upset that I missed my chance to let all my food go cold while I pose for selfies with a bunch of actors I’ve never heard of,” says Sam, his voice flat. He steals another strawberry and furrows his eyebrows after he takes his first bite. “Wait, is this group chat where you get all that insider gossip that you’ve been sharing? Like Quill retiring? Or the new merch releases?”

“Obviously,” Bucky says, moving to the end of the bed and pulling the plate of waffles closer to himself. “You think they’d just give that kind of information to a retired driver?”

Sam snorts. “I should have known. Back when I was dating Leila, I swear she knew about every one of the FIA’s moves weeks before it was going to happen. Sometimes I think she was more in the know than Rhodey was.”

“Dot was the same way when we were together,” says Bucky. The waffle is proving a little stubborn to cut one-handed and he wishes he’d just ordered pancakes instead. “I should have listened to her more, honestly. I didn’t realize how good the intel was.”

“What about the year that you and Steve started racing together again? At Scuda? I met some of those models you dated; they knew everyone worth knowing at the FIA. Tell me they didn’t have insider knowledge.”

Bucky looks up from his breakfast with a smirk. “We weren’t exactly talking race strategy all night.”

“Too bad for them.” Sam grins back at him, wolfish now. “They never saw you get all worked up about speed control on hairpin turns.”

Sam’s been making Bucky blush long enough that he knows there’s only more teasing around the corner, but this time around, he’s armed with the perfect distraction. He holds his carefully-assembled forkful of waffle and strawberry and whipped ricotta in front of Sam’s mouth, giving the fork a little wiggle like he’s trying to entice a three year old and not a whole adult.

There’s a beat where Bucky assumes that Sam is weighing his options, and then he opens his mouth and takes the bite.

While Sam is busy chewing, Bucky seizes the opportunity for a counter-argument: “You’re the only person in the world who thinks that’s attractive, you know.”

His only answer is an unimpressed look, made a lot less intimidating by the slight chipmunk face that Sam has going on at the moment. Bucky just laughs.

“One,” says Sam, after some furious chewing, “there are thousands of thirsty instagram comments about you that prove otherwise.” 

Bucky opens his mouth to protest, but finds that he doesn’t really have anything to say to contradict that.

Sam looks satisfied as he moves around to the closet and opens the door, disappearing from Bucky’s line of sight. “And two,” he calls out, “none of those matter anyway, because I saw you first.”

He feels his face go hot again, and suddenly all Bucky can think of is the first time that he saw Sam: not in race footage or in a crowded room, but out by the track at one of Bucky’s first races out of the academy. He’d had his helmet under one arm, head thrown back with laughter at something Steve said, and Bucky had taken one look at how fucking pretty he was and felt every last brain cell fizzle out.

Maybe that should’ve been a sign, but Bucky had resolutely ignored it, made his way over to the cute boy who was hanging out with his best friend, and immediately said something snotty about getting cozy with the competition. It had ended up completely backfiring, he remembers. Steve had looked absolutely appalled and Sam had just given Bucky an appraising once-over, then turned that maddening grin on him and said, “I mean, if you want to call yourself competition.”

He’d walked away before Bucky could think of any sort of comeback, and an infuriated Bucky had spent the entire subsequent race chasing him.

It only took twenty years to catch up, he thinks, and has to hide his dopey grin behind his coffee mug when he hears the closet door click shut.

When Sam comes back around the corner, he’s still bare-chested, but he’s swapped the tailored linen trousers for what Bucky recognizes as his favorite of Sam’s many pairs of sweatpants.

Bucky only processes what that means when Sam drops onto the bed beside him and plucks the coffee out of his hands. “You’re not going?”

Sam shrugs, taking a sip of Bucky’s coffee when he’s got his own cup literally six inches away. “Couldn’t let that pressed juice go to waste, could I? Not when my favorite person ordered it for me.”

Just to have something to do that isn’t grinning at his boyfriend like a fool, Bucky turns and reaches for his Nets hoodie, dragging it over to them from where it was balled up by their pillows.

He’s expecting Sam to protest that he’s fine—he’s not; Bucky can already see the goosebumps on his arms—or crack some kind of joke about Bucky not wanting to warm Sam up himself.

What he’s not expecting is to turn back and find Sam’s face caught between interest and alarm, staring fixedly at Bucky’s thighs.

“What?” asks Bucky, following the line of Sam’s gaze to his new boxers, down to where the number 25 is printed just above the hem. “What’s wrong?”

Sam is quiet for a long moment. Then, with an impressive amount of gravitas for such an absurd question, he asks, “Am I hallucinating, or do your boxers have my name printed across the ass?”

Bucky’s eyes go wide with understanding. “Oh, right. About that…”

“About what?”

“So you know the new merch release that the other WAGs told me about so I could impress you with all my insider knowledge?”

“Oh my God,” says Sam. 

“Yeah.”

“They’re selling boxers with my name on the ass.”

“They’re pretty comfortable, for what it’s worth,” laughs Bucky, letting Sam pull him in close and peer over his shoulder to get a better look at the lettering.

“I’m gonna kill Parker.”

“Could you at least wait until next month? Because he promised to get me some of the pairs from the other teams’ merch stores, and I feel like the Leone colors would look pretty good on—”

“Absolutely fucking not,” Sam all but growls, just like Bucky did earlier, and tackles him to the bed to prove exactly why Bucky won’t be wearing any colors that aren’t Sam’s.

(The pressed juice, regrettably, does go to waste.)

[concreteburialplot]

VIRALITY // 05

05 - Team Building Exercises

summary/masterlist: here | crossposted: ao3

word count: 3.7k

cw: alcohol, vomiting, smoking (weed), sexual topics??, noah being melodramatic, jealous & protective nicholas if you squint, slow burn if you haven't figured that out yet sorry lol, 18+ MDNI

pairing: nicholas ruffilo x fem!oc x noah sebastian

a/n: don’t be mean for no reason & let others enjoy things thnx :)

NICHOLAS

Morning light shocks me out of my sleep and I instantly shield my eyes with my forearm. “Fuck.” I mumble, rubbing my eyes with my rough palms. My body goes rigid once I realize that I’m not home, and when I feel another person resting on me, I’m completely frozen.

I blink as my eyes adjust to the light while I look around not recognizing where I am. For a brief moment, I try to remember if we had gone out last night and if I went home with someone. My suspicions are confirmed when I precariously peer down at the brunette nestled into my side with an arm around me.

My memory is a fuzzy blur of rain, snacks and fear. It comes back to me in flashes: running inside from the storm, soaked clothes, cheese doodles and… Vallie. Then it all pours in at once. The first thing I remember clearly is talking on her couch for what seemed like hours before the movie. It feels like it’s the first real conversation I’ve had with anyone in so long. It’s refreshing. I never really talk much, mainly because people don’t tend to listen. But Vallie didn’t make me feel like that, she was fully present and engaged in anything I said. It’s not much but letting me finish my sentences or asking genuine questions is more space that most allow me to take.  

My eyes go wide when I process the reality of what happened – or at least what the guys would think happened.

Both relief and terror flood my chest – I’m relieved I hadn’t gone home with anyone else, but there’s an alarm that comes with that exact relief. Yesterday didn’t go at all how I imagined. My body felt like lightning bolts were shooting through my bones – it was a freezing, paralyzing heat. Last night I could’ve sworn my fingertips burned any time I was near her. I shake the paranoia from my head; it must’ve just been the stormy ambiance that fueled the buzzing across my skin any time she looked at me.

With extreme stealth, I slide out from under her, even rolling the extra blanket into a makeshift replica of my body. “Fuck.” I mutter under my breath again as I sleepily searched for my phone, I haven’t checked it at all since we escaped the rain. When I find it face down on the glass coffee table, I hesitate to pick it up, already knowing what I would find. The fear feels oddly similar to when you miss a call from a parent. Anxiety courses through me as I briefly scroll through my stacked messages.

Group chat:

Jolly: Are you stuck in traffic? Jolly: Did you drop her off yet ? Folio: Dude where the fuck are you Jolly: Are you okay? It’s pouring Folio: Are you alive lol Folio: No seriously where are you Jolly: Why does your location say you’re at some house in Beverly Hills? Jolly: Are you still with her? Folio: We’re gonna come get you if you don’t answer lmao Folio: jk Folio: Nick for real

Jolly – Separate:

Tell me you’re not dead But more importantly Please tell me you did not sleep with our new manager

Not a single one from Noah

I glance over at Vallie to check if she’s still asleep. She lets out small sleeping noises with long brunette strands shading over her face and nuzzles further onto the blanket. She looks so peaceful, and it makes me maybe it had been a while since she’s slept next to someone too. Truthfully last night was the best sleep I’d gotten in a long time, especially between touring and traveling. I barely sleep and the only time I do sleep is in the rarities of getting hotels with plush beds. The best sleep I ever get is always next to someone else. When we were younger, Noah and I would sleep next to each other often. Especially after Noah’s difficult breakup, he’d always ask me to sleep next to him, even just to ward off night terrors. Since we’ve been friends for so long, that sort of intimacy feels normal. We only had each other for so long. You really let yourself be vulnerable with someone when they’re all you got.

I already know the situation with Vallie is going to be an uphill battle with the band, but Noah is the one I’m dreading the most. I understand his frustration but my god he’s acting like a goddamn child. I hope this party will be a way to show them that she’s not the overly corporate monster they think she is.

Quickly but quietly, I tip-toe to the kitchen to read the messages and formulate cohesive responses.

Group chat – Me:

“Yeah, I’m good.”

I look at the time, it’s later than I thought. “See you at rehearsal.”

When I go to reply to Jolly, I pause, “No, it’s fine. I’ll explain later. See you at rehearsal.”

I scramble around her kitchen til I find a notepad and a pen,

“Off to rehearsal Thanks for the safety from the rain Will talk to the guys about this weekend! -N :)”

When I step into our rehearsal studio, the energy immediately shifts. I heard them joking and laughing before I came in but now, they were dead silent. “Hey guys.” I say timidly as I make my way over to my guitar. They track me and I can tell they were dissecting me – my demeanor, my disheveled appearance, the day-old outfit. All which doesn’t exactly reinforce my innocence. “What’s up?” I ask as if nothing happened. Noah burns holes into me with his glare but uttered nothing. To say he was unhappy would be an understatement, he seems furious.

Jolly clears his throat to break up the silence. “Let’s just start, shall we?”

-

There’s tension throughout the entire session. We were fucking up on the same songs, Jolly and I were missing cords, Nick was missing beats and Noah was forgetting lyrics. We haven’t had rehearsals like this in a long time.

Finally, we were wrapping up and they were all busy organizing their areas.

“So, um,” I clear my throat nervously, “I suggested to Vallie that we should have a get together or…something, to kinda get to know each other?” I practically wince and prepare for impact.

“Are you fucking serious?” Snaps Noah while the other two fade into the background. “You fuck our manager and now you’re all buddy buddy?”

I sigh at the accusation I’ve anticipated all day, “I didn’t sleep with her.”

“Then what did you do? Since you never fucking came home.” He questions and steps towards me. The space between us feels enclosed, foreign and unnecessarily extreme.

I furrow my brows in offense, “Not that it’s any of your fucking business,” I shoot back, “It was raining too hard for me to drive, so I just crashed on her couch. That’s it. Calm down.”

He gets even closer to me, practically in my face. “You’re sleeping with the enemy and you want me to calm down?”

“Whoa, first of all, back the fuck up.” I step forward matching his intensity. “Second of all, stop being so fucking dramatic. She’s not our ‘enemy’, she’s just a fucking manager. She wants to help us.” I narrow my eyes at him, “And for the 700th time, I didn’t fucking sleep with her.”

“Okay so you want to sleep with her.” He stated like a fact.

My jaw nearly drops that he would , “No, I don’t Noah.” I close the gap between us as aggravation flowed through my veins. “Do you?”

I swear I can see fire behind his eyes and steam seep out of his ears. He balls up his fists at his sides, clearly trying to restrain himself. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him that angry before, at least not over something so trivial. He says nothing then he turns and storms off, which seems to be becoming a new hobby of his.

The room is silent for a bit before Nick perks up with an over-enthusiastic smile, “I think a party would be great!”

The four of us, alcohol, and our manager? What could possibly go wrong,

Saturday finally comes after an excruciatingly long week of going back and forth with the other three. I at least got Nick and Jolly here. Noah barely spoke to me the rest of the week and made no promises of coming tonight, in fact it was quite the opposite, he promised not to come. He vowed to stay out all night – doing god knows what – just so he didn’t have to be here for any of the party.

It hadn’t occurred to me just how awkward a four-person party would be, especially when half the party hates the guest of honor. And so, the “party” consisted of Folio and Jolly across the kitchen from me and Vallie. They’re keeping each other company and cracking jokes while smoking a dwindling blunt. I don’t mind the separation much as Vallie and I stand next to each other talking about anything. The more I learn about her, the more I want the guys to know her too. I want to believe what she says is true, that she really does see potential in us.

I know the others don’t exactly feel the same, but we worked so hard for so long to only now start to gain any real traction, I mean… isn’t this what we’ve been working towards this whole time?

The awkward tension is beginning to gnaw at me, so I clear my throat gaining the attention of the small kitchen, “How about we play some sort of game?” I suggest and by the positive reactions in everyone’s faces, it’s evident that they too think it would be a good distraction.

I glance over at Vallie, who has a slightly nervous look to her; her smile is restrained, and her hand is fidgeting around her red solo cup. Her maroon-painted fingertip tracing the rim of her cup and her eyes are locked on some drawer across the kitchen.

“Hey,” I whisper after the guys leave the room and gently reach out to grab her arm. “It’s gonna be fine. They’re gonna like you, I promise.”

She gazes up at me with deep forest green eyes. At first, they are sweet and shy, but they soon flip to defensive. She softly pulls her arm from my grasp and straightens up, “I don’t need your reassurance.”

She makes a sharp pivot on her heels and exits the kitchen on her own then sits at the head of the table with the other two across from her. It occurs to me that every time I’ve been in a room with her, she was different. I have no idea who she really is at all – but she doesn’t know us either. With a deep inhale, I reach for the liquor and pour extra into my plastic cup and I take it with me through the doorway to the dining room.

Halfway through a game of Cards Against Humanity, Vallie was winning. And every time she won, we all took a shot. We were on our 7th and final round. We’re shooting tequila, which I can mostly handle, while the other two… not so much.

“Fuck,” Mumbles Folio behind a scrunched face of disgust at his last shot, “Jesus Val.” He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, “Didn’t expect you to be so fucking funny, what the fuck.”

She grins proudly, straightening up in her seat with a subtle victorious dance as she organizes her cards into neat little stacks, using the wooden table to flatten the edges.

They didn’t hold back or put on a show for her, they acted exactly the same as if it was the 4 of us, if anything, they were amping it up to spook her away. She handled it all like a pro; the crude jokes, the sexual innuendos, the unnecessary overly graphic description of what a bukkake is, even though she said she already knew what it was.

I don’t know if it was the fact that they were acting out or if maybe I’m outgrowing the behavior, but every fucked-up comment they said made me uncomfortable.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a wasted Nick elbowing Jolly and discretely gesturing to Vallie. When I follow their focus, I find what they were drunkenly gawking at. It was exactly what I had been avoiding all night. I quickly stack the other game boxes in front of her chest to obscure their eye-line. “So, what should we play next!”

Folio snaps me a furrowed look that reminds me of toddler getting his candy taken away. Jolly too gives me a funny look as if he just figured something out then leans into Nick and whispering something that caused them to giggle like schoolgirls. I narrow my eyes at them, telepathically scolding them to cut it out.

Vallie peeks up from her organized cards, “What’s so funny?” She asks innocently with wide emerald eyes lined with dark lashes.

“Nothing they’re just drunk.” I answer for them.

“Oh c’mon, you can’t tell me that you’re drunk off just a couple shots?” She teases with a sly smile.

“Easy for you to say winner! You’ve been sippin’ the same drink this whole game!” Jolly’s laugh fills the cramped dining room while he leans back in his chair.

“This is my third drink for your information.” She clarifies with sass while stuffing the playing cards into their box.

“You should take a shot!” Jolly suggests, over-enthusiastically.

Before she could even answer, Folio interjects, “Without your hands.”

I feel like lasers are shooting from my eyes when I look over at his smug intoxicated expression. “You don’t have to do that V-”

“No, I’m fine.” She says contently before taking an empty shot glass and pouring it full of clear liquid.

“No really, you don’t have to.” I assure her quietly.

“Oh Nicholas,” Her own voice is tangled with alcohol, “I was in a sorority, I think I can handle a couple of men being men.” She stands up and smooths out the ribbed buttoned top that hugs her full chest and lands above her small waist. She hasn’t even bent down yet and they’re whooping and hollering like… well like college boys.

Before I could stop myself, I shoot up from my chair, “Enough!” My voice booms through the tiny dining room, more than I had ever intended. All three of them look at me, their faces mixed with shock and slight apprehension.

Unexpectedly, the front door swings wide open and slams into the wall behind it, probably leaving a dent behind. A visibly wasted Noah stumbles into the living room, leaving the door wide open behind him.

I sigh, already knowing the direction this night is about to take.

“Oh Jesus.” Groans out an already annoyed Folio, rubbing his temples, “I’m gonna need a fucking joint to deal with this.”

“Ditto.” Agrees Jolly.

“Well look who it is!” Noah slurs and flails a long-sleeved arm to gesture to the whole group. “My so-called band, who fucking left me!”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes with a heavy exhale. “Noah, we didn’t fucking leave you.”

In the background, Jolly brings a metal tray of green over to Folio who quickly but precariously begins rolling green flower into a brown paper. Within seconds the roll is plucked between his index and thumb with the end sizzling red.

Between Noah stumbling around like a town drunk, the two in the corner getting stoned and Vallie witnessing everything, I suddenly feel like a single parent trying to police 4 rambunctious children.

“Yeah, you fucking did!” Noah mumbles from the kitchen facing the dining room. “You gave up on everything we fucking wanted,” He hiccups, “For money,” He says the word with utter disgust, and lazily points a hand at Vallie. “Because of her.”

I quickly glance over to her, to see if she was alright and she didn’t even hear him, she was busy leaning across the table to take the lit blunt from Folio’s hand. For some reason, the sight of them frustrates me.

Noah leans against the granite counter looking utterly depleted; dark purple circles beneath heavy bloodshot eyes, his long hair a mess from having walked through whipping wind, and his clothes covered in dirt.

“Noah, stop being so fucking dramatic.” Jolly gets up and walks past me over to him, probably knowing that I’m not good at playing the parent. “We’re just…” He looks back at Folio and Vallie who were now sitting next to each other watching the scene intently and passing the joint back and forth like it’s popcorn. “We’re just doing some… team building.”

“I’m-” He begins before covering his mouth and quickly makes his way to the sink to release the contents of his stomach into it.

A grossed out, “Ooh.” Comes from the two still sitting behind me at the table.

I glare at them then sigh and hold out my hand for the little bit that was left of the roll. Vallie stretches over the table to hand me the burning stub, I put it to my lips and inhale deeply, letting the thick smoke fill my lungs completely. I lean my head back against the door frame and exhale an opaque white cloud above me. A visceral relief spreads through my chest like spilled ink. I cough a bit as I hand it back over to the peanut gallery.

Jolly holds Noah’s long hair back while he gathers himself over the sink. “I think maybe we should get you into the bathroom.” Jolly advises sternly. I can tell that Noah doesn’t want to listen by the way he grips the counter hard until his knuckles are white, then releases in defeat. We’ve been here too many times for him for him to defy us.

“Fine.” Noah grumbles and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

Jolly gives me a look that means it was time for me to hook Noah’s left arm around my shoulders. We make it not even 2 steps forward before Noah coughs up vomit all over himself and Jolly.

“Fuck!” Yells Jolly, practically dropping him to go wash off his shirt.

“Oh god.” Folio immediately covers his mouth after seeing the throw up and ran off to the nearest bathroom.

I decide the best course of action is to set Noah down on the tiled kitchen floor before he had the chance to ruin anything else. He’s so gone that he doesn’t even seem to notice that he was set on the floor. I run off to grab some towels from the laundry room and when I return, I stop in my tracks.

Vallie is there on the floor with him, kneeled next to him and gently wiping the vomit off his face. Noah held a giant empty neon green salad bowl in his lap to catch any future accidents.

“Oh,” She notices me in her peripheral, “Uh, I found that bowl in a cupboard,” Using her pinky to point to the navy-blue cabinets above her, “It’s the only thing I could find.”

Noah’s brown eyes are nearly black and completely glossed over, his cheeks flushed with alcohol – and thank god, because he wouldn’t let her anywhere near him if he was fully coherent.

“Do you have a water bottle?” She asks in a sickeningly sweet tone. “And maybe bread?”

“Uh- Yeah, yeah, of course.” I strategically step over his lanky legs to the fridge to get a water and pull a loaf from the counter, handing them to her. She cracks the bottle open for him and when he doesn’t take it, she softly grabs his jaw and slowly pours a thin stream of water into his mouth.

“You’re pretty good at this.” I comment quietly as to not make too much noise.

She glimpses up at me with a small kind smile, “I told you, I was in a sorority. You learn how to take care of drunk people really quick.”

I nod and cross my arms, “Right.” then rest the length of my body against the door frame as I watch them in front of me.

She takes out a slice of bread, splits it in half and holds it up to his mouth. His heavy-lidded eyes lift to meet hers, “I just don’t want to lose them.” He croaks out, melodramatically.

“You won’t.” Vallie reassures curtly.

“They’re all I have.” He states clearly, probably the most coherent thing he’d said all night. His brown eyes watch her closely, but his focus was waning as sleep is begging to pull him under. “Don’t take them from me.”

She presses her lips together seemingly processing his request. “I won’t let it happen.” She says as if she’s trying to convince him that there are no monsters beneath his bed. Her voice is lucid, but I can still hear the tequila she’s hiding under her words. She carefully places her hand on top of his, “I promise.”

He blinks up at her surprised and raises his brows, “Pinky?” Then weakly lifts his arm to poke out a shaky pinky.

She chuckles at his drunken innocence, “Sure.”  And hooks her pinky with his, which resulted in a giant cheesy grin plastered across his face before slumping further.

There’s an odd heavy swirl in the pit of my stomach of something vile; for a moment, I think I might need to vomit too. But the more I watch them, the more the feeling spreads. Then, I realize this pit has been growing since the card game earlier. Her winning over Folio and Jolly annoyed me. Even Noah getting along with her, at least to an extent, made me sick.

I wanted them to get along, I thought it would make things better, less complicated. I don’t understand how it somehow made everything murkier or why it’s bringing this churn to my intestines. Something about it all that makes me wonder if Noah was right all along. Maybe we are in danger and maybe she is the threat.

Next Chapter -> 06 - Whiplash*

a/n: thank you so much if you took the time to read this! I'm extremely appreciative of those of you who are reblogging or commenting on previous chapters 🥺

i thought of stopping posting here bc i've seen some fanfic slander within the fandom and idk it just made me sad? guilty? idk. but tumblr is my safe space & i love writing fanfic so... here i still am lol

lmk if you liked it 🖤

[spicechica]

Seb As if x Reader

Warning: Eating disorder, depression, physical harm

You sit in one of the overly sized bean bag chairs as you watch everyone else take their seats. Your parents had signed you up for therapy ever since you became drastically depressed, never wanting to go outside, staying stuck in your room for hours at a time, and most of all your loss of eating habits. Being stuck in your room you never really left to eat your drink, just laying in your bed all day, watching tv. This caused you to lose some weight which brought to your parents concern. Now you weren't quite overweight but you weren't a slim stick model either. 

In school you would be made fun of because of your weight, telling you you couldn’t wear specific clothes or eat certain foods. Which then caused you to try certain diets until you just stopped eating in general, now making you look more weak and pale. You scrunched yourself up into a little ball as you picked at your nails, drowning out the others' stories and conversations around you. You didn’t want to be in therapy, but the continuation of phone calls and text from your parents started to annoy you so you decided to go for their own sake. 

“Alcoholic?” A voice close to your ear alarms you as you come back to reality. “What?” You replied confused. You make eye contact with a tall man with long hair that framed his face, and eyes blue like the sky with a mix of gray. “No,no…Depression.” You replied. “I see. It’s tuff, so you need people who understand,” 

“Actually, it was my parents' idea.” You curl your legs up against your chest as you try and tuck your large sweatshirt around you, almost as if you felt uncomfortable. Probably because you were. After almost an hour the session finally ended, you quickly grabbed your bags as you were the first one out the door, telling yourself you wouldn’t be back. That was until you heard someone stop you. “Wait wait!” The guy from earlier stops in front of you. “I never got your name.” You were hesitant for a moment, “Um, Y/n,” you replied. 

“Seb,” He reaches out his hand for a shake but you don’t bother to do the same in return. “I get it, not much of a talker. I was just wondering if you wanted to go grab a coffee.” You were silent but in your head you were groaning in annoyance, you just wanted to go home and lie in your bed like you always do and imagine yourself not coming back. But, you didn’t want to give off as ‘entirely’ rude so you accepted. “Fine…” 

He took you to a small cafe, not too far from your place. You’ve probably passed by it a couple of times, but knowing you you probably too closed off from the world to notice. “So…what’s your story?” You asked as you took a sip of your coffee. “Well, my friends thought it would be a good idea for me to be surrounded by those who get me - that's how they put it - but really it’s just intriguing to hear about other people's stories. At least that’s what I think.”

You take another sip of your coffee. “What about you?” “I-” “Wait, let me guess ... .You felt like you needed to close yourself off from the world, so you try to stay away from other people and not engage. Insecurities maybe?” You sigh as you place your coffee back down. “Close enough…ED” You replied. “It started back in highschool. I kept telling myself it was for my own good,but one thing led to another.” 

You look down at your half drunk cup as you recall the multiple times you would have ended up in the ER from low blood sugar or your ‘regular’ dizzy spells. “Ended up in the ER twice…” A small tear drips down your cheek. “I-I’m sorry.” “No, it’s okay.” He replied. Later you both were walking down the sidewalk, street lights slowly coming on, and the sun slowly setting. “This is me…thank you, again for today. It’s been awhile since I've been out with people.” you give a light smirk under your coat. “Of course, any time. You're coming tomorrow right? It's for your own good.” “Yeah, I guess.” you replied. 

“See you then.” You walk up a step or two until you slowly turn your back and watch as he walks around the corner. Funny enough he does the same and you both make awkward eye contact. You blush as you quickly hide yourself around the pillar and hear him chuckle as he walks away. Why were you feeling like this? You haven’t caught an affection for him, have you?  

[svfttachi]

hello, i’m the anon that requested the cheating one shot w/ our loved boy itachi, i just wanted to say thank you! i love it! thank you so much! also if you were ever to make a part 2 🌚👉🏽👈🏽 y/n has the right to pop off on itachi…. he really had the nerve to bring another women to the house!? like as if he wanted to get caught smh but how would it end between them? all for the sad endings as well as an happy ending but ofc that’s up to you if you would like to write a part 2 lol i don’t wanna be that annoying requester, that’s all i wanted to say have a good day/night much love to you! and thanks again

TYPE: Fem!reader, Angst, Modern AU

WARNING(S): Pregnancy and Mentions of Children

WC: 2176

NOTES: Hi! I know it's been a long time without any updates about anything really, but it was because I had become very busy this fall. I'm going to slowly, but surely, start responding to the requests which built up before I officially closed the ask box. This was one of the first ones, and the ending of this lets you guys decide how the story shall end which is one of the best things I like to do for my stories. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and I will be back soon for more stories!

MINUTES ticked slowly whilst you sat on the bathroom floor with your back against the wall. Your head rested back, and the stress with the waiting game continued to take over your roaming thoughts. It hasn’t been too long since the separation from Itachi, but you were just beginning to get a new footing to the start of something new. Then, you began to throw up constantly with multiple waves of nausea, headaches, and other sorts of pain that led you down a trail of medicines and rest. It didn’t take long for you to end up on the bathroom floor, anticipating the results of the test which just sat menacingly on the counter.

A light knock tapped against the bathroom door, and a groan escaped from your mouth. “Glad to know you’re still alive in there, Y/N, but you’re taking too long in there,” Sasuke muttered.

From the other side of the door, Sasuke leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His eyes were stuck on the gap between the door and the floor where the light peeked through. Ever since the split, Sasuke kept himself close to you and looked after you whenever you were at your lowest. He was always there at any moment you needed him, and he didn’t care for anything else except for you in those cases.

Lately, however, you have been keeping your distance with Sasuke, and he wasn’t up to speed on what you have been experiencing. It wasn’t particularly because you chose to shelter yourself from him, but because you didn’t want to burden him any further as you felt you had been doing. Yet, you couldn’t stand not calling him to have dinner together at your new apartment since you just needed someone you know and trust whilst you tried not to break down further inside the bathroom.

“I should be out in a few minutes. Just go ahead and order whatever you want for dinner,” you responded to Sasuke’s remark. You heard a small mutter of an agreement before the footsteps faded as he walked away.

The timer on your phone began to buzz against the counter, making your eyes widen. You practically hopped off of the floor and turned off the alarm on your phone. Sitting next to your phone was the dreadful, light pink stick that determined everything from here on out. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes tightly as you reached out to take hold of the stick. Your fingertips carefully hold the stick, allowing you to have some more time to take it in. Once a couple of seconds passed, you took another deep breath and opened your eyes, staring directly at the result.

— — —

It was quiet in the living room as you walked inside. Sasuke was sitting on the floor with one knee bent up and the other crossed and lying over his sock covered foot. He munched on a burrito which he had delivered to the apartment, and there was a tinfoil wrapped burrito sitting next to the takeout bag on the coffee table meant specifically for you. Approaching Sasuke, you took a deep breath, guiding his eyes up to look at you curiously. “What’s up?” Sasuke questioned in between his chewing.

You sat down next to Sasuke and swiped the burrito off of the table, unwrapping it. For a couple of seconds, you stared at the unwrapped burrito, readying yourself for what’s to come out of your mouth.

“I’m pregnant, Sasuke,” you mumbled, eyes never leaving the burrito in your hands. Sasuke stopped chewing and swallowed whatever piece of food was still in his mouth. He nearly dropped his burrito in response to your big news drop, and his eyes darted immediately at your face.

Sasuke set the burrito down on the table and turned to face you entirely. “You’re… pregnant,” Sasuke spoke more as a statement rather than a question. You let out whatever air you were holding in for the past minute and took a bite out of your burrito, “Yes… I am pregnant, and it is Itachi’s child.”

The both of you sat in the silence with the only sound coming from your continuous eating. Eventually, you begin to feel an overwhelming amount of emotion pool specifically in your eyes. Salty tears started to roll down from your tear ducts, leaving damp trails along your cheeks. Sasuke took the half-eaten burrito out of your hands to set aside on the table and brought an arm to wrap around your shoulders, letting your head rest on his shoulder.

“Just when things couldn’t get any worse, Sasuke! It just had to happen like this!” you screamed through your cries. Sasuke only continued to rub your head and whisper calm words. He couldn’t believe it himself. Sasuke went all out on Itachi at the time of the whole incident, but he thought it would only start to get better after a while, not for Y/N to end up at this point.

“You’ll be okay, Y/N. I promise… everything will be okay.”

— — —

You weren’t too far along in the pregnancy, but after going to your first OB-GYN appointment with Sasuke, you had to let Itachi know. Though you weren’t mentally ready to see or deal with Itachi right now, you knew he had the right to know about the unborn child growing within your body. Before you left to see Itachi, you made sure Sasuke wouldn’t follow you or try to intervene in any way, even when he insisted it wasn’t necessary for you to go alone. You knew deep down that whatever happens after this is a choice that you and Itachi should come down to making.

It was an early Saturday morning when you stepped out of the taxi and onto the sidewalk in front of your old apartment building. Your eyes roamed the outside of the building, but nothing out of the ordinary was different with it. Once you let it soak in that you were directly outside of the apartment building, you took a deep breath and began to stride forward.

In a couple of minutes, you were coming out of the elevator and now standing outside of the door to your old apartment. Your fist was raised just a couple of inches away from the wooden door, and your thoughts kept you from moving even a slight centimeter closer to knocking on the door. Taking another deep breath, you knocked on the door lightly, feeling your heartbeat growing louder with every passing second. It didn’t take long for the door to crack open, and with the door opening, your eyes widened.

Itachi stood in the small space between the door and the doorframe wearing a hoodie with the hood covering his head. When his head peeked out of the dark apartment further, the bright hallway lighting shined across Itachi’s face, highlighting the roughed up expression on his face. Healing bruises littered his face which date back to the first time you and him separated when Sasuke had beaten him up. His raven bangs hung over his face like curtains on a window, and his eyes seemed to have brightened up a little at the sight of your contrasting appearance from his own.

“W—What are you doing here?” he asked in a deep, painful tone. You couldn’t keep your eyes away from his battered up look, and every piece of his skin on his face brought back the memories of the night, all over again. Itachi cleared his throat to bring your attention back to the matter. “Oh, um… we need to… I’m sorry, this was a mistake,” you muttered, attempting to leave.

“Y/N.”

You stopped a couple of steps away from the door and began fiddling with your fingers. Another deep breath left your lungs, allowing you to turn around. Your eyes went up to meet Itachi’s. “If you’ve come here to talk, then… we should talk,” Itachi spoke, opening the door further, “Please, come in.”

You nodded your head and walked past Itachi, entering the dark apartment. Itachi shut the door and turned around to turn on the main lights of the living room. Letting the electricity flow through the circuits and into the light bulbs, you began to see what an impact you had on Itachi. There were countless numbers of empty and partially empty pizza boxes covering the floor, tables, and couches. Dirty socks littered the floor alongside some of the boxes, and there were many circles of coffee embedded into the coffee table.

“If I knew you were coming, I probably would have cleaned up a little bit,” Itachi mumbled, scratching the back of his hooded head with a light chuckle. You watched him walk up to the couch and begin to pick up some of the boxes, setting them elsewhere. Once he felt like it was clean enough, Itachi sat down on the couch and looked up at you, patting the extra seat on the couch. You walked up to the couch and slowly took a seat, a little distance between you and Itachi.

Your eyes looked up at Itachi’s face, and now with the lighting, you could clearly see more of the injuries on his face. “Does it still… hurt?” you asked, trying to keep your fingers from going near his bruises. Itachi shook his head in response, earning a nod from you, “I’m sorry, would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you. I just came over to tell you that I am… oh my gosh, this is so hard to say. Um… here goes I guess,” you started, earning a concerned look from Itachi, “I am pregnant… and it is your child.”

Shock was written all over Itachi’s facial expression as he began to comprehend over and over what you had just uttered to him. You noticed a hint of sadness replacing his initial shock, and some salty tears poked out from his charcoal tinted eyes. “Y/N… I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I know it doesn’t make any sense in telling you this now when you have probably already moved on, but I need you to know that I’m sorry. There’s nothing that I can say about the whole thing that will make it right, but… I can’t believe I screwed up this far,” Itachi cried.

The tears were now falling by bucketloads, and he leaned forward with his elbows dug into his thighs. The palms of his hands were pressed against his forehead as he muttered incoherent words. You felt your own emotions take over your once anxious mind, and you began to scoot closer to Itachi. Your hand slid across the length of his arm and grasped his hand, bringing it down in front of you. Whenever you were upset with Itachi during a fight or any other circumstance, it was custom for you to take his hand in your own and play with his fingers to help calm yourself and him down as well. As soon as you began to play with his fingers, Itachi peered up from the floor and stared at your intertwined hands.

“We can’t keep hanging onto the past, you know. What’s done is done, and we shouldn’t look back at it anymore,” you whispered quietly to Itachi, “For some time, I wouldn’t even expect myself to get to this point, but… this child was a reason that I should attempt to forgive you, especially if we decide to keep it in the long run.”

Itachi rubbed his eyes clean with his sleeve and pulled his hoodie off of his head. The ravenous locks once hidden underneath the hood highlighted the lack of care he has given himself. He squeezed your hand back and thought about what you said, specifically the mention of a future together.

“Do you want to keep the child?” Itachi questioned, sniffling as he looked up to notice any change in facial expression.

Ever since the day that you exchanged your vows with Itachi, you had always thought about the possibility of having children and building a family with the man you loved. So, usually, this would have been a no brainer question. With everything you have been through since the day you and Itachi separated, you would have thought you would not want to keep the child that may remind you of it all. However, this gave you a chance for the both of you to start over with forgiveness of Itachi’s past actions, for the sake of the growing fetus within you.

“I would understand why you wouldn’t want to—”

“Let’s start over, Itachi, and take care of this child together,” you cut him off, sniffling as well as the tears begin to overpower you. Itachi nodded and straightened his back, cleaning off whatever residue stuck to his eyes. “I never stopped loving you, Y/N, and I promise I will help you raise this baby right,” Itachi spoke, looking deep into your eyes and finding a small smile written on your lips.

NARUTO MASTERLIST◂▸WRITING MASTERLIST◂▸NAVIGATION