#just like “not detective” reyes

[littleblackraincloudofcourse]

As many comparisons as there are between TK and Buck or Carlos and Eddie especially regarding general appearance and outward behavior when you focus on their deeper personalities Buck and Carlos have a lot in common and so do Eddie and TK.

Carlos and Buck are generally more free with their emotions, often considered soft by others. There is no one that will fight hard for their loved ones than them. Both have felt ignored and rejected by their parents resulting in bad decisions. The only time we see them close to violent is when they are in moments of emotional turmoil unlike any they had experienced before.

TK and Eddie are more emotionally guarded. It takes them both a long time to open up to people, especially about their pasts. Both have been afraid to be open to new relationships due to past heartache. They have a history of running towards danger rather than face difficulties in their personal lives, one towards drugs, the other to war. They also both put themselves in violent situations rather than dealing with emotional trauma.

[tellmegoodbye]

Detective Reyes would have been sexier. Ranger Reyes looks like he's about to knock on my door and ask me if I've accepted Jesus into my heart.

[watmalik]

Carlos eating from TK’s to go box? I don’t know why but the little things just get me 🥹🫢

[vastiitas]

Thinkin bout the kid wanting to go west, wanting to pick up a security job, seedling instincts that BW allowed to flourish unabashedly to the skillsets he'd scraped together surviving as some street urchin

[christinesficrecs]

It's the time of the year where I sneak holiday fics into all my recs. 🤶🏻

Scent Left Unsaid by bleep0bleep | 2.5K | Mature

In a society where werewolves are second class, Deucslist is an alternative werewolf network (similar to Craigslist) where humans and werewolves offer (mostly sexual) services. Derek is a long-term client of an anonymous human omega whose scent is just perfect. He never expects to meet him, until it happens.

Derek has slept with that faded red hooded sweatshirt every night since he got it in the mail. It’s calming, that scent; it’s everything to him. So it’s strange now that Derek is smelling it wafting from the end of the subway car as it careens towards the L line, lights flickering on the passing platforms.

My World Is Filled With Cheer And You by bleep0bleep | 10.8K

In which Derek and his daughter are displaced just in time for the holidays, matched up with Stiles and his young son in a government protection program.

Sidequest  by bleep0bleep | 11.4K

Agent Derek Hale has been working up the courage to ask his partner Stiles out on a date (finally!) when he heads out on a solo mission—without Derek. Eager to provide support, Derek arrives in Beacon Hills, only there is no mission, and Stiles’ dad thinks Derek is Stiles’ boyfriend.

Well. It could be worse.

The Kiss Doctor by bleep0bleep | 3.5K

“That’s me,” Derek says. “Are you, um— the Kiss Doctor?” “Stiles,” is the reply, and the guy grins. It’s charming.

i wait for you like a lonely house by bleep0bleep | 4.5K

Derek isn’t sure why he buys the house. He doesn’t need the space, that much is certain. While it’s not as big as the one Derek grew up in, something about the cheerful yellow paint and the wide staircase (with banisters wide enough for children to slide down) draws him in.

affettuoso  by bleep0bleep | 13K

Derek mentally kicks himself for just standing there like a lovestruck fool, but it’s been exactly forty-six days since he saw Stiles, and he still remembers the taste of his skin, how Stiles feels underneath him.

The Gentleman And The Fox by  bleep0bleep, Inkforwords | 15.7K

Derek doesn’t expect much from his arranged marriage. When his inattentive husband, Lord Stiles Stilinski, tells him he’s free to look for a lover, he doesn’t know where to start, until a dashing bandit named the Red Fox catches his eye.

All's Fair in Orgasms and War by bleep0bleep | 63.2K | Explicit

The one in which (almost) everyone is a porn star, and Derek just wants to curl up with his fluffy blanket and watch the Hallmark channel, but work and falling in love gets in the way.

nom de plume by  bleep0bleep | 3.9K

There are no more chapters. 22 is the last one. Derek groans in despair. He has to know what happens.

Five Times Detective Stilinski and Fire Captain Hale Had Sex In Public, and One Time They Did It In A Bed by bleep0bleep | 32.8K

“Did you say–” Stiles starts.

“What?” Derek growls.

“We’re not a couple!” they both retort in unison.

“We’re not together,” Stiles insists.

Lydia coughs pointedly. “An incident report filed by 87th Precinct Captain Erica Reyes. March twenty-fifth, eight p.m. Came back to the precinct to grab my coat, only to hear Stilinski banging his new boyfriend in the holding cell.”

i wanna dance with somebody (who loves me) by bleep0bleep | 10.5K

Derek gets in an accident and loses a few years of his memory; suddenly everything is different— he’s not a freshman loser anymore, but a popular senior, captain of the basketball team, a shoo-in for prom king, too, and he should have everything he’s ever wanted— except he doesn’t seem to be friends with Stiles anymore.

Mauve by bleep0bleep | 7.3K

It’s been ten years since he’s seen Derek Hale, but Stiles would recognize that ass anywhere.

remember my love by bleep0bleep | 23.3K

Stiles wakes up and suddenly the war is over, he's no longer a penniless mage, and living in an exquisite manor married to the man he's been in love with for far too long.

“It’ll be fine,” Stiles says gallantly. “I am certain I will just fall in love with my husband all over again, and I will find plenty of joy doing that.” He winks at Derek for good measure. Derek blinks.

of course, of course by bleep0bleep | 12.9K | Explicit

Derek swallows, watching Stiles mull over the paperwork. “Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” Stiles says, licking his lips. He signs with a flourish and pushes the contract back at Derek.

Derek knows every word of the contract by heart, but his heart stutters anyways when a sentence jumps out at him. The client acknowledges that any bond created during the heat session is temporary.

[hogwartslegacyreactions2]

Welcome back!!! :) We all missed you

Could you please write one in which MC is an animagus and the characters react to them transforming?

Thank you so much and take it easy 😁

HLC REACT TO MC BEING AN ANIMAGUS

A/N: since no animal was specified, we're going with the classic kitty cat :3

MC finally did it! After months of prep, and some good luck, they completed the animagus ritual....only to become a silver tabby. Not as epic as they would have hoped, but still cool. They needed to show their friends IMMEDIATELY.

~~~

SEBASTIAN SALLOW: "Well aren't you adorable." He chuckles as he kneels down to pet MC. "I'm not surprised you became an animagus. I'm just disappointed you didn't ask me to become one with you." He picks up MC and carries them off. "Now I have a perfectly valid excuse to call you Kitten."

OMINIS GAUNT: "You know, I don't find it funny when you tell me you want to SHOW me something. My wand has its limits." He huffs and waits for MC to do whatever they were so eager to do. His eyebrows rise in shock. One moment he detects a person, the next, a small animal. "What in Merlin's name? You're an animagus??" He hears MC meow and rub against his leg, just like the castle cats. He smiles a little and reaches down to pet MC. "Whatever will we do with you?"

ANNE SALLOW: "Oh, not fair! I was going to go through with the ritual myself but the blasted mandrake leaf wouldn't stay put. Even so..." She picks up MC and cradles then in her arms. "Since you're here. You can be my lap warmer while I study transfiguration."

IMELDA REYES: "You're as mad as I thought. You risked your life to become an animagus, only to become a cat? I'd get my money back if I were you." She watches MC flop over and make some air biscuits with the biggest eyes. "...I see your point."

NATSAI ONAI: She has stars in her eyes and immediately changes in her gazelle form. She and MC dance around each other happily and run down the corridors to cause some havoc. It was entirely worth the detention.

GARRETH WEASLEY: "Brilliant!" He watches in awe as MC transforms and starts purring against him. He picks them up and puts them on his shoulder. "Let's go raid Professor Sharp's storage room. He'll never suspect a cat." He now has a new mantra: Gain kitty, do crime.

LEANDER PREWETT: He looks around to see if anyone saw what MC just did. He leans down and harshly whispers to them. "You do realize that ritual is against the rules here right!? It's so dangerous! You could have died! Let alone the fact that you aren't registered. You could get in serious trouble if you're caught." MC flattens their ears and growls, he puts his hands up defensively. "I won't tell, but be more careful. I'm serious."

AMIT THAKKAR: "By the stars, that's incredible! Was the ritual as hard as it sounds? How many times did you attempt it? Was it difficult to actually keep a mandrake leaf in your mouth for 30 days? These are questions I must know that answers to." MC just meows at him. "Oh...right."

EVERETT CLOPTON: "Whoa! That's amazing! Could you always do that?" He kneels down to scratch MC under the chin. "Hey, I need a favor." He grins devilishly and points at a distant group of students. "See the tall one? I need you to scratch the hell out of his legs. No questions. I'll pay."

POPPY SWEETING: She nearly screams from how cute MC's cat form is. She immediately scoops up MC and cuddles them close to her chest. "Please, for the love of Merlin and all magic, let me put little hats on you. My grandma knits all sorts of little hats and sweaters for her cats and I just KNOW they would look adorable on you." MC is locked in her arms. There is no escape.

ELAZAR FIG: "Extraordinary!" He was sitting at his desk when MC came in to show him their new trick. MC jumped onto his desk as a cat and slowly blinks at him. He reaches forward and gently pets their head. "I've always known you were capable of strong magic, and I'm glad you trust me enough to show me this, but do be cautious. Being an unregistered animagus is a big deal to some in the Ministry. Tread carefully. For now, you're welcome to nap on my desk."

[strandnreyes]

thanks @paperstorm @corsage !!

Carlos’ brows furrow even deeper, creating the little crease on his forehead that appears when he’s stuck on a case. “I think I’m missing something. There’s only one other bedroom.”

Sarina seems like she’s becoming skeptical of assigning them to this operation if she has to spell out the sleeping arrangement like this. “Yes, you two will share the primary bedroom because you two are a married couple and that’s what married couples do. Do you want to blow your whole cover the first time you have guests over and they see your stuff split between two rooms?”

“Plenty of couples sleep in separate bedrooms,” Carlos argues and god, is TK that repulsive that Carlos can’t share a bed with him? Granted, it’s not like it’s just one night. It’s weeks, maybe months of them sleeping in close quarters. Feeling Carlos’ warmth on the other side of the mattress every night. Sharing blankets. Laying next to him in nothing but his boxers and a flimsy shirt. Accidentally spooning him in the middle of the night, waking up hard— shit.

Carlos might be right to be so scandalized by this arrangement.

“And you are not one of them.”

“I—”

“Detective Reyes, you will have to wear your retainer in front of TK or whatever it is you are embarrassed about whether you like it or not. Or I will reassign your case to someone else and you can take the Saint Johns narcotic op.”

TK tries not to snort a laugh as he wonders whether Carlos actually does have a retainer. He’d probably find a way to make it look good, a fact of life TK finds incredibly infuriating.

Carlos snaps his mouth shut and nods resolutely. “Yes, ma’am.”

tagging @reyesstrand @rmd-writes @whatsintheboxmh @welcometololaland @theghostofashton @thisbuildinghasfeelings @tellmegoodbye @ironheartwriter @orchidscript @alrightbuckaroo @freneticfloetry @heartstringsduet @lightningboltreader @liminalmemories21 @mikibwrites @basilsunrise @bonheur-cafe @chicgeekgirl89 @carlos-in-glasses @carlos-tk + open tag!!

[gemini-sensei]

omg??! I need more Jaime Reyes being with pregnant reader, please! like imagine they're dating for a while and they don't even know she's pregnant until they're about to do something risky and Khaji Da detects she's pregnant and says something like "careful or the baby can suffer a damage" and they just stood in shock

Omg yes. They're getting ready to do whatever and as a precaution, right before they do the thing, Khaji scans them to ensure their host and host's partner are in tip top shape to do this thing (I'm drawing a blank here, so just use you imagination on whatever activity it is or whatever). In seconds, Khaji Da detects the pregnancy and says, While I know you want to have fun, please be careful as this activity can cause harm to the baby.

And Jaime full on stops and grabs Reader's elbow before they take another step forward, and her blurts out, "We can't do this, it could hurt the baby!"

And everything comes to a stop as they both realize what he just said. "What baby?"

"Our baby?"

Yes, Jaime, your baby.

"Our baby," he says a little more confidently.

They back out of whatever they were doing and go buy a fee pregnancy tests go make sure this isn't dome trick of the kind. Maybe Khaji is wrong, but rare is that a thing.

They take two tests and both come back positive. Jaime wants to cry with joy and hugs Reader, kissing her face all over as he promises her that he's not going to let anything bad happen to her or their baby. He becomes so protective but that also stems from his superhero status, knowing there's dangers from that alone. He's such a big softie though, he just wants to be with Reader and protect her at all costs anyway.

That gives me another thought: happy, smiling Jaime loving on his pregnant girlfriend until someone says something bad about her and he quickly becomes scary, protective Jaime at the drop of a hat.

[larkingame]

as you might have seen, I dropped the official announcement that there are going to be five new romances throughout larkin. three of which you already kind of knew about, but i wanted to officially introduce them to you tonight! while there is art in the process of being made for all of them, i used my very limited mood board making skills to put together little pieces to give you an idea of what each character looks like/their aesthetic/their vibes.

photo one // miss ethel jackson (bisexual) (she/her) (faceclaims for art purposes: ayo edibiri)

a one-eyed sharpshooter from texas, ethel jackson is the second in command of the notorious ward gang, an advisor to the gang's leader Cassidy, a mother to her son Arthur, and an ex-lover to one Miss Rose Holloway. she is working hard to fill the vacancy left in the gang by the late Miss Caroline Ward--she wants to help her best friend Cas recover from the loss of his sister--but she also wants to do what's best for the gang (and she's not so sure Cassidy continuing to lead is exactly that.)

photo two // adam (straight) (he/him) (faceclaims for art purposes: matthew mconaughey as rustin cohle in true detective)

believing himself to be the First Vampire, the mirrored man described in the Abrams Family Bible, Adam has aligned himself with the Rateliff Fellowship, leading the cult from the shadows in the canyons of Nevada. Thousands of years old, he's walked the earth long in search of his Eve, ready to reclaim his rightful spot in the garden.

photo three // cassidy alan ward (bisexual) (he/him) (face claims for art purposes: alan ritchson)

leader and founder of the notorious band of outlaws, the Ward Gang, Cassidy has brought his people through hard times and even harder times, but with the murder of his twin sister Caroline, he's camped the gang just outside of Larkin, determined to wage a war on the people he believes murdered her: The House Sokolov.

photo four // reyes (bisexual) (she/they) (face claims for art purposes: alexa demie as maddie perez in euphoria)

the resident vampire of the ward gang, reyes is essentially their tank. no one has ever walked a way alive from a fight with her--part of the reason the Wards have survived as long as they have is because of Reyes' presence among their ranks. but they're harboring a secret--one they frequently pray over in their long held tradition of catholic guilt.

photo five // montero moreau (bisexual) (he/she/they) (no fcs at the moment but if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them :))

you've hunted down and killed Montero's coven in Saint Laurent. You've made them look like a fool. They want you dead. And they'll go to the ends of the earth to make sure that happens, all in order to get back within the good graces of their coven's matriarch (and Mont's (sometimes) ex-lover) Daphné Moreau.

[cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut]

Happy Wednesday, y’all! This was written as a little warmup today before working on my Actual WIP. My actual WIP is handwritten so I’m sharing this instead. It belongs to a breakup era story that’s been in my head for a long time and is apparently creeping onto the page 😅

TK returned to his father’s house that night, let himself in with his key, and stepped into a lulling cacophony of music and laughter, of Judd’s voice from the living room, drawling loud through some story, amused in its determination to be heard above the stilted laughter of his companions. Grace’s laughter, Tommy’s laughter, his father’s.

TK was made of scraped edges that night, every path leading back to his self-broken heart. It sat in his chest, throbbing and pulpy. He dug his nails into his palms. Their joy burned acrid at the back of his throat, stuck there like something he couldn’t expel, something that wouldn’t pry loose from the soft flesh of his palette no matter how hard he tongued at its shape. These sounds used to be comforting, familiar. These sounds were once concordant with home. But Carlos didn’t live there anymore. TK had flung them into some alternate dimension in which Carlos would collect his belongings in the morning, and nobody in the next room knew this yet. He let the door fall shut on its own, always too loud when it did. He didn’t have the energy to ease it closed.

“TK?” Came his fathers’ voice. “Is that you?”

Not really, TK wanted to say, because it wasn’t. He didn’t feel like himself anymore, already didn’t know who he was. But the words felt dramatic and cruel in his chest, so instead he scrubbed a hand down his face and then into up into the mess of his hair. He gathered a fist of it for something to hold onto, and willed himself to find adequate words.

“Hi sweetheart,” Grace called.

“Come join us, son,” his father added.

From Judd he received a simple and jovial, “Hey, kiddo.”

These people loved him. He felt it even through the walls of this house. In the end that love struck him badly in his chest and he knew that he didn’t deserve it. He hadn’t just broken his own heart tonight. He’d broken Carlos’s too. Carlos had cried, voice splintering as he’d begged TK to stay. He’d followed him down from the top floor apartment and pled all the way down the stairs. He asked what he’d done wrong, begged TK to help him understand. Five tall floors and then out into the rain, chests heaving, TK’s blood whirring dangerously through his ears. He’d thrown his arms up, yelled something, couldn’t remember what it was anymore. But he saw it when he glanced over his shoulder in the midst of his storming away. One last glance at the man he adored, who lost energy for the chase and stood, devastated, in the parking lot. He’d simply let out a sob.

TK had broken Carlos Reyes’s heart. He couldn’t stand to be looked at with fondness.

No pressure tags below the cut 💛

@ambiguouspenny @alrightbuckaroo @birdclowns @bonheur-cafe @catanisspicy

@chicgeekgirl89 @cafeshopau @carlos-in-glasses @carlos-tk @detective-giggles

@emsprovisions @eclectic-sassycoweyes @fitzherbertssmolder @freneticfloetry @goodways

@heartstringsduet @herefortarlos @honeybee-taskforce @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @inkweedandlizards

@jesuisici33 @liminalmemories21 @literateowl @lightningboltreader @louis-ii-reyes-strand

@lemonlyman-dotcom @mooshkat @noxsoulmate @nancys-braids @orchidscript

@paperstorm @reasonandfaithinharmony @reyesstrand @rmd-writes @sugdenlovesdingle

@strandnreyes @safeaswrites @sanjuwrites @three-drink-amy @thisbuildinghasfeelings

@theghostofashton @thebumblecee @welcometololaland @tellmegoodbye @decafdino

@firstprince-history-huh @captain-gillian @ironheartwriter @whatsintheboxmh

And YOU if you’re not tagged and wanna play 💛

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

Thank you for the tags @heartstringsduet @honeybee-taskforce @paperstorm @iboatedhere @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @strandnreyes @liminalmemories21 @alrightbuckaroo 💕

From the final chapter of love in a series of bursts & inches, coming on Eid Wednesday 🌙 Read the first four chapters here!

“You know what I regret most?” He asks eventually, something sharp sparking behind his eyes. “I regret the time I lost with my dad. I spent so much time being closed off, guarding the parts of myself that I thought he wouldn’t approve of. Wouldn’t understand. I didn’t start building a real relationship with him until right before he died. There’s so much we never talked about. He didn’t meet my first boyfriend or help me buy the condo. In the end he didn’t even get to see me get married.”

He sits back with a wet laugh, eyes again drifting over to TK who’s now bouncing back and forth in front of the pinball machine with Joe, like they’re boxers in a ring getting ready to face off. “God, he loved TK.”

“I don’t want to have regrets,” Marjan says. “I want my parents to know Joe. I think if there’s anything these past few years have taught us, it’s that we don’t have as much time as we think we do.”

A deep look of contemplation passes over Carlos’s face. “So what are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid of ruining the relationship I do have with my parents.” She says, rolling her shoulders back and feeling her resolve strengthen. “I’m afraid telling me that they love me and they support me is a lot easier than doing it.” She drops her voice lower. “And I’m afraid they won’t be able to accept him.”

“Because they didn’t choose him for you? Like they did with Salim?”

“No. Well. Maybe, only because they don’t know his family. They don’t know how he was raised. He’s from a different culture, I think they’re gonna think I’m losing the faith or something.”

“I get that. When I came out my parents told me that it didn’t change anything, but I felt a change.” he says, eyes going dark like he’s sinking deeper into his memory. “I spent a lot of time convincing myself my parents were okay with me being gay, as long as they didn’t have to see it. Or hear about it. I built it up so much in my head. How they would react, how they’d be disgusted by me, how they’d probably disown me. I pushed a lot of people away, guys I dated who thought they were some kind of dirty secret to me. I thought I had to choose between having my family or having a partner. Hell, I even went through with a terrible marriage to a bad match just to try to appease them.”

She laughs as he shudders at the thought. “So what changed?”

“TK,” he says softly, eyes swimming with fondness. “I met him and everything inside me shifted. I didn’t make the choice to tell my parents about him, and I’ll forever regret that. But I think in time I would have. I couldn’t have given him up.”

Tagging @janto4ev @sznofthesticks @fitzherbertssmolder @ladytessa74 @thisbuildinghasfeelings @chicgeekgirl89 @carlos-in-glasses @whatsintheboxmh @vineofroses @bonheur-cafe @fallout-mars @your-catfish-friend @kiwichaeng @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @inkweedandlizards @carlos-tk @literateowl @freneticfloetry @orchidscript @guardian-angle22 @my-little-tilly @tinyluminaryzombie @basilsunrise @louis-ii-reyes-strand @herefortarlos @filet-o-feelings @rmd-writes @theghostofashton @thebumblecee @welcometololaland @reyesstrand @itsrandomnobody7 @iinryer @lightningboltreader @never-blooms @ambiguouspenny @nancygillianmvp @noxsoulmate @detective-giggles @decafdino @hoko-onchi-writes @certifiedflower and OPEN TAG 🏷️

[themotherofhorses]

paloma: first meeting

— simon "ghost" riley x oc!silentdove reyes.

summary: he's not annoyed, per se, but ghost is just not really in the mood to chit-chat with the american airman scurrying around the base. at best, he tolerates them.

(or the first exchange between ghost and his montanan woman.)

warnings: none, aside from explicit language.

note: okay, so despite this being an obvious OC-insert series, i invite anyone and everyone to read it :D this is actually my first time tackling an OC-insert fanfic (as well as writing ghost) so im still trying to get the rhythm of things.

dividers by: @saradika

paloma (masterlist) | main masterlist

[2021] 

Simon Riley won’t ever admit it — never aloud, anyway — but every time he steps foot on American soil, he feels more akin to a wolf draped in sheep’s clothing. 

In his mind, he sticks out like a sore thumb. He is not a hero, really; unlike the lot teetering around the military base he is currently stationed at for the next five or so weeks, he is less flesh and blood, and more a phantom. Or something along those lines. Actually, that could explain why there is such little traffic aimed his way. But he doesn’t particularly care. His schedule lacks the room to voice any complaints. 

Right now, his main concern is doing his job, and doing it right. 

Two weeks back, Price had him fishing out his passport tucked away inside his bedside table. “Fancy a two month getaway to the States?” Great Falls, Montana, to be exact. High west, nearing the border of Canada, and surrounded by land he’s only ever seen in those silly ass spaghetti western movies. 

The view is nice, he’ll admit. Beautiful, even. Exhilarating. He now understands why they refer to Montana as “Big Sky Country.” 

Malmstrom is much smaller than he imagined, and homier too. The Air Force base is nestled within the city’s east side, offering its own museum and park. He’s quite grateful for the latter; the trails allow for his nighttime walks when the nightmares prove too shitty to sleep. 

Great Falls is pretty as well. Price would like it, maybe Garrick too. He knows the two are big on history, and almost every inch of the city is drenched with some memory belonging to the old frontier days. 

Upon arriving, the yanks provided him with his own private office, housed in the back of the 341st logistics readiness squadron. It’s nothin’ fancy, really, just a wee room furnished with a dark mahogany desk, two windows, a steel cabinet, the Montana flag to his left, and the American to his right. 

Again, he’s not one to complain. Something’s something. 

Earlier, one of the higher-up airmen, a Staff Sergeant Benson (he believes is the name), had handed him a folder jam-packed with a shit ton of mission statements — logistics, strategic planning, reports of previous global concerns, and reviews of the base’s Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. All the documents are dated in a time range varying between two months ago to 0800 this morning. 

In the back of his mind, he can already hear Price chuckling.

“Have fun, Simon.”

Bloody bastard. 

So now, Ghost sits hunched over the desk, feeling a little too damn big for it. All the paperwork is strewn about messily around him, with sticky notes, a pen, and some other random shit of his. No one has yet to visit him; until that happens, he feels little need to remain organized. 

His boot taps against the floor. “—Initial efforts to clean polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from launch facilities at Malmstrom AFB are ongoing but seeing success…” Ghost reads under his breath. PCBs? That’s nice to hear.

“...after PCBs were detected on surfaces in launch facilities at all three of the command’s missile wings.” 

PCBs. Polychlorinated biphenyls — man-made and highly toxic, consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine atoms. He clicks his tongue, shaking his head as he flips onto the next page.

“We know they’re present on what appears to be otherwise pristine surfaces, due to the survey—” 

—a sudden knock interrupts his reading. 

With a curse on his tongue, Ghost sets down the report. He quicks a sneaking glance at his watch. 1342 hours. He’s due in a meeting at 1700. 

“Come in.” His voice sounds low and raspy, the two words sounding more like a growl than a greeting. He’s not annoyed, per se, but Ghost is just not really in the mood to chit-chat with the American airmen scurrying around the base. At best, he tolerates them.

(In his mind, they’re all little Graves, ready to stir up a headache.) 

The door slowly cracks open.

“Lieutenant Riley?” A female voice calls out — soft and cautious; Ghost’s chin drops against his knuckles. “Apologies for the disruption, sir, but I have some additional paperwork I need to drop off with you, at the request of my superior.” He grunts, and the airman then steps into his office, quickly shutting the door behind her before meeting his eyes. 

It is entirely unlike him, Ghost knows, but his brain almost short-circuits right then and there. Two dark brown eyes, framed by thick lashes, peering up at him. Shit. He’d always thought brown was such a pretty eye color on a woman, but hers stretched further across common compliments. 

Both of  ‘em — they held no animosity, no uneasiness or fear, nothing. 

That, itself, is quite fucking bizarre. He’s not used to that.

Ghost is .... well, Ghost. He knows the mask he is always donning on his face isn't exactly a sign of welcomeness. Just his mere presence is enough to startle the living shit out of rookies, baby recruits, wide-eyed sergeants, and the like. There is something inherently unnerving when you are unable to get a good reading of the person you're standing across from.

She’s brave, he thinks. Or merely oblivious to who he is. 

“Here you go, sir,” the airman says while placing the packet of new documents down on his desk. Her lips are shaped prettily, plump and shining with a fresh layer of gloss, and across her nose is a splatter of faint freckles. Under a different circumstance, maybe he would’ve taken the time to try and count them all.

Ghost swallows hard, incapable (for what feels like the first time in his life) of mustering up an appropriate reply. “Ah, thank you, ma’am.” 

The airman's brow lifts.

“Reyes,” she then corrects him with a kind smile, gesturing to the name badge sitting above her right chest pocket. Sure enough, in bold military lettering, reads Reyes. “My name is Senior Airman SilentDove Reyes. I am actually a cryptologic linguist analyst here on base; but sometimes I run errands for others, when not needed for a translation, of course.”

There is a slight chirp in her voice that Ghost picks up, along with the way she casually rocks back and forth on her feet. She seems awfully young, no older than 22, possibly 23, but even that's cutting it; a kid, compared to him. Maybe 5'7, with dark hair pulled back into two tight braids that fall at her belted waistline.

A stark contrast compared to him.

He's oddly curious now — about her age and first name and those long braids and why she stands before him, calm, collected, and sure — but he knows damn well this is not the time nor place for any questions. Both of them are on the clock, and it is likely she’ll need to report back to her supervisor soon. 

He offers her a curt nod. “Well, thank you again, Reyes,” he states, keeping his voice flat. 

“You are welcome, sir.” She turns to leave, but when her hand latches onto the doorknob, Reyes glances over her shoulder at him, “—oh, and Lieutenant? If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” 

–

The successful cleaning came after a bioenvironmental team at Malmstrom AFB …. Malmstrom AFB .. consulted with engineers and ….. and medical experts on the cleaning …. cleaning processes and– 

–and agents most likely to effectively remove the chemicals…. 

He knows his mind is wandering off, in desperate search of that pretty senior airman from fifteen minutes ago. “Bloody fucking hell,” Ghost grumbles, leaning back in his chair. His head lolls back as he blinks upward, studying the ceiling overhead. The texture is popcorn, a creamy color, with a simple fan jutting down. One light bulb, probably a recent replacement. 

Fuck. He doesn’t need this shit. Not one bit. 

Five more weeks and he’ll be gone from here. 

Ghost rechecks his watch, feeling a bit peeved at the time. 1411. He has several more hours until he can leave all this work shit behind for the evening, and maybe catch a short walk before hunkering down for the night. He doesn’t like sitting down for too long; it causes him to become restless. Agitated. Overthinking.

He doesn’t want distractions. He doesn’t need ‘em. Distractions ruin work ethic; clouding up the mind while fucking up all sense of responsibility. Price will have his ass if he – somehow – becomes compromised. And he'll never hear the end of it from Johnny. 

Settling back into the paperwork, he decides that he won’t allow himself another second thinking about all that – the American airman and her pretty brown eyes and high cheekbones and first name. 

Something tells him that’s easier said than done. 

[butchreyes]

wip wednesday!!

i made it!! it's been such a crazy last few weeks but here i am :) huge thanks to @paperstorm @carlos-in-glasses @sznofthesticks @strandnreyes @welcometololaland @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut and @heartstringsduet for the tags!

“Good,” Carlos says. “Good. What about you, TK? Are you hurt?”

TK, who calls him Baby and Cuteness, who brushes the matted curls off of Carlos’s sweaty forehead while he cooks. He looks up at the barrel of Carlos’s gun like a cornered animal. “Hangin’ in there,” he rasps, puffing out his pink cheeks. The strain in his voice pulls a string somewhere deep in Carlos. This is how he’s come to see his husband— the kitten hanging from a tree branch, framed in a hospital waiting room. Soft-skinned and delicate, his tender flesh easily bruised. TK demands a gentle touch, he should come with a HANDLE WITH CARE sign hanging around his neck. Carlos knows, probably, this is all his own projection. But it doesn’t change the anger he feels at Dennis Pill for roughing TK up, for touching him with unwashed hands. The radio on Carlos’s chest crackles, an onslaught of voices squeezing through. Detective Washington says: “Reyes, listen to me very carefully…” Captain Kendricks says: “Officer, if you care one lick about your job…” Captain Strand says: “Son, it’s Owen. Look, I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing in there, but I trust you. I just need you to promise me that you’ll be careful, alright? That’s my son in there.”

sorry i've been so absent lately!! just tagging @reyesstrand since everybody else already got to me

[bullet-prooflove]

Trust Me I Know - EZ Reyes x Reader

Tagging: @annetje @infinity-mars @danzer8705 @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @est1887 @the-wandering-lunatic @alwaysachorusgirl @anime-weeb-4-life @vannabanana1995 @multifandomloversworld @camelia35 @queeniesdiary @lilvampirina @princessghost-24 @genius2050 @mortal--soul @buddinglinguist @spookyboogyuniverse @spaghettificationandpretzels @sclitvdes

It’s late or early, depending how you look at it. The bar has been closed for a little while and you’re in the midst of the clean down. You’d been short tonight, one of your regular bartenders had called in with food poisoning.

EZ had been having a beer when the call came through and offered to lend a hand. He tended bar back at the clubhouse and had no problem stepping behind yours. He was a practised hand, the two of you worked well together, never getting in each other’s way. He was bigger than you, needed more room to move. Every time he brushed past you, you felt that familiar heat rolling off his skin. When his warm palm came to rest on your hip, you felt it searing through the fabric, you wondered what it would be like to feel his hands on your bare skin, fingertips trailing underneath your clothes.

“Can I ask you something?” EZ says as picks up the last round of glasses from one of the tables and puts them in the rack for the dishwasher. He’d stuck round to help you clean up. It was a relief to be honest. You were dead on your feet, the exhaustion creeping into your bones as you restocked the beers in the fridge.

EZ could see it a mile away, he was attuned to you, your moods, your nuances. You were limping slightly; it was barely detectable, but it was there. An old injury he thought, he’d noticed it a couple of times at the end of a long night.

“Anything.” You responded to his question, straightening up to give him your attention.

“The bar.” He said gesturing at the space around him. “That always been your thing?”

“My father’s.” You told him, breaking up the cardboard box that had held the beer before shoving it into the recycling bin. “My grandfather’s before that.”

“So, it’s in the family.” He summarised.

“I actually used to be a dancer." You tell him, and he gives you a look of surprise. "A scholarship in UCLA, studying contemporary dance, afterwards I ended up with a dance company in LA.”

“Contemporary dance?” he inquired.

“My focus was contemporary ballet, it’s a blend of classic ballet and modern dance.” You explained. “It gave me more freedom in expression, I found classical too rigid.”

There was a wistfulness when you spoke, happiness and sadness. He could tell that you enjoyed it, that dancing was a passion for you, a way of life. It’s in the way you move, there was an elegance there, a grace in your step. Even behind the bar you shifted with fluidity, with a bounce in your step. It’s like you had your own rhythm, a song he can’t hear.

“What happened?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing into a frown as he slipped onto a barstool alongside of you. Your knees bump together, and he notices when you don’t pull away.

“Car accident.” You tell him, your hand running over your right thigh thorough the fabric of your jeans. You can still feel the scars on either side of your thigh from the pins they’d put in and then the abscess they had had to pack. “Broke my femur, lost more than an inch.”

“Your hip.” He said suddenly, patting his pelvis on his right side. “I noticed that you suffer with it sometimes.”

“It’s the discrepancy.” You tell him. “It’s why I can’t dance anymore. The footwork in contemporary dance is intense, fast moving. I couldn’t keep up with it, so I ended up back here, running the family bar and paying off my father’s debts.”

“That can’t have been easy.”

He knows a thing or two about having your life upended, about heading in one direction, visualising a future before having it snatched away from you. His hand comes to rest on yours, his thumb tracing over the curve of your wrist.

“No, it wasn’t.” You told him with a sigh. “It was such a big part of my life, the only time I felt like myself was when I was dancing. It didn’t matter if I was having a shitty day, or if the money was tight… All of that stuff it just seemed to slip away you know? It was just me and the movement.”

He thinks he understands on some level, it’s the same way for him when he reads books. He loses himself to the literature, delves into other people’s stories. It saved his life in prison; he thinks it’s saved his life since.

“When was the last time you danced?” he asked you quietly.

You shook your head.

“I don’t even remember.”

“Ok.” He said, slipping from his bar stool and digging in his pocket for a couple of coins before inserting them into the jukebox. He scrolled through the song list before selecting one. He turned to you, holding out his hand with that smile on his face.

“Dance with me.” He requested.

“You’re serious?” You asked him, placing your hand in his.

“Yea,” he said drawing you off the stool. “You can’t be any worse than me.”

EZ’s gentle with his touches, his free hand coming to rest upon your hip as you press closer to his body. You can feel the heat rolling off his skin. He runs hot, he always has, and it sends prickles of anticipation through you as he sways in time with the music. You close your eyes as he presses his cheek to yours, the rough stubble caressing your skin as the two of you move to the rhythm. You can hear the pulse of the song in your ears, the notes igniting something inside of you, something you’ve not felt in a long time. It’s exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time, because you thought you’d lost this, the ability hear the music, the sensation of it coursing through your body. For the first time in an age you feel like you’re alive again, that the missing piece of yourself has slotted back into place.

EZ must sense the change before his eyes meet yours. They’re dark, a rich mahogany with flecks of gold around the iris, you’ve never noticed that before, never allowed yourself to. Despite how you feel about him, you’ve always tried to maintain a distance but those barriers of yours, they’re falling away. In that moment you let him see everything.

His breath hitches and he leans in close, he smells like oakmoss and bergamot, earthy and rich. It’s intoxicating, you can feel the beat of his heart against your chest before he lowers his head, his lips sweeping over yours. It’s heated and tender, the softest brush of his mouth and you’re hooked. Warmth floods through your body and you can feel yourself falling as he cradles you close, holding you as if you’re the most precious thing in the world to him.

When he breaks away, he presses his forehead to yours and for a moment you can’t speak because all you can feel is this wealth of emotion in your chest.

“I know.” He whispers, his thumb ghosting over your cheek. “Trust me, I know.”

Love EZ? Get added to his tag list!

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[hogwartslegacyreactions2]

HLC REACT TO MC TURNING INTO A KIWI BIRD IN TRANSFIGURATION

A/N: inspired by the wonderful @kiwiplaetzchen

MC doesn't know what went wrong, but it went VERY wrong! One minute they're at their desk practicing wand movements and the next they're shrunk! Where are their arms!? Where'd the beak come from!?!?

Distressed, the small flightless bird squeaked and squawked as it ran in circles. Professor Weasley easily undoes the accidental transformation, but not before suppressing a smile. Admittedly, it was one of her favorite parts of teaching transfiguration.

SEBASTIAN SALLOW: He is losing his shit. He is crying. He is struggling to breathe. The great and powerful MC, reduced to a walking potato. He really wishes he had a camera, but regardless, he's not letting MC live this down anytime soon.

OMINIS GAUNT: He's confused. He's not even sure what his wand is detecting. A rat, perhaps? On two legs? Based on the energy in the room, it's quite hilarious.

ANNE SALLOW: She just facepalms and waits for it to be over. She really needs to focus on her reading.

IMELDA REYES: She smirks and transfigures MC's textbook into a lizard that starts chasing them. Kiwi MC and the book lizard proceed to knock most everything off of the shelves, sending the whole class into another round of laughter.

NATSAI ONAI: She tries to comfort MC when they're human again. She's suppressing her own laughter, but she wants to reassure MC that they aren't the first to make that mistake. Accidental transfigurations happen all the time. Everyone will forget about it by tomorrow. (They didn't)

GARRETH WEASLEY: He chuckles along with the class but when things die down he whispers to MC. "You know, I could probably persuade my aunt to give you private transfiguration lessons. ...Why are you looking at me like that?"

LEANDER PREWETT: He's really happy that other people are finally laughing at someone else rather than him. Sorry MC, it's not personal.

AMIT THAKKAR: The second hand embarrassment is STRONG with this one. To make such a mistake in front of the whole class. He hides his face like he's the one who turned himself into a kiwi.

EVERETT CLOPTON: He needs to ask MC how they did that. He knows a few people that could use a good "accidental" transfiguring.

POPPY SWEETING: She tries to catch MC to get them to sit still, but they are really hard to catch when you're laughing so hard your ribs hurt.

[heartstringsduet]

heartstringduet's fall reads. 🍂

(this list by no means is encompassing all the wonderful fics I read and that deserve everyone's thoughtful comments. I will do more lists soon though. You peeps are so amazing 😭.)

Currently WIPs 💕 i closed my eyes inside of your darkness (and found your glow) by falloutmars S: After losing his mom and moving states, TK finds comfort in a stranger who may need the comfort just as much. A story of loss, love, and learning to live again. I love how careful and tender the different ways of coping with grief are portrayed. Plus, Andrea runs a café, Carlos runs a book club and TK finds his way into being a paramedic.

You Keep Coming Back With A Bird In Your Teeth by vaguenotion S: When a gesture of goodwill is misinterpreted, a patient begins to develop a dangerous attachment to TK. The whole point of the job is to save patients, not to have to be saved FROM them. what can I say but that I chew my arm off each time this is updated. Absolutely love the characterizations, the dialogues and the goddamn tension.

your gentle hands are stained with the blood of anothers by @birdclowns S: Denton Miller was Carlos' first case after being promoted to detective. The serial killer has escaped, throwing Carlos and his loved ones into his game as the next unwilling participants. The stakes are impossibly higher and the rules have changed - it's his husband on the other side of the screen. Such a sucker for a kidnapping story and a cat-and-mouse game and Jasper masterfully strikes a line between scary and intimate i language and plot.

see a friend (see a ghost) by @ambiguouspenny S: TK would always come home to him. It was a dinner table promise wrapped in explicit truth; a vow Carlos would bet his life on. A choice made at the edge of tragedy leaves Carlos living in the aftermath. TK tries to make it right. Weeping, letting the vivid details and the mystery and punchy dialogue keep me up at night.

Where All This Love Comes From by @carlos-in-glasses

S: Six months after Gabriel Reyes’ death, TK grows concerned about Carlos’ drinking and brings him to a meeting at the Y. TK reflects on meeting Carlos after years of addiction and self-destruction, while Carlos has continued to seek closure by uncovering two unknowns: The identity of his father’s killer, and how his father truly felt about Carlos as his son. I recommend anyyything cig writes, because I'm hopelessly devoted to her writing. Anything I read by her is nuanced, poetic, so insightful and heart-wrenching. This only has one chapter but a dialogue that punched me right in the heart.

a long time ago (we used to be friends) by @welcometololaland

S: The exes to lovers, college sweethearts, murder mystery fic where the motto is: be gay, solve crime. I can always count on anything Lola writes to make me laugh and to have me in the throws and woes of my emotions. And this one is one of my favorites of her because I love how she writes them finding their way back into each others life.

Teach You How Forever Feels by @three-drink-amy

S: TK is left with custody of his five-year-old brother, Jonah. With Owen's encouragement, TK moves to Austin for a fresh start, questioning every move he makes as he's thrust into the role of parenthood. But it all leads him to Jonah's new school where he meets Carlos Reyes, the kindergarten teacher. It reads like a warm hug to see TK growing into the role of a parental figure and Carlos be a teacher and read both of them so gone over the other.

Finished Stories 💗 for if i'm going down, i'm taking you with me by @mooshkat and @thebumblecee S: For years now, the rivalry between the Reyes and Strand families has run strong. Since they were young, Carlos and TK have been warned to stay away from the other family and never trust each other, but what happens when a job forces them together? Two contract killers in an enemy-to-lovers scenario? Absolutely loved the journey of this (and the hot smut scenes let's be honest)

The Knave of Hearts . . . brought back the tarts by @liminalmemories21 S: TK exhales and picks up his glass. “The mind boggles. What did Matt want?” “Wanted to ask if I’d heard any rumors about a new art thief nosing around town for targets.” This entire universe of art lover (and former art thief) TK and detective Carlos is so intricate and never forgets to highlight their love even in in well-constructed plot!

to build a home by @freneticfloetry

S: Twenty-five years of chasing hope and happiness and the place where he belongs. Or: Carlos begins, and ends, and begins again, until he gets it right. My heart? Gone. This fic took it and ran with it. Seriously, one of the best character deep-dives I've ever read.

Under A Star Spell by @orchidscript

S: In which Carlos practices folk magic and TK, needing to rekindle something, finds himself on his doorstep. In which two people cross-paths, hope for one thing, and find something else altogether thanks to coffee, vanilla, hyssop, and mint.

The descriptions of Carlos practicing magic is seriously making me weep with jealousy. And the growing love between them in this and the sequel is magic itself.

When I’m Like This by @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut

S: TK Strand hasn’t known Carlos Reyes for very long. He’s slept with him, run out on his attempt at getting to know him better, and been processed by him after an arrest. Despite all of that, TK can’t get over Carlos. When TK gets bad news at an NA meeting, he quickly starts to spiral, and there’s only one person he feels safe enough to run to. The absolute tenderness of this and the rawness of emotions just rubs me open in the best way on each re-read.

Love From the Other Side by @lightningboltreader S: It's Exes to Lovers in One Bed! After two years apart, TK & Carlos find themselves face to face at a three-day training event for Texas first responders. Flirting leads to passion, then misunderstanding and ultimately the heart to heart they've each been craving. The exes in a single bed fic we all need in our life! This has so much tension and made me so emotional at the same time.

Sunshine On My Body, Rainbows Bloomin' In My Skies by @lemonlyman-dotcom S: After Carlos’s bold claim about hiking the Great Wall, TK reveals he’d been an avid hiker before moving to Austin. TK & Carlos go for their first hike together, and maybe learn some new things about each other along the way. Such a beautifully written, funny and heartfelt story that feels like you're overgrown with ivy and the feeeels. A Helping Hand by @rmd-writes

S: When TK’s bathroom sink is flooding and he needs help, pronto, he turns to Grindr to find someone close by. But what happens when the best one night stand of his life walks in the door? Or, the Grindr meet-cute AU

I can always count on Rae to give me grade-a smut with a heap of unbound joy and this is no exception. 29 going 30 by @alrightbuckaroo

S: During a trip to New York City to celebrate TK turning 30, TK and Carlos stumble upon a list of things TK always wanted to do before he turned 30, all of them being references to romantic comedies he loved so much growing up.

Just a biiiig old love letter to both TK and Carlos, to New York and to turning older and making your old wished come true. The night before Halloween by @ladytessa74 S: Carlos and TK have faced many fears in their lives. But has that prepared them for everything? As they get ready to celebrate Halloween with five year old Elijah, monsters lurk in the shadows. The only way to overcome fear is to face it. Tarlos as parents aren't always for me but Tessa has changed my mind! Plus, a little spooky and wonderuflly plotted halloween story never hurt anybody - or would it? come what may, I'll still stay by @strandnreyes

S: Nearly one year into their marriage and TK finds that life looks a little different these days with Carlos working as a detective. He knows change happens, but when the missed dinners start to pile up and the change begins to feel like too much change, TK struggles with how to remind Carlos that life exists beyond his badge.

One of my all time favorites by Jen which is saying a LOT with how many she has blessed us with.

The Firehouse by @paperstorm S: In 2002, TK and Carlos meet in a third grade classroom in Manhattan. 21 years later they meet again, at a nightclub in Austin called The Firehouse. Split between their friendship in childhood and the path that should set them up as enemies, this is such a beautiful story of kinship and eternal love to me. I just adore how Andie writes TK and Carlos - in love in any and all universes.