#got coffee from next door before i made the journey home

[wanderingrei]

Nothing like getting up early and heading into work only to realize you weren't supposed to work today and heading home 😅

[the-kr8tor]

To Live Simply

Pairing: Cowboy! Hobie Brown x fem! Reader

Word count: 13.1 k

Tags: Use of Y/N sparsely, No specific physical description of the reader (except for her clothing) (Hobie is mentioned taller than her), CW suggestive, CW food mentions, TW abuse mention, CW drinking, CW violence mention. Wild west AU, Cowboy AU.

A/N: I wrote my late dog in this to remember her by, please be nice to the dog ❤️

Our Place in the Middle of Nowhere Masterlist

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CHAPTER 8 >>> CHAPTER 9

The journey to Hobie's farm was excruciating, yet quiet and peaceful. If not for both yours and Hobie's still healing injuries it would've been a more pleasant ride. Surprisingly enough, there wasn't anyone who wanted to ambush you, and no one to point a gun at; no one to hurt you and Hobie.

The entire time you were afraid, afraid that something would happen the least you expected it. You were waiting for disaster to hit, you've never been at peace on the road, so you were high strung, hands gripping tightly around the reins while you kept your gun fully loaded and ready on your back. Luckily, nothing noteworthy happened during that one whole month of traveling west and away from the south.

Hobie clung to you like sap on wood, and you did too. You both never spoke of what happened that day, it was horrible, even now hallucinations still linger in the back of your head. Sometimes you see her staring at you on the side of the road, sometimes you smell burnt coffee out of nowhere. Hobie understood what they put you through while he lay asleep dreaming of you. He did everything he could to help you return to reality with every grasp of your hand, and with every kiss on your temple— effectively shaking you awake. You take care of him too, changing his bandages in camp, wincing with him whilst you clean his wounds.

It was just you and him, and you've got everything to lose if they ever find you.

You both were careful on the road, always traveling at night under the stars. Lighting small fires that are enough to keep you warm. You've even started to hide your face under a bandana. If it was absolutely needed to go into town, you and Hobie never stayed too long to make an impression. To everyone else, he was Larry Smith and you were his wife. To him, you were his wife in everything but on paper. To you, he was everything. You suppose it was all the same.

The horses are well kept despite the long rides, they slept well, ate even better than you and Hobie. You've noticed Cherry has become friendlier towards Bucky, and Bucky seemed to like the added attention.

Your back aches from the long ride, dawn has just begun to break. The breeze hums in your ears as you and Hobie finally make it to his farm. A piece of land in a valley and in between monstrous mountains that rise up into the clouds; and what seems to be thousands of miles of nothingness. There's nothing but land everywhere you look, the town you passed through hours ago is nothing but a dot in the far distance.

You're situated in the middle of nowhere.

“It's not much, but it's home.” Hobie stands before you, shoulders relaxed, eyes glancing towards you as if he's waiting for approval.

The farmhouse isn't as grand as your old home, it doesn't have the gilded awnings or marble pillars that seem to rise up towards the heavens. The house is made out of wood, two stories high with a simple porch that wraps around the entire structure. Its white paint is chipping, doors weathered by the elements and time. Empty flower pots sit nearby, just waiting to be used once again. Further away, a barn sits near a small pond. The structure’s red paint faded into a murky brown with dead vines covering its side. A windmill stands next to it, the blades squeak in the wind, wood creaking whenever a harsh breeze blows.

The picket fences around the property lay broken with its old chalky paint cracking and melting away. The land surrounding it doesn't look any better, it's barren and dry save for the tall brown grass growing everywhere. There are also stumps left behind by cut trees, a couple have survived long enough to grow as tall as the barn and they both sit behind the farmhouse a few paces away. It lacks any greenery you'd expect for a farm. With its dry soil underneath your feet, you're sure that there's nothing that could grow here. But you can try, plant and sow over and over again until a single leaf will sprout, until a plant bears fruit.

There's nothing else all around the place, nothing but stretches and miles upon miles of empty land. You like it that way. It's just you and him, him and you. You'd never have it any other way.

For the first time in a very long time, you feel like you can finally breathe. Fate has finally granted you reprieve.

“It's perfect.” You smile, stepping forward, reaching for his hand and then squeezing it once. “It's home.”

Hobie's lips slowly curl up into a smile, intertwining your fingers around his own. “What are we waitin' for?” With a sudden arm around the back of your knees, he gracefully carries you in his arms, earning a surprised yelp and laughter from you. You grasp at his vest, giggling against his chest. “Let's get inside.”

Even in his arms, you still feel the gnawing in the back of your mind. The danger that lurks behind the mountains, a danger that you both are ignoring for now in place of bliss. It's as if a heavy blanket is laid upon your chest, crushing you under its weight, breaking your rib cage in half, squishing your heart until a mush of blood and muscle is the only thing left in its wake.

Then, there's the nature of the man from the place you once called your home. You think he'd kill you the moment he sees you in the arms of Hobie, laughing against his chest, holding on to him as if he's your husband. Should I tell Hobie? You thought to yourself, it will ruin him. It will ruin you in his mind. Your heart thuds against your chest akin to a train engine just from thinking about it. You think it'll never go away, that it will continue to eat at you like you're a carcass left for the vultures in a dry humid desert. But for now, you stay laughing against his skin, kissing every inch of his face as he brings you inside. Until you're ready, you promise yourself that you'll tell him, even if it ruins you.

Hobie, unbeknownst to the inner turmoil you're having; kisses you back gently, dry lips against your sweaty forehead, he doesn't mind as he peppers your face. It's a battle, where you two are the winners.

You kick about in his arms, the stubble on his chin tickles you, and of course he notices it. He decides to hear you laugh, really laugh— so he nudges your head away, rubbing his stubble up and down your neck. Your giggles immediately fill the home, leaning away, hands patting his chest rapidly. If not for his hold on you, you would've fell seconds ago.

“Enough!” You shriek, but your own laughter betrays you. With every nudge, you forget about your thoughts, only focusing on the man before you.

Hobie wheezes, moving an inch away from your neck. “You sure? I don't think ‘m done yet.” He fixes his grasp on you, hand placed just above your ribs, fingers flexing, threatening to tickle you there.

You scoff, a sound similar to a giggle. “We've been on the road for a long time, Hobie, and we haven't had a proper bath in weeks!” He opens his mouth to speak. “A dip in the river doesn't count.”

With furrowed brows, he leans closer, lips curled mischievously. “You tellin’ me that I smell?”

You chuckle, hand patting his cheek lovingly. “No, I'm saying that I smell.”

“Really?” Hobie starts to lean closer but you stop him with your hand on his forehead. He smiles, trying to wiggle his head. “I was just about to check!”

There's the same glint in your eyes. You hum, cradling his jaw, pushing him gently upwards. The scar on his neck is in full display to you, Hobie tries to shake his head in protest, his sudden insecurity for the raised scar makes him think that you were second guessing your choices. But with your simple movement of pulling yourself up, enough to be eye level to the scar, and with your lips resting upon it makes him think otherwise.

He turns into honey under your touch, and you're the one licking his sweetness off of your finger tips.

You feel his staggered breath under your lips, Hobie almost drops you the second you kiss his scar. He feels your love through it all, fingers digging into your side but not enough to leave a mark. Closing his eyes, he lets you peck as your thumb runs along his Adam's apple that bops up and down with every nervous swallow. He even leans upwards to give you more space.

“I missed you.” Hobie says in a breathy whisper while you continue to attack his skin, hand pressed on your back, helping lift you up. “I should've told you that when I first—” You hold onto his nape to kiss higher, nipping gently, earning a shaky exhale from him. “—fuckin’ hell, you'll be the death of me. Five minutes in and you're already tryin’ to—”

“Knock knock?”

“Oh fuck—!” You suddenly drop down to the floor, butt aching as you stare at the visitor standing in the doorway.

“Shit—” Hobie fumbles, none of the coolness he exhibited during your journey. He tries to help you up, but then immediately decides to get his gun out that he also flounders over. His gun falls, bullets falling out, metal clanking on the dusty wooden floors. “Ah, fuck!” Kneeling down, he tries to pick up all the scattered bullets.

“Caught you in a bad time, huh?”

You glance between Hobie and the woman in the doorway. Hobie sighs, eyes staring daggers at the stranger. Her curly hair is styled in braids, leather chaps and jacket matching, hands casually placed inside her jean pockets. The sun behind her drapes her in gold, the same colour as the hat sitting atop her head. Her genuine smile is one of those contagious smiles that turns your frown into a friendly grin, you smile wider when you meet with her eyes that are laced with amusement. She gives you a wink, and then returns her attention towards Hobie who has given up on picking up his ammo.

“No, no, take your time, Hobie.”

He sighs, head falling down in shame. “What are you doin' ‘ere, Riri?”

“I was on my routine check. Imagine my surprise when I saw Bucky frolicking outside with a new horse.” Riri enters, hand reaching towards you. “The name's Riri, a friend of Hobie's.”

You smile up at her, taking her hand as she gracefully lifts you back up on your feet. “Y/N, nice to meet you.”

“Oh, I know who you are.” She shakes your hand, leaning slightly to whisper in a louder tone. “You're even prettier than what this loser told me.”

Hobie sighs, “Riri, c’mon—”

“Why don't you get up, cowboy?” Riri lets your hand go, she then crosses her arms over her chest whilst you watch them interact.

Hobie stays kneeling, turned away from you and Riri, hand conveniently on his lap. “Don't you dare tell her shit, Riri.” He says, green eyes narrowed into slits.

You tamp down a laugh, glancing down at Hobie who just shakes his head with a ghost of a smile. You're tempted to tease him too, but Riri catching you two in the act was enough embarrassment for him.

“You told stories about me?” If your cheeks could run any warmer, you can boil water on it.

“He's a chatterbox when he's drunk.”

“He is?” You turn towards the said man, beaming at him.

“Don't you have anythin' better to do—?” Hobie gets ignored as Riri continues to chat with you. He resigns, huffing in place.

“Mm-hmm, he says the craziest shit. You think he's all that out there but the second he drinks his third glass, he's out in my saloon yammering about something. Sometimes that something has to do with you.” She pauses, nudging your shoulder. “Don't worry, he only tells me the good stuff. I practically already know you.” Your eyes widen. “Not in a weird way, in a…”

“Good job, Ri, you made it awkward.” Hobie eggs her on.

Riri rolls her eyes. “She knows what I'm talking about, right?” She turns to you, smiling softly like she's already trying to apologize.

“That so? Don't worry, I understand what you meant.” You flick your eyes towards Hobie, who's still unable to stand up. “Since you already know me—”

“Ah, yes!” She claps her hands in understanding. “You may go to my saloon and dig more details about what Hobie's been doing these past five years.” Riri meets Hobie's eyes. “You never know, you might even come across our old gang.”

You copy her, teasing Hobie even more. “The more the merrier then.”

“Great,” Hobie huffs, finally standing up. “You've created a monster, Riri.”

“Don't call her a monster!” Riri acts offended for you.

“Yeah! Don't call me a monster!”

Hobie could only sigh in defeat. He mumbles under his breath, fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose. “If I wasn't so tired.”

“Oh that reminds me.” You say excitedly, you've finally found a friend after everything that has happened. “Do you want to stay for tea?”

“We don't have anythin', love.” Hobie gestures towards the near empty kitchen cabinets that were left open.

Riri smirks at the name he used for you. Hobie warns her with a look. “That would be great, but I gotta go back out there. I heard there's a huge deer roaming around and I want to be the one to get it before anyone else does.”

“That's too bad.” You're genuinely disappointed.

“Yeah, that's too bad.” Hobie copies sarcastically, less disappointed.

Riri chuckles, “don't worry, Y/N, my saloon's always open for you.” She clasps your shoulder. “Welcome to Scarlett Meadows, Y/N.”

“Thank you, Riri. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise, love,” Riri mocks him. Hobie audibly groans, she smacks his chest. “Welcome back, loser.” With a flourish, Riri exits the house and then jumps back on her horse to ride away. Hobie closes and locks the front door behind her.

“I like her already.”

Hobie wraps his arm around your middle, pulling you close for an embrace. “‘m glad, she's a good friend.”

You nuzzle his shoulder, to which he takes your cheek, already leaning down to meet you halfway. “The mood's ruined, Hobs.”

“Goddamnit.” He says, yet he still chuckles against your lips. Letting you go, you stay locked with his eyes while walking backwards towards the stairs. “Where are you goin'?” There's a growing smile on yours and Hobie's lips.

“You coming, cowboy?” You ask, and you see him flustered once again. Biting his lip, tapping his foot, and hands on his hips. As you head upstairs, you hear his heavy footsteps follow you; until you feel his arms wrap around you impatiently, carrying you the rest of the way while your laughter rings around the house.

—

Hobie, under the gaze of the sun, with his sweaty work shirt sticking to his skin as he hammers the windowsill in place; fixing the once shoddy workmanship left by the previous owner. You ogle him unabashedly. The ring that was previously hidden under the fabric of his bandana now sits upon his ring finger, you cried when you first saw it there for the first time in five years. He held you then, just like how he cradled you back when he gave the identical one to you.

He clings on the tresses that are filled with dried vines and creaking from his added weight. He hangs precariously, as if he's an expert climber at heart; you can't help but stare at him as he works on your shared home. You suppose you could use the old shakey tresses as your excuse on why you're watching him instead of tilling the land like you're supposed to. Telling him that you're only keeping watch of him just in case he falls so you could catch him. Which is impossible by itself, you'd break all your bones if you tried. But you suppose it'll be alright if it's for him. As if he feels your eyes on him, he looks over his shoulder, a smile slowly curling on his lips as he spots your form still kneeling on the same spot he left you in twenty minutes ago.

The soil balled up into your hands sits there forgotten. A bag of cherry tomatoes sits next to you, wind almost taking them in its breeze as one passes by. You don't look away when he calls you out after you were caught. Instead, you stare harder, unabashedly winking at him. To which earns a hearty laugh from Hobie who almost falls from his bout of laughter.

You stagger, hands raised towards him as if you can catch him from where you are. “Careful!”

Hobie continues to laugh, calming your worries. “‘m alright, you should watch your tomatoes—” a strong wind picks up, with summer almost completely gone as the colder breeze carries your bag of seeds away from you. “And there it goes!” His guffaw fades from behind as you scramble for the seeds.

“Fuck!” You yell, hand placed on your sun hat so it doesn't get blown away. Despite you running at full speed towards what could be next season's meal, you smile widely, you're at peace here.

Hobie follows after you, running and catching up to you in a mad dash. “Hurry slowpoke!” He passes you, laughing as he goes.

“Slowpoke?! C’mere you little—!” Hobie suddenly stops and then turns around to catch you mid sprint. Your body slams into him, earning a grunt from Hobie, but his smile stays as he holds you in his arms.

“Gotcha!” He embraces you in place, face nudging your shoulder fondly.

“You're all sweaty!” You shriek out happily, hand placed upon his waist, fists clumped in his shirt. The seeds belong to the wind now, you suppose.

“You're no better! You're covered in dirt, lovie!” Hobie playfully wipes his cheeks on your airy shirt, leaving streaks of sweat on the soft linen. You laugh louder, trying to scramble away. And he feels like he has finally found his home in your arms.

You wipe your soil marred hands on his shoulders, leaving your hand prints on his once pristine shirt. You suddenly stop giggling, Hobie thinks he did something wrong until he follows your line of sight. There, a few ways away from the two of you, stands a black dog eating from your bag of seeds.

“Is that a coyote?” You ask, still holding on to him.

“Don't think so.” He whispers back.

“She shouldn't eat that, it might get her sick.” You untangle yourself from Hobie, and then you slowly make your way towards said dog. Hobie stops you halfway, hand gently on your shoulder.

“It might bite you.” He roams his eyes over to her black coat and long tail, her ears are floppy on the side of her head as she continues to munch on the crunchy seeds. There's no collar or any indication that she has an owner, she looks fine and somewhat healthy. Before he could take you away just in case the dog decides that you're a better meal, you're running back towards the house in a mad dash. “Where are you goin'?”

“I'm getting some jerky!”

“What? Why?!” He yells back as you get further and further away.

“Just stay there and watch her!” Your dusty boots are already stomping away inside as Hobie does what you told.

Hobie crouches down, elbows sitting atop his knees, watching the dog chow down. The black labrador pauses from eating from the presence watching her, head peeking out from the bag. Her dark eyes blink at Hobie, he waits for her, hand reaching out in a friendly manner and trying not to scare her away with any sudden movements. The dog sniffs, tail slowly wagging as she walks forward.

You watch from behind, eyes growing wider as you see Hobie let the dog sniff at his hand. When she finally lets him pet her head, Hobie looks back at you with a soft smile.

“Look at you, you're an animal whisperer.”

“Nah, I bet she was just hungry and knows how to swindle.”

Chuckling, you saunter towards them slowly, kneeling beside Hobie, you place the dried meat beside her. “There you go, it's better than some seeds.”

Hobie observes how you gently smile at the friendly dog as she tentatively sits in front of the meat. You let the dog approach you, waiting patiently as she eats until there's none left. She sniffs your knee, nudging you with her snout. He laughs as you surrender the rest of the beef jerky.

It's a peaceful silence of him and you just sitting there on the dry grassy ground while the strange dog eats his entire supply of jerky. He suppose he can always run to the general store for more.

The sun is high up, yet it's a comfortable heat on his skin. He preferred summers here, the searing heat always kept him awake and alert. But with you now here, he prefers how the cooling wind nips at his skin, how the leaves are now turning into sunsets that you always adore. And how much you wake up clinging to his side every morning. He prefers this, living with you, finally experiencing life again as if he picked up a book from where he left off years ago; it took some time and a lot of hurt to get here, but he would've done it all over again if it ended just like this. Maybe he'd do better, maybe he would make better decisions— for now, instead of lamenting about all the things that have happened, he'd rather stay in the present where you're currently in.

“I think we should keep her.” You say after a few moments. Hobie just now noticed how the dog now lays on your lap, probably sleeping off her meal. Your hand rubs softly on her back, eyes shining under the sun. “My aunt never let me have pets, she said that a proper lady shouldn't smell of wet dog.”

“Look at you now, covered in dirt, sweat and dog slobber.”

“She'd fucking die.” You laugh, it's the first time you've ever laughed after mentioning her. You finally feel like the shackles of her memory are starting to loosen up against your ankles.

Your happy laughter is slowly replaced with a sob, Hobie, with tears in his own eyes, holds you against him. Arms enveloping you, hands cradling your head as if the simple movement would take it all away. He wishes it did, but he knows that it will take time, and he'll wait, and be there for you no matter how long it takes. Even if it doesn't fully go away.

Under the sunshine of autumn, dry blades of grass underneath you, breeze whispering and carrying your sobs into the wind; Hobie holds you like nothing else matters, like it's just you and him, him and you against the bloody, forsaken world.

—

Clover the dog has taken upon you, you named her after the first piece of clover that sprouted along the property after you and Hobie toiled away for weeks just trying to keep it all alive. You've both fallen into a routine, you two wake up later than you both intended, snuggling under the thick covers. Always rushing through the routine to have more time to tend the house. You share chores, you cook in the morning while he cooks dinner. He fixes the house, while you try to revive the farmland. At night, you check all his previous injuries for any signs of it opening up; and he does it to you too, as gentle and careful like you were. All in all, you're proud of what you two have accomplished.

It's your very own borrowed heaven.

The house is now fully painted a soft blue; the same shade you both saw when you crossed the ocean to this new land. The door that was once a murky, muddy brown is now in a snowy white that matches the windows and picket fences. The fences aren't complete yet, the rest are still laying next to the barn where Cherry and Bucky hunker down every night after an energetic ride around their pen that used to be covered in piles of old wood and metal scraps. It took an entire week to clean it up even with the combined powers of you, Hobie, and Riri, who decided to pay you two a visit from time to time. She said that she was only making sure that the ‘loser’ hasn't hurt you in any way. To which Hobie promptly rolled his eyes and threw a plank of wood at her feet, to his words ‘make yourself useful instead of being a pain in my own home.’ You joked that he's starting to sound like one of those old men who would chase people out of their property if someone would step a foot onto his grass. And of course he had to call you grandma for the rest of the day in front of Riri because of it.

You sigh in content, smiling eyes roaming along the greener grass from the porch where you sit; and following along bucky and cherry who are running freely around their paddock. Clover huffs in your lap, and you chuckle, wondering what she's dreaming about. The wind picks up, rustling the leaves in the trees, and carrying it in its breeze. The swing under you shifts from the strong wind, hinges creaking along as you push with your socked feet. Hobie built you this swing right on the porch when he found you looking at the stars with your back aching from the lack of a seat. To add to it, he made it so that it'll fit you and him together with Clover sleeping on your lap.

You cover yourself more with Hobie's jacket, shivering slightly, nose and fingers cold. There's a sudden warmth on your cheek, you don't flinch or gasp from the surprise, knowing that it's Hobie with a warm cup of tea.

“Hi,” you smile up, Hobie returns the grin. He looks softer, edges rounded up. He's fresh from a bath, skin smelling of lavender and citrus. He prefers to wear softer and fleecy clothes now, leaving all the leather behind unless he's going for a ride towards town. Now he likes wearing knitted jackets that keeps him warm and comfortable without the stiffness of leather. He prefers jeans now too, and shirts with no collars that clings to his scar uncomfortably. A testament to how the first two buttons on his work shirt are unbuttoned, showing off his chest. “You look handsome.”

“When do I not?” He holds your cup in one hand and a glass of amber in the other. The golden ring in his ring finger shines in the afterglow.

You tilt your head playfully, taking his glass instead of the mug, eyes never leaving his own. He raises a brow when you take a sip from the glass, feeling the burn from the alcohol line your throat. “You're right, never. You always look good.” Your words are only for him and him only as you whisper it.

“Damn right.” He accepts defeat, letting you drink his whiskey while he drinks from your mug of tea. Clinking his glass against your own, you let out a snort, scooching to allow him space as he sits.

The warm liquid seeps into his calloused hands, eyes flicking over to you and between the land that he once thought was barren. Your plants still haven't borne fruit, but the greenery has sprouted like a miracle on dead soil. You almost gave up on the first month when nothing was working in your favour when the ground was still dry and grey. But you didn't, you kept at it everyday, tilling the soil, planting and replanting, watering everything until a single sprout appeared overnight. You jumped for joy when you saw, he still smiles remembering you running towards him with Clover in tow, and slamming yourself against him just to snog him until he was breathless.

He couldn't have made this into a house without you. This wouldn't be a home without you either.

You poke his cheek, feeling how much softer it is than before. “Whatever you're thinking about, stop it.”

“You want me to stop thinkin’ ‘bout you?”

You groan with a smile, head plopping down on his shoulder. “You never fail to rile me up.”

“Pot meet kettle, love.” He looks at you lovingly, like how a man would stare into the eyes of his wife.

Smiling, you place the mouth of your glass on his lips, letting him sip from the amber while he does the same with his tea placed on your own lips. You both drink, arms crossed over the other, lending each other's hand over the other.

You gulp down the warmth, letting it seep through your bones and muscles, letting it relax into you like a hug from a beloved.

Meanwhile, Hobie never let his eyes off you. Deep green eyes, the same colour as the sea of clovers in front of the home, has found its place on your lips, watching you drink from his cup while he drinks from your own.

A comfortable silence settles over the three of you. Clover snores on your lap, happy and content after finding her home. Hobie's hand kneads at your nape, letting his cool hands settle over your warm skin. With your head placed on his shoulder, you bask in your personal paradise. The birds chirp just a few ways away from you, finding their nests settled on the windmill that you two haven't fixed just yet. The sunset paints the entire farm in shades of orange and pink, hues of autumn blanketing the peaceful place you and Hobie built.

This is home, not the marbled walls of the manor you used to reside. Not the fine silks you used to sleep on, *this is home; with it's rough edges, broken pipes that groan in the night, with its walls made from wood and brick that feels cold on your skin— it's home, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

You feel him shift closer to you, lips pressing softly against your temple. His hand tracing above your scar. “Shoulder feelin’ alright?”

Humming, you close your eyes as he peppers kisses from your temple down to your wind whipped cheek. “It's feeling much better now, thanks to you.” He takes your glass and places it down on the floor right next to his own mug.

“I didn't do much.” Hobie chuckles, returning to your side not a moment longer, his knuckles brushes along your collarbone. “‘sides, you did all the healin’”

You sigh, eyes meeting up with his own. He can see love in your simple gaze. “Yeah, only because you've cleaned it every night before bed.” Hobie chuckles when you poke his stomach, in return, he nudges his nose against your own, earning a soft hum of approval from you. “How's your head? And everything else?” You narrow your eyes playfully, “can you still count to a hundred?”

His loud guffaw makes you laugh. Shaking his head, he pulls you closer. “It's good,” he says against your lips, breath fanning across your soft skin. “I've got a good nurse.”

“Your nurse didn't go to school for it.” You joke again. Hobie pecks your lips once, twice, until you're pulling him in by his shirt. You feel his smile throughout it all. He kisses you gently, yet he holds you like he's about to lose you.

The much needed kiss is interrupted by Clover sneezing on your lap, snot covering your flowy skirt. You pull away with a laugh, eyes still closed as his fingers still grips your chin, already feeling him pull you in once again.

“Hobie.” You call while he continues to snog you, kissing along the shape of your lips, etching how your lips feel, and how you sigh against him; how you kiss back wholeheartedly.

He hums, murmuring your name while the sound of his kisses echo around the porch and atop the songs of birds flying overhead.

You giggle as his searing hands find its way under your shirt and onto your stomach. He pauses, eyes blinking slowly at you. You clamp down, shining lips shut closed as he raises a brow.

“What? You ticklish now?” Hobie asks with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

You shake your head with a smile. “Nope.”

There's a grin slowly forming on his equally shiny lips. “I think I need to reacquaint myself, I don't remember you being ticklish—” he pokes your side. “—right ‘ere.”

You gasp in feigned offense, “I'm not!”

“You sure ‘bout that?” Wiggling his fingers, you laugh, reaching for his hands before he could attack.

“Okay! Only on that part.” You confess with a breathy laugh. He nods, tucking that information inside his head to be used one day.

Hobie returns to his drink, opting to sip at what was supposed to be your tea. The tea is now tepid, but he still drinks it anyway. You push the swing with your feet, softly, the swing sways back and forth while Clover lays asleep with your hand petting her head.

“We should take Riri up on her offer.” You say into the growing dark of the farm, watching the sun go further down and the light fade away. “It's been three months since she first invited us over.”

“She can wait,” Hobie has latched himself on you, arm snaked around your middle as he finishes his tea.

“Want to hog me all to yourself then?”

“That obvious?” He glances at your beaming face before his eyes stare at Bucky and Cherry trotting inside the barn on their own. Sometimes he thinks those two are actually humans trapped inside a horse's body. He has never seen smarter horses than them.

“Are you worried? About me getting back out there?” You play with the button of his work shirt, letting his scent waft over you when a breeze carries it towards you.

“What if…” Hobie sighs, eyes staring at you with worry. It's a grip taking hold around his body. “What if someone finds us again?” He remembers all the times you two were found by both the law and your aunt’s hired guns even when he took extra precautions. There's still that looming threat especially with how suspiciously peaceful your journey to the farm was. He has every right to be worried, you are too. “As much as good you are with a gun, I don't want to see you shootin’ it at someone again. ‘m… not tryin’ to control you, I just—”

You hold his cheek, thumb brushing along his jaw tenderly, feeling all the tiny scars left on his skin. “No, I understand. You're not like them, Hobie. No one will ever control me ever again.” At your words, he leans towards your touch, hand lifting up to meet with yours. “I won't let them.” Nodding, he kisses your palm, you notice how his hand shakes above your own. You don't mention it. “It's been five months since the train, they might have given up.”

“Let's hope so.” He softly says, green eyes gazing at you. Eyes that haven't seen peace in years, until now.

“Yeah, hope.” It's a fickle thing, but it's enough to light a fire in you. If they come, you'll fight with everything you've got. You've got everything to lose now, and you're willing to wield a gun once more to protect it all. If not, then it'll be a gift that you won't throw away, you'd live here peacefully, live the life you've always longed for. You're afraid that it would be the former.

—

You saddle up the horses in the barn, Buckeye watches your every move as you strap the saddle over to Cherry. There’s worry in his inky eyes, a look that you're all too familiar with. Clover runs around the barn, sniffing everything she comes across.

“You alright there, Buck? What's got you all worried, huh?” You don't expect him to answer, but he neighs in response, a sharp one that has you raising a brow. You've never heard him make that irritated sound. “What's gotten into you?” As you slide your hands down on Cherry's stomach to finish the saddle, Bucky, neighs loudly, hooves thumping against the ground. He looks like he's about to rush into you and throw you over. “Bucky, calm down!” You put your hands up, staying away from both horses.

“Buckeye!” Hobie's booming voice ricochets around the barn as he enters, putting a stop to Bucky's tantrum. Even Clover stops running for a second before returning to her adventure. “What's gotten into you, boy?” He pets his snout, effectively calming him down.

“I was putting on Cherry's saddle and he suddenly got mad.”

“He looks alright.” Nodding, Hobie roams his eyes all over his horse, checking each of his horse shoes in case there's something embedded in his feet. “Nothin’s wrong with him. What about Cherry? He's been overprotective of her lately.”

“Ah shit, do you think I put it on too tight?” Hobie keeps his hold on Bucky's reins, just in case. You check all the belts and buckles on the saddle, finding the fit just right. Until you get to her stomach. “Wait—” hands roaming around, you feel a bump. “What is that?” Cherry looks at you, if horses could raise their brow, she would've done it already. “Are you—?!” You gasp, eyes meeting with Hobie. Glaring at the horse next to him, you embrace Cherry. “Bucky, what did you do to Cherry!”

He already knows what you found. “I think it was a combined effort, love.” Scratching the back of Bucky's ear, Hobie chuckles at your reaction. “You did not waste time, huh, boy?”

“She's smaller than him!” You look at Bucky as if he can explain himself, to which the horse just huffs at you. Hobie keeps patting Buckeye on his back, while Cherry isn't even listening in on the conversation anymore. She prefers the pile of hay next to her, eating without a care.

“And? You are too compared to me.” Hobie unabashedly answers for Bucky. You gasp then laugh, a laugh that changes to a playful offended chortle. You grab a bucket from the ground, ready to throw it at him.

“You should run, Hobie!” Before you could finish yelling, Hobie's already sprinting back inside the house. You run after him, bucket in hand, ready to throw carrots at him.

Hobie waits for carrots to be pelted at him, only to turn around to see you gawking at the planted vegetable patch before you. He stops by the steps on the porch, hands on his hips as you let go of the bucket with a thud.

“What's wrong?”

“They've grown.” You whisper in disbelief, Hobie almost didn't catch your words. Chuckling, you look at Hobie with tears in your eyes. “We’ve got tomatoes!” Pouncing on him, he catches you, arms holding you in place while you celebrate against his neck.

He roams his eyes downwards towards the tomatoes until he spots a handful of it just under a bunch of leaves. “Holy shit!” Hand behind your head, he jumps up and down, matching your excitement. “You did it, love!”

You lean away, and then immediately peppers his face with a dozen kisses, leaving him almost dizzy. Before he could kiss back, you're already back on the ground, plucking the ripest looking one. It's as big as your hand, red and plump; ripe for the taking. All the countless times you've read botany books have finally borne fruit.

Wiping the dirt off of the tomato on your shirt, you hand it to him. “Wanna do the honors?”

“This is all you, lovie.” He gently places it back in your palm, hand lingering on yours; identical rings shining brightly.

You nod as thanks, heart beating rapidly. With a tentative bite, you let the juice coat your mouth, overflowing until it's dripping from your chin. It's perfect, and Hobie thinks you look perfect even with juice sliding down your chin and arm.

“Do you want a room? Because I can go.” Hobie jokes, you laugh heartily.

“Here,” you say, mouth full. “Try it.”

Hobie takes it, biting down just as the same as you, with juices flowing down his arm and onto his shirt. “Fuck!”

You nod rapidly, pride filling your chest. “Right?!”

“Y/N,” he calls, mouth still taking bites of the produce. Gesturing towards the neighboring plants, he watches as your expression morphs into pure elation when you spot your potatoes growing out of the soil, like bald heads peeking out from underneath.

There's dozens of them all lined up and ready to be harvested. You almost guffaw, satisfied and successful at growing something on the once thought barren land.

“We're gonna need a basket.” Perhaps your trip to Riri's saloon will have to wait.

—

The trip to town took longer since Cherry was out of commission, and you only had Bucky to take with you on the ride. By the time you and Hobie make it to Riri's saloon, lunch was in full swing. The place is smaller compared to the other establishments you've been in, and yet, it doesn't lack the energy. Customers line the bar, eating and drinking their fill. Jaunty music fills your ears just as when the saloon doors close behind you, Hobie's hand is placed on the small of your back, fingertips pressing softly, leading you towards the far end of the saloon where the bar is placed.

You roam your eyes around, the band plays on a stage in your right, cello, fiddles and trumpets play alongside the piano. Customers dance around with their partners, smiling faces whizz past you, giving you a polite greeting as you go. There are numerous tables littered around with the people sitting there and chatting energetically, their conversations rising above the music.

A hearty laugh above reaches your ears, when you look up, you see a spiral staircase that leads to the second floor with a balcony. A few patrons look down at you with their drinks in their hands, some are watching the poker game with amusement in their eyes. Drinking glasses clink around while you continue to make your way towards Riri who happens to be tending the bar.

The walls are in a creamy white with rows upon walls of paintings full of portraits and landscapes. There's a giant moose antler above the bar, looming over everyone. The place smells of booze and whiskey. Oddly enough, the scent of melted chocolate lingers above the fog of rum and moonshine. A crystal chandelier hangs high up on the ceiling, the centerpiece of the saloon. Sunlight from the windows filters through the brightly coloured glass, drenching the walls and floor with a kaleidoscope of light.

“Hey, Hobie!” Someone yells from above, Hobie gives them a curt nod. A handful of people recognize him, some greet him kindly like an old friend would. Some gaze at him with trepidation in their eyes.

A stranger with an eyepatch clasps his shoulder before staggering outside. Hobie chuckles and rolls his eyes at the older man.

“Someone's popular.” You whisper.

“A side effect of my reputation.” He smiles gently, fingers tapping on the small of your back. Leading you towards the corner of the bar, the far end where the back door sits behind it; he settles the two of you there, further away from strangers that could make you uncomfortable.

“Finally!” Riri exclaims, “the prodigal son returns!” Everyone at the bar hoots and whistles at Hobie. He ignores each of them, earning some booing and hissing from the crowd. You chuckle from seeing Hobie hide his smile under the brim of his hat. Riri slides in front of you, beer bottle in hand and then plops it in Hobie's waiting hand. “And with the prettiest girl this side of town has ever seen. What have you two been up to in your little slice of heaven, huh? Haven't seen you in months.”

“Busy with the farm.” Hobie says against the lip of his bottle, hand never leaving your back.

“Farm? Your dirt farm? You sure it's not you getting busy with our girl here, eh, Hobs?” Riri gives you a knowing look, you're flustered enough as it is. Hobie just shakes his head, eyes roaming everywhere but your eyes or Riri's.

You clear your throat. “We actually managed to grow something out there. We've got tomatoes, potatoes and even some carrots and strawberries blooming.” Your genuine smile turns Riri's playful one to a proud grin. “We'd bring you some of our harvest but we only rode on Bucky. We didn't want to stress him out further.”

“Why's that?” Riri cleans a glass with a cloth, “Is Cherry sick? We've got a veterinarian here for that.”

“No, she's pregnant.”

“Goddamn, Bucky did not waste any time.”

Hobie nods, “that's what I said.”

“Let's hope his rider doesn't do the same, eh?” She sends you both a wink.

“Fuckin' hell, Riri.” Hobie squeezes the bridge of his nose whilst you're left blubbering from her words. “Is there lunch left for us?” He says with a sigh.

“If you're nice about it, yeah.” Riri looks over at you. “Except for you, pretty, there's always a meal here for you.” You smile, head tilting towards Hobie's shoulder from bashfulness.

“Roast beef still on the menu?” Hobie asks, bottle half empty, stomach growling.

“Say please.” Riri says pointedly.

Hobie huffs, flicking his eyes towards you briefly before surrendering. “...please.”

Riri smirks, “it's always on the menu.” Hobie rolls his eyes at that.

He pokes your back, knuckles tracing around where he poked you. “How ‘bout you? Riri's chef can cook anythin’ you want.”

“Don't steal my words, Hobie.” Riri raises a brow. “Karl can make you anything you want.”

You laugh nervously at the eyes staring and waiting for you. “Uh, I'll have what he's having. And…” Hobie encourages you with a smile and a squeeze on your back. “Soup, any kind of soup you've got available.”

Riri pats the back of your hand with a soft smile. “We've got pumpkin, is that alright?”

“It's perfect.” You turn towards Hobie who's beaming at you, hiding his face with the brim of his hat from the rest of the customers.

—

You watch and listen with a smile in your seat, hand clasped around a glass of orange juice. The band ramps up their set, the music has gotten jauntier and happier right after you finished eating. More people have left the bar to either dance or play poker upstairs. Hobie still sits behind you, fingers curled around your belt loop lovingly. You feel him tapping rhythmically to the sound of the snare drum.

Looking over your shoulder, he nods at you with a soft smile. “They're good, aren't they?” You ask, chin atop your shoulder.

“Yeah, but I think you can beat them.”

You roll your eyes with a chuckle, fully twisting around on the bar stool to wipe a drop of sauce at the tip of his chin, fingers lingering there for a moment. “It's not a competition, Hobs.”

Before Hobie could give a reply, Riri slides over with a slice of chocolate cake. “You know how to play?”

You eye the dessert. “The piano, but I haven't practiced in a while.”

“She's bein’ humble. She's bloody brilliant on the keys.” Hobie takes the plate from Riri with a quick thank you, and then he places it in front of you casually.

You almost protested, thinking that Hobie yanked another customer's order. But Riri proves your thoughts wrong when she, herself, hands you a small fork for your dessert. You mumble a soft thank you, too shy, too grateful to say it louder lest you burst into tears. The cake has chocolate swirls with a large, plump strawberry on top of it. You don't waste time digging in.

“Isn't there an old broken piano at your place?” Riri continues the conversation, eyes flicking to your happy face with a soft smile.

“Yeah, been thinkin’ ‘bout fixin’ the damn thing but I have no idea how.” You almost actually cried on your cake when Hobie said those words.

“I think old man Roberto can fix it.” You savour the cake, listening in on the conversation.

“Your pianist?”

“Yeah, he's a doctor too, did you know that? Pretty great if you ask me—” Riri pauses, you follow her confused look. You see Hobie's stony expression, green eyes aflame like greek fire engulfing an entire fleet of ships. You and Riri have the same idea by following his gaze. She clears her throat at the sight, while you only see a broad shouldered man on the stairs, watching the band play.

“You okay?” You feel worried all of a sudden, what if this was another Culver situation? “Do you know him?”

“An old…acquaintance. Don't worry, he just owes me money.” Patting your back, he doesn't want to lie to you. What would that even bring?

“Oh, alright.” You slide the plate over to him. “I saved you some cake.”

Hobie chuckles, “nah, it's all yours, love.”

“Thank you,” you take the plate back. “I was just being nice.” Hobie shakes his head with a chuckle, you miss how he's having a silent conversation with Riri while you chow down.

“What did you even put in this, Riri? It's so fucking good!” With your fork, you scrape the plate to gather the rest of the chocolate icing. You have no shame at this point, it's the best cake you've ever had.

Riri takes a while to reply, so you lift your head up to see what's going on. You're met with her genuine smile. “Don't thank me, thank my grandma, it's a family recipe.”

“Well, thank you, Riri's grandma.”

Hobie stares at something behind you, Riri interrupts you before you could look over your shoulder. “Do you want to meet the band?”

“Holy shit! Really?” You grin from ear to ear, turning to see Hobie give you a nod and a small smile. “Do I have something in my teeth?” You grin widely, Hobie shakes his head, amused by you.

“Yeah, they're really nice. Come on, let's get you acquainted.” Riri jumps over the bar effortlessly, taking you by the hand and leading you towards the dance floor.

“I'll be back, Hobie!” You excitedly say over your shoulder as Riri twirls you around in the middle of the crowd. Hobie chuckles in his seat, drinking a cup of tea. He hears Riri ask you to dance, to which you happily agree.

Hobie keeps an eye on you, and he trusts Riri to keep you safe until he's done dealing with him. Hobie watches as Miguel saunters off towards him, spurs clinking as he sits down on your seat.

“Looks like Riri took your girl.” He says while ordering a beer from the other bartender.

“Why didn't you tell me that it was her, Miguel?”

Miguel catches the drink in his open palm as the bottle slides from the other end to his hand. “Simple, I didn't know who she was.” He cracks it open by banging the cap against the edge of the bar. The metal clanks on the floor as it falls.

“Bullshit, O’Hara.” Hobie says through clenched teeth.

“She has a sweet tooth doesn't she?” He refers to your almost clean plate.

“Miguel.” Hobie utters more pointedly, taking the beer from his hand before he even takes a sip. “Why didn't you tell me it was her?”

Miguel sighs, “I didn't know it was her. But I had a hunch. People at camp talk y’know. And you're a blabber mouth when you're drunk. A deadly combination.” He eyes his beer bottle, Hobie waits for more answers. “The guy who gave me the job just gave me her description. The same description I gave you, Hobie. Not my fault you didn't recognize her.”

“Who gave it to you?”

Miguel flexes his hand, asking for his drink back. Hobie clenches his jaw before sliding the bottle back to him reluctantly. “You should thank me. I got you two together again.”

“Just tell me, Miguel, or I'll ask for that bounty you owe me.”

“You technically didn't complete the job, so…” Hobie stares at him with the same look that Miguel has only seen him sport when he has his target in his crosshairs. “It was a middleman. He said his boss was an oil baron of some kind.” He’s about to take a sip, but doesn't. Grimacing when he brings the bottle back down to only see Hobie having the same fiery look. It brings a shiver down his spine. “Can you stop?”

“Who?”

“Don't know, didn't ask.”

“She could've died, Miguel.” That thought has him trembling in place. Hobie balls his fists, hiding how the mere thought of it shakes him to his core.

“She would've died either way, Hobie. But she had you, if I gave the job to any other person, she would've. Trust me, I did not know it was her, or that you even knew her. It's not like I made her come here.”

Hobie inhales sharply. “It wasn't you who sent the letter?”

“What fucking letter?”

“I sense some tension in the air. You know, conducting business in my establishment isn't allowed. Except if you involve me.” Riri jumps to Miguel's side, taking the beer from his hand, chugging it as sweat drips from her brow. With a sigh, Miguel orders another beer.

“Where's Y/N?” Hobie answers his own question when he sees you playing the piano with the rest of the band. His lips curl up into a smile, fists unclenching at the music you're playing. You're having the time of your life.

“Relax, Romeo, she's fine.” Riri claps to the rhythm. Hobie hears your hearty laugh from where he's sitting. The saloon's band seems to be having fun too.

In Hobie's mind, everything clicks in place. “It was you who sent my letter.” Hobie jabs his finger on Riri's shoulder blade.

She snorts, “of course it was me. I couldn't handle your sulking any longer. Seriously, I was losing customers because of your weekly letter writing and crying session.”

Miguel laughs, he sees Hobie's glare and tamps down to a snicker. Riri leans in the bar to yank a bottle of whiskey from underneath the shelves.

“Why?”

“You weren't happy being a lone ranger.”

Hobie feels like lightning struck him. “Fuckin' hell, Riri, you could've said somethin'. Warned me ‘bout it.”

“And? You'd somehow find it in your heart to immediately forgive her and pick her up from the docks?” Riri pours the whiskey inside three glasses, handing it to each of the men. “You’re like a brother to me, Hobie. We came up in this fuckwad’s gang—” she points at Miguel who's caught in the middle. He just pinches the bridge of his nose. “—at the same time. Do you think I'd let you wallow and die alone in that dirt farm of yours?”

Hobie doesn't answer. He knows that the journey was needed. But if Riri actually warned him about it beforehand, would you be here right now? Or would you be dead somewhere along your journey to him because he couldn't find it in his heart to come to you?

“See? Not everything's my fault. Just a freak coincidence.” Miguel pipes up, now eating a slice of cake just as you have.

Riri ignores him. “I know you had a slight apprehension towards her because of what happened.”

“She could've died, Riri. When I found her, she was trying to steal food.”

Riri breathes shakily, eyes glossing over. “And I'm sorry for that, truly. I never thought that would happen, or that her people would put a bounty on her. I only knew her from you, Hobie. I'm sorry. And I'll apologize to her, I promise.”

“She's really good on that piano.” Miguel comments before returning to his cake. Hobie and Riri continue to ignore him.

Hobie sucks in his teeth. “‘Slight apprehension’ didn't cut it back then.” He whispers.

Riri looks at him with a frown, eyes downturned. She knows his story, and she knows his side of it. “You know when I was a kid I used to hate the edges on bread. I always asked my mom to cut it off for me which added more workload for her, but she still did it.” She smiles fondly. “And now as an adult I love the edges, it's the best part of the bread for me.”

“What are you sayin'?”

“I'm saying that people change. And I'm not just referring to her.” Hobie understands her double entendre.

Hobie scoffs, stealing a quick glance at you. “It's bread, Riri.”

“I can see that she may have thought you were a burden back then but I highly doubt she has the same thoughts now.” Riri takes a sip from her glass. “How would you even know that you were a burden to her when the exact words didn't come out of her own mouth?”

“She told me it wasn't her, I know that now. It was all Hicks, the same fucker that did this to me.” Miguel straightens in his seat, Riri flicks her eyes at his scar knowingly. “They're still lookin’ for her, I know it.”

“If they ever find you both, we have your back.” Riri clasps Hobie's shoulder. He holds her hand briefly before letting go with a thankful nod. “It's the least I can do.” Miguel agrees with a grunt and a pat on his gun.

“It's more than enough, Ri.”

You wave towards Hobie from the small stage, jumping down to walk past the crowd and to him. Hobie's heart feels a little bit lighter from the conversation, like a bullet taken out from his skin.

Miguel stands up, and then pats Hobie and Riri in the shoulder before putting his hat back on. His hazel eyes meet with yours for a second, you give him a polite smile as you navigate your way out of the jam-packed audience.

Miguel fixes his hat, eyes zeroing in on the ring around Hobie's finger. “Nice ring. You two tied the knot without inviting me and the rest of the gang?” You pause by the menu, acting like something caught your eye while you listen in. The saloon is noisy enough for his words to be muffled, but you understood it perfectly.

“Not really,” Hobie glances towards you for a second before flicking his eyes over at his ring that he keeps twisting and turning around his finger.

“Well you've got everything else covered. And I've seen the way you look at her. If that's not marriage, I don't know what is.” Miguel clasps Hobie's shoulder in a parting goodbye, his face is unreadable from where you are. Miguel leans in closer this time, hazel eyes staring into Hobie's soul. His expression turns serious, lips pursed into a thin line, whispering words that you couldn't hear from where you stood. “You gonna tell her all the things you've done to survive this place?”

Hobie stands up to greet you halfway. “Worse, she has seen it.” Miguel leaves, and Hobie holds your hand with a proud smile, but you can tell something happened while you were gone. He sees it, so he leads you back to the bar where Riri waits to tell you everything.

“Did he pay you back?”

“Nah, he didn't have the money on him.”

“What an asshole.” He laughs, not bothering to hide his affection for you in front of the whole saloon any longer.

—

You lean back, smiling at the lavender sunset before you. Hobie's hands are occupied with the reins, but he still finds the time to nuzzle his chin on your shoulder. A small act that has you grinning as you cup his cheek for a moment.

Riri's confession was a surprise to you, but after the shock ended, you couldn't help but let out a loud guffaw in the saloon. You stood out like a sore thumb whilst Hobie rubs your back from how much you were laughing. You even thanked Riri for what she did on Hobie's behalf, to which she sighed in relief from your reaction. If she didn't send that letter, you'd still be in that wretched place, you'd still be half dead, surviving but not living. The journey to Hobie was tough and marred with pain and bloodshed, and yet, you'd take that journey all over again if you knew that he'd be holding you like this once again; that he still loves you despite everything that has happened to him and to you. With a parting hug, and a promise that you'll visit again, you and Hobie set off back on the road towards home.

The route home is filled with an abundance of scenery. Fields of flowers and tall grass line the sides of the bumpy dirt road. Daisies, poppies and baby's breath are in full bloom, its colours bringing even more brightness to the land. Cows and horses graze all over, they look up at the sound of Bucky's hooves thudding against the soil.

Hobie gathers up the reins in one hand, arm holding on to your waist before bending down from his saddle. Buckeye still gallops away as you immediately try to get a hold of Hobie before he falls.

“What are you doing?!” You ask, voice shaky, eyes up front while he has his palm open, gathering flowers on the side of the road.

“Just hold onto me!” Numerous flowers gather in his hand, its petals are filled with dew, sweet smelling and colourful against his leather gloves. Some of the stems are broken from the motion of the galloping horse. But you don't mind as he sends you a wink while he's on the side like he's doing the most mundane thing.

Laughing, you help pull him up. He hands you the bundle of flowers from behind, lips brushing along the shell of your ear. “That'll be five bucks.”

You giggle, thumb brushing along one of its red petals. “That's expensive for a roadside bouquet.” Hiding your face behind the flowers, you take a whiff of the sweetness whilst you gaze behind you through your fluttering lashes. “I think you're swindeling me, cowboy.”

“Fine,” he dramatically sighs, earning a soft laugh from you. His viridescent eyes remind you of the clovers back home. “I'll give you a discount.”

“A kiss then?”

“I was goin' to say ‘three bucks’ but that works too.” His eyes are on the road, but he briefly gazes into yours with tenderness.

“I'll pay my dues then.” You crane your neck back as far as you can. With a hand running up behind his head, you push him gently to meet with your own for a quick peck. “There, all paid.”

Hobie grins, trying hard not to indulge more lest he crashes Bucky into a tree. “Nah, that was half.”

“Half?” You feign a scoff. “Fine, I'll give it to you in installments.” Your neck is starting to ache from the position, but you can't help but keep still when he even looks this good in this awkward angle.

Bucky slows down, you hear the rush of a body of water before you see it. Hobie clicks his tongue, Buck completely stops from the command. “I'll take it.”

“You're not gonna ask when I'll ‘pay’ you?”

Hobie places his hand around your throat, not clenching, nor digging in; no, he does it to gently straighten your neck to save you from a crick in your nape. You follow willingly, never have you felt this soft kind of grasp around your neck— it's been the opposite before this, before him.

The pads of Hobie's fingers rub along your nape, soothing the growing ache. “Surprise me.”

Your smile grows when you quickly look forward, you see a small dock in a shining lake that's surrounded by oak trees and cattails growing on the side. The water shimmers under the afterglow like diamonds laid upon silk.

Hobie raises his brows with a smile, you're sure he's patting himself on the back. He smoothly gets off his horse with a flourish. With his feet back on the ground, he holds your waist, waiting for you to push yourself off so he could help you down. As if you ever need it, but you sometimes like to be spoiled this way, especially if It's Hobie spoiling you with his affections.

You hold the bouquet against your chest while he looks up at you lovingly, not telling you to hurry up or attempt to yank you off. “They told me that you're so mashed. What does that even mean?”

“Who's they?”

“The band, they said and I quote, ‘that Hobie is properly mashed for you! We've never seen him look at someone like that unless—’” You pause, hands on his wrist, pushing yourself off as he guides you down on the ground carefully. You floated for a moment, you then tuck the flowers in Bucky's saddle bag for safe keeping.

“Unless what?”

You bite your lip to tamp down a laugh. “‘Unless you're one of Riri’s homemade chocolate cakes.’” Poking his chest, you playfully jab him while he has his hands up in mock surrender. “I knew you wanted that cake!”

“It was yours! And I've had it a thousand times before, love.” He grabs your wrists, stopping your poking to pull your hand over his neck so you'd hold him closer. Toe to toe, you close the gap even more by scooching closer.

You poke him with your chin on his clavicle. “And here I thought you were being nice.”

“I was,” Hobie utters against your lips, “don't worry, I ordered one for myself while you were playing on stage.”

You gasp in feigned offense. “You dare?!”

Nodding, Hobie pulls you closer by your wrist. “I dare.” He mocks teasingly.

“Guess I have to jump in the lake to let the waters wash away this betrayal.” Moving away, you walk backwards towards the dock while keeping an eye at him.

Hobie watches you go. The second he steps forward, you sprint away, giggling. Milkweeds and poppies brush along your legs as you run while stripping off your boots and jacket, you then throw it all behind you. The fabric hits Hobie's face, he hears a splash as he yanks it off, laughing with you. Stripping off his coat, belt and boots, he jumps in right after with a louder and bigger splash.

The water is colder than you expected when it hit your skin. But you suppose it's worth staying for a little while even if it means getting a cold. You wipe your face from the splash that hit you, shivering slightly and incredibly happy without a care for the rest of the world.

“Hobie?” You twist around, swimming in a circle to look for him.

Hobie doesn't resurface after his jump, your grin slowly turns into panic when you see bubbles rise up from where he jumped.

“Hobie!” You feel bile rise in your throat, panic and worry settling in your stomach. “Hob—!” You're suddenly lifted up, thighs perched on his shoulder with his head in between. “You ass—!” You see him give you a smirk before tossing you behind with a splash.

He once again lifts you up, by your waist this time. He's met with a glare from you, and he has the audacity to laugh at your face. You splash, wiggling and thrashing in his hold. “‘m sorry! I saw the opportunity!”

“Not funny! I thought you drowned!” Continuing to splash at his face, Hobie embraces you against his chest until you've tired yourself out. You manage to give him one last splash to his face before you gave up, and then you slouch against him.

“Good thing I taught you how to swim, huh?” He softly says, floating around the lake.

“Yeah,” you hide behind the crook of his neck, nose nudging his skin while you try to forget how your aunt reacted when you came home drenched and dripping on her carpets.

“You okay?” Hobie rubs in between your shoulders. “‘m sorry, I thought it was funny.”

You sniff from the cold, leaning away to meet with his eyes. “It was, just don't take too long to resurface.” Smiling, you wipe water droplets off his pierced eyebrow. “Remember the day you convinced me to let you teach me how to swim?”

“Yeah, I told you that you wouldn't be able to swim if the ship you're on capsizes.”

“It scared the shit out of me.”

“‘m sorry that scared you.”

“Stop apologizing,” you cup his jaw, feeling his stubble, “besides, we ended up here years later. It's a good ending.”

“Yeah, a good ending.” He fixes your blouse, laying the collar flat so the edge doesn't poke your eye out. Noticing your far off stare behind him, he imagines the worst. But when he turns, he sees a huge deer with large antlers drinking from the side of the lake. “Holy shit.” Hobie moves, but you stop him so he doesn't startle the deer.

It continues to drink calmly. A bush from the side shakes, Hobie almost went for his gun but he's proven wrong when a white tailed doe appears.

“She's gorgeous,” you whisper, hugging him from behind while you watch the doe drink next to the deer. “Do you think they know each other?”

“Maybe.” He doesn't believe his eyes, “maybe they're mates.”

You kiss his cold cheek. “You think so?”

With your hands intertwined with his own underwater, he pulls you closer until there's no space left in between. He once dreamed to be this close to you, now that he's skin to flesh with you, he will never let go. He'd rather be buried alive again rather than be apart with you.

The deer nudges the doe's head before they gallop away from the lake. Hobie sniffs, finger brushing along your ring. “Yeah, they are.”

—

The sun has fully set now, dark blue engulfing you with the night howling its cold breeze against your wet skin. The large oak tree behind you shields you from the harsh wind. It reminds you of the one back home where he carved both of your initials on the trunk. Hobie embraces you from behind, sharing his warmth while you two wait for the clothes on your back to dry before riding home. Bucky sleeps next to you, huffing in his sleep. The bonfire roars, warming you in its orange glow, flames dancing in your vision.

Hobie hasn't taken his fingers off your ring that he rolls around your finger since you sat down. His eyes stare at the fire, shoulders relaxed, yet his jaw is clenched. You think his body is acting on instinct, and is still getting used to the calm.

“You're quiet, I'm worried.” You say, head leaning on his chest, back slouched to look at him.

Hobie raises a brow, eyes glancing down at you before returning back to the fire. “‘m thinkin’.”

“That's a first,” you joke, squeezing his hand. He chuckles, pecking the top of your head once before sighing in your hair. “Okay, now I'm worried. What's wrong?”

“I was thinkin' that we're practically married.” Something flashes behind your eyes that he missed. “We've got the rings, the house, the love and everythin' else.” He can't let Miguel get to him, but he can't get his words out of his mind either. If that's not marriage, I don't know what is.

You give him a soft shaky smile, eyes glossy against the light of the bonfire. Cradling his face, he leans against your palm, placing a heavy kiss on your cool skin. A sob threatens to escape you, clawing at your chest to be let go. You don't let it.

“We kind of are, huh?” He asks, eyes closed while holding your hand against his lips.

“I–it's close.” You manage to choke out. “I suppose we are, Hobs.” Tears collect in your lashes, blurring him in your vision like water colours bleeding in together. “Are you afraid of it?” Of us? You fear waking up one day and finding his side of the bed empty except for a note addressed to you. It's irrational, you know it is.

“No,” he sniffs, “it's the opposite. My fear isn't anywhere near that.”

You blink to clear the tears, letting it fall without a sound. “What are you most afraid of, cowboy?”

Hobie opens his eyes and you're met with a sea of green, shining and glittering just like the lake near you. “You, you're what I'm most afraid of.” You turn to fully face him, body placed in between his legs that comfortably cage you in. You don't let him go even when he burrows his chin on the top of his chest. For a moment, he doesn't say a word, until he sniffs and returns to meet with your eyes. “Losin’ you, seein’ your blood stainin’ my hands.” He holds both of your hands in his own. “That's what I'm afraid of, not my own death, yours. Because I can't live another five years without you. Especially a life lived without you isn't a life well lived.”

You feel his love and all the ache he carried in those five years like never before. He doesn't want to lose the life he built with you here; he doesn't want to lose all the mornings with you, he doesn't want to sleep without you by his side. He doesn't want to lose you.

You never even thought for a moment that you deserve this kind of tenderness after all the hatred that was thrown at you like a hail of firestorm. And yet, here he is, he loves you, the kind of love that reverberates through your very bones and settles into your soul. You still don't think you deserve it, but who are you to deny such love, especially from him? You did not beg for this kind of love, nor prayed for it. It's not the kind of love that the fates or the universe have thrust upon you in a shower of meteors. It was gradual, it came in a trickle and then a wave. And when you two were finally on the same page— you love him with every single bone in your body— you love him intentionally and wholeheartedly.

Kneeling to level with him, hands holding his cheeks, you hope that your simple touch is enough to let him feel all the love and affection you have for the man before you.

With your forehead against his own, you softly utter the same three words you've been telling him every morning and and every night before bed. “I love you.” He nods, whispering the same words atop your lips like a mantra; a song that replays in his head over and over again. You kiss the corner of his lips before leaning away. “I–if that ever happens, I'll live for you. I'll bring back my blood inside me if I have to.” You wipe away his stray tear, “Just promise me you'll do the same.” You know that you won't be able to do anything if it does happen to you, nor he, if it happens to him. They're empty promises meant to fill the holes in your chests for comfort to hold onto— to help ease your minds throughout the night whilst he lays his head upon your chest at night.

The weight of the looming threat feels like a reality. As if someone laid a pillow to his sleeping face. Hobie takes you in his arms, embracing you; hand placed on the back of your head as if he's already trying to shield you from what he fears most.

The mere thought of you loving him so much that you'd defy death itself, and despite the blood underneath his nails has him tethering upon the precipice of paradise. Maybe that's all there is then, to be loved despite the blood staining his hands, and despite his gnashing teeth that could take your flesh if he so desires; that he'll never desire to do to you— It's enough for him to be with you, and for you to be with him until you're both old and frail, until you're both six feet under; behind the same house he made into a home for you.

He has everything to lose, and he'll raise hell itself if need be just to bring you back. *When they come for you, there won't be enough bullets in the world for him.

With determination in his eyes that fans the flames in his chest, he utters an impossible promise on your skin.

“I promise.”

You hug Hobie, hand splayed on his back while the other kneads at his nape. Opening your eyes, you see the same deer and doe on the other side of the lake, standing side by side peacefully with their reflections on the lake. The sounds of the night echo above the glimmering depths of the water. It all brings you hope despite the conversation, they won't find you, that's your hope. You get to stay here forever with him, that's your only wish in this world.

Amidst the swaying grass, and in his arms, you feel infinite. You finally feel like you exist with the gentle wind and the raging rivers. No more do you feel like you burn everyday, where there's ash in your mouth, embers hidden underneath your hands; living in a house built to be kindling in your all consuming flames of loneliness. Earthbound once more, alive again.

[chelseypprimrose]

The Nanny Next Door / dbf!negan x reader / no apocalypse au

Warnings: unprotected sex, use of degrading language, dirty talk *not proof read yet*

Summary: When you came back for summer break, you didn’t expect your father to have such a handsome neighbour.

‘Ding!’ Juggling 3 small carry on bags and 2 large suitcases, you let out a sigh as you pressed the doorbell.

Finally you had made it back to your dad’s house after the long flight and Uber journey you had to take to get there. While you liked travelling, having to bring so many bags for such a long stay, your arms felt like they could drop off at any moment. Having finished the college semester for the year, you took your fathers gracious offer to come home for a couple weeks to be able to fully relax before going into your final year, you’d really missed your home comforts and family being so far away, FaceTime calls not being enough to make you feel properly connected to them.

The front door opened with a quickness, your fathers beaming smile, dressed in his usual beige cop uniform, indicating he’d just got back from work. “Hi dad.” Your face beaming back at him, as he engulfed you in a deep hug. “Hey sweetheart, we’ve missed you so much, it’s just not the same without you round here.”

“Dad, who is it?” You heard a small voice call out from the kitchen, their head poking around the archway. “Carl!” You shouted, him running towards you when he saw you. “I missed you so much!” Trapping him in a even bigger hug than your dad had given you, out of all your family, you always missed Carl the most. After your parents divorce, you’d been each other’s shoulder to cry on, someone to talk through how you felt about the whole situation, even though Carl was still pretty young, he was more mature for his age than other children. He always knew how to get you out of a bad mood, made you laugh more than anyone else you knew.

“I can’t believe your actually here Y/N! Dad didn’t tell me you were even coming!” You laughed, squeezing him in your arms. “I think he wanted it to be a surprise kid.”

Your father began to grab your bags from the front porch, placing them near the staircase as you raised up off your crouched position you’d got into to hug Carl. “Jesus, did you really need all this stuff?” He questioned, a sharp breath leaving him as he managed to bring the last bag into the house, closing the door with his foot afterwards. You walked into the kitchen, pouring a coffee into your favourite cup from the coffee pot on the kitchen counter. “Yes, everything in those bags is essential, I’m not here for a couple days like last time you know.” You replied, taking a sip of the steaming drink. You softly moaned, the sweet caffeine perking you up straight away after what felt like such a long day. “So, got any plans to see anyone while your here?”

You shook your head at your father, you weren’t really bothered about seeing anyone other than your family, most of your relationships had fizzled out when you’d moved away, not many people showing any interest in coming to visit or even keep a good messaging schedule with you. “I’m here for one thing and one thing only, my family and relaxation baby!” You exclaimed, making them both laugh, while Rick would always be proud of how much care and effort you put into your studies, he knew how much you needed a break from it all. There had been many instances of late night phone conversations where you’d been at your wits end, the stress of college weighing you down. Carl took his leave, moving into the living room, the faint noise of the game system starting up.

The doorbell ringing caught you all off guard, Rick’s eyebrows furrowed, “Not expecting anyone?” You asked, placing your now empty cup into the sink. “No, I’m not.” He retorted, walking back over to the door. “Oh hey! Negan, come on in.” You heard your dad say, the noise of heavy footsteps and the door closing behind him and his guest. You flicked your coat off your shoulders, placing it on a chair at the dining room table, letting yourself get fully comfortable.

“Hey, Y/N! This is Negan, he moved next door after you went back to college.” You turned back to face the archway, your breath getting caught in your throat as you got a first glance at the 6’1 man walking in next to your father. He looked around his mid thirties to early forties, his jet black hair slicked into the classic ducktail look with his sideburns slight greying. Same for his salt and pepper beard, neatly trimmed into a full beard style.

Dressed in a white t-shirt that clinched his obviously toned torso, denim jeans fitting so snug on his body, a black leather jacket to top it all off. He walked with a certain attitude that you couldn’t work out if it was confidence or cockiness, a small smirk sat on his features.

“So this is the smart cookie you are always bragging about, Grimes?!” He laughed, his large hand coming out indicate a handshake. You grasped his hand, the softness of yours against the roughness of his causing your mind to wander away on what it would be like around your neck. The strong grip left yours after what felt like minutes, you looked up at him with a small smile.

“Pleasure to meet you, sweetheart.” He grinned back at you, “Right back at you… Negan? Wasn’t it?” You questioned, a slight false innocence in your tone. He nodded, eyes softly taking in your form. You realised your milkmaid style dress didn’t leave much to the imagination, being quite short but it was the summer you thought, too hot to be wearing anything else really.

“Did you need something, Negan? Wasn’t expecting you to be calling in.” Your dad quizzed, bringing you both back out of the little bubble your introduction had put you in. Negan swinged back around to look at your father, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Actually I had a bit of a favour to ask, I need someone to look after Elise. Gotta go out and do a couple things, was going to ask if she could come over here for a few hours, spend sometime with Carl. He’s been a really good influence on her since they became friends, finally been paying goddamn attention at school.” He confessed, Rick looking a bit sheepish at him. “Unfortunately, Carl’s got a baseball game tonight, otherwise it wouldn’t be a problem.” He felt bad for declining but these plans had been in place since the beginning of last week.

“I can look after her. I haven’t got any plans.” You mentioned nonchalantly, shrugging your shoulders. You heard Carl whinge from the living room, shouting. “Aren’t you going to come to my game?” Running into the room, almost knocking you over as he hugged you from the side. “I’ll have plenty of time to come see you play kid. I’m here all summer! Besides, it’s nice to help other people out.” You laughed, your hand rubbing his shoulder trying to comfort the small child. “Any friend of my family is a friend of me, right dad?” You suggested, your eyes sparkling as you looked at Negan and your father.

“Are you sure doll? I’ve only just met you and I’m already dumping my kid on you.” You shook your head, leaving Carl’s embrace, walking over in front of him. “It’s no problem at all, what time do you need me to come over?”

And that’s how you got here. Making your way towards Negan’s front door, waving to your dad and brother as they left in his sheriff’s car to go to Carl’s game. You couldn’t lie to yourself, you were nervous. You’d done your fair amount of babysitting when Carl was younger, being the one to watch over his birthday parties, getting the kids involved in all the party games and fixing all the little squabbles children got into between each other, sleepovers he’d had with his friends, always cooking a small buffet dinner for them all, letting them watch scary movies until they eventually regretted it when they couldn’t fall to sleep afterwards. This was unfounded territory, Carl didn’t have many friends that were girls and you hadn’t had much experience with them. Would she even like you? Would she even want to talk to you? All these questions raced through your mind as you brought your hand up, knocking on his door three times before waiting with your hands locked together.

The door swung open, that deviously handsome face with that grin meeting you once again. “Hey doll, come on in.” Negan greeted you, moving slightly to the side so you could enter. “Thanks again so much for this, I really appreciate it. Elise! Get in here please!” He shouted, a small girl walking into the hallway. She looked the spitting image of Negan, just more innocent looking than her father. Her hair braided into two long pigtails on her head, making you wonder if Negan did her hair for her or it was self taught. “This is Y/N, Rick’s daughter, she’s gonna watch you for a while, daddy has some things he needs to do, okay?” He explained, grabbing his car keys off the side of the entryway table. Elise nodded, a shy smile on her face as she looked at you. “I gotta run doll, make yourself at home, mi casa es su casa!” He grinned, giving Elise a kiss on the head before heading out the door, locking it behind him. You turned back to the little girl, smiling softly.

“Hey Elise, it’s nice to meet you! Is there anything you want to do?” You questioned, hoping you could find some common interest with her so she felt less awkward. “Mummy always makes cookies with me? Daddy isn’t very good at it.” She gleams, you letting out a small laugh. Of cause, a eligible bachelor like Negan can’t cook. You nodded your head, agreeing that you could do it, she took your hand in her smaller one, leading you towards the kitchen.

You were about half way through finishing the batter, picking Elise up so she could put the chocolate chips into the bowl, showing her how to fold them into the mixture properly. Unfortunately for you, her elbow accidentally knocked the flour packet that was still open over, causing you both to be covered in the white powder. You squealed, Elise’s giggles filling the room as you joined along with her, placing her down back onto the ground. “Okay, okay! Oh no, come on, let’s get this into the oven before we make more of a mess!” You exclaimed, quickly rolling the slightly sticky dough into small circles, placing them on the grease proof paper covered baking tray. Putting on the red oven mitts, you opened the oven, the hot air hitting you in your face, sliding the tray onto the rack. You took the cute chicken egg timer and set it for 25 minutes, now looking down at your flour covered clothing. Elise had a little on the front of her dungarees, you getting the most of the mess on yourself. It was now around 8:00pm, Negan hadn’t given you a specific time for her to be in bed but you gathered that it was quite late now, with some resistance you managed to get Elise to agree to get into her pyjamas, promising to bring her up a cookie when they were finished. You put her into bed, with a warm glass of milk and the small tv in her room playing a animation film as well.

You made your way back down the stairs, leaving a crack in her door so you could hear if she shouted you for anything. You got to work cleaning the kitchen up, noting there was around 10 minutes left on the egg timer. You didn’t know what to do about your clothes, not only the flour but also the general mess from making cookies with a 7 year old, you decided that Negan wouldn’t mind if you washed your clothes here, right? The washer and dryer were in the kitchen, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Managing to find a cabinet with towels, bed sheets and other laundry items, you grabbed a large white towel, stripping down to your bra and panties, covering your body with the towel and putting your other clothes on a short wash cycle. After this, the egg timer rang out, causing you to jump a little bit. You grabbed the oven mitts again, pulling the tray out of the oven, using a utensil to put the cookies on a large plate to cool down. The smell of vanilla was soothing you, reminding you of your own childhood memories baking with your mother. You broke one of the cookies in half, placing it in your mouth as the taste made you moan a little. You were a damn good baker you thought, the still warm gooey centre melting on your tongue.

The beep of the washer went off, you took your clothes out, moving them over to the dryer, setting the cycle off again for 20 minutes. You grabbed a another cookie off the plate, a slight jog as you went up the stairs, fulfilling your promise to the sweet little girl. Getting closer to the door, you heard soft snores, indicating she’d already fallen asleep. You softly smiled, closing the door fully so the landing light wouldn’t disturb her sleep. Tip toeing quietly down the stairs, you walked into the living room, taking a seat on the cream coloured leather couch.

Grabbing the TV remote of the coffee table, you scrolled through the Netflix catalog, choosing some random reality competition show to put on as you waited patiently for the dryer to be finished. The opening of the front door making you nearly jump out of your skin. Negan was back early, he’d told you 10pm, it was only 9pm! The awkward moment rushed over you, you were in a towel with barely any clothes on underneath, sat in your dad’s best friends house who you’d only met today. You didn’t know what to do, did you hide? Did you scramble to the dryer hoping your clothes had finished? There was no logical route of escape from the embarrassing situation that was ahead of you, so you jumped up, the low light of the room causing a large black shadow of Negan on the wall as you heard his footsteps get closer to the room you were in.

He finally came into view, his eyes widened which turned into a small smirk on his face as his tongue swiped along his bottom lip. “Well, shit doll, I was going to give you some cash for your time but if you’d prefer payment this way.” You blushed, looking down to the floor. “I’m sorry, I swear this isn’t what it looks like, we were baking cookies and my clothes got all dirty, I didn’t think you’d mind me usin-” He cut off your rambling with a deep belly laugh, sauntering slowly over to you. You could feel your heart in your throat, his eyes wandering over your scantily covered body. “No need for apologies doll, I should be apologising for the absolute rock hard erection I’ve got from the sight of you like this.” He whispered softly, you were sure your cheeks were crimson red, you could feel the heat overcoming your face. “What would your daddy say if he knew you were in my house, nearly half naked?” He questioned, his face dangerously closer to your own, his lips ghosting over yours. His minty breath hitting your nose, causing shivers throughout your entire body. “He’d probably be very disappointed, Negan.” You whimpered out, feeling your pussy getting slicker from every word that left his mouth.

“Look at you! Innocent on the eyes but underneath, a real dirty girl huh? If you want this doll, Let. The. Towel. Go.” He punctured his last words with a deep growl. Your hands moved up towards the top of the towel, unwrapping it and falling to the floor, pooling around your feet. Negan watched you with a dark intensity, your perky breasts sitting in your turquoise blue lace bra, matching panties to match, you thanked god you’d decided to put on a proper set in advance.

A small wet patch had gathered on the material of your panties, his hands finally meeting your breasts, his heavy touch lighting your body on fire. “Are you sure you want this doll? No going back.” You quickly nodded, desperate for his touch between your legs. He pulled your breasts out of the bra, leaning down to take your left nipple in his wet mouth, his tongue circling your areola, small goosebumps coming into view. His rough hand playing with your right nipple, switching between sucking and rolling each nipple in his fingertips a couple times, causing small moans to leave your lips. You moved your hands to unclip your bra, throwing it to a unknown corner of the room, now giving Negan full access to your ample breasts.

His hands now moving slowly down your stomach towards your dripping pussy, his fingers playing with the waistband of your panties, teasing you. You lightly moaned out, trying to keep as quiet as you could, knowing who was upstairs. “Negan, please. Touch me there, please.” Negan’s grin got even wider, if that was at all possible, a beautiful woman in front of him, practically begging for his dick, it was enough to get any man feral.

He picked you up in one fluid movement, placing you back first on the large couch. His hands now pulling your panties off down your legs, placing the soaked material into his jeans pocket. You moaned at the thought of him keeping them to himself, a personal trophy. His mouth placed soft kisses on the smooth skin of the inside of your thighs, one hand on your other thigh, keeping your legs open for him. “I’m sorry doll, I need you so goddamn bad. I’ll make it up to you next time.” Next time you thought, god there’s going to be a next time. Trying to hide the excitement from your face, Negan quickly unbuckled his belt, zipper coming down to expose his hard erection, your eyes lighting up at the girth that met you.

Negan’s tip met your wet opening, slowly teasing you by rubbing it up and down in between your folds, you hissed at the movement. “Shit Negan, please! I need you so fucking bad, just fuck me!” You begged, his relentless teasing making your head spin with lust. “Well since you asked so fucking nicely, doll.” His tip finally pushed in, smoothly filling you up.

Negan gave you a moment to get used to the fullness you were feeling, before moving his hips back and forth, his pace getting quicker. You actively started pushing yourself down to meet his thrusts, rolling your hips and squeezing your muscles to make sure he hit all the right spots.

He grunted, these new found angles milking him just right. His hands coming to your breasts, grabbing them roughly, causing your moans to get louder. Your bodies slapping together, you felt the pleasure build, you knew you were getting dangerously close. “Fuck, I knew you were a dirty fucking slut, doing favours for a man you barely knew, you couldn’t wait for me to be balls deep, could you?” You felt your hips bucking at his dirty statement. “No, I wanted you from the moment I saw you Ne-Negan!” You whimpered, hands grabbing bunches of the leather jacket he still had on from earlier, the cold temperature of it clashing with your hot skin.

Negan leaned forward, capturing your mouth in a hot kiss. “Come on doll, cum all over my cock pretty girl. I can feel how fucking close you are.” He whispered against your mouth, his thrusts getting deeper until he was hitting the back of your walls. That’s all you needed, your hips started to slightly buck, your walls convulsing around his shaft as it kept hitting your cervix. Negan’s hand came over your mouth, trying to stop your loud moans from reaching upstairs. “I love those pretty moans doll, can’t wait until you can scream as loud as you need to.” Your breathing heavy as you felt yourself let go, your vision blurring as you threw your head back, letting your orgasm wash over you. Negan moaned himself, the pressure of your walls tightening from your climax, he managed to hold on for a few more seconds than you until he pulled out, the hot cum coating your lower abdomen, falling softly on top of your body, him leaving little kisses on your neck as your arms came around him to hold him against you. Your throat feeling dry from the open mouth breaths you’d been taking, trying to regulate your heartbeat again. He grabbed the towel that was by his knees, giving it to you to clean up, his frame not moving from his position on top of you,

“Have I killed you, old man?” You teased, laughing softly as he managed to give you a little spank on your exposed hip. “There’s plenty more where that came from dollface, you’re mine for the next couple weeks.” He grinned, before nipping at your neck again, already ready for another round.

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Somewhere to Belong | 3/3 | S.R

Part three of my Family Challenge fic.

Part 1 | Part 2

A/N - I am almost positive this is not how the adoption system works but hey, it’s fanfiction, I make my own rules.

Summary - You reveal your master plan to Spencer and the two of you begin on your journey together. Will you be able to help Spencer bring Wren home where she belongs? And when the time comes, will you have what it takes to walk away?

Pairing - Spencer Reid x BAU Fem! Reader

Warnings - confessed feelings, tears, mostly just domestic fluff, making out, allusions to sex but still SFW, crying child, swearing, happy ending.

WC - 9.4k

Part 3

The wheels of your plan had been slow turning, painfully so. You’d started to think you may never reach the end of this goddamn road. 

But finally after months, all the pieces had fallen into place. 

When you received the phone call you were already halfway out of the door before the person on the other end had even finished their sentence. It was the phone call you’d been waiting for, holding your breath every time the device rang. 

And now it had happened, it was time to go and see him. 

You drove out into the suburbs, a manilla folder full of paperwork in the passenger's seat. You parked next to the curb by the house with the canary yellow fence and green front door. 

Before you could exit the car you saw the door open and Spencer let someone out the house. The women had a briefcase and wore a smart pants suit. Definitely a social worker. 

You watched the woman head to her own car and once she was inside the vehicle and starting the engine you stepped out onto the street, bringing your folder with you.

As you headed for the yellow gate your phone buzzed in your pocket. Slowing your strides you retrieved it and read the text message on the screen. 

📱 Spencer Reid: I think it’s over. There’s another couple who have shown interest in adopting Wren and I don’t think I can compete with that. I’m ok, I’m not craving or anything. I just wanted you to know. 

You stuffed the device back in your pocket and looked up at the house, a single light coming from the downstairs window. 

Since you’d accompanied him to Beltway, the two of you had been in touch more regularly. Spencer texted you nearly every day and you spoke on the phone fairly often. 

You’d seen him a handful of times for coffee but you’d never been out to his home in Woodbridge. It was a really nice house, a family home just like the team had described to you. It was a complete one eighty from his old DC apartment. 

You unhooked the gate and slid past it, hugging the folder to your chest as you made your way along the front path and up the steps. 

Before you could talk yourself out of this, you knocked on the green front door. 

Soon you heard it being unlocked and then it tentatively opened. Spencer’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion when he saw you. 

“Y/N hi,” he opened the door slightly wider. “I just texted you.”

“I know, I was…in the neighbourhood?” You shrugged. “Can I come in?” 

“Yeah, of course.” He nodded, stepping aside to allow you entrance to his home. 

You walked inside while he shut the door behind you and you glanced around the living room. 

You recognised his leather couch and armchair from his old apartment as well as his record player and chess set. The coffee table was the same but other than that this was not the home you pictured Spencer Reid living in. 

He waited for you to take it in and only spoke again once you looked back at him. 

“Can I get you a drink or anything?”

“No, I’m good.” You nodded, feeling oddly nervous. 

He motioned for the couch and the two of you crossed the room together and sat side by side. You laid the manilla folder in your lap and ran your fingers over it. 

“Whatcha you got there?” He asked, nodding at the file. 

“Uh, well you see…” you trailed off, unable to find the words to communicate what you wanted to say. “How about you have a look.” 

You handed him the file. For a moment he just stared at it with a frown before he cautiously took it from your hand. 

He opened it and started one by one going through the pieces of paper inside. 

The first was an application with a large red stamp proclaiming APPROVED in the bottom right corner. There were several sheaths that documented personal information about you, health checks, financial records, questions and answers relating to your childhood. 

There was a rental agreement renewal for the address in which you lived which had gone unsigned as though you were hesitant in continuing your lease. 

Multiple pages he’d seen before, floor plans of his own home, summaries of home visits at this address. 

One sheet was a letter signed off by BAU Unit Chief Emily Prentiss agreeing to a cut in field hours. Two more sighed letters followed, both dictating what an upstanding human being you were, one signed by SSA Luke Alvez and the other Doctor Tara Lewis. 

He read through them quickly as you knew he would but it still somehow felt like a lifetime before he was neatly tucking the pages away and closing the file. He looked up at you, eyebrows furrowed heavily. 

“I don’t…” he swallowed, his hands starting to shake. “I don’t understand.” 

“Yes, you do.” You nodded. “You’re a genius aren’t you?”

“I…is this a joke?” His eyes flooded with unshed tears as he rolled his bottom lip between his teeth.

“It would be a pretty cruel thing to joke about.” You shrugged.

Spencer rubbed his eyes, trying to push away his tears before they could fall. 

“Just to confirm,” he swallowed thickly, his eyebrows still knitted together in his confusion. “Because I don’t want to misunderstand what’s happening here…”

“Spencer,” you placed your hand on his knee and he noticed you were shaking too. “I would do anything for you. Anything. If this can help you bring that little girl home, then I’ll do it.” 

“You…you’ve gotten approval from the adoption agency.” He croaked. 

“Yes.”

“You’ve done the interviews, cut down your hours at the BAU, not renewed your lease and had Alvez and Lewis write you character references.” 

“Yes.” You nodded. “I still don’t think I’m ready for a family, Spencer. But I can sign on as Wren’s adoptive mother on paper, just so you can get her home. Once she’s home and the paperwork is finalised they can’t take her away from you. We can figure out all the rest once you’ve got her home, I can terminate my rights or whatever. But by then it won’t matter.” 

“W-why would you…” he trailed off again, swallowing. “Why would you do that for me? That’s…crazy. Why would you want to go through all this trouble just so I can have a better chance of adopting Wren?” 

You inhaled really deeply, your chest heaving as you did so. Spencer blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear the new batch of tears from his eyes. 

“I should have said it back.” You mumbled with a shake of your head. “Months ago, you told me you loved me and I should have said it back. But instead I walked away and let you believe I didn’t feel that way about you. But I do. Just because we aren’t together doesn’t make that any less true. And if I can help you bring Wren home I will. Because I love you.” 

The room fell silent while Spencer worked to comprehend everything that was happening. His head spun as though he was drunk, making it harder for him to understand all of this.

This couldn’t have been some idea you’d just come up with, weeks if not months of work had gone into this. You were willing, on paper at least, to be Wren’s adoptive mother when you weren’t ready to have kids. 

You’d told Emily, Luke and Tara at the minimum of your plans. You were willing to give up your apartment, cut back your hours at a job you adored to help him. Because you loved him. You loved him so much you were willing to put his happiness before your own. 

“It’s too much.” He shook his head. “I can’t ask you to do all of this.” 

“Good job you never once asked then.” You smiled at him. “It’s all temporary. Once Wren is home I can pick back up my regular case load, I spoke to my landlord about subletting my apartment for a few months so I can move back in once everything is settled.”

“You plan to live here?” He suddenly made the connection. 

“Well I’ve got to live somewhere. And you know, us living in the same house gives the impression of a happy couple who want to adopt a child, don’t you think? It won’t be forever.” 

“What am I supposed to say to my social worker? I forgot to tell her that I had a partner?” Of course he’d try and pick holes in this, it was what Spencer Reid did best. 

“We say we were together but I didn’t think I was ready for a family. But now I am. We tell them I met Wren and fell in love with her and now we want to adopt her together. It’s pretty much what I wrote in my application.” You’d considered every outcome, every bump in the road.

“But you haven’t met Wren.” He shook his head. 

“So I will.” You chuckled. “Spence, stop trying to put blockers in the way when there aren’t any. Let me do this for you, please? Let me help you bring your little girl home.” 

Spencer stared at you silently, blinking frantically as he tried to understand what was happening. He didn’t want to get his hopes up only to have them dashed again but you seemed sincere. 

He still didn’t understand how you would be willing to go to such lengths for him but he supposed it didn’t matter. What mattered was you were willing to and he could use all the help he could get. 

Suddenly he threw himself forward, arms flying up to wrap around you. He pulled you close, holding you tightly as he started to loudly sob.

“T-thank you.” He cried into your shoulder as you returned his hug.

“You’re welcome, Spence. You’re so very welcome.” 

You continued to hold him while he sobbed, stroking his back in an attempt to calm him. It was over a half hour later when he finally shed all of his tears, sniffed heavily and sat back to look at you. 

“You really are my most favourite person.” He smiled shakily at you. 

If you didn’t love him so much there was no way you would have even considered helping him adopt a child even if it was only on paper. 

But love makes us do crazy things. And this might just be the craziest.

***

Two days later you anxiously sat in the passenger's seat of Spencer’s Volvo while he drove the two of you to Wren’s halfway home. 

You played with your hands in your lap, barely speaking as you tried to comprehend meeting this little girl who had become Spencer’s whole world. 

You’d agreed to tell Wren you were Spencer’s friend it was the truth and much less complicated than explaining everything to her. You would test the waters with her first, see how she felt about it before broaching it with the social worker. 

Your legs wobbled a little as you got out of the car and Spencer was regarding you curiously. 

“Are you sure about this?” He asked softly, his fingers brushing across your knuckles. 

“Yeah.” You forced a smile. “She means so much to you, I’m just worried she won’t like me.” 

“She’s going to love you. Trust me.” 

The look he was giving you made your stomach coil into knots. Your knees buckled and your heart yearned for him. 

It was such a cruel world that you could be so in love with someone yet not be destined to each other. 

As you started towards the building he slipped his hand in yours and it was so easy to pretend this wasn’t all for show. 

He led you inside, saying his hellos to some of the people working in the halfway home, clearly he’d been here a lot. He carried on through to a larger room filled with kids of all ages, your heart bled for them all. 

As your eyes cast around the room, you were quickly snapped back around when you heard someone calling Spencer’s name. 

“Spencer! Spencer!” 

You looked back just in time to see a head of dark curls you remembered from when you’d seen her sleeping on Spencer’s lap at the BAU running right towards the two of you. 

He let go of your hand so he could outstretch his arms for the girl who happily fell into them. 

“Missed you.” She tucked herself in his arms. 

“I missed you too, pumpkin.” He sighed in content as he hugged her. 

You watched the way he seemed to light up the moment Wren was nearby, how all the weight he carried on his shoulders slipped away. As he cuddled the five year old, he seemed at peace. 

And you knew you were doing the right thing. 

Wren stepped back from his embrace and looked up at you, head tilted to the side in a curious fashion and little dark eyebrows furrowed. 

“Who are you?” She asked, pouting a little. 

“This is my friend, Y/N.” Spencer spoke for you. “Y/N, this is Wren.” 

“Why is she here?” Wren looked back at Spencer in concern. 

“I thought you’d like to meet her.” Spencer’s tone completely changed when he spoke to her, you’d never heard him like it before. 

It was soft and sweet, obviously it relaxed the young girl. Usually. But it was clear by the concerned expression in her face it wasn’t working today. 

“But I like spending time with you.” Her lip jutted out. 

“I’m still here aren’t I?” Spencer chuckled, tucking a rogue strand of her hair back off of her rosy face. 

“Hey Wren,” you crouched down so you were the same height as her, garnering her attention. “I heard you love Halloween?” 

She looked between Spencer who was still standing at his full height and back to you before looking back at him again. 

“It’s ok,” he encouraged her with a smile. 

She looked back at you once more, a hint of scepticism in her bright eyes. 

“Yes.” She nodded feverishly. 

“And you love books too, right?” 

“Yes.” She nodded again. 

“Well that’s perfect because I just so happen to have a book all about Halloween!” You grinned at her whilst reaching into your purse.

Spencer frowned a little, you hadn’t mentioned this on the drive over. He watched as you pulled a book out of your bag, a brightly coloured hardback depicting cartoon pictures of ghosts, witches and monsters getting ready for a spooky party. 

The title read The Night Before Halloween. 

Neither of you could tell what Wren was thinking, for a five year old she was amazing at masking her expression even though she probably didn’t realise she was doing it. 

She looked from the book to your eyes then to Spencer and around in the same loop a few times before settling on Spencer. 

“Do you want me to read it to you?” He asked her, trying to prompt her to speak. 

“No.” Wren shook her head and turned back to you.

You tried to hide your disappointment. This was your only play, your only way in with her and you’d blown it. 

But then the little girl smiled at you. 

“I want Y/N to read it to me.” She reached out her little hand for you and you pushed yourself back up to your full height and took it. 

She led you over to the couch with Spencer following close behind. You glanced at him over your shoulder and he was smiling at you as he mouthed the words, good job.

***

Two more visits with Wren and she had warmed up to you the same way he had with Spencer. By the third visit she even hugged you. 

And you saw exactly why Spencer loved her. 

By the time September rolled around you’d moved into Spencer’s suburban home - in the spare room - and had multiple visits with Jenny who struggled to grasp what was happening at first. 

Understandably she was sceptical about your sudden involvement but after more rigorous interviews she started to warm up the same way Wren had. 

As you weren’t travelling with the team so much anymore and mostly working cases out of Quantico, you and Spencer spent a lot of time together. 

He was always home before you, his classes at Marlborough never running past four pm. And as much as you hated to admit it, having someone to come home to everyday was delightful in its domesticity.

When you did travel with the team, usually around every one in four cases, Spencer would call you everyday and send you photographs of him and Wren when he visited her. 

Spencer was learning to cook for Wren so the poor girl didn’t have to live off of cereal, coffee and ice cream, or as you always referred to it: The Doctor Reid Diet. 

He tried out his new recipes on you and at least eighty percent of them were edible. 

You’d been allowed to take Wren out on more day trips, with Jenny in tow of course. The two of you took her to museums and book stores and ice cream parlours; to the park, once to a carnival and anywhere else her little imagination could think to go.

It was midway into October when you arrived back from a case in Florida in which you’d been gone for six days. You knew Spencer had waited up for you as he’d called you to tell you he would. 

When you let yourself in the green front door of the house that was feeling more like a home by the day, it wasn’t the messy haired genius who met you. 

What did meet you certainly had messy hair, but its dopey expression told you it was no genius. 

The creature trotted over to you, tongue hanging out of its slightly lopsided mouth and offered you a single bark whilst nuzzling against your shin. 

You stared at the scruffy dog using your leg as a scratching post with wide eyes. Somewhere in the house you heard footsteps and you glanced up to see Spencer appearing from the kitchen. 

“Hey, how was your day?” He smiled at you, completely ignoring the confusion on your face. 

“Uh, it was perfectly normal until I came home and was greeted by this.” You pointed down at the mutt who was staring expectantly at you. 

“He. Not this.” Spencer padded over and quickly scooped up the small, messy animal in his arms. “This is Rover.” 

Rover licked Spencer’s cheek and much to your confusion, the germaphobe didn’t even bat an eyelid. 

“Last I checked Rover was a stuffed animal. This creature seems to be very much alive.” 

“Wren decided she wanted a dog. I said we could go to the pound and look, just look. But, uh, she kinda fell in love with this little guy and I can’t say no to her.” He shrugged, scratching Rover behind his ear. 

“So you now have a dog.” You hung your bag up by the door.

“We have a dog.” 

“Oh no.” You shook your head, walking past him towards the kitchen. “I’m outta here once Wren’s home. The dog is your problem.” 

Spencer placed the creature, which you thought more resembled a gremlin than a dog, on the floor and followed you. 

“He’ll grow on you.” 

“He most certainly won’t. I’m a cat person. And last I checked you weren’t all that keen on dogs either.” 

“But Wren is. So I guess I’m a dog person now.” He leant against the counter in the kitchen while you grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. 

You turned back to look at him as you uncapped it. You had a curious smile on your lips.

“What? What’s that look for?” He frowned a little.

“It’s just funny,” you took a sip. “Six months ago I would never have imagined either of us to be here.” 

“Me either.” He agreed with a smile. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before.” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before.” He started towards you. “You’re a big part of that, you know? I know this is all for show and we’re just doing this until Wren is home, but, uh…I like having you here.” 

“It’s not all for show.” You placed the bottle on the counter behind you as you felt a little dizzy with the way Spencer was looking at you. 

“No?” He reached you, stopping a few feet in front of you. 

“I like being here too.” You confessed, your legs shaking a little due to the look he was currently giving you. 

“I’m glad.” He swallowed and your eyes were drawn to his Adam’s apple and the way it bobbed deliciously beneath his flesh. “I’m, uh, I’m on the verge of doing something very dumb.”

“How do you know it’s dumb until you do it?” You had a pretty good idea of what he was talking about. 

“Because I’m a genius and my brain is screaming how dumb it would be.” He chuckled, stepping even closer to you. 

“Maybe for once, don’t listen to your brain, Spence.” 

To encourage him, you reached for him, placing your hand on his shoulder. He swallowed again as he stepped nearer to you still. 

Cautiously he raised his own hands and placed them on the sides of your face, eyes darting back and forth between your eyes and your lips. 

“Don’t listen to my brain?” He whispered, wanting confirmation.

“Just this one time.” You offered him a smile and it was all he needed to close the space between you. 

When his lips gently brushed against your own, your hand quickly moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck to keep him close.

You parted your lips and he replied in kind by deepening the kiss. 

He pushed his body flush against you, pressing you into the counter. He held your face delicately but soon the kiss was growing frantic. 

It wasn’t at all long before he was manoeuvring you away from the counter and towards the kitchen door, never tearing his lips from yours. Not at least until his back collided with the door.

He broke the kiss and started to laugh, you did the same. He reached behind him and opened the door, taking your hand pulling you along with him.

The two of you were giggling like a couple of teenagers as you ascended the stairs, neither of you paying much mind to the dog asleep in his bed. 

He led you to his room and once inside he pushed you back against the wall and kissed you ardently again.  

He rolled his hips against yours so you could feel the bulge in his slacks and you moaned into his mouth. 

And then he was leading you to his bed as he helped you out of your clothes. 

It was only then as you lay beneath you realised how much you’d missed him. And you knew when or if the time came for Wren to come home and this little domestic bubble popped, it was going to be hard to drag yourself away. 

***

You fell asleep wrapped in Spencer’s arm after several hours and multiple orgasms. When you woke in the morning he was already awake, staring at you with a smile on his face. 

“Hey,” he stroked your messy hair behind your ear.

“Hey yourself.” You smiled back, inching closer and placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

“Last night was…” he trailed off searching for the right word but finding none that did it justice. 

“Amazing?” You laughed lightly.

“That’s certainly one word for it.” He agreed, hand cupping your cheek. “So I don’t wanna be the kind of person that asks this but, uh…did that mean something? Was it just sex or did it mean something? Because I would…uh…I’d really like it to have meant something.” 

His nerves were tangled in his words and you could see in his eyes that he hated asking you this. You smiled and ran your fingertips lightly over his bicep. 

“Well I guess that…” you were stopped by the sound of Spencer’s phone ringing and he pulled a face of frustration. 

“Shoot,” he let go of your face. “To be continued?” 

You nodded and watched him roll over, grabbing his cell phone off the nightstand and putting it to his ear while sitting up on the edge of the mattress. 

“Doctor Reid,” he spoke and then was silent for a moment or two and his back straightened. “Seriously? You…I…seriously? Uh, yeah of course. Today? Gosh…yes. Ok. Ok. Thank you. Goodbye.” 

His hand holding the phone fell to his lap limply but other than that he didn’t move. You rolled closer to him with a frown, wrapping an arm around his waist when you were close enough.

He slowly turned his head to look at you and you couldn’t read his expression.

“Spence?” You croaked. “Is everything ok?” 

He exhaled through parted lips, his eyes widening a little before he slowly started to nod. 

“Y-yeah,” his voice cracked. “Yeah everything’s great. That was Jenny. Apparently we’ve been approved for placement under supervision for Wren. It might not be permanent and Jenny will visit every week. But they wouldn’t let us bring her home if there wasn’t a strong possibility of us being able to adopt her. She’s coming home, Y/N. Our little girl is coming home.”

His tears overflowed when he reached the end of his speech and the smile that adorned his lips was brighter than the sun and all the stars in the sky combined. 

You jumped up and threw yourself into his lap, wrapping your arms tightly around him. 

“Oh gosh Spence, that’s great!” You felt your own tears well in your eyes as he held you. 

And for some reason when he called her our little girl, it didn’t freak you out in the slightest, 

***

Wren was an excitable blur of hand gestures and bounces in her seat as Spencer drove the three of you home later that afternoon. 

She’d only ever seen photographs of the room Spencer had put together for her and she was buzzing to see it with her own eyes. 

It was only once he got close to home driving through the neighbourhood she had lived with her parents whom she watched die, that she clammed up.

You sat in the back of the car with her and watched the way her eyes turned down at the corners as she looked out the window at the familiar houses. 

You reached out to her, held her hand.

“It’s ok if you miss them, Wren.” You whispered and her head whipped around to face you.

She was gnawing on her bottom lip, perhaps trying to stop from pouting. 

“But I don’t want to make you and Spencer sad.” She spoke in equally hushed tones. 

“Hey now silly girl,” Spencer’s right hand appeared between the front seats, blindly reaching for her knee. “You could never make us sad. You have no idea how happy you make us, pumpkin.” 

“But you will miss your mommy and daddy and we want you to be able to tell us when you do, ok?” You added, squeezing her hand. 

“O-ok.” She nodded, turning back out of the window. 

Soon enough Spencer pulled the car to a stop outside of the house with the canary yellow fence and green front door. 

He exited the car and rushed around to open Wren’s door while you unbuckled her seatbelt. He lifted her in his arms, spun her around twice, and planted her on her feet on the sidewalk. 

She instantly reached for you both, gripping Spencer’s hand in her left and yours in her right. 

You and Spencer shared a smile over her head as you led her up to the front door. 

The second the door was open a messy haired small mutt ran at full pelt towards the three of you, practically crashing straight into Wren. 

She giggled and threw her arms around the dog. 

“Rover!” She screeched, burying her face into his matted fur. 

Spencer took her bag from her and unzipped it, pulling out the toy Rover and holding him out towards the girl and her dog. 

“Rover meet Rover.” He spoke and Wren beamed brightly as she took the toy from him. 

She held it in front of the real dog's face and he licked the toy feverishly, making Wren giggle again. 

“I think they’re going to be friends!” She cheered happily. 

“That’s a relief.” Spencer chuckled, hand naturally slipping in yours. 

“Would the Rover’s like to see your new room, honey?” You asked Wren, entwining your fingers with Spencer’s.

“I think so!” She jumped up and down. “Come on big Rover, come on little Rover.”

You and Spencer shared another smile as you led the way, hand in hand, up the stairs and towards the room at the end of the hall. 

One of the Rover’s was held by Wren around his neck while the other followed of his own accord. You both stepped aside and motioned for Wren to open the door. 

She looked positively giddy with excitement as she reached for the handle. She pushed open the door and Spencer reached inside to flick the lights on. 

Her eyes widened as a dozen strings of pumpkin fairy lights cast their glow across the warm autumnal walls, thick cream carpet and everything in between. 

She took a few steps inside the room and the two of you watched her eyes flicker between the My Little Pony bed sheets, her name placard above the bed, the bookshelf stuffed full of books, another shelf packed with stuffed animals. 

They moved between the dog bed meant for little Rover which big Rover was now already making his way to, to the dresser under the window with a little mirror and her very own chess set. 

They made their way to the wardrobe which Spencer had stencilled with falling leaves and little brown birds of her namesake. 

Her eyes danced from here to there, there to here and back again. When they finally came to a stop on you and Spencer, they were full of tears. 

“This is…for me?” Her bottom lip pouted. 

“I don’t know any other little girls called Wren.” Spencer smiled at her. 

She suddenly dove at the two of you, one arm wrapping around each of you and nuzzling between you. You felt her small frame racking with sobs and it made your heart melt. 

“T-thank you.” She cried, squeezing you both as tightly as she could. “I love you.” 

You looked at Spencer, you both had tears welling in your own eyes. 

And god dammit if you didn’t love her too. 

***

The three of you ate ice cream for dinner on the floor of her bedroom at Wren’s insistence. 

You and Spencer played with her and her new collection of stuffed toys, as well as the real life Rover before you took turns reading to her until she finally fell asleep. 

Rover was already curled up in the dog bed at the foot of Wren’s bed so you left him there and the two of you quietly crept from the room. 

With the day's events you hadn’t had a chance to talk about what happened last night and now you were in the corridor, you weren’t sure what room to go to. 

Clearly Spencer didn’t either. 

He awkwardly scuffed the toe of his candy corn print sock on the carpet whilst rolling his lip between his teeth. 

“Should we, uh…talk?” He shrugged. 

“Most likely, yes.” You nodded and silently he led the two of you back downstairs to the living room. 

You were both quiet, not meeting the others' gaze as you sat in the armchair and him on the couch. The air was thick with tension, and you didn’t even know where to begin with this conversation.

“I know you don’t want to be Wren’s mom.” He suddenly blurted out. “And I’d never ask you to. But I love you and last night was…it was perfect. I don’t want to choose between having you and Wren in my life. I know it wouldn’t be easy because if everything goes to plan I will have a child at the end of it. You think there’s any chance you’d want to date a single dad?” 

He was talking so fast all of his words merged into one and it took you a few moments to ascertain what he was saying. But before you could really catch up, he was talking again.

“We get Wren home permanently, you can give up your rights just like you planned. You move out and you go back to your normal case load but maybe…maybe we can work things out? I know it won’t be easy but I don’t care. 

You clearly mean a lot to Wren and I know she would love it if you were still a part of her life after all this, even if it’s not as her adoptive mother. And I hope that you can still be part of my life. As my partner, my one true love. 

Wren will be my reasonability, I won’t expect anything from you in regards to her. But I don’t want to be without you, even if it means our life is separate from my life with Wren. I don’t think it’s entirely beyond the realms of possibility to think we could make it work. I just think-”

“Spencer,” you had to cut him off or he would spend the next hour rambling. “I don’t think it’s entirely beyond the realms of possibility either.” 

“You…you don’t?” He inhaled sharply.

“It’s not going to be easy,” you pushed yourself up and moved slowly closer to him. When you reached him you lowered yourself so you were sitting in his lap. “It’s going to be hard in fact, really hard. But dating a single dad doesn’t sound like the worst idea in the world. Especially when that single dad is you.” 

His hands glided across your back, settling on your shoulder blades and holding you firmly in place, 

“We’ll make it work.” He smiled at you, inching closer.

“We’ll make it work.” You repeated just as his lips pressed against yours. 

***

The day after Wren was placed with you and Spencer, he and the little girl started excitedly decorating the house for Halloween which was two weeks away. 

The house was a menagerie of fake cobwebs which you kept walking into, strings of little ghosts hanging in every doorway. A newly carved pumpkin appeared on the porch every single day you returned home from work. 

By the time Halloween rolled around the three of you had fallen into somewhat of a routine. 

You had tried to distance yourself from parental activities, as soon as the paperwork was finalised you would be moving out and you didn’t want Wren to get too used to you being around. 

The last thing you wanted to do was confuse a child who had already lost her biological parents. 

Spencer dropped her at school on the way to Marlborough everyday and picked her up on his way home. 

He cooked dinner which the two of them ate together and he saved leftovers for when you arrived home. 

Nine times out of ten Wren was already in bed by the time you got home from Quantico which helped. It also gave you alone time with Spencer. 

Usually you wouldn’t even be in the door more than ten minutes before he was leading you to the bedroom. You’d been sleeping in his room since Wren had come home, although there was usually little sleeping happening. 

You’d both quickly learnt how to be quiet, not wanting to further traumatise the girl by having her hear the two of you having sex. 

The routine seemed to work for the three of you, it allowed Spencer and Wren to grow closer whilst allowing you and Spencer to grow closer. 

On Halloween night you got out of work slightly earlier but still expected Spencer and Wren to be out trick or treating. 

He’d promised the little girl months ago to take her and she’d been so excited for tonight, talking about it non stop since she’d come home with you. 

He wanted to make her a costume and you tried to teach Spencer how to sew but when that didn’t work you showed him how YouTube worked so he could learn that way. 

He’d slaved over creating her a pumpkin costume which was a little lopsided and probably could have been neater but he was so proud of his creation. 

Wren had insisted he dress up too so you arrived home to find Dracula in your living room. 

“What happened to trick or treating?” You asked as you stepped in the door and hung your jacket up.

“Oh hey,” he smiled brightly as soon as he saw you, moving closer to you. He went to kiss you but then remembered the fake blood on his mouth and refrained. “We’re about to leave, Wren is just getting dressed.” 

“Did she love her costume?” 

“You have no idea. I’ve never heard a five year old scream before and I’m not sure it’s something I want to relive in a hurry.” He chuckled, straightening up his cape. “Now you’re home you can join us.”

“I don’t think so.” You shook your head. 

“Oh come on, she’d love it if you came.” Spencer gave you his puppy dog eyes which you tried to ignore. 

“You’re the parent.” You reminded him. “And besides, someone should stay home with Rover.”

“Rover is ten years old and sleeps all day.” Spencer rolled his eyes. “He’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know. I just-” 

You were cut off by the sound of Wren running down the stairs. When she appeared in her pumpkin costume, complete with orange painted face, she was smiling from ear to ear.

“Y/N!” She jumped up and down excitedly. “I’m a pumpkin!” 

“Oh wow, you look great!” You cheered. 

She beamed, happily showing off her costume like a proud parent. 

“Are you coming trick or treating with us?” She asked with expectant green eyes. 

“I don’t think so, sweetheart.” 

“Please! You have to come!” She jiggled, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. 

“Yeah Y/N,” Spencer smirked at you. “You have to.” 

“I don’t have a costume.” You shrugged. 

“Leave that to me.” Spencer stepped closer to you and took hold of your hand. “Wren give us five minutes and we’ll head out, ok?” 

“Ok!” She nodded, moving aside so Spencer could lead you upstairs. 

You let him lead you to the bedroom, which he’d done countless times before but you knew this wasn’t for the reasons you would like. 

“I took the liberty of picking something up for you at the costume store when I was getting mine.” He let go of your hand so he could open the closet. 

“Of course you did.” You sighed. 

He pulled out an outfit in a costume bag and turned it to face you. Inside was sheathed all the makings of a witches costume. 

A long, flowy purple crushed velvet dress with long, billowy sleeves. A black wig. A pointy hat. 

You rolled your eyes as you took it from him, trying to ignore the stupid look on his face. 

“Fine, I will wear it. But you are not painting my face.” 

“Deal.” He grinned, in a smug way knowing he’d won.

***

Ten minutes later the three of you were out the door. Dracula, the witch and the pumpkin. 

Wren was full of excitement as she skipped on just ahead of you, swinging her little bucket she hoped to fill with candy. 

“She’s your problem when she won’t sleep tonight because she’s hopped up on sugar.” You spoke as Spencer slipped his hand in yours. 

“Fair enough.” He chuckled, eyes never leaving the back of the curly haired pumpkin. “Thank you for coming.”

“Did I have a choice?” You joked. 

Spencer briefly glanced at the side of your face before focusing back on Wren who was now making her way up a front porch of one of your neighbours houses. The two of you hung back by the gate. 

“You don’t like spending time with her.” He looked back at you while Wren was busy getting her candy. 

“That’s not true. I love spending time with her, she’s an amazing kid. But I don’t want her to get used to me being around all the time. She lost her mom and dad, I don’t want her to see me as a parental figure only to lose me too.” 

Spencer’s hand slipped from yours and he quickly pocketed both of his hands. You frowned at him as he turned away from you. 

“Right. Of course.” He watched Wren smile and thank Mrs Taylor for the candy. 

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?” You glared at him.

“Nothing. I just forget sometimes what a hardship this is for you.” 

“Spencer, I never said-”

“What did you get, pumpkin?” He cut you off as Wren came running back over, his tone lightening as he regarded her. 

Wren showed off her haul and soon you were continuing on. Spencer walked with Wren now, holding her free hand while you hung back. 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this would get complicated. But why did it? 

***

The night ended worse than it started. When your rounds of the neighbourhood took you past the old Briar house, the home where Wren watched her parents die, it came to an abrupt end with tears. 

Spencer carried her home while she sobbed in his arms. He put her to bed and spent a long time coddling her while she cried for her parents. 

He found you in the living room, your wig and hat on the coffee table. You stood from the couch when he entered the room. 

“I don’t really feel like company tonight so maybe you should just stay in the guest room.” His jaw was clenched tightly as he spoke. 

“Right, sure.” You nodded. 

He turned away from you, started towards the stairs before quickly turned back around.

“You know what actually, maybe you should look into moving back into your apartment. This place is kinda crowded. You only need to be here when Jenny visits anyway, there’s no point in you being here all the time. And that way Wren won’t get attached to you and it’ll make it easier all round.” He turned again but before he could get too far you grabbed him by the wrist. 

“Spencer, please don’t say that. We talked about this, we had a plan, we-”

“Stop it, please.” He cut you off. “I can’t do this right now, ok? I have a little girl upstairs who I had to rock to sleep because she couldn’t stop crying about her dead parents. I don’t have the mental capacity to deal with all this right now.” 

“Fine.” You clenched your jaw to stop the tears falling. “But let me just say it isn’t fair for you to act this way when we had an agreement. You knew what my involvement was going to be in all of this and the plan was never for me to be her mother!” 

“The plan?” He suddenly spat. “The goddamn plan? You make it sound so clinical!”

“I thought it was.” You rolled your eyes. “Did you expect that I was going to wake up one day and change my mind? Was that what you hoped for here? That I’d play happy families and realise this is what I wanted?”

“Yes,” he shrugged. “Yes, that's exactly what I hoped would happen. Excuse me for believing that two people who are as in love as I thought we were could raise a child together.” 

“Maybe I should move out.” 

“Good.”

“Great.” 

“I’ll help you pack.” With that he turned again and this time you let him go. 

You watched as he ascended the staircase, clearly wanting to make more noise about it but not wanting to wake Wren. 

Once you heard his bedroom door shut you fell back to the couch and your tears unleashed. 

What had possessed you into thinking this would be a good idea? You’d wanted to help Spencer and never once stopped to think of the ramifications. 

Like it or not you and Wren had grown close, despite your best efforts. Your leaving would be hard on her. And it would be hard on you too.

You’d come to care for that little girl even though you’d tried so hard not to. You weren’t ready to be a mom, or so you thought, but Wren had wormed her way into your heart. 

And now you were going to lose her and Spencer through your own stubbornness. 

Well done, Y/N, you thought to yourself as you cried. You’ve really gone and fucked this up. 

***

The following day Spencer dropped Wren off at school, thankfully in a much brighter mood than she had been the previous night. 

You both had the day off work for Jenny’s weekly visit and if she noticed the awkwardness between the two of you she didn’t mention it. 

Spencer was amazing at keeping his emotions in check when he needed to and even you believed he was happy. 

You sat amicably and drank tea while Spencer filled the social worker in on your Halloween night, glossing over all the bad parts. 

It struck you that Jenny wasn’t taking notes like usual, didn’t even have her notebook out. You weren’t sure if Spencer noticed or not or if he was too busy pretending he had the perfect family to notice. 

When the tea dried up along with the conversation, Jenny pulled a manilla envelope out of her briefcase and proffered it forward. 

Spencer took it with a frown, in the corner in black ink it read simply: Re: Wren Briar - Reid Y/L/N.

“Uh,” he ran his fingers over the envelope and looked up at Jenny with a frown. “What is this?” 

Jenny smiled softly, a smile that reached all the way to her eyes. 

“Congratulations,” she spoke sincerely. “That is your official adoption papers. Wren is now formally in the care of the two of you.” 

You felt a flurry of emotions all at once and you didn’t know which one to focus on. But you were distracted from that when Spencer, out of nowhere, started sobbing. 

“S-seriously?” He stuttered, tears streaming from his eyes. 

“Seriously, Doctor Reid.” Jenny smiled. “I know it’s been a long and difficult process, but it’s over now.”

“Oh my god.” He grabbed your hand and squeezed it tightly. “Oh my god.” 

Seeing the happiness on Spencer’s face made your own tears fall and you gripped him tightly. 

“We did it, Spence. We did it.” You cried. 

Jenny saw herself out as the two of you continued to cry. At some point Spencer wrapped you in his arms and sobbed into your shoulder while you did the same into his chest. 

Eventually both your tears started letting up and he sat back and wiped the stains on your cheek. He was smiling shakily at you and you returned the gesture. 

“Don’t leave.” He whispered, voice cracking with emotion. “Please don’t leave. I don’t want to do this without you. I know this wasn’t part of the plan but-”

“Screw the plan.” You cut him off. “Plans change. I can’t ignore the feeling of elation and relief I felt when Jenny told us. Goddamnit I love Wren, I love her so much. And I want to be her mother, Spencer, I really want that.” 

“You…” he choked. “You do?”

“Yes. This wasn’t the life I envisioned for myself but life isn’t straightforward. Things happen, plans change. I found my family. And it’s you and Wren.” You smiled as your tears started up again.

Spencer was quick to tug you back into his arms and hold you tighter than you’d ever been held before. He nuzzled against your neck and placed soft kisses on your flesh. 

“I love you so much.” He cried. “And I love our little found family.” 

You stayed like this for some time, until you needed to pick Wren up from school. For the first time you and Spencer went together. 

When you told her the news she jumped up and down and squeezed you both as tightly as her little arms would allow and it filled your heart to the brim. 

There was no doubt in your mind that this was where you were supposed to be. 

As she planted big sloppy kisses on yours and Spencer’s cheeks, you heard him whisper, welcome to the family little pumpkin. 

***

Four Months Later

The noise from the backyard filtered in through the open door, little voices chattering, the occasional screech of excitement, giggle from tiny lungs and small feet pitter pattering in the grass. 

You poured yourself a glass of water and sipped from it while you observed the chaos. 

It was Wren’s sixth birthday and damn near every child in her school had descended on your home. The BAU team members and their kids were all in attendance and you wondered if your garden would ever be the same again. 

There was a bounce house in one corner, a magician in the other - for which Spencer had begrudged paying for when he could have done it himself. 

You’d insisted he wanted to be more present for the event, really enjoy the memories made today on her first birthday as your daughter. 

Rover had long ago distanced himself from children pulling his matted fur and retired to his bed in Wren’s room. You couldn’t blame him, you’d half contemplated joining him. 

You were exhausted from all the planning, from the demands of motherhood and still trying to hold down your job at the BAU, albeit only part time now. 

You hadn’t even stopped to consider how tiring the party would actually be. 

You felt a presence behind you and spun on your heels to find Spencer smiling at you as he sidled up to you. He moved in close and placed a chaste kiss on your lips.

“Are you as tired as I am?” He chuckled. 

“I don’t think anyone is as tired as you, you’re the life and soul of this party.” You teased him. “I saw Wren dragging you on to the bounce house.” 

“It’s been a long time since my old knee injury hurt this bad.” He grumbled a little. “But it’s worth it to see her happy.” 

“I can’t believe she’s six already. The months are flying by.” You sighed wistfully. 

“She’ll be eighteen and going off to college any day now.” He laughed.

“Bringing boys home.”

“Don’t you dare!” He gasped. “Do not put that idea in my head.”

“Sorry,” you smiled sweetly. “It’s a long way off.” 

“It better be.” He shook his head. 

“So, uh…I got you something.” You reached behind you and grabbed the small, neatly wrapped gift off of the kitchen counter. 

Spencer frowned at it as he took it somewhat cautiously. 

“You got me a gift? For our daughter's birthday?” He ran his fingertips over the wrapping paper curiously. 

“Just open it and be grateful.” You rolled your eyes playfully. 

Still with a frown on his face, Spencer tore the gift wrap, the same kind as you used to wrap the obscene amount of gifts you’d brought Wren. 

You held your breath and waited, your nerves getting the better of you and you leaned back against the counter top as your legs shook a little. 

Spencer’s deft fingers made quick work of the paper, tossing it aside like the excited six year old had with her own gifts. 

Once opened he stared at the item in his hand. Approximately five inches long. Thin. Hard plastic. 

You watched him stare at it as if it was a completely foreign object, patiently waiting for him to look up, to say something. 

His hands started to tremble and when he finally did look up at you, tears swam in his eyes. 

“Is this…for real?” His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke. 

“It’s like the fifth one I took so I’m fairly certain.” You nodded, feeling your own eyes fill with tears. “Wren’s going to be a big sister.” 

Pregnancy test still in hand, he suddenly threw his arms around you and squeezed you so tightly you felt the air leave your lungs. 

“We’re having another child?” He whispered against your neck.

“This family just keeps growing.” You laughed as you wrapped him in your arms. 

You wiped away your tears, not wanting to be seen crying at Wren’s birthday party. But soon your moment was over, and you were being forced away from each other. 

“Mommy, daddy, is it time for cake?” Wren’s voice carried in from the garden.

You sprung apart and stared at each other, a new batch of tears in both of your eyes for completely different reasons. 

“Did she just…” you breathed, voice slightly horse.

“I think so.” Spencer sniffed, a delighted smile on his face. 

Thus far Wren had always called you both by your names which was entirely understandable. Spencer had always told her she could call you mom and dad if and when she felt it was right. 

“As if this day wasn’t perfect enough.” He wiped his eyes, pocketing the pregnancy test after giving it one last look. 

“We better go, daddy.” You winked at him and went to pass him but he grabbed you by the waist. 

“Oh jeez, why is that so hot when you say it?” He growled, bowing his head and placing kisses on your neck, making you giggle. 

“Really?” You smirked. 

“Really.” He hissed, stepping back and nodding to his crotch where you can instantly see the bulge forming in his slacks. 

“Hmm, I’ll bear that in mind daddy.” You chuckled and he let out a soft low moan.

But before he could reply, you were summoned again. 

“Mommy, daddy!” Wren hollered from the yard. 

“Ok, not so sexy anymore.” He shook his head, stepping further back. “I’ll get the cake.”

“I’ll get my phone so I can film you and your horrible singing.” You gently kissed his cheek before he walked away. 

Spencer lit the six candles on the pumpkin shaped birthday cake and cautiously carried it through to the yard while he began singing happy birthday. 

All the kids and adults joined in as Wren beamed from ear to ear as all eyes were on her. You held your cellphone steady, hovering by the back door where you filmed the chorus.

When the song was over everybody cheered and Wren sucked in a huge breath before blowing out the candles. 

You watched on as Spencer placed a kiss in her messy dark hair and she smiled brightly at her dad in return. 

You couldn’t take your eyes off the two of them, Wren bouncing excitedly in her chair while Spencer went about cutting the cake into slices for all the children. 

Spencer handed her the first slice and she gorged on it, stuffing the cake in her mouth and leaving icing smudged around her lips.

It was crazy how much things had changed in such a short space of time. Six months ago you never would have pictured yourself here, a mother to a six year old and growing another child inside of you. 

Life has a funny way of giving us exactly what we want at exactly the wrong time. But for you and Spencer and Wren, the world had worked its magic and done you all the biggest favour. 

It had given the three of you the kind of love you all so sorely needed, it had offered a home to three people who were out in the cold. It had created a family, who in eight months time would have a new addition to it. 

Ultimately all we really strive for in life is to find somewhere to belong, and although it may have been unexpected, it was safe to say that you, Spencer and Wren had found that somewhere with each other. 

@ultragirrl @wittlewowa @bxtchopolis @coldheartedmar

[barelytolerabled]

Speeding Hearts part 2

lando norris x fem!driverReader

summary: you and your best friend, Pierre Gasly, had the same dream. but now that you're living it together you start to want something else, someone else.

WC: 3k333

prev/next

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The morning light gently filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the hotel room. As the world slowly stirred awake, you found yourself already up, the excitement of the day ahead pulling you from slumber. Pierre, still lost in dreams, slept peacefully in the bed, undisturbed by the early morning.

Quietly moving about the room, you got ready for the day, ensuring not to wake your peacefully sleeping friend. Just as you put the finishing touches, a faint knock on the door interrupted the calm.

Carefully tiptoeing to the door, you cautiously opened it to find Lando standing outside, a bright smile on his face. "Good morning! Ready for breakfast?" he greeted, not aware of the sleeping figure in the room.

Nodding softly, you replied in a whisper, "Just a moment, let me grab my purse."

Lando chuckled softly, slightly amused by the whispered exchange, but his amusement faded into slight confusion when he glanced past you and saw Pierre sleeping soundly in the double bed. The realization of the situation dawned on Lando, his eyebrows raised in puzzled surprise, but he tactfully said nothing, not wanting to intrude or make assumptions.

When you reappeared, ready to head out, Lando greeted you with a warm smile and offered his arm in a gentlemanly gesture. You smiled back appreciatively, silently grateful for his discretion. Together, you left the room, leaving Pierre undisturbed in his peaceful slumber.

Seated in the hotel cafeteria, you and Lando navigated through breakfast, exchanging light banter and discovering shared quirks. It turned out both of you were picky eaters, sparking a conversation about your culinary preferences.

"So, what's your go-to breakfast?" Lando asked, sipping his coffee.

You chuckled, "I'm a simple cereal person. Nothing too fancy."

"Ah, a classic choice," Lando grinned. "I'm more of a toast and jam kind of guy myself."

As the conversation flowed, you learned about Lando's racing journey, his interests outside of Formula One, and the nuances that made him uniquely Lando Norris. It felt like you were getting to know a friend, someone who shared not only the racing track but also the quirks and nuances of everyday life.

However, there lingered a curiosity in Lando's eyes, a question he hesitated to ask. Sensing the unspoken inquiry, you met his gaze, a silent acknowledgment between newfound friends. The topic of Pierre hung in the air, unspoken but present.

Lando decided to shift the conversation, "So, do you have any pre-race rituals or superstitions?

You chuckled, "Well, Pierre and I have this thing where we exchange a good luck gesture before every race. It's been a tradition since our karting days."

Lando smiled, seemingly satisfied with the answer. He knew there was more to discover about the dynamics between you and Pierre, but for now, he respected the budding friendship and decided to let time unravel the layers naturally.

As the breakfast conversation continued, the camaraderie between you and Lando deepened, setting the foundation for a friendship that promised shared laughter and maybe some challenges.

The conversation between you and Lando continued, the light banter creating a comfortable atmosphere. Lando, perhaps fueled by a spontaneous impulse, finally decided to address the lingering curiosity.

"So," he began, trying to sound casual, "you got anyone at home?"

You raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk forming. "Planning on asking me out if I say I'm single?"

Lando, caught off guard, chuckled nervously, "Well, aren't we currently out?"

You couldn't help but laugh, nodding in agreement. "True, true. I guess breakfast is still a form of you taking me out."

He grinned, "So?"

Before you could respond, the door to the cafeteria swung open, and a slightly panicked Pierre entered. "You scared me! I fell asleep with you, and you're not there anymore when I woke up."

You exchanged a glance with Lando, suppressing a smile. Pierre, oblivious to the playful banter, seemed genuinely relieved to find you safe and sound.

Lando, seizing the opportunity to diffuse any tension, chimed in, "Don't worry, mate. I just borrowed her for a quick breakfast. No harm done."

Pierre, realizing the lighthearted nature of the situation, joined in the laughter. "Alright, alright. Just give me a heads up next time."

In the bustling atmosphere of the Alpine garage, as you and Pierre prepared for the upcoming session, Lando, with a sly smile, approached Charles Leclerc. Attempting to maintain an air of casual nonchalance, he casually inquired, "So, Charles, I was wondering... Is Pierre’s teammate seeing someone?"

Charles, perceptive as ever, arched an eyebrow. "Why the sudden interest in her, Lando?"

Lando shrugged, feigning nonchalance, "Just curious, you know. She's cool, and I thought maybe..."

Charles interrupted with a laugh, "Maybe you're thinking of asking her out?"

Caught off guard, Lando stammered, "Well, I mean, if she's single and all..."

Charles chuckled, "Relax, mate. Her and Pierre are just friends. They go way back."

Lando's eyes widened in realization, "Wait, really? They're not... together?"

Charles shook his head, "Nope, just good friends. But I'd be careful if I were you. Pierre is quite protective of her."

Lando, unable to shake off his suspicions, continued to observe the interactions between you and Pierre in the Alpine garage. As he watched the two of you work seamlessly together, a perplexed expression on his face, he approached Charles once again, this time a bit more insistent.

"But seriously, Charles, they even sleep in the same bed? How is that purely platonic?"

Charles, amused by Lando's persistent curiosity, let out a hearty laugh. "Mate, not everyone shares your romantic inclinations. They're like siblings. It's a friendship that runs deep, and sometimes, people are just comfortable being close without anything romantic going on."

Lando, still trying to wrap his head around the concept, mused, "I guess I'm just not used to that level of friendship. It's a bit strange, isn't it?"

Charles patted Lando on the back, offering a reassuring smile. "Different strokes for different folks, my friend. Just enjoy the diversity in the paddock, and you'll get used to it.

A subtle doubt lingered in the back of his mind. Could he realistically pursue something with you knowing that you shared a bed with your best friend? The thought, like a persistent whisper, nagged at him. Only one way to know.

Charles, unable to resist the opportunity to tease you, approached with a knowing smile. "What did you do to the poor boy, mmh?"

You rolled your eyes playfully, "What are you talking about, Charles?"

He chuckled, "Lando's on a mission to win over Pierre. You know how pissed Pierre could be, right? We've been there before, chérie."

A mischievous grin played on Charles' face as he referred to the teenage years when he had a crush on you, and Pierre, your steadfast best friend, had promptly rejected him. The memories of those youthful antics added a layer of nostalgia to the current situation.

You couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, please. Lando is just trying to be friendly. Pierre knows we're just friends."

Charles raised an eyebrow, "Just friends, huh? Well, we'll see how this plays out. It's always interesting when emotions mix with the adrenaline of the racetrack."

Charles, still wearing a sly grin, continued the playful banter. "Well, if Lando manages to win over Pierre, he'll be a legend in the Formula One dating game."

You shot back, a twinkle in your eye, "Let's imagine you're right. Maybe Lando will be a real man and not care what Pierre thinks, unlike you when we were younger, Cha."

Charles feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart, "Ouch, chérie. Bringing up ancient history, are we? I'll have you know I've matured into a charming gentleman now."

You smirked, "Sure, Charles. Charming as ever."

Charles, ever the provocateur, continued with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, I must say, all the men seem to be vying for your attention these days."

You quirked an eyebrow, playing along, "Oh, do they? I hadn't noticed."

Charles laughed, "Come on, you can't deny that you've got the attention of the paddock."

With a smirk, you shot back, "Well, Charles, the only man I care about is Pierre. The rest can keep their attention to themselves."

Charles raised his hands in mock surrender, "Alright, alright. Pierre's the chosen one. But if you ever get tired of that single-man devotion, you know where to find me."

Charles, turning back after he started to walk away, leaned in and whispered, "Oh and I had a little chat with Lando. Set him straight about you and Pierre."

You raised an eyebrow, "And what did you tell him?"

A smirk played on Charles' lips as he responded, "Informed him that you and Pierre are just friends. But, you know, since you're looking for a 'real man' who doesn't care about Pierre's opinion, I might just have to try my luck again."

You couldn't help but laugh at the playful persistence. "Charles, you never give up, do you?"

He winked, "Persistence is a virtue, chérie. Who knows, maybe this time will be different."

Pierre, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, wrapped his arms around both you and Charles, a protective gesture that spoke volumes. He gave Charles a playful shake, a stern expression on his face. "Charles, don't tell me you're bothering her again. Don't you remember what happened last time?"

Charles, caught off guard, looked at you, and you met his gaze with a knowing smile. Without missing a beat, he replied, "What if I am?"

You leaned into Pierre's side, a playful air surrounding the trio. "Oh, come on, Pierre. Charles is just being Charles.”

Pierre's eyebrows shot up in mock disbelief, "You're incorrigible, Charles. Just remember, I'll always be here to keep you in check."

You sighed, playfully testing the waters. "What if I want to go out with Charles, Pierre?"

Pierre, not missing a beat, pulled you closer, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "You don't need him. You have me."

You laughed at his response, appreciating the humor. "Well, aren't I lucky?"

Pierre grinned, "Damn right, you are."

As the banter settled, you declared, "Alright, enough of this. It's time for the third free practice. Focus, boys."

Pierre and Charles exchanged a glance before breaking into laughter, the easy camaraderie of your friendship echoing through the paddock. With a final teasing remark, you led the way to the track.

As the anticipation built up in the pit, you and Pierre focused on the task at hand, qualifying for the race. The air buzzed with excitement as the engines roared to life, signaling the beginning of a crucial session.

You and Pierre exchanged a knowing glance before executing your pre-qualifying ritual.

With the ritual complete, you and Pierre revved up the engines and headed out onto the track, pushing your respective cars to the limit. The circuit came alive with the sound of roaring engines and screeching tires as the drivers vied for the best positions on the grid.

When the dust settled, you secured a commendable 10th position, while Pierre landed just ahead at 9th. The satisfaction of a successful qualifying session was evident as you both returned to the garage.

Pierre grinned, "Not bad, mon ange. P9 and P10 – we're in a good position for the race."

You nodded, the thrill of a successful qualification coursing through you. "Let's turn this into a strong race tomorrow."

The team gathered around, discussing strategy and fine-tuning the cars for the upcoming challenge.

As Pierre headed off for dinner with Charles, you found yourself standing in front of your hotel room, contemplating the evening ahead. A spontaneous idea struck you, and you walked a few rooms away to Lando's door.

Lando greeted you with a wide smile as he opened the door. "Hey there! What brings you to my humble abode?"

You chuckled, "Well, Pierre is not around tonight, and I was thinking maybe we could grab dinner together."

Lando's eyes lit up, "Absolutely! I'd love to. Come on in."

The two of you headed out to a nearby restaurant, sharing stories and laughter over a casual dinner. The evening unfolded with a mix of camaraderie and newfound friendship, offering a pleasant contrast to the usual dynamics in the fast-paced world of Formula One.

As you and Lando walked to the restaurant, there was a casual ease in the way your arm rested around his. The evening air carried a sense of camaraderie, and the prospect of a relaxed dinner provided a welcomed break from the intensity of the racing world.

Entering the first restaurant you spotted, you opted for a cozy spot where you could sit facing each other. The ambiance was warm, and the soft glow of the lights created a tranquil atmosphere.

Deciding to unwind a bit, you suggested ordering a bottle of wine to accompany dinner. Tomorrow marked your first race, and the stress that accompanied it was tangible. A glass of wine seemed like the perfect way to ease the tension and enjoy the evening.

As the waiter brought the wine to the table, you raised your glass, offering a toast to the upcoming race. The clink of glasses echoed through the restaurant, and with each sip, the conversation flowed, weaving a tapestry of shared experiences and laughter.

As the dinner progressed and the wine worked its magic, a playful mood settled over the table. Feeling a bit lightheaded, you decided to inject some teasing into the evening. Casually, under the table, your foot found its way to Lando's, engaging in a subtle game of footsie.

Lando, catching on to the mischief, shot you a smirk across the table. "Getting a bit bold, aren't we?"

You chuckled, "Just adding a touch of excitement to the evening. It's not every day we get to relax like this."

As the evening unfolded, the playful teasing escalated. With a mischievous glint in your eye, your foot ventured further up Lando's leg under the table. The wine-induced boldness seemed to amplify the shared amusement between you two.

Lando, a mix of surprise and amusement, tried to maintain composure. "Alright, you're taking this to a whole new level."

You couldn't help but giggle, "Just adding a bit of thrill to our dinner. Racing isn't the only thing I can be competitive at."

The playful banter and discreet footsie became a shared secret, a moment of laughter and connection that lingered in the air.

Feeling the effects of the wine, Lando decided it was time to call it a night. As you both prepared to leave, you couldn't resist a final tease, asking if he didn't enjoy your touch.

Lando, with a charming smile, replied, "It's not about that. I just think you're not in your right mind tonight."

You scoffed, adding a playful jab, "Charles seemed to think you liked me, but I guess that was a misunderstanding if you don't want me to touch you. Maybe I should entertain his advances then."

Lando's smile faltered, confusion replacing amusement. "Wait, what are you talking about?”

With a sly grin, you informed him, "Charles is ready to do whatever he wants to me, no matter what Pierre might think." Without waiting for a response, you got up, a mix of frustration and playful defiance in your stride, and headed toward the exit, leaving Lando behind to ponder the unexpected turn of the evening.

Feeling the cold air hit you as you stepped out of the restaurant, a wave of clarity washed over you, and regret settled in. "What the hell did you just do?" The realization of your actions during dinner hit you hard.

Suddenly, you felt warmth enveloping your shoulders. Lando had placed his jacket around you, a silent gesture of comfort. In the midst of the chilly night, neither of you spoke. Instead, you instinctively buried your face in his neck, expressing your regret and apologies.

"Why are you sorry?" Lando's voice was gentle, breaking the silence.

You mumbled into his jacket, "I acted like a perv at dinner. It's just... it's been so long since I did anything with a man."

Surprised, Lando questioned, "How come? You could have anyone."

Your voice was soft and tinged with frustration, "It's hard with Pierre's protectiveness."

Lando's inquiries persisted, seeking clarity in the midst of your shared vulnerability. "How long?" His voice was gentle, probing gently for understanding.

Confused at first, you soon comprehended his question. "Oh, how long since... sex?" you echoed, your voice barely above a whisper. "A few months," you admitted quietly, feeling a mix of embarrassment and vulnerability.

Apologies tumbled out of you once again as you attempted to explain your actions, the wine-induced boldness, and the desire for a carefree night without Pierre's watchful presence.

But before you could continue, Lando interrupted gently, "Stop apologizing. I'd love to make love to you, but tonight isn't the night." His voice was tender yet firm, expressing a longing and desire that had simmered beneath the surface.

He explained further, a raw honesty coloring his words, "I want to own you, to have you as mine and only mine, but not when you're a bit drunk."

Tears welled up in your eyes, frustration and disappointment intertwining as you struggled to process the conflicting emotions. "I just... I thought tonight would be different. I thought I could have a good night without worrying about everything and everyone," you admitted, the vulnerability in your voice laid bare.

Lando's expression softened, a mixture of understanding and concern. "I know, and I'm sorry if I've let you down. It's not about not wanting you; it's just not the right moment. You deserve more than a hasty decision made in the heat of the moment."

You sniffled, trying to compose yourself. "I know you're not being mean, but it hurts. I thought... I thought tonight could be about me, just for once."

Lando gently lifted your chin, meeting your gaze. "It can be about you, but let's make sure it's the right way. I want it to be special, not clouded by too much wine or emotions. You deserve that."

Lando, sensing the need for a shift in the evening's atmosphere, suggested, "What about a good movie? Something to take our minds off things for a bit?"

Sniffing away the remnants of your tears, you nodded appreciatively. "Yeah, a movie sounds nice."

Together, you walked back to the hotel, the night air now carrying a different tone – one of shared understanding. In Lando's room, the soft glow of the TV screen illuminated the space, creating a cozy setting for the impromptu movie night.

The movie cast a warm glow in the room, and as its credits rolled, a quiet comfort settled between you and Lando. The weight of unspoken desires and the tangled emotions of the night seemed to dissipate.

Feeling a sense of camaraderie, you curled up on the bed, finding an unexpected solace in the company of Lando. The dim light illuminated the room as the hushed whispers of the night surrounded you.

As sleep gently claimed you both, a peaceful tranquility settled in, anchoring you in the shared moments of the evening.

Coucou chérie, Pierre a un peu trop profité de la soirée je le garde cette nuit, repose-toi bien bisous❤️

hi honey it’s charles, pierre drunk a bit too much im keeping him tonight, rest well xoxo❤️

Je viens de rentrer t’es où?

just got back, where are you?

That’s not fun answer your phone please

[callitwh4ty0uwant]

Summer nights!

Summary; Y/n discovers that her family has offered her and the Pogues the summer at the beach house… and of course the group had to accept that offer.

Florida!!! Masterlist: Summer masterlist!

jj Maybank x fem! Reader

Warnings - smoking, feelings, JJ being an asshole, sexual innuendos, swearing, alcohol, unestablished relationship, angst, fluff.

Outerbanks was beautiful to say the least, she had a beautiful house, amazing friends and an amazing view to look at, no she didn’t mean the sunset and sunrise she saw ever morning she meant JJ Maybank, gorgeous, dumb blonde, flirt, and amazing abs.

But it was days like these she loved seeing JJ shirtless out on his board surfing, with John B, the girl had some news to share, but she could not Keep her eyes off of the blonde boy that was walking out from the water towards her, Sarah, pope and Kiara.

“Okay so..uh.. I..” she trailed on as the boy sat down beside her “my dad says, he can’t make it this year so my family isn’t going, but he offered us to go to our beach house in Florida this year for the full summer” she said making the two girls eyes go wide as the jumped up im excitement “so what do you say!” She asked making the girls nod in agreement.

“Yes!” The two girls brought the girl into a hug squeezing her “when do we leave!” Sarah asked “Sunday” she spoke making the girls squeal in excitement.

But Sunday came quicker than expected, she wasn’t complaining though, she loved her friends and that beach house with her whole heart.

The suitcases were tough to fit in, as the group piled into her car the airport was the next stop as it was 4:35am in the morning and she was tired as hell to drive all that way to Florida.

The plane ride journey was rough JJ had insisted to sit next to her, which was odd cuz he had never shown that much interest in her before. Turns out the big tough guy he claimed to be was scared of flying, she talked him through it though.

“I need to piss, and a coffee” she said as the group got off the plane and made their way to baggage claim “brb” she said after spotting the toilets.

After finishing her business she walked back out spotting the group, with her bags and drinks “for you m’lady” JJ said handing her the coffee with a smile on his face “thank you kind sir” she laughed putting on a British accent that was half-assed

After getting the car that was already pre-booked for the summer they made their way to the beach house, she was so excited to show her friends her happy place, if someone asked what she thought was home? She would always go back to this place in her mind, even when she was sad or upset.

“Home sweet home” she said as she pulled up into the driveway. They got out of the BMW the Pogues stood infront of it admiring the big house that stood in front of them “and why didn’t you invite us sooner?” John B exclaimed as he took the multiple suitcases out of the trunk.

“Never crossed my mind” she shrugged pulling on her suitcases to the front porch “we’re gonna have to double up by the way not enough rooms, it looks gigantic but there’s only three bedrooms upstairs” she spoke as the Pogues came up behind her as she unlocked the door.

“I call my parents bedroom!” She yelled as they rushed upstairs noticing JJ standing behind her “guess I’m stuck with you then.. huh?” She laughed as he followed up upstairs “what do you mean stuck with me” he laughed placing his hand on his chest in offence as he opened the double bedroom doors that led to her parents bedroom.

“God y/n this is room is bigger than my house” he mumbled as he threw himself on the California king bed “my parents like treat themselves when their on vacation, I have king bed” she said tiredly copying JJ as she left the suitcases at the door.

“This room makes the house look bigger than it actually is, it was so expensive for only three bedrooms” she groaned pulling herself up “and I swear to god JJ if you pull any of your shenanigans” she pulled her self up from the bed removing the pillow from behind his head “I will make you sleep on the couch” she said while smacking his face with the soft fabric.

“Now I’m gonna go get a bikini on while you unpack your shit okay?” She said as he gave her one of his charming smiles as she dragged her suitcases to the bathroom, a funny warm feeling over taking her body as she laid the suitcase out.

ੈ✩‧₊˚

“KIE, SARAH, WE HAVE TO GO TO THE STORE TO GET FOOD!” The girl said poking her head out the bedroom making the girls groan as the jet-lag was taking over all of them “c’mon!” She yelled as they followed her downstairs and back into the car.

The drive was short to the nearest Walmart picking out alcohol, and whatever junk food they could find, making sure to pick up sunscreen, and more cosmetics products. Not that they needed anymore anyways, their cart was full as they pushed it to check-out.

Five bags, is what they left with “I think we left with more than what we needed” she laughed as they pulled up back to the beach house “time to get this par-ty started!” Sarah jumped as they made their way inside spotting the boys lounging on the sofa.

The boys had jumped as soon as they saw the six-packs of beer being took out the bag and placed on the kitchen island.

The bathing suit she had put on before the girls left was handy as she slid her shorts off, she could a familiar pair of eyes on her as she slid the glass door open the warm air hitting her body as she looking around the familiar scenery.

She took a deep breath smelling the fresh salty air as she heard John B jump into the pool, pope jumping in next, she shook her head a smile appearing on her face as she was next to jump in.

“I hate saying this, but I can’t believe how much I missed this place” she said swimming over to the clear glass edge of the pool that looked out onto the beach “this place is so beautiful” Kiara said making the other Pogues agree.

ੈ✩‧₊˚

THE NIGHT HAD SLOWLY CAME AND THE SUN WAS SETTING AS THE POGUES LOUNGED IN THE HOT TUB laughing at whatever joke john B had made, the group was drunk but she wasn’t to drunk to notice JJ’s lingering gaze on her as he made his was closer to her everytime he got back into the hot tub after going out to get another beer.

“I genuinely can’t believe you ever complained about this place y/n” pope said making the girl roll her eyes “it’s even worse with family, believe me” her head falling back “anyways” she sleepily said “im gon’ call it a night” she said standing up almost falling over in the process, JJ’s hand catching hers as she got out.

“Me too, this one’s heavily intoxicated” he laughed “so are you” she hit his bare chest as she got out “let’s get you to bed” he said pulling her inside “ ‘m too sleepy” she slurred as she made her way upstairs.

“How am I more drunk than you?” She drunkenly laughed as she opened the door to the bedroom “‘m going for a shower” she huffed making her away into bathroom “g’night Jay” she slurred.

ੈ✩‧₊˚

Masterlist



[leaentries]

Bad day

luke hughes x chubby!reader

a/n- hey y’all! so guess who’s not dead 😋 i’m so so sorry i’ve been so inactive this past month! i’ve been dealing with college starting back up and my new job. but now that i’m back to semi-normal schedule, im hoping to start posting more! so please don’t be afraid to send in any thoughts or requests you may have! also, im so sorry if this is shit, i didn’t really know where i was going when i started writing. i just wanted to get something out for y’all to read😭

p.s- gif is not mine, credits to the owner!!

some days truly never seemed to end.

even though it was only a wednesday, the bleakness of the sky and air ruined every seemingly good thing coming y/n’s way. her day started off great. waking up next to her boyfriend who gave her plenty of good morning sleepy kisses and “i love you’s.” luke even went the extra mile and warmed up her morning shower, paired with a fresh towel straight out of the dryer.

as she stepped into the shower, she felt confident that she was going to have a fantastic day. her classes were easy on wednesday and only lasted till early afternoon. although she knew that luke would be gone for practice by the time she returned home, she was excited to lounge around and be lazy for the day.

only, her day took a turn for the worst.

walking to her first class of the day, the coffee she held in her hand, that luke put so much effort into, somehow managed to slip from her grasp. the cup went tumbling into the pavement, leaving ugly light brown splotches in its wake. frustrated, she picked up the soaked cardboard.

y/n took a deep breath and quickly disposed of the cup, before continuing her journey to class. even though she felt bad for wasting the coffee, she was still set on having a great day. her class went by decently fast, ending when the professor decided to go on a tangent about his recent disk golf tournament.

on wednesdays she only had two classes, her next one being the longest. sitting down for her next lecture, she noticed the thigh portion of her jeans had begun to rip. y/n couldn’t help the feeling of dread that filled her body. those were her favorite jeans and the store in which she bought them, had discontinued this style.

sighing, she placed her head down on her arms. she decided to close her eyes, since she got to class early anyways. what seemed to be a few seconds, quickly turned into her feeling a jab to her side. she lifted her head, eyes squinting due to the bright lights. she looked over to her desk partner. julie looked back with concerned eyes.

“dude, are you okay?”

puzzled, y/n replied, “yeah….why?”

“you just slept through the entire lecture. which, by the way, prof decided to assign some stupid essay on. he said it’s gonna be due friday.”

with wide eyes, y/n stared at the clock on the wall.

i slept through the whole thing?

hitting her like a train, she turned back to julie.

“wait wait wait. an essay? shit, i don’t even know what he talked about today.”

worry gripped her like a vice. how the hell was she ever gonna get an essay done about a lecture she didn’t even listen to? there goes her plan on being lazy for the rest of the day.

“don’t worry, i got you girl. i made sure to take some major notes for you.” julie handed y/n the purple notebook, “just make sure to bring it to class on friday.” with that, julie gathered her things and left the classroom.

still stuck on the fact that she slept through the entire lecture, y/n slowly began to pack up and make her way home. rushing to her car, she made the drive as fast as possible.

not to her surprise, she was greeted with an empty apartment. she would normally be a little sad at this, but she took it with grace. the quiet will give her time to go over julie’s notes and start her essay.

❥.

by the time luke found his way through the door, it was easily past six.

“angel?” luke called into the open apartment. “y/n?” he called again. when he still received no response he walked to their shared bedroom, only to find her hunched over a desk with headphones in her ears.

he walked up to stand behind her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders and a kiss to the top of her head. her body jumped slightly, startled at the sudden touch.

“what the fuck, lukey?” she turned to him.

“awww, im sorry baby.” luke responded, chuckling slightly.

though his smile began to fall from his face when he saw the deep line of worry and distress around her eyebrows. luke felt his own furrow.

“what’s wrong, angel?” luke felt his own worry begin to set in. he could have sworn she was in a great mood this morning, recalling when she told him her plans for the day.

frustrated tears began to fill her eyes, “today has just utterly been shit. first, i spilt the coffee you spent so much time making me. then, i fell asleep durning my lecture and missed the entire thing. and to top it all off, my professor decided to assign an essay on said lecture. so now i’m having to bullshit this assignment, which means i’ll probably get a horrible grade.”

by the end of her rant, hot tears found their way from her eyes and down her cheeks. luke’s hands quickly reached to wipe them away.

“don’t cry, pretty girl. it’s okay.” luke said in a hushed voice. he swiveled the chair around, crouching to look up at her down casted face. he placed his hands on her plushy thighs, not failing to appreciate the warmth they radiated under his palms.

“hey, hey. look at me, y/n” at the sound of her name, she tilted her head up slightly, meeting his concerned filled eyes.

“you did nothing wrong. that coffee took me all of about 30 seconds to make and i can help you with your essay. i promise you, you are doing great, baby. you’ll do fine on this essay and it sounds to me like you needed the sleep anyways.” his hand reached to cradle her damp, round cheek.

“i’m sorry. i don’t know why i’m upset. it’s not like anything horrible happened. it-it’s just today was supposed to be so good. a-and,” a small sob cut through the air. taking a deep breath she continued, “and i’ve been doing this essay for the past 4 hours. i feel like i’m getting no where.”

luke’s heart hurt at the sight of his girlfriend so drained. it was a complete 180 from the cheerful attitude she had that morning. he slowly stood up, reaching over to close her laptop. she opened her mouth in protest, but was quickly cut off. “before you try and stop me, you need a break, sweetheart. you’ve made plenty of progress on your essay for today. come lay down with me. we can call in some take out and watch a movie.”

luke’s eyes gazed pleadingly into her own.

“but what if i can’t get it finished by tomorrow? it’s due at the beginning of class friday.” luke was fast to ease her worry, “i promise i will help you finish it tomorrow. i don’t have practice, so we can spend the whole day making this essay a+ material. now, go change and meet me in the living room.”

with a smile and another kiss to her head, luke walked out of the bedroom. attempting to brush off the last thoughts of her essay, y/n got up and walked to the closet. she grabbed a pair of sweats and one of luke’s big sweatshirts. putting it on reminded her of how thoughtful he is, always making sure to get them a size bigger so they’ll be extra oversized.

she smiled as the scent of his cologne filled her nose.

now completely changed, she walked out, only to be met with what seemed to be every blanket in the house set up on the couch. next to it laid plenty of her favorite snacks, along with her favorite drinks. with wide eyes, she turned to meet luke’s nervous form.

“w-what’s all this?” she gestured toward the couch. luke walked up to her, placing his hands on her full hips.

“i just wanted to do something for you, make your day a bit better. do you like it?” luke’s eyes were hopeful.

“of course, i love it.” she looked up at luke’s face, “thank you. for everything.” luke flashed his beaming grin.

“anything for you, angel,” he whispered. luke leaned down to press his lips into her soft ones. his hands pulled her hips to meet his, deepening the kiss. y/n found her own hands finding home in the curls on the nape of his neck. she gripped his hair, slightly pulling at the intensity. luke’s light groans filled the apartment.

forcing themselves apart, y/n placed her hands on luke’s shoulders as he tried to chase her lips. a whine escaped his throat, “whyyy? i want to kiss you.” a laugh bubbled out of her mouth, bringing a smile to luke’s face.

“as much as i would love to keep kissing you, i want to go lay down. and that movie isn’t going to watch itself.” with this, luke took liberty of going to lay across the couch first, opening his arms to welcome y/n into them. she didn’t hesitate to find comfort in his arms, laying her head on his chest.

luke grabbed one of the many blankets, covering them both. he placed his chin on the top of her head, grabbing the remote lying next to him.

“alright angel, what do you want to watch?”

[builtaworldwithyourlove]

I Forget Where We Were

1.4/ joel miller x f!reader / MINORS DNI 

summary: life with Joel from the start. Be kind please- this is my first piece and has taken 6 months of courage🤍

Chapter Nine: Conrad

Oh, I loved you with the good and the careless in me. 

what to expect: Sunday dinner for the Millers with an unexpected guest. One is human and one is tabby with four paws. 

warnings: bad language i guess idk?😂fluff, dad!joel,lover boy joel, no specific physical description of reader, female reader (please let me know if there is anything I’m missing, I will elaborate as the series goes on) no outbreak, age gap (reader is mid 20s and Joel is mid 40s), boyfriend!joel? i repeat boyfriend!joel, wholesome Sundays, toothache inducing sweetness, cute baby kittens

    · · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

‘I think it’s going to rain today’ Sarah sipped her orange juice and ate her pancakes, with a sudden air of concern and adult-like observation.

‘Nope baby, it’s a hot forecast, Uncle Tommy and his new girlfriend are round today, dinner outside again’ Joel clapped his hands as he made the obligatory dad remark of being 100% certain what the weather is like.

You woke up feeling slightly worse for wear, with the tight squeeze in the bath tub, the new prospect of moving in with Joel and Sarah, the excitement of a kitten and the bottles of red wine haunting you.

‘I’m gonna head home and grab my stuff for the week. I’ll be back soon, I love you both.’ Before you left, Joel handed you 100 dollars and you grabbed the cat collar before Sarah noticed it.

‘Daddy what is that for? She has money you know?’ Joel rolled his eyes, realising the torture that came with a daughter who was always a step ahead and way too observant.

‘How do you know what kinda money she has, now then little lady?’ Joel rested his hesd on his fist and leant over the breakfast bar, ready to be amused by Sarah’s answer, which was bount to encapsulate your entire personality.

‘No one needs that many claw clips, and she doesn’t let her handbags go anywhere near the floor.’ Sarah was deadly serious, but Joel belly laughed, so excited about building your vanity here and having your handbags on display.

‘Well, maybe I felt like being nice.’ Joel shut the conversation down. He was not ready to try and give child answers to adult questions.

   · · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Joel was right. A hot Sunday it was. You wore a cream linen co-ord, shorts with a long sleeved button up shirt. Paired with your iconic matching bow, oversized tote and Birkenstocks.

You:

We’re gonna make great pawrents.

Joel:

I should break up with you for that.

You:

You have no right. 

Joel:

I’ll put a real baby in you instead.

You:

Jesus. Not even 10am yet. At least let me have my second coffee.

You pulled up to the pet store and got all you needed for the new Miller addition. You laughed when you saw Joel had drawn a pawprint on one of the bills.

Next door was a rescue store, and you went in on the hunt for the perfect kitten. 

The volunteers were so helpful and sweet. They asked if you had children, who was home during the day and took address details and asked how the neighbourhood was. They took you through to the cats- you were in heaven. 

You were matched with a tiny 11 month old tabby. Her name was Nova, and she was perfect with children with bags of energy, but with a docile, gentle side which made her a lapcat of an evening.

They did the final checks and paperwork, and you were able to take Nova home. She mewed in her carrier for the entirety of the journey, and her tiny paws poked through the gaps in the carrier, followed by a teeny pink nose and angry kitten teeth.

You called Joel and told him you were 5 minutes from home, and to get Sarah ready.

   · · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

You let yourself in, and carried Nova through. She ran laps around the pen you set up in the living room, and then eventually fell asleep on her blanket.

You went out the back to find Joel and Sarah tidying up the plants, and taking off the leaves that had gone yellow, and repotting the dahlias. 

Joel leapt up so quickly he saw stars, and Sarah bounded down the garden to cuddle you,the usual greeting you were given.

‘What would make your Sunday better?’ Joel asked

‘No school tomorrow?’ Sarah blushed knowing she was hilarious.

‘Okay what else?’ Joel rolled his eyes.

‘Ice cream?’ Sarah laughed again.

‘Okay I’m impatient. Follow me and Daddy’ you skipped through the kitchen and turned and made Sarah jump by shushing her.

She went giddy and Joel instantly fell in love with the pint sized baby that laid asleep in the sun beam on the floor.

Sarah squealed with excitement as she tiptoed over to Nova. Nova woke up and she rolled on her back and did a big stretch. Sarah delicately tickled Nova’s belly and Nova jumped to all fours and ran round Sarah, picking up a mouse toy in her mouth and dropping it by her lap.

‘She’s so fluffy, I love her so much. Thank you’ Sarah started to cry, unable to process the emotions that came with your first pet at a young age.

You and Joel were emotional wrecks, watching what was possiby the most wholesome moment in your lives. Joel wrapped his arm round you and you leaned into him. 

‘You did good baby’ he whispered as his lips touched the top of your head.‘Everything I’ve ever wanted in one room’ 

The wholesomeness was soon interrupted by Tommy, bursting his way through to the front room. 

‘I bought company, hope you don’t mind one more’ Tommy lead the new love interest in by her wrist and made her do a twirl. Your jaw dropped. You both squealed in unison and ran to eachother.

‘Laura, you dirty dog’ you pretended to gasp and be disgusted, but your bestfriend and basically brother-in-law, it was a blessing.

‘He dropped me home Friday night and I couldn’t get him to leave’ Laura giggled as Tommy playfully smacked her ass.

‘Uncle Tommy, meet Nova. Hi you’re pretty’ Sarah couldn’t stop to answer questions about the furry addition, too distracted by trying to wrap your best friend around her little finger too. 

Tommy played with Nova, and she clamped her paws round his wrist and they wrestled.

‘Right, let’s go grab a drink’ Joel attempted to restore some order. Kittens, friendly reunions, two smart ass independent women. The Millers were in deep.

     · · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

You all caught up and debriefed on the events of Friday night, the proposal Joel had and Laura and Tommy’s newly found spark.

After plates and plates of chicken Caesar, steak, fries and homemade cookies, mixed with sangria and beers, you all collapsed in the living room on the sofa. You and Laura did Sarah’s bedtime routine before school tomorrow and then joined the boys downstairs after you all kissed her goodnight.

Nova snuggled up next to Sarah on her pillow, and Laura took a polaroid and propped it next to Sarah’s nightlight. How did you all get so lucky to find eachother? Sarah would never come up short in her life, you all loved her fiercely.

You and Laura shared the armchair, with the type of friendship where you had very little boundaries, but also due to the fact you couldn’t finish a conversation without Joel and Tommy moaning you were shouting across the room to eachother whilst they tried to watch the big game.

Laura shotgunned all the pieces of clothing that you were talking about decluttering, seeing as you would have to find a way to fit a 2 bed apartment, overrun with your belongings, around Joel and Sarah’s life, without intruding.

    · · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Joel and Tommy finally made it through the game with no interruptions, as you and Laura were banished to the armchair and inevitably fell asleep holding wine glasses. You were both lightweights and prone to exhaustion following high levels of excitement.

In true manly, criminal fashion, they turned the big light on and you both jumped up, grouchy and rudely awakened.Tommy was going to drive Laura home, and you planned your schedules to line up tomorrow whilst hugging goodbye.

‘Look after her’ you warned Tommy, lightheartedly of course.

‘I wouldn’t dare hurt my girls’ Tommy winked playfully and Joel stood behind you with his forearm coming over your shoulder and draping over your chest.

Joel wrapped the lengths of your hair round his hand, as you shut the front door, and held it firmly as he kissed you.

‘What a weekend baby, I’m exhausted, and far too drunk for a Sunday’ he slurred his words ever so slightly, and his eyes were heavy. 

‘Let’s be asleep by 10pm and then it doesn’t count’ you scrunched your nose and kissed him.

‘Come on then baby. We’ve got a busy week coming up.’

Previous Chapter

Final Chapter

[agirlwithdemonblood]

The Celebrity Next Door: Chapter 19- Embracing Happiness in Texas

Pairings: Jensen Ackles x Reader

Chapter Summary: Y/N and Jensen finally have the ending they both deserve.

A/N: This is going to be the last chapter of this series; I decided that the story went exactly the direction I wanted it to, and I think that I'm satisfied with a sweet happy ending, because I think that's what the characters deserve.

Series Masterlist here!! & Main masterlist here!

A month has passed since Jensen and I had settled into our new life, our lives were filled with a newfound joy and stability. Day by day, Jensen became brighter, more comfortable with letting love and happiness in.

For a while, I had no idea what to do here, unsure of what career path to take but the more I listened to Jensen and understood his trauma, the closer I was to figuring out my true calling.

I enrolled in school to become a therapist, receiving endless support from Jensen who thought it was perfect for me, and I agreed. My life felt right, it felt like I found my home and my family.

Jensen landed a role in a new TV show, bringing a new found sense of appreciation for his life and himself. Despite his busy schedule, he always made time for simple joys like breakfast with the entire family, and walks in their neighbourhood.

The kids adjusted well to their new life here, half the time with their mom and half the time with Jensen and I. Even Sarah and I got closer, we would invite each other to morning coffee and take the kids to the park, our bound over the love we had for the children blossomed into a genuine friendship that only enriched our blended family.

Under the Texas sky, painted with beautiful shades of orange and pink, Jensen and I sat in our backyard, cuddled into each other, embracing the moment with each other.

"I can't believe we made it here." Jensen whispered, his voice filled with admiration as he looked around at the peaceful surroundings.

I leaned into his shoulder, feeling his warmth against mine. "It feels unreal, doesn't it?"

He nodded in response, his eyes softening as he gazed into mine. "A dream I never want to end."

"You know," she began, her voice filled with emotion, "I never thought we'd go from neighbours who didn't get along to this."

Jensen chuckled gently, brushing a hair from my face and stepping closer. "Y/N." he began, his voice gentle yet filled with emotions. "When we first met, I didn't realize how much you would change my life. I was closed off, pushing away love because I was afraid and hurt. But you, with your constant kindness and openness, your unwavering belief in us, you saved me from becoming a man I really didn't want to be, you saved me from giving up on love all together, and I'm not sure what I did to deserve you, but I'm grateful."

I turned towards him, my heart swelling with love and appreciation for the journey we had traveled together. I took a deep breath and pulled him closer. "You showed me what love truly means."

His head dropped as nerves flowed through him, "I pushed it away, convinced myself I didn't deserve it. But you, you taught me how to love again, how to open my heart and let someone in completly."

I could feel the tears pouring down my cheeks, overwhelmed by the intensity of his words and the genuine love in his voice. Before I could say anything, Jensen reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box and dropping to his knee. He opened it slowly, revealing a gorgeous diamond ring that sparkled in the soft candlelight.

"Y/N, Will you marry me?" He whispered, his voice filled with hope and vulnerability. "Will you continue to be my light, my love, my everything?"

Unable to find words, I nodded and jumped on him, sending us tumbling to the ground, laughter and tears mixed in the air. "Is that a yes?"

I nodded and kissed him over and over, "Yes, of course yes. You're all I want."

In this serene moment under the stars, we hung onto each-other tightly, knowing that we found forever in each-other's arms. The stars above seemed to shine brighter, celebrating our love story and the promise of a future filled with endless love.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

Like, comment, and reblog, feedback is my fuel 💕

[ltash]

Piss Poor Tea

Ghost has to drive you to the city and he is not happy about it so he has something on his mind.

Ghost! I need you to take her to the city. She needs to get her belongings from her apartment." Laswell said.

"Why Me? Soap can drive her." He countered.

"Because I said so, Lieutenant," Laswell replied firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Besides, you have your car here. It's more convenient."

A heavy sigh escaped Ghost's lips, his reluctance evident in the way he shifted his weight. "Fine, I'll take her," he relented, though the frustration lingered in his voice.

"Soap will accompany you too." Laswell said.

"Ok! When do we leave?" Ghost inquired, his voice tinged with a hint of reluctance.

"As soon as possible," Laswell replied briskly. "I am giving you a day off. Try to make it quick. Tomorrow we will be finalizing our next mission." With that, she declared, "Meeting is dismissed."

Ghost turned to me, his gaze lingering for a moment before he stated, "Meet me in an hour. Get ready." Then, without waiting for a response, he left the room.

The journey stretched on for two long hours, with Soap's incessant chatter filling the car.

"Aye LT! Why was strawberry crying?" Soap quipped, unable to contain his own laughter. "Because it was in a jam."

"Put on some music, please. I'm getting bored," I interjected, hoping to drown out Soap's jokes.

Throughout the ride, I noticed Ghost's gaze fixed on me in the rearview mirror, his eyes unwavering. "LT! You have a staring problem?" I teased, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Look ahead, or we'll be in big trouble."

Ghost finally tore his eyes away from me in the mirror and refocused on the road ahead, his expression unreadable.

After a long journey, we finally arrived at my home in the afternoon. I turned the key in the lock and swung the door open, inviting Ghost and Soap inside.

"Welcome to my abode boys where I only got to spend 2 hours of my life. Make yourself at home." I joked around.

"Nice home lass." Soap added. Do you have a car too? He asked.

"Yes. They shipped my car beforehand. Its a Tesla. Its in the underground parking." I said. "And speaking of that I remembered it wasn't charged."

Soap replied. "A Tesla, huh? Fancy choice." He chuckled.

"Yeah, but not very practical if it's not charged," Ghost remarked.

"Don't worry, we can take care of that later," Soap said with a grin. "First, let's get your stuff."

"Do you drink?" Ghost asked.

"Yes I drink but only coffee. Sorry you won't find any Bourbon here." I chuckled.

"Good enough for me," Ghost said with a smirk. "But I drink tea."

Soap chimed in, "I could use a cup too, if you don't mind.

"Tea it is then," I corrected myself with a smile. "I'll put the kettle on."

I remembeed there was milk in the fridge which I hadn't even opened. Thankfully it wasn't gone bad.

As I was making tea Ghost came to stand against the counter. Soap was busy watching TV.

I added milk, sugar and tea altogether and put it on the stove.

Ghost was watching me closely and he intervened.

"You have to mix tea and water first and bring it to a boil then add a dash of milk and sugar according to taste. You are doing it wrong." He added.

"My mother used to make tea like that. I like it that way more." I said and gave him a smile.

"Its not English tea then." Ghost came closer and said very softly.

It gave me chills down my spine hearing him so close to me.

"You have to try it. Trust me." I replied.

"Jesus! Trying this tea will be more difficult than our Al Qatala mission." He scoffed.

He then went back to the couch to sit Soap.

After making tea I served it with biscuits and chips.

"Here you go gentlemen." I said placing the tray on the table.

"Thankyou Lass, for your hospitability." Soap chuckled.

Feeling the need for a change of clothes, I excused myself and made my way to the bathroom.

"Piss poor tea." I heard Ghost saying.

My blood started to boil at his remarks. Why does he have to be such a jerk?

My bags were already packed, untouched since my arrival. Retrieving my belongings, I selected a black, high-waisted leather skirt that hugged my curves, complemented by a velvet, noodle-strap blouse. Tossing on a leather jacket for good measure, I emerged from the room feeling refreshed and ready.

Returning to the common area, I found Ghost once again staring at me with his intense gaze. It was like his eyes were boring into my soul, igniting a fire within me that I struggled to contain. Sitting down on the couch opposite him, I tried to focus on anything but the way his eyes seemed to strip me bare with their intensity.

"Maybe we should hang out for a bit," I suggested, breaking the silence that lingered between us.

"I need to get something from my apartment too," Ghost muttered, his voice low and somewhat hesitant.

"Alright, let's go to a club then. You can get what you're looking for from your home, and then we'll head back," I replied, trying to keep the mood light.

"Fine," he agreed, his tone begrudging.

Soap, always eager to join in on the fun, chimed in, "I'M COMING TOO!"

"Of course you are! We won't leave you here," I laughed lightly, grateful for the opportunity to break the tension.

We arrived at the club, and Ghost ordered his usual bourbon while Soap opted for whiskey. As for me, I stuck to my usual coke, preferring to stay sober.

Soap indulged in drink after drink, quickly downing several, while Ghost kept a more measured pace. By the time we decided to call it a night, Soap was already passed out in the car, leaving Ghost and me to handle the situation.

"It's getting late. We need to get Soap home," I urged Ghost as we made our way to the car.

He drove to his apartment.

"We don't have much time Ghost. We need to leave. Make it quick please." I said.

Ghost glanced at me, his expression serious. "I can't drive a long distance properly after drinking. It's not safe. We'll have to spend the night here," he explained.

Concerned about Soap's well-being, I hesitated. "What about Soap?" I asked.

Ghost shrugged, unfazed. "Leave him in the car. Come with me if you want to. I won't take long," he suggested.

Despite my reservations, I knew he had a point.

Trusting him as my lieutenant, I reluctantly agreed. "Fine. Let's go," I said, steeling myself for what lay ahead.

The car came to a halt in front of a nondescript building, and I glanced over at Soap, who was sound asleep in the backseat.

Ghost opened the door, and I followed him inside the building, the weight of the night's events hanging heavy on my mind.

We rode the elevator up to the second floor, and I followed Ghost down the hall to his apartment, his confident stride unwavering.

As he unlocked the door and stepped inside, I followed suit, feeling a sense of unease settle over me.

He kicked off his shoes, leaving them neatly by the door, I saw him barefoot the first time.

I couldn't help but steal a glance at his feet, his toes were perfectly aligned, even this man's feet were perfect.

He opened his bedroom door and entered. My glance darting on his back, his cargo pants were tight around his thighs.

He looked so good in those.

Taking in my surroundings, I noted the simplicity of his apartment, the sparse furnishings lending an air of minimalism to the space.

"Come inside. I won't bite." His thick British voice echoed from his bedroom.

Reluctantly, I stepped into his bedroom, feeling a wave of apprehension wash over me. Ghost was perched on the edge of his bed, his gaze fixed on me as I entered.

I hesitated, unsure of what to say or do in this unexpected situation. But his reassuring tone eased some of my tension, and I took a hesitant step forward, closing the distance between us.

"What do you need from here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside me.

Ghost got up from his bed and walked over to a table in the corner of the room. There was a laptop and some files on the table. He picked up one of the files and started looking through it carefully.

He seemed focused on what he was doing, flipping through the pages with care.

"I need to give these papers to Capt. Price," he said.

I stood beside him, observing as he flipped through the pages. "What is this?" I asked, curious about the contents.

He remained silent for a moment before responding. "Forget it," he finally said dismissively.

But then he looked at me, and suddenly, a sharp piece of paper cut his thumb. He cursed softly, shaking his hand in pain. I did not know he took off his gloves.

"Show me," I said, taking hold of his hand and bringing his thumb to my lips, sucking away the blood from the paper cut.

The sweet and metallic taste of his blood touched my lips.

He stood there in total shock, his expression caught between surprise and confusion. A small groan escaped from his lips, his eyes narrowing at me with a mix of emotions.

I let go of his thumb, breaking the silence that had settled between us. "It should be fine now," I said softly, trying to ease the tension in the air.

He placed his hand on my cheek, the warmth of his touch radiating to my face, sending a shiver down my spine. "What have you just done to me, Angela?" he asked softly, rolling his balaclava up to his nose, his eyes locked on mine.

I struggled to find the words, but before I could respond, his lips crashed into mine, silencing any further conversation.

[madwomansapologist]

━ ✧ unraveling you | chapter 1 - welcome to westview!

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series synopsis: Trapped inside Westview, Agatha Harkness was reduced to Agnes. The noisy neighbor and nothing more than that. Until a meteor rain brought something strong to Westview. Something strong enough to help her, and maybe strong enough to free her. You. In a journey to save herself by teaching you the ways of magic, Agatha Harkness wants one thing only: to avenge herself.

Agnes woke up before the alarm, unsure if she even slept last night.

Standing in front of the bedside table, surrounded by shadows and whispers of familiar voices, cold water soaked her feet. It rained at midnight. She remembers it now. Soon Agnes will forget about it, but for now she remembers.

The analog glitched, its numbers changing again. Agnes tried to blink. It never works. Not before the right time. Rubbing bellow her sore eyes, Agnes felt the trace of tears. It wasn’t raining, a familiar voice whispered on her ears. If only she knew whom it belongs to. My tears flooded this cursed place.

Something trembled inside her mind. Hatred. Agnes didn’t knew she could name her feelings. Hatred, hatred, hatred. That made her laugh, but then the clock changed again. Time to wake up. The rebellion was gone just as quickly as it came.

She made her bed, without noticing that the pillowcase was left backwards. Agnes opened the curtains. It had stopped raining already. Something told her to dry the floor. It was an order, and she obeyed. What else could she do?

The kitchen was next on her assorted routine. Agnes made coffee, without any sweetener, althought she prefers tea. She drank it all in one gulp. It burned her tongue and throat.

She stared at the knifes on the counter top. It was impossible to not wonder. To not imagine a different path. An exit door. If only she were allowed to get near them. If only Agnes could grab one of them and just…

Agnes took her keys and stood before the main door. She smiled widely. As she walked outside, her hands waived automatically to her neighboors.

An empty puppet, something whispered in her ears. You lived far too long. Agnes agreed.

― Good morning, hot suff! ― Agnes purred, opening the fence. ― A good day to be good, am I right?

Sarah Proctor bumped her head against the car. It was too early for someone to be that noisy. She rolled her eyes and went back to taking her groceries out of the car, ignoring Agnes’ presence.

― Just drop the act ― Sarah murmured to herself.

Agnes passed by her, continuing her daily walk through town. After wandering around the center, her path ended at an isolated grove. She sat on a bench still damp from last night rain and gazed at the sky.

After an hour the watch on her hand bipped, allowing Agnes to go back home. Later that day, the clock on her kitchen’s wall gave her permission to eat. Another on the living room made her turn on the TV. Then off. One informed her of when to go to bed.

That morning, when the clock woke her up, Agnes threw it against the wall. It ricocheted, the metal colliding against the bricks, and slid under her bed. It kept on echoing inside her head.

When Agnes got out of bed, it stopped.

Agnes ate eggs with no salt and drank old, icy coffee.

― I am happy ― Agnes smiled, glaring at herself through a mirror on the kitchen’s wall. Lips ever so enchanting. Her cheeks burned. And so did her eyes. ― Don’t look at the knifes. You are happy.

Forced to walk out of that place ― she can’t call it home, no magic or spell can make Agnes call it home ―, Agnes felt the cold tears against her skin. More of a drizzle than a tempest, but uncomfortable still. Without an umbrella or warm clothes, Agnes continued her day.

Part of her wanted to know what month it was. It’s raining more often. Which season are they on? The other part knew that time meant little now. It lost its meaning when she stopped trying. She can’t remember how long ago that was.

She can’t remember most things now.

Gazing at the sky, all she could see were gray clouds. They moved slowly, the air changing their shapes as it continues to rain. Then, something passed right throught it. An blue line crossing the sky, leaving an trail of smoke behind. Dozens upon dozens of them fell from the sky, all ending the gray hanging over Westview.

Meteor rain.

It burned so brightly. The fire catching as they passed right throught the atmosphere seemed rosy from where Agnes stood, watching intensively the espectacle. The rain ceased, the clouds dissolving so the blue sky was visible.

It is beautiful. Agnes laughed. The world really is.

Agnes watched as they dissapeared in the sky. All meteors burned until they were barely tiny rocks. Once so powerfull, now reduced to nothing out of Earth’s nature. Except by one. It was bigger than the others, and it glistened red. It continued falling, crossing the sky with ease, as if its fate was to be a constant presence.

Her laugh ceased when Agnes realized it was too close.

Unable to move away, to say anything, Agnes was the witness of its destruction. It crashed into the trees of the grove, tearing everything on its way down. The wood turned into dust, the grass disappeared, the rainwater boiled. An endless moment of pure despair.

It was so beautiful.

A circle of fog expanded throught the grove with its impact. It covered everything there. Agnes coughed, trying to protect her face from the hot air.

Agnes tried to find her way towards the meteor. Ignoring the destruction, she focused on a pearly glow deep into the grove. Outlined by the trees, it glistened. Agnes just wanted to see it closer.

It has been so long since she last wanted something.

The pearly glow started to fade, and a woman’s silhouette appeared in the middle of it. It looked like she was walking on fire, then it suddenly was the opposite. She was brighter than anything else. The only thing shining in this whole world.

And she looked at Agnes, eyes burning in a white liquid light. A sign of strength. Of power and potential. Agnes was unaware that her own shined purple, overflowing with her magic.

The woman fell unconsious on the floor, leaving Agnes to figure out how to take her home.

 ― Welcome to Westview ― Agnes murmured to herself. ― Home is where you make it.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The universe was fated to end in harmony.

All worlds crumbled together. Suns imploded in waves, disturbing the planets orbiting around it. Galaxies crashed against one another, satelites imploding and changing comets’ paths.

Colors that were once infinite, sounds that were once the only unavoidable event, all faded.

Nothing remains. No darkness, no vacuum, no space to be rebuilt. Nothing except them, ready to go and never look back. The job was finished. They turned out the lights, cleaned the mess. Now it’s time to leave and lock the door behind them.

― I can start it over ― you declared. ― Get it right this time. Do it right.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The ceiling was molding. It was the first thing you’ve noticed. Not only was it visibly molding but you could smell it too. Those facts came accompanied by a doubt: who’s ceiling was that?

― Morning, beautiful ― a energetic voice startled you.

You moved your neck, now seeing the woman standing at the other side of the room. As you sat on the bed, back against the icy wall, your whole body throbbed.

― You’ve slept for quite sometime now ― she pointed out. A voice so full with energy, and yet her eyes were sore. She looked exhausted. ― Do you remember anything that happened?

You tried to think of what you did last. Of where you were. Nothing came to your mind. You are here now. There is no before. There is just this room, that tired woman and doubts you don’t have a way to answer.

― Who are you? ― You rubbed your face, trying to get your mind to work. Your heart vibrate inside your chest. ― What is happening?

Agnes saw that same light pooring through your eyes again. That pearly glow defying the rules of gravity. Little rays of energy came out of your fingers, and their intensity made the room vibrate.

Your magic was untamed.

Tempting.

― I know as much as you do ― Agnes sat down beside you. She reach out for you, stroking your back slowly. As if you were a beast chosing between attacking or running away. ― Breath in, breath out. There is no need for you to panic.

You tried to do as she said. Again and again, you tried to calm yourself. The energy on your eyes disappeared, the power gone, revealing tears about to escape.

Agnes wiped your cheek. The tear glistened, and Agnes saw it for what it was: a crystal. When her thumb brushed against it, the crystal penetrated her skin. She saw it disappearing on her finger, but felt nothing.

Keep her around, that voice told her. This time, it sounded different. Like it came from a different plane of existence, one that suddenly became closer to her own. Agnes recognizes it now. That voice was her own. Don’t let her go.

You did something to her. To Agatha Harkness. Not Agnes, not the noisy neighboor, not an middle age lady with something flirtatious to say. She is Agatha Harkness. You shattered something, and Agatha needs you to fully break it.

― There is something about you ― still, the words were pronounced by Agnes. That tooth-aching sweet tone, so fake and unhuman. ― Something impressive about you. Reminds me of someone I used to know.

― Used to?

Agnes opened her mouth, but the words she wanted didn’t made out of it. Agatha could think, but Agnes is the one that can act. And Agnes isn’t allowed to do as it pleases her.

― It’s fine ― you saw right throught her. She wanted to say something, but couldn’t. You felt it in your bones. ― If you can’t talk about it.

Can’t. Not don’t want. You said can’t.

The clock interrupting her line of thought once more. Time for another walk. Agnes kneeled down, getting it from under the bed. She glared at it, broken in pieces and still ticking.

That bitch can’t be simple, can she?

Agnes’ threw it out of the window.

― It’s that annoying?

― Honey, you don’t even know.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The leaves levitated, dancing on the sky. From the questroom on the second floor you couldn’t see the ground. For you, the leaves were flying etternaly. A matter of perspective.

Your back burned. You were being watched. Turning around, you expect to see Agnes. The woman you meet a day prior. That funny, tired, noisy woman who took care of you when you needed it the most. Instead, by the open door of your room, tiny black eyes glared at you.

You kneeled down and waited for it to get closer. When it did, you stroked its ears. So soft against your palm, malleable and warm. A rabbit. You remember. That tiny animal is called a rabbit.

― Let’s buy something different for dinner ― Agnes entered the room, cleaning her hands with a towel. You smelled raw meat. And you don’t know how, but you knew she would rather starve than to eat that again. ― Put on some clothes.

You continued to scratch the rabbit’s ear.

― I’m already using clothes.

― You’re using a nightgown.

― And? ― It was a honest question. Agnes could tell. ― Is it wrong to wear that?

That naivety intrigues Agnes. She saw it on Wanda before. That need to pretend the world is somewhere simple than it is by turning yourself into someone easier to be. Something happened to you. Something that you rather forget than face.

No honest questions or sweet smiles will make Agnes forget you came with the meteors. That you smelled like magic and potential. You’re strong. Strong enough to recover from whatever stole your memories. All you need is time. Agnes will give you that.

And when you’re to pay for your debt, Agnes will chose what to take from you.

― He likes you ― Agnes said. She opened the wardrobe, looking for something you could use outside. ― Señor Scratchy, I mean. That’s no very common.

― I like him too ― you yawn. ― You could feel it, right Señor Scratchy?

Cute.

Agnes put some clothes on the bed and walked from the room, giving you time to change. After long enough for Agnes to get impatient, you appeared on the kitchen. In front of the main door, Agnes grabbed the keys.

― Do you remember anything else now? ― She unlooked the door, trying to look like she wasn’t giving to much thought to the subject.

It wasn’t the first time Agnes asked you that, but it was the first time you had something to say.

― Yes, I do!

― Oh ― Agnes smiled. ― And what is it?

― Señor Scratchy is a rabbit!

Agnes opened the main door, nodding to herself. That was on her, she admits it. She better lower her expectations. Althought, it is curious you know what a rabbit is. She wonders if maybe you hit your head after the meteor crashed. Perhaps it’s a medical case, not a magic one.

But her intuition says the contrary, and Agnes trusts it enough.

― Of course, sweetheart ― she murmured. ― A rabbit.

You weren’t paying attention on her. Wandering out of the house, you just observed the world. It was the first time you got out of the house. So many lights and colors, they all blend together to create new things. From that tiny window, all you could see were trees and the skies. But this…

― Wow ― you laughed. ― Oh my.

Agnes held you by the shoulders to make you walk towards the center. Instead of behaving, you just walked whenever you wanted to. A few times Agnes had to stop you from crashing against a car.

― Can you stop moving? ― Agnes hissed, following you. ― We were supposed to head…

― Morning, Agnes! ― A neighbor she don’t remember the name waived at her.

― Morning, sweetie!

When she turned back, you were gone. Agnes cursed, running towards you on the other side of the street. Agnes crossed the park’s entrance, but stopped trying to reach for you when she noticed what this place was. A graveyard.

She just wanted to buy pork.

Agnes made to where you stood, glaring at an old grave. It was molding, and part of it fell down. In silence, she observed it. The birthday was unkown. The death was a few years prior. What happened to them?

― What are those? ― You looked at her. ― That’s a weird place.

― They bury dead people here ― Agnes explained to you. ― And write some things about them on stone. Birthday, date of death, name, maybe a pretty sentence.

― Why?

― I’m not really sure ― she admitted. ― I guess it makes the living feel better.

― I don’t have a name ― was your response. You pointed at the grave, but Agnes kept on looking at you. ― I want that one.

Agnes laughed. A real, belly aching laugh.

― Stealing someone’s name, huh? ― Agnes nodded to herself. ― I don’t think they will miss it.

As you explored the cemetery, Agnes watched over you, testing your new name on her tongue.

GENERAL TAGLIST: @lovelyy-moonlight

UNRAVELING YOU TAGLIST: @harknessshi

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@ madwomansapologist.tumblr

[dullgecko]

I've been thinking of flavoured coffees because it's almost pumpkin spice season and I was thinking about how Riz would either really like them or hate them. No in between.

Riz wasn't really paying attention to what was going on around him, the rogue perched on the edge of a dining room table at Mordred as he tried to sort out the mess that was one of Kristen's history papers.

Kristen had been sitting at the table with him at one point to at least try to look like she was doing her own homework but he'd sent her away when she started trying to spin pens around her fingers like he did. She'd failed badly enough that it had flown out of her hand and bounced off the goblins glasses with a loud thwaking noise, startling him into spilling his coffee he'd been mid sip drinking.

They'd managed to save their notes but now the rogue was sullen and cranky without his caffeine. His pen making clicking noises against his claws as he spun it around and around as he tried to focus on Kristen's terrible handwriting. He was tempted to just scrap the entire thing and rewrite it for her but he didn't think he could replicate her horrible chickenscratch convincingly. Plus, his mom had caught him doing one if Figs assignments for her last week and made him promise to stop; he had enough work on his plate already without doing his friends school work for them as well.

And so, here he was, doing the infinitely harder and more time consuming task of proofreading Kristen's work for her. He'd honestly had cyphers in his rogue classes that were easier to crack and the lack of caffeine was just making it harder. He couldn't even make a new cup because they were out of instant coffee, but hopefully Jawbone would be home soon with groceries.

Riz took off his glasses, holding them in one hand so he could lay his forehead against the relatively cold surface of the dining room table. Not looking up when he heard the front door of the manor open and someone sat down with a thump on the opposite side of the table from him.

He could hear them shuffling around his mess of balled up papers, most of them getting knocked onto the floor, before something was placed down in their place.

"I have brought you provisions The Ball." Fabian tapped the top of Rizs head, the goblin rolling it to the side to squint at the large take away cup now sitting next to him. His glasses hitting the table with a clatter as he grabbed the hot cup and dragged it over closer.

"Uuuugh yessss. This is why you're my best friend. How did you know?"

"Adaine sent me a prophetic warning that this would be your villain origin unless we acted fast." The fighter laughed when Riz made a noise of agreement, the goblin sitting up and taking a sip of the drink and immediately pulling a face.

"Ugh. I think /this/ might be my villain origin actually. What the hell is this?" He took another sip, the drink making his face tingle as the combination of sugar and caffeine hit his tongue. On second taste it wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't what he was expecting.

"One of those fancy flavoured drinks they have this time of year. Pumkin spice, but I think it's just caramel, nutmeg and cinnamon. No pumpkin at all. I thought it was quite nice." Fabian sipped his own, watching the goblins face journey as they drank some more and tried to work out if they liked it or not.

"Huh... alright then. I mean it's not /bad/ but I wasn't expecting it. Guess it caught me off guard. Thanks." He put the drink down, tongue darting out to lick some of the foam off his lips as he reached for his glasses. "Hmmm yeah. I think I like it."

"Excellent. Do try to pace yourself with it though. It's got three shots of espresso in it and enough sugar to kill an ogre."

Fabian, unfortunately, didn't know what kind of evil he had just unleashed though. Especially because now that Riz had gotten a taste of the fancy flavoured coffees Fabian preferred he wanted /more/. The only problem was they cost fourteen silver from the good coffee shop downtown, compared to the six bronze coins his usual sludgy gas station coffee cost him. Riz was in a foul mood for weeks when he found this out.

[ridiasfangirlings]

Can you do a summarized version of the K: A Year Later?

You can read all chapters translated here, if you want to get the full story. But if you just need a summary, it's just what it says on the tin: the story of the cast one year after the end of ROK. Each chapter is set up to flow into the next, so usually one character will run into another at the end of their focus chapter and that character will be the focus of the next chapter. The story starts with Kuroh, going over his life at Ashinaka with Shiro and Neko (he helps out at the kendo club and also works at the coffee shop attached to the school). Even with his busy life he still tries to find time to relax and feel the world around him, as Ichigen taught him, and the chapter ends with him meeting Awashima, which is when we learn that Munakata is currently absent.

The second chapter focuses on Awashima, discussing how Munakata basically left on a journey to find himself or whatever and now Awashima's in charge of S4 in his absence. She notices she's gained some weight and tries to quit anko but ultimately a ghost did it (….I'd say it makes sense in context but only in the 'Is Scepter 4 okay' way) so she's good and can once again have anko. She's not the only one giving up things though, as Kusanagi has decided to give up smoking. We get some updates on the Homra alphabet and Kusanagi does his best to function without cigarettes but in the end he has to burn a mud Strain and decides he can keep his cigarettes.

Neko is the one who makes Kusanagi aware of the Strain in his story so the next chapter is hers, showing off her study routine and doing her best. She's made a new friend too, a girl affected by the release of the Slate at the end of ROK, and Neko gets to have cake and study. Eventually there's a knock at the door and Yukari shows up for his chapter, looking for Kuroh. He gets to spend some bonding time with Neko and Shiro before Kuroh comes home and he has some nostalgic feelings about Ichigen too. The chapter ends with Yukari stopping by a liquor store to get some sake and watch the moon, and naturally the store he stops at is the one owned by Kamamoto's family.

Kamamoto's chapter is about his relationship with his childhood friend Ayumi (from Memory of Red and a cameo in Missing Kings). He isn't sure if they're dating or what, but with some advice from Homra he does eventually decide to make their relationship official and even ends up engaged, all while the Homra alphabet (except Chitose, who actually got a girl too) get to be bitter and drink over Kamamoto getting engaged to a girl before them. Speaking of romantic feelings, Yata asks Fushimi on a date asks Fushimi to come over to his place where they play video games and drink cola that they had as kids and spend the night together and it's all very sweet. Afterward Fushimi goes back to S4 and takes care of a Strain situation with perfect skill, because it's the place he belongs after all.

Fushimi's chapter ends with S4 spotting Sukuna on one of their cameras so his chapter is next. Sukuna's living with Yukari and Kotosaka and continuing his training, and one day he runs across his mother. She sees him with a bruise from his training and treats him still like something that was her 'property' so Sukuna fights off her manservant guy and tells her he won't go home with before running off. He happens to spot Anna in her high school uniform and that's our next story about Anna and her new friend Tsubaki. Some bullies who got Red power when the Slate was released try to use Tsubaki to lure Anna somewhere and teach her a lesson, so of course Anna promptly shows up and scares the crap out of them with her King powers. Later she introduces Tsubaki to the Homra guys and they see a huge procession of people coming by, because the King Munakata has returned.

You know how I had some asks about Munakata becoming unintentionally famous in various ways, basically something like that happened and everywhere around the world Munakata went he picked up followers. He ends up in South Africa where he gets a heartfelt letter from Fushimi-kun and decides he must return, bringing his whole entourage along. S4 are all happy to see him and confirm again that Munakata is still their King, and Munakata decides that he is still Munakata Reisi, even without the Slate. He stops by Mihashira, where Shiro's hanging out for our final chapter. Shiro and Munakata have a nice chat (and Shiro says he won't leave the ground anymore because it's not like he said he wouldn't run away a million times in ROK, we've covered this already guys). Shiro stops by both S4 and Homra and then eventually gets to go home with Kuroh and Neko, happily facing the future.

[storiesofsvu]

Journey to the Past Ch 26

Bryan Kneef x reader Just a whole lotta fluff at this point friends

You were honestly surprised when it was only a few days later that you came home from work to find the guest room empty, sheets over the smaller furniture that you planned on keeping and painter’s tape framing the walls. After confirming which pieces you agreed on for the nursery Bryan had ordered as many of them as possible, not letting you lift a finger when it came to either paying or talking about setting things up. He reassured you that he’d hire people to take care of everything, after all, what was the point of having money if it wasn’t that?

He was your complete rock and support, having read even more than you at this point about pregnancy and babies. You had to scold and remind him on a few things here and there, things that were outdated (especially when he tried to take away your coffee) but otherwise you were not complaining in the least. If he got home first, he’d always have dinner going, delivery or otherwise, making sure that you had a full healthy meal to eat, and that there’d be leftovers for lunch. If you managed to beat him, he’d check in with you, making sure you weren’t too tired and you’d usually shoo him away, handing him a scotch and pecking his cheek gently.

It was on those days specifically that he always made sure to take care of the cleaning up and dishes, pulling your feet into his lap for a massage once he was done. He was the epitome of perfect father to be, making sure you had absolutely everything you needed to have a healthy, happy pregnancy. Despite still being terrified himself, he was doing his best to be incredibly supportive and reassuring you that everything was going to turn out perfectly. He knew that you were much more prepared to be a parent than he was, but it was more about making it to the finish line that was worrying you. So he was sure to ask every annoying question possible at the doctors and go through the risks and warnings of any procedures suggested. He was at every single appointment, no matter how last minute it was or how much shuffling around at work he had to do. He knew just how important this was for the both of you and he wanted to make sure that you knew just how involved he was going to be for the entire thing. Scared or not, he was ready to be the father of your children, ready for that life that he never thought he would actually get to experience. He was ready to shift from his ways, he’d found a woman he loved, one that he knew he always would, one that he was very willing to settle down with and create a new blended version of life with.

He caught himself daydreaming about the family life more often than not, he’d always thought that a minimum of two kids was ideal, but if there were two of them you’d need to move to a bigger place. An actual house, in a good school district where the kids could live next door to their friends instead of in an apartment building. He managed to shake out of it as his car came to a halt at his destination, remembering that there was an order to do these things in, get through baby number one before thinking about the next one.

As he’d suggested a couple of weeks ago, you’d gone through the Tiffany’s catalogue and selected a few pieces that had caught your eye. You’d also thrown in a nice watch and couple of new pairs of cuff links for Bryan as a little treat for him, even if he was the one footing the bill. Naturally, he put the order in online and had a couple of the pieces customized, altering size or colour of diamond or the like so it took a little bit longer before it was ready for pick up. He easily jogged up the steps and pulled open the door to Tiffany’s, smiling when he was greeting immediately by one of the clerks.

“Mr. Kneef, they told me you’d likely be coming by today.”

“Just here to pick up an online order.” He replied with a grin.

“It’s in the back, have a look around and let me know if I can help you with anything else.”

“Thanks Jessica.” He nodded, watching as she disappeared into the back room, leaving him to wander through the store.

Being that it was the middle of the work day it wasn’t a busy store, a couple over in the corner looking at the housewarming gifts section but that was basically it. A pair of earrings caught his eye that he hadn’t seen in the catalogue, one that matched the original necklace he’d given you after your first date and he made a mental note to add those to the order when Jessica returned. His eyes drifted through the watches but if he was honest he preferred to get his watches elsewhere, the only one that he actually liked was the one you’d already included in the order for him. He did however, stall completely when he got to the engagement rings, his eyes gazing through them as he thought back to your joking conversation that night.

You’d been completely correct with the insistence of no pear shaped, he found himself grimacing at the design of them. Others had too much colour or the design was simply too gawdy, they looked tacky, like knock offs. You deserved better than that, something classy, sophisticated with just the amount of gems to make it known whoever had given you the ring cared about you and about style (and had the money to back it). One of the rings caught the sunbeam coming in through the window perfectly, sparkling toward him right as he was about to move on and he took a step back to examine it further. It was a classic cushion cut, smaller diamonds extending out onto the band and the only thing holding it back from being perfect was the karat size. He made another mental note and continued wandering through the store, unaware that Jessica had already returned from the back as she neatly packaged up the online order.

He'd stumbled into a section of the store he hadn’t even known existed by the time she caught up with him from the other side of the counter.

“We’ve got a further selection of items online for baby showers if that’s what you’re interested in.” She greeted and Bryan nearly jumped at the sound of her voice.

“Uh, any chance you’ve got any stuffed otters?”

“No, bears and elephants is it unfortunately.” She frowned for a moment and Bryan’s eyes returned to the elephant.

“You can add the elephant in, they’re her second favourite.”

“Of course.” Jessica smiled, retrieving one from the case to add into the bag, “anything else catch your eye?”

“The Victoria Diamond Vine Earrings.”

“Silver or rose gold?”

“Rose gold please.”

“Excellent choice.” She smiled softly, a gleam in her eye as she spoke next, “and am I correct that I caught you looking at the engagement rings? Or were you just browsing through that section?”

“Oh. Uh… hmph…” he scratched at his beard for a moment, “can I ask you something?”

“Of course, always here to help, Mr. Kneef.” She replied with a smile and he couldn’t help but laugh. Jessica had been his go to employee at the store for years, helping him make proper choices, there was no doubt she’d picked up on the fact that he’d been steadily seeing someone he cared about through his purchases alone.

“What’s… the timeline protocol on proposing?”

“I think that always depends on the couple.” She answered quickly, nearly cutting him off “I have friends get married after less than a year and friends who were together for a decade before getting engaged.”

“And what if it was about three weeks ago that she found out she was pregnant?” He nearly winced, “obviously a surprise for both of us, but I want to make sure she knows that I was already thinking about it before, and it’s not just because of the baby… kind of situation…”

“Oh.” Jessica’s eyes widened ever so slightly before the smile took back over her cheeks, “well first off, congratulations.” Bryan thanked her quietly, “and…. I’m not too sure in that case, it gets a little mucky doesn’t it?” She laughed softly, “for me personally, I think I’d like my partner to wait until after the baby was born, but obviously not in the delivery room kinda thing. Even if we talked about it before and I knew it was happening, just like, to separate those two milestones and make sure they both have their own special significance in your lives.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Bryan laughed quietly.

“If you have your eye on something now we can always put it aside for you?”

“The cushion cut double halo.”

“Oh, that’s my favourite one. Great taste as always Mr. Kneef.”

 She swiftly moved back over to the engagement ring display, Bryan following from the other side of the counter watching as she pulled out the ring for him to inspect.

“It’s a little on the small side.” He commented and she chuckled.

“I figured you’d say that.” With a grin she turned around to pull out a customization form, “we only have the sample right now but I can put it on order for you and have you called when it comes in?”

“That’d be great.”

The two of them moved through the order form rather easily as Jessica filled it out and added it to the bill with the earrings and elephant. She was quick to make sure that everything was gift wrapped exactly as he wanted it and that the order info for the engagement ring was tucked away in a separate envelope for him to slide into his suit jacket pocket to keep the element of surprise. As usual, he palmed her a couple of bills for her help and guidance before finally leaving the store and making the trip back to STR to finish out his work day.

*

You got home first that evening, crossing paths with the work crew as they finished packing up their things. The nursery was already complete and part of you really couldn’t believe it, Bryan’s people knew how to work well and work quickly. They went over a few things with you and made sure you were satisfied with how everything looked and where it was placed within the room and you assured them it was all perfect.

Once they were on their way out you wandered down the hallway to change out of your suit, sighing in relief at the cozy material of clothing now against your skin. You would admit, today was a tired day, you’d been incredibly blessed in not having too many bad symptoms of pregnancy, especially through the first trimester (although a few symptoms back then would’ve given you a little bit more warning). You didn’t want to bother with cooking tonight, but you were starving and there was no way in hell you were waiting for Bry to get home, get relaxed and then finish cooking a meal so delivery it was. You scrolled through the app, scowling over the fact that you couldn’t have sushi and finally decided on Mexican, adding in a variety of things for Bryan to choose between when he got home.

Somehow, Bryan had managed to intercept the order between the main door and your apartment, arriving at the same time as the driver. You heard his keys in the lock and the sound of him coming down the entry way before rounding into the kitchen. You’d just pulled the fridge open to grab some sparkling apple juice, an attempt to feel somewhat fancy tonight alongside Bryan’s wine. He placed the bags down on the island and stepped to you, wrapping around your back and you leant into the embrace with a happy hum. Bryan kissed your neck gently, his hand moving down to softly cup your tiny baby bump before he spoke.

“How was your day?”

“Mediocre.” You murmured, turning in his arms to kiss him, “certainly better now.” Your eyes flicked to over his shoulder, seeing the tell tale blue bag beside the take out. “And it looks like you have presents, so things just got even better.”

“Well my plan was just to pick up that online order.”

“You can never resist though.” You teased and he rolled his eyes, pulling out the small box containing the earrings.

“You had to have the matching set.” He then pulled out a second gift wrapped bag, larger than you’d expected, “and I thought this could be something special.”

“Oh?” You raised a brow as you took it from him, fingers slipping into the tissue paper to pull out the elephant, glancing back towards him.

“Little guy needs something to play with.”

“Or girl.” You warned with a grin and he chuckled, leaning in to kiss you, “and I’m sure they’ll love it no matter what.”

“I got an email saying the nursery was done?”

“It is.” You nodded, “and it got my stamp of approval so no nasty emails to contractors please.”

“Promise.” He pulled down a couple of plates as you began to tear into the take out, figuring the rest of the Tiffany’s could wait until later, you were clearly prioritizing food. You dolled out what you wanted and slid containers over to him as the two of you got settled at the island for dinner. “You have any thoughts about weekend plans?” He asked and you nearly froze, having almost forgotten your midmorning run in.

“Uh, I do actually…”

“Ditching me for Kim I assume?” He teased and you laughed.

“No. I actually ran into Nate today…”

“Your senior partner at your first firm here?” He asked and you let out an internal sigh of relief at no sign of jealousy washing over him considering the last time you’d seen Nate, nodding in response. “How is he?”

“Well… not great.” You frowned, “his wife’s sick, they’re in and out of the hospital constantly. They don’t have other family in the State and could really use a hand, so I offered that we… or I… could take the kids on Saturday, maybe Sunday too if they have fun. They’re only six and four, they don’t really understand what’s going on and Nate just wants them to have some kid time not stuck in a hospital room. I figured maybe the zoo, aquarium, might be a nice little test run kinda thing.”

“Sounds like a great idea.” Bryan smiled and you let out a tiny laugh.

“Really?”

“Weather’s supposed to be great, and lord knows I could use the practice.” He chuckled, “have you met the kids before?”

“A couple times here and there, not sure how well they remember me, but I have spent time with them before, they’re great kids.”

“I’m happy to help anyway I can.” Bryan shot you a smile before the conversation dwindled as you ate, small comments about work or legal cases taking over. Though in the back of his brain he couldn’t stop thinking about Nate and their family, how terrifying the world could be even after you’d gotten everything you wanted. The thought crossed his mind of something happening to you leaving him with the baby and no other family in the area.

“Hey…” you suddenly asked, nudging at his foot, “you still there?”

“Sorry.” He shook out of it, casting you a warm smile, “what were you saying?”

“Did you want seconds? Or should I put this in the fridge?” You asked and he realized you were already standing, empty plate in your hands.

“I’m good.” He leant in, kissing your cheek and you raised a brow.

“If you don’t want to babysit, that’s more than okay. I can handle them on my own.”

“No, no.” He laughed, “I uh… it just made me think of something.”

“Okay?” You cocked a brow once again, crossing to the sink to rinse the plates before sliding them into the dishwasher.

“Have you told your parents?”

“About Nate?” Your brow furrowed heavily as you straightened up to look across at him, “they’ve never met him and I don’t talk to them, why would I?” Bryan chuckled, beginning to pack up the leftovers and slide them across the island in your direction.

“I meant about the baby.” He explained, frowning at the way your shoulders sagged before you turned back to him.

“No.” You let out a sigh, picking up a container of tamales to toss in the fridge, “and my plan was to leave them out of it until this little bean is born happy and healthy. I don’t need or want them involved in every step of the way and I don’t want them fucking up my kid’s life the way they fucked up mine.”

“Okay.” He surrendered quickly, sliding you the last container so you could put it in the fridge.

“Do you think I’m in the wrong?” You asked hesitantly, glancing up at him and he instantly shook his head.

“Absolutely not. You have a very different relationship with them than I did with my mom, I was just…”

“Caught up thinking about what would happen if something happened to me?”

“Yeah.” He admitted with a sigh.

“That’s what godparents are for.” You smiled softly, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his temple, “and Kim has already agreed to that, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Alright.” He let out a small laugh, wrapping an arm around you as he stood from the stool, “now.. I know the nursery is done, but how about we catch up on some tv while we go through the rest of the crap we’re going to need for this.”

“Oh yeah, what’ve you got in mind?” You asked with a chuckle, leaning in to steal a kiss before you let out a small squeak when Bryan tugged you down onto the couch.

“Well you’re gonna need a pregnancy pillow soon, and I figure we should talk midwife vs hospital, natural vs epidural.”

“Oh epidural all the way, I don’t fucking care.”

Bryan laughed softly, his hand coming up to caress at your cheek as he leant in to kiss you softly, his lips moving with ease and grace against yours. Yes, he was scared about a lot of what his future had to come, but he also knew that no matter what, he had you to do it with, and that made him completely and utterly relaxed. You were his rock, his assurance that he was finally doing something with his life that made him worthy, that made him loveable, that made him understand love again. It didn’t matter how worried he was about changing diapers, doing soccer pick up, being in charge of bake sale days, he knew that with you by his side the moment he held your baby girl or boy, he’d feel that burst and know that he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Because no matter where that was, if he was with you, he could accomplish anything.

_______

@detective-giggles @plaidbooks @thatesqcrush @witches-unruly-heart @beccabarba @bisexual-dreamer02 @amelia-song-pond @madamsnape921 @whimsicallymad @mrsrafaelbarba @mysticfalls011 @ssaic-jareau @caracalwithchips @barbasbodaciousbeard @alwaysachorusgirl @beardedbarba @michael-rooker @rafivadafreddy @lustvolle-liebe @anlin2058 @fandom-princess-forevermore @tinyboxxtink @alexusonfire @xovalliegirlxo @somethingimaginative17 @momlifebehard @misscharlielulu @alcabots

[imagineanime2022]

Amusement Park Outing *Part 3*

Chuya Nakahara X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3205

Requested: Anon

Request: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Warning: Suicide, Talk of suicide, Suicidal reader, the reader is severely injured, hospitals and manipulation

*Part 2*

Yokohama had lost all sense since the escape of your prisoner, there were incidents all over the city, poisoned water, missing people, and even members of the Port Mafia had turned victim to whatever the rival group had been scheming. The official meeting had been postponed in favor of finding a way to save the city and the people in it.

You, Chuya and Koyo were in the middle of a meeting yourself after the realization that the poison used in the water was very similar to the one that they attempted to use against Koyo “with Akutagawa, Gin and Higuchi are sick now.” Koyo said. “They targeted them.” You leaned your head against your hand as you spoke, you were angry that you had managed to let the mirror user get away from you. “But what are they trying to get?” Koyo asked. “They want us to leave Mori and join them or die.” Chuya said “when I was fighting the hostage before she offered me a place with them.” “I’ll talk to Mori about this.” Koyo said as you all stood, before you could leave Ace appeared at the door. “The phone that you gave me, was hers?” Ace asked. “Who else would it belong to?” Chuya asked “She had it.” “Well then her last call before breaking out was to the Armed Detective Agency.” Ace handed over a piece of paper as you all looked at it. “The ADA…I didn’t think that they would have anything to do with this group.” You frowned. “Dazai might but the rest of them…That’s unlikely.” Chuya frowned. “You should all be more careful, you know after losing a hostage, you’ll be on his watch list.” Ace smirked, Koyo looked at him giving an overly friendly smile for the words that accompanied it. “You are barely an executive. I suggest that you stay out of this.” Koyo ordered. “Well then one last thing before I leave the signal came from somewhere near the river. (Y/N) you should check it out.” Ace explained before finally leaving. “We’ll report to Mori.” Koyo said as she looked at you, you nodded as you headed off to check the location that Ace gave you.

“You should go home and rest.” Koyo suggested after they had finished reporting to Mori, Chuya looked at her and frowned, he wanted to say no but the truth was that you had all been working hard and he wouldn’t be of any use to anyone if he tired himself out with the investigation.

As he made his way home, he texted you to make sure that you were okay, his attention taken from his phone as he looked over at the crowd blocking his journey home. “I heard it’s the Port Mafia.” Someone whispered, he frowned as he walked over to the scene, he pushed his way through the crowd crouching to look at the body that way lying on the floor, there was a woman, she had been stabbed with a knife, he assumed the one next to her, Chuya stood only for a woman to bump into him, he glared down at the coffee over the front of his shirt, he turned to try and find her but she was already gone, he grunted before stepping away from the scene and headed home.

Chuya run a bath as soon as he got home in the hopes that he could get the coffee smell off of his body, he new that he was going to have to get rid of the shirt as it would likely stain but he’d deal with that later. He was alerted to something being wrong by the sound of the water, he turned in time to grab the water user around the throat pressing her to the wall, she smirked before turning into water and reappearing slightly to the left of him “as much as I want to fight you, I have a message for you…” She said. “What?” Chuya asked. “We’ve stolen information from the Port Mafia, if you want it back then we want something in return, some information, we’ll tell you what we want when your boss agrees to a meeting” She explained. “That’s not how deals work.” Chuya glared before grabbing the knife under the sink and throwing it at her, she dodged before throwing water at him. “I really want to fight you, maybe something more… It's a shame that girl is still alive.” She sighed “the next time that we fight, I’ll fight and win, you’ll be crying for me to stop and then I’ll walk away taking that hat of yours with me as a trophy. Actually…” She reached over, taking the hat and putting it on her head, she disappeared as Chuya reached out for it. Once he was sure that she was gone, he emptied the water and left the room to Koyo who he hoped was still at the Mafia Base with Mori. “Chuya, how can I help you?” Koyo asked. “Well that water user we were talking about was just here, she said that they’ve stolen some information from us, she didn’t say what and she said that they wanted something in return, but she’d only reveal that in a meeting with the boss.” Chuya explained. “It seems that there is a lot to talk about (Y/N) has found something too.” Koyo explained. “The amusement park that you all went to a couple of months ago, seems to be the place that the poison originated from, it’s also long since been abandoned.” “It was a trap.” He mumbled. “What does the boss want to do?” “He wants to hear from everyone in the morning.” Koyo asked.

The next morning everyone relayed what they had found with Chuya starting, it then moved to you “even the gift that she got there was part of the plan, they’ve been tracking your location through her.” You explained. “Then it was a trap?” He asked. “It would seem so sir.” You nodded. “Well then you should both go and see what they want.” Mori suggested. “They said they would only tell us if you were there sir.” Chuya reminded him. “Well they’ll have to make do with you, now go.” He ordered, Chuya glanced at you, after he met you at the bar last night he had been worried about you, you’d been quiet, Chuya was about to ask if you could serve as backup when you spoke first. “I would like to do this alone.” You said, Mori smiled. “It’s too dangerous for you to go alone, you’ll go with Chuya.” He informed you before waving you both away. “Hey-” “If something goes wrong, call Dazai.” You said before walking away from him, he wanted to talk to you properly but you were gone before he could.

When you both got to the abandoned amusement park, you both saw the water user smirking at you with Chuya’s hat on her head, he grit his teeth. “Hello you two.” She waved. “I swear I’m going to kill you and take that hat back.” Chuya growled out as you walked over to the mirror user and walked back to Chuya. “It’s lucky this doesn’t matter because I know that’s all fake.” He smirked while throwing the paper to the floor “Is that what he told you to give us?” “You didn’t tell us what you wanted.” You glared at him. “Doesn’t matter, all she wants is to fight your boyfriend over there since he intrigues her so much.” He waved her off as the water user threw water at the two of you which forced you to split up. “Well, aren’t you a great friend? You are telling them all my secrets.” She glared over at him and he shrugged. “Not much of a secret is it?” He asked as he used his ability to separate the two of you. Chuya dodged the water attacks thrown at him, the water user growled before throwing some old debris at him with the water, he dodged making sure to touch the object before using his ability to throw it back at her. Chuya didn’t realized that head stepped close enough to the river on the to be dragged into the river, she attempted to drown him while she had him but it didn’t work, he easily broke her hold with his own ability and flew up above to water, Chuya threw water at her as a distraction before seemingly appearing in front of her and kicking her in the stomach knocking her to the floor, he attempted to punch her but she dodged before kicking him her foot connecting with his chin. “You really don’t remember me do you?” She asked, “Idiot.” “What are you talking about?” Chuya asked. “Well you're taller than you were when we first met.” She shrugged.

You looked at the mirror user in front of you “how are you still loyal to him after everything that you’ve been through at his hands?” He asked, you didn’t answer him, instead you activated your ability. “He saved me when I was a child.” You finally said. “He’s told you to let someone you cared for die, I feel sorry for you, even after all of that you can’t walk away from him.” the mirror user sighed. “Did you know that I can connect to spirits? Do you know what they say about you?” “You can’t connect to anything, spirits aren’t real.” You informed him. “Well what about the little girl that you left to die on her own.” He pointed to the mirror where your old friend stood, you remembered the day that she sacrifice herself for you “she died alone because of you and what about Oda, the man you neglected to help because Mori told you not to from what I understand he helped you get over the shyness and suicidal thoughts..” Oda then appeared in the mirror “and what about your father, you left him to die, the first time that you saw him use his ability to protect you.” Your father stepped out of the mirror this time his voice sounding through your head as he asked you why. Your hands came up to your head clutching your head as you cried. “You can make it stop.” The mirror user held a knife out in front of her , he wrapped her hand around the knife and pointed the end of the knife at her chest. “(Y/N)!” Chuya yelled “stop.” In a rush of movement the knife plunged into your hand.

“You should really focus on me.” The water user smirked as she attempted to hit him again, he dodged out of the way of the ice. “What the hell is he doing!?” Chuya asked. “We’ve been doing this for a week, capturing people close to the Port Mafia in some way and bringing up past mistakes, making them feel so guilty that they give in and kill themselves.” She explained “I assume he’s doing the same to her, looks like it won’t be long now.” Chuya attempted to get to you but the water user threw him back towards the river and away from you, he saw the knife in your hand, he recognised it as the one that was with the woman yesterday. The water user created a wave that carried rocks with it, he kicked the rock into the water user before attempting to get back to you, she hit Chuya before creating ice around his leg. “You really should remember me.” She held up the bracelet that looked too small for her to wear now, and he recognised it. “You were with the sheep?” He asked. “I tried to kill you before, I wanted to be queen.” She informed him. “I should have killed you back then.” He glared at her. “You should have, maybe the sheep wouldn’t have betrayed you, after all I’m the one who told them to.” She informed him, everything around them seemed to rise and fly around erratically. The water user stepped back onto the water, Chuya followed her and when she got the chance she created a water prison around him freezing it, he easily broke it before kicking a rock at her, she blocked it with an ice wall, Chuya used his ability to throw her into a wall before throwing some knives at her, she dodged those before she slumps forward Chuya pushed her back against the wall again “this was fun better than when we were kids.” She laughed. “Shut up.” He ordered throwing a rock at her.

“It’s okay to end this yourself, it’s the strongest choice you can make.” He said “Even if you want to make it as painful as possible.” “I’ve wanted to die in the most painful way since I was 15 years old.” You mumbled. “Well you're one step closer to that dream,” He promised. “This isn’t the same as that, I don’t want to die here.” You said as you started to stand, he lifted the gun he had concealed and shot you in the head, you continued moving, you kicked him creating some distance, he lifted gun and tried shooting you in the leg but again that didn’t work and you continued moving towards you, he didn’t understand, you weren’t bleeding or anything, you were fine. He retreated towards the mirror to try and escape you as he continued to shoot at you, you grabbed him around the throat headbutting him, he desperately threw glass in your face, you were hurt, you couldn’t see but you didn’t let go of him. “If I die today then I’ll be taking you with me.” You sneered, the mirror user seemed genuinely shocked though you would never see that look, he tried to get away from you but it was no use if your grip was too tight.

The explosion drew the attention of Chuya and the water user, she rushed over to the now shattered mirror to her friend while Chuya rushed to you “(Y/N)?” He asked to lift your chin so that you were looking at him, he took a deep breath as he saw the glass around your eyes, he wasn’t sure how badly your eyesight would be affected, he looked back to see that the mirror user was. “Next time I’ll kill you, both of you.” The water user informed him before disappearing into the water, Chuya knew that he wouldn’t be able to chase them he instead turned to face you and realised that you were barely breathing. “(Y/N)…” He lifted your head so that it was on his lap as he took your phone out and called Dazai. “I didn’t think that you would call.” Dazai’s voice emitted from the phone. “She told me to call you if something went wrong, I think she’s almost dead.” Chuya said followed by an explanation of everything that happened. “Patch her up as best you can, I’ll be there soon.” Dazai said before hanging up the phone, Chuya but bandages on the wounds that he could see. Dazai appeared 30 minutes later to nullify her ability, this caused all of the wounds to bleed more, Chuya glared at him. “What the hell did you do?” Chuya asked. “She was using an ability called ‘painless’ . I nullified it.” Dazai answered. “What?” Chuya asked. “Painless allows her to turn her organs to stone and endure more pain than she normally would, unfortunately just like corruption the longer she uses it the more likely she is to die from it, when she stops using it the wound becomes much worse.” Dazai explained. “There must be others out there, there was a spy in the Armed Detective Agency, she manipulates memories, she’s already targeted Kyoka and Atsushi.” Handing him a picture. “She bumped into me yesterday.” Chuya muttered as he recalled the woman that spilled coffee on his shirt. “I think you were their next target but (Y/N) would get in the way so they decided to take her out instead.” Dazai explained. “You should keep an eye on her, she came here to kill herself, she asked to do this mission alone didn’t she?” “Yes.” Chuya answered. “Do you remember when we were younger, we weren’t joking, she wanted to die to escape the guilt of leaving her friend to die, that was why she was so impulsive and protective of me, she just didn’t value her own life. You are the only reason that she’s still alive, she admitted that she’s just not brave enough to disobey Mori that is until she saw you. You know you should get her to a hospital, she could lose her sight.” Dazai said as he stood up. “You hurt her feelings at the bar.” Chuya called out as Dazai crouched, picking something up. “I was only telling her the truth.” He walked back towards Chuya and put whatever he had picked up on his head, his hat he realised “look after her.”

It had been 4 months since the incident, you had been in a coma due to all of your injuries, Chuya visited you everyday and was there when you opened your eyes for the first time, he calmed you as you panicked about your surroundings and then allowed the doctors to check you over. “What happened with Mori? He's probably mad right?” You asked. “It doesn’t matter, you need to get better.” He said as he looked at her “we'll have to take a vacation after this.” “I don’t know-” “Shh.” Chuya muttered. “I need to ask you something.” He said before proceeding to explain everything that Dazai had said before asking if it was true. “I did intend to use Painless as an easy escape.” You admitted “everyone was disappointed in me and everyone around me was angry at me.” “I wasn’t.” He promised. “I need you to talk to me, I can’t have you dying on me.” “Will you let me lean on your head when I’m able to walk around?” You asked, he was relieved that you were making jokes but he wished that you would have talked about the actual issue more. “Doesn’t matter how much pain you're in, you'll never be able to do that.” He answered as you laughed, he rolled his eyes as there was a knock on the door, and you both looked back at Koyo at the door. “I came to make sure that you were okay.” She smiled softly. “Can I come in?” You nodded shyly as she walked over and put a vase of flowers on the bedside table. “Don’t ask him but Aktugawa wanted me to bring this for you, he worried for you.” She explained “as did we all,” “You did?” You asked. “Mm, you are a valued member of the mafia and friend to many.” She nodded. “Thank you for coming on their behalf.” You said as you smiled softly to yourself, Koyo caught Chuya’s eye as he mouthed ‘thank you.’ before a normal conversation continued even branching into what you wanted to eat when you were finally out of the hospital.

*Part 4*

Request Here!!

[spaciousreasoning]

Tuesday's Routines

Tuesday morning’s blood sugar was down a tiny bit to 250. The forecast called for a high temperature under 80 degrees and continued moderate weather over the next week to 10 days. Even some rain might arrive.

Got the coffee and morning games done in time for Nancy’s phone appointment with her spiritual advisor, Peggy, who lives in Virginia. We got a chance to meet her in person when we were back visiting family in early 2023.

While Nancy was on her phone call, I caught up with some work for one of the two paying clients I still have. I make enough money to pay for my coffee. Also downloaded the pictures from Monday’s Fern Ridge Lake excursion and posted a few on Facebook. One of my local contacts is evidently familiar with Our Daily Bread.

Then we cooked up some bacon in the oven, and had that with some cheesy eggs and toast for breakfast just in time for lunch.

We cleared the car of extraneous stuff so we could visit the local car wash, but when we arrived we saw that they charged subscriptions for multiple washes. I was told later we could still simply pay for one wash. We will look into the possibilities in the days to come. We went on to Costco where we got gas and a few more items, including coffee beans.

When we got home we installed the new door knob on the door from the kitchen into the garage. The existing knob appeared to be made from two different sizes, so we dumped all the old parts and installed the complete new set.

Following nap time and thumb twiddling came another dinner with pasta and leftover marinara sauce. We squeezed it in before I left for the men’s recovery meeting. It was better for my blood sugar to eat before going than to wait until returning after 8:30 p.m.

The topic for the meeting was relationships, and the sharing varied from joyful to troubled. I briefly told the story of my two marital relationships. The first marriage led to my introduction to the 12 Steps. Then came Nancy, who had her own experience with recovery and Step work, and I continue to benefit from her support on my journey.

A postcard advertising the next show at the Rogue Theatre showed up in the mail in the afternoon. It was one of two theater companies in Tucson we regularly enjoyed. While I had already added a couple of theatrical organizations to my growing list of Oregon-related links, one more popped up in the latest search: Oregon Contemporary Theatre.

Established in 1992, OCT has earned a reputation for artistic quality and commitment to presenting challenging and diverse scripts. The 2024-25 season gets under way in September with a production of “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Another piece of the puzzle of life in Oregon has now fallen into place.

Before bedtime we streamed Stephen Colbert and enjoyed the first segment of the next “Silent Witness” on BritBox. I noticed that another series of that show has already been ordered, making it one of the longest-running shows of its type on British TV.