#her mom worked as a nurse and did hair on the side

[astoldbychae]

Marguerite and her siblings; Jerrica (Left), Trace (Middle), & Dayana (Right)

[L to R] Jerrica, Dayana, Marguerite, & Trace

Marguerite is the eldest sibling, then its Jerrica, Trace, and Dayana.

[sunflower-lilac42]

𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽 '𝗻 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲 | 𝘵𝘻11 ♔

➪ summary: pro tip: if you're going to play slip 'n slide hockey, make sure not to play it with professional hockey players

➪ warnings: fractured shoulder, hospitals

➪ word count: 0.6k

➪ file type: blurb - reupload

➪ sunny's notes: it has been so long since i posted writing on here so i'm super excited to be back doing it. i remember exactly what sparked the idea for this fic and i couldn't be happier with how it turned out! um let me know if you like the new-ish formatting (the tinier font) or if you would prefer it to be bigger for the writing. also, i am working on that quinn fic and let me know if there are any of your favorites of mine you want me to reupload, they are all on my masterlist if you want to browse.

nhl masterlist || new taglist || navigation

This wasn’t how this was supposed to happen, her sitting in a hospital room with her arm sporting a sling. Sure, maybe the idea was a little stupid, and playing with professional hockey players also didn’t help. But, what was she supposed to do when she was scrolling on Instagram and saw a video with ‘slip-and-slide hockey’? Not tell her brothers and their friends about it? Not a chance. 

After seeing the video, she immediately brought it up to her brothers who agreed and started calling some of their friends to come to the lake house. She had called Trevor, much to Jack’s annoyance at the reminder of their relationship and Quinn’s distaste for him, and he said he would be there as soon as he could. When all the boys arrived, it was officially ‘mission slip-and-slide hockey’ time.

In hindsight, maybe she should’ve worn pads or just not played at all knowing how rough her brothers get with not only her but with their friends as well. Jack was being Jack, of course. He had gone to go around Trevor when he slipped and knocked into his sister, who then fell and weirdly landed on her shoulder. She didn’t scream, growing up with three rowdy brothers gave her more pride than she probably would’ve liked sometimes. 

She just laid there, staring at the sky with her right arm across her chest and her left one lying by her side. It took everyone a little bit to realize, and it was only when they saw Quinn kneeling next to her that they did. 

Quinn looked down at her, placing a hand on her shoulder, “You okay?”

She nodded, looking a little dazed as her eyes glassed over in pain, “Mhm.”

“Y/n/n come on, move your arm for me.”

She lifted her left arm and then dropped it, “See, I’m fine.”

He gave her a look, “Your other arm.”

And she was prepared to do it, except when she tried, she couldn’t and teared up more. Quinn sighed before waving Trevor over, “Come on, let’s go to the hospital.”

“I’m fine.”

Trevor’s head came into her sight, his hair flopping and framing his face, “Let’s go, princess.”

She smiled up at him, “You're pretty.”

He laughed before helping her stand up, having her lean on him for support. Jack came up and spewed apologies from his mouth as they walked to the car, “It’s okay, Jack. I’m fine.”

He shook his head and sat on one side while Trevor sat on the other and Luke got into the passenger seat as Quinn drove them to the hospital. And that’s how they ended up here, y/n sitting on a hospital bed with her arm in a sling due to her fractured shoulder. Trevor sat on the bed next to her while Quinn called their mom and Luke and Jack sat on the chairs in front of them. 

She leaned her head against her boyfriend’s shoulder, “Ugh how am I supposed to work now?”

“You don’t have to work, y/n/n. You’re boyfriends rich.”

Y/n sent her younger brother a glare before closing her eyes again, “Do you think they could give me drugs for my head?”

Jack shook his head at her choice of words before standing up, “I’ll go find a doctor. Maybe you got a concussion too, though they didn’t say anything.”

He kissed her head before leaving to find a doctor, or a nurse at the very least. Luke followed after him, protesting being stuck in a room with the two of them. Trevor pushed a piece of her hair out of her face before kissing her temple, “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Besides the headache now?”

She nodded a little, wrapping her left arm around his right one, “Yeah.”

He gave her a small smile, “You know Luke wasn’t totally wrong. You don’t have to work.”

She went to hit him but he laughed and held up a hand, “I know, I know. You love your job, I wouldn’t take that away from you, lovely.”

“Good.”

The two sat in silence for a little while and then she spoke once more, “Cuddles when we get back?”

“Of course, my baby fractured her shoulder. Got to give her all the princess treatment in the world.”

“Dork.”

⬂ 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 ⬂

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[pomegranateshrimp]

hi!!! How are you? Could i request a James Wilson x reader were she’s at the hospital working with children (and we all know that james has a breeding kink) so like he sees her being caring with the children and gets turned on

Hi!! Tysm for being my first request, I’ve been a lil busy so this is coming out a little late I’m sorry 🩷🩷 I hope you like it!!!

A/N: (Sorry if this is too short!!) Do hospitals have play rooms for kids? They do now! Also do heads of pediatrics have time to play with kids? They do now!

CW: public sex, p in v, breeding (obviously), pet name baby

⚕️You’re going to make such a good mom.

James Wilson X Fem!Reader Smutshot

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You were head of the pediatric wing and married to your beautiful, amazing, lovely husband, James Wilson. He would always stop by your office to give you gifts and small kisses. The job could get stressful at times, and he just wanted to make sure it never got to be too hard on you. You didn’t take it for granted either, returning every kiss he gave you and repaying him for the little gifts he got you after work. Today though, he couldn’t wait.

You were working with one of the children you had been treating for the past few days, nothing too bad fortunately, he was diagnosed with diabetes. Both of you lay down in the play room as the little boy made car noises with his mouth. “Zoom!” he hummed as a hot wheel jetted across the room. Wilson was looking for you to give you your usual afternoon kisses, and because he had a particularly hard case that he wanted to talk to you about. It was really weighing on him it seemed. When he couldn’t find you in your office, he assumed you would be in the play room with one of the patients. He hadn’t often found you here, and when he did he looked at you with such adoration, but this time he looked at you with something else as he peered through the glass door of the play room. Lust. James knew he wanted kids and he knew you were the one that he’d have them with. You were so good with them after all, and he knew that, but seeing you care for kids made him hard. He wanted that so badly. He wanted to see you make his kid laugh and smile with you; and he wanted it now.

You noticed your husband peering at you through the glass, and you gave the kid the toy car you were playing with and told him you’d be right back, along with the nurse who supervised the play room as well. You pushed open the door and stood across from James.

“Hey baby I—“

Your sentence was quickly cut off by a kiss planted on your mouth. But this kiss wasn’t like how it was any other day, this kiss was needy. Hungry. He didn’t want to wait for you to finish your sentence he just wanted to fill you with his seed right now. You were still in the hospital corridor and you pulled away.

“James, can you wait until we get home?” When the kiss was sloppier, messier, hungrier, you knew he wanted more, and you weren’t sure that you could give him that in the middle of the hospital. He wasn’t happy with you pulling away, he needed you right now. He took your hand and dragged you into a corner of the hospital no one went to. The thought of being caught was still in your mind, but at this point both you and james were turned on beyond belief. He always knew what to do to get you horny.

“No.” He hissed, and you weren’t used to him speaking to you like this, but fuck you could adjust. He titled your head to the side and started marking you up, planting deep kisses on your neck as his hands wandered on your waist, he sat down on a nearby chair and pulled you into his lap. With the case he was working on now, he needed a distraction, and you were just that. “You’re so good..” he moaned onto your neck, sending vibrations down your spine, earning him a small moan back from you.

“James…” your hands found themselves moving up into his hair. His hands found themselves moving down towards your panties. He looked up at you with glimmering eyes, “Can I?” He asked. Despite your previous worries you nodded eagerly at him and a small smirk appeared on his face as he tugged your underwear to the side. Quickly, he fumbled with the zipper of his jeans and pulled down the waistband to his boxers. His boner sprang to his stomach and he made haste in getting himself inside of you. That was his goal. You’re off the pill, you’re ovulating, and you’re ready to be pumped full of his hot, sticky, cum.

“I think we should have kids.” He says dominantly and you nod in agreement, not wasting any time. Even though you were okay with it, and he knew, he always made sure you were accepting before he did anything.

You moan out as he pushes himself inside of you, without much warning. He covers your mouth with his hand for only a second, reminding you where you both were. The thrusts that were usually so slow and soft and patient were now eager, fast, and yearning.

His cock stretched your cunt and you tightened around him, earning small grunts in return.

“You’re gonna look so fucking gorgeous when I cum inside of you.”

Even with his already fast pace it somehow quickened, earning more muffled moans from you and heavy breaths from him. He added his thumb to your clit, circling as he thrusted, wanting to make sure you were feeling just as good as he did. In the middle of the hospital, on his lunch break, he was going to make sure your walls were painted white with his cum.

“Fuck James, you feel so fucking good.”

You clenched on him and felt a familiar knot in your stomach tighten, and he knew you were close. You both were about to finish at the same time, his throbbing cock begging to cum inside of you already.

“I’m gonna—“

“Me too baby.”

Your back arches and your legs shake; you crash into James’ shoulder and after a few minutes of heavy breathing he pulls your soaked panties back up to you and plants a small kiss to your forehead. “You’re going to make such a good mom, I know it.”

You just had to hope your kids didn’t ask how it happened in the future.

[be-missed]

Not Strong Enough (Chap 1)

Jenna Ortega X Fem!Reader

(Pictures not mine)

Summary: Jenna was visiting her mom in the hospital to drop off the food that will be eaten for the hospital party, but she met a resident surgeon and she thought "God forbid I ran into an accident, but I want her to open me and stitch me up." While the surgeon tries her best to keep her fan girling low-key.

Warning: Probably mentions of kniv3s and blad3s or any surgical equipment. A few curse words as of now.

A/N: So plan on making a series, I don't know how long this will take and I don't want to say any promises. Hope you enjoy the story!

Masterlist

_________________________________________________________

Chapter 1

"Mom said I should drop by the hospital and bring the pizza she ordered earlier." Jenna yelled to her family while going down their front door.

"Okay sweetheart, you take care and kiss your mother for me" her dad said while blowing Jenna a kiss.

Starting the car and connecting her bluetooth, now she is ready to drive. As the traffic lights hit red, she remembered that one of her friend recommended her a song to listen to, and she played it as the light turn to green.

Humming to the addicting beat of the song, she now try to find an empty parking lot at the hospital, which is a difficult task to do by the way, a heavy amount of people comes and goes, and some that probably stayed.

Jenna almost passed a white civic that left the spot as she sigh, now this is the hardest part, harder than finding a parking lot, is to park the car itself, she is having a hard time since she is used to her mom beside her and helping her to look at the back. But she needs to be a big girl now and do this.

A minute or so have passed and Jenna congratulated herself by parking her car so good that it follows the line and got the sides an equal space. She picks her phone up and messaged her mom that she's going up to her.

While walking through the lobby of the hospital, she noticed that some people are occupied to not notice her which she is thankful since she doesn't want to have a crowd and some people looked at her and she smiled politely at them. Reaching the elevator, she pressed the close button so fast so that nobody can be with her inside it.

Humming with the elevator music, floors passes by and the doors open with a ding, walking through the same designed hallway makes her remember that scene from her old movie scream. As she reached the reception like part of the floor, she smiled brightly and tried to ask one of the nurse that was standing beside the desk.

"Uhm hey, excuse me.." Jenna started but got cut-off when the nurse got called in the surgery room for extra hands, so what she did next is to ring the table bell to attract some attention that she needs to find her mom.

"Hello, how can I help you?" a woman appeared from the back room with the brightest smile she could ever see.

Stagnant. Freeze. Stop. Pause.

That was what Jenna like for a second, and the person standing opposite to her started to panic "Hey, are you okay? Do you need water?" Y/N stated.

"Oh.. I... I need my mom." Jenna stated while trying to compose herself "Uhm, no, I mean... Yes, yes I need my mom."

The woman in front of her gives her a questionable look... "Miss I don't know who your mom is, may I know her name so I can help you find her?" Y/N stated.

Well, Y/N knows, she definitely knows who is this girl in front of her, holding 3 large pizza boxes, this woman who is slightly smaller than her, has this wonderful freckles that painted her face, who have this deep dimple on her cheek, a wavy black hair and this cute bangs. Oh, definitely she is familiar with the woman in front of her.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm here for Natalie Ortega, she works here." Jenna stated while smiling. Damn it, did she really just froze there and told this beautiful lady that she needs her mom. She noted to herself that she needs to practice on how to stay cool and not to lose her rizz when she faces a beautiful women.

"Nat? Your mom is Natalie" The woman in front of her looks like a light bulb appeared above her head "I think she's inside the surgery helping Dr. Ava, but let me go to the surgery room, I let her know that you are here." Y/N stated while going to the other side of the desk where Jenna is.

"Oh, you don't need to, I can just wait for her." Jenna said while trying to hold the 3 large pizza boxes.

Y/N shakes her head and said "It's okay, I need to actually do something, I've been sitting there for so long my feet might forget how to walk if I didn't stand." with a little laugh at the end. She know think "Nice what a lame joke."

"Well, thank you, these pizza boxes is getting heavier" Jenna said and Y/N helped her to put it on top of the desk.

Fingers brushed, eyes locked, and lips started to curl.

"Well uhm... may I know your name?" Y/N asked the girl in front of her.

Then Jenna thinks "wow this pretty girl is so into me, she wants to know my freaking name." Jenna was so proud of herself she accidentally said "Why? So you could add me to the blank space on your list?" with a slight wiggle of her brows and a little smirk.

Y/N looked at Jenna and was stunned with what the girl said, Y/N thinks "did she just flirt with me? I mean, can it be? Or am I just delusional?" Y/N composes herself and replied "Well, I need to know your name since I need to tell her that her daughter is here, right?"

"Ground, swallow me please oh please" with that reply Jenna just wants to be swallowed by the ground where she stood way down below where her parked car is. SHE THOUGHT WRONG.

Jenna tried to just laugh it off and answered "I'm Jenna, Jenna Ortega" and offers her hand.

"I'm Dr. Y/L/N, I'm a resident surgeon here. So you can seat by the waiting area and I'll go to your mom and tell her that her daughter needs her." Y/N said and winked at Jenna and started to walk to to the surgery room.

Jenna walked to the row of chairs and started to cringe at herself from the inside. She fished out her phone and texted Aliyah:

To Aliyah:

I met this cute doctor and my mind just went blank. WTF!

Fr Aliyah:

Well having no love life really has a side effect, lol.

To Aliyah:

You know what, you are not helping at all, BYE!

Fr Aliyah:

WELL HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REACT?

To Aliyah:

IDK maybe comfort me? I'm your sister after all.

Fr Aliyah:

Just deliver the damn pizza and go home so you can tell me all

To Aliyah:

I will, when mom gets out, bye, love you.

Fr Aliyah:

Love you too, stay safe!

Jenna turns her phone off and was surprised with Y/N standing in front of her.

"What the hell, you could have given me a heart attack." Jenna said while holding her chest.

"That's good, you are in a hospital, in front of you is a doctor, we are surrounded by our lovely nurses, you will live if ever that happened" and Y/N gave her a cheeky smile.

"Geez thanks doc" Jenna answered sarcastically with a smile "Where is my mom then?"

"Well your mom said she can't go out of the surgery room and told me to help you instead to bring the pizza boxes in the break room since you need a keycard to go in there." Y/N replied while showing her I.D.

Jenna nod and said "Lead the way then." and smiled.

While walking, Y/N is now holding the pizza boxes while Jenna strolled along beside her.

"Why did you not get my attention earlier when I was sitting and you were standing in front of me?" Jenna asked.

"You were smiling, and I thought may be you are talking to your boyfriend so I waited until you turn off your phone. I don't want to interrupt you know." Y/N answered.

Even if it is hard for her to think that Jenna have a boyfriend, she doesn't have the say when it comes to it.

"Okay. Then why is this the first time that I see you here? You said you were a resident yet I haven't seen you in my past visits?" Jenna asked, again.

Y/N replied "It's my third month here and maybe you just don't visit during my work time that's why we don't see each other."

Jenna nodded and accepted it as a valid reply.

Y/N opened taps her I.D and opened the door for Jenna to come in first "Here is the break room, and thank you for the pizza, I have been craving these for days, thank God Nat bought it for us."

"So, you and my mom are close huh?" Jenna asked again, which Y/N noticed.

"Well yes, she is approachable, sweet, and kind so, what's not to like about your mom." Y/N said with a smirk.

"Woah there, do you like my mom, just to inform you my dad and her is in a healthy relationship and we are a happy family." Jenna answered a bit annoyed. BECAUSE, why would you like her mom if she is literally in front of you. HELLO?! ARE YOU BLIND!?

"Hey, I didn't tell that I like your mom, I'm sorry if that's how you interpret it, she just makes me feel welcomed, okay? And your mom is pretty, but I like someone, yeah?" Y/N replied but inside her head, its is all "IT IS YOU, YOU DUMBASS, I LIKE YOU NOT YOUR MOM."

"Okay, I'm sorry too, I just get defensive when it comes to my family." Jenna smiled .

"Well if that is all that you need, then we finished our task. I also need to go back there, I have a surgery in 30 minutes." Y/N said with a sad smile.

"Sure, I'm sorry for holding you off." Jenna said while they go out of the room.

Walking back, Y/N didn't stopped by the reception and accompanied Jenna to the elevator.

Y/N broke the silence and took Jenna's arm which she was surprised while Y/N scribbled on her skin.

The elevator dinged which indicated that Jenna needs to go.

"See you around Jen!" Y/N stated while she rushed off.

Jenna was so baffled with the action and just waved, as the elevator door close, she lifts her long sleeves and saw a note

"My number, just in case you have more questions."

In Jenna's head "DID SHE JUST GAVE ME HER NUMBER?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK" and smiled to herself.

She is now determined to go to the hospital more to visit her mom and a side quest to see you.

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Chap 2 A/N: Well I think that was a long one. Comments and suggestions are appreciated. Hope you enjoyed the story and hope you wait for the next chapters!

[angellesword]

BAGGAGE | JJK (09)

Summary: Drowning in debt and blood, Jeon Jungkook knows he's better off alone, lest he brings people down with him.

But one drunken night changes everything.

In a blink of an eye, Jungkook found himself drowning not only in debt and blood, but also in dirty diapers and judgmental stares from you, a.k.a his long-lost love and the guardian of the son he didn't even know existed.

Genre and warnings: best friends to lovers, co-parenting, idiots in love, mutual pining, angst, fluff, implied smut, kissing, minor character death, slight getting back together, cursing, blood, stabbing, loan sharks, OC cusses excessively so watch out.

Pairing: dad! Jungkook x adoptive mom!Reader

Word Count: 2.8k

←Previous Chapter (08) | Next Chapter (10) →

****

Present, 2023:

Despite your trickling sweat and limping legs after a passionate night with your boyfriend, you still ran like crazy until you reached Jungkook's apartment. It was a feat to reach the bastard's place, with you nearly losing your mind as you bugged the nurses to tell you where the emergency team rescued Jungkook the day he got stabbed. You thought the nurses would ignore you. Surprisingly, they were adamant about telling you all the information about Jungkook. They even said bringing him back to the hospital would be better.

"He isn't well," the nurse shook her head in disappointment. "He insisted on leaving. We can't do anything since you have already paid his bill in full."

Paying was never an issue for you, but you were starting to regret taking care of Jungkook's medical bill as it only gave him the means to escape. But there was no point in dwelling, so you squared your shoulders, thanking the nurse before you left the hospital to go straight to Jungkook's apartment.

For some reason, you felt a nagging feeling at the pit of your stomach. You didn't give yourself time to breathe, focusing your energy on running. Jungkook's neighborhood was cramped and seemed unsafe. Thugs greedily eyed your accessories as if they were ready to rip them off your body at any second.

The walls were decorated with explicit graffiti, too. It didn't help that the alleys smelled like piss. Everything in this place reminded you of your childhood home. You remembered Jungkook banging his little fists on the small room Jisoo rented for the two of you. Jungkook constantly pestered your peace at home.

Twenty-five years later, you were the one banging on Jungkook's apartment door. Unfortunately, no one answered, causing your breathing to quicken and your posture to hunch. You were a second away from breaking the door when it abruptly opened.

Twenty-five years ago, you opened the door for Jungkook, holding cookies and other sweet treats Jisoo worked hard to get.

Twenty-five years later, Jungkook opened the door for you, holding a knife as if he were ready to go for the kill.

You jolted, stepping back and looking at your former best friend with wide eyes.

Jungkook was startled, too. He immediately dropped the knife to the floor when he recognized it was you banging on your door.

Time seemed to stop after that. Jungkook opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He couldn't breathe—literally—you were squeezing him into your chest so tightly.

"You fucking bastard." Your knees buckled. Your tone was sharp, but there was no bite in it. You hugged Jungkook closer. "You lied to me again."

Jungkook gulped, then whispered your name, hands hovering over your side. If God existed, He would know how much Jungkook ached to return your embrace. He wanted it so badly that it hurt. He couldn't breathe he couldn't breathe he couldn'tbreathehecouldn'tbreathe—

You flopped down to the ground, pulling him down with you. Jungkook didn't even protest, trusting you to cradle the back of his head and hug him more.

You did precisely that.

You gripped Jungkook's hair, your hands roughly kneading his nape.

You stuttered a breath, feeling frustration, fear, and fury dominating your body.

"You are the target." You figured it out, chest heavy. "He really meant to kill you. Why."

Why? You asked. It made Jungkook want to laugh. Why? You asked as if answering that was no trouble. Why? You asked while staring deep into Jungkook's eyes. Your eyes were deep and desperate, as if it would kill you if Jungkook breathed one word of a lie.

Jungkook inhaled sharply, feeling as if all air in the room filled his lungs until they burned.

He still couldn't breathe.

"I—" Jungkook clamped his eyes shut. He didn't know how to continue or tell you he lied because he knew you were stubborn. You would pursue the matter relentlessly, and that was not safe. Jungkook never really feared for his own life but God. He couldn't bear it if Lee Sung also put a target on your back.

"I'm sorry." Jungkook could only offer an apology--it was the one thing you needed to confirm that your conjecture was correct. Your brain short-circuited, anger set aside as fear for Jungkook's life engulfed you. You pushed Jungkook's chest away and stood up.

Your judgment was clouded. You barged into Jungkook's sleeping area, eyes landing on the timeworn wooden closet. 

Clothes. You thought as you opened his closet. I need to pack his clothes and get him out of here.

But there were barely any clothes in the closet. Your face morphed into disbelief. You scanned the inside of the closet with your eyes. 

One.

Two.

Three.

Jungkook had three bacon-collared shirts and two tattered jeans. You gnashed your teeth together.  How Jungkook went from having a walking closet a hundred times bigger than his current apartment to having only three shirts and two pants was beyond you.

It was so preposterous that you couldn't stomach it—

Jungkook suddenly called your name.

—and you also refused to look at Jungkook when he called for you. 

You trudged back to Jungkook's kitchen. Your jaw ticked as you mindlessly opened the refrigerator. You didn't know what you were expecting, but it clearly wasn't a foul smell that made your stomach turn upside down.

The refrigerator was not working. It wasn't even plugged.

You slammed the door shut, sick of the pungent smell, though you still had the energy to rummage through the cupboard. Your heart dropped every time you opened one of the kitchen cabinet doors, only to be welcomed by cobwebs.

Your lips twisted, still consumed by disbelief but now mixed with distress. You couldn't accept that Jungkook's kitchenware was just a used paper cup, a plastic cutlery, and one bowl with the words "God is our savior" engraved.

Jungkook called your name again.

This time, you looked—glared at him. He was leaning against the wall, gently cupping his stomach, which began to hurt after you hugged and pulled him down the floor earlier.

"Why are you living like this." You rubbed your nape, your breathing rapid. You were the only one who knew how painful this situation was. You let your anger toward Jungkook bubble up over the past years, ensuring that it wasn't forgotten by constantly replaying his betrayal in your mind.

But it was a different feeling now that you could see Jungkook suffering. It was not fair. You refused to get angry at a man who didn't even seem alive. Because how? How else would Jungkook feel your indignation when his heart was hollow and unaccepting of any emotion?

You wanted Jungkook to burn, hurt, and cry, but not like this—not from anyone else but solely because of you. Jungkook hurt you, so you were the only one qualified to hurt him back. 

"Why." Your eyes were dark, tears pricking, but you held them back. You didn't want to cry for Jungkook. "You never answered me, Jeon. I wanted to know. What the fuck have you been doing these past years?"

You cut off all connection with Jungkook when he betrayed you, but if you wanted, you could find answers to your questions simply by asking Lee Sung to investigate Jungkook. You could also muster the courage to finally look up Jungkook's name online. However, you dismissed the idea because, after all this time, you still hoped Jungkook would tell you the truth.

A fool, that's what you are.

"Tell me." You were an insistent fool. "What happened? Where is your precious Jimin-hyung? Did you betray him like what you did to me?"

Your tone was biting. The corner of your lips quirked up. "Or was it the other way around? You've always looked up to him, have you not? Did he break your heart, huh, fucking piece of shit—!!"

You were pressed against the disgusting refrigerator, your heart going wild when you felt Jungkook's ragged breathing on the crook of your neck.

"Stop," Jungkook begged, though it sounded like a threat. You could almost feel Jungkook's sharp teeth sinking into the side of your neck. Jungkook wanted to bite and fight you, too. "Don't talk about him. Don't mention his name. You're not..."

Jungkook stopped himself, but the damage had been done. You're not worth it was what he wanted to say. No one else is, was what he would've said last.

You scoffed. You pushed Jungkook away from you, and then you fixed your collar before glaring at him. It was a pretentious, angry look, though. In reality, you have long accepted this aspect of life. Nothing could ever compare to one Park Jimin. Jungkook would always defend him.

 But Jungkook called your name again, seemingly to snap back to reality. It was like the good old days—back when you would say something about Jimin that angered Jungkook and would cause you to not talk to each other for a while until one of you caved.

It was usually Jungkook—as you never really said anything rude to Jimin, not after your fight during your college graduation. However, there were times you couldn't help but subtly roll your eyes or comment about a 'different' or 'hypothetical' scenario that, when one looked at it, was similar to what Bighit was going through.

You claimed to trust Jungkook, but sometimes, your bluntness prevailed. It was hard to discern if you did so out of fury, jealousy, or concern. But one thing was clear: everything that came out of your mouth now was aimed at hurting Jungkook.

"Jisoo-unnie is dead," you said. A payback to Jungkook's claim of you not being worthy to utter Jimin's name. You smirked when you saw him freeze on his spot. However, there was also a faint ache in your chest.

You pushed through.

"If you don't want to tell me what happened to you and Jimin, fine. I don't fucking care about you, anyway." You spat. A lie. Your mind supplied. Don't do this. Don't treat him the way you treated your Jisoo-unnie. You're gonna regret it.

You ignored the voice in your head. "But I won't let you have your peace. The past years have been torture for me, you piece of garbage. It's all your fucking fault."

The loud slam of fists on the countertop startled Jungkook. Your knuckles hurt, but you couldn't care less. You snarled at your former best friend, any semblance of hope gone. Jungkook would never trust you the way he trusted Jisoo and Jimin.

"How dare you and Jisoo betray me and leave me an unwanted souvenir!?"

No. The voice in your head begged. Don't use Soobin to hurt Jungkook. Please. It's not worth it.

Jungkook had the decency to think the same way, too. He sucked in a deep breath. "Jisoo..." He whispered, eyes lowering as if ashamed to utter her name.

"When did she pass?" Jungkook shook his head as if it didn't matter. He changed his question. "Cancer...did it take her away?"

There was no semblance of grief in Jungkook's face or tone. You weren't sure if that was a good thing. All you knew was everything caused you pain.

"You know." You swallowed thickly, feeling the sting of betrayal. "You knew she was sick even before I did."

Guilty, that's what Jungkook was.

Your head felt like it was spinning. You were nauseated. "You two are so unfair."

The confrontation between you, Jungkook, and Jisoo never happened before as you flew all the way to Europe without looking back. Once, you told Jisoo you'd chase her when she dared to die, but now you were the one running.

Jisoo chased you in France and left you with a child. All you knew before was to study and toxically love your sister and best friend. But their betrayal forced you to your limit, and now you were tired. You didn't want to run anymore.

You were like a ticking bomb that inevitably exploded, and Jungkook was your casualty.

"She never planned to tell me she was sick, but guess fucking what?" Your chest heaved. It's too much. "I was the one who took care of her! You weren't there when she was acting like a dumb lunatic! Vomiting blood and shit!"

The last few weeks of Jisoo were specifically hard for you; you needed to set aside your hurt and be there for your sister.

Sometimes, you still cry about it. Professor Verlaine witnessed your distress and how it affected your studies. Admittedly, you were removed from the scholarship program as you continuously missed your classes, especially when Soobin came into this world.

Your classmates were right, though. You were Verlaine's favorite—your professor helped you find a sponsor to continue your PhD. Though you did not need it, it was still a great help since raising a kid in France was expensive. At the same time, Verlaine helped you get into therapy.

You very much needed that, disregarding all stigma about going to therapy because you needed to be the adult Soobin would look up to.

Soobin needed you like how the young you needed Jisoo. But as mentioned, it was not easy.

You loved Soobin; you really did. But sometimes, you looked at Soobin and were suddenly reminded of his parents' betrayal. You hated yourself for a while, crying because, logically, you knew it wasn't Soobin's fault. It was Jisoo's—but even blaming her was tough.

You abhorred Jisoo, but your heart bled for her. You felt for her but also wanted to claw her eyes out. You wanted her to die, but not really.

You mourned your sister, but the guilt you felt for grieving her consumed you. At some point, you felt as if you were going crazy; that was until you confided with your therapist.

"That's the thing about getting hurt." Your therapist explained. "It's complex. You are allowed to feel bad for someone who has hurt you and still be angry with them. It's not mutually exclusive. It only means you have a big heart, and your anger is protecting you as it knows your boundaries are crossed."

But I don't want to have a big heart. You wanted to tell your therapist, yet you kept your mouth shut and bottled up the unfairness of this world.

Jisoo hurt you, but here you were, feeling guilty for not forgiving your sister before she died. You were constantly being haunted by her exhausted eyes and blood-stained mouth.

Jisoo hurt you, but she was at peace while you were down the abyss. On top of this, you had Jungkook to deal with.

It was not fair.

"I hate you." Your voice cracked when you stared Jungkook in the eyes. "You're just like Jisoo. You're putting me in a tight position again."

You looked disgustingly at Jungkook's home. "How can you live like this? Why would you willingly put yourself in this position? You have a kid, Jungkook. I am telling you now. Soobin is your biological son. You slept with my sister, in case you forgot."

"I did not." Jungkook response came almost automatically. His tone was firm and this was the only time he didn't lower his eyes despite his embarrassment. He couldn't forget—didn't dare forget. Sleeping with Jisoo was something he willingly did, but it was a perpetual and excruciating reminder of what he had done to you.

"You're a self-aware bastard, aren't you?" your nostrils flared, your fist shaking. "Why? Was it that good that you can't forget it—"

"No." Jungkook cut you off. "Please. Don't. Your sister is already dead."

Son of a bitch--

"Is that supposed to stop me from mocking the two of you?" You scoffed.

No. Jungkook wanted to say but didn't. But you're only hurting yourself by saying that.

It was quite obvious. You were predictable like that. You would say hurtful things, but they were a double-edged sword. It would hurt you, too. Unfortunately, you didn't care anymore.

You needed to give Jungkook an ultimatum.

You held your head high.

"You had your fun, Jeon." You had your fun when you slept with my sister—when you dropped out of college and ventured with Jimin. It was time you faced the consequences of your actions.

You and Jungkook were best friends for a reason. After all this time, you two knew what was running in your minds.

Jungkook sucked in a breath, fingers trembling.

"You know what to do," was the only thing you said, but Jungkook understood your point. You turned your back on him, leaving him no chance to rebut; the desperation you felt earlier was washed away by pain. 

The ball was once again in Jungkook's court, and you proved this when you said, "1-1 Royal Heights Boulevard, Songdo International City, Incheon 22006."

Then you left, leaving Jungkook torn and out of his mind.

****

A/N: It's weird to write a chapter in one sitting...it feels like I'm missing something...I don't know. What do we think about this chapter? See you later. My eyes hurt (downside of lasik sighhhh)

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[dollfaceksj]

clover :( omfg …. oc .. i 😞 and jun 😥😥

🫶🏽

a/n: read up on this post to learn about my semi-hiatus and what it means for cal

can’t afford love | myg (m) #21

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a yelp leaves your mouth at hearing the news

no.

there’s no way

God please

you almost drop to your knees but instead bend over to hold onto your nightstand

you shake your head like a maniac. “no, that’s impossible, mom. he hasn’t had one in 10 months, the doctors said he’d grown out of it!” you wiggle out of your bathrobe and throw a shirt on, a stark contrast in the things that you’re saying

yoongi looks concerned, very concerned as he reaches for his jacket and keys, copying you

just by your words, he knows what this is about

“stop arguing with me and get here! 3rd floor.”

that’s the last you hear of your mom before she hangs up

you freeze

phone in your hands drops to the floor with a loud clatter as you bend over and let out a blood curdling scream

yoongi instantly reaches for you and holds you tightly as he shakes your frame slightly. “jun needs us right now. we need to go.”

you take a deep breath in as you try to calm yourself and glance up at him

his own hands are shaking

his own throat is dry

his own eyes are wide in horror

but he’s staying calm to keep you calm

you quickly nod your head and sniff as you head into the hallway, not even taking a jacket as you forcefully shove your feet into some slippers and reach for the keys that are tossed onto the accent table by your front door

you swing the door open and strut out, hitting the elevator button repeatedly but giving up and heading for the stairs

yoongi appears behind you after you hear your apartment door shut loudly

he drapes a coat over your shoulders once you reach the ground floor and he pulls you to his car. “i’ll drive us there.”

he went and got you a coat when you rushed out the door

:(

you don’t protest as you get into the passenger seat

yoongi gets into his car quickly after and sighs softly. “put your seatbelt on.”

you fumble with the belt as yoongi puts on his own and quickly accelerates onto the road

it doesn’t take long for him to reach the hospital your mother works at

he parks messily by the entrance and you both jump out of the car as you run into the hospital

heading for the elevators, like a prayer was heard, there’s one wide open

you hop right into it with yoongi by your side and slam the 3rd floor button impatiently, panting loudly

when you keep doing it, yoongi grips your wrist and pulls it back. “hey, hey. what did we learn?”

he makes you look at him

and you do

you take a deep breath in through your nose and breathe out of your mouth

he nods in encouragement, slightly bending his knees to be eye level with you

“that’s it. again.”

you obey

“again.”

you obey.

by the time you want to do it a 4th time, the doors open and you’ve arrived on the third floor

you run up to the lady behind the counter to demand the location of your son but before you can do that, you hear your mother calling your name

you turn to look at her and notice she’s in her nurse uniform

you run up to her with yoongi in your wake and she walks you to jun’s room

as you approach the room, you see him

your son

your sun

your life

jun sits upright on the bed, holding an airplane toy, playing with it

this is when the tears finally burst out of you

you run up to him in his bed and pick him up

hugging his tiny, frail body, not caring about all the wires attached to him

“oh, baby. i love you so much. i love you so much. mommy was so scared.”

you sniff as you set him down again, happy to see him be himself once again

“mommy, no crying. more toys.” he says, attempting to wipe your tears with his fists

you hear yoongi and your mother chatting in the back for a little while as yoongi approaches you and jun

he kneels besides jun’s bed and ruffles through his hair. “how’s my little dumpling?”

he spends some time chatting with jun whilst you turn to look at your mom

“they wanna keep him overnight. him having a seizure after he supposedly has grown out of them is enough to do some more research and tests.”

you shake your head. “then i’m staying.”

“baby, you look a mess. i’ll be here with him. you need to go home and sleep.”

“i don’t want to go home, mom. i’m not leaving my child in a hospital all alone overni–”

“he’s not alone, he’s with me. i promise he’s in good hands, especially since i’m overlooking him as well. you have nothing to worry about.” your mom reaches out to rub your shoulders

you deeply sigh. you really don’t want to leave jun

“as of now, he’s completely back to normal, everything’s okay. nothing’s out of the ordinary. it’s like it didn’t even happen. they just want to make sure and run some more tests. i’ll bring him to you myself tomorrow. he needs to sleep now.”

you rub your forehead in frustration and glare at the ceiling.

you turn to look back at jun, approaching him and yoongi and listening in on their talk mid-convo

“and then, i yelled ‘aren’t you spiderman?’ and he looked at me. waved and told me to keep quiet before he disappeared again. we’re pretty much friends now. do you want to meet him one day?”

you hear yoongi telling one of his bullshit stories that jun loves and watch jun eagerly nodding his head

“okay, i’ll ask if you can meet him. but you’re gonna have to be a good boy, okay? spiderman doesn’t like bad kids.”

jun nods again and claps his chubby hands in excitement

you kneel next to the bed as well and explain the situation to yoongi

“yeah, your mom told me.” he rubs jun’s cheeks as his small hands play with the airplane’s wings

you sigh and rise to your feet. “i at least want to stay until he falls asleep.”

“he’s not going to sleep if you two are here,” your mother interrupts

“then why did you even ask me here?”

your mother says, “i didn’t know he was going to wake up. he was sound asleep until 10 minutes ago.”

you know you trust your mom with your son

your mother is a nurse and you’re happy he was with her when it happened, at least

you rub your hairline and look over to jun. “mommy’s gonna make your favorite tomorrow, okay? then we’ll have loads of sweets. you okay with that?” you whisper to him, pressing your lips to his forehead

he nods his head as he continues to play with his airplane

“okay. be good to grammy, okay?” yoongi asks him whilst caressing the back of jun’s head

jun simply nods again and then yawns

your heart aches

you really don’t want to leave

“c’mon,” yoongi whispers to you when he notices you refuse to move an inch

you sniff quietly. “give me a second.”

he grants your wish.

after a few more moments you turn to your mom. “please, put spongebob on for him. he’ll fall asleep right away if he keeps watching now.”

your mother nods and hugs you

yoongi bows his head to her and kisses her forehead before exiting the room with you by his side

jun’s not even paying attention to you once the tv shows spongebob, his big eyes focused on the tv that hangs from the ceiling

you sigh shakily before exiting the building in silence

the ride home is silent too

and upon arriving home, yoongi doesn’t unbuckle his seatbelt when he parks in front of your apartment building

doesn’t turn off the engine either

ah

you move to unbuckle your seatbelt really slow

yoongi is the first to break the silence. “i’ll come for dinner with jun tomorrow too, if that’s okay.”

you simply nod as you let go of the seatbelt and listen to it snap back in place

and it’s quiet again

really quiet

you don’t want him to leave

so

are you

gonna do it?

yes

or no?

to be continued.

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[jiihu]

너랑 나 — 𝐲𝐮 𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧

﹅ summary — meeting jimin at your birthday party your mom threw for you, you found yourself instantly infatuated with the older woman.

﹅ content — age difference (reader is 18, jimin is 27), slight power imbalance, doctor!jimin, slight angst

﹅ word count — 2.6k

﹅ a/n — a little bit of inspiration from call me by your name! jimin is sort of ooc here, but i wanted her to seem more “formal” ^^

you trudged up the stairs, away from "your" party, which consisted of your parent's friends, and not a single one of yours. you let out a relaxed sigh as the bass of the music became less and less noticeable in your chest. pushing open the door to your bedroom, you let your foot close it behind you and fell onto your bed.

"this is not how i expected my 18th birthday to go," you groaned into your pillow, grabbing your phone and turning on your side, fully expecting to spend the rest of your day here and not downstairs. your parents wanted you to make connections with some of the people for your "future", but that was the last thing on your mind today. not only did you not want to spend your evening with tens of middle-aged adults, but you also wanted an escape from reality, without having to think about your future too much. at least for today.

while you were lost in your thoughts, you heard the loud rev of an engine, and you stood up from your place on the bed. leaning over your nightstand, you peered through the blinds and watched as a sleek, matte black sports car pulled into your driveway. you stared intently at the driver's side door as the purr of the engine rattled in your chest, reminding you of the bass faintly vibrating from downstairs.

your fingers were frozen in place as you held the blinds open, watching as a platinum-blonde woman stepped out of the car, running a hand through her hair before tying it in a ponytail. you felt as if you were starstruck, watching her adjust her clothes, before she laughed, removing the stethoscope from around her neck. you were almost in a trance-like state, and although you couldn't hear her laugh, you imagined it was the most beautiful sound you'd ever heard.

it seemed as if she'd just left her shift at the hospital, still having on the same scrubs and work shoes that nurses wore. once she felt that she was presentable enough, she reached into the backseat and pulled out a light blue gift box with a white bow on top, using her hip to nudge the door closed.

heart pounding, you stumbled backward, the sudden movement causing the blinds to drop back into place. your mind raced, trying to process the unexpected arrival of this captivating woman. who was she? what was she doing here? and most importantly, why did she have a gift for you?

curiosity tangled with apprehension as you peeked through the blinds once more. the woman had begun made her way to the front door, her steps powerful, yet graceful at the same time. with each passing moment, your intrigue grew, overpowering your initial shock.

you debated whether to remain hidden or confront her. the desire to meet her moved you forward, and with a sudden surge of courage, you hurriedly left your room and padded down the stairs. the distant sounds of laughter and conversation from the party came and left as your mind focused in on the enchanting woman at your doorstep.

you reached the front door just in time to see her positioned to knock, her hand hovering in mid-air. it was now or never. swallowing your nervousness, you opened the door, revealing a surprised expression on her face.

"hi," she said, her voice as smooth as silk. "i'm dr. yu. i apologize for my tardiness, but i was told there's a very special girl here having a party for her very special birthday?"

you couldn't help but be captivated by her piercing gaze and the genuine warmth in her smile. "yes, it's my birthday," you replied, feeling a surge of excitement and curiosity at her gift.

dr. yu's eyes sparkled with amusement. "happy birthday!" she exclaimed, holding out the gift box she had been clutching. "i know we haven't met before, but i'm a close friend of your parents. i've heard a lot about you, and i thought it was only right to put a face to the name.”

you became more flustered at her words as you accepted the gift. "thank you," you stammered, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture. "that's very kind of you."

dr. yu's smile widened. "it's the least i could do. birthdays should be special, and i wanted to make sure yours didn't go unnoticed."

as you stood there, speaking with dr. yu, a sense of familiarity washed over you. perhaps this encounter was the escape you had longed for, a break from the monotony of your party. a break from the constant concern over your future. you found yourself drawn to her presence, yearning to know more about her.

with a sudden burst of spontaneity, you mustered the courage to invite her inside. "would you like to come in? it's quieter inside, away from the crowd," you offered, hopeful that she would accept.

dr. yu's eyes crinkled with a mixture of surprise and delight. "i'd love to," she replied, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "lead the way."

you shuffled through the crowd, hoping to quietly lead her away from the seemingly ever-growing party to her room. as the stairs were in your line of sight, your dad stepped in front of you.

"y/n! i see you've met jimin." jimin eyes snapped from the back of your head, and looked over to your father.

"she really is a lovely girl. you've raised her well," jimin's dark eyes did a once-over of you, making you feel slightly exposed, while simultaneously making your heart race.

your heart skipped a beat as jimin's gaze lingered on you. the intensity in her eyes sent shivers down your spine, a mix of excitement and nervousness flooding your senses. you tried to maintain your composure, feeling slightly flustered as they both looked at you expectantly.

"thank you," you managed to reply, your voice betraying a hint of unease. it was as if jimin's presence had the power to unravel your carefully constructed facade, leaving you vulnerable and exposed.

your father's smile widened, oblivious to the tension between you and jimin. "i'm glad you two met. jimin here is a renowned neurosurgeon at the hospital. she's been a close friend of ours for a long time."

you struggled to find the right words, your mind racing to process the information. jimin, a neurosurgeon? the charming woman who had appeared at your home in an expensive sportscar was not only captivating but also held a respected position in society. the realization only deepened your sudden fondness for the woman.

"i'm honored to meet you, dr. jimin," you said, your voice filled with genuine admiration. "thank you for the birthday gift. it means a lot."

jimin's eyes softened, her gaze lingering on you for a moment longer than necessary. 

"the pleasure is mine," she replied, her voice laced with a subtle undertone of something you couldn't quite decipher.

jimin's words hung in the air, leaving you with a sense of intrigue and curiosity. there was something about her presence that captivated you, a pull that drew you closer. as your father excused himself to attend to other guests, you and jimin stood there, locked in a silent exchange of emotions.

feeling a mix of nervousness and boldness, you gestured for jimin to follow you. leading her through the bustling party, you managed to navigate the sea of people and find your way back to the staircase. the distant sounds of laughter and music gradually faded into the background as you climbed the steps, guided by the dim glow of the hallway lights.

reaching your room, you pushed the door open and stepped inside, inviting jimin to enter. the room brought you back to your senses, making you feel calmer than before, like a sanctuary away from the chaos downstairs. you motioned for jimin to take a seat on your bed while you settled into your desk chair, facing each other.

the atmosphere felt charged with anticipation as you observed jimin. her blonde hair sat on her shoulders, framing her face and accentuating her features. her eyes sparkled with intelligence and warmth, and the subtle curve of her lips hinted at a gentle smile.

"dr. yu," you began, breaking the silence, "jimin. i didn't expect my birthday to turn out this way, but i'm glad you decided to come. it feels like a nice break from everything."

jimin's smile widened, her eyes never leaving yours. "life has a way of surprising us, doesn't it? sometimes the most memorable moments come from the unexpected."

you nodded in agreement, a growing sense of warmth bubbling up in your chest. there was a natural ease in the way you conversed as if you had known each other for much longer than a few moments. unlike the rest of your parent's friends, jimin never once made you feel like an unintelligent child in her presence. you felt as if you could talk to her about anything, and she'd never make you feel judged for it.

curiosity burned within you, urging you to learn more about her. "so, jimin, tell me about yourself. how did you become a neurosurgeon?"

a soft chuckle escaped her lips, and she leaned back, her gaze shifting to a distant point as she dove into her story. jimin recounted her journey of dedication, hard work, and passion that led her to pursue medicine. she shared stories of the challenges she faced, the lives she touched, and the fulfillment she found in her profession.

as jimin spoke, you found yourself hanging on to every word, drawn to the obvious passion she had for her career and the empathy that she held through the way she spoke of her patients. her passion for making a difference in people's lives made you feel more attracted to her than before, as you felt a smile spread across your face while she continued.

in turn, you shared your aspirations, dreams, and the uncertainty you held about your future. you talked about your love for the sciences, your yearning for independence and exploration, and the weight of expectations that sometimes felt suffocating. it was as if the barriers you had built around yourself crumbled, allowing you to open up and reveal the deepest depths of your heart and mind. some that you didn't even know existed.

hours seemed to slip away unnoticed as you exchanged stories, laughter, and shared experiences. the conversation flowed effortlessly, weaving a web of connection between the two of you who had found solace and understanding in each other's presence.

eventually, as the night grew late, you both realized that the party downstairs had quieted down. the house was enveloped in peaceful silence, the remnants of laughter and happiness lingering in the air. jimin's gaze met yours, an unspoken question passing between you.

"thank you for spending this time with me," you said softly, breaking the momentary stillness. "tonight was better than anything that could be in that box."

jimin chuckled, her hands reaching behind her to grab the box. she pushed it into your hands expectantly. you looked up at her and she nodded, gesturing for you to open it. you ripped the paper from the box, opening it to see a red leather box with gold letters engraved on the top. "jimin! i can't take this! how much did you spend on this?"

"don't worry about it, birthday girl. this is your special day, and it won't come again, so enjoy it while it lasts,” she smiled warmly, gently lifting the lid as your eyes settled on to a small silver necklace with two interlocked rings on the end. you lifted it from the box, the weight of the metal leading you to believe it was even more expensive than you'd originally imagined.

wordlessly, jimin took the necklace from your hands, leaning over you to clasp it behind your neck. your breath hitched at the proximity, feeling jimin's warm breath hitting your bare skin. her fingers trailed down the necklace, her eyes never leaving yours. your eyes flickered between hers and her lips, your own slightly parted, almost anticipating something.

"happy birthday," she mumbled, before you pressed your lips to hers, her hands eventually coming up to gently hold your waist. you moved back and looked up at her, looking for confirmation, her eyes half-lidded and her gaze almost unreadable. you pulled her back in for another kiss, lacing your arms around her neck, she grunted as you pulled away, pressing your forehead to hers, giggling at the surprised look in her eyes.

she playfully rolled her eyes, her hands trailing down from your waist to your thighs as you drew her in for a sloppy kiss, your gift box hitting the floor with a light thud. she hooked her fingers underneath your thighs, maneuvering you onto her lap as she deepened the kiss, her hands caressing your back.

"jimin? y/n?" you heard your dad call out. jimin jolted from her position on your bed as if she'd been physically hurt, forcing you to push yourself from her lap and onto the bedsheets behind you.

"y/n, i'm so sorry. shit," she mumbled, running a hand through her hair, the same way she did when she was standing by her car. two complete scenarios, yet you still feel the same rush you did the first time.

"don't apologize, jimin. you didn't do anything. i wanted this." she shook her head, picking up the discarded box from the floor, and letting out a deep sigh.

"y/n, i'm just," she ran her fingers through her hair once more. "this isn't right. not only are you my colleague's daughter, but you're nearly ten years my junior. jesus christ..." she trailed off as the realization hit her, her teeth starting to chew on her lip.

"jimin, i promise you didn't do anything wrong! i mean, i initiated it, and i'm eighteen!"

"yeah, barely!" she let out a huff, tucking the box under her arm. "i'm sorry for raising my voice, y/n. please understand where i'm coming from." she gave you one last look, like a puppy in a kennel before leaving your room. you stared at the space where she once was, feeling as if you were about to throw up. you couldn’t decipher if it was from the adrenaline from her kiss, or the feeling that you’d never meet someone else like her again. just as she'd come, like an angel in disguise, she left, leaving an empty feeling in your chest.

you heard the front door open and close moments later, and you moved into the same position you'd been in earlier when you watched her arrive. she looked up at you and gave you a small smile, waving her hand in your direction. you held your hand up between the blinds as an act of acknowledgment, as if your heart wasn't being shattered as you watched her walk away.

she started up the car, the roar of the engine feeling almost familiar to you at this point, and wasted no time before pulling out of the driveway and speeding down the street. you heard the door creak open and turned around to see your dad standing in the doorframe, a warm and comforting smile adorned on his face. "you like jimin's car too, huh? it caught everyone's attention tonight. i almost thought a lion was in our driveway," he joked, and you could barely find it in yourself to muster up a smile.

"yeah, i like her car."

[prettyyoungandbored]

Sick - Dr. James Wilson

Pairing: Dr. James Wilson x Fem!OC

Summary: Wilson’s wife gets sick and he takes care of her.

NOT MY GIF

Wilson was happy to get off work early. Odette had called him afternoon to let him know her fever broke, easing his worries that she may have to go to the hospital. He knew it was just the flu, but even then it was always a possibility considering there had been a crazy flu spreading around.

He came home to find Odette lying on the couch with a blanket over her and their cat, Sarah, lying on her legs.

“You moved to the couch?” he asked.

“I washed the bedding,” she said, her voice stuffy.“It’s still in the dryer. I’m just too tired to deal with it.”

He hung up his winter jacket on the coat rack, placing his bag on the chair beside it. He looked down to see Sarah trotting towards him, meowing. He knelt down, picking up the ball of white fluff.

“You’re supposed to be taking care of your mother,” he cooed at her.

“She’s been an excellent nurse,” Odette remarked. “I would recommend her to Cuddy.”

Wilson placed the cat down on Odette’s legs as he sat on the ottoman across the coach. He leaned down to kiss his wife’s forehead.

“I know you said the fever’s broken but how are you feeling?” he asked, stroking her hair.

“Meh, still can’t breathe through my nose and my throat hurts,” she said. “And before you ask, I did take medicine today. I was planning on taking my last dosage before bed.”

“Good girl,” Wilson chuckled.

She licked her lips, trying to ignore how Wilson remark made her thighs clinched. Still, she wasn’t going to let him ruin her chance to get what she wanted. “Buuuut…”

“But what?”

“I will only take it if you cuddle me with me,” she smirked, eyes twinkling mischievously. “A cuddle with you in addition to my medicine will help me rest and make me feel better. So you see, Dr. Wilson, it’s medically necessary that I get a cuddle tonight.”

He chuckled. “You’ve done research on this?”

“Obviously.”

“Then I guess, because it is medically necessary, I can’t deny you.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Let me set up the bed. You want dinner and a shower while you wait?”

“I’m ok. I showered earlier.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Just some soup. Still hard to eat when I can barely breathe through my nose.” She threw the blanket off. “I can order you some food though.”

“Lay down, sweetheart,” he ordered, gently.

She pouted. “But you need to eat too.”

“I had a big lunch.” He got up. “Let me take care of the bed. You just lay down and relax.”

==================================

After Wilson finished setting up the bed, he changed in his McGill shirt and plaid boxers. While Odette was in the bathroom brushing her teeth, he padded to the kitchen to give Sarah her medicine and refill her food and water bowl. He also grabbed two water bottles from the fridge.

Back in the bedroom, he placed one bottle on her nightstand and the other on his.

Just as he got under the covers, Sarah jumped up and meowed at him.

“Oh, you want snuggles too?” he chuckled softly as Sarah laid on his chest, purring. His fingers stroked her white fur. “You’re just as spoiled as your mom.”

“I’m spoiled, huh?”

He looked up to see Odette grinning as she closed the bathroom door behind her. Her eyes fell to Sarah.

“Oh you’re such a sneaky girl,” she cooed at the cat, scratching her behind her ears. “You just wanted to get in on the action, huh? I can’t blame you.”

She kissed the top of the cat’s head and then went over to her side of the bed. Sarah moved off James’ chest and down to the edge of the bed.

“Thank you,” Odette giggled as she grabbed the medicine and the water bottle from her nightstand. She took the two pills and chased it down with water.

“Good girl,” Wilson remarked softly.

She turned her head, face scrunched. “Don’t start. We’re just cuddling tonight.”

“I’m just being ecouraging,” he defended playfully. “Not my fault my encouragement gets you going.”

She rolled her eyes, setting the water bottle on the nightstand. She rest the side of her face on Wilson’s chest, basking in his warmth. Wilson’s arm moved around her as he rubbed her forearm.

She hummed in delight. “Oh, I’ve been missing this,” she yawned. “How have you been enjoying the guest room?”

“I don’t know if I would say I’m enjoying it,” he said. “I sleep better when I’m with you.”

She glanced up. “You do?”

He nodded. She licked her lips, the next question already tasting like vinegar.

“Did you feel that way with your last two wives?”

She was afraid of the answer, but her desperation to know was stronger.

Wilson shook his head. “I have a level a comfort with you that I’ve never had with anyone else except maybe House. You’re a calming presence in my life. I didn’t have that with them. First wife, we were young and didn’t think it through. Second wife, I was going through the motions. With you? It’s unconditional love. It’s real, but it’s comfortable.”

His eyes met her. “It’s home.”

Tears pooled in her eyes as he kissed the top of her head.

“Third time really was the charm,” she joked.

He chuckled. “It sure was.” He glanced down. “Get some rest. The sooner you get better, the more we can do this.”

She closed her eyes as Wilson rubbed the top of her head.

She was right. Third time was the charm.

[imraespace]

CHAPTER 01: STARTING OVER

JUST THE WAY THINGS GO || MEGUMI X READER

Two years into the future, your family decided to send you back to your home country. Though it was just yourself who went back. Your family stayed because their found job opportunities there but sent you back because they rather your old school over the new one.

You wasn't bothered by these new news and as a plus, you get to meet a favorite family member of yours.

──────────────

As you walked out the airport, the morning sun rested itself on your face. It blinded you but your smile grew as your eyes slightly made out the figure of your aunt.

"Aunt shoko!" You slightly yelled as the woman turned in your direction with a small smile on her face.

Shoko Ieiri wasn't a close relative as in she wasn't your mother's sibling or father's, but she's still apart of the family on your mother's side.

Still, your mother and Shoko was very much close during their teen years both just the same, they even quit the smoking at the same time, promising each other to never do it again.

The large gap between you both closed as she pulled you in for a hug, placing her hand on your head.

"I haven't seen you or your mom in so long, I think she forgot about me." She mumbled.

"I literally hear you both on the phone almost every morning, you're not fooling me." You looked up at her.

Her smile grew even larger as her hand left your head and began walking to her car, gesturing you to follow behind.

────────

You both got into the car, you admiring everything your eyes landed on. Remembering what you saw, surprising yourself with the new.

But when the car stopped, the building infront of you was not her apartment, it was:

"The school?" You asked her.

"Yep, I work here as the school's nurse and I asked for permission to show you around, there's new things here." She replied, turning off the car as she turned to face you.

Your eyes shifted from the building to her's.

"That's accident was literally long ago so.." She said, gradually getting softer.

"Yeah I know, let's go."

The school didn't bother you, what did was the student's opinion on you. Some may have left but there are still those who was there, some at the scene and some who was hurt by it.

Though the thought of students reminded you of something.

The notification on your phone continued to fill as you ignored it, entering the school with your aunt infront of you.

──────────────

inumaki: is she stupid or something I thought she said she would've texted us when she got here

maki: maybe she didn't come as yet

inumaki: SHE NEEDS TO HURRY

yuuta: stop blowing up the gc

inumaki: no.

──────────────

As your entered the building, a lot did changed. The inside had alot more added to it, more posters neatly on the wall, more plants.

The walk continued until you had reached the nurse's office.

"This is where I usually be, you can check me anytime you want during your breaks, just don't get caught." She explained, opening the door and revealed two males inside.

"YOU GOT HER FINALLY!" A certain white haired man said.

He walked up to you and held out his hand infront of you. You accepted it as he began shaking your hand.

"Hello, welcome to the school, I'm the best teacher here, Mr. Gojo though everyone calls me Satoru.. anyways come by me if you have any troubles!" He kept on rambling with a big smile on his face, you returned the smile but you kinda zoned out on whatever he was saying.

"First of all, I'm her homeroom teacher and secondly she already attended this school so you should've told her welcome back.." The man with a bun spoke up, walking up to your view.

He slightly pushed Gojo away as he stood infront of you with a smile.

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Suguru Geto, unlike Satoru, my students calls me Mr.Geto. It's nice to meet you." He told you, shaking your hand as he glanced at Gojo then back at you with a smile.

"It's really nice to meet both of you, actually I kinda already knew about you both from my mom calls with aunt Shoko, you're her friends.."

They both nodded at your words then looked at your aunt.

"Okay, introductions are over. Y/N, Suguru is going go show you to your homeroom class then we can go home." Shoko told you as she walked towards her desk, pulled out her phone and waved at you.

Geto began walking as you followed behind, waving goodbye to both Gojo and Shoko.

──────────────

You learned that your new class is on the second floor. You both entered the classroom and he told you where your seat is.

"Oh by the way, is there anyone you know who still attends?" Geto spoke up.

"Oh, yeah my friend group still attends this school and we still talk, actually I was supposed to text them earlier.." You replied.

"And they are..?"

You listed out their names and his eyes grew a bit.

"That's funny, your seat is in the middle of both Maki and Inumaki, Yuuta's is in the same row, he's next to Inumaki." He told you.

You sighed, imagining sitting next to Inumaki during school hours.

"Shoko told me about what had happened back then, if there's anyone trying to cause problems for you, you can tell me or even Shoko so don't hide anything." He ended.

──────────────

Your trip to the school ended as both you and your aunt made it to her apartment, sun setting as she drove up in the parking place.

"So, are you excited to start over?" She asked.

"Kinda..?"

She laughed.

The day ended with you both unpacking your stuff, you packing your school bag and finally saying good night to each other as the moon arrived high in the sky.

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MASTERLIST | <-PREVIOUS // NEXT->

TAGLIST: @deezy12299 @polarbvnny @fxriixq @mentallyunstablemanlover @baku-boneless @evinvevin @zhochikennugget @saesofficialwife @k1y0yo (OPEN)

(if not tagged, your profile didn't show up. sadly☹️)

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note: I just realized this story is gonna be more writing and less texting... more work for me ig🙄🙄

but next chapter is gonna be texting!

[adore-laur]

THE FIRST DAY HOME

— an addition to milestones (part of the dadrry universe) 🌅

——

A revitalizing gust of autumn air graced Harry's lungs when he nudged his hip against the handicap button near the hospital door. His hands were too occupied to manually push it open himself since one acted as a crutch of balance for you, and the other gripped the car seat that held his two-day-old daughter.

During the journey out, finally leaving behind drab hallways and stuffy rides in the elevator, Harry refilled his disposable coffee cup and drowsily glanced between the Keurig and his sleeping baby girl. He noticed she was no bigger than the burbling machine in front of him. Just shy of eighteen inches tall, she could have practically been mistaken for a doll with her pouted pink lips and silken eyelashes that melted the hearts of everyone who passed by. The nurses Harry had made friends with over the past couple of days fawned over her, and it had taken a good ten minutes to leave the waiting room because of all the attention.

She belonged at home, though, which is why he politely excused himself and ushered you and his baby out of the hospital like he was relocating valuable artwork. On second thought, the analogy didn't sound too far from reality.

Scanning the congested parking lot, Harry tried to remember where he parked the damn car; those three cups of black coffee he had downed in the last hour weren't working in his favor. He shivered and tucked you closer into his warmth. It was November, so a chill hung in the crisp morning air and required sweatshirts. His daughter had a crocheted blanket from the nursery resting over her body and a pink beanie snug on her head. The temperature change didn't seem to bother her, nor did the movement when he eventually steered the two of you in the direction of the car.

He unlocked the doors while mentally reviewing the safety procedures for securing a fragile baby into a big, scary vehicle. So many things could go wrong, but he brushed aside those troubling thoughts and carefully installed the car seat to face the rear.

"You got everything?" you asked faintly, lingering behind him like a gentle spirit guide.

Harry turned his head and took in your physical state of weariness. "Yeah, love. Did you want to do it? Sorry, I got ahead of myself." Your detached gaze looked right through him as you shook your head.

"No, I'm too tired and sore," you whispered, sniffling a little. He sincerely hoped it was from the weather and not from forthcoming emotions.

Lovingly cradling your head, he said, "I hear you, honey. How about you go sit down and rest for a bit? I'm in dad mode right now. You need to be in sleep mode."

You slumped your forehead against his chest, an adorable way of nonverbally saying thank you, then retreated to the other side of the car to get in the back. Harry reached over to buckle your seatbelt before continuing his task.

After pushing his unwashed hair out of his eyes, he clicked the car seat into position and tightened the straps securing his daughter just to be safe. Her blanket was tucked behind her neck, and he inhaled the skin there, her addictive baby smell easing his cluttered mind almost instantly. With a featherlight kiss to her cheek, he softly shut the door and slid into the driver's seat with aching joints and a foreign feeling coursing through his veins. He adjusted the rear-view mirror to better see both of you and grinned when he saw you dozing off already. He couldn't help himself when he reached back to loosely grab your fingers and plant a kiss on your wedding ring.

"What's wrong?" you slurred, weakly squeezing his thumb. The way you stared at him, so very tired yet so very beautiful, reminded him of memories gone by.

"Nothing," Harry said with a choked laugh. Why was he tearing up? When had that happened? "You… you're a mom. We're parents. It hit me just now."

He always knew you were never meant to be a stranger in his life.

"Well, Mom needs Dad to start driving so I can sleep in my own bed again—and on my stomach." You smiled lazily. "Oh, I can't wait for that."

With that, he reversed out of the parking space and headed home. It was a tranquil drive along the coast, soft breathing and sips of coffee being the only sounds until he eventually pulled into the driveway, the slowest he'd ever done.

The next few minutes were a blur. Harry unpacked the trunk stuffed with supply bags he had brought to the hospital, which were full of necessary and unnecessary items. Once inside the comfort of the house, he watched you immediately sprawl out onto the couch and drown in the comforter that had been left there from your five-in-the-morning contractions.

Harry filled a glass of ice water for you and set it on the coffee table before kneeling, his knees cracking due to minimum use in the last forty-eight hours. "I'm going to show her around the house," he murmured, playing with your hair.

"You sound like a real estate agent."

He hummed a dry laugh. "Am I delirious, or has motherhood made your jokes worse?"

You kicked your foot out to hit him; however, you accidentally nailed him right in his groin region. Harry grunted and pinched his eyes shut, suffering through the momentary pain. Your gasp quickly turned into a giggle, and he tickled your neck as revenge.

"I'd like to have more kids with you, thanks," he said, standing with a groan and subtly adjusting himself. "Call me if you need anything, yeah? And drink some water, please."

He stepped away and lifted his daughter from the car seat, his heart expanding at the way her body remained scrunched. He then wrapped her blanket around himself, the material stretching enough to cover her.

He should show her the nursery first, where he would spend a lot of bonding time in the upcoming weeks, or even the kitchen, where she'd be his enthralled audience member as he cooked meals. Instead, he slid off his shoes and opened the patio door before slowly trekking down the wooden stairs leading to the house's private beach area. The California sunrise was a boundless blend of blues and oranges, and the water along the horizon sparkled.

"What do you think?" he asked the sleeping bundle in his arms. With bare feet, he found a place on the sand where the waves barely reached his toes. The sound of them crashing on the shore solidified the feeling of home in his chest. "Pretty breathtaking, huh?"

He would never get sick of the view since it was the backdrop of his most treasured moments with you. Drinking coffee together and watching the sunrise as birds chirped their morning songs. Spending golden hour evenings kissing in the ocean while lust flourished like a summer zinnia. Moonlit nights sitting by a campfire, prattling on about the future while tipsy on wine.

Everything circled back to you, like he was in a whirlpool of your sheer, shimmering existence.

"Your mom," Harry mused, "she's amazing, isn't she? Sometimes, I wonder how she does it. How she makes everything look so effortless." He bent his knees and laid his daughter on his thighs, as if speaking to her directly would ingrain the sentiment into her head. "I want you to know she will give you the world, okay? She's going to make you feel so loved, and I'll do my absolute best to match her affection, but know that you won't meet anyone who loves more selflessly than her."

The breeze agreed as it picked up and swirled around him. Glancing down, he studied the creation in his arms. Her features were the perfect fusion of him and you, with the shape of her eyes matching yours and the shape of her lips matching his.

"I hope you look more like her than me when you get older," he said, drawing shapes in the sand with his fingers. "But the selfish side of me hopes you have my smile. Don't tell her that, though. Let's wait until she sees it, because then she'll never be able to say no to you. I figured out that secret ages ago."

He couldn't wait until her personality started to shine through. Would she try to get her way by being clingy like he does? Or would she give him puppy-dog eyes like you do? If it was a mixture of both, he would have a troublemaker on his hands.

"Anyway," Harry said with an exhale, "I brought you out here because this beach is where we'll spend lots of time together. Dad has special memories here. My favorite is when I proposed to your mother. After she said yes, we ran into the ocean without knowing where life would take us." His eyes became glossy, a film of tears threatening to escape his waterline. "I'm so glad it brought us you. I'm so, so glad."

As morning eased its way into full effect, he looked back at the house where years of love resided. Why not add some more?

——

[fangirlfrom-hell]

One of Those Days || Jay Halstead x Halstead Sister

We deserved more interactions between Kim and Jay, that's all I'm saying.

I was thinking about this day where I was feeling super shitty at school, my self harm habits were horrible back then and I always wanted to cry. Since my mom was working, I texted my aunt and she took me to her house. She knew I was pretending to have a headache, but anyway followed my game. My little cousin lend me her bed to lay down and she decided it was a good idea to read The Little Prince for me to fall asleep 💕

“Do you want me to call your dad?” The receptionist at school asked the girl infront of her. Her head was slightly lowered and her hair covered a good part of her face.

“Can you call my brother instead?” Becca asked in a low crackly voice.

The receptionist sighed, “Sure. But you know I can’t let you go without your dad’s permission”

The girl nodded and sat in the hard plastic chairs of the office to wait while the woman spoke on the phone.

“…Yes, she has a headache…She’s alright, but seems like it’s getting worse. The nurse checked her, but can’t really do much. Sure, she’s at the office. Thank you, Mr. Halstead”

“Becca, your brother will be here as soon as he can. Go get your stuff, I’ll call your dad to let him know”

She didn't really have a headache, but it seemed like "fake it 'til you make it" was a real thing because she was now starting to feel discomfort in her head. Although it might have been because she was struggling not to cry in front of everyone. Her nose was now red, and her eyes were watery. Everybody thought it was due to allergies or the flu, but in reality, she was swallowing hard, trying to retain tears rolling down.

“Let’s go, Beccs”, Jay said while picking up his sister’s backpack from the floor.

The walk to the parking lot was silent; she knew that if she talked, she would burst into tears. A hole in her chest appeared the minute she saw her brother, and now it was growing fast inside of her.

Jay was eagerly typing on his phone, dealing with work issues he couldn't leave for later. He was worried; since he received the call from the school, his gut told him Becca's emergency wasn't about being sick, and now, even looking at her sideways, he could confirm it.

The detective opened the car a few steps before they reached it. Both siblings went to the same side of the truck, the girl ready to jump inside, while her brother was putting her belongings on the back seat. When Jay closed the door, Becca was still outside waiting for him. She was scratching her eye, and as soon as their gazes crossed, she started to silently cry. Instinctively, brother and sister took a step forward to hug each other; there was no time for Jay to bend to her height, so she squeezed his waist tightly.

"Did something happen, or is it only the feeling?" He tilted his ear to be able to hear the answer.

Becca moved her head, saying no, her face still sunken in his stomach, "Only the feeling."

"Alright," he softly said. They stayed like that for a moment before actually going inside the truck.

With a mixture of affection and concern, Jay stared at his sister before starting the car. "Do you want to talk?" He spoke gently. Her delicate attempt to wipe away the evidence of her tears with the sleeve of her sweater tugged at his heartstrings.

Becca despised being seen in such a fragile state; the vulnerability on display only heightened her emotions. It struck her as ironic that the very person who made her feel secure and shielded, her brother, was the one in front of whom she felt the most exposed. In the tumult of her emotions, Jay remained her safe person, the only one she could trust.

"It's the pain in the chest, the black hole. It's growing."

He frowned with a slight nod. Jay knew perfectly what she was talking about, and he hated to be so powerless about it.

"I don't want to go home," she begged. Becca's face made Jay's heart drop; you could see the pain in her puffy eyes and her cheeks a bit swollen along with her pink nose.

He swallowed hard, "I honestly wouldn't take you there even if you asked me to. You are coming with me, but I still have things to do at the bullpen."

“I can wait”

On the road back to the 21st District, Jay’s phone never stopped ringing, but anyway he passed by a drive-thru to get an ice-cream for Becca, a nice attempt to cheer her up a bit.

“Feeling a bit better?” He asked before getting inside of the building. At least, the crying was controlled for a moment. “Alright, let’s go”.

It was obvious she had been crying, but nobody said a thing about it. All the cops, detectives and seargets greeted the girl with a warm smile and acted normal around her.

Becca stayed in the coffee room and never got out of there. After all the weeping, exhaustion took its toll, and she found herself drifting into sleep on the arm of the sofa. Jay periodically entered to check on her, his stress evident as he felt the weight of time pressing against him. The clock relentlessly ticked away, yet the workload showed no sign of diminishing.

Kim noticed, and after preparing to leave by taking her coat and bag, she approached her friend. "Hey! I'm already done here and heading home. If you want, and if she wants to, I can take Becca with me. I just need to pick up Mak from school, and then we'll be home."

The detective hesitated, “Uhm—“

"Look, I don't know what's going on with her, but at least she can properly rest there..." Kim's voice carried a note of genuine concern, her eyes reflecting a mix of empathy and worry for both of them.

They turned their heads to see how the girl was all tangled in her spot.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. That way you won’t have the pressure—I mean, you’ll still have the pressure, but it will be different knowing she’s comfortable in a safe place…I know the feeling, Jay”

After a few seconds of deliberating in his mind, he thankfully agreed only for his sister’s comfort.

“Don’t worry, don’t rush. You can pick her up whenever you can, doesn’t matter if it’s late”, Burgess said before departing and Jay knew she was honest, “I’ll take care of her”

Makayla was delighted with Becca's presence but was too shy to interact with her. Since they didn't have visitors often, this was kind of a new experience for her.

"Mak," her mom called, "Becca is not feeling very well, would you lend her your bed for a little while so she can rest?"

"Sure!" Despite her short life, Makayla's tender heart had already weathered enough storms, shaping her into a compassionate soul capable of understanding when someone else was beaten down or in pain. She sensed all that in Becca and was willing to make her feel good. "I can even lend her my stuffies," she added as an innocent gesture. Now addressing their guest directly, she continued, "They'll keep you company and won't be scary if you wake up in the dark."

Kim guided Becca to the room and arranged everything for her, picking up some clothes and toys that her daughter had left on the floor. Meanwhile, Makayla was opening drawers and climbing them to reach the highest shelf where the books were placed.

"There you go, make yourself comfortable," Burgess said while still fixing the unmade bed.

“And I’ll read you something to help you sleep”, Makayla approached holding a big book with her small hands.

“Mak, sweetie, no. We’re going out while she sleeps, okay? But you can read to me”, she took her hand to lead her out.

“No, mom. She doesn’t need to be alone right now”, Makayla’s big dark eyes were over Becca. “She needs a story, that’s what you do when I am sad”

Suddenly, the pain in Becca's chest intensified, and the gaping hole seemed to expand. It was as if her new little friend could read her mind. Becca yearned to be alone to release the pent-up tears, yet a lingering understanding told her that solitude might not be the best course of action.

“It’s alright, Kim. This her room, after all”

“Yas!” Mak jumped out of excitement. “Now, you lay down here and close your eyes. I’m going to read you a story that always make me feel better when I am not happy…”

With a smile and slowly going out of the room, Burgess leaved the two girls alone.

“The Little Prince is one of my favorite books too, Makayla”

“I knew it” her smile was bright.

As Becca listened to the reading, she feigned sleep. A few tears escaped her eyes, but she skillfully concealed them. Eventually, the reading ceased, and Becca sensed Mak's tiny face drawing near, checking if she was truly asleep. The youngest Halstead heard Makayla's footsteps departing from the room, but then she returned, placing a stuffed animal between Becca's arms. "Don't leave her alone, Buttons," she whispered before descending the stairs with her mommy.

Slowly, Becca opened her eyes and as soon as she made sure she was alone, she started an intense crying, trying not to make a lot of noise. She turned to give her back to the door, hidding in case someone came in. Clutching the stuffed animal tightly, she cried until exhaustion enveloped her, eventually lulling her into a fitful sleep.

She awoke in Jay's bed, disoriented about how she got there, a Mak's plush toy still nestled between her arms. Rising from the bed, a sudden wave of dizziness hit her, her head throbbing, and the discomfort in her chest persisting. When she emerged into the living room, her brother was seated on the sofa. Becca raised Buttons with one hand, a question mark etched on her face, silently seeking an explanation.

“Makayla insisted you should take it for tonight”, he answered simply.

“Oh. That's sweet”

"How are you feeling?" Jay asked, standing up to approach her, but she just shrugged. "Stupid question?"

"It's just—"

"One of those days," he completed. "I know."

"A terrible one, and it's not over yet" There was a long silence and Jay knew she was trying to say something, so he gave her time. "I was scared, Jay."

Those last words sent shivers down his spine, he understood what she was referring to and was also frightened but couldn't admit it in front of her. He masked his concern, assuring her, "You should never be scared, I'm here with you."

"I know", she gave him a hug.

"Do you want to talk now?" Becca hurriedly said no only with her head, and her brother understood.

"Okay", Jay sighed, "You haven't eaten a thing all day. Food should make you feel better. What about pizza, a movie, and the company of your favorite brother, hm?"

"What? Is Will coming?" Becca teased him, finally smiling.

"Ha! A joke, that's a sign that you are already feeling better."

The evening unfolded and laughter echoed through the room as they enjoyed the movie. Yet, even in her weariness, Becca managed to stay awake for a fleeting moment. As she drifted into sleep, the pain in her chest, a constant companion throughout the day, was miraculously eased by the gentle touch and care of her brother.

[ox1-lovesick]

hi love I HAVE A RQQQ- TXT OR ENHA WITH A SICK S/O PLEASE!! i have a killer cold and the worst dizzy spells ever nd i would love some comfort 😞😞 thank u sm

★ ✯ ☆ TXT WITH A SICK!S/O

★ pairing. txt x gn!reader genre. fluff, comfort warnings. mentions of food wc. 100-300 each

✯ synopsis. txt with a sick s/o!!

☆ a/n. firstly i am so sorry this took 4 months 💀 writers block is the bane of my existence. i do hope this manages to bring you some comfort though :( please do take care of yourself and get well soon! (even though you are most likely not sick anymore 😭) also how ironic is it that i'm currently sick... :')

YEONJUN | 연준

by your side 100% of the time you cannot get rid of him.

he's over your bed when you wake up in the morning, waiting outside the bathroom door for you, laying right next to while you're sleeping. everywhere you are, so is yeonjun

will bend over backwards to get you anything you need

water? medicine? soup? more blankets? less blankets? he's on it before you can even ask

cooks for you !!! tries to make your food as interesting as possible so you won't get bored, without adding things that will make you feel worse or aren't good for you

you're bedridden. don't even try to fight him

he won't let you lift a finger, he wants you to get as much rest as possible so you can get better as quickly as possible

infact don't even speak, he'll learn morse code so you can just beep him whenever you need

if his schedule allows he'll stay home with you and be by your side every second of the day, if not he's texting you every free moment he has to make sure you're okay

would definitely call in sick if you were feeling particularly tired and need his care that day

has multiple reminders to make sure you're taking your medicine on time, will scold you if you're even a second late

he'll never tell you but he secretly enjoys you being sick . . .

he love love loves to take care of you, especially when you call on him to do things for you it makes him all giddy knowing you need him (he's not a creep i swear)

he's ontop of you so much he probably catches whatever you have

atleast you're sick together

SOOBIN | 수빈

hates to see you sick

1. because it's gross 2. because he hates seeing you in pain but mainly because it's gross

you're not staying in his bed i'm sorry he's gonna come over to your house to take care of you during the day and go home to his snot free blankets at night

gets your medicine mixed up all the time and complains it's the doctor's fault for prescribing ones that look so similar

low-key takes advantage of this situation so he can skip work and spend some quality time with you LMAOOO

"sorry guys yn's still dying i can't come to work today"

at first it's fun because you just have your average head cold so he doesn't worry too much

but then it starts getting worse and he comes home to you falling over yourself in the kitchen because of your dizzy spells and nearly has a stroke

panik

he starts stressing like a mad man after that

probably gets himself sick just with how stressed out he is it's a problem

definitely calls his mom for help he doesn't know what to do

updates her on every little thing you do

"mom they just took a really deep breath does that mean something"

buys the entire pharmacy

wants to kick himself for not taking it seriously when you first got sick he feels so guilty 😭

although you did enjoy his company and the endless marvel marathons so all is well

will not leave you alone. you have to shit with the door open.

will do everything for you even if you're perfectly capable of doing it yourself

from brushing your hair to fluffing your pillows he's gonna do it all

he'll even clean for you, that's his ultimate declaration of love

in the end he didn't really do much to nurse you back to health but A for effort

BEOMGYU | 범규

i know practically everyone in moaville would say he'd tease the shit out of you but in my head he'd be the most worried for you

googles every single one of your symptoms and then cries himself to sleep because myonlineclinic.com told him you have cholera and 6 days to live

the only reason he'd tease you is to mask his worry

he'd watch you go through 60 boxes of tissues and be like "omg my snotty baby" but on the inside he's freaking out 😭

your pain is his pain, the way you feel affects him and his mood drastically

he's irritable when you are, he's tired when you are, your appetites probably sync too

puts a curse on whoever spread their nasty germs to you with ginger roots and vinegar

i think he'd also be the most sympathetic since he gets sick a lot more often than the others

so gentle and understanding compared to his usual self it's a little scary 😭

surprisingly good at negotiation like you're being stubborn because you don't want to take your medicine and he's like "if you drink the cough syrup i'll let you listen to the demos for our next comeback" and before you know it you've sold your childhood home to him for 3/4 of the initial price

will whip out his guitar and sing for you in a heartbeat if you ask him too

obviously tries to crack jokes and make you smile so you don't feel too miserable, he feels so accomplished even if you just scoff at him 🙁

gets back to his usual annoying self once you're better though

TAEHYUN | 태현

ironically, he doesn't know what to do

he rarely gets sick and when he does it passes in a day or two, so when you've been coughing like you have bronchitis for the past week he feels so lost

his first instinct is to take you to the doctor to figure out what's wrong but gets into a fight with doctor for charging him 19382928 won just to press his hand to your forehead and tell him you have a head cold (terry is against this capitalist society)

also buys the entire pharmacy

changes your entire lifestyle to the maximum efficiency so you get better as quickly as possible and makes sure you stick to it

strict like a prison warden, sometimes you wonder if he actually loves you

which he obviously does, but it's hard to believe so when he avoids any unnecessary contact with you as if you have the plague

takes you outside every once in a while to get some fresh air, he feels stuffy just watching you sit around

it also keeps you active 💪

he's always pestering you to wash your hands

will not let you touch him otherwise

makes sure he keeps your space clean, always has tissues and anything else you might need within your reach

at your aid 24/7

you take up a colossal space in his heart he's so soft for you

flying to your side before you even say anything

you don't even have to tbh he can read your mind

"how'd you know i wanted water?" "you looked thirsty"

if he notices you're feeling extra miserable he'll sing for you to cheer you up

swallows his pride because he's down bad and pulls out his best southern accent when you ask him to sing country music

he will be teased for the next millenia but it was worth it for you

he's like an overbearing mother but you get better the fastest when he's taking care of you

HUENINGKAI | 휴닝카이

another mama's boy

probably calls his sisters too

hiyyih would tell him to soak your pills in vegetable oil as a joke but he'll actually do it because he's just that hopeless

he's unable to think straight he just wants to do everything in his power to make you feel better 😭

although he gets the hang of it pretty quickly, he's a fast learner and genuinely enjoys taking care of you

always praising you !!

"wow yn!! i can't believe you ate all your soup!!! you're so cool!!!"

tries to distract you by showing you his entire collection of pokemon cards

probably lies and tells you they're all super rare and he's the only one in the world who has them

does his best not to cause you any stress, he just wants you to focus on resting

the things this man does because he loves you istg

he cleans the entire dorm because it's a breeding ground for bacteria and he doesn't want anything making you more sick

the guys come home to the house spotless they're just like 🤯🤯🤯🤯

taehyun asks you to get sick more often if it means he doesn't have to fight his way through the ironing board and bike to get to the sink

he even lets you play on his DS he's down bad

side rant: i feel like kai is secretly a neat freak, he abhors the sight of filth but is just too lazy to do anything about it so he forces himself to deal with it 💀

anyway he's such a sweetheart :( does his best to keep the mood up even if you're feeling miserable because your nose is so filled with so much snot that you can't breathe

his positive energy definitely rubs off on you!!!

he actually does a good job taking care of you, he's a bit stressed at first but you're back to good health in no time !!!

© OX1-LOVESICK ── all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, alter, or repost my work without my explicit permission.

[reneeluv154]

Doctor Dawkins

Hi! I really hope you enjoy.

I will be making a part two to this Jack Dawkins imagine!

⚠️Tw: mentions of self harm and sharp objects. ⚠️

My mother, in a panicked state, rushed to the door as she heard three firm knocks. “Oh my, I am so glad to see you here so soon. Please come.” Her footsteps now accompanied by another came down the hall towards my room. In my room was where I sat, on my bed. I was scared, scared he was going to hurt me or take me somewhere where he would perform outrageous surgeries and tests.

The door swung open and my mom marched towards me, snatching my arms and lifting my sleeves to reveal the fairly fresh cuts, next she threw the blanket which covered my legs, revealing the bruises. I kept my head down, not wanting to see the look of disgust on their faces. This made me weak and off-putting, ugly and unladylike. The doctor set down a brown leather bag and gently sat next to me.

“May I take a look? I promise I’ll be gentle.” His tone was just as calm as his mannerisms. I held out my arms letting him examine both.

“A few of these cuts need some stitches.”

My heart sank as he dug through the small leather bag, bringing out a needle and some cotton string. “Will it hurt?” I choked.

“Please.” My mother scoffed. “You’ve done such horrid things and you're worried about a needle and some string? Pathetic.” she hurried off to what I assumed was the kitchen to make some tea. Leaving both me and the doctor alone.

“It will hurt but luckily for you these cuts are small, you'll only need 4 or 5 stitches for each” I nodded watching him thread the string through the needle.

How does it work? I wondered in my head before saying it aloud.

“How does it work?” I looked at him.

This was the first time I looked at him, his blonde fluff of hair fell over his dark brown eyes. What caught my attention the most was he had no trace of disgust or malice in his eyes, but rather sympathy and… what I believed was kindness.

‘Well, I’ll show ya, if ya think you're tough enough?” He cocked an eyebrow, making me smile.

“You have a pretty smile.” He softly mentioned while positioning his needle right where it needed to be.

“Thank you”

“Alright, first I’m gonna very gently take the needle from one side to the other, like so.” my whole body tensed as I felt the sharp needle glide through the thick layer of skin.

“Shhh, it’s okay, try to relax your arm. After I get the needle through both sides I’m gonna take the string and tie a surgeon's knot, just like this.” I watched as he wrapped the string twice around what looked like pliers but for surgeons rather than builders or mechanics.

“Now I’m gonna make two more simple knots and cut the string.” He gave me a small smile once finished with the first stitch. I had more of a defeated look than he did.

“This is gonna take forever.”

He chuckled, “Well, why don’t we get to know each other, I’m Doctor Jack Dawkins.”

“Y/n Y/l/n.” I decided not to watch this time, letting my eyes wander around my room.

“Beautiful name.”

“Thank you.” I blushed.

His concentration during our conversation was for some reason alluring, He gave off a sense of comfort no man ever had.

“All done, may I take a look at your bruises?”

I hesitated.

“I could take you down to the hospital if you would prefer a nurse, I or the nurse will have to do a full body examination.”

My eyes widened. “I would like to see a nurse.”

He nodded, packing up his tools. “You can get changed while I talk to your mother.”

Part two is out now!🤍🤍

[augustvandyne]

Lucy Chen x reader

Reader is somehow involved in 5 calls Lucy gets and finally they’re actually in danger at the last call and Lucy decides to ask them out at the end

yesss i love all the lucy asks! she’s adorable, especially in this season. her smileeeee

god is not on my side

1.

God was just not on your side today, or this whole week, if you were being honest.

You were a nurse at a local hospital here in Los Angeles, and of course you were late getting out today - again.

Yesterday you’d gotten out thirty minutes late. Which wasn’t so bad, because you lived 15 away from the hospital, and 15 away from the school. So you had enough time to run home, pick your sister up and run her to the game. She got there just in time for warmups.

But today.. you hadn’t gotten out for an hour. You were an hour late. You were all but running out of the hospital when you were finally able to go.

You rushed as quickly as you could to the house, and you were scolded by your sister, Avery, when she hopped into the car.

“Just freaking drive!” She said as she hung halfway out the door.

“I don’t want to get pulled over,” You try to remain calm, but on the inside you’re freaking out just as hard. You know how important soccer was to Avery. Especially because she’s in her senior year, which means she’s being watched every second of her playing time.

“I don’t even care. I will pay if you get a ticket. Just get me to the field!” She all but yelled at you.

You glance over at your sister. Her hair was already up and she had your guys’ moms favorite color pre-wrap around her head - it was her signature trade mark - along with her shin guards and her dirty cleats that are messing up your clean car.

You press on the gas slightly and you see red and blue flashing lights.

“Shit!” You curse, pulling over to the side of the road.

“Seriously..” Avery sits back in her seat.

“You take point Chen,” You hear out your window as a beautiful woman approaches the side of your car.

“Are you aware that you were speeding?” The officer - Chen - holds her hands in front of her confidently.

“Yes. I’m so, so, so sorry. I normally wouldn’t speed but my sister here is very late to her soccer game because I didn’t get out of work at the time I should have— which is all my fault by the way,” You spare a glance at your sister who is fuming by now. “You see, she’s a senior now and there are scouts all over the place and this is not a good look for her if she’s going to be even more late so if you could please just do whatever you’re going to do, and let me go, I will pay or do whatever you want. Just please let me get her to the high school.”

Lucy’s eyes are a bit wider than they were two minutes ago.

“Oh— well— um, I’ll let you off on a warning this time,” Lucy nods and you let out a relieved breath.

“Thank you. You are a goddess. I could kiss you.”

“Oh—“

“But I won’t,” You chuckle.

“I hope I do not see you again,” Lucy points. “Wait, that sounded rude. Just— I just hope I don’t see you again because I don’t want you to be a criminal—“

“No, I understand,” You smiled widely at the adorable woman.

“Chen,” Tim says sternly.

“Y/n!” Avery says at the same time.

“Right, we’re going. I hope not to see you again, either.”

With that, you’re off.

2.

You guess someone on the side of the road called the cops, you weren’t really sure.

All you knew was you were walking towards the store to get a few groceries for you and your sister before your night shift, when you got punched in the face.

You were slouched down against the side of a brick building when you see two sets of feet appear in front of you.

“Chen-“

“Hey,” Lucy places a gentle hand on your shoulder, ignoring Tim’s protests. She knows all you need right now is a comforting shoulder to lean on. She would know. “What happened?”

“I—“

“It’s okay. Does your throat hurt?” Lucy rubs your shoulder soothingly with her thumb, her hand still resting there.

You nod.

“I see you have a bad bruise there on your eye, did the attacker hit you anywhere else?”

Tim is impressed by Lucy’s ease and strength throughout this process. He makes a mental note to praise her later for being so supportive to you.

“My—“ Your voice is raspy. “Ribs. There’s probably one or two broken.”

Lucy looks down at your shirt, “Do you mind if I take a look?”

You nod again, letting her know it’s okay that she looks.

She’s not surprised to see the bruising on your abdomen, and is glad to see it was only one or two like you said.

“You should go to the hospital to get checked out,” Lucy looks down at you with concerned eyes. “Did he steal anything from you?”

“My— my wallet,” You swallow, and your throat contracts painfully.

“We’ll locate that for you,” Tim promises, his eyes almost matching Lucy’s.

“Thank you,” You sniff.

“Now let’s get you to the hospital.. Y/N, right?”

You didn’t even have to tell her your name.

3.

You were nearing the end of your shift, and to be honest, you couldn’t be any happier if you tried. Partly because you were already as excited as you could get due to you finally getting to leave after an overly long day. But you were also too tired to get even more excited.

But as of late God hasn’t been in your favor. Which really explains why the second you’re about to pack up to change, the hospital is hit with a bunch of traumas - all hands on deck.

You guessed it might have been some kind of mass casualty. Maybe a multiple car pile up or a shooting. 

Your suspicions only grew when one of the officers you’ve come to be familiar with - Officer Bradford - and another officer came strolling in. They had concerned looks on their faces. 

You couldn’t help but notice Officer Chen (still no first name) wasn’t with him.

Officer Bradford spots you and almost immediately is by your side, hounding you for information.

“Do you know where she is?” You can see the fear in his eyes. He’s terrified for whoever he may be looking for. “She was hit- and- and- Jackson too. I- I should’ve seen it coming.”

“It’s okay Tim,” The woman that stands beside Tim shares a similar expression to him. You were guessing this woman was Jackson’s partner. The officer says in a much calmer voice, “Have you seen any officers be brought in?”

“No,” You swallow thickly and watch as their faces fall. “But I’ll find out right now.” 

You see relief flash through Tim’s eyes as you back up and speed through the doors that lead into the emergency room.

Lucy locks her eyes on you, and you are at her side in a second. Another nurse is helping her but you tell her, “I got this one. Help the other officer over there.”

“Tim sent you,” Lucy says through her teeth, in an obvious amount of pain. She was tough and when in pain she didn’t show it. You admired that.

“He did,” You admit, lifting the gauze to see the wound on her cheek. “What happened?”

“We were hit by another car. We were chasing- I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” Lucy looks down.

“It’s okay,” You smile down at her. “You were caught in a traumatic situation, it causes a little shock- which is what you are experiencing.”

She hisses in pain when you tap at her wound with a disinfectant.

“Thank you,” Lucy locks her gorgeous brown eyes on yours.

“Of course.”

4.

You loved Avery, you really, really did, but you hated soccer games.

Not because of the game itself, because you loved to see Avery play. There was nothing you loved more than seeing Avery happy. But you hated the parents.

They are downright rude. They call out at the other kids who are doing just fine, and then praise their own.

“Come on Avery! That was a clear shot!” One of the girls’ fathers stands to shout from the sideline.

You are fuming by now, because that was at least the tenth time this man has shouted at Avery.

“There were three girls in her way,” You point your hand in the direction of the goal.

“She could have shot over them,” The man shrugs. “She’s done it before.”

“Yeah maybe when it wasn’t twenty degrees outside,” You roll your eyes.

“Oh, so now you’re blaming the weather on her poor shooting skills?” The man is still standing as he crossing his arms.

“Well I’m just saying it is pretty windy as well,” You stand too. “You weren’t opposed to blaming weather twenty minutes ago when your daughter missed her shot.”

“That’s—“

“Oh, yeah?” You raise your brows.

“You—“ The man begins to get in your face.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Tim shouts from the side, coming into your view. “Get away from the woman.”

“Or what?”

“I think you know,” Lucy stands confidently, and you have to admit that you’re attracted to her confidence in that moment.

A look flashes over the man’s face but he does back off from your face.

You let out a relieved breath, shooting a thankful smile in Lucy’s direction, Lucy smiling back. And oh my, was it breathtaking.

Lucy nods at you in understanding and as a goodbye.

“I hope I won’t be seeing you again,” Lucy tells the man, trying her best to not pose it as a threat.

5.

As if you didn’t have enough on your plate already, someone was now stealing your mail and packages.

You’d ordered new chargers for your car and for the house at least three times now, and they have all been stolen.

“Again?” Avery asked with a concerned face as you searched the porch for something - anything.

“Yes!” You threw your arms up. “This is the third time. I don’t have the money to just keep spending.”

“I know,” Avery’s face holds a frown. “Maybe you should call that hot cop so she can help you figure it out.”

Your face turns a faint shade of pink at her comment.

Avery smirks, “That’s my dose of humor for the day. I’m off to school. I won’t be home until later, one of the girls with drop me off here. But seriously, get this figured out. Maybe actually go to the police about it.”

“I’ll try.”

And you did.

You really weren’t trying to run into Lucy, or make up reasons to talk to her, but you could see that’s not what it looked like here.

As you think this, it feels as if someone is listening to you. Or it’s just Avery.

Because when you enter the station, there is the cute cop you haven’t been able to get enough of.

You watch Lucy for a second.

She was standing up, but leaning on the counter, her head resting on her folded arms. Her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping, but when you stepped closer she says, “Nolan, if you have a can of silly string, I will kick you in the—“

“I don’t know who Nolan is, but he seems like a piece of work,” You joke, and Lucy is snapped up-right.

“Y/n,” Lucy smiles, grabbing at her coffee tumbler to fidget with. “What are you doing here? I thought I said I didn’t want to see you again? Although, I’m not going to complain. Anyway, uh, what can I do for you?”

You smile nervously, in a good way, and say, “I think someone is stealing my packages.. I’ve ordered phone chargers at least three different times, and they’ve all been stolen.”

Lucy nods attentively, watching you closely, her hands still wrapped around the cup.

“Okay. Let’s just fill out a form, and I will make sure our best detective, Angela Lopez, you’ve actually met her— anyway,” Lucy closes her eyes, pushing a hand into her forehead. “I’ll make sure she gets on it right away.”

“Thank you,” You smile, the two of you locking eyes. “You like coffee?”

“What?”

“The tumbler,” You point. “You like coffee? I’m more of a tea girl myself.”

“Oh— yeah, I like coffee.”

“Good to know,” You tilt your head and turn to walk out.

+1

You just wanted to go to the bank. You really did. Everything you do lately seems to be done with a run in with police and with God on your bad side.

You freeze when you hear the shooting start. Someone has to pull you down to be stopped from getting shot.

Time flies by as he begins making threats and as the cops show up - them trying to compromise with the man.

“No! No!” The man shouted at himself. He had obvious injuries from days leading up to this. You could see infection blooming.

He stares right at you, catching your eye. He grabs your arm and lifts you with a grunt.

You choke back a sob as he says into the phone, “I have someone— her name is—“

“Y/n— Y/n,” You stutter into the phone.

“I’ll shoot her. I will.”

And then he hangs up.

“You’re too close to this Chen,” Tim shakes his head, watching her as she stirs up ideas.

“Lucy?” Nyla and Angela ask at the same time.

“That might be useful,” John says, receiving a few questioning looks. “Well, I’m just saying. She might be able to trip him up.”

“That’s a good idea,” Wade points. “Lucy, how well do you know with woman?”

Lucy doesn’t know how to answer that. She just picks the phone back up and begins to get the man on the line.

“You need to let her go,” Lucy says in a stern voice, stunning everyone. Even you.

“What for?”

“Because I like her. She’s so sweet and so kind. The kindest I’ve ever meet. I don’t know her well, but I hope to over dinner because I would love to get to know her on a personal level, rather than a police and civilian level. She has a sister to take care of, and you can’t take a life of another one of her loved ones. She’s a nurse at the hospital— one of the best. You can’t take her life away just because you’re too insecure to do anything about yourself.”

The man stays quiet, and for a second you really think he’s going to kill you.

“I’ll let her go,” The man begins, and you can hear Lucy let out a shaky but relieved breath. “On one condition.”

“And what might that be?” Lucy’s confident voice was back, and if she was being serious about the date, you already knew what your answer was going to be.

“I walk out of here free. With 250K.”

“Fine,” Lucy agrees.

“That’s a quarter of a million dollars—“ You hear Tim shriek before Lucy hangs the phone up.

You’re pushed to the ground back where you were before when the LAPD comes rushing into the bank.

Lucy was at your side in an instant, ushering you to your feet, trying to take you towards the ambulance so you could get checked.

“I’m okay,” You promise Lucy.

“I can’t be so sure,” Lucy chuckles.

You nod awkwardly.

“Okay, well,” Lucy turns to go, but you stop her.

“Did you.. mean what you said?”

Lucy turns back to you and looks at the ground for a second.

“If you didn’t, it’s okay. I mean, I would love to go out if you—“

Next thing you know, Lucy’s lips are on yours. Her lips are soft and kissable and everything you’ve imagined, but better.

“I meant everything I said,” She holds your face in her hands. “And, would you like to?”

“Like I was saying,” You touch your nose to hers. “I would love to.”

[jackharloww]

Everything will be alright part 2 (birth story)

Summary: Here comes the second part of the birth fic. Make sure to read the first part HERE

Warnings: a lot of emotions

The bleeding continued and the doctors were working their hardest to stop it. Emily had to leave the room, and the last thing she saw was you closing your eyes and a lot of nurses running around. She was worried sick as she sat outside in the waiting room just staring at the wall, waiting for someone to give her more information.

Meanwhile, Maggie picked Jack up from the airport and they both rushed to the hospital. Jack wasn't saying much, but Maggie could see the worry on his face. A nurse showed them to the waiting room where they saw Emily sitting there with her scrubs.

“Where is she, what’s happening” Jack said in a panic

“They..” Emily swallowed , “they wouldn’t let me stay, she just blacked out and the bleeding didn’t stop” she explained, her voice was shaking. Jack walked towards the door that lead to the operation room and tried to open it, immediately a nurse came out.

“Im sorry sir, you have to wait in here”

“My wife is in there, I have to go see her” he raised his voice “I have to see her” he repeated, softer this time, and tried opening the door once more.

“Sir you can’t, the doctors are doing their best, please sit down and wait” she answered.

“I have to be by my wife’s side” he said, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“There’s nothing I can do sir, you have to wait” the nurse answered him, shaking her head. Jack was ready to speak again when Maggie walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder

“Come here son, let them work” she said and made him turn around, Pulling him into a hug

“I need her to be okay mom” he sobbed in his moms arms as she rubbed his back, trying to keep her own tears from falling. “I can’t lose her” jack cried. They stood like that for a few minutes, Jack crying in Maggie’s arms and her calming him down, before Maggie walked him to the chairs and they both sat down, waiting for someone to come and give them updates.

After 10 minutes Jack couldn’t handle it anymore and stood up and began pacing around, and after 20 minutes Maggie lost her patience as well and walked up to a nurse who walked past them.

“What’s happening in there? Why hasn’t anyone giving us any updates?” She asked with an annoyed expression on her face. Jack was thankful she did that because he did not have the energy to do so himself.

“Let me check and I’ll let you know” the nurse kindly replied and walked away. Maggie let out a deep sigh and walked back to her chair.

After another 10 minutes, the doctor exited the room and walked up to them. All three of them stood up, impatiently waiting for her to tell them something.

“Mr.Harlow, your wife lost a lot of blood but we were thankfully able to locate the bleeding and stop it in time” she gently smiled as Jack let out a sigh of relief before crying into his hands. “She will be moved into a room where she will have to rest and be closely monitored for any complications, And your son has been taken to the NICU for monitoring and care” the doctor explained.

“When can we see them?” Emily asked

“Hopefully soon, we will update you” she smiled and went back into the room. You were taken into a room and shortly after Jack was allowed to come in and see you.

As soon as Jack saw your sleeping body he broke down in tears again, he walked up to you and gently grabbed your hand. Maggie and Emily stayed outside to give him a moment alone with you.

“Please be okay, please” he cried “I can't do this without you” 

After a few minutes, Maggie knocked on the door and told him that the doctor had some updates. Jack stood up straight and walked to sit on the couch, he wiped away his tears and took deep breaths as the doctor walked in. 

“Mr.Harlow I have good news,” The doctor said and gave Jack a gentle smile, his eyes lit up and he waited for her to continue. “You have a beautiful and strong baby boy waiting for you in the NICU.” Jack stood up as soon as he heard that, ready to go and meet his son. He walked up to you and planted a gentle kiss on your forehead before following the doctor.

“His vitals look good but he will need to stay at the NICU for a period of time to receive specialized care, but let's go meet him” The doctor informed him everything, while she showed him the way to where baby boy was. He could barely take all the information in, everything on his mind was you and his son, so he was thankful his mom and Emily were there and took everything in. 

Only Jack was allowed to go in, he had to wash his hands and wear a gown, a mask as well as a hair cap. The doctor showed him where his son was and Jack couldn't help the tears from falling once more. His beautiful baby boy was lying in an incubator, he was so tiny but the most beautiful little boy Jack had ever seen. He walked up to the incubator and stared at his son, awe in his eyes. 

“I love you” he whispered “You are a very strong boy, I know you got this” Jack wiped his tears before continuing, “You have a very wonderful big sister waiting for you at home, and a very strong mother that loves you” he sniffled and put his hand on the glass, smiling gently at his son. He stayed like that for a while, just watching and talking to his son. 

“Mr. Harlow, I'm sorry to interrupt” A nurse came into the room after almost an hour, “Mrs. Harlow just woke up and she’s asking for you”. Jack stood up as soon as he heard that, he glanced quickly at his son and smiled before nodding to the nurse “Of course”. He had no idea why he was nervous, but he was, he just wanted to see your face and for you to be alright. 

He opened the door and saw Maggie and Emily smiling at you, you turned your head when you heard the door open and got emotional as soon as you saw your husband's face. “Hi,” you said as he walked over to you, “Hi” he smiled at you and both of your eyes got filled with tears. 

“I’m so sorry” you mumbled, the tears streaming down your face as soon as you said that.

“hey hey no, this wasn't your fault,” He said and grabbed your hand, pulling it closer to kiss it. You stayed quiet for a few minutes, the both of you crying.  “I thought I lost the both of you” Jack cried and leaned his head on your hand, You wiped the tears away from his face and shook your head. "I was so scared" you whispered under your breath. He nodded and came closer to you, he put his forehead against yours before leaning in and softly kissing you.

"He's really beautiful," Jack said as you both calmed down, as much as possible. Your eyes lit up as you stared at Jack "You saw him?" you asked. Jack got a big smile as he nodded happily "I did, he's so small" You both smiled. Jack walked out and asked the nurses when you could see him and they informed him that they had to take a few more tests and bring you a wheelchair, so in a few hours.

"How's Grace? Have you talked to Clay?" You asked Emily, worried about your daughter. "I did, they had a good time don't worry, she fell asleep an hour ago" Emily walked up to your hospital bed and showed you the pictures and videos Clay had sent her of Grace.

The medication made you very sleepy and as Jack and Emily sat and talked next to you, you fell asleep again. Maggie went to your house to grab some stuff for you and Jack, as you would have to stay at least another day and Jack didn't want to leave your side. You were thankful that Clay and Emily could stay at your place with Grace.

You woke up after about two hours, the room was quiet and only a soft lamp lit up the room. You looked to the couch and saw Jack lying there with his head back, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed. Next to him, you saw two of your weekend bags, and on the table in the middle were yours and his phone. The nurse knocked on your door and Jack opened his eyes and quickly sat up straight, you could tell he was tired.

"Mrs. Harlow, Your vitals are looking good, and we have a wheelchair if you would like to meet your son" The nice nurse smiled and pushed the wheelchair closer to you. "Yes please" You got excited and tried moving, but it was hard for you to do it by yourself. Jack ran to your side and with his and the nurse's help you were able to get up and sit on the chair, very carefully. You were of course very sore from the surgery but you were determined to meet your little son. Jack pushed your wheelchair as the nurse showed you the way, and your emotions skyrocketed.

"How do you feel?" Jack asked as the nurse gave you masks and gowns to wear, "I just want to see him" you whispered, already feeling your eyes getting watery, Jack leaned down and you both shared a kiss before the nurse walked you into the room your son laid in. Jack pushed you to the incubator and you put your hand on the glass, he was so tiny and beautiful, he had tubes all over but he was still the most beautiful baby boy you had ever seen. You stayed quiet for a moment, the both of you just staring and smiling in awe at your son taking small breaths.

“I can’t wait for Gracie to meet him” Jack whispered

“She’s going to be the best big sister” you answered and looked up at Jack, giving him a gentle smile. He bent down and gave you a kiss. The nurse returned with a chair for Jack and the both of you stayed with you son for awhile, before it was time for you to return to bed.

Next day

The sun shining through the blinds woke you up, you turned your head to the side and saw that Jack was still asleep on the bed they had taken it for him. You knew he was tired so you let him sleep longer. You reached for your phone that was now next to you and texted Emily to see how everything was going. After just a few seconds you got a FaceTime call from her.

“Mommyyy” Grace screamed happily as soon as she saw your face on the screen

“Hi my baby” you tried to whisper, not wanting to wake Jack up “did you have a good time with aunty Em and uncle Clay?” You asked her, receiving a nod.

“I did, but I miss you mama” she pouted, you knew she probably got worried seeing you like that. You heard Jack shuffle in bed and saw that he now had his eyes open.

“I know baby, but look who I have here” you turned the phone to Jack and Grace immediately got a big smile on her face “dadaaaa” she screamed. Jack reached out and grabbed the phone from your hand, “hi my Gracie” he said with his raspy morning voice. They talked for a while before Jack got up and stood next to you.

“Guess what Grace” he said as Grace shrugged, waiting for him to continue

“You have a baby brother waiting to meet you”

—————————————————————

The next thing I’m going to write will ofc be when Grace gets to meet her little brother and that’s when you’ll get a name reveal🤭

And thank you to anon for making me go with the dramatic version of Jack storming in haha 🤭🫶🏽

taglist: @hoodharlow , @pianoisland , @harlowcomehome , @itsyagirljaz , @neon-lights-and-glitter , @heavyhitterheaux , @nattinatalia , @harlowsbby

[hotgirlbedtimescenarios]

Before the Sun Rises // Chapter 4

Fresh Start

Pairing: dbf!joel x f!reader (no outbreak)

Summary: Time with a special friend has you and Joel eager to clear the air of tension that has been causing a rift between the two of you recently.

Words: 4.3k+

Warnings: fluff, some family turmoil, and a brief/vague mention of potential SA ( nothing happened )

Masterlist

“You look like crap,” your sister teases when she spots you laid out on the couch, nursing a cold glass of water and force-feeding yourself a cold pancake from the breakfast your mom had cooked hours ago.

“Shut up, Izzy,” you groan, angry at yourself for being so hungover.

“I guess you aren’t coming to town with us today?” she asks.

“No thanks,” you say, taking another nibble of your pancake.

Your mom walks around the corner, digging in her massive, cluttered purse for her keys while she speaks to you, “Izzy and I will be in town for most of the day. I have a lot of errands to run, and she needs some supplies for summer camp.”

You grunt an acknowledgment, still too nauseous to form many words.

 “And your father’s gone golfing with Richard; who knows how long they’ll be gone today,” she finishes as she motions Izzy toward the door to leave. Finally, the door closes behind them, and the house is washed in sweet, beautiful silence.

You finish choking down your pancake and chugging a glass of water before walking into the kitchen to search for aid. Thankfully, you find a bottle of ibuprofen and swallow two before trudging back upstairs for a shower.

You’d still be in bed, but you’d made plans to visit Mrs. Mildred way before you had the bright idea to have a girl's night out.

---

Mrs. Mildred was quite the character. When you were younger, you used to view her as the crabbiest old lady on the block.

Once, you accidentally hit a baseball into her yard, which shattered her car’s side mirror. She scolded you for days afterward. The incident made you steer clear of her, only exchanging forced hellos when necessary.

Fast forward to sophomore year of high school, when your parents volunteered for you to help Mrs. Mildred with gardening. She needed someone to plant hydrangeas in her yard, and your parents graciously offered your services without consulting you. Begrudgingly, you went over, expecting a grumpy older woman.

Mrs. Mildred was stern and precise in her instructions, but as you worked together, you noticed her wit and humor peeking through her no-nonsense façade. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to do it. You imagined that if her aging back were up to snuff, she’d never stoop low enough to ask some child for gardening help.

After the plants were in the ground, she invited you inside for refreshments. “Come on inside, honey,” she directed you. She walked inside without looking back to see if you obeyed. You did.

Once inside, she ushered you to her small, round, wooden kitchen table. “Thank you for your help today, dear; I know it’s no fun, but my back is too damn old to bend over like that anymore.”

You were surprised at her crass language, a smile ticking up the sides of your mouth. As you sat at the kitchen table together, sipping homemade lemonade and munching on sandwiches and snacks, you engaged in conversation, chatting away like old friends.

It dawned on you that Mrs. Mildred wasn’t just a grumpy old lady but a girl. A lonely one, especially after her husband’s passing many years ago. Beneath her tough exterior was a woman with many stories and experiences to share with whoever would listen.

From that day on, you started to see Mrs. Mildred in a new light. You greeted her more often and joined her on her porch for afternoon chats. Before you knew it, you had formed an unlikely friendship with the firecracker of a woman, Mrs. Mildred, who turned out to be a great companion and confidante.

---

After a cool shower, you feel much more alive, no longer teetering on the verge of nausea and cringing away from every bright light in your eyes. You dry your hair, letting it fall loosely down your back, and then get dressed for the day.

You choose a delicate, white sun dress that flows loosely across your body, ties into a bow at your back, and has a hem that falls right above your knee—a perfect, relaxed fit to keep you cool and comfortable. Then, you slip into a pair of sandals and head across the street.

As you approach her home across from yours, you smile at the hydrangea bushes blooming with colorful petals, reminding you of your first afternoon here many years ago.

When you reach her door, you can hear the faint sound of old jazz music drifting through her cracked windows. You knock, and a moment later, Mrs. Mildred opens the door, a bright smile spreading across her face at the sight of you.

“Well, look who finally decided to pay this old bird a visit,” she teases, “didn’t think I’d see you again before I kick the bucket.”

You laugh, “You know I’d be pissed if you croak before I got to see you again!” you tease right back, pulling her small frame into a hug.

Mildred was even older now, probably teetering around 80 years old. Her petite frame was bent with age as she’d shrunk since the last time you saw her. Her hair, still white as snow, was curled on the top of her head with a pair of reading glasses tucked into it.

“Come on in, dear; I was just putting on another pot of coffee.”

You follow her inside, taking in the familiar surroundings of her cozy living room. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and fresh linen.

Settling into one of her worn armchairs, you feel a sense of ease wash over you as Mrs. Mildred bustled about, prepping the coffee. Once everything was ready, she joined you and handed you a steaming cup. You took a sip, two sugars, and a whole lot of cream, just how you like it. You smile at the fact that she still remembers after all this time.

Settling into her armchair with a cup, she starts, “Now spill. Tell me something that’ll keep this old woman from dying of boredom. What have you been up to?”

You launch into your spiel about finally graduating but not knowing what you want to do next, about how your parents are pushing you to reach out and accept a job at Richard’s law firm.

She stops you, “Enough about all that; I don’t give a rat's ass about that man. Tell me what’s on your mind, really.”

You laugh, grateful she doesn’t amount your worth to your post-college plans like most people seem to do. So, you dive into a tale of college stories and your time abroad. Only pausing when she interjects her own commentary or asks If the boys you mentioned were “anything to write home about.”

“Definitely not,” you respond. You sip your coffee, considering what you want to ask her.

“Millie, how’d you know when you’d found your husband?”  A genuine question, now turning the conversation more serious.

Mildred’s eyes sparkle with something mischievous momentarily before she barks a laugh, a crass joke probably on the tip of her tongue. But then she pauses, her laughter fading into a smile tinged with nostalgia.

“Well, honey,” she begins gently, “I’ll spare you the dirty joke this time. When I met my Donald, it wasn’t something remarkable like what you see in those sappy romance movies. He was just a regular guy, rough around the edges, but with a heart of gold.”

She leaned back in her chair, lost in the memories of days gone by. “I knew he was the one for me when he stood by me through thick and thin. He loved me for me, and I never held any part of myself back from him. He saw everything, even the ugly parts, and never once wavered in his love and support. He made me laugh when I wanted to cry and held me close when life got tough. Even put up with my foul-mouthed humor without a single chide. He was my best friend.”

A wistful smile played on her lips as she continued, “You’ll know you found the one when they accept you for who you are, flaws and all. It won’t always be easy, but it's worth it. Real love is messy and imperfect. They might never fully understand you, but they must be with you through anything and everything. Always there when you need them and vice versa.”

You listened intently, touched by the sincerity of her words. Remembering again that her wisdom extended far beyond her crass jokes and witty remarks. “Were you ever worried about whether or not he’d like you for you?”

“Well,” she considers it for a moment, “If he didn’t, that just meant he wasn’t the one for me. So, I said to hell with it and showed him exactly who I was from the start.”

You smile, happy to hear that she’d found someone to love uniquely her, just as she is.

Just as you two are about to launch another conversation, a knock at her door rattles you. “I’ll get it,” she says, groaning as she pushes herself out of her armchair and shuffles toward the door.

“Joel! There you are, come on in,” she waves him inside.

Shocked, your head whips toward the door, and you watch Joel's burly figure enter the room. His shoulders stretch against a worn-looking t-shirt above a pair of loose-fitted jeans and signature work boots that thump loudly against the floor wherever he goes.

“What is it you needed help with this afternoon?” he asks, wiping his feet on the doormat before following her into the living room where you sit.

When he notices you, his strides halt. “Oh, sorry to interrupt,” he says, at a loss for words. “Didn’t know you had company; I can come back later.”

“Nonsense,” the old woman waves him off, “Sit down and visit with us. I’ll go grab you a cup of coffee.”

Mildred shuffles into the kitchen, rattling around, while Joels sits on the couch.

“Feeling alright after last night?” He asks you, thankfully not giving you the silent treatment.

“Yeah, it was rough getting up this morning but I'm fine now,” you answer, sipping your coffee. “What about you and Tommy?”

Mildred reemerges from the kitchen, handing Joel a large mug of fresh black coffee, and settles back into her original chair.

“Had to drag him back home by the night's end.” He says before taking a sip from his mug. “By the time I drove him home and handed him off to Maria, I think he’d already passed out.”

“Sounds like he did his bachelor party right then,” Mildred chimes in with a laugh.

You look at her, confused about how she knew what they were up to last night.

She meets you with a satisfied look, “Don’t be surprised. You’re not my only friend in the neighborhood.” She nods toward Joel, “Joel’s been coming around to keep me company ever since you went off and left me.”

You look to Joel now, eager for an explanation. He looks down at his feet, almost shy and embarrassed. “I remembered you spent afternoons over here before you left. Figured she’d need some company, so I stopped by one day.”

 He looks at Mildred now with a half smile on his face. “Ever since then, she’s been exploiting my kindness for free work and rides to doctors' visits.”

The old woman cackles, “It’s the least you can do in exchange for my charming company.”

You smile, and your heart grows warm, knowing that Joel has been here to care for your dear friend in your absence.

Silence fills the air now, the tension between you and Joel still ever present, though lighter now than it has been. You avoid looking at each other too much, and Mildred seems to pick up on the awkward energy.

She breaks the silence, eyeing the two of you. “What’s going on with you two?”

Your eyes dart to hers, and Joel follows suit. “What do you mean?” you ask nervously.

There’s no way she’d know about whatever was happening between you and Joel. Whatever the growing tension was between the two of you, putting a block in your friendship, or whatever it was you had with him.

“I mean what I said. What have the two of you been up to lately? It’s summer break. I’m sure Sarah has been keeping you busy,” she says, looking at Joel before turning to you, “and you're free to do whatever now, too.”

“Right,” Joel says, relaxing, “Sarah’s been jumping at the bit to do something daily. She’s mostly excited about finally being allowed to go to summer camp this year with Izzy.”

“That’s right,” you chime in. “I heard about that. My sister won't stop talking about how excited they are. She’s actually out shopping for supplies with my mom today.”

“You finally gave in?” Mildred teases, “Took you long enough. Poor girl has been begging for years, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Joel concedes, “I just worry about her too much. A whole week away in a camp in the woods? That can’t be a good idea for a bunch of little girls. What if som-“

You cut him off, “She’ll be fine, Joel,” you reassure him. “I went when I was younger, and I’d hardly call it camp. It’s a bunch of air-conditioned cabins right off the interstate where they do arts and crafts for a week and learn how to start fires with flint.”

He grumbles something unintelligible. Millie smiles to herself across the room, sensing the tension ease.

“Oh!” she jumps up out of her chair. “Let me show you something, dear,” Mildred says as she shuffles over to a bookshelf and grabs an old, worn leather photo album. “Speaking of my dear Donald, let me show you this.”

Mildred brings the photo album with her as she sits on the couch next to Joel, who looks confused about what she’s talking about, having not been present for the earlier conversation.

Mildred waves you over. “Come have a look,” she says, patting the spot next to her on the couch.

Rising from your seat, you join her and Joel on the couch. Mildred in the middle as a nice buffer between the two of you.

She opens the book to display a collage of age-tinted pictures, some with frayed and yellowed edges. The first picture shows a small woman with a tenacious-looking expression, obviously a younger Mildred, and a tall, sturdy-looking man who you assume is her late husband.

You and Joel both lean in to get a better look.

“This was me and my Don right after we moved into this house.”

“Wow, Mildred, you’re a bombshell!” you compliment her.

“I sure used to be,” she agrees, “nothing but a bag of old bones now,” she chuckles.

She flips to the next page; the photo now depicts a younger Mildred in a beautiful satin wedding dress, a long sweeping veil, and some interestingly oversized puffy sleeves that must have been all the fashion back then. Her husband was dressed in a suit with his arms wrapped around her.

“What a dress,” you comment.

“Sure is somethin’,” Joel adds, failing to hide his distaste for the gaudy fashion choices.

“Don’t judge me too harshly; it was all the craze back in my day. This was the day we were married nearly 60 years ago.”

“I’m sure that was an amazing day,” you offer.

“It was, well, for the most part.” Mildred flips the page, showing a picture of the newlywed couple sharing their first dance in a nearly empty reception hall. “Marrying him was one of the best days of my life, no doubt, but we didn’t have that many guests. My parents were dead set against me marrying him.”

“Why?” you ask, intrigued. You see Joel raise an eyebrow across from you, also interested in the story.

“Well, there are many reasons they came up with to try not to like him. He was older, though many people didn’t care about that much back then. His parents came from nothing: seamstresses for a mother and factory worker for a father. My parents raised hell when they found out I was seeing him. They thought their daughter deserved someone in the same tax bracket, like a lawyer or doctor.”

She flips the page again, displaying a picture of her and her husband holding a baby girl, her oldest daughter, you assume.

“When they found out we were engaged, they stopped talking to me, cut off my funds, and tried to blackmail me into leaving him. But they didn’t know the wealth I saw in him,” she continues lovingly. “He was a good man and cared for me like no one else. He laughed with me, cried with me, and fought like hell with me, too, but loved me regardless. I felt the happiest I’d ever been every day I spent with him. They never completely came around; we were always the family's black sheep after that, but it was all worth it.”

“It seems like you made the right decision. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard someone talk about their spouse that way.” You said, and it was true.

“You two listen up now,” she instructs, nodding to you and Joel. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned all these years, you need to live life for yourself. Don’t give a damn what anybody else has to say. I was shunned by my family and many of my so-called friends, too, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t more important than spending my life with the man I loved. In the beginning, I was scared of the backlash. All the external pressure got to me, and I broke things off with Donald briefly before realizing it was a colossal mistake. We lost precious time together before I came to my senses and ran back to him. I’d give anything to go back and get even just a few days more with him now.”

It was as if Mildred knew what was happening between you and Joel. She didn’t realize just how applicable this conversation was to you.

The three of you spend the rest of the afternoon chatting in Mildred's living room.

Joel shares how well his contracting business is going, especially with several new big-time clients in the city practically throwing money at him to take on all their projects.

 Before he can get into much detail, Mildred interjects, “And what about Tommy and Maria? Engagement party soon, right? Do they need help organizing?”

“Yes, mam, it is,” Joel replies, “and no, I think Maria is doing a fine job with everything. Tommy is actually pretty excited; he was going on about color schemes and ambiance last week.” Joel chuckles, “Didn’t think I'd see the day he cared about party planning details other than what drinks he’d be bringing, but the boy is in deep with Maria. Several of her friends have agreed to help with setup and hosting, so there's nothing left to do now but wait.”

“ I look forward to it,” Mildred says. “Finally, giving this old bird a chance to dress up and socialize. Your folks coming too?” she says, looking at you now.

“Yeah, we’ll be there, I wouldn’t miss it.”

Mildred yawns before getting up from the couch to stretch. “I hate to run y'all off, but I think I need a bit of a nap.”

Joel stands, offering his arm to Mildred if she needs help shuffling to the bedroom, but she swats him away.

 “Need anything before we go, Millie? What was it you called me over here for anyways?” Joel questions.

“Oh, don’t worry about it; we’ll get to that next time. Can you walk her home for me, dear?”

You protest, “Millie, I live right across the street. I don’t need –“

She cuts you off. “I’m not senile yet, dear; I know that. But he’s going to do what I asked him to anyways, won't you, Joel,” she finishes, giving him a firm look that leaves no room for arguing.

“Yes, Mam.”

Without further discussion, you all say goodbye. With a click of the front door closing behind you, you find yourself alone with Joel.

Not waiting to be led home by him like a child, you begin walking toward your house. Over your shoulder, you call back to him, “You really don’t have to walk me home, Joel.”

“I’m scared of what she will do to me if I don’t,” he jokes before his much longer strides allow him to catch up to you and walk side by side. After a beat of silence, he continues, “I, uh, I actually wanted to talk to you anyways.”

You cut your eyes in his direction, surprised by his words. “Oh,” you say, “about what?”

He doesn’t look at you; he looks straight ahead as he walks with one hand by his side and the other rubbing the back of his neck, his telltale sign of discomfort.

“’ Bout last night. And uh, about everything, really. I didn’t mean to cause a scene last night; I just wanted to make sure you got home safe.”

Sure, you had been annoyed with him last night, insinuating you were a drunk mess who couldn’t take care of herself. But after you got home and heard his voice on the phone, clearly worried about whether or not you made it home, it chilled the brewing anger you'd had toward him.

“It’s alright. I actually was going to thank you. If today's hangover is an indication of how drunk I was last night, then I get why you would have been worried about how I was getting home. Lucas, got me back safe, no problem.”

“Lucas,” Joel repeats his name, his voice a bit drier than before, and you think you see him roll his eyes. “It’s not that I don’t think you're capable of taking care of yourself, but I don’t know if I trust him.”

A beat of silence follows as the two of you continue to walk. You wrack your brain, trying to figure out Joel’s disdain for Lucas before it clicks. Prom night.

The night that should’ve been the best night of your high school life ended with you in tears over how Lucas treated you. It had left you crying in the arms of Joel Miller, who promised he'd deal with Lucas if he ever bothered you again.

“Oh,” you say, pausing as the memory floods your thoughts. You’re surprised Joel even remembers that from so many years ago.

Your eyes are on the ground, and your face is warm with embarrassment because he clearly remembers that emotional moment.

Joel halts his stride as well, coming to a stop beside you. “The last time I’d heard you say anything about him, it wasn’t good. Then I saw him there, leading you to his truck without your friends. I thought.. well, I couldn’t let you go with him without knowing if you were too drunk or if you were comfortable leaving with him.”

Guilt comes crashing down on you. You’d been so pissed at Joel but hearing things from his point of view, the way things must have looked, and given his background knowledge of Lucas, it all makes sense now.

You finally glance up, meeting his warm brown eyes in the light of day. “I know what It must've looked like. My friends and I had caught up with Lucas earlier in the night, and he seemed to have changed, so I took him up on his offer to drive me home. That’s it.” You let a small smile appear on your face, “Thanks for looking out for me.”

“Any time.” He smiles back, “I mean it.”

The sincerity in his voice sends another wave of emotion through you. Having been in such a weird place with Joel lately, you’ve forgotten the kind of man he is. He’d always looked out for you, always been there when you didn’t know who else to turn to.

Maybe it clouded your vision and led you to believe you were seeing signs of something more between the two of you when, in reality, it was just wishful thinking.

You've built up one-sided affection and snapped at him the other night outside of your house when the way he’d been acting around you didn’t fit that narrative.

Breaking eye contact, you take a deep breath and exhale. “Listen, I’m sorry for snapping at you the other night after dinner. It’s weird being back home. I was a kid when I left, but I’ve come back as an adult. I’ve been away for years and feel like a new person now, but my parents don’t see that. They treat me like they always have like I'm too young and inexperienced to know what's good for me.”

Joel opens his mouth to say something, but you keep going.

“But you’ve never treated me that way; you never made me feel less than, and I guess I got confused and.-“

“Hey,” Joel finally interjects, saving you from rambling into how you may have misconstrued his attention and embarrassed yourself by assuming it was something more.

You feel his palm land on your shoulder, rubbing a soothing thumb back and forth as he steps closer. Despite the heat of the summer sun, chills prickle up your spine.

“You have nothing to apologize for. You were right; I was being an asshole. You’re not a kid no more, hell anyone who spends any time with you should know that by now. I don’t know what I was thinking, acting the way I did. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Can we just start over?” You ask. “Be friends again, for real this time?”

“I’d like that.” A smile lifts the edge of his lips and crinkles the skin around his eyes.

You and Joel finally finish the walk back to your house in comfortable silence, where he leaves you at the door.

“Welcome home,” he says in that signature smooth rasp.

“Good to be back,” you answer with a smile, and this time it's true, as you slip inside.

With the air cleared and things between you and Joel back to normal, the weight has been lifted, and you are eager for what's to come this summer.