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#it's a day after they moved in to the new lair
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When my little sisters and baby cousins ask for a lullaby, I'll most likely sing them a slowed down “yin & Yang” by Tally Hall because it's warm and nice, but “rises the moon” by Liana Flores is my personal favorite.
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evilminji · 1 month
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Broadway :3c
And I hear ya. (Insert spooky joke here) There is a sprawling WEB of central hubs, for The Arts. For trade. For getting drunk and having a good time. The Zone is large and it is endless. You'll NEVER reach the far end. It can never reach you.
All things, in gentle sweeping waves, across eternity.
So when folks want to have "a market" or "a movie theater" or "the waterpark"? You gotta PICK a point on the endless map. Figure if you are close or far enough away for others like it, to make it worth the effort to build.
You might even be the first to do it for GALAXIES in any direction! People might fly for WEEKS to come to your place! Move their Lairs to be closer too it. Like dust gathered by gravity, slowly creating planets and stars. A mega Lair. A CITY.
They rise, they fall, the Zone shifts all the while.
But!
Does the dead starlet stop singing? Does getting gunned down, stop the show?? I think NOT! Where is her STAGE? What musicals? What dramas? What operas and tragedies and forms unknown to human kind??! Ballet dancers who CAN defy gravity! Singers who have no NEED for air! The haunting blend of instruments, that could never in life have met! From empires long turned to ASH!
The greatest show in DEATH!
Ember was a world wide hit. Yes, her voice was hypnotic. But that could be FOUGHT. It was SKILL that carried the game. And she was hardly "I was Literally The Greatest My Planet Ever Produced" skilled. She was good, great even. Not "I was Born For Greatness" Excellence.
And like?
.....eventually? Danny's gonna ask after "cultural-y" Culture stuff. Clothes and food. Music and the arts. To help his parents get used to the whole "our son is half-dead" thing. To show he's not some mindless monster now.
And? Ghostwriter? Probably an absolute legend. Does he know where you can find some CULTURE? Oh THANK ZONE! He thought you'd NEVER ask! You unsophisticated-! *fist fight in a library* Still a dick, though. Always and forever.
And just? Imagine Broadway stretched out into a floating city. That never sleeps. Never stops. Shows ever changing. Some on a cycle, some only once. Dream-like. Beautiful. Eye catching.
And yeah, Danny didn't think he LIKED musicals. It was more of a Jazz thing. But? This was important! Gotta get the whole family in the Speeder. We're going to see a play, guys! We'll pick when we get there! Family road trip! Educational! We can make notes!
His parents are trying to be supportive. Big, fixed, strained grins. Trying to pretend to be excited. But they... DO seem reluctantly intrigued? And Jazz is all but vibrating in her seat. It's basically her "before you go away to college" present. And she is THRILLED.
The longer she excitedly speculates? The more into it she gets their folks. This IS gonna be new! Exciting! Never before seen Ghost Culture! Music! As a FAMILY! Think we could find souvenirs? Ooooh, wonder if they sell CDs??!
Then? They GET there. And it's... it's like seeing the Las Vegas strip for the first time, except multiplied into a city. Made of even MORE styles and eras. At angles gravity would never allow.
The air filled with laughter and excitement, people rushing to shows or humming bits of tunes. Street stalls. Fountains. Flowers growing everywhere.
They could stay for months and not even reach a fraction of these buildings. His parents are taking countless photos. His sister squeeling with joy as she races for an information kiosk like they just arrived at Disneyland. He, at least, remembers to lock up the Speeder. Grab their day bags.
When did HE become the responsible one?
The argue over shows. Obviously. Wouldn't be Fenton's otherwise. HE wants to see the alien one. It's from mars! But it's his sister's trip, as his dad points out, so she gets to choose. She picks a musical set during the Fall of Krpton. He's... reluctantly kinda interested. I mean, EVERYBODY likes Superman, right?
It's... it's amazing. Terrible, but amazing. I mean? A coming of age story cut tragically short? Oof. Hello, massively projecting then getting FEELS about it! Yeah, sure, rip my heart out why don't you? He's fine. No, really! Just drowning in his own emotions over here. The refrain of "A Life Well Lived"? *gargling dying whale noises* he's FINE. Not grappling with anything! Go on without him!
Thankfully?
They DO sell CDs.
He... he may end up, kinda, getting a bit of a collection. Going on the weekends, hoping show to show. Wandering to whichever catches his eye in the moment. Buying the CDs for one's he likes. Which? Honestly is a lot of them. Even though there's all sorts of genres and languages. Cause it... it RESONATES you know?
The grief. The anger. The "I have died but I wasn't FINISHED. It isn't FAIR.". And? Something about ghost speak flows so BEAUTIFULLY in song? It's hard to explain. But he... he needs them.
A pair of headphones, a CD, and a clear night sky? Nothing touches it. It's like a trance made of light. Like he can just drift.
The problem? Is the CDs are kinda... Zone made? They're radioactive, for one. Nothing a Fenton CD player can't handle. But... they? Also? Kinda fuckin GLOW? Like... very, very noticeably. And not in a "ha ha, cool glow in the dark paint!" Sorta way.
.........but like FUCK is he leaving his music behind when he goes to college. Gotham will have to deal. It's already a burning shit-nado, it can handle this. Probably. He'll put um in a lead lined box. Actually, speaking OF.... he needs to get a few more of those... *goes back to packing*
Which? Is how? The Bats are treated to some of the most HAUNTING music they've ever heard, belted and crooned from Some Guy's speakers, out an open window, on the "stop for a mid-patrol drink of water and a snack" building. It's one of the intersections of their patrol routes. And THAT? That is some dude listening to a Romani ballad about death and the circus. Now it's a musical about the trenches of an obscure war.
Okay, that was DEFINITELY Kryptonian. Like... coherent Krypto- *Bruce gets a call from Clark on his "work" number DEMANDING to know where that is coming from. Who is that voice Bruce?!* huh.... Well Then.
@hdgnj @hypewinter @nerdpoe @lolottes @babbling-babull @spidori @mutable-manifestation @the-witchhunter
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indieyuugure · 8 months
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The 2012 Hamato Clan in their 20s
I got this idea from someone on discord. I thought it was so cool I had to give it a try!
Now that his brothers are less likely to accidentally kill themselves and Earth is at peace, Leo’s enjoying not being the parent for once, though he often still slips into his role as head of the family and mediator of chaos. He’s kinda given up on love and as accepted is role as “Cool, but also very dorky uncle.” I imagine he’s a lot like Iroh.
Raph has gone full Dad. Mona help’s him raise Chompy and I’d imagine that they adopted more weird alien/mutant kids as time goes on. Him and Leo still spar all the time to stay fit and go on crime busting adventures together with Casey. Raph travels back and forth between Earth and Salamandria every year so Mona can visit her family, and so Mona can show him her home.
Donnie has leaned into his “mad scientist” persona and has used the internet to release he’s discoveries about mutagen, the Kraang, the Triceratons, and everything else. He teaches science online for extra cash and builds his wildest dreams into existence. He too has kind of given up on love, being burned out by his self inflicted drama with April. Though little does he know one of his female students has a crush on him (even though she’s never seen his face) and is attempting to track him down.
Mikey hasn’t grown up, and never will. He still skateboards in the lair, and plays Mazes and Mutants with Ice Cream Kitty. Donnie introduced him to online gaming and he loves it. He’s got a team of other gamer friends (including Mondo Gecko) who he talks/plays with almost every night. He’s still to this day trying to convince everyone that Pizza Milkshake isn’t that bad even though Murakami-San told him that “some things are just not meant to be.”
April has gone to college to be a bioengineer as a pursuit of her passions in science. Casey plays for the professional hockey team that plays at April’s college. He was offered more money on a different team, but he would’ve had to move out of New York, so he stayed and after a few months, proposed to April. She said yes.
Karai is still the leader of the Foot Clan alongside her best friend Shinnigami. She hangs out with the Hamato clan all the time, usually coming over for dinner. Every six months, however she has to go back to Tokyo to manage the Foot Clan in Japan. Everyone is always happy when she finally comes back and they throw a party.
Splinter is smiling upon them.
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battymommastuff · 1 year
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A Mother's Rage (GRAPHIC)
Batmom x Batfamily
Prompt: You became the one person that the Joker would never forget...
Inspiration
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You couldn't remember what happened...
It all felt like a haze of blood...and the sound of metal hitting someone's skull....
The maniacal laughter filling your ears...
The feeling of your husband pulling you away from the man you were going to kill...
What you remember was Batman, your husband bringing in the dead body of your second son. Jason Todd. The little boy that had filled the hole Dick left. The Golden Son was next to you when you saw the body Bruce had been carrying. The scream that left your mouth would haunt Bruce, Alfred, and Dick's mind until the day they died.
You remember walking to the cold metal table that Jason's body was put on. You remember cradling his lifeless face while begging for him to make a sound. Looking into his cold, dead eyes that Bruce hadn't had the strength to close. You removed the mask that protected your identity from the world and rested your forehead against Jason's while sobbing. Dick could only stand next to you and comfort you as you screamed, and pleaded for Jason to come back.
You remember the soul destroying sadness in your heart turning into a murderous rage. Dick looked over to you as your sobs suddenly ceased. He watched as your head slowly lifted from Jason's and a look of darkness was on your face.
Bruce remembers that look as he was across from you. You were looking right at him...hoping that he had the same feeling in his heart as you did...but he didn't. Bruce knew something in you was awakening. A side of you that he once had when he was younger...the inner monster in us all...
The Joker remembers that night...all too well. He remembers boasting to Batman about murdering the Robin...the boy wonder was dead. Beaten to death with a crowbar. The same crowbar that he had proudly on display for everyone in Amusement Mile to see.
The Joker's men remember a shadow moving through the darkness. The remember being nervous for second then terrified a second later...then finding themselves nearly beaten to death as Batman's longest sidekick rampaged through Amusement Mile. She was so fast and brutal that they didn't get the chance to apply pressure to the triggers on their guns before their arms were bent backwards and snapped in half.
The Joker remembers watching her walk into his lair. Blood covering her mask, and suit. A batarang clenched tightly in her hand that she tossed to the side. He didn't get a word out before a fist connected with his face. The Joker could only laugh as she delivered blow after blow to his face. On the other side of the city your husband and son were racing to get to you.
The last thing you remember was watching The Joker laugh under you. Clutching his stomach as if you told him the funniest joke ever created. It filled you with an entirely new rage. You were going to kill him. The Joker would die tonight. Your eyes drifted up to the crowbar covering in your son's blood. It was sitting there as if it were a museum piece. That's when you blacked out.
That's when you could hear the sounds of metal hitting someone skull. The sound of blood and coughing starting to cover the sound of laughter. You weren't going to stop...you were going to kill him. He took someone from you...a debt needed to be paid.
Those who remember what happened that night would say that The Joker was lucky. Before You could deliver the fatal blow, Batman pulled you away from him. That's when you came back to reality. At one point, you'd abandoned the crowbar and went back to beating him with your fists. Nightwing was hovering over the Joker's body to see if he was still alive. Apart of him was glad to see the sight before him. The Joker deserved every minute of this.
It was then that he knew the depths his adoptive mother would go for her children. A depth that he wasn't sure Bruce would ever touch. He's seen the brutality that Bruce could get to, but this was different.
This became a night that everyone would remember...
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actual-lea · 5 months
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So who wants to hear about the stupid stupid way I'm playing Baldur's Gate 3?
I made it to Act 3 on my first (original character) playthrough like a week before Patch 5 came out, and after finding it absolutely unplayable (on the PS5) decided it was time to go ahead and start an origin character run for the funsies while waiting on the new patch to fix the Lag Hell. Naturally, I picked Gale. Since this was mostly just for fun/to hold me over until I could continue my other file, I decided it would be a nice time to see what happens if you just refuse to consume any magic items. Of course, if you are not playing as Gale and ignore his Orb Problem, he will apparently eventually leave your party, but what if you ARE Gale? I couldn't find an answer with a minimal amount of Googling SO
There are three stages to his Arcane Hunger, each of which give you increasingly debilitating debuffs: Arcane Hunger, Greater Arcane Hunger, and Severe Arcane Hunger. It seems the triggers for progressing to the next stage are the same as the triggers where he would start needing an item in my other file (i.e. that bridge next to the Blighted Village, entering the temple at the Goblin Camp, the Hag's Lair, etc.) which obviously makes sense. I figure with the amount of contingencies in this game for incredibly specific situations, surely there is some kind of unique dialog or fun cutscene that will play if I ignore the Arcane Hunger long enough and just play through the debuffs.
I played Act 1 completely normally, doing a lil quicksave every time I was about to Long Rest just in case the game gave me a cutscene of the big explosion upon waking up (I thought maybe it would be time-based, similar to the game over you get if Gale dies and you leave him for 3 days (? I think?) which does not seem to be the case). I made it through basically everything without anything odd happening besides the aforementioned debuffs. The Severe Arcane Hunger is where things get really sloggy, because Gale can only move at half speed.
I have been slowly trudging EVERYWHERE since the Goblin Camp.
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I eventually started going out of my way to make sure I hit all the Arcane Hunger triggers I know about, to see what would happen, and the answer is nothing, aside from Gale occasionally reminding me that he's wracked with terrible pain.
So, surely, the game will certainly not let me into the Mountain Pass without SOMETHING happening, right?
WELL
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That's surprising, but whatever, at least now I have the chance to see what happens if you go meet Elminster without having consumed any magic items,
Except
He wasn't there.
I went to the area in the Mountain Pass where the cutscene is supposed to start, and it just. Didn't happen. Nothing happened. I could walk right up to the entrance to the next area.
But SURELY, the game won't let me into the gotdamn Shadow-Cursed Lands without saying SOMETHING about the fact that the orb has been starving for several weeks at this point, right? The game isn't going to let me into Act Freaking 2 without at the very least giving me a game over to tell me I'm not allowed to do this and make me reload and actually feed this poor starving wizard, right?
RIGHT?
WELL
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WELL
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Here we are. I'm at the Last Light Inn, I'm at the Taco Bell, I'm at the combination Last Light Inn Taco Bell with a bag full of delicious Cheesy Gordita Magic Boots that I refuse to eat.
SO LIKE. How far does this go??? Am I gonna be able to infiltrate Moonrise Towers without ever speaking to Elminster? Am I gonna trudge all the way to Ketheric at half freaking speed and fight him with Disadvantage on everything?? Am I gonna make it all the way to goddang Baldur's Gate with a Netherese orb that is long overdue to explode???
Like I said, I did not find an answer on what happens if you do this on a Gale Origin playthrough, and at this point, I don't even want to, I just want to see how far I can take this.
I already know I'll have to do another normal Gale playthrough where I actually FEED HIM after this, because I'm sure I've missed out on a ton of dialogue and whatnot, especially from Tara who only ever has this to say when I speak with her in camp:
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I am genuinely beginning to wonder if there is actually nothing in place to stop me from doing this. I am wondering what the dialogue options will look like when I get to the "Heart of the Absolute" where Gale would ordinarily want to blow himself up, if Elminster had ever shown up to tell him to do so. Maybe the devs just didn't bother, and figured that no one would be stupid and stubborn enough to play through the whole dang thing while so severely debuffed.
Joke's on them, Disadvantage means NOTHING to Magic Missile Machine Gale Dekarios.
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believemedarlin · 2 months
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Call Me Yours
Aaron Hotcher/Female Reader (9.4k words) Also available on AO3
Summary:
You blamed it on the alcohol.
The combination of a glass of wine with dinner, after-dinner drinks, a couple of shots, and the overall joviality of the night was surely the reason why you felt it was a brilliant idea to confess aloud your teeny tiny minuscule barely even there crush on one Aaron Hotchner to your friend Penelope.
OR
Five times you regretted telling Penelope your secret crush and the one time you didn’t.
You blamed it on the alcohol.
The combination of a glass of wine with dinner, after-dinner drinks, a couple of shots, and the overall joviality of the night was surely the reason why you felt it was a brilliant idea to confess aloud your teeny tiny minuscule barely even there crush on one Aaron Hotchner to your friend Penelope.
Thankfully, it had only been the two of you in her apartment when you blurted out your long-held thoughts on the BAU’s unit chief. 
Penelope, of course, had been delighted to hear that you were smitten with the boss-man and wasted no time in plotting and planning your confession to him.
To which you had laughed heartily and patted her hand conciliatorily—and perhaps a bit patronizingly at such a silly idea—because there was no way in this great big beautiful world of ours that you would ever say those words to Agent Hotchner’s face.
Because then he would hear them and then he would know and then what would you do?
You supposed it wouldn’t be too hard to pack up and move to someplace like Timbuktu, or Wales, or New Zealand, never to speak with anyone ever again. You’re sure you could find a way to make a living wherever you ended up.
Because you knew that confessing to him could only lead to one thing and you weren’t up for that level of rejection, no matter how gently he tried to deliver it—and you knew he would be as kind as possible. That was an interaction you could live without, thank you very much.
You had planned to keep your burgeoning feelings tucked safely away in a hidden corner of your heart, only to be brought out on special occasions and holidays like fine china. Or, if you were being honest, after every interaction you had with the man and sometimes late at night when the loneliness was at its peak.
But you had never planned on telling anyone, let alone your co-worker turned friend who was notoriously bad at keeping secrets and a world-class meddler.
Thus began a war of wills between you and your friend; Penelope, determined to help you find love and happiness with a man she was convinced was just as smitten with you as you were with him, and you, ready to thwart her at every turn because there was no way a man like him would ever be interested in you. 
***
The first skirmish happened a few days after your drunken divulgence.
You were standing in Penelope’s lair, taking notes on the tasks she needed your help with.
Like her, you were a technical analyst, though you worked in another department. You were nowhere near the caliber of Penelope—few were—but you were capable at your job. That was how you met her, in fact. You had been called in to help with some background checks and surface-level research while Penelope had been tasked with a deep dive that needed her full attention. 
That was also how you met Agent Hotchner. 
You had been hurrying out of the elevator and down the hall to the office your supervisor directed you to, focusing on finding the correct door—both nervous and excited to be assigned to help the prestigious BAU—when you accidentally bumped into a tall man exiting said office. Though bumped into was a gentle way of saying that you rammed your face straight into his chest at full speed.
You heard a low oof as the head-on collision caused you to bounce backward on your heels and you could feel yourself teetering before a large, warm hand steadied you.
You looked up—and up, he really was impressively tall compared to you—into dark eyes set in a rather stern face. The imposing man stared down intently at you with a furrowed brow and for one panic-fueled moment, you felt as though those eyes could see into your very soul.
But then rationality returned and you realized you were standing incredibly close to a stranger that you had literally just run into. 
You had backed up immediately causing his hand to drop from your arm and your traitorous brain had quickly noted multiple things simultaneously; namely that his chest was appealingly firm, that he smelled amazing, and that his hand had felt comfortingly warm. 
Any one of those thoughts would have been enough to make you blush, but the combination created an almost overwhelming heat that quickly flooded your cheeks.
“I am so sorry,” you blurted as you straightened, regaining your balance. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and didn’t see you and I didn’t mean to nearly bowl you over. Are you okay? I really am sorry—”
“Yes, I’m fine,” a low, gruff voice interrupted. “Are you? You hit pretty hard.”
Your face was positively flaming now. 
“I am so sorry.” You shook your head. “I’m okay. No pain beyond excruciating embarrassment. I promise I am usually much more aware of my surroundings.”
The hint of a smile softened his features. “No harm done. Was there something I could help you with?”
You smiled, relieved that he wasn’t upset with you and more than happy to change the topic. “I’m looking for a Miss Garcia? My supervisor Agent O’Neill sent me.”
“Ah, yes. I was expecting you. I’m SSA Aaron Hotchner, I asked Sam to send me her best.”
The blush that had finally started to recede reared back to life as you grinned sheepishly. “Rest assured, my computer skills are much better than my coordination.”
And that’s when your life as you knew it was changed forever because Aaron Hotchner had the audacity to smile at you. Dimples and all. 
Then he chuckled. Lowly and gruffly and insanely attractively. 
And you were instantly smitten, with no hope of reversing the damage that had been done by the proverbial Cupid’s arrow that he’d just launched at you.
With no regard for your sudden life-altering moment, Agent Hotchner had unceremoniously guided you into Miss Garcia’s office, performed a quick introduction, and then sauntered off without a second glance, unknowingly carrying away a tiny piece of your heart in his hands.
It had taken you a few moments to focus on the task at hand, but Penelope had been patient with you, and once you were able to shake off the effects of meeting Agent Hotchner, the two of you got down to business.
You and Penelope had worked well together that day and you had since been asked back multiple times. Hence your summons to her domain today.
The two of you were wrapping up when a knock sounded at the door and Agent Hotchner entered.
“Garcia, I—Oh, good she’s here. I was just going to suggest you call in some reinforcements if you needed any help but seems you beat me to it.” He smiled at Penelope and acknowledged you with a nod. “Nice to see you again.”
It took you a second to realize he was speaking to you—as focused as you were on his incredibly distracting smile—causing you to rush out your response in a moment of embarrassment. “Oh, yes sir. Nice to see you too, Agent Hotchner.”
His eyes did a cursory scan of you, something you noticed he did every time you saw him, though you guessed that was something ingrained in him at this point after all his years as a profiler. “You can call me Hotch, if you’d like. Everyone else does.”
You prayed your face was not glowing as pink as you thought it was. “Oh, I… Thank you, but I…” 
You sighed, frustrated with how you were stumbling over your words.
Thankfully, his phone rang before things became even more awkward and he excused himself. You could hear his curt “Hotchner” as the door closed behind him.
You kept your back to Penelope, but you could practically feel the elation radiating from her.
“Saved by the cell, huh?” Her teasing tone was only a tiny bit irritating. You couldn’t really blame her. You’d be teasing her if the situation were reversed.
You pressed your hands to your burning cheeks and turned to look at her. “Okay. On a scale of one to ten, how bad was that really?”
“Oh, a solid five.”
You groaned.
“But there is a silver lining.”
“How? I completely forgot the entirety of the English language and I’m sure I could heat the room with my face.”
Penelope chuckled and leaned forward. “Don’t think I didn’t notice him taking a good look at you. Those eyes lingered on their way back up, too.” She smiled smugly. “I told you that skirt was fire.”
“No, I seriously doubt that’s what he was noticing. He was probably just reading my incredibly awkward body language.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’d love to study your body in every language.”
“Penelope!”
***
It was two weeks later, and thankfully you hadn’t had another awkward encounter with Agent Hotcher.
Though, you knew it was likely you were living on borrowed time. 
You were arriving to work with Penelope, having met at her favorite cafe to grab breakfast together before heading in. You each had decided to surprise your respective teams with their own treats as well, so you both were juggling your drinks and a large box of delicious-smelling pastries.
As you approached the entrance, one of the guards spotted you and kindly held a door open for you to enter. Not wanting him to wait, you hurried up the steps only to trip on the last one, nearly dropping everything as you stumbled about, trying to regain your balance. You managed to save the pastries, but your half-full coffee tumbled to the ground, the lid popping open and spraying you with the contents. 
Penelope turned back to check on you. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just tripped.” You looked down to see your new heels completely soaked. 
Bending down, you quickly dabbed at the coffee staining your shoes with the napkins you’d grabbed at the cafe, hoping the liquid would just wipe off. It did not.
You huffed as you stood. “Well, fuck. I just bought these.” 
Good thing you kept an extra pair of shoes in your office.
Penelope blinked. “Did you just cuss?”
You blinked back at her. “Yes?”
She gasped dramatically. “I’ve never heard you cuss before!”
You resisted rolling your eyes as you continued past her into the lobby, thanking the guard who was still gallantly holding the door. You spoke over your shoulder to Penelope. “Oh, come on. It’s just a word.”
“I know but I can’t believe my little Cinnamon Roll just used an expletive!”
“Your Cinnamon Roll? I thought that was Morgan.”
“Nope. He’s my Chocolate Thunder. Or Hot Stuff. Or Angel Face. You are my Cinnamon Roll.”
You snorted as you walked through the metal detectors, gathering your items again on the other side. “How am I the cinnamon roll when you’re here?”
“Because that’s what you are, sugar.” She blew you a kiss as she grabbed her things.
You eyed her suspiciously. “This is going to be what you call me from now on, isn’t it?”
She smiled gleefully. “Yep!” 
“Well, if I’m going to be Cinnamon Roll, then I’m calling you Cupcake.”
“Cupcake?”
“Yeah, because cupcakes are all bright and colorful, fun and sweet. Like you.”
Penelope grinned. “Aw, thanks.”
You wrinkled your nose at her. “You’re welcome.” 
You balanced the pastry box in one hand as you pressed the elevator call button. “And I guess I’ll accept being your Cinnamon Roll. Makes a bit of sense, actually. They may not always be the best looking things but they are sweet and a little spicy. Maybe a bit dry sometimes but always enjoyable.”
“What’s dry but enjoyable?”
You startled at the deep voice coming from behind you, turning to see Agent Hotchner looking between the two of you. Beside you, Penelope was grinning mischievously. 
“Cinnamon rolls.” She chirped, looking much too pleased at the turn of events. 
You could feel the blush coming as you heard the ding signaling the arriving elevator.
Being the gentleman that he was, Agent Hotchner reached forward to hold the doors, gesturing for the two of you to enter. He followed you in and hit the buttons for both of your floors.
Penelope glanced at you with a smirk. “You like cinnamon rolls, don’t you sir?”
Agent Hotchner hummed in agreement. “I do. They’re my favorite breakfast treat, actually.”
“Your favorite, huh?” Penelope waggled her eyebrows at you and you thanked everything that was good that Agent Hotcher was standing in front of her and didn’t look around to see her display or the ever-persistent blush on your face his mere presence caused.
“Good thing I grabbed some to share this morning then.” Penelope winked at you.
Agent Hotchner looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes darting to you briefly. “I wouldn’t say no to a cinnamon roll.”
He faced forward again while you tried your hardest not to die on the spot.
Penelope nudged you with her elbow, her face more gleeful than you’d ever seen it.
The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors slid open to your floor, saving you from more of Penelope’s not-at-all subtle teasing.
Agent Hotcher stepped to the side, allowing you to exit, which you did with a nod, forcing yourself to look anywhere but him. “Have a good day, Pen. Agent Hotchner.”
“You, too.” 
You closed your eyes at the sound. Did he have to say it all low and raspy like that? Didn’t he know he should be careful how he wielded that voice of his? It was dangerous, to both your heart and your knickers.
You rushed down the hall without a second glance.
An hour later, you received a text from Penelope, and you couldn’t help but laugh. She’d sent a photo of the team enjoying their pastries, with a heart drawn around Agent Hotcher as he took a large bite from one of the cinnamon rolls. See, her accompanying text said, he looooves cinnamon rolls.
***
A few days later, you were in the BAU bullpen chatting with Penelope and Morgan before heading home for the day. 
You were chuckling at the back-and-forth banter between the two when a bright voice cried, “Miss Penelope!”
The three of you turned to see an excited Jack Hotchner rushing towards you, his beleaguered aunt not far behind.
You had met Jack a few times and always enjoyed seeing the cheerful boy, who was now giving Penelope a fierce hug.
“Hey, mini Hotch! How’s it going?”
Jack beamed up at Penelope. “I did it! I got an A on that presentation you helped me with. The teacher liked the design and everything! She said it was very creative.”
“That’s awesome!” Penelope cheered.
“Way to go, little man!” Morgan gave Jack a high-five while you and his aunt Jessica shared a grin.
“I was going to take him home like usual,’ Jessica said. “But he insisted he had to tell Miss Penelope immediately.”
“What was the presentation on, Jack?” You asked.
He turned with a grin. “Darth Vader: From Hero to Villian to Heroic Anti-Villian.”
Your lips curled into a matching grin. “That sounds amazing actually.”
“The teacher even let me do part of the presentation in my mask!”
“You have a Darth Vader mask?”
He nodded. “It’s a full mask that lights up and everything.”
“That’s so cool. Does it augment your voice and do the—“ You mimicked Darth Vader’s breathing as best you could. It was a poor imitation, but it made Jack giggle, so you counted it as a win anyway.
“It does! My dad got me the full costume for Halloween.”
“That sounds like the best costume ever. I’m sad I missed seeing it.”
“Oh, Aunt Jessica videoed it. I can show you, if you want.”
“Yeah, I’d love that.” 
You looked to Jessica with a smile as Jack blurted out. “Okay!” 
And with that, he spun and dashed towards his dad’s office.
“Wait, Jack! Don’t… Aaand he’s gone.” You looked towards Jessica, Penelope, and Morgan, who all just shrugged.
Moments later Jack returned, pulling a confused Agent Hotchner behind him. He stopped beside you and looked up at his dad. “I need your phone please.”
Agent Hotchner blinked. “What do you need it for?”
Jack pointed at you. “So I can show her that video of my Vader costume,” he said in a tone that implied he thought the reason was obvious.
“The video that your aunt, who’s standing right beside her, also has on her phone?”
“Yeah.” Jack replied.
“Then why did you need my phone?”
Jack shrugged. “I dunno. You always let me use it when I ask.”
With the long-suffering sigh of a father used to his son’s antics, Agent Hotchner pulled out his phone to pull up the video, then handed it to Jack. “Here.”
“Thanks, Dad!” Jack smiled sweetly at him. 
You could feel your biological clock screaming at you as you witnessed Agent Hotchner completely soften and smile down at his son fondly, all the irritation from a moment ago forgotten.
Holy moly, but fatherhood was a good look on him. You’d never really been interested in the concepts of DILFs, but you certainly were now.
With your ogling, you nearly missed the start of the video when Jack held it a bit too closely to your face in his eagerness to share it with you. You steadied it with your hand and lowered it so you could watch it together.
You grinned as you watched Jack having the time of his life, fully decked out in the coolest Darth Vader costume you had ever seen, as he wielded his lightsaber and used the Force to ‘open’ a set of elevator doors.
You listened as he explained all the features of the costume and lightsaber, and how he still liked to put it on sometimes at home. 
“Dad said the next free weekend we have, we can watch all of the movies together.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun. I used to watch them with my mom and we’d stock up on candy and popcorn. Of course, there were only three movies back then.”
“Really? Which is your favorite movie?”
“Return of the Jedi.”
Jack gasped. “That’s Dad’s favorite, too!”
You glanced at Agent Hotchner, shooting him a quick smile, before Jack drew your attention again by asking another question. “Who is your favorite character? I like Darth Vader but Luke is cool too.”
“Princess Leia.”
“Oh,” Jack said sounding a little disappointed. “But she didn’t have a lightsaber or use the Force or anything.”
“No, but she is a princess with a blaster, and she’s just as tough as the guys. She took down Jabba with a chain. And she’s really clever.”
Jack tilted his head and squinted his eyes in thought before nodding. “Yeah, you’re right. She’s actually pretty cool for a princess.”
“And her second favorite character is Han Solo.” Penelope chimed in. She turned to you with a much too innocent smile. “Isn’t he the one who inspired your admiration of tall, dark, and handsome men?”
If death by glare were possible, Penelope would become its latest statistic.
Jack spoke excitedly beside you while you kept your lethal glare focused on your friend and pointedly did not look at anyone else. Especially the tall, dark, and handsome man standing nearby. “Dad! She likes Han Solo, too!”
Agent Hotchner chuckled. “Yeah, I heard buddy.”
“She likes your favorite movie and your favorite character!”
“She must have good taste, then.”
“Oh, she does,” Penelope agreed. “Impeccable taste. In fact, you might be pleasantly surprised by the things she loves.”
You couldn’t bear to look at Agent Hotchner’s reaction to that, so you dropped your eyes to your hands, fiddling with the phone you were still holding.
His phone.  
You squeezed your eyes shut before looking back up at him, only to find him already looking at you. 
“Oh,” you breathed and quickly offered the phone back to him. “I’m sorry Agent Hotchner. I forgot I was still holding on to this. Thank you for letting us borrow your phone.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled as he took the phone, his hand brushing against yours and it was just as warm as you remembered. “And it’s Hotch, remember?”
You fought against the urge to drop your head again to hide from his piercing eyes and forced yourself to nod nonchalantly, though your words came out more breathy than you liked. “Yes, sir.”
His eyes seemed to darken at that and you found yourself torn between losing yourself in his gaze and fleeing before he caught on to your desire to do just that.
Luckily, you were saved from having to decide by Jessica’s phone ringing loudly and drawing your attention. She gave an apologetic smile before giving a quick goodbye kiss to Jack and a fond pat on Agent Hotchner’s arm. “Sorry, I have to run. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
Seizing the opportunity, you quickly followed suit. “I need to head out, too. I’ll walk with you.” 
You gave everyone a short wave and spun to follow her, not looking back until you were at the elevators. A subtle peek provided you one last view of Agent Hotchner smiling down at his son, prompting your own soft smile. 
You had only meant to steal a glimpse, but you could never resist it when he smiled. Before you could tear your eyes away, he glanced up and caught you watching, his warm smile now directed at you.
You jerked your head forward, embarrassed at being caught and hoping Jessica hadn’t noticed your crimson cheeks.
If the grin on her face was anything to go by, she had. Thankfully, she was kind enough not to tease you about it.
Even when you darted into the elevator before the doors were fully open and wedged yourself in the corner out of view with an unflattering squeak as you pressed your hands to your flaming cheeks.
***
You were making your way to the cafeteria to grab a quick lunch when you heard the rapid staccato of high heels behind you.
“Hey, Cinnamon Roll!” Penelope scurried to catch up with you. “Fancy seeing you here.”
You chuckled. “You mean here at the cafeteria where I almost always grab lunch around this time? What are the odds?”
She swatted at you with a tsk as she linked her arm with yours. “Don’t be cheeky.”
“Please. You love me being cheeky.”
“Yeah, but not when it’s directed at me.”
“Whatever you say, Cupcake.”
You made your way into the queue, peeking to see what was on offer for the day. The food was generally good, but sometimes the options were limited. You ended up settling for a sandwich while Penelope went with a salad.
You chatted while you ate, your lunch break going by much more enjoyably with your friend there. 
You were discussing the recent episode of a show you both watched when Penelope looked up. “Huh. What’s he doing here?”
You followed her gaze to find Agent Hotchner in the queue. “Well, using my astute powers of deduction, I’d say he’s getting some food, just like everyone else here.”
She huffed. “You’re at full capacity cheek today. I meant, that he doesn’t usually come to the cafeteria.”
You shrugged. “He did today.”
Penelope hummed and then that mischievous grin you had learned to be weary of crept across her face. 
Your eyes widened because you knew she was about to do something meddlesome.
And you were right.
Before you could stop her, she waved wildly and called out, “Hotch!”
His head swiveled in your direction and you could have sworn his face actually lit up just the tiniest bit when he saw you. He quickly paid and made his way over to your table.
“Hey, you two. Enjoying lunch?”
“We are,” Penelope replied with that puckish grin. “Would you care to join us?”
“Oh,” Agent Hotchner’s brows creased slightly. “I have a meeting soon so I have to run. Sorry.”
Was it just your endless hopefulness regarding him, or did he sound disappointed?
“That’s alright, Agent Hotchner. Don’t let us keep you. We were almost done, anyway.”
His eyes did his now routine scan of you before the corner of his mouth quirked up in a small smile that almost seemed wistful. “How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Hotch?”
That ever-constant blush warmed your cheeks yet again. You never knew what to do with yourself whenever he looked at you. This man always made you flustered beyond reason. 
You could see he was waiting for you to respond so you blurted out the first thing that came to mind.  “At least once more, Agent Hotchner. As always.”
To your dismay, his eyes seemed to dim as the quirk of his lips dropped a fraction.
“Right,” He breathed out.
He studied you for a moment longer before glancing at his watch and giving a quick wince. “I have to go. Enjoy the rest of your meal.”
He pivoted on his heel and was halfway to the exit before either of you could reply.
You watched him leave, barely aware of the open longing on your face. Once he was out of sight, you turned back to Penelope to see her biting her lip to hide a smile and her eyebrows well above her frames.
You tilted your head. “What?”
Her eyes shined merrily as she asked, “Did you just quote the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie at him?”
You didn’t know what to say as you felt heat flood your entire face.
“OMG, you did!” Penelope cackled.
“I panicked, okay? I’m fluent in movie quotes and it just slipped out!” You buried your burning face in your hands.
That only made Penelope laugh even harder. “This is why I love you so much, Cinnamon Roll.”
���I can’t help it! I get so nervous around him.”
“Is that why you refuse to call him Hotch?”
“I don’t refuse to. I just… I don’t know. It feels safer to just call him by his title. Less chance of me slipping and saying something we’d both regret.”
Penelope looked at you thoughtfully. “I’ve known Hotch for a long time and I’m positive he wouldn’t regret hearing that. In fact, I’d bet my favorite fluffy pink pen that he’d welcome it. Be overjoyed by it, even. He might even smile.”
You sighed. “Not this again, Pen. I love how supportive and encouraging you are about everything, but on this, you’re wrong. He does not see me that way and probably never will.”
“Well, you’ll never know if you don’t try. You should start by calling him Hotch next time you see him and watch his little frown turn upside down.”
“Not gonna happen,” you declared with a petulant shake of your head.
“So you’re just going to call him Agent Hotchner for the rest of your life?”
You crossed your arms defiantly. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
She smirked. “Are you gonna call him Agent in bed? Not my kink, but I can see the appeal.”
You gaped at her. “‘Penelope!”
 She cackled again.
***
Your workday was finally over and not a moment too soon.
You slid into your jacket with a huff and snatched up your things, taking yet another deep breath when yet another ping came from your phone as yet another text was received.
They had been increasing in frequency for the last hour.
You stomped down the hall, jabbed the elevator call button, tapped your foot impatiently until it arrived, and darted in the moment the doors opened. Thankfully, it was empty so no one had to bear witness to your increasing frustration at the slowness of the elevator.
When it finally reached your desired floor, you stalked down the hall to your destination. 
Your eyes dropped to the phone in your hand when another text came through as you burst into Penelope’s lair without knocking, already mid-rant. “Penelope Middle Name Garcia! Why have you been spamming me with DILF memes all afternoo—”
You looked up from your phone expecting to see a grinning Penelope, only to find Agent Hotchner there looking at you with a raised brow and bemused smile.
You jerked to a halt, torn between wanting the floor to swallow you whole in your embarrassment or plotting out the imminent demise of your meddlesome friend.
Both seemed like great options at the moment.
Then Penelope leaned out from behind her boss, wearing the most impish smirk you had ever seen.
You narrowed your eyes at her and she batted hers right back. 
Problem solved, then. Plotting her imminent demise it was.
But, unfortunately, that would have to wait until after you’d recovered from your latest display of awkwardness in front of Agent Hotchner. 
Who was still watching you and looked to be enjoying the moment nearly as much as Penelope.
Mortified, you scrambled to say something, anything, to redeem yourself. 
“I’m so sorry, Agent Hotchner!” You squeaked—a sound that was high and breathy and not at all attractive.
Now you were rethinking your choice. 
Yes, having the floor open beneath you and saving you from this sounded like the better outcome now.
Why, oh why couldn't you ever act like a normal human being around this man?
Determined to get out of this as unscathed as possible, you cleared your throat and tried again. “I apologize, sir. I didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting with Penelope. Please excuse me.”
You began to turn when he took a step towards you, his hand partly raised towards you. “No, no,” he said in a rush.
His hand clenched and he stuffed it into his pocket. “You didn’t interrupt anything. We were already done.”
“Oh, that’s good. I’m still sorry for bursting in unannounced.”
He chuckled and your heart raced in delight. “Well, it sounds like you had justified cause.” He looked at Penelope over his shoulder. “Maybe refrain from spamming memes during work hours, okay Garcia?”
Penelope smiled and saluted. “Aye aye, sir.”
Agent Hotchner shook his head and turned back to you with a grin you couldn’t help but return. His eyes locked with yours and for a moment, you lost yourself in their depths. You would have been content to remain like that but the moment broke when he cleared his throat. “Well. I’ll leave you ladies to it. I have a bit more work before I can head home.”
He nodded to Penelope and made to leave, pausing at the door. He looked back at you with a sly smile. “Oh, and it’s Grace.”
You tilted your head. “Pardon?”
“Garcia’s middle name. For the next time you want to yell at her for sending you DILF memes.” 
Then he did something that you were in no way prepared for and would never forget in your lifetime. 
Your eyes widened almost painfully as your face flushed.
He winked.
At you.
Agent Hotchner winked at you and was out the door before your brain caught up.
You stood frozen for a long moment before exhaling a shaky breath. You dazedly shuffled to the chair Penelope had acquired for the times you needed to work alongside her and plopped down, your eyes still trained on the door.
“Did…” You slowly turned your head towards an enthusiastically grinning Penelope. “Did Agent Hotchner just wink at me?”
Penelope was nearly bouncing in her seat as she clapped her hands excitedly. “Yes! He most assuredly did! And he teased you! Oh, this is the best day ever. I never thought I’d live to see the day Hotch teased a woman about DILF memes. And he winked! I didn’t know he could do that.”
You continued to stare in her direction, but all you could see was a replay of him winking at you. With as flustered as it made you, that wink should be labeled a deadly weapon. You would never be the same. There would be the you before the wink, and the you after.
Scratch that.
There very well may be no you after. Because you’re pretty sure you died. That was it. You were dead and your tombstone would read death by wink and tales would be long told of your tragic demise. 
Because there was no way you were going to survive knowing that Agent Hotchner teased you and then winked, after saying the word DILF, of which he was the prime example.
You knew exactly why Penelope had been sending you increasingly inappropriate memes about DILFs. And it was because of the man that just left you as a puddle on the floor whom you were absolutely besotted with.
But then a horrifying thought struck you.
“Pen?”
“Yeah?”
“How likely is it that he knows those memes were about him?”
Penelope hummed in thought. “Honestly, maybe 20 percent?”
You looked at her skeptically.
“Look, Hotch is a brilliant profiler. One of the best I’ve seen, but when it comes to things like this, he can be completely oblivious.”
You shook your head. “I doubt that.”
“Trust me. He’s often the first to notice when a person is crushing on someone, but never if he’s that someone. He never sees it. Maybe he just doesn’t want to but I think he just can’t imagine anyone finding him attractive.”
“Seriously? Does the man not own a mirror?”
“I know. It’s crazy but he never picks up on it whenever he gets hit on. It’s like he has blinders up just for that.”
“Oh.”
“But,” she grabbed your hand and squeezed gently. “I’ve never seen him act the way he does around you. I’ve told you before but hopefully, you’ll believe me this time. I think he’s interested in you. I think if you were very clear with him, told him straight out that you’re attracted to him and interested in getting to know him, asked him on a date, he’d say yes in a heartbeat.”
You worried your bottom lip, anxiety rushing through your veins at the mere idea of confessing to him. “I don’t know, Pen. I’m not… I’ve never done that.” You sighed. “I’ve never been any good at this and the thought of telling him how I feel terrifies me.”
She smiled kindly. “I know. But don’t you think he’s worth it?”
Of course, he is, was your immediate thought. Who could ever think otherwise?
He was handsome, of course, but that wasn’t what truly attracted you to him. 
It was all the little parts of him that caught your attention and drew you in.
It was his kindness, bravery, and strength. It was seeing glimpses of his humor and light-hearted moments. It was witnessing him being a good leader, a better friend, and the best dad.
It was all the things you knew about him and all the things you still wanted to learn.
It was the fact that he was a decent man, an admirable man, a good man.
Yes, you thought. He is absolutely worth it.
***
You sat at the bar, your chin resting in your hand. You glanced at your phone, checking the time again. Penelope had stopped by your office earlier that day, demanding that you meet her for dinner and drinks that night. As you had no plans, you readily agreed.
However, she was late so you were restlessly waiting in the lounge of the restaurant, sipping on a fruity cocktail.
A few minutes passed and you looked towards the entrance again, hoping to see your brightly dressed friend.
She wasn’t there, but someone else you recognized was.
Agent Hotchner was standing there, scanning the room like he was looking for someone.
Even in the low lights of the lounge, he caught your eye. He stood a head above the other mingling patrons, his dark hair softer than he normally kept it at work. He was dressed casually, for him, in a black button shirt and dark jeans. His sleeves were partially rolled, drawing your eyes down his arms to see his fingers tapping on his leg.
You looked up in time to see him notice you. He tilted his head with a smile and made his way through the crowd to you.
”Hello,” you breathed out when he was close enough to hear.
”Hello.” His eyes ran over you in that familiar pattern, lingering for just a moment where your legs crossed as you sat on the stool. “You look lovely.”
Your cheeks flushed, as was their habit when he was near, and you thanked your earlier self for taking the time to dress up a little for the evening. “Thank you. You look nice, too.”
He grinned as he shuffled closer to you in order to let someone pass. “Thanks. It’s nice to be out of the suit for the weekend.”
You had to agree. While he was distractingly attractive in his suits, he was devastatingly handsome dressed like this.
You’d have to remember to thank Penelope later for picking this restaurant. You were very much enjoying the view.
“It’s a pleasant surprise, running into you here.” He looked at the empty stools beside you. “Are you meeting someone?”
“Ah, yes. I’m meeting up with Pen, but I guess she’s running late. You?”
He nodded. “Same. Meeting a friend. Looks like he’s not here yet, either.”
You felt a flash of relief. He’s not on a date then. That’s good.
You smiled, looking up into his eyes as he stood beside you. So far, this had been the best interaction you’d had with him. No awkwardness on your part and no meddling friends nearby.
It was nice, being here with him. You wanted the moment to last.
Gathering all your courage, you decided to take a chance. “I was just having a drink until our table was ready. You’re welcome to join me while you wait.”
His smile grew, his dimples coming out to play. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
He sat on the stool beside you, his long leg nearly brushing yours as he adjusted.
You took a sip of your drink, peeking at Agent Hotchner as he flagged down the bartender. You couldn't keep your eyes from running up the length of his arm, watching his muscles flex and move.
You nearly startled when your phone pinged, buzzing against the bartop and drawing his attention. You shot him an apologetic smile as you reached for your phone, meeting his eye when his own phone buzzed. 
You shared a grin at the coincidence, before you both checked your phones.
Sorry Cinnamon Roll, the text from Penelope read. I’m not going to be able to make it.
Is everything alright? You asked her.
Yes, everything’s fine. A thing came up. Sorry, sugar. You should stay and enjoy yourself though.
You held in a sigh as you began to type your response, stopping when another arrived from Penelope.  Maybe you can find someone else to enjoy the evening with. A certain tall dark and broody someone, perhaps?
Suspicion flared within you and your lips flattened into a thin line. You already know he’s here, don’t you?
Hotch is there? WOW, what a crazy random happenstance!
You glared at your phone, hoping she could feel your wrath on the other end. Penelope Cupcake Garcia! Did you set this up?
You know my middle name’s Grace.
Your lips pressed together even tighter. PEN!
You waited impatiently until her replies came in rapid succession.
I plead the fifth. 
Take a chance. He’s worth it, right?
Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!
But definitely do everything I would. 😏
It was moments like these that made you both love and hate Penelope Garcia
You chanced a peek at Agent Hotcher. He was bent over his phone, rapidly typing away. Maybe it was the lighting, but you could have sworn he had the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks.
He huffed and glanced at you. “Sorry about that.”
“That’s okay. My night with Pen has been canceled. She can’t make it.”
He hummed. “Dave just canceled on me, too. Somehow, I’m not surprised.”
“Does he do that often?”
“Rarely, in fact.”
“Oh.”
“I think our friends may have set us up.”
You buried your face in your hands. “Oh, no. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry, Agent Hotchner. Pen probably planned this whole thing and roped poor Rossi into it and…”
“You call him Rossi but still won’t call me Hotch?”
“I… I don’t… I’m sorry, Agent Hotch—” The look on his face stopped the words in your throat. His head tilted in a way that seemed stern, his eyebrows raised expectantly, but the quirk of his lips looked playful. Impish, even.
Was he teasing you?
“You’re getting closer,” He smirked. “Just drop the Agent and you’ll be there.”
Yep. He was teasing you.
And now you were blushing so hard you were sure he could feel the heat from there.
You pressed your lips together in a small pout. You weren’t sure what to do with a playful Agent Hotchner, but you couldn’t deny you liked it. Still, being teased by the object of your affection was not something you felt equipped to handle at the moment.
You took a fortifying drink of your cocktail, thinking back on Penelope’s encouraging words. You could do this. He was worth it.
“H-Hotch.” 
“There you go. Wasn’t so hard after all.”
You huffed a laugh. “Actually, it was harder than you’d think.”
He ran contemplative eyes over you. “And why’s that?”
You finished off the last of your drink and turned to face him, leaning against the bar. It was your turn to study him. “Surely you know how flustered you make me.”
The corner of his lips turned down. “I had noticed, yes. I know I can be intimidating, but I never wanted to make you uncomfortable.”
“I never said I was uncomfortable.”
His eyes brightened. “Just flustered?”
You hummed. “I know you try not to profile your coworkers, but I’m betting it’s hard to just turn that off. So, what have you noticed about how I act around you versus everyone else?”
He straightened in his seat, bringing his glass to his lips as his eyes stayed focused on you. He took a slow sip before speaking. “You display signs of discomfort and hesitation with me, while you are more open with others, especially Garcia. You only make direct eye contact with me enough to let me know you are acknowledging me, but you often look down or to the side when we speak. You fidget and sometimes stumble over your words. I don’t see you do that with anyone else.”
“And why do you think that is?”
“I assumed it was due to my role as unit chief and the perception that I’m a hardass who never smiles.”
You grinned at that. “Now, we both know that’s not true. I’ve seen you smile countless times.”
His cheeks pinkened and your grin grew. “Yes, well. That doesn’t change the fact that others think I’m incapable of it.”
“It’s their loss then. I happen to like seeing you smile.”
His eyes dropped almost shyly and that was definitely a blush spreading across his face. “I… Thank you.”
You watched in awe as he shifted in his seat, exhibiting all the signs you knew you normally did when he was around. Could it be that he was the one flustered now?
You felt a well of confidence spring up inside you. You felt powerful in a way you never had before. You had somehow managed to affect this stoic man enough to fluster him.
You smirked. “You’re wrong, by the way.”
He blinked. “Wrong?”
”That’s not why I acted that way around you.”
”Oh.”
”Can you guess why?”
“Normally, I would think that you didn’t like me. That I had done something to upset or offend you, but if that were the case, I don’t think you’d still be here talking with me.”
”Correct. I definitely don’t dislike you.” At the tilt of his head, you could tell he still didn’t understand. “If you had seen me act that way towards someone else, what conclusion would your observations lead you to?”
He swallowed. “Normally, such behavior would signify attraction or some depth of feeling towards the other person.”
”Did it really not occur to you that was the case here?”
”Honestly, I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Didn’t want to assume you felt the same way.”
”The same way?”
The corner of his lip quirked up. “Attraction and some depth of feeling.”
You couldn’t keep the pleased smile from brightening your face. “Oh.”
You shyly tucked some hair behind your ear, his eyes following the motion. “Is… is that really how you feel about me?”
He stayed silent for a long moment, his focus firmly on you as if he were contemplating your features like one would fine art. ”Do you know why I kept asking you to call me Hotch?”
The abrupt change of topic threw you and it took a few seconds for you to respond. ”I thought you were just being nice.”
He shook his head with a soft smile. “It was because I hoped you’d feel comfortable enough to call me by my name someday. If I could get you to call me Hotch, then eventually, I might be able to convince you to call me Aaron.”
Your breath caught when he leaned in, his eyes never leaving yours as he quietly spoke words meant only for you. “But what I’d really like, is if someday you’d call me yours.” 
You were pretty sure you had stopped breathing and that all the blood in your body was rushing to your face. Surely you didn’t hear that correctly. “W-what?”
He pulled back, his cheeks attractively flushed. “I apologize if I overstepped. I’m a bit rusty at it, but Dave suggested I try flirting. I’ll admit I got a bit nervous and that just came out.”
“Flirting? With me?”
He must have read something in your face because he smirked. “Yes, flirting with you.” 
He leaned closer again. “Is it working?” 
You’re sure your face is red enough to stop traffic. “Yes,” you managed to squeak out. 
“Good.” He ran his hand down your arm, wrapping his fingers around yours and bringing them up to his lips, pressing a barely there kiss to your knuckles. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” 
“Yes,” you breathed out. 
He smiled down at you, dimples on full display and you couldn’t help but smile back. 
“Not here, though.” He glanced around the bar. “I wouldn’t put it past Garcia to hack into their network to watch us.”
You chuckled and nodded knowingly. That was exactly what she would do.
He turned to wave down the bartender. “Please put both our drinks on the tab for David Rossi.” 
You gaped at him and he shrugged with a grin. “He comes here all the time and he would have paid if he had been here. Besides, it’s the least he can do for plotting with Garcia.”
With a giggle, you conceded. “That’s true.”
He stood from his stool, offering you his hand to help you from yours. “Come on. I know a great Italian place nearby.”
He laced his fingers with yours once you were on your feet and led you out of the restaurant.
“It’s only a few blocks away. Since it’s a nice evening, would you like to walk?”
You nodded and allowed him to guide you down the sidewalk, noting that he took care to walk between you and the street.
You walked in companionable silence for a while before he spoke, his eyes trained ahead. “You know, I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”
“Really?”
“Since the moment we met.”
You looked at him skeptically. “You mean when I barreled into you and almost knocked you off your feet?”
He grinned down at you. “No almost about it.”
You gasped playfully. “I didn’t make you fall.”
“Sure you did. And all it took was your smile.”
You ducked your head down. “You’re teasing me again.”
“I’m not.” You shot him a leveled look. “Okay, yes, maybe a little. But I’m pretty sure I fell for you the moment you smiled up at me after you finished rambling and were more concerned about me than yourself even though you faceplanted pretty hard. I was worried you might’ve broken something.”
“Hey! I didn’t hit that hard.”
He chuckled, giving your hand a squeeze. “Sorry sweetheart, but you did. I’m surprised there wasn’t an imprint of a button on your face afterward.”
The endearment surprised you but in the most pleasant way. You weren’t sure if it was just a slip of the tongue or a calculated move, but either way, you hoped you’d get to hear it again.
Despite that, you wanted to bury your face—preferably in his chest again, but in a much gentler manner than the last time—to hide your discomfiture. “I’m always so awkward around you. It’s embarrassing.”
“It’s endearing.”
“Oh, stop teasing me. There’s no way you find that even the least bit attractive.”
He stopped and you paused alongside him, looking up at him. His expression was serious but his eyes were soft. “I do. I find everything about you attractive. I think you’re beautiful, especially when you smile. Even more so when you’re blushing. You’re kind and sweet and funny. You might be the most charming woman I’ve ever met.”
You could feel your blush creeping down your neck to your chest. At this rate, you would soon be red from head to toe. “Pretty sure it’s you who’s the charming one.”
His lips lifted in a soft smile as his eyes took in the spreading warmth he always caused. “I’m glad you think so. Makes this easier to ask. I know I should wait until the end of the night but…”
He gently cradled your face in one of his hands, warm even against your flushed cheek. “May I kiss you?”
“Please.”
The hushed word was barely passed your lips before his were there, stealing the last of it for himself.
The kiss was achingly gentle, a soft press of lips that left no doubt as to his burgeoning feelings for you. It was a slow wooing, a tender plea, a solemn promise. A declaration that this was only the beginning of his intentions towards you. 
It was a kiss full of hope.
Hope that this was only the first kiss of many, that this was the beginning of something wonderful, that you would accept what he was only too happy to offer. Himself.
You slowly broke apart, both breathing heavily.
That was, by far, the best kiss of your life, and you knew that they would only get better from there if Aaron Hotchner was the one kissing you.
That one kiss had conveyed so much and you needed to let him know that you got it, you understood, and you wanted the same.
“Aaron.” His name came out as a shaky sigh, but it was enough for him to freeze before dropping his forehead to rest against yours.
“Yes,” he asked just as quietly, his voice deep and husky.
“I feel the same.”
You felt him relax against you as he let out a stuttered breath.
“I never thought I’d have the courage to tell you this. You’re the brave one. But I just need you to know how I feel about you.”
You swallowed and met his eyes that were watching you intently. 
“I’ve been yours since I crashed into you. You stole a piece of my heart with your kindness that day and I’ve happily given you a little more of it each day since. You make me happy every time I see you, and even though I’m flustered and awkward around you, you make me feel safe. You’re a gentleman, you treat your team like a family, and you’re an amazing dad. And you’re handsome. Like, distractingly good-looking. It’s a problem.”
He chuckled and you were pleased to see a blush brightening his cheeks.
“I like you quite a lot, Aaron Hotchner. And I’d really like it if—if I could call you mine.”
Your answer came with his lips brushing against yours once, twice, before they were insistent in their acquisition of yours.
This kiss was deeper. The celebration of a long-awaited victory that had your toes curling. You lost yourself to it and would have continued to do so were it not for the honking from a passing car.
Aaron gave you one more soft kiss before pulling away, his lips delightfully pink and plump.
“As much as I’d love to carry on, this may not be the best place.” 
Despite his words, he pressed a kiss to your cheek and then another to your forehead. You grinned at him and for a moment, he seemed ready to lean right back in.
Instead, his eyes flicked quickly left and right, stopping on something behind you. With a squeeze of the hand that was still holding yours, he guided you to a recessed section of wall that provided a bit more privacy.
He positioned himself in front of you, his free hand coming to rest on your hip. He ducked down to kiss you once more, a tease of his lips that left you wanting more.
“Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
“Never apologize for that. You can kiss me all you want.”
His grip tightened on your hip. “You called me a gentleman, and yet here you are tempting me to prove otherwise.”
You shrugged with a cheeky smile. “Just being honest.”
“Well, since we are being honest with each other,” he said, the words rumbling in his chest, “I feel I need to let you know that while I plan to do this right and take things slow, there is one important fact you need to know about me.” 
“What’s that?” 
He leaned in, his breath low in your ear. “When granted the liberty to do so, I’m going to show you just how much I love having cinnamon rolls for breakfast.” 
You blinked, the words sinking in. “Cin-cinnamon rolls?” 
“They are my favorite, after all.” He hummed as he pressed a kiss beneath your ear. “My little Cinnamon Roll.”
You gasped and pulled back, narrowing your eyes at him. “You heard Pen call me that, didn’t you?”
He chuckled. “Everyone’s heard you call each other Cupcake and Cinnamon Roll. Was it supposed to be a secret?”
“No, I meant that day at the elevator.”
“You mean when I told you I wouldn’t say no to one?”
“You…you did hear us!” 
He smirked unrepentantly. “I didn’t mean to overhear, but you weren’t being that quiet. So, I just used it to my advantage.”
You swatted his arm. “I was so embarrassed and you’re saying you were teasing?”
“In my defense, it was Garcia who was the one teasing you. I was flirting.”
You pouted at him. “Everyone’s wrong about you. You’re not a stoic hardass. You’re a menace. All these months pining away for you, all the times I was awkward, and now you tell me you were flirting.”
“If it makes you feel any better, sweetheart, I was pining for you too.”
“It does.” You huffed, only a little begrudgingly. 
He chuckled again and dipped down for one last lingering kiss.
You were breathless by the time he pulled back, smiling dazedly when he guided you back onto the sidewalk and resumed your walk to the restaurant.
Despite it having started because of a plot by your friends, your first date with Aaron Hotchner was everything you dreamed it could be. It was romantic, he was charming, and you were finally able to hold a conversation with the man. 
It went so well in fact, that you soon had a second date, and then a third, and then a fourth. And after the fifth date, you found out personally that Aaron Hotchner really did enjoy having cinnamon rolls for breakfast. 
In fact, he enjoyed it so much, he went back for seconds.
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raphaelsrightarm · 4 months
Note
Could we get a little something on the spicy side, maybe Raph just taking care of himself during a particularly annoying mating season, hes yearling after reader (who’s his bestie) and he’s feels all types of wrong but the more he does it, the worse (all too real) his desires get for him.
Watch
Ok so like usual this one got away from me, I played a bit further into the "all too real" than I had intended, I hope you enjoy!
Words: 1362
Warning: NSWF 18+, implied attraction between characters
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Three weeks. 
The pulsing ache that burrowed inside of him would leave after three weeks. The tension in his muscles would slip away, his irritability would return to its normal state, and life would resume as normal. Or as normal as it ever was. 
Raphael usually stuck to his weight set for hours at a time before returning to his room to attempt to ease the stiffness that built up after a single day. That had become his routine whenever this time of year came around, and though he knew it was going to be a reoccurring thing, he dreaded it every time the weather started to warm. 
Yet something new has happened since last year. Something that had brought a new complication into this tortuous few weeks. You.
They had met you by accident, and you remaining so close to them hadn’t been part of the plan either. Some days Raph felt so grateful that such a thing happened to them that it overwhelmed him, and he usually had to distract himself for a bit until the fullness inside his chest slipped away.
Other days, he cursed the world for it. You had opened a door inside him that he had locked for years. The feelings that he never thought he would have to deal with in his lifetime, now being something that trailed behind him closer than his own shadow.
He liked to believe he might be haunting you the same way. There were moments between the two of you that he labeled as your close calls. Times when you had brushed against him, times when you grabbed his arm while laughing and your hand lingered on his skin, thumb brushing briefly before leaving. Times that left him wondering if this was something more or if he was creating something new entirely. 
Now, when he felt the beginning signs of springtime, he knew it was going to be worse. The thoughts that floated back to you used to be mostly harmless, now they dug into him like blades. 
A few weeks ago, he had told you some bullshit excuse to keep you out of the lair while they were able to push through the weeks of unbearable horniness. He felt bad lying to you, but he felt it might be easier than to remind you of just how unhuman he was. 
On one of the first days, he abused his punching bag until the chain broke. He lifted weights until his limbs burned, waiting until just before the sun set to touch himself. 
When that time came around, he shut himself in his room. He slowly undressed, then lounged back on his bed. With his eyes shut, he slipped into the easy motions he had gone on many times before. 
His cock was already hard just by the thought of what he was about to do. He wrapped his hand around it, his head falling back just from the feeling that provided. 
He stroked himself slowly at first, squeezing his hand around the head to use his precum as lube. 
That was when his mind strayed to you, and though he feared it would be unavoidable, it still made him feel like he was crossing a line he could never come back across. He had imagined being with you, of course, he craved to know what your legs would feel like slung over his shoulders. He wanted to know what you sounded like when you came, what you tasted like.
But something felt different about this. His hand moved faster as he imagined being inside of you. Your face buried in a pillow, muffling your cries for him to fuck you harder. He imagined cumming inside of you. How it would spill out of you when he pulled out, how full you would be of him. 
He thought of your voice, smooth and beautiful. Your moans would be just as sweet, full of lust and pleads. He thought of your smell, something that managed to remain anywhere you touched just to taunt him. He could imagine it now, the silky aroma that drifted off of your skin. It felt so vivid to him now, so close to him it drove him crazy. 
He was so close now it was nearly unbearable. His stomach had tightened, a cord stretching further and further. He heard your voice saying his name, and he pushed himself further into the fantasy of you touching him, of you yearning to see him cum, and he whispered your name in return. 
Through his closed eyes, he noticed the room brighten a bit. When he lifted his head, his first sight was you. At first he thought he had imagined you there, eyes wide as you watched him. Reality sank in shortly after, and he jerked to sit up.  
He blurted your name out in a panic.“What are you doing here?” He grabbed his pants off the floor and brought them over his lap. His blood roared in his ears as he waited for you to respond, to do anything but stand there. It was horrible of him, but the sight of you made his cock twitch beneath his clothes, reminding him of the visions he’d seen, how close he was just moments ago.   
You were silent for a moment, before stepping inside his room, and, to his complete shock, closing the door behind you, pressing your back against it. 
“What are you…” His words trailed off, breaths heaving. You clasped your hands together, but not before he noticed a slight tremor.
“You said my name. I heard you.” Your voice was quiet, and though you tried hiding it, he could tell you were nervous. “Were you thinking about me?” 
 Raph was silent, eyes wide. But you looked at him, waiting. After a moment, he nodded, still unsure if he had imagined you there at all. 
“Can I watch?” 
His heart nearly stopped, his body felt like it turned into clouds. He answered you by slowly taking the pants from his lap. You moved carefully, not taking your eyes off of him, and sat in the beanbag chair against the wall across from him. 
He began stroking himself again, moving slow until he felt himself fall back into the motions. He found the rhythm he enjoyed, squeezing his fist at the head. At first he avoided looking at you, but he could feel you watching him. 
He opened his eyes to see you leaning further back, your legs spread slightly, hands gripping your knees. He desperately wished he could know what you were thinking, but the rich smell of your arousal reached him from across the room, answering most of his questions for him. 
It pushed him further, the fact that he could get you like this without even touching you. That just seeing him like this had gotten you wet. His hand began moving faster, he could hear you lean forward. 
“Were you thinking about me touching you like that?” 
A chuckle escaped him. “‘Was thinking about a lot more than that.”
“What else?”
“Fuck,” He put more pressure around his cock, feeling flares shoot down his legs. He saw the muscles in your legs clench, hands tightening into fists. “Thought about having you any way I want. Makin’ you say my name while I fuck you. Makin’ you cum.” He let out a sharp breath. He was almost there, the cord nearly snapping inside him. “I’d have you all to myself. Nobody else would ever fuckin’ touch you. 
You slid your hand up your thigh, your voice a dreamy whisper. “Raph,” 
Fuck.
His head fell back as he came. Ropes of cum landing across the back of his hand. The quickened rise and fall of his chest slowly began to settle
He wasn’t sure what was going to happen after today, but at the moment, with his brain clouded by the mix of his  afterglow and his own instincts, as well as the undeniable need radiating off of you, he couldn’t care less. 
“Come here,” His voice was low, eyes so intensely focused on you. 
Without hesitation, you obediently stood, taking a step toward him.
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prismuffin · 11 months
Note
May i ask for a one shot pls.
Can it be where the reader and miles is dating, but she's been acting weird and mile finds out there is a new spider man, and its really the reader.
A/n: wow It’s been a minute since I’ve written a full fic no? Pris is almost back babyyy~
Coincidence
Miles Morales x fem!spiderman!reader
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( summary: being the new Spider-Man is hard, but hiding it from your boyfriend is harder )
!-!more under the cut!-!
You groaned as you walked through the hallway, stretching and rolling your shoulders to loosen the aching pain that spread across your entire body. You were sore, though after a night full of training how to swing around the city and stop crime you weren't the least bit surprised that it was so.
“Ayo Miles!”
The sound of your boyfriends name pulled you away from your mind as you turned towards the direction of the shout. There he was, Miles Morales, your boyfriend who you’ve been promptly ignoring for the past week and a half. You feel like shit for it but not too long ago you got bitten by a radioactive spider and became somewhat of a new Spider-Man, a Spider-Woman if you will. You’re still getting used to the new gig and the powers that come along with it and in your conflicted state you’ve been ignoring not only Miles but the rest of your friends as well.
You turned back around, not missing how his eyes barely caught yours right before you did and started walking towards your final class of the day.
Just one more class and then you could go....fight crime- after homework of course! Once again, you've been so swamped with this new Spider-Woman gig recently it's really had a terrible impact on your life. Your stress shot up after you scrambled to get your work completed so that you could train to help save the city that never sleeps. You never took that nickname more seriously in your life. It also sucks that your social life has dropped immensely. No more after school hangouts with friends let alone your boyfriend who you feel so bad for blowing off. Sometimes you think life would be better if you just cut everyone around you off but you don't want to lose them it just seems like the easy way out.
—TS—
You bolted out of your seat as the bell rang, dashing through the schools halls before the mass of students could begin to overwhelm them. You needed to get to Mays, do some calculus work, then suit up-
“Y/n!”
You shoes screeched against the floors as you stopped yourself from crashing into Miles, who stood in front of the main entrance, arms out ready to catch you if you tripped. You stopped in his arms and he firmly held you from falling forwards. You breathed heavily as you pulled back from him. "Why are you-" looking up, you winced as your senses skyrocketed, your "Spidey-senses" were activating as you looked at Miles, a sense of familiarity filled your mind.
"You're just like...-" Miles started, his eyes searching yours for any type of answer but you quickly remembered where you were supposed to be. "Miles! I-I gotta go-" You moved around him and dashed out the door, ignoring his calls for you to come back. With your backpack in hand you ran into the subway station, ready to head to May's house. She had found you initially after you'd been bitten, recognized the symptoms and took you in under her wing. She got you web-shooters and a suit and allowed you to train in the confines of the Spider-Lair.
Today was meant to be your debut! You were gonna go out, save a few civilians, meet the Spider-Man that had appeared after the original had died and make your name as Spider-Woman. But that's after you help May with her banana bread recipe.
Knocking on her door you smiled at the sight of the older woman as she opened it. She greeted you, beckoning you inside after introductions were done. The rest of your afternoon was spent finishing that calculus work and making banana bread.
After finishing both tasks were completed, you were ready to make your debut, but the doorbell had delayed that. You looked at May in confusion as she smirked and stood. "There's a slight change in plans," "what?" You wondered aloud as your eyes followed her across the room. "I wanted you to meet Spider-man first, get yourselves acquainted before I sent you out on patrols for the first time." She said as she closed in on the front door, grabbing the knob, she cleared her throat a bit before opening it. You could hear her greet someone, you could see the side of his suit so you knew it was the Spider-man. You turned away to calm yourself as the reality truly sunk in that you were about to meet spiderman, hero of New York!
May cleared her throat, "Y/n this is Miles, or Spiderman and Miles this is-" "Miles?" "Y/n?" You turned around quickly, noticing Spiderman's shocked expression as he stared at you. May's eyes flickered in between you both, her expression becoming increasingly more confused. "I knew it! I knew I felt something earlier- What is- You're a Spider-man too?!" Miles yelled, pulling his mask off near the end of his sentence. "Spider-Woman actually-" May corrected him and your heart sped up as you stared at the previously masked mans face. "I- I didn't- Miles? You're Spider-man!! And you never told me?!" You yelled in shock and he crossed his arms. "Technically I can be mad at you for the same thing." You shook your head, laughing in disbelief before a silence overtook you two.
"So, I'm guessing you both know each other than."
"She's my girlfriend-" May gasped, standing there for a moment before clapping her hands together. "This is great news! See, you both already know and care for each other so you're sure to have each others backs on the streets." You blinked and sighed at the enthusiasm of the older woman. "Let's go to the lair shall we?" She walked off, leaving you and Miles to follow her but you stopped him before he could.
"Can we just- talk for a second?" You asked and he sighed and nodded, leaning against the circular table in the kitchen. "Look I- I never meant to ignore you- well I did! But only until I figured all this stuff out. I was bit by some kind of spider, May found me and took me in, I've been training with her for a while and it's been really stressful." Miles eyebrows creased at the sight of your saddening expression. "Yeah I get what you mean, it took me a while to find a good balance." He scratched the side of his head, looking away from you for a moment. "We're still good right?" He asked and you immediately nodded, a small smile growing on your face. "Yeah we're still good Miles." You stepped closer to him and he followed your lead, grabbing you and bringing you into a solid hug before kissing the side of your cheek. You laughed as you pulled back, still holding each other comfortably. "I can't believe my boyfriend is Spider-man!" "I can't believe my girlfriend is Spider-woman!" He laughed along with you, the previous tension being forgotten as the humor swept it away.
"We probably shouldn't keep May waiting," you said, still giggling from the previous conversation. "Yeahhh good idea, lets go." You both started making your way to the backyard, and for the first time in almost two weeks, you held your boyfriends hand.
———
Thanks for reading! Have a great day/night!!
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xtreklx · 8 months
Text
Low ~ Raphael x reader
One-shot: bayverse Raphael x reader Word count: 3.7k Warnings: cursing, mature themes, and slight NSFW, so this one is rated 18+ (minors DNI, see my masterlist for disclaimer) A/N: holy Toledo this one's a doozy. I've been working on it for a while, and it's def one of my favorite things I've written so far (at least, for now..). loosely based on the song Low by SZA, and lyrics are included in the text where I see fit. also I added color-coded dialogue for funsies. thank you guys for all the love on my stuff, and I hope you enjoy :)
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__________
As a young, blossoming adult, your life so far has been overall steady. It staggers here and there, of course: moving in waves as life often does. But for the most part, it is everlasting mundanity. Your early twenties are supposed to be where it begins to roar; when you obtain the dizzying adrenaline and overwhelming fear of free will. Empty wallets, fleeting romances, broken hearts, anxiety, love, hurt. These emotions are meant to be felt, and life is not lived without them.
So, as life would have it, your steady mundanity was indeed set ablaze in your early twenties, when you fell in love with someone you had originally thought you hated.
Some might call that cliché. But, in actuality, not quite.
You had been friends with the mutant ninja turtles for years, ever since they saved New York City from the infamous Kraang attack of 2016. Your father was a police officer, and you had all met at the post-battle award ceremony and celebration. You and the turtles were 17 at the time, and you saw them repeatedly after that as they continued to work with the NYPD. Over time, you grew to become the friends you were now.
Well, not all of you. From your first encounter with the brawny brother in red, you discovered that he had quite the knack for pushing your buttons. While Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello became some of your closest friends in the world, Raphael did everything he could to block you out. He was argumentative, temperamental, and unpredictable. You two could fight about anything: what kind of toppings to put on pizza, DC vs. Marvel, song or movie choice, even knitting patterns. The two of you were always bickering, always finding some way to make a snide comment or butt heads about something.  You couldn't stand him, and the feeling was very obviously mutual. 
On the topic of heads: flash forward five years later, when it finally came to one. You had been spending a lot more time with your turtle friends after finishing off your online degree program. While you were happy this was the case, the tension between you and Raphael seemed to be growing the more often you were around.
One day, the guys had gone out on their regularly scheduled patrol, with Raph staying behind because of a particularly nasty fight with Leo. You were waiting in the lair for them to return so that you could have your weekly movie night, but you were growing bored, and Master Splinter was nowhere to be found. Thus, you made the difficult decision to go bother Raph as he worked out in the dojo. 
When he saw you approaching his bench, he groaned through a rep, his eyes rolling back into his head. "What do ya want, shortstack?" He grumbled as he continued to bench press his barbell, the veins in his big, green arms flaring with each movement. 
You crossed your arms over your chest and huffed. "Save it, meat head. The more entertaining members of this family are gone, so I'm stuck here with you and nothing else to do. So..." You paused for a moment, watching as a scowl grew on his face while he continued his reps. "Do you want a spot.. or something?"
Raphael let out a breathy laugh as he set the barbell down back onto the stand. "Easy, tiger," He spoke as he sat up on his bench, side-eyeing you. "Even if you could lift this bar, I sure as shit ain't letting ya spot me. You'd purposefully drop it on my head before I could even bat my eyes at ya."
Your arms uncrossed and your hands went to your hips as you took a step closer to the red-masked brute. "Pssh, like I'd ever let you bat your eyes at me. I'd gouge out my own eyeballs before that could happen."
He scoffed up at you as he began to unwrap the bandages on his hands, which had been protecting his calluses from the aggressive texture of the metal bar. "Gee, yer a real charmer, aren't ya?" he questioned sarcastically, slightly under his breath. "Must be why you gotta line of men falling at your feet. Someone's gotta tame the tiger."
The dig at your love life (or rather, lack of one) made your face heat up, and you clenched your fists at your sides, taking another step closer to the brute. After all these years of bickering and insults, you were finally nearing your limit. "God, I try to be civil with you for one single day and you're a total asshole for no reason. What's your damage, Raph?"
Raphael whipped his head to you, the bandages he had just finished unwrapping long forgotten as he tossed them to the floor. He stood up from his bench as he spoke, taking a step towards you. "Ain't that easy. Yer my damage, sweetheart. Always have been, always will be."
"Oh, yeah?" You two stood not even a foot apart, and you were glaring up at him with the most intimidating look you could muster. "And just what exactly is your problem with me?" You could feel your heart rate increasing from the growing tension in the room. The air surrounding you felt like it had been injected with adrenaline, and you felt your temperature rising by the second. "Another easy one," Raph growled, looming over you. "You annoy the shit outta me, and ya never know when to shut yer goddamn mouth."
Your rage was increasing by the second, and by the fumes you felt radiating off of his mutant green form, you could say the same for the turtle in red. You were practically pressed against each other, him with a scowl on his face and you with a fire in your eyes. Your chest puffed up, and the words were out of your mouth before you could have a second thought.
"I bet you'd like to make me, wouldn't ya?"
It was silent after that. After quickly thinking it over, you almost gasped aloud at the implications of your words. The eye contact changed from a heated stare battle to his hazel eyes dominating, searching yours. You had been feeling very confident up until this moment, but that sentence alone caused the confidence to wither away, confusion at yourself taking its place. What the fuck did I just say?
Raphael's snarl had changed into a look of surprise. Confusion. And then back to anger.
With a frustrated grunt, he grabbed your waist and smashed his lips to yours. 
And that was the kerosene to the match that set your young adult life ablaze. 
The kiss was all burning rage, gory passion. It was tongues brushing and teeth clashing and a harsh grip on your waist and an even harsher grip on the tough, scaled skin of his shoulders. It was embers and flames and then the roar of a forest fire.  
You couldn't help the sounds that the kiss drew from deep within your chest. You didn't know how or why, but your soft lips fit oh so perfectly against his rough, scarred ones. Your mouths moved together in a harmonious rhythm despite the chaos, even as he gripped you by your thighs and carried you to his bedroom, as if you had practiced this a hundred times before. It felt like second nature to kiss Raphael, even though this was your first time doing so.
And you hated that you felt that way. 
What followed could, in no universe, be described as love-making. It was desperate and reckless ecstasy, a steaming release of the fury and tension you had been feeling towards one another for all these years. It could be seen in the way your nails clawed at his tough skin, in the way he pounded himself in and out of you, in the way your needy moans synchronized with his low grunts, in the way you clenched ever so tightly around him as he filled you with himself; it was aggressive, rough, almost mean.
You and Raph stilled for a moment after it was all over, breathing heavily and not saying a word, when you suddenly heard commotion coming from the living room. You made eye contact quickly, eyes widened, before scrambling to get dressed and cleaned up. You scurried out of his room and into the hallway, making it look to the returning brothers like you had been merely using the bathroom. And neither one of you spoke of it.
If you see me out in public, you don't know me, keep it silent In the bedroom, I be screamin', but outside, I keep it quiet Keep it on lowski, I'm the lowest of the lowest Wanna see if you can keep it like nobody know shit
The months that followed held similar tales of hidden passion. You and Raph never outright discussed what was transpiring, but assumed the unspoken rule of not mentioning it to his brothers. You continued to hang out with them when you could; on movie nights, you told them that you liked to wait in the lair for them to return from patrol so that you could eat all the popcorn without them. If Raphael stayed back from patrol, you snuck into his room or the dojo with a sarcastic remark and a smug look to annoy him to the point of 'teaching you a lesson'. If one of you was feeling particularly desperate to let off some steam, he would sneak out to your apartment on their nights off, telling his brothers that he was going to go get some air to 'clear his mind'. No matter what time he called or texted, you answered. It was almost like an addiction; you couldn't get enough of each other, and you couldn't deny how the other was able to satisfy you perfectly. 
You know how to reach me every time and it plays in your mind With a rush that feels like we committin' a crime You know where you belong, I'm gon' save you a spot But we can't be outside 'cause the block is too hot And I'm all on your mind...
At first, as stubborn as you both were, you kept up your gig of hating each other, despite the passion you were displaying. Between kisses and within sexual acts, your bickering continued relentlessly. "Wow, ya didn't even wear panties today. Gettin' desperate, are we?" "By the looks of your crotch right now, I don't think I'm the desperate one, dumbass." "Ya better watch yer fuckin' mouth." "Why, Red? Can't handle the heat?" "Oh, I'm boutta show ya heat, sweetheart." 
It was a balancing act, both of you trying not to break face and show the other how much you were enjoying these rendezvous of yours. Pride is a crazy thing, however, and as the situation went on, it began to manifest itself in other ways. 
Raphael was the one to start it, about a month into the endeavor. He couldn't help himself; after a day of arguing with Leo and feeling like a disappointment, he sought you out to release his frustrations. And the way you looked writhing and whining above him (as he munched like his life depended on it) had him feeling real smug. His hazel eyes watched you as he worked, the liquid gold shining with mischief. When he came up for air, his hands still keeping busy, the pride emerged.
"Anyone else make ya feel like this, doll?" He asked, his low voice scraping your ears like gravel, a dark smirk spreading across his face. "Tell me. Can anyone else make ya feel this good?" You had rolled your eyes and scoffed in the moment, but couldn't help the moans that continued to emerge from your mouth at his actions, clenching the sheets beneath you. He saw your bratty behavior and abruptly halted his movement, holding your hips still so that you were trapped. "Answer the damn question, or I'm stoppin'." You squirmed for a moment, whining, but your need had consumed you like a demon. "No!" You yelped. "No one else makes me feel this good, Raph! No one else makes me feel like you do! Please don't stop, please!" You wouldn't have called it begging after the fact, but he most certainly did. 
After that, something shifted. Sure, your sessions were still utilized for tension release, but there was more of a possession between you two than there had been before. The two of you were hanging out more often than you ever had. The bickering lessened, and in its place was validation, need, and your names on each others' lips. The contact grew more tender, and the conversations afterwards were more joke-y and only held friendly fire.
"So... do ya wanna put on that movie you were tellin' me about the other day?" "Wow, you wanna watch a movie with me? You must reallyyyyyyy enjoy spending time with me, Red~" "To be honest, I'm not here for you, I'm just here for the take out I know yer gonna end up orderin' later." "I love this hot n cold thing we have going on here. It's really turning me on." "Yer such a fuckin' goofball."
Between the two of you grew a mutual respect, an understanding, a cooperation: a love.
You found yourself thinking of things you wanted to tell Raph about when he wasn't around, and craving his input when you sought him out for advice. You yearned for the sound of his gruff voice and his blunt choice of words that always made you laugh or eased your mind. He found himself longing for the random questions you asked him or the jokes you'd regularly crack (whether they were funny or not) and the angelic sound of your laughter. Neither of you told the other about these feelings you were having, but they continued to develop on both sides.
Raphael found himself pondering these feelings one day while hitting the bag in the dojo, growing frustrated with himself. You had been in the lair hanging out with his brothers, and he continued his workout routine in the interest of being discreet, but he longed for nothing more than to hang out with you. To just be with you like his brothers were right now.
Of course, a particular brother in blue was bothering him more than normal. Leo was closer to you today than he normally was: giving you long hugs, sitting close to you on the couch, making you laugh with his idiotic jokes. Raph scoffed as he heard your laugh from the living room now, throwing an extra aggressive jab. What did Leo know, anyway? He'd bet that he could make you laugh twice as hard. He stopped, annoyed with himself for being so worked up, and stepped away to grab a towel and some water. 
As he made his way over to the mini fridge to grab a bottle, he was surprised to see you making your way over to him. Normally, on nights like these, he didn't expect anything from you besides your staged bickering until his brothers went to sleep or you went back to your apartment. You had a playful smile on your face as you approached the mini fridge, a message in your eyes that he couldn't quite make out, but goddamn he knew they were trying to say something to him.
"Hey, big guy. Leo sent me to grab some water," you looked up at him as you spoke, the smirk still on your face. And all the hope that Raph had felt in that moment dissipated, like popping a balloon. He scoffed at you, rolling his eyes before grabbing a water bottle and walking away. 
"Wait, woah. What's the matter?" He heard you ask from behind him, confused. He shook his head as he walked. "Nothin's the matter," He spoke slightly under his breath, but you could still hear him. "Why don't ya just go back to Leo? You're all over him, anyway."
He heard your footsteps as you followed him over to his bench. "Hold up, do you have a problem with me hanging out with your brother?" Raph couldn't make eye contact as he turned around to face you, so he looked down at the ground and huffed, eye ridges furrowed.  "Well, ya know me, and I don't like ta share. So if you're gonna hang out with him like that, then go ahead." 
"And just what would you be sharing?" You stood your ground a couple of feet in front of him, arms crossing at your chest and a determined glint in your eye. "Be straight with me, Raph, 'cause it's time we talked about this. What's going on between us?" He let out a grunt, shocked at your sudden confrontation, but still refusing to make eye contact. "Obviously nothin', if yer gonna go hang with Leo like that."
You inhaled, trying to maintain your patience. From the proximity you now held with the turtle in red, you knew you wouldn't get anywhere by fighting back. "Let me rephrase that. What do you want to be going on between us?" Raph moved to turn away from you, huffing again. "I don't know! Geez!" He exclaimed, before you grabbed his large bicep. He faced you, his massive form towering over your frame as you stepped close to him. He finally looked into your eyes, and saw nothing but a genuine question. No teasing, no tormenting, just a silent plead.
"Hey, talk to me, Red. It's just me." You smiled softly, begging eyes searching his liquid gold ones for something, anything, to grab onto and run with. He let you for a moment, before looking down at the ground again, growing more and more frustrated with himself. He took a deep breath, and kept his gaze on the floor as he spoke. 
"...I'm not very good with words, ya know that." He paused for a moment, making quick eye contact with you before looking back to the floor. "But I just... I like how this is goin'. How we're goin'... I like us together. I like bein' with ya, Y/N, and I just wanna do that without any of the other shit. I..." He stopped again, taking another deep breath. "I want to be with ya for real. And I'm sorry if I messed this up and that's not what ya want--" 
"I want that, too, Raph," You cut him off with a rising smile on your face, not being able to wait any longer. "That's all I've been wanting to be honest. I should have mentioned it earlier." Raph returned his eyes up to your face, shock gracing his expression. "Wait, so yer not into Leo?" He questioned, slightly caught off guard. You rolled your eyes and gave him a playful shove. "No dumbass, I'm into you." He watched your smile grow into a beam, silent, before a smile began to grow on his face as well. 
"God, finally," a voice exclaimed before Leo came out from behind the entrance of the dojo, walking up to the two of you. "It took you guys long enough. Even I was getting impatient." "Thanks buddy," you said to him, smiling as you guys bumped fists. Raphael watched the exchange, confused. "Wait... what?" He asked gruffly, eyes flicking between you and his brother. "You knew... about.. us?"
"Dude, we've all known for a while." Mikey shouted from the living room. Donnie walked past the entrance of the dojo and paused, a newly filled cup of coffee in his hand. "Yeah, you guys aren't exactly the most discrete," he said, before continuing his stroll back to his lab. Leo chuckled before turning back to his brother. 
"I was tired of watching you guys sneak around, so I finally confronted Y/N about it last week, and she spilled the beans on how she felt about you. Something told me you felt the same way, call it a brotherly instinct. Or maybe it was all the times you not-so-secretly snuck off to her apartment." He gave his muscly brother a playful punch to the bicep. "So pardon me for playing matchmaker a little bit."
You took a step closer to Raph, hugging yourself around one of his arms and looking up at him through your lashes. "Yeah, I mayyyyyyy have gotten impatient and recruited Leo to help me move things along. That's why we were all cuddly today. But you don't mind, right?" You jokingly pressed him, batting your eyelashes. 
He rolled his eyes at you and scoffed, removing you from his arm, but wrapped his arms around your waist instead of pushing you away. He pulled you from his side to his front, turning you to completely face him and ignoring his older brother present in the room. "Yeah, I guess it's fine or whateva," he fake-sighed, bringing you close to his plastron and leaning in toward you. You, too, leaned in, your arms reaching up to wrap around his neck. 
"Okay, at least wait until I'm out of the room to start sucking face," Leo commented, turning around and booking it out of the dojo. The two of you turned your heads to watch him leave before facing each other again, glowing smiles on your faces. 
"So... I guess I tamed the tiger, huh?" He teased gruffly, nudging his snout into your cheek. You giggled, a mischievous glint reaching your eyes. "Who said anything about tame?" You teased back, playing with the ends of his blood red mask.
"That's my girl," he murmured, before smashing his lips into yours.
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dandylovesturtles · 6 months
Text
Sidelined AU Info Post
Alright, I guess we're doing this
CWs: mentions of internalized ableism, struggles with mental health
Timeline:
all of S1 is the same as in canon up until End Game
however, after Splinter turns over the helmet to Draxum, Draxum does not put on the armor, but chooses to put Leo inside instead, realizing that whoever goes in will probably have something horrible happen to them. that's detailed in this fic
unlike Draxum, who gets spit out of the armor immediately, Leo ends up trapped inside. from Leo's perspective, he is only vaguely aware of what's happening outside (it's a bit sunken place-ish, with him seeing snatches of events like through a grainy television), and he has only small amounts of influence over what the armor does
once Feral Shredder is on the loose, he pretty immediately starts destroying the Hidden City. Draxum realizes that he has inadvertently released a great evil on his people, the exact opposite of what he wanted, and he turns to the Hamatos to help him stop it. obviously they don't want to work with Draxum, but they have to get Leo back so they take the help
it takes them two days, during which the Shredder moves up to start terrorizing New York as well, but eventually they get him subdued. I'm not 100% on what goes down yet or whether Big Mama gets involved (I'm leaning toward not), but Leo fighting from the inside is a big help
Leo is removed from the armor and is in really bad physical shape; meanwhile the Shredder is subdued for now. in the immediate aftermath, the Foot Clan manages to get ahold of the Shredder and take off with him
he's too weak to do anything immediately but he is very much a Looming Threat the family is aware of
Draxum leaves for awhile at this point because none of them want him around and seeing Leo in the aftermath did wake him up to "oh yeah that's just a kid and I did that to him," also he's feeling real bad about that whole "accidentally almost destroying the yokai and also maybe the world" thing
meanwhile, Leo is severely weakened, but there's not anything that the family can do to hasten his recovery. they can only get him hooked up to an IV for fluids and nutrients and wait
it takes Leo a few days to become fully lucid again; during that time he tries to fight anyone around him off or sometimes pushes his family away to "protect" them
eventually Leo does regain lucidity, he tells everyone he's fine but he's Super Depressed. he's also lost his mystic powers completely.
Splinter also retreats a bit at this point, because he feels guilt for handing the helmet over to Draxum instead of trying to find a different way to rescue his boys, which isn't a great thing for him to do but his mental health is also not doing very well (someone get these guys some therapy)
in the meantime the bros and April manage the best they can, they all have different approaches but I'll go into detail about that in the next section
there's no treatment for Leo's condition outside the most boring one: time, exercise, and diet. unsurprisingly he hates this
Healing Bad Times abound, as shown in this fic
eventually the boys have to go out on a mission again. Leo, feeling useless, listens in on the comms from the lair, and ends up catching something the other boys' missed, meaning he's able to save them from a trap or something idk exactly what the point is he makes himself useful
this opens up a new path for Leo, one his brothers very heavily encourage
with a new goal in mind, Leo starts taking a lot better care of himself, actually following his physical therapy routine, spending time gaining new skills, and accepting help in the form of mobility aids. his physical and mental health both start making big improvements
this also helps his dad's mental health, everyone is doing better even if things aren't perfect
Donnie builds Leo a command center modeled after the bridge of Jupiter Jim's ship, he absolutely loves it. whenever the boys+April are on missions, Leo is in his command center helping from the background
eventually Leo has gotten to the point where he has enough strength for day to day life most of the time, he still isn't fighting baddies on rooftops but he can get to a store and back without collapsing on a good day and that's pretty good!
the Foot Clan has been a much bigger threat in this version of S2 and it's clear they're up to something big
of course right when Leo is starting to feel stable and happy again, that's when they launch their final attack
a lot of the finale events go down similarly to how they do in canon, minus Battle Nexus New York. they get Karai back but then she dies, Shredder destroys their home (including Leo's command center :c ), everything is Bad
Leo gets his mystic powers back the same way his brothers do, though he needs a little bit of an extra helping nudge from April/Karai, since he didn't think that was a thing he could still do
everyone getting their mystic powers is emotional but it's especially emotional for Leo. he didn't even know what ninpo was before today, but he knew after the Shredder it was like some part of his soul got locked away, and now that he can feel it again he finally feels whole
it gives him a burst of adrenaline so he can participate in the fight, though he doesn't do much of the actual battling, instead getting his bros where they need to be for the big hits (I mean this is basically what he does anyway haha)
it takes Donnie exactly .02 seconds to figure out how to use his own mystic powers to support Leo physically so that helps
after this, Leo becomes a more constant part of the team in the field, though he still primarily works as support and only gets into direct fights when he feels like he has to
instead of being made leader like in canon, Leo and Raph become co-leaders. Leo's own leadership abilities have improved massively, but Raph has more experience in the field, so having the two of them working together means they cover each other's blind spots, and the division of labor is less stressful for both of them
since Leo's already been through his character development and this tension is gone the movie events play out totally differently but I haven't gotten that far yet lol. I'm sure the apocalypse still happens somehow, though, I'd hate to lose Casey Jr
happy ending whooo
Relationships
Raph
Raph feels a lot of guilt about what happened to Leo; he was supposed to protect his little brothers and he didn't, and now one of them has permanent physical disabilities as a result. add to that it was Raph's idea to be heroes in the first place and yeah... he's not doing great
because of this guilt, Raph's instinct is to essentially baby Leo - he wants to take care of his every need as soon as it arises. this makes Leo feel stifled and infantilized, and drives a wedge in their relationship (the same one Raph is driving between himself and Mikey, in fact)
his and Donnie's distinctly different approaches to the situation also mean that they get into arguments often and can't really deal with being around each other, leaving Raph feeling isolated at the start (and thus pouring more attention and effort into Leo, which compounds the problem)
Raph dealing with his own guilt and trying to find the balance between helping Leo while also respecting his need for independence, boundaries, and dignity is a big part of his journey in the AU, and it also improves his relationship with Mikey and Donnie as he gets better at those skills
Donnie
Donnie is not dealing well with the fact that there's nothing to fix. they can only be patient and work incrementally to improve Leo's condition
he distracts himself by putting all his energy into making the lair accessible for Leo, building him mobility aids and doing everything he can to help
he also has a hard time understanding why Leo won't do the things that will help him (at first), because doesn't he just want things to go back to normal? doesn't he want to help himself? why won't he just do what he obviously has to do, Donnie does not understand
Leo is deep in denial at first, and he feels like he breaks down and starts doing physical therapy and using mobility aids and doing basically any of the things that will help him, that means it's not going to magically get better, it's going to take time and effort and it will probably never be fixed, just improved, and he hates that so much he's choosing to treat this like a temporary cold or flu that will blow over any day now
Donnie doesn't understand that so he takes Leo's refusal as a rejection and animosity abounds!
breakdowns and admissions of feelings will eventually happen
Donnie and Leo together come to grips with the idea that there is no fixing this and there is no return to how things were before but they can work toward a new normal that's just as good
Mikey
this one is a little bit too big for Dr. Delicate Touch and Dr. Feelings
Mikey tries, but he is just a kid, and with their dad emotionally retreating too there's just too many feelings for him to deal with on his own
he's gonna play family therapist until he breaks
he's frustrated because he can see what each of his brothers need to do to feel better but they just! won't! they won't do it, and he doesn't know how to make them
he's really stressed
it's Mikey that realizes that Leo needs goals to work toward to get himself motivated to take care of himself, and it's Mikey who pushes the hardest for Leo's new role in the team
sometimes Mikey will challenge Leo to something silly, like who can make the most throws of a paper ball into a trash can, just to push Leo into exercising
he finds other little ways to help the others too, but he still can't solve the big problems on his own
meltdown ensues
Mikey has to learn to take care of himself, too, while the others have to learn they can't lean so hard on him for all their emotional problems
April
the only one holding on around here. it helps that she doesn't actually have to live in the powderkeg
takes a rationally minded approach to all these problems, kind of functioning like family therapist along with Mikey but in a healthier and more controlled way
helps get them resources from above ground
Leo opens up the most about his feelings about his physical condition to her first, because she strikes the best balance between being a sympathetic ear without coddling him
she's also stressed, but she has an outside support network so she's handling it better
Splinter
fully blames himself for what happened to Leo and has a hard time getting over it
depression in full swing
it means he can't easily get out of bed to help his kids, but then he feels bad because he isn't helping them, which worsens the depression, which makes it hard to get out of bed... a vicious cycle
when Leo starts working on his condition he gets a pact out of his dad that they will both work on being healthier together
maybe they manage to find an actual therapist eventually idk lol
either way, Splinter and Leo grumpily sitting over their plate of broccoli and then Leo says "bet I can eat more pieces than you" and it's on son
he's trying his best
Leo's Condition
Leo came out of the armor severely dehydrated and malnourished, even more so than any person should realistically be after two days; just keeping him from dying of the dehydration was the most immediate struggle
the main issue is that Leo's life force, mystic abilities included, were basically sucked out, leaving his body catastrophically physically weak
his muscle mass can come back with time and diet
the bigger problems are the bone density and chronic fatigue. while Leo can improve these, they'll never be back to where they were before the Dark Armor
his reduced bone density means he has to be careful doing anything physical because the chance he can break a bone is much higher than average, and he stands to suffer more from that break than the average person
he'll eventually get to where he can go through his day-to-day life just fine most days, and can even do some of the physical things he enjoyed before, he just has to be careful and know his limits. he'll never be pulling the 1440 off the halfpipe again, but he can still skateboard as long as he's careful.
even when recovered (as much as he can be), he has bad days and days when the fatigue is really strong. how Leo feels on a bad day is up in the air; sometimes he's at peace with it and generally cheerful, happy to be around his family even if he spends most of the time in his chair or on the couch dozing in and out. other days the depression rears its ugly head and he can get a bit nasty and bitter again. his family is much more patient with him on days like that than he is with himself.
in the beginning Leo also has brain fog and sensitivity to light and sound. these clear up over time, especially once Leo starts making more effort to exercise his brain. he starts reading a lot more and doing puzzles, especially things like sudoku and word puzzles, which helps a lot. thankfully these changes aren't permanent
his inner ears were also damaged a bit, this also heals up largely on its own, sometimes he still has difficulties hearing his brothers if they're whispering or far away but it's not so bad he needs assistance
Leo's Devices
Wheelchair
this is obviously the one Donnie had the most fun building and it shows. this baby is tricked out. Leo also likes to suggest improvements often, some for actual functionality but many just because he thinks it would be cool (like neon lights on the spokes)
it is blue obviously. do you even need me to tell you that?
it's fully electronic but Leo can also wheel it around freely if he wishes. Leo likes to wheel himself when he has the energy because it's good exercise he doesn't have to go out of his way for and he just likes feeling like he's moving himself under his own power. but when he's not feeling up to it he just drives it with the electronic controls instead
it has handles that extend and retract. being allowed to touch the handles is a major sign of Leo's trust and initially it's only for his bros + April + Splinter. Leo hates being moved when he doesn't actually ask to be moved, and he also hates being tipped backwards so his fam knows not to do it even as a joke (and it's so heavy that tipping him is kind of hard, anyway). someone touching the handles or messing around with them without permission gets you immediate backlash from protective siblings
that said Leo has them extended often so he can hang things off them, even though Donnie constantly gripes that that is not their intended purpose!
Sr Hueso is another person who gets handle-touching-privileges pretty fast, and he's also the one Leo asks to move him most often because he thinks it's really funny. he hams it up every time. Hueso is exasperated but does it anyway
(if Hueso adds a few extra wheelchair-accessible tables to Run of the Mill no one has to know)
the chair can also be moved by S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. this is mostly just for emergency situations, or times when the chair is somewhere Leo is not. Shelldon is a very good boy who does not move the chair without Leo's permission.
it has a billion storage spaces and little hidey holes and it can sync with Leo's phone to play music and it also has a charge port for his phone and yeah basically anything Leo and Donnie can come up with goes into this thing. it's a behemoth
Donnie also made Leo a lighter-weight chair with fewer features that he most often uses when he's good using his walker/cane/braces but wants to clear a larger distance first, and eventually Donnie makes him an athletic wheelchair so he can play games like wheelchair basketball
Walker
the walker is also blue but there's nothing particularly special about it
Leo hates using it because it feels like an old person thing. even if realistically he knows there are plenty of reasons people use them, including his own situation, culture is culture and it makes him feel bad no matter what rationality states
so basically once he doesn't have to use it he doesn't
as they all get more comfortable with Leo's situation and he starts openly using humor to cope, jokes about Leo's chair and cane become pretty commonplace in the fam (all good-natured of course). they know the walker is too much of a sore spot though, and poking fun at it is the fastest way to get Leo to do something stupid, so no one does. it's better to just pretend it's not there
Crutches/Canes
he eventually ends up with a variety of these, with different levels of support depending on what he's needing on a given day.
some of the canes are more fashionable than others. this is important to him.
Leo pretty much always has one of these on hand just in case, even on days where he feels alright to walk on his own
he is not afraid to bonk a brother with a cane or crutch but he does so knowing they are free to retaliate
Leg Braces
Leo doesn't need these every day but they're a pretty standard part of his wardrobe at this point
they start out plain but get increasingly elaborately decorated as time goes on because he, Donnie, and Mikey can't help themselves
like the walker, the braces are in the "don't make fun of" zone, though Leo is happy to get positive comments about them and doesn't really need their presence ignored
Other Mobility Aids
Leo has a variety of things to help with his loss of grip strength, difficulties bending over, tremors, etc. all of them are either made by Donnie or ethically "acquired" by April
he drives everyone crazy by leaving them in random places and then forgetting where they are. Donnie starts installing locator tags on everything they give Leo
jokes about these are fine, Leo makes them often himself and has silly names for all of them (this also drives Donnie crazy)
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oozedninjas · 2 months
Note
can I please get something featuring sick!Leo, and a reader that is taken by surprise when he shows symptoms? it could be anything pls and thx
But Tim, are you implying Leo's going to self-sacrifice himself even in small circumstances??? YES HE IS
SFW / Still an 18+ blog so MDNI / Leo and the reader are early -hirties
"Careful, baby," you kindly cautioned him.
Leo shot you a glance as he positioned the recently unpacked television over its designated cabinet. He wiped his forehead as you approached with a glass of cold water.
You had recently landed a new –better paying– job and found a nice loft near the lair. The place was a chaos of boxes and scattered things. Moving was always a bit messy at first, but that was precisely why you asked Leo for help. Who better than him to put things in order?
"Thanks for coming; you saved me," you said, placing a kiss on his cheek.
He smiled at your words, accepting the glass. You noticed his hand was shaking slightly.
"My pleasure," Leo said, half-panting before gulping down the water.
You frowned. Did he get tired just by pulling the TV up the cabinet? That wasn’t like him at all. You sharpened your eyes, observing his movements. They weren't as smooth as usual, and he hadn't tried to make conversation. In fact, Leo looked rather... well, less vibrant.
"Hey, are you alright?"
You reached out to cup his cheek, but he rejected the contact, kindly motioning back.
“Yeah. What else do you need help with?”
A stiff smile appeared on his face. Your brow quirked. Judging by the way his gaze deliberately avoided the illuminated points of your apartment and how his lips looked dry even after recently drinking water, you knew he wasn’t telling the truth.
“Leo,” you scolded. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look kinda… pale,” you said after a few moments, trying to find a word to describe his new –definitely not normal– skin tone.
“I’m okay, just tired. Let’s finish, shall we?” he said, avoiding your gaze as he walked towards the kitchen. “You want the clock here, right?”
Leonardo gestured to the place above the counter, but before he could do anything else, his body simply short-circuited. In the blink of an eye, he lost balance, tried to reach out to hold himself on the small round table near him but failed, falling and taking the table with him.
“Leo!” you rushed to his side.
He pressed a hand to his temple. “It’s pounding…” he commented in a lower voice, more to himself than to you.
“I knew something was off. What's going on?”
“I’m fine… I just-" He paused, looking at your worried expression and feeling a pang of guilt for hiding the truth in the first place. “Donnie wanted me to join him in this video game contest. We were at it for about two days straight.”
“Jesus,” you whispered, shaking your head, “Babe, we're not nineteen anymore. You can’t mess up your sleep schedule like this.”
“I know. But it was important to him.”
You hummed, your gaze softening as you helped him up.
“Well, you should’ve told me. If I had known, I wouldn’t have asked you to come here in the first place,” you told him, gently.
“Sorry. I wanted to see you, and lend a hand.”
You looked at him with a softened gaze. You couldn’t really be angry when the only thing he always did was try and be there for you, even when it wasn’t good for his health. You let out a deep sigh.
“It's okay. Just make sure to tell me if it happens again, okay? For now, let me take care of you.”
“What? No, I’ll go back to–”
“I’m not taking no for an answer tonight, babe. I won't let you walk around half-fainting in the night,” you asserted, cupping his face in your hands. “Let me take care of you.”
“Thank you,” Leo whispered, leaning a little more on you. 
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evilminji · 2 months
Text
You know what's my JAM?
Extremes being treated as the Serious Dangers they ARE, even when they aren't "oooh its a spooky Grey morality and BADness!" Extreme.
Like? No, people. ALL of them are bad. They are ALL face melting dangerous. The void may crush your soul, but look upon the Face Of GOD? Not gonna be having a fun time! Doesn't MATTER if he's a cool dude! Face melting!
We are creatures of BALANCE. Tiny, fragile, little motes of dust. That can only exsist in the careful, blended, dances of territories and powers that be. We squishy.
Ghosts? Less squishy.
Poor impulse control, too. Especially ones with Fenton genetics. ABSOLUTELY ones with Fenton genetics and a trauma based aversion to therapy. That one? Pretty hardy. Made pretty tough, what with being Fates third favorite chew toy. But? Still gets the Sads, you know? The slightly longer then just seasonal depression.
Would medicine and some therapy help? Oh like a dream!
If medicine WORKED on his Ectoplasmicly contaminated ass. And he TRUSTED therapists.
But... surely, Danny thinks, as he sits grossly in his Depression sweatpants and eats suspect pizza on the floor of his moldering shoebox of an apartment, there must be SOME way to address his Depression? He should... he should DO something about it. Take a break maybe. Look up some ghost doctors or something.
.....
Oooooooooor..... >.>
He could break out that OMENIOUS af, bound in suspect leather, Big Book Of Forbidden Knowledge(TM) that he got from Pariah's.... what, fourth? Fifth? Library? Fuck that Lair is huge. He's STILL cleaning it out and it's been over half a decade. He swears it spawns more floors just to mock him. Bastard. Don't know HOW a building can be a Bastard, but it sure found A WAY.
Anyway!
Book it is! *horrifying Eldritch light as he opens it* huh. Neat. Comes with its own visual effects. *another bite of suspect pizza* Funky.
And so! Danny, the depressed King Of The Zone... fucks of to go cheer himself up in the Fields Of Bliss(TM), an area of Absolute Bliss. Which! Sounds GREAT in theory, now don't it? Lovely even.
Remember that little comment about extremes?
You can ENTER those fields. But no one leaves. No one CAN. The deeper you go? The more doomed you become. Less will to do anything at all. Eat, talk, move. So much as think. Like ALL extreme "Goods", it sounds lovely, but the reality is no gentle little thing.
It's a glue trap.
But how could Danny have known? Honestly, who would have TAUGHT him? Textbooks can only go so far, after all. And placing blame will not rescue the young monarch.
I imagine it's one of his helpers that pieces together what's happened. Come for further clarification on WHERE exactly he wants certain statues moved. Only? Your Majesty? Your Majesty...? Where ever could he BE? Oh? He's left out some of his books. Well, I'll just assist by putting them away for-.....
Oh.
OH ANCIENTS, NO.
But! What can the poor man DO? Ghosts are Beings of Will, Emotion, and Obsession. Were it some sort of Holy Blade or Sentient Tree, you know, something INDIVIDUAL with a will they could FIGHT? Oh no problem. But an area of effect? Especially an EMOTIONAL area of effect!? Ooooooh, this is bad. The Zone can't AFFORD to lose ANOTHER King!
We JUST GOT THIS ONE!!!
Wait. He's heard that there's an organization for this! That loudly cursing fellow who got violently thrown back into the Zone. "Ruined his fun" and all that! Perfect! He'll just hire THEM!
Smashcut? To a nice, peaceful, everybody's screaming Justice League Meeting. John's cursing life, extremely hungover. Zatana still has three cracked ribs. Wonder Woman is enjoying the new sword she... liberated... mid battle. Truely stunning craftsmanship. When?
Knock Knock!
Heads swivel. There... is a glowing green... accountant? Dandy? Dandy accountant. With an equally radioactive day glow green Actual Pirate's Chest Of Treasures, floating next to him. In the void of space; Just beyond the glass. What, the, fuuuuuu-
He seems to be under the impression they are some sort of Heroic mercenaries. And has come to request the retrieve-
"NNNNNOPE! Pariah can SHOVE it!" Snarls a suddenly very awake John Constantine, sitting up straight for the first time in hours. The rest of Dark grimly nod in agreement. Let the fucker rot. It's a kinder fate then he deserves.
No, no, NO! King PHANTOM! Pariah's SUCCESSOR by right of combat! They are not, and were never, allied in any way!
Well, all right then. Road trip to save a young idiot then.
@the-witchhunter @hdgnj @hypewinter @lolottes @mutable-manifestation @nerdpoe
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noirleo · 10 months
Text
confessions pt. 2
(bayverse & reader are all adults <3)
leonardo
leonardo has saved the city of new york—and the world, by association, because what kind of world would be left without his precious city—twice before even entering adulthood. since the age of fifteen he’s saved countless lives and can tell stories that would leave even the most seasoned police officers lying awake at night.
nothing in his repertoire of harrowing life experiences has prepared him for the gut-wrenching experience of catching feelings for his best friend.
leo had been the last of the brothers to trust you after mikey had cheerily, thoughtlessly, brought you unannounced to the lair one night. his decision had led to several hours in the hashi after you’d left, but leo couldn’t stop you from coming back. eventually, reluctant trust transformed into a friendship, easygoing and natural in a way that he didn’t know friendships could be.
when you first met leo, he could count everything he cared about in the world on one hand—his family, his training, and his city, in that order. the world he lived in was small, but it was his. his to understand, to care for and protect. he would never have dreamed of describing himself as lonely until meeting you. how infuriating, then, was your insistence on worming your way into that shadow-hidden world, cracking it wide open and exposing that loneliness to the sunlight of your smile.
so here he was, laying on the floor of his own bedroom, hugging a pillow while you painted gentle brush strokes across his shell.
you’d been begging him to let you paint his shell for ages, promising not to listening to any of mikey’s explicit suggestions of what to paint. after years of experience telling his brother’s ‘no’, he’d thought he was immune to pouting.
evidently not.
“you still awake?” you paused for a moment, looking up from your work to check on him, and received a muffled hum in response from where leo’s face was buried into the crook of his elbow. you were kneeling at his side, one hand on his shell to support your weight as you focused on the task at hand.
for the first several minutes, his entire body had been tensed up. leo was never more aware of his hulking size and strength than when he was next to you. however, he had quickly melted into your touch, hypnotized by the swirling brush strokes and comfortable silence in the room.
how long had he been laying here? seconds, hours, years—leo had no idea, and he didn’t care. nirvana was definitely a real thing, he decided, and he’d found it under your gentle touch against his shell.
“alright, i’m finished,” your voice broke through his thoughts and he lifted his head to look at you. paint bottles and cups of water surrounded where you were kneeling at his side, and were all being whisked away to the side.
“wait, wait, wait, don’t move yet—it still has to dry,” you urged him as he began to lift himself up on his elbows. he huffed in response, letting his face hit the pillow he had been laying on unceremoniously, and side-eyed you.
“i didn’t realize this would be an all-day event, or i would have brought some entertainment,” he mumbled dryly. you laid on the ground next to him, arms folded under the back of your head, and looked over to grin at him. he tried to ignore the crackle of electricity under his skin as your arm grazed his, your faces just inches away from each other.
“i’m pretty sure i’m all the entertainment you need, actually,” you replied cheekily, making him smile and roll his eyes.
his gaze lingered on you just a moment too long. it had taken him ages to slow down his racing heartbeat when you had first begun, and now it threatened to beat out of his chest again as he listened to you begin to delve into your creative thought process, careful not to give away all of the details of your work before he could see it for himself. he watched the corners of your eyes crinkle, the furrow of your brow and the way your fingers traced the air as you always did when you started talking about the things you love. where leo was collected and calculated, you were animated and colorful. all of the best parts of being alive begin and end behind your eyes, he thought to himself.
“i think it should be good now,” you decided, leaning up on one elbow to gingerly touch the paint on his shell before nodding, a look of excitement and nervousness crossing your face as you crouched down and extended your hands. “wanna take a look?”
he accepted, taking your small hands in his, rose to his feet and walked over to the mirror propped up against the wall.
leo stood in awe of the swirl of colors painted across the back of his shell. a city skyline in shades of blues and purples was splashed against a dark sky, and he could make out four small figures standing side by side on a rooftop in familiar colors.
“it’s new york,” he breathed, eyebrow ridges raised as he craned his neck, trying to see it more clearly in the mirror.
“you like it?” you asked in a hopeful voice, swaying in place as one hand tapped your cheek in anticipation.
“it’s fine,” he said finally, earning a smack on his bicep from you. he turned to you, grinning ear to ear. “it’s amazing. you’re amazing. the guys are gonna be so jealous.”
he turned down to look at you, towering over you as you beamed that sunshine smile at the praise. amused, he noticed a splatter of bright blue on your cheek and gently wiped it away with his thumb. had he imagined the scarlet blush of your cheeks as you turned your eyes away from him?
did it matter?
“c’mon, i wanna go show the others,” you decided, turning past him towards his bedroom door. without thinking, his hand shot out of its own volition to grab yours. you froze at the large hand gently holding your wrist, rooting you to the spot.
“wait, just…wait,” leo rasped, immediately ashamed at the edge of desperation creeping into his voice. you turned to face him, brow furrowed slightly in curiosity. that familiar stinging that he felt every time you left the lair bubbled up in his chest. he didn’t want to go back to the others and have to see them crowd around you, begging you to do the same for them. for once, just once, he wanted a moment that he didn’t have to share with his brothers. he wanted something to just be his.
he wanted that something to be you.
he wasn’t thinking properly, he knew it, but he never really was thinking clearly around you.
you began to ask if he was okay, your lips forming around the words, but never made it to the end of the sentence as his hands reached up to your face, cradling you in his hands. your eyes widened a little at the touch, but you made no effort to pull away.
“leo?”
the sound of his name rolled off of your tongue so easily, so effortlessly breaking down his usual barriers of self discipline that dictated his every waking moment, and finally he released himself to his impulses as he leaned down to kiss you.
you tensed up in surprise the moment his lips touched yours, and he pulled away as quickly as it began. his fearful thoughts began to race, screaming at him for being so selfish. the one friend he’d ever made for himself, and he’d ruined it.
“i—shit, i’m sorry. i don’t know why i…”
his regretful rambling was stopped midsentence by your hand on his plastron, his chest heaving as your gaze followed a trail from his eyes to his lips.
“leo. shut up.”
it was his turn to be surprised as you stood on your toes, pressing your lips against his.
he poured all of his feelings, the long months of pining and languishing over his certainly-unrequited feelings into the kiss, grabbing you by the waist with one arm and moving the other to quietly shut the door again.
the others could wait a little longer.
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Text
One Step Back
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Jack Frost x Reader | ☁️ + ☔ + 🌠 | 7.7k | Grim Reaper!Reader
Warning: mentions of death, lots of angst
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You quietly sat there, staring at the chess pieces deep in thought. The occasional breeze caused the slight creaking noises from the metal décor in the dimly lit space.
Something about the silence brought you a sense of a comfort. Compared to the cries of despair that had recently filled your ears, sitting in front of a very slow strategy game was something you preferred.
“Going to just stare at the pieces all day?”
The deep voice caused you to look up at the yellow coloured eyes that pierced into your own (E/C) eyes, you merely shrugged.
“Perhaps.”
“Not all of us have time to spare,” he responded.
“Time is irrelevant when you’re immortal,” you commented. You rested your chin on your palm as you looked straight into his eyes. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have the time.”
Pitch let out a hum of acknowledgement but made no further comment. As your chess partner, you knew he had grown use to your slow pacing. What you lacked in speed made up for in strategy though - it was enough to keep you and Pitch to play chess ever since the two of you had met. 
Sliding a piece across the board, you let out your breath as you leaned back in your chair. 
“Good game,” you softly said.
Pitch frowned as he leaned forward to check your move. As the results dawned on him, he gave a small nod.
“Good game,” he echoed.
The King of Nightmares turned his attention to you, looking at you as if he were trying to figure something out. 
“Something on your mind?”
Your constant poker face was a difficult expression to read, but somehow Pitch had a way of telling when there was something on your mind. As a grim reaper, your life was pretty monotonous. You learn about the next soul put under your care and you bring them to the afterlife when the time comes. When that was done, the cycle would repeat itself.
From serial killers to the rare newborn infant, you had seen souls at every stage of their life leave this world. 
You lived your life among humans, even though you had not been human for the past couple hundred years. Many people who lived around you didn’t see you unless you chose to be seen, letting you live your peaceful life of solitude easier. 
After having this role for so many years, you thought that things would get easier. To live with humans, watch them experience grief and pain.
From the few social gatherings with other grim reapers you had attended, you had soon realized you were softer than the others. Your job records were beautiful, but something always stuck with you.
It wasn’t easy experiencing death all the time.
It never got easier.
While this was a common experience for many new grim reapers that would eventually be accustomed, you still found yourself struggling sometimes.
“You’re too kind, (Y/N). All we need to do is make sure their soul moves on. We’re not doing anything bad.”
Even though all of that was true, the fear in the eyes of some people you were assigned to made you wonder how terrifying you were. What you resembled clearly brought a myriad of emotions, but fear was the most common one. 
“Nothing new,” you finally replied. 
Pitch gave you a look of inquiry but didn’t push any further.
He stood up, walking over to the globe in his lair. Little lights glittered across the world, showing the children of the world who believed in the Guardians.
“If the balance of the world were to change, would you be on my side?” Pitch asked.
Tilting your head, you let his words simmer in your head. 
You had never met any of the Guardians, but you recognized their role in the world. From knowing Pitch, you also knew he had a role to play in the world as well. While some saw fear as a bad thing, you recognized that some people grew stronger from their fears. Not everyone, but some rare cases.
Having heard about the last time Pitch had challenged the Guardians and failed, you knew there was bad blood between the Guardians and the Boogeyman.
If you had a to pick a side though...
You knew your role was one that would be forever bound to your duties. Wars could be fought and whatever decision you made would be insignificant.
“Death takes no sides, Pitch,” you answered with resolve. “So, I would not choose a side either.”
“Is that so?”
Even though he didn’t turn around to look at you, you gave him an uncertain small nod. Some things were inevitable, whether you desired so or not.
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Sitting down on your couch and peering out the window with a warm cup of tea in your hand, you watched the rain pour down from the sky. Snuggled into your blankets, you listened to the pattering of raindrops against the glass.
Today was one of those dreary days - one that brought out sad emotions among people. The kind of day that had people mourning their lost ones.
Luckily for you, you had the day off. Or at least, you thought you could afford the day off. 
A letter appeared on the coffee table before you brought a sigh to your lips.
Setting your cup down, you lifted the letter up carefully and checked the name. 
Amber Miller.
Carefully inscribed under the name were the date of when they were born and the death.
Noting the death date, you paused. Doing some quick calculations, you realized that Amber was still young - a child. A frown appeared on your face as you stared at the simple card. 
Most of the time, you received names of those who experienced life longer than this. Chewing on your lip, you wondered if it was a good idea to go check in on this young girl now. Usually you appeared a few days before their death to see if you should make contact with the person, but with younger ones... You tried to spend more time with them so they wouldn’t be scared when time came for them.
When your eyes flickered back to the world outside your window, you noticed the rain had become little snowflakes dancing their way around the sky. 
Weather permitting or not, perhaps it would be good to step out of your house to do a check in. Amber had a week to live.
Pulling on your closet open, you stared at the various dark coloured pieces of clothing staring back at you. Like other grim reapers, your clothing mostly consisted of black, to be respectful to the dead, to not draw attention to yourself and follow the policies in place for grim reapers.
Slipping into a simple black knit sweater and skirt, you made yourself presentable. Finishing off the look with some boots, you grabbed a jacket just in case. Having gone through the process of getting ready to meet your next assignment so many times before, you weren’t too concerned.
Taking a deep breath, you opened your bedroom door and walked out of the bus shelter. The power to transport yourself through doors was one that all grim reapers had. No one around you noticed you, making everything go smoothly.
Following your instincts, you walked towards the nearby hospital. Walking past the receptionists and other patients, you immediately recognized the young brunette who was pressed up against the glass staring at the snow in awe.
Something about her soul seemed familiar to you, but you weren’t sure why. 
She was dressed in the typical patient attire with a paper wristband on, confirming your suspicions around why you were here. Amber was sick.
Walking over until you were standing next to her, you turned to watch the snow with her.
“I wish I could go outside and feel the snow,” she commented.
With no one else around, you decided to check your suspicions. 
“Would you like to step outside with me for a bit?” you asked quietly.
Amber’s brown eyes looked up at you with excitement. “Really?”
You nodded, offering your hand out to her. “Really, we’ll only be out for a moment, so nobody will even notice we’re gone.”
The enthusiastic nod and hand now in yours confirmed things. She could see you. While most grim reapers didn’t like showing themselves before it was time, the fear of growing emotional attachments was common, you made the effort.
“I’m Amber. What’s your name?”
“I’m (Y/N). Nice to meet you.”
Walking down a quieter hallway, you lead the two of you towards the small outdoor space on the side of this hospital wing. No one would step out in this weather, so it’d make it easier for the two of you. Taking Amber outside, you shrugged off your jacket and slipped it around her shoulders the moment you two were outside.
“Will you be cold?” she asked, eyes wide as she slipped her arms into the sleeves.
You shook your head. “I’ll be okay.”
The oversized jacket on her made you smile as she excitedly tried to catch snowflakes on her tongue. The sight of someone who was still so hopeful towards life, you could feel a deep sense of sadness within you. As you looked up at the sky, the sound of another voice surprised you.
“You don’t look dressed for the winter weather.”
Attention immediately moving towards the source, you found yourself staring at a boy with beautiful blue eyes and silvery white hair. An amused quirk of a smile graced his lips as he held onto a wooden staff in his hands.
“Jack!” Amber excitedly called out as she threw herself his way. “You made it snow!”
“Ahaha, I did. I’m glad you have the chance to step outside to see it today.” Jack responded, ruffling her hair.
Your brain raced to figure out an explanation for what was happening. Amber called this newcomer Jack and associated him with the snow. Somehow this sounded familiar. As your brain tried to make a connection between the information you just received with what you knew, Jack turned his attention to you once more.
He looked you over, taking in your black attire. 
“Who this with you, Amber?”
You straightened up. “I’m (Y/N).”
“Oh, so you can see me,” Jack said with a surprised tone. He held out his hand to you. “Nice to meet you.”
You hesitated but shook his hand.
Sensing something happening inside the hospital, you pushed the door back open. “I think we should head back inside, Amber. Make sure no one noticed us sneaking away.”
“Oh, okay!” The brunette jumped up and hurried to your side. She turned around to wave at Jack. “Bye Jack!”
You looked at Jack once more, information finally clicking in place.
Jack Frost - the Guardian of Fun. 
Ducking your head, you let the door shut behind you before escorting Amber back to her room. The energetic girl was about to pull off your jacket, but you stopped her.
“Keep it,” you encouraged. “It looks better on you than it does on me.”
“Thank you!” she responded gleefully. As she sat down on her bed, she looked up at you.
“Is there anything you want to do this week, Amber?” you asked, sitting down next to her.
The young girl thought about your words and responded with a small shrug.
“I’m not sure.” Her honest words brought a small smile to your face. “Will I see you again, (Y/N)?”
You nodded. “I’ll come by and visit again tomorrow, how does that sound?”
Amber nodded. “Okay.”
Getting up, you gently pet her head. “Be a good girl for the nurses, okay?”
“I always am!”
You smiled. Slipping out of the room, you glanced back once before moving to leave the hospital.
As you stepped out of the hospital, you weren’t paying attention to the person rushing towards the doors and didn’t have any time to react. Shutting your eyes, you felt a breeze as they ran through you.
It was moments like these when you were reminded of your place in the world.
Not alive but living as if you were.
Just as you walked away from the hospital, a cool breeze ruffled your hair and someone fell into step beside you.
“So you’re a spirit as well,” Jack commented.
You looked at him. “Is... there something I can help you with?”
Surprised by your question, Jack shook his head.
“No, it’s just, we haven’t met before and I was curious about you.”
Stopping in your tracks, you turned to face him. Eyes shifting to meet his, you could see the confusion on his face.
“I’m a grim reaper.”
This new information startled him. 
Walking away, you spotted the same bus shelter and headed towards it. Having met Amber now, you had a lot on your thoughts and wanted to go home. It took a moment, but you heard Jack hurrying to catch up to you.
“Really?”
“Most people don’t want to interact with me when they know that,” you said, stopping by the bus shelter door.
“Well, you’re the first grim reaper I’ve met,” Jack responded. He paused and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Amber... there’s a reason you’re visiting her, isn’t there?”
You nodded. 
Hoping to end the conversation there, you pulled open the bus shelter door and stepped through. 
“Wait - !”
As you appeared back in your own house, Jack appeared from behind, coming through the same door you had.
The surprise the two of you shared came from very different reasons. 
You had no idea anyone could follow you through the doors. Meanwhile, Jack had no idea where you had transported the two of you to. 
“Where are we...?” Jack asked, speaking up first.
“Home. My home,” you clarified as you pulled your boots off and put them aside. Letting out a sigh, you sat down on your couch before deciding to address Jack. “Amber has one week left - I don’t plan on taking her until her time ends.”
“Why did you visit her today then?” Jack moved to sit on the armchair perpendicular to you. His tone was genuine - encouraging you to speak.
You curled up, wrapping your arms around your legs. Trying to make yourself smaller, you tried your best to pull your words together. “Life’s... not fair and death doesn’t discriminate. She’s so young... I want to make sure her last days go well at least.”
There was a blanket of silence that fell over you two. As Jack took in your words, you blankly stared at the envelope that rested on your coffee table. With how many letters you had received over the years, you had lost track of how many cases you had dealt with. 
“Maybe I can help?”
Jack’s offer caused you to look up. 
“I’m not sure what I can do, but I want to try to help,” Jack elaborated. 
“That’s nice of you, but... are you sure?” You could tell he had good intentions behind his words but you knew the choice he was making was one with difficulties that he wouldn’t realize until the pain weighed down on him. 
You were too familiar with that feeling to wish it upon anyone.
Death took a toll not only on the person who experienced it, but everyone around them as well. 
The confused look on Jack’s face indicated that he didn’t know about these effects.
“Losing someone isn’t easy,” you explained. “Do you really want to put yourself through that kind of pain?”
Your words seemed to reach him in some way as Jack’s shoulders slumped and he looked down at the ground. His silence filled the air, and you didn’t know what to do or say. 
“I know, I’ve lost people in my life before,” Jack softly responded, his words coming out slowly as he formulated his thoughts. You could tell what he experienced weighed down on him. 
It made you wonder if he had what it took to be grim reaper.
Honestly, you weren’t sure you were cut out for this line of work either. Yet here you were, a couple hundred years in and still going with no end in sight. 
“If I can do something about it and make a difference, I think it’s worth the pain.” 
His optimistic answer had you turning your gaze back outside to watching the snow fall outside the window.
“If that’s what you wish, I cannot stop you.”
“I look forward to working with you then, (Y/N).”
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When you had tried to sleep that night, the sound of crying from your past kept you up.
“Time to go,” you softly urged the crying soul. 
They looked up at you, tears still streaming down their face. In the brief moments of realizing their own death, they still carried the burdens of life they experienced.
“There were still things I wanted to do. It isn’t fair,” they wailed. “Can’t I.... Can’t you do anything about it?”
Regrets. 
Almost every soul had them.
You waited. It was difficult to communicate with anyone when they were this emotional. Once the crying had been reduced to sniffles, you finally responded.
You shook your head, looking over at the unfortunate accident that left them lifeless. “You are no longer part of this world, don’t worry about things like that.”
“A little more time... I wish I had a little more time to do the things I wanted to do...”
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The clear skies above held promise of a good day ahead. You stifled back a yawn as you made your way to the hospital. Restless nights were common but it never affected your work.
Once you arrived, you paused by the reception. When the receptionist looked up, their eyes met yours.
“I’m here to visit Amber Miller,” you said. “I’ll be taking her out a bit.”
"Alright,” the receptionist spoke in a trance. There was a cloudy look to their eyes. 
When you turned away, you could hear them resuming to their work as if the encounter between the two of you never happened. 
Walking into Amber’s room, you could see her face light up when she saw you.
“(Y/N)!”
“Hi Amber,” you greeted. “You ready to go?”
She bobbed her head enthusiastically. After you reminded her to dress for the weather, she quickly bundled up before standing in front of you. 
Taking her hand, the two of you walked through the hallways unnoticed and made your way outside.
A figure showed up with a chilly gust before the two of you.
“Jack!” Amber exclaimed.
“Sorry for running late,” Jack said with a smile. His blue eyes flickered over to yours, trying to get a read of your placid expression but unable to do so. He turned back to Amber. “The snow is perfect for building snowmen, you up for it?”
“Yeah!”
“Let’s go then.” You acknowledged Jack. With him leading the way, your (E/C) eyes wandered back, noticing another grim reaper leading a soul away. 
Hospitals were always a busy place for grim reapers. 
“Here we are!” Jack cheered as you all arrived an untouched patch of snow. “The perfect spot, if I do say so myself.”
“(Y/N),” Amber said with a tug on your hand. “Can you help me build a snow bear?”
“A snow bear?” you asked, a smile on your face. “It’s been a while since I’ve built anything in the snow, but sure!”
“Yay! Let’s build a super big one! You and Jack are in charge of the head then.”
You exchanged a look with Jack as Amber scurried off to start her snowball. 
“You heard her,” you said, tilting your head at Amber. Pulling out gloves from your pocket, you slipped them on. “I’m going to need your expert help if we’re going to make this the best snow bear.”
“Alright, let’s do this.” 
After letting Jack start off the snowball (he had made the bold claim that yours wasn’t good enough and that was thrown at him with a feigned cry of offense), the two of you worked together in creating a head for Amber’s snow bear.
With a lot of playing in the snow between you, Jack and Amber, the day passed by quickly. Letting Jack do the heavy lifting, the snow bear was nearing its completion. 
Watching Amber giddily bounce around the two of you, you couldn’t help but smile. 
“We’re still missing the face,” you commented.
“I got it!” Amber exclaimed, holding out some rocks. 
You crouched down and held your arms out to Amber. Her eyes lit up when she realized what you were offering. Moving into your arms, you lifted her up so she could have a better reach of adding the face to her snow bear. 
As she added the final touches, your (E/C) eyes met a pair of blue ones. Jack had moved to stand next to you without you noticing. While it had not startled, you were suddenly aware of how things were feeling like an intimate family moment.
“Ta-da!” Amber cheered as she put on the final rock.
You and Jack let out some cheers as well. Considering the fact that you had never made a snow bear before, this one was pretty cute. 
“Looks amazing.” Jack commented.
You nodded in agreement. “It does. Great work, Amber.”
Amber turned so she could look at the two of you. “Thanks for helping!”
“Nah, you did most of the work,” Jack modestly said.
Noticing rosy cheeks, you bopped Amber’s nose. “You look like you’re getting cold.” Before the girl could protest, you offered her a smile. “Shall we grab some hot cocoa and head back?”
Your proposition immediately brought a bright smile to her face.
It was moments like these that you weren’t sure whether or not that you should be happy or sad. 
Almost as if he sensed your uncertainty, Jack clapped his hands. 
“Let’s go.”
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“(Y/N)! Jack!” 
Amber’s delighted cheer greeted the two of you as you arrived the next day. 
“Hi Amber,” you greeted. 
“Hey,” Jack chimed in.
Amber climbed out of her bed and gave you both a bright smile. “Are we going to do something fun again today?”
You nodded. “Can you go get ready? There’s somewhere cool that I want to show you today.”
She excitedly nodded and hurried around the room to get ready. 
Meanwhile, you turned to look at the winter spirit standing next to you.
“Did you know I was coming now?” you teasingly asked Jack. “I don’t remember telling you when I was coming by again today.”
Jack gave you a charming smile. “I had a feeling. Looks like I was right though.”
He took the time to look around the room, but he found himself watching you in the end. Adorned in all black again, Jack still thought that there was certain aura about you that made you less scary and more caring. He wouldn’t have pinned you as a grim reaper with your personality. 
“What are the plans for today?” Jack asked, lowering his voice so Amber wouldn’t hear.
You pretended to zip your lips. 
“Aw, no hint at all?”
You laughed. “I can give you one hint.” 
Walking over to Amber’s bed, you straightened up a few of her animal plushies and gave a pointed look to Jack.
“That’s all you’re getting.”
Jack made a face at you. “You’re terrible at giving hints. That could mean so many things.”
You playfully stuck your tongue out at him.
“I’m ready!” Amber called out, pulling on an oversized black jacket. 
“Let’s go then,” you said. 
As you went to open the door and lead your trio out on a trip, Jack took a moment to chat with Amber. 
“The jacket looks a little big on you,” he commented.
Amber nodded. “It’s from (Y/N)! She let me have it.”
Jack let out a hum of understanding as he walked beside Amber towards the door. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of appreciation towards you, even if he wasn’t the one who was receiving the kindness from you. 
You were someone special, Jack could feel it.
Once you all went through the door, Amber let out a squeal when she realized where you all had been transported to. There were animals and families everywhere, the air filled with chatter of all the living beings. 
“I know you like animals, so I brought you to a petting zoo,” you explained to Amber. Your (E/C) eyes noticed the bright smile on Jack’s face as well. Looks like the Guardian of Fun approved of this trip. “Ready to meet some animals?”
Amber clapped her hands happily. “Ready!”  
Taking the time to see all the animals, you heard Jack chuckle when you guys approached the bunny enclosure. When he noticed your curious gaze, Jack smiled.
“They remind me of a certain spirit I know,” he explained.
“The Easter Bunny?” you guessed.
“Yeah, although, he seems more kangaroo than bunny sometimes.”
You giggled at his comment. “I would love to see him one day.”
“You’ve never seen him?” Jack asked, surprised.
“You don’t get to meet many other spirits in my line of work.”
“Ah.”
You waved your hand to brush off his comment. Sometimes, as much as you felt alive and hopeful, deep down you knew that being a grim reaper was part of who you were now. Getting to spend time like this with others and Jack... you would cherish this. 
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After you dropped Amber back off at the hospital and had her settled back down, you and Jack lingered around for a bit. Amber had been so happy today, it was hard to believe that this little girl only had a numbered amount of days left to live. 
You turned to Jack to say something, but the sound of approaching voices made you stop. You thought about leaving, but something kept you in place. One of the voices belonged to Amber’s nurse. The others... sounds familiar.
“She’s been fine lately.”
“Is there a chance her condition will improve?”
“The chance of that happening is rare - young patients like her in our long term care unit with her conditions...”
You completely tuned out the nurse when the sight of a tired looking couple walked towards you and Jack. Looking at the couple intensely, you then turned back to catch a glimpse of Amber. 
That feeling from before. 
The familiarity of Amber’s soul.
Everything seems to click for you when you saw her parents. You’ve seen them before.
“(Y/N)?” Jack called out to you as you stepped back in almost a retreating manner.
“I...” 
The memory of a blank letter page held in your hands brought you a sense of uncertainty.
“I should go,” you decided. “Thank you for spending the time with me and Amber today, Jack.”
With that, you turned and disappeared through a door before the Guardian of Fun could do anything to decipher your stranger behaviour.
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When you got back home, a memory from a few years ago vividly resurfaced. 
Having just finished delivering one soul, you had found another letter waiting for you to deal with. Work had been relentless for you for the last few days. While there was always work to do, this week in particular had been non stop work.
After glancing at the name in the letter, you turned back around to deal with the soul left in your care. 
They were expected to leave today. 
Finding yourself in the hospital, you let out a sigh as you looked around. Your eyes paused as you looked at the couple, presumably the parents of the soul you were here to take. They sat outside the operation room and looked anxious. 
Understandable. 
You moved on, moving closer to the operation room. Sounds of the doctors and nurses working relentlessly, trying their best to help the young girl in the room reached your ears. You could sense her soul hanging onto life.
Human life in situations like this always felt so fragile.
The heartbeat monitor let out a shrill noise and the energy in the room grew frantic. Although you were supposed to get ready to seek out the soul you were here for, something felt off. 
There was an unshakable feeling that something wasn’t right. 
Pulling out the letter, you checked it once more.
Only to find the page blank.
Your (E/C) eyes narrowed as you flipped the page over to make sure you weren’t seeing things. 
Still blank.
Listening carefully once more, you could hear the regular beeping of the heartbeat monitor again. 
A miracle. 
It was extremely rare, but sometimes the letters were wrong if something miraculous happened and the soul was not ready to leave. 
This meant more paperwork for you to do, but the girl would live for now.
Turning away from the operation room, you left.
The girl that you had originally meant take a few years ago.
Fate had you back again for your unfinished work.
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You took a few hours to let yourself process the new found information and rest but then pushed yourself to get back to it.
If Amber only had a limited amount of time, you wanted to have her spend days well. Seeing her again the next day without Jack, you had brought her to the hospital cafeteria and let her enjoy her favourite foods.
Perhaps it was because of your strange visiting hours, but you tried not to bump into Jack. Sure, he was understanding the first time you when you explained your line of work to him. But what if he found out that you were here a second time for this young girl? What would he think then? Would he still want to hang around you? He would probably be like everyone else and believe that you were the indirect cause to her death.
Regardless, from what you heard from Amber, Jack still made the time to visit despite you not being there.
It only took another day or two before you started noticing the signs of fear and worry from Amber.
“(Y/N)?” Amber called out to you as the two of you sat by the window in her room. You turned to look at her, watching her wide eyes stare at you as she clutched her stuffed toy tightly. “I’m scared.”
“What’s scaring you?” you asked quietly. 
“Mommy and daddy seemed worried... a lot more than usual.” The sadness in the young girl’s voice broke your heart. “They keep talking to the nurses and doctors... I think they know something about me that’s making them sad.”
You let her words sink in as you tried to find the right words to say to comfort her.
“Adults are always worried about things. Amber, it’s okay to feel the way you feel, but I hope you remember that you can also make your parents the happiest.”
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Later that night, Amber had fallen asleep listening to a story you were telling her. As you stood nearby watching her sleep, you couldn’t believe how fast time was moving by. 
There wasn’t much time left now.
It was like an unspoken truth that everyone including Amber seemed to know.
“I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
The deep voice startled you. 
Coming out from the shadows of the room was Pitch, his eyes gleaming on the little light that came from the night light in the room. 
“Pitch,” you greeted. “What are you doing here?”
“I sensed fear,” Pitch responded, moving closer to the bed. He looked at Amber, then his eyes flickered back to you. “I’m sure you sense it too.”
You nodded. Pitch knew your profession, he would know exactly why you were here. 
Although the two of you had not played chess in a while due to his choice in actions, the strange relationship between the two of you still existed. Neither of you would cease to exist as you were both immortal.
“Her nightmares would be powerful,” Pitch commented.
You immediately frowned and defensively moved towards him. “No.”
“Do you intend to stop me?” 
“For her, I’d do anything to stop you right now.”
Pitch stepped back, then took a few steps around the room. “I thought you said you wouldn’t take sides.” He moved closer to you, fingers touching your chin and tilting your head back to stare into your (E/C) eyes. “What is happening now, little miss grim reaper?”
The door to the room opened slightly and someone slipped in. 
Turning to see who it was, you immediately froze.
“Pitch! And... (Y/N)?”
Jack looked at the two of you with a mix of emotions. It was clear enough that he was in disbelief though.
“Ah, the Guardian of Fun,” snarled Pitch. “Did you come here to play?”
Hearing this, Jack immediately raised his staff and pointed it at Pitch. It wavered though, when he realized how close to Pitch you were.
Regardless, it didn’t stop the rough tone of his voice when he directed his words to you.
“(Y/N), you know Pitch?”
“Know me? Of course she does,” Pitch responded. “We’ve known each other for hundreds of years.”
Jack’s eyes questioned you, waiting for your response. 
You didn’t want to lie, but the truth was probably one he didn’t want to hear.
“We’ve known each other for a long time,” you acknowledged. 
Betrayal flickered on Jack’s face and Pitch seemed to notice that. 
“Ah, I see you must of have met (Y/N) just recently,” Pitch commented. He moved towards Jack despite the staff being point his way. “Death and fear, what a combination, am I right?”
“Leave. Now.” Jack demanded.
The sound of frost crackling on the windows seemed to remind Pitch that he wasn’t as strong as the Guardian before him. His yellow eyes met yours and he could tell that he had no advantage here. 
Wordlessly, he disappeared back into the shadows, leaving you and Jack behind.
“Jack - “
“You should leave too,” Jack coldly said. “I don’t even know what to say to you right now.”
His words hurt. But you knew that now wasn’t the time to explain yourself. The enemy he had fought a few years ago with a girl he met only days ago who was a grim reaper. Even you knew it was a strange sight. You didn’t owe Jack any explanation, but you wanted to explain things to him later on. 
Ducking your head, you moved around him towards the door. 
“She only has two days left,” you said as you reached the door. “I will be back, whether you like it or not. I have a job to do.”
With that, you opened the door and went through.
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Amber’s condition was getting worse. 
When you had the chance, you would pop by and check up on her. At this stage, you could not take her out to go out and play anymore. But you made the effort to bring her surprises and chat with her.
Time was running out.
You still had a job to do.
During those next two days, you didn’t see Jack at all. After the encounter with him and Pitch, you weren’t sure what more you could say to the Guardian of Fun. You had told him almost every from the beginning. 
What did he expect? 
Hopefully, he would have taken some time to realize that death did not take sides. It was simply a part of life. To live and to die. The chance of you taking sides with Pitch was never going to be a reality.
Regardless, you tried not to bump into him if you could. 
It seemed like the two of you needed space.
But that evening of the second day, you had a strong feeling that things were drawing to a close and you stuck around. If Jack showed up, then so be it. 
He wasn’t going to stop you from doing your job.
He couldn’t, even if he tried.
“(Y/N)?”
You turned look at Amber, reaching out to hold her outstretched hand. 
“Are you and Jack fighting?” she asked. “How come you two don’t visit me together?”
You gave her a bitter smile. Children. They always sensed when things were different much sooner than adults. They caught onto emotions so easily. They were always the most innocent when it came to death. 
Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, you pat her head.
“We just had a misunderstanding, Amber.”
“Do you need to talk to him?”
“I probably should.”
Amber pointed to the space behind you. “Maybe you should talk to him now then.”
Turning, you spotted the Guardian of Fun. His blue hoodie pulled up as he stood there, leaning against the wall and watching the two of you. You weren’t sure how long he had been there, but you knew Amber had a point. 
It was now or never.
If you let this chance pass you by, you might let this misunderstanding stay between the two of you forever.
The sound of voices outside in the hallways made you tilt your head slightly, trying to better listen to who it was. Recognizing them as the doctors and Amber’s parents, you knew this was your best chance to step aside.
“Yeah, I’ll go do that.” You leaned in closer to Amber. “Make sure you take the time now to say what you want to mom and dad, okay?”
“I’m running out of time, aren’t I?” Amber asked, voice quivering.
You hesitated, but only for a moment. Every part of you knew that these would be her last moments. She deserved to know.
“I’m sorry,” you softly whispered back. “I’ll be here to guide you when it is time though, okay?”
Amber nodded. “Thank you, (Y/N).”
She opened her arms out to you for a hug. While you were holding onto her embrace, you felt another set of arms wrap around the two of you. The cool presence you recognized had to belong to the only other spirit in the room. 
Once the group hug was done, Amber shooed you and Jack out to talk just as her parents made their way inside her room.
“Let’s go this way,” you said, leading the way to a quieter hallway. Jack silently followed behind you.
Standing in the empty hallway, you and Jack stood there for a moment before you knew you had say something.
“Do you really think Pitch and I had something between us?” you asked, gauging for a reaction.
“It sounds like the two of you have known each other for a long time,” Jack pointed out. 
“We have,” you agreed. “We play chess together sometimes. But that’s about it.”
“You never told me.”
“You never asked.”
Jack paused, but could only nod his head. “Fair enough.”
You fidgeted with the bracelet on your wrist as you gathered your thoughts. You didn’t need to tell Jack everything, but you felt like you should. You had grown to care and perhaps even like the Guardian of Fun, you didn’t want to lose him over something that felt as trivial as this.
“Not many people would ever befriend a grim reaper,” you explained, voice quiet. “It’s a lonely existence. Even among other grim reapers, its hard to fit in when I carry the weight of every soul I take like someone who was turned recently when I’m one of the most experienced reapers out there. Most of the other grim reapers have grown numb to the task, but that’s something I just can’t do.”
“(Y/N)…” Jack reached out to you.
When his fingers brushed up against your cheek, you looked up at him and Jack could see your glassy (E/C) eyes. You carried a lot more than what you were willing to show. 
“Death takes no sides,” you recited. “What Pitch was implying... Its not something that could ever happen.”
“I’m sorry,” Jack said, pulling his hood down and taking a step closer to you. “I...”
Before he could finish forming his thought, there was a commotion from the direction of Amber’s room. 
You knew immediately what was happening having experienced it so many times before. It never got any easier. Wiping at the unfallen tears in your eyes, you straightened up and brushed your clothes down with your hands. Hopefully you looked presentable enough.
“It’s Amber, isn’t it?” Jack asked, worry evident on his face. 
“It’s time,” you murmured just loud enough for him to catch. 
Walking towards the room, you stood a short distance away from the door. Jack had followed you, hovering nearby. He reminded you of the new grim reapers that you mentored a long time ago. Nervous and scared. 
A light figure of a soul stepped out of the room. When her eyes caught sight of the two of you, a smile appeared on her face as she approached.
“(Y/N)! Jack! Did you get the chance to talk?” Amber asked.
You nodded, crouching down to her height. “We did. Did you get the chance to tell mom and dad everything?”
“Not everything...” Amber said, looking back at the room. The muffled sound of crying came from the closed door. “Do you think they know?”
“Of course,” Jack reassured her. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “Moms and dads always have a way to know what you can’t say.”
This brought a smile to Amber’s face. 
For someone who never had to experience this, Jack was doing fine. Seeing them interact made the bubble of sadness inside you grow. Now was not the time to show how you felt. You reached into your jacket pocket and pulled out the letter. It fluttered out of your hand and landed on the door at the end of the hall. 
A light glow emitted from the other side of the closed door.
You held your hand out to Amber. “It’s time for us to go.”
“Bye, Jack,” Amber said as she took your hand. 
Jack gave her a small wave. “Bye, Amber.”
Giving Amber one last moment to linger, you led her towards the door. Like every child that you were responsible for, you hoped that if Amber had another chance at life, may she live a long, healthy and happy life.
Opening the door, you took a deep breath, looked down at the little girl you were with and stepped through it together.
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The next few days were quiet for you luckily. After Amber, it was like the someone knew you needed time to recover and gave you a break.
You took the chance to hole up at home, hiding under blankets as you tried your best to manage your sadness. 
Your tears had dried up, your heart still felt heavy, but you were still here. 
Being a grim reaper was tough.
The sound of knocking on your front door was what dragged you off your couch. Cracking the door open, you were surprised to see a magical snow bunny dance in front of you before turning into a small shower of sparkling snowflakes.
“Surprised?” 
You turned to see Jack watching you from the side, casually leaning against his staff.
“Jack,” you said, looking at him. “How’d you find me?”
“I came by one time, remember?” Jack approached you. At the sight of your still swollen eyes from these last few days, his expression softened. “Mind if I come in?”
You nodded, letting him inside. 
Jack left his staff by your entrance, propped up against the wall.
He came into your place with a bit of familiarity, yet still looked around as if this were his first time here. His eyes settled on the pile of blankets on your couch. 
As you trailed after him, you were startled when he turned around and swept you into a hug. Despite being the bringer of winter and cold, Jack’s hug felt warm and comforting. His breath tickled your ears as he held you close.
“I’m not very good at saying the right things to comfort people,” he admitted softly. “Is this okay?”
You nodded, snuggling into his embrace. Your response drew a relieved sigh out of Jack as he pulled you in closer. He gently pet your hair as he let you hang onto the much needed comfort you needed the last few days. There were no more tears left inside of you to cry and having someone here for you was more than enough.
After some time, you shyly stepped back from Jack. He was reluctant to let you go though, hands still placed on your shoulders.
“Thank you. For being here with me.” You mull of your thoughts for a moment before ultimately deciding to voice them to the man in front of you. Meeting his eyes, you try your best to not let any emotions show in your words. “Jack, perhaps you shouldn’t spend any more time with me.”
Confusion settled on his face. “(Y/N)...”
“Being a grim reaper is like being surrounded by sadness and death. No spirits like interacting with us. Humans think we’re a bad omen. It just comes with the profession - we’re not meant to get attached to anyone.”
“That’s not true,” Jack gently protested. His hand caressed your cheek, causing heat to rise to your face as he looked down at you. “I see you, (Y/N). After everything we’ve been through this last while, I have a pretty good understanding of who you are. You can’t let your job define you.” 
He gazed into your eyes, checking for any signs of rebuttal or conflict. It was the glimmer of hope he saw from you that gave him the confidence. 
Jack leaned in, pressing a soft kiss on your forehead.
“Give yourself a chance,” he murmured as he leaned his forehead against yours. “And if you feel the same way as I do, give me a chance too.”
While his confession surprised you a little, you knew deep down, you had felt the same connection he was feeling.
Raising a hand, you touch Jack’s cheek. It felt as warm as how your own were feeling. 
“Okay,” you agreed. “As long as you help me along the way.”
“For you, anything.”
679 notes · View notes
Note
I just wanna ask something before I hit the hay. I would love to see Leo and his g/f decided to have sex for their first time together. 2003 please, over the ages of 18 and they are both virgins. That would make my day!
Soft Love (Fluff) (18+)
2003!Leonardo x reader
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A/N: Sorry it took some time. My inbox has exploded recently😂 But! *Clapping hands together* I got it done, and here it is. Hope you enjoy💙
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All characters are aged up.
Warnings: Spelling, first time, fingering, handjob, turtley anatomy, unprotected sex.
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You and Leonardo had talked about it for a while, both whispering about it in each other’s arms late at night. You talked it through, both of you wanting to take the extra step further in your relationship. But there was one thing holding both of you back, making you nervous, fidgeting slightly whenever you started talking about you. Neither you or Leo had been intimate with someone before. Sure, you had had your few run-ins with fellow humans in the past, but none of it had ever gone any further than a few kisses, your reasoning being that you just haven’t felt ready. But for Leo this meant much more than just being ready. You were his first girlfriend, after a lifetime of thinking that he would never find anybody to love him. But then you entered his life, turning this belief upside down, shining new light on Leo’s life and the way he viewed it. You were the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he was determined to show you just that, being the main reason he ever mentioned sex in the first place.
And finally, after several months of talking, it was happening. And you couldn’t have asked for a better evening. You and Leo pretty much had the whole lair to yourselves. Raphael was out with Casey, doing whatever those two usually did. Michelangelo was out fighting crime with Silver Sentry, while Donatello had gone to April’s place, so they could work on their new project in peace. And Master Splinter? Well, neither you or Leo were sure. But you wouldn’t be too surprised if he has gone to the Battle Nexus, in order to have some tea with the Daimyo. But that did not matter. All that mattered in that moment was you and Leo.
Kissing had never been uncommon for the two of you. Sure, Leo was the biggest on PDA, but even with his family around, he would sneak in a few kisses. Making out however, had always been strictly reserved to the comfort of you or his bedroom. Just like now, where you laid tangled up together on Leo’s futon mattress, with his blanket covering the two of you, your lips dancing together, and your hands slowly but hesitantly feeling around on each other. Leo’s hands had so far only been reserved for your torso, his hands slowly moving from your waist under your shirt, up and down your back, before softly running down your side. Your hands ran up and down his arms, feeling his muscles flex under your fingers as they moved. But once your hand rested flatly against Leo’s plastron, it was as if something clicked in his head, as he slowly pushed you from your side onto your back, following you down every step of the way.
You hummed against Leo’s lips as you snuck your arms around his neck, holding him close as he hovered above you, his soft touches on your waist making your head spin ever so slightly. Leo smiled against you, hid other hand playing with the stands of your hair. You felt your heartbeat rising in a way that Leo only could make it do, but this time it was slightly different. The best way you could describe it was it made you feel excited. Your fingers having a hard time staying still, just having to touch the skin around Leo’s neck and shoulders.
Leo hummed as his tongue slightly licked your lower lip though the kiss, asking for entrance, which you gladly gave, causing him to hum against you, as your tongues slowly started their slow dance. You shivered slightly. Every action you and Leo made, caused your body to heat up, creating a pulling feeling between your legs.
Leo moaned lightly against your lips, his strong senses having picked up on the scent of your arousal in the air. He broke from the kiss to place small kisses around your face, leaving you panting ever so slightly in your search for his lips on yours once more.
“I can smell you, (Y/N)”, he whispered, his kisses moving from your cheek, down your jaw and down your neck, his hand subcutaneously lifting your shirt up as his hand moved up your side. “You smell really good”.
“Leo”, you whispered, holding onto the edge of his shell, as you felt all of his words go straight to your core. As if it was instinct that drove you, you bend your knees opening your legs just a little more for him. This action made the scent of your arousal stronger. Leo had to stop his soft kisses on your neck for a moment, just so he could fight the need for dropping right on the spot. This was yours and his first time. It had to be special. He couldn’t just rush in there. He had to take it slow.
Leo pulled back so he could take a look at your face. You had only been kissing, and you already looked like one that was in heaven. Your cheeks red with a blush, your eyelids heavy, your pupils wide and your lips red from all that kissing, and your teeth that was now biting your lower lip as you watched him. Fuck, you were so beautiful. How did he ever get so lucky that he could have you?
Leo leaned his forehead against yours and let out a sigh of happy content. “I love you, (Y/N)”, he murmured, his deep breath fanning cover your face, his face so close you could easily just lean in and kiss him one more time.
“I love you too, Leo”, you said, your hand letting go from his shoulder, in order to find the hand that was still playing with your hair. With your fingers entwined, you brought his hand to your mouth, giving all three of his knuckles a kiss. “More than you’ll ever know”.
It took everything in Leo not to let his animalistic instincts take over. How dared you be so perfect that he almost lost his famous self control. Churring erupted from his chest as he connected his lips to yours once more, letting the kiss become more hungry this time. He almost lost it when you moaned against him.
Leo’s hands started subconsciously to push at your shirt once more, causing you to part from the kiss with mischievous yet nervous eyes.
“Do you want me to take it off, Leo?”, you asked, the blush on your cheeks deepening.
Leo had to remind himself how to breathe for a second. He had never seen you fully naked. Sure, he had seen you walk around his room and your apartment in nothing but underwear and a bra, but he had never seen what was hiding under them. So right now, as one of your hands went for your shirt, waiting for Leo’s answer, he could not help but tremble a bit out of excitement.
“Yes”, was all Leo could mutter out, his throat almost failing him as he did, anticipation so high that his tongue started to feel numb. He watched as you sat up, before slowly lifting the oversized shirt over your head, shaking slightly out of nervousness. Once the shirt Leo couldn’t help but stare at your breast, marveling at their shape and beauty. You, starting to feel a bit self conscious under Leo’s silent gaze, moved your arms to cover yourself.
“No”, Leo said, softly grabbing onto your arm. “Please don’t. You’re beautiful”.
A smile spread on your face, as you slowly moved your hands away, letting Leo stare at you. His hand moved from your arm to your chest, hovering over your breast, waiting for you to consent. You giggled and nodded, letting him know that it was okay. Leo’s hand was warm when it felt your breasts, his hand slowly cupping around one of them. You sighed in content, watching his hands as they touched you. His thumb slided over your nipple, causing you to let all a small moan, the wetness between your legs increasing once more.
As Leo slowly got to know your chest, and what movements caused a reaction from you, he slowly pushed you to lay down again, before he brought you in for a tender kiss. This tender kiss slowly evolved, until Leo started kissing down your neck once more, this time continuing down your collarbone and down over the top of your chest. You hitched a breath, your hands finding the top of Leo’s head, closing your eyes as you enjoyed the feeling of his lips against your skin. Leo hummed against your skin, as he made his way over your left breast, until he reached your nipple. You let out a moan as his tongue darted out over your nipple, arching your back slightly.
“Leo”, you whimpered almost involuntarily, reaching for his right hand, as his left hand started palming your other breast. Leo hummed as you entwined your fingers once more, churring with your nipple in his mouth, your hand tightening your grip around his.
“How does it feel, sweetheart?”, he asked before returning to you nipple once more, letting his tongue continue its slow work.
“It feels good”, you sighed, arching your back at his slow licks.
Leo let go of your left nipple, in order to focus his attention on your left, making you moan out once more. He already loved that sound. It did things to his head, and he liked it. He liked it a lot. Especially when you moaned and arched against him. It was enough to make a man go crazy for you.
Then something happened that neither of you had expected. You didn’t seem to notice it at first, but Leo did, growling against your chest, as he felt your lower half grind up against him. You gasped at the vibration that went through your chest, causing the scent of your arousal to grow so strong that Leo could no longer ignore it. Continuing his mouth’s work on your chest, he started grinding his own hips against you, once again feeling the urge to drop, when he heard you moan for him. Leo cursed under his breath, closing his eyes momentarily. You were a dream come true in every shape and form.
Slowly, Leo let his hand move down your body, until his hand reached your underwear, this thumb stroking your hip, just above your waistline.
“Can I?”, he asked, his lips making their way back up your chest, with your face as his goal.
“Yes”, you choked out, raising your hips, making it easier for Leo to slide your panties off, all while his lips found yours once more. Leo had to pull from the kiss, in order to get your panties off, before throwing them to wherever your shirt was. It was here that he suddenly came to realize that you were all bare for him. Your naked glory shining at him, like the sun on a blue sky. Once again he had to stare at you, his senses being assaulted with your sweet scent.
Leo leaned over you once more, letting you pull him down for another kiss. It was hungry but sweet, a passionate cluster of all the emotions you tried to show one another, even if your nervousness poked its head out every once in a while.
The hand that had taken your underwear off, made its way up your leg, Leo’s palm smooth against your thigh, as he made his way closer and closer to your core. You whimpered in anticipation, excited yet nervous for what his next move was goin to be.
“Can I look at you?”, Leo asked, hinting to the dripping rose between your legs. You nodded, biting your lip. Leo leaned back, resting his weight onto his knees and his toes, giving him a full view of your most intimate area. Like said before, you were absolutely beautiful. The sight of you, laying all naked before him, leaving all of you on full display for him. Leo had to put his hand on your knees, in order to keep himself grounded. He was almost so dizzy by his racing heart, that he felt like he was flying away.
“Wow”, Leo whispered, his eyes gliding along every curve of your body, his eyes lingering on your dripping core, glistering in the dim lighting of his room. “You’re fucking beautiful”. All you could do was giggle, flustered by his words, closing your legs just a little. To hear Leo curse was a rarity, making your heart jump in your chest at his words. But Leo pushed your legs apart once more, before leaning down to your face yet again, sweet seriousness written all over his face, one of his hands coming up to cup the side of your face. “I mean it. You’re beautiful, (Y/N)”.
You did not know what to say, your mind slowly becoming mush under his sweet words. The only way you knew how to react, was by connecting your lips once more, this time being your tongue that asked his mouth for entrance. The hand on your knee started running up your thigh once more, getting closer and closer to your core. You gasped in excited enjoyment against Leo’s lips, your mind focused on his sweet touch, his fingers mere centimeters from your delicate flower.
Leo broke from the heated kiss, his eyes staring deep into yours, his breathing heavy and his eyes hooded. He was like a sight sent straight from the gods, and you were mesmerized by his beauty.
“Do you trust me?”, he asked, his snout just gracing your nose.
“Yes”, you whispered back, your hand slowly guiding his fingers closer to where you needed him the most. “I trust you with my life, Leo”.
Your words caused Leo to moan out loud, as he dove back down for your lips, his fingers gliding over your slick covered folds. Both of you moaned at the connection, your wetness surprising both of you. Leo’s thumb found your clit, where he tried out a few different techniques before he finally found the movement that made you moan, louder than he had ever heard you moan before. It was at that moment he was glad, that the two of you had waited til you had the lair on your own.
Leo watched your face as he played with your clit, seeing your face contorted in pleasure. He felt the pressure against his cloaca grow once more. He was about to drop.
Leo’s finger found your entrance. He looked at you for permission, needing to know what he was doing to you was okay. You nodded to him, letting out a needy moan. Leo gave you a peck on your lips, before he slowly pushed his finger into your small hole. You gasped, looking down to where his finger was disappearing from your view, and in between your warm walls, stretching you out just a little. His fingers were bigger than yours, one of his almost feeling like two of yours.
Leo cursed under his breath, watching in pleasure and amazement as his finger disappeared into you, feeling your tight warm walls around him. He slowly pulled his finger out before pushing it back in, looking for your soft spot, making you tensen for a small second, moaning once more.
“Do that again”, you whimpered, watching his actions with hooded eyes.
“Anything for you, (Y/N)”, he said, kissing your cheek before repeating his action over and over. It didn’t take long before you started to continuously moan and whimper under him, your hands holding onto his shoulders. Leo couldn’t hold it any longer, feeling himself slowly slip through his slit, his length resting against your thigh, pre-cum leaking onto your skin, slowly dripping down to the underside of your thigh. Your curiosity peaked at the feeling of Leo’s penis resting against you, your hand finding its way down to him, before grabbing a soft hold of him. He was bigger than you had expected, feeling yourself getting slightly scared just by his size. But all that fear fated away, as you started your own work on him. Leo moaned as your thumb rubbed his head, before your hands started stroking his shaft, in the same speed as his fingers that worked on your insides.
“That feels good”, he breathed out, his eyes getting distant with pleasure, his fingers speeding up, with his thumb once again finding your clit, causing you to moan loudly.
“Fuck, Leo”, you moaned, feeling a slow pull in your lower region. Leo felt it too, your walls closing around his fingers ever so slightly, making you look him in the eyes once more.
“Do you feel ready, (Y/N)?”, he asked, his eyes full of love, lust, concern, and curiosity. Everything he could feel, he felt for you at the moment, his very thoughts and skin tingling in delight.
“Yes, Leo”, you said, giving his shaft a few more strokes, making him close his eyes in pleasure. “I’m ready”.
You removed your hand from his, as he positioned himself between your legs, placing one arm by your head, leaning his weight onto his forearm, his other lining himself up with your entrance. You held onto his shoulders, watching in anticipation as he moved his head against your folds, before he finally found your opening.
“Are you nervous?”, he asked, looking at you with sincerity.
“A little”, you answered. “But with you I know it’ll be good”.
Leo smiled warmly at you, his heart skipping a beat at your words, placing a sweet peck on your lips. “Just tell me if you want me to stop, and I will. I’ll never do anything to hurt you”.
“I know”, you nodded, a bright yet nervous smile on your face. “I trust you, Leo. Always have and always will”.
Leo nodded, watching you as he slowly pushed himself into your opening. Both of you moaned at the new feeling. You closed your eyes at the pleasurable yet painful stretch his size provided, biting your lip. Leo rested his hand on your waist, letting himself slide in further.
“Are you okay?”, he asked, placing small kisses all over your face.
“Yes”, you whimpered, leaning into his kisses, not fully sure how to explain it to him. “Just… full”.
“Is it a good thing?”, he asked, a boyish smile on his face.
“It is”, you said, humming as you felt the pain go away, getting used to his size inside of you. “Just getting used to it”.
Leo chuckled, showering your face with more kisses, even as you asked him to move. He did as you asked, slowly pulling out of you before softly pushing back in, letting both of you get used to the movements. Your hands help tightly on to him, as he slowly picked up his speed, your legs hiking up over his hip, letting your feet rest against his shell. Leo’s churrs got louder, resting his face against the crock of your neck, the hand on your waist holding onto you tightly as he thrusted into you.
Leo felt as if he was on cloud nine, feeling your soft walls hugging him tightly, pulling him further and further into a new world of pleasure. The sounds of you moaning his name, telling him not to stop made him shiver. The hand on your waist moved to your hand on his shoulder, placing it down on the bed, entwining your fingers as he continued to speed up the movements of his hips. He groaned, kissing your neck and shoulder, listening to how his actions continued to bring you pleasure, over and over again.
“Don’t stop”, you whimpered, your hand holding onto him for dear life, your knuckles turning wait. “Please, Leo, don’t stop”.
Leo hummed against you, whispering sweet nothings with every kiss, feeling your walls hug further and further around him with each and every thrust.
“I think…”, you whimpered, your nails on Leo’s shoulder digging lightly into his skin. “I feel something. I- it’s getting stronger”.
“I feel it too”, Leo groaned, both talking about the growing pressure in his lower region, and the tightening of your walls. “Let it happen. Let it come”.
Your legs grew more and more uneasy, no longer being able to rest against him. Leo had to let go of your hand and hold onto your leg, keeping you still as he drove into you, your back arching against his plastron.
“It’s coming, Leo!”, you moaned, so loud that if anybody else had been in the lair, they would be able to hear everything. “Fuck! It’s coming!”
“Let it go, (Y/N)”, he groaned, the rhythm of his hips becoming unsteady. “Let it go for me”.
You whimpered, making a sound that almost sounded like you were about to cry, none of your limbs being able to lay still. Leo leaned back, watching you with his mouth agape, feeling his own high getting closer and closer. And then it happened. Your bubble burst and you cried out against him, your hips moving against him as you came, your walls pulsating around him. That was the last thing before Leo came, his hips shuttering against you, moaning with you as he felt himself shoot into you, almost collapsing on top of you. Both of you, too shocked by this sudden burst of pleasure that caused both of your worlds to shake, stayed still for a moment, processing all of the feelings you had been through.
Once both of you had calmed down, Leo slowly pulled himself out of you, both of you groaning and moaning because of the friction in your now sensitive areas, before the sudden loss of feeling.
Leo laid himself down next to you, pulling the blanket up around you, as he pulled your sweating bodies close, letting you rest your head against his plastron.
“That was amazing”, you said, almost laughing from the strong feelings that still lingered around you.
“You’re amazing”, Leo retorted, making you giggle. He dipped down to your lips, kissing you one more time. “You’re amazing, and I love you”.
“I love you too, Leo”, you hummed, letting your lips linger against his for a moment.
“What do you say about we take a nap, and then we go take a shower afterwards?”, your considerate boyfriend asked, his lips still against yours, his fingers running up and down your arm.
“That sounds like a genius idea”, you said with a small laugh, letting your head rest against Leo’s first chest, feeling your eyelids get heavy as sleep started to creep up on you, lulling both you and Leo into a peaceful nap in each other’s arms. But little did you know, that when the two of you woke up an hour later, neither of you would go for that talked about shower, but instead squish in a quick round two, before Leo’s family would be making their way down to the lair.
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breaddwoo · 1 year
Text
-Just a Few Scratches-
pairing: xavier thorpe x reader
word count: 4.36k
warnings: injury/blood
desc: you get injured trying to solve xavier's problems for him. silly you :)
a/n: im having a field day writing all my fic ideas :)) can't decide if the next one will be another xavier or wednesday
edit: pt 2 is now posted! 🦭
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"fuck, fuck!" xavier yelled, sprinting across the field of pine needles before him and leaping over bushes and rocks.
cold sweat dripped down his flushed face; he could feel tears sting the back of his eyes. xavier felt like he could puke as he ran, but only one thing occupied his mind:
"(y/n)!"
> > >
-5 hours prior-
“are you doing okay, xavier?" you ask with worry. after class you had to stay late to ask the teacher something, so it was a surprise when you found xavier sitting on a bench in the hallway with his head in his hands.
he jolted. looking up, he seemed tired. really tired. you noticed the purple bags under his eyes and the way his breathing appeared to be unsteady.
xavier tried to smile, but it instantly fell off his face when he met your gaze. he bit the inside of he cheek to keep salty tears from spilling out of his eyes.
"I... " he began, but it came out as a strangled sob.
the sight of his pitiful state filled you with worry, and you picked up your pace as you sped over to him.
standing in front of xavier, you ask, "have you been sleeping? you look like a wreck."
xavier laughed at this, quickly wiping away a tear that dared to escape, "yeah, i know. I'm just.." he looked down, "I'm just really stressed."
you stepped closer and he pressed the top of his head to your stomach, refusing to look at you as he loosely wrapped his arms around your waist.
you began to move your hand to pat his head, but hesitated. "can i...?"
without hearing the rest, xavier said, "please."
this consent allowed you to weave your fingers through his hair. "do you want to talk about it?" you asked in a low voice, afraid that somehow, despite the hall's vacancy, someone would hear this sensitive conversation.
he was quiet for a few moments, considering his words.
"it's... wednesday. i'm so, so tired of her- of her blaming me! always saying i'm a mass murdering monster! it fucking hurts and she keeps finding new evidence that genuinely makes sense, " his voice is strained as he tightens his hold, "but i can't do anything to convince her it's not me. and she even found my art studio, which just makes me look worse."
seeing him like this made you want to cry, but you restrained yourself because this wasn't about you; this was about xavier.
"i'm so fucking scared that she's going to get me locked up. i can't even blame her- all of the evidence points directly at me! and these nightmares, they plague me in my sleep and i wake up screaming and then i can't go back to sleep so i've just been painting that fucking thing so i-" his rambling is cut short when he hiccups through his frustrated tears. he felt angry and hurt and afraid.
you leaned down to hug his head, pushing his face into your tummy as he sniffles. "i'm sorry, xavier. i wish there was something i could do."
xavier looked up from your (now wet) shirt to say, "just listening is enough. don't worry about it, hopefully everything will fix itself soon."
and as he rested his head once more, an idea came to you.
there's a way to help xavier.
> > >
three knocks and wednesday was ready to order thing to strangle the person at the door.
she lifted from her desk, about to tell off the perpetrator for interrupting her writing time. when she opened the door, however, she recognized you as the person that xavier constantly follows around.
"enid isn't here," she said point blank, beginning to shut the door. you stick your hand out and risked amputation to make sure it doesn't close, "actually, im here to see you."
wednesday narrowed her dead eyes, "go on then. explain."
"i need to know where the hyde's lair is."
wednesday's facial expression didn't change, but you could tell she was confused.
"why don't you ask xavier? he would know."
the fake smile that you wore to feign being nice dropped. instead, you replaced it with a tight, irritated line on your lips.
"haha, yeah, i would. yknow, if he were the hyde. but here i am, asking you. why do you think that is?" you said all this with a lighthearted tone through clenched teeth.
wednesday could read the passive aggressiveness of your words but decided to press on, "try looking at his gallery of police evidence. that would give you the answer you're looking for."
with that, the door closed and you soon heard the sharp clicks of a type writer. you knew she was talking about xavier's art studio, but he hasn't allowed you in since people started dying around the school.
you decided that the only way to enact your plan would be to sneak into the renovated shed. sneaking in you could do, but distracting him for enough time to find something was completely different.
fuck, this is gonna be hard.
> > >
in the end, enid was your best bet. your plan was for enid to ask him for help on a subject and get him to tutor her for a bit in the library.
she agreed immediately, hoping it would also make ajax jealous; it was a win-win situation.
though, when she asked, you would not tell her why you needed her to do this in the first place. she was skeptical but trusted that you were doing it for a good reason.
finding the studio was easy, you had been there so many times that you knew the trail like the back of your hand. you were xavier's rock after his breakup with bianca, so it made sense that he'd commonly invite you to paint with him in his secret hideout.
when you made it there, you took no time to begin searching every single art piece for a deeper meaning. xavier mentioned that he was having nightmares about the foretold monster, but wouldn't allow you to see the art "for your own safety".
there was nothing of value on the walls and canvases, so you turned to plan b.
you bent down to the trash, fishing through it, hoping you'd find something important. about ten pieces of paper had been uncrumpled by the time you found something worth your dumpster diving.
"there it is!" you excitedly whisper-scream to yourself.
it was a drawing of the monster in front of a familiar cave. though its name and exact location eluded you, there was someone who would know those exact details.
later, after asking eugene if he knew anything considering you'd seen him working alongside wednesday on the investigation, you set the final steps of your plan in motion.
it is here that you will find out who the hyde is, if only to relieve xavier of his stress.
> > >
"enid, we've gone over this topic, like, ten times. i think you're just a lost cause," xavier said in exasperation. he had been attempting to teach enid the different geometrical formulas but she hasn't understood a single word he's said in the past two hours.
xavier, giving up, grabs his phone off the library table to check his notifications.
"huh, that's weird."
"what?" enid asked.
"(y/n) hasn't texted me. usually she'd have sent several messages asking to hang or something by now," he frowned, his expression a dark overcast.
enid, feeling something was off, finally broke, "uhm, well, (y/n) kind of asked me to distract you. im not really sure what for, but she did mention something about an art studio?"
xavier's heart lept in his chest. "what?"
"yeah, sorry, i felt she had a good reason but now i'm a little worried, " enid replied with an awkward laugh.
he wracked his brain for any reason that you might have had to go to his studio. a surprise? was she curious about the paintings i wouldn't let her see? why would she need to sneak around to do it?
instead of searching for an answer that wouldn't come to him, xavier stood from the table, gave a small "thanks", and left the library in a hurry.
at the studio, he found nothing amiss. none of the paintings were gone and nothing had been moved.
that's what he thought, however, until he saw the trash can laying on its side in the corner of the room. kneeling, he sifted through the scattered, unfolded papers.
his eyebrows knitted together in further confusion. what is missing?
then it hit him:
the drawing of the hyde's lair.
xavier didn't know exactly what you were up to, but he knew with every fiber of his being that it was definitely dangerous. he was absolutely terrified.
the doors burst open as xavier ran out of the studio, an unwelcome gust of wind blowing many of the drawings off the walls. at that moment, he couldn't have cared less.
a mirage of trees passed him by as he sprinted. the nighttime autumn air was far too cold for the season.
"fuck, fuck!"
the words were strangled and every noise around him felt muffled; all he could hear was the crunching of the leaves beneath his racing feet and his own hammering heartbeat.
"(y/n)!" he shouted, the distress in his voice echoing back at him.
xavier slowed to a stop, unable to tell where he had gone in his desperation to find you. he took a second to breathe when a shrill scream sounded from an unknown direction.
the scream of a girl. a girl who was horrified, or worse, in danger.
and he would know that voice from anywhere. it was someone familiar; someone close to him. the person most important to him.
"(y/n)! where are you!?" he yelled in response, but the forest had turned into something akin to a funhouse mirror maze and he couldn't tell left from right.
xavier heard footsteps running toward him at a high speed, and just as he began dash in the similar direction, you came into full view.
pain spread through his chest as you slammed into him, sending you both crashing to the moist soil beneath.
you were laying on top of him now; shaking with labored breaths.
it rook a moment for xavier to process what had happened, but he wrapped his arms around you with little delay.
"you- are you okay!? what were you doing!? are you stupid!? there's a fucking monster on the loose and you-"
he shut his mouth when saw a steadily growing red patch on his shirt.
"you're bleeding! oh shit, we need to get you back to nevermore fast," he was quick to hold you, your body laying bridal style across his arms.
you winced in pain, sobbing out the words, "i'm sorry. i'm sorry xavier, i just wanted to help. i really wanted to help. i'm sorry."
xavier didn't give a shit about your apology. he wasn't mad at you. he was mad at that thing that hurt you. he was fucking furious.
he had many, many things to say to you but for now, he'd let you rest in his arms.
he then headed back in the direction he had come from, you now tucked safely in his embrace.
> > >
once the final stitch was in, xavier was allowed to visit your hospital room.
the bright white lights made him feel sick. even more so when he saw you sitting in bed with a hospital gown and an IV drip in your arm.
the moment he walked in, you gave him a warm, content smile.
"is right now really a good time for you to be smiling?" xavier questioned, sitting on a seat next to the bed.
you held the hand that he placed on the edge of the sheets, "well, i was able to achieve my goal."
"at the cost of several pints of blood and a couple scars on your arm? what was worth that?" he asked, unrestrainable anger surfacing on his face.
though, when he took in the finer details of your state, he couldn't help but soften. many scrapes graced your skin from the collision earlier; the complexion of your face much paler than normal.
rubbing his knuckles to ease his frustration, you say, "i was able to convince wednesday that you're not the hyde. how could she believe that out of all the people you could attack, you'd attack me?"
something clicked in xavier's head and it all made sense. this all started after his breakdown in the hallway, caused by wednesday's meddling. the sneaking around, stealing his drawing and going off into the woods.
"so you did this on purpose? you scared me half to death!" he bursted, his emotions a flurry of love, anger, and guilt.
"so what if i did? it's just a few scratches."
god, he loved you. could you believe he had yet to even ask you out?
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