#sam's keeping it together so well having to wear all that pink

[spookberry]

Half Normie AU and some Halloween outfit swaps

[evilminji]

Okay, you know how bird don't ACTUALLY look the way we think they do?

They are far more colorful? But only to the eyes of other birds?

And it has to do with how light reflects off them and how their eyes are shaped etc etc.?

Well..... humans can see the most shades of green, right? But! We sure as shit can't see UltaViolet and InfraRed? Or shades BEYOND those. Ectoplasmic colors. Magical ones. Third eye, need to see with your SOUL type ones.

Danny? Could very well still have lil baby "kitten's eyes who haven't open yet" syndrome.

He thinks the Zone is Green and his hair is white.

But it's not.

His hair is Starlight colored. Frost. His suit is specifically "the void between stars" colored. Which looks... different? Then black? No, no, guys. How can you guys not see it? It looks REALLY different! How did he not NOTICE before?! They're not ever CLOSE to the same shade! It's like calling salmon and hot pink the same. You know... if you were to compare an actual fish and some irradiated, violently glowing version of "hot pink".

......guys?

His gloves are.... guys, these ares stars. Pressed so close together there's no gap. His body is the night sky, all rearranged. He's wearing SPACE, guys.

*continues to stare at his gloves for the next five hours*

Now... why is this relevant? Because! Danny slowly, as all humans do, adjusts! It's like finally having glasses after years of blurry vision. He... forgets, what it was like, not NOT See Zone Colors. Not completely, mind you, but enough he has to be reminded.

And the Zone? A Realm of the Dead. Specifically, the great catch-all and highway of the Dead. They get EVERYBODY. Misfits and vagabonds. Those who don't quite fit. Funky lil dudes. And of course, assholes, but everybody has those! See, Zone colors?

Are DIFFERENT.

They're all of um!

It's like looking at the technicolor, stobe light, multi galaxies in one, Sun. Tingly(tm)!!! You get used to it. What helps? Is that as garish as the Zone is? The painting and grand tapestry of it all? Keeps changing. Like weather. If it's too much for you, you can stay inside your Lair until the current Color changes. Until the designs shift. Vibe changes.

There are even glasses for that! "Temperate" areas for people to set up, that get headaches or are just... kinda killjoys. Too each their own. Though the stormy areas? Those guys are freaks. Watch out for those guys. They're the kind who stare directly are stars until their eyes burn out.

Where was I? Oh yeah! Danny!

No longer a wee baby, smol baby, twig-o!

Sad. We miss it.

But he did get used to Seeing The Colors. Got a handle on his powers. And! Finally worked with his parents on how to safely turn the portal OFF. There was much booing. Cries of "kill joy" and "booo! You suck!". But? Like? Dude DID have the right to protect his home. Go to college. What can you do?

Problem with THAT is? Baby grew into his "built like a brick shit house of constantly running off to literally tackle the Supernatural excellence" Fenton genetics. He Tall. Muscles! And he PUMPING out "somethings fucked up with me" Vibes!

Add in his DEEPLY Sus off hand comments. Weird ability to tell when someone has or is about to die. Basic immunity to the cold. Fuckin EYE GLOW?

Ha ha... *Horror movie screams from his college dorm mates*

Clearly a demon!

He gets kicked out. Well... not kicked out. He's a model student and broken no rules. They'd never survive the lawsuit. But... he's? STRONGLY INCOURAGED to finish his education elsewhere. Repeatedly. By like... 15 colleges.

Sam is not just livid, she's actively foaming at the mouth.

Breathe, Sam! Remember what your doctor said! Your mortal body can't handle that kinda Vengance spiral! Think of your blood pressure! Breathe!!! (Were not for the laws of this land... and the weak, fleshy constraints of her mortal form!)

Thankfully? Tucker's been interning, remotely of course, with Wayne Industries. He asked his manager where he could find some of those scholarship forms. (Since Gotham University is just a touch out of Danny's price range.) Manager wanted to know why. And oh! Oh holy shit. Apparently? Danny is the hot new office gossip.

People in the main office are OUTRAGED. Danny's "too spooky"?! Too FUCKIN SPOOKY!? Are you KIDDING THEM? Even juicier, a Meta kid from some wacky ghost hunters turned scientists. From a line of Supernatural hunters. Wants to be a aeronautics engineer.

Ooooooh how SPOOKY! Better watch out! He'll design an ENGINE at yooooou!

Fuckin casuals. Non-Gothamites are WEAK. "Too scary" their collective asses. Yeah, maybe the kid SHOULD come too Gotham. He can be the weird kid. Mildly unsettling or something. His powers won't be SHIT in Gotham. Just remind him to buy a gas mask.

So! Danny gets his Scholarship! Merrily packs his bags for darker, Gothic hellscape hills. Unaware... that Constantine has been following reports of a "demon" that he's? 80% sure is a Banshee but MIGHT be a winter spirt with a shtick? For the past 13 colleges. He's getting closer. And this sucker is a strong one.

Not "this is going to cause me serious, life imperilling danger" strong. But more? "Man, that cat is HUUUUUGE". Could he still get mauled a lil? Yeah. Scratched to all hell and back? Probably! But DIE? Unlikely.

He just needs to know why the FUCK this spirit his hanging around colleges.

Which is made harder... by the fact that what HE sees? And what OTHER people see? When they look at this guy? Separate things. Yeah, he'd LOVE to give you guys a description! IF HE HAD ONE.

@the-witchhunter @hdgnj @hdgnj @spidori @babbling-babull @nerdpoe @lolottes

[queen-of-the-avengers]

My Hero

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.2k

Warnings: none

Summary: You're sunshine and rainbows. He's darkness and rain storms. You brighten a room. He darkens it. Maybe that's why you two go together so well even if neither of you want to admit it.

Squares Filled: complete opposites (2021) for @lokibingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are greatly appreciated <3

x

This is the last box from the car which you’re grateful for. When you decided to go out shopping to redecorate your room, you didn’t expect to find a bunch of stuff on sale—more than you really need. Never mind that. You’re always happy to have trinkets that make a room lighter.

Tony graciously allowed you to live at the Avengers compound up north in exchange for your shapeshifting skills. You can shift into anyone and anything just by looking at them. You gain their DNA code through your almost x-ray sight, and you’re able to shift into them no matter how small or big they are compared to you.

It’s your specialty.

It took a long time for you to master your skills but you’re always learning something new about yourself. It’s why you’re at the compound. You get to live with living legends such as Steve, Wanda, Sam, Vision, and unfortunately, Loki. The only reason he’s on Earth is because he’s being punished for what he’s done in Asgard. You’re not sure of his crimes but it’s severe enough to banish him from Asgard even if it’s only for a short time. The agreement is that he’d help out with the Avengers until he’s learned his lesson whatever that may be.

The only issue is that you really, really, really don’t like him. It’s not enough to use the word ‘hate’ since you believe that’s such a strong word, but you can’t stand the man. Not only is Loki arrogant and cocky but he hates doing anything remotely helpful. He’s a nuisance most of the time and loves to get under everyone’s skin, especially yours.

It doesn’t help that you two are the complete opposite of each other. He’s a black cat while you’re a golden retriever. He loves being alone while you love being around people. He loves reading and staying in while you love going out. He’s grumpy most of the time whereas you’re all rainbows and sunshine (as he likes to put it). You’ve always been such an upbeat and bubbly person, and you’re not going to let someone like Loki dim your light.

The box you’re carrying to your room contains pink and frilly pillows for your bed along with some yellow curtains you fell in love with at first sight. It won’t keep the light out but it’ll give some color to your white-wall room. You enter your room and notice Loki standing on the other side of the bed looking through one of the boxes you brought in earlier. He’s such a dark contrast to your colorful room.

The walls might be white but you have rainbow lights strung up, pink and yellow picture frames, a blue-framed bulletin board filled with even more pictures of you and your friends, and other pops of color. Loki is the only thing that’s black due to the clothes he’s wearing.

“What are you doing in my room?” you ask and set the box on the bed.

“I’m looking for something.”

“This is only because I’m trying to rise above and be a better person, but what are you looking for? How can I help you?”

Loki pulls out something from the box he’s looking through with a frown.

“Really? Rainbow stickers and dreamcatchers?”

You storm over to him and snatch the items from his hands.

“How can I help you?” you repeat.

“I’m looking for the tape,” he smirks.

“Out of all the rooms you could have gone to, you thought my room was the best to go snooping around for tape?”

“You’re right.” Loki shrugs. “I just wanted to see where you keep your knickers.”

You scoff, grab the tap from your desk drawer, and shove it into his chest.

“There. You have tape. Get out.”

Loki doesn’t argue and leaves while laughing. You can’t help but glare at the spot he was just in. You hate violence despite what you do for a living, but you want to strangle that man sometimes. Push down the negative thoughts. Just focus on you. You put away most of your new decorations and shove the rest of them in your closet. It’s the weekend and there isn’t an active mission to go on so you think you’ll spend it relaxing by the pool and enjoying time to yourself.

You might like being around people but you enjoy time to yourself as well. You quickly change into your bathing suit and grab your towel before heading down to the pool. You pick a lounge chair that’s right below the skylight so that you can still be in the sun. You’re alone for maybe ten minutes before the pool doors open and someone walks in. You look through your sunglasses to see Loki walking in wearing nothing but black swimming trunks.

You roll your eyes and close them again with the intent of ignoring him. He jumps into the pool and makes a big splash in which water splashes on your legs. You have the urge to jump into the pool just to drown him but you keep trying to rise above.

“Come on, love, jump in. The water’s nice.”

“No. Leave me alone.”

Loki has never been good at listening to orders given to him or he does listen and chooses not to follow them. He continues to make noise in the pool to get a rise out of you but you will not sink low enough to give him what he wants. He continues to make noises for a good ten minutes before stopping completely. Finally, some peace and quiet. You smirk and look to the water thinking you have won this round but your eyes go wide when you see him lying facedown in the pool.

You scream and rush over to the edge of the pool. Your glasses had fallen off but you don’t care about that right now. You might not like Loki but you don’t want him dead. You reach in and grab his arm so you can pull him out of the water, and he flops onto the ground like a dead fish. You roll him onto his back and shake his shoulders in an attempt to wake him up.

“Shit, Loki, this isn’t funny. Wake up.” You push at his chest but he doesn’t budge. “Loki?”

One of your previous jobs was as a lifeguard for the public pool in your hometown which you needed to get CPR certified for. It doesn’t matter that you haven’t used it since that time, you still know how to administer it. You start chest compressions on Loki’s chest three times before pinching his nose together and blowing air into his mouth. Three chest compressions and blow into his mouth. You do this twice before going down for a third time.

This time, however, just as your lips touch Loki’s, he reaches up and places his hand on the back of your head to keep you there. He presses you more firmly on his lips and kisses you like you two are a couple. Your brain is working to catch up to the rest of your body and the second his tongue touches yours, it does. You quickly push Loki off you and jump to your feet.

“My hero,” he smirks at your flustered face.

“You’re an asshole.” You snatch your glasses and towel before storming over to the doors. “I hope you drown next time.”

“Oh, come on, love. I was joking,” he laughs.

You want to be mad but the only thing you can think of is stupid Loki with his stupid face and his unbelievably soft lips.

x

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[livingdreams97]

Tara Carpenter -- "The lies I keep" (Part 3)

Tara Carpenter x Male reader/oc

Summary: Having a normal life is difficult after the one she considered her best friend tries to kill her and causes distrust in everyone she meets. But something or rather someone manages to enter her heart and hiding that person is the best thing that occurs to her.

Words: 4.194

PREVIOUS // NEXT

Masterlist

POV You

The walk to Tara's apartment happens in complete silence. I can feel my girlfriend's grip on my hand soften the further we walk and the closer we get to her house.

When I can make out the building in the distance, I can't help but a certain feeling of disappointment and sadness invade my body. Because arriving at that place means that my time with my girlfriend is over and I will have to say goodbye to her.

The worst thing of all is that everything was going well, we were having fun and we were together. For once in a long time, I was spending time and having fun with my girlfriend outside of college.

Plus, from the moment Tara told me she was going to the party and that we could be together, I had been so excited. But it was too good to be true.

Y/n: I guess we'll see each other on Monday in class.- I say when we enter the apartment lobby.

Tara: What are you talking about? - She asks me confused.

Y/n: That we'll see each other on Monday in class.- I respond just as confused as she is right now and I see some recognition in her eyes.

Tara: No, silly.- she laughs, pulling my hand towards her. -You are sleeping with me today, one way or another you were going to end up sleeping next to me.- she comments, starting to climb the stairs with me behind her. -And now that everyone knows you're my boyfriend, I don't have to sneak you into the house.- she assures me without importance, raising her shoulders.

Y/n: And your sister will agree? - I ask with some fear, since she didn't even know me and she has already given me an electric shock in my private parts.

Tara: Let my sister say whatever she wants, but after what she did tonight you're going to stay the night. - she assures, considering the topic settled.

I remain silent and decide to continue climbing the stairs with a small smile. Since, in the end it turns out that I won't go to my apartment alone and I will be able to spend more time with my girlfriend.

Once in front of the door of her apartment, she takes out her keys and begins to open some locks. And by some I mean about 3 or 4.

Tara: My sister is paranoid.- she tells me when she opens the last lock.

Y/n: I think she's just cautious, taking into account what happened last year. - I whisper with some insecurity, not wanting to say something that will anger or bother her.

She just gives me a pout with her lips in response and opens the door. She grabs my hand again and guides us through the apartment to her room.

Tara: Welcome to my space.- She introduces me to her room with a shy smile.

I look around the room, seeing the posters, books, plants and other objects in sight. He smiled, feeling the room be a perfect mirror of my girlfriend's personality and tastes.

Y/n: It's very you.- I assure her walking towards the bed, while I take off the gun holsters from my shoulders next to the "bullet" belt and letting myself fall into it.

Tara: Is that a good or bad thing? - she asks me walking towards her desk, taking off her boots along the way and waving her asthma inhaler to take a puff.

Y/n: Anything related to you is good.- I respond with a smile, watching how she uses her inhaler and smiles at me while holding her breath.

Quinn: Hey.- a girl comes in wearing short pink pajamas, who I recognize as the roommate my girlfriend told me about. -I'm sorry for telling Sam about the party.- she apologizes, not realizing my presence and I just watch in complete silence.

Tara: It's okay.- downplays it. -She never leaves me alone.- she assures her, starting to walk towards me and it is at that moment that the red-haired girl realizes my presence.

Quinn: Hello, handsome boy.- she greets me with a suggestive smile and I shift uncomfortably. -I didn't know you had a visitor.- she says to the girl who sits next to me.

Tara: Quinn, meet my boyfriend Y/n.- she introduces us by placing her hand on my thigh.

Y/n: Nice to meet you.- I say politely.

Quinn: Believe me, the pleasure is all mine.- she winks at me without removing the smile from her face.

Tara: Do you need anything else Quinn? - she asks, trying to sound friendly and squeezing my thigh with obvious annoyance.

Quinn: I just wanted to say that I understand what it's like to be suffocated.- she responds walking towards us. -After ah... we lost my brother, my father... he doesn't even let me breathe.- she says with some emotion, sitting next to me and leaving me between the two girls. -He even asked the New York police for a transfer when I started college, what a stalker.- she comments with false humor.

I clear my throat uncomfortably at the information, feeling that it is something quite sentimental and that I, a complete stranger to her, should not be listening to it.

Tara: Thank you Quinn.- she thanks her with a smile and the three of us remain silent for a few seconds.

Quinn: I'll leave you alone.- she says with a smile, getting out of bed and leaving the room, closing the door.

Y/n: That was awkward.- I whisper to make sure only my girlfriend hears me.

Tara: And you haven't listened to her fucking day in and day out.- she assures me, letting out a laugh.

Y/n: Okay, that does sound awkward.- I agree with her letting out a small laugh, amused by the face she makes at my comment.

Tara: You tell me.- she says ironically, joining me and allowing me to delight in her harmonious laughter.

This is something I will never admit to my girlfriend, but one of the few things that can brighten my day in a second, even on the worst of days, is her laugh.

I don't know why exactly, but something about the way she closes her eyes slightly when she laughs, her head thrown back, the way her dimples appear to adorn her beautiful face, the melodic but slightly raspy sound she makes, and the way her face lights up when she laughs makes me feel lighter.

Especially when out of shyness she covers her mouth with her hand so that her mouth cannot be seen and that makes her look even more cute and perfect.

Tara: Hey, are you okay? - she asks me, getting me out of my head.

Y/n: Yes, why? - I ask confused, looking into her beautiful brown eyes with a smile.

Tara: Because you've been staring at me and you've stopped laughing.- she responds with some confusion and amusement in her tone of voice.

Y/n: It's just that I like to see you happy and laughing even if it's only from time to time. - I whisper with sincerity and insecurity, not knowing how my comment is going to be taken.

Because there are precedents in our conversations, where I make an innocent comment about something and she completely changes her attitude in a single second.

I know that many times that reaction is due to the trauma she suffered, but there are times when I am afraid to say something and that she will react in a negative way as has happened before.

Tara: When I'm with you I'm happy.- she assures me in a whisper and I feel my body relax completely at her answer.

Y/n: I'm glad, because the feeling is mutual.- I assure her with a light smile.

She smiles back at me and we stay for a few seconds looking at each other in complete silence. Little by little we unconsciously get closer to each other and I lean forward, but stop when I am a few centimeters from her face.

Tara: Now is when you kiss me.- she whispers amused.

I deny with my head letting out a small laugh, before eliminating any space between our faces and joining my lips with hers in a calm kiss.

One of her hands is immediately placed on the back of my neck, where she caresses the place with her nails and I can feel how her other hand grabs my shirt, pulling at it to bring me even closer to her body.

My hands in response are placed on her thigh, where I can feel the material of her mesh leggings and the warmth and softness of her skin that the leggings leave exposed. While my other hand is placed on the mattress on one side of her body, so that I can have comfortable support and not end up falling on her body abruptly.

Quinn: I left my phone.- We hear after the door opens and we both quickly separate from the kiss. -Did I cockblock you?- she asks with a gesture that's somewhere between regretful and amused.

Tara: What did you say? - She asks her with some embarrassment and astonishment.

Quinn: Cockblock you? I've cockblocked you, didn't I? - she repeats the question several times, causing me to shift uncomfortably in my place and feel the heat rise up my neck out of embarrassment.

Tara: immediate no. - She denies just as uncomfortable as I am.

Quinn: Obviously i cockblocked you.- she nods confidently, alternating himmediate gaze between my girlfriend and me.

Y/n: Oh my god.- I groaned even more embarrassed, covering my face and letting myself fall backwards onto the bed.

Tara: What did you wanted? - she asks himmediate softly, changing the subject.

Quinn: My phone.- she answers and I hear something light move.

Tara: Call next time before entering.- she asks her roommate.

Quinn: Don't worry.- she assures her with a calm tone. -Good night.- she says goodbye and I hear quick movements.

Tara: Quinn!- she whispers quickly and with a nervous tone.

Quinn: I'm so sorry.- I hear her whisper back and I open my eyes to see her leave the room, closing the door behind her.

My girlfriend falls next to me, covering her face with her hands like I did just a few moments ago and letting out a big sigh.

Y/n: What was that for? - I ask a little amused, leaning on my elbow and looking at my girlfriend.

Tara: Nothing. - she denies quickly and I can see the reddish color adorning her cheeks when she removes her hands from the face.

Y/n: Well, tell it to your face, because it's redder than a tomato. - I assure her amused, poking her cheek with my ring finger and laughing when she slaps it away even redder.

Tara: It's not funny.- she denies covering her face with her hands again.

Y/n: A little bit, yes it is.- I assure her with amusement, leaning over her body and trying to remove the hands from her face with my free one.

Tara: Idiot.- she growls at me with amusement, allowing me to remove her hands from her face and looking at me with one of her perfect smiles.

I look at her amused, before leaning completely over her body and joining our lips again. She kisses me back immediately, once again placing one of her hands on the back of my neck and the other on my back under my shirt.

I remain supported on my elbow, while my other hand is placed on her neck and go down until it lands on her waist.

Tara: You're wearing a lot of clothes.- she assures me, separating from the kiss and pulling my shirt so I can take it off.

I quickly break away from the kiss, taking off my shirt in one motion and throwing it somewhere in the room.

Now shirtless, I join our lips again in a kiss that is more needy and abrupt than the previous one. Feeling her nails gently scratch my back and causing my skin to tingle from the action.

With my free hand, I begin to push aside the black vest she is wearing and with her help I take it off. She gently pushes me on the chest to separate me and I do so, looking at her confused.

But my confusion disappears in a second, when she sits on the bed and takes off her white blouse, leaving her in a white lace bra. She throws the blouse somewhere, before turning to me and leaning in to reconnect our lips.

With her hand on my chest again, she pushes me to lie on my back and I do. She climbs on top of me, leaving one of her hands on my chest and moving the other towards my hair.

My hands move to her waist again, where I can feel the contrast between the softness of her skin and the material of her shorts between my fingertips.

The kiss becomes more and more hungry, her body begins to move on mine and both of our hands begin to explore the other's body.

I feel how the hand on my chest descends dangerously, reaching the waistband of my pants and how two of its fingers go inside the material.

My hands run over her back and sides feeling the different textures, before ending up on her butt and leaving a squeeze on it causing a muffled moan from her.

Tara: Pants off.- she orders me with heavy breathing, getting up from above me and lying down on the bed next to me.

I watch as she unbuttons hers, moving to take them off as quickly as possible as well as her mesh leggings and throws them to the ground.

I imitate her action by unbuckling my belt with some difficulty due to nerves, which makes her desperate and her hands begin to help me take off my pants.

But as soon as she starts to take them down, a quick loud knock on her bedroom door scares us.

Chad: Come out now! - he exclaims with some urgency in his voice. -Tara, come to the living room right now, you have to see this!- he exclaims after stopping knocking on the door.

Tara: I'm coming! - she growls annoyed, letting out a big sigh full of frustration and anger.

She lets her head fall onto my chest, trying to relax her breathing and trying to calm down.

Y/n: It seems like this isn't the time.- I comment, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere in the room.

Tara's POV

I can not believe it. They can't leave me alone even in my own room. I'm tired of being watched all the time and not being left alone for even five minutes.

I move away from my boyfriend's chest, getting out of bed and walking towards my closet. I pull out the first thing I see, which is a white long-sleeved t-shirt with black stripes and jeans, and put them on.

I put on a pair of sneakers and notice that my boyfriend is sitting on the side of the bed fastening his belt.

I sigh with some guilt and frustration, feeling that because of me he has already suffered enough tonight and for not being able to finish what we have started. I can still feel his hands on my body, the heat of his body on mine, and the discomfort in my underwear.

But for now I only can ignore it and hope that whatever Chad wants isn't too important.

Tara: I'm so sorry.- I apologize with guilt, letting out a sigh and catching his attention.

Y/n: Why are you apologizing? - He asks me confused, getting up from the bed without a shirt on and walking towards me.

Tara: For everything.- I answer honestly. -But especially because of what has happened in the last few hours.- I comment, unable to look anywhere other than his exposed torso.

Y/n: You don't have to apologize for anything Tar.- he assures me, calling me by my nickname, grabbing my face by the cheeks and forcing me to look at his face gently. -Nothing that happened was your fault, nothing.- he emphasizes, looking me straight in the eyes.

Tara: But Sam and everything...- I try to defend my point, but he interrupts me with a kiss.

Y/n: Nothing was your fault, so don't you dare apologize.- he murmurs against my lips. -So if you don't want me to get angry with you, don't apologize again.- he finishes before leaving another soft kiss on my lips.

Tara: I think it's better that you wear a t-shirt to go out. - I commented amusedly when we separated from the kiss.

Y/n: That's what I was thinking of doing.- He answers, looking at me with half-closed eyes.

Tara: Well, hurry up, before someone else comes banging on the door of my room. - I asks him, leaving a soft slap on his bare chest and separating me from his body.

He searches for his shirt quickly, finding it on my desk and putting it back on. Once he is fully dressed, I grab his hand and pull him towards the living room.

When we get to the living room, we see that my friends and Quinn are watching television with their faces full of worry.

Mindy: Sam is already coming up.- He tells me when he notices our presence and I sit in the armchair without taking my eyes off the television.

On the screen you can see the news of a murder of two Blackmore students. I only realize that my sister has entered through the door, because she enters quickly asking what is happening and that catches my attention.

Quinn: The handsome guy.- points to the boy who lives in front of our building entering behind my sister.

I don't pay attention to him and quickly return my gaze to the TV. I open my eyes in surprise when they announce the names of the victims and they turn out to be Jason and Greg, two students that almost all of us know.

Mindy: Damn, he's the geek in film class.- she comments immediately. -The one obsessed with Argento.- she points out while eating popcorn.

But the worst part comes when they announce that they have found ghostface costumes in their apartment and that makes me look at my sister immediately.

Sam: The suitcases.- she orders walking towards the kitchen. -We leave in ten minutes. - warns bluntly.

Tara: Sam, wait Sam! - I ask walking behind her.

Sam: We're leaving town.- she announces to everyone present, but especially to me.

Tara: Sam, are you kidding? - I asked her in disbelief at her disproportionate reaction.

Sam: We're leaving.- she assures me while she chooses one of the knives in the kitchen and leaves with the knife in her hand.

Tara: Sam, wait.- I ask her without stopping following her. -Let's talk for a moment, because maybe this has nothing to do with us. - I try to convince her so that we don't have to leave and because I have the hope that the same thing from last year won't happen again.

Sam: Are you kidding? - she asks me with obvious sarcasm.

Tara: It's New York, on Halloween everyone wears masks and... - I try to explain but she interrupts me.

Sam: Tara, this is not a coincidence.- she denies seriously. -You knew him.- she refers to Jason.

Tara: Barely.- I defend myself quickly.

Sam: Chad, Mindy back me up.- she asks my friends.

Chad: It is a little bit...- he begins and his sister finishes for him.

Mindy: Close to home. - She shrugs her shoulders when I say it when I look at her wrong.

Sam: See.- she tells me when my friends agree with her.

I quickly think about the situation and how I can find a way so that Sam doesn't go crazy and force me to leave without giving me any other option.

Tara: Quinn, your father is a cop, right? - I ask her, remembering the times he has mentioned it to me. -Well, call him and let him find out what's going on.- I ask my friend with some desperation. -Before you make a lateral decision and make me abandon my college studies, my boyfriend and flee the fucking state.- I turn to my sister at the end with reproach.

Quinn: I'm calling him.- she comments out loud, placing the cell phone to his ear.

Tara: Thank you.- I thank her immediately.

I look over at my boyfriend, who looks at me with some nervousness and some fear from his spot next to Chad. 

I try to smile at him to reassure him, but as soon as we hear the ringtone of Sam's cell phone we all look towards the object and the atmosphere becomes so tense that it is suffocating.

Sam walks over to the cell phone with me behind her and takes it in her hands, allowing us to see the name of the person who is calling her. Gale Weathers. My sister rejects the call and the room is silent again for a few seconds.

Ethan: Why everyone freaked out when the phone rang? - he asks with a small nervous smile.

Anika: You got to keep up, my dude. - she says with a tired face to Chad's roommate.

Quinn: Sam, my father wants to talk to you.- she says approaching us and handing him the phone.

My sister receives it immediately, placing it in her ear and starting to talk to our roommate's father.

They don't spend much time talking, before the call ends and he hands the phone back to the redhead.

Tara: What's wrong? What did he say to you? - I ask my sister, watching as she walks towards the entrance and grabs her blue bomber jacket from the coat rack. -Sam?- I call walking behind her.

Sam: I have to go to the police station, you stay here and don't go out under any circumstances.- she says looking at everyone present. -It won't take long for me to get back.- she assures us, putting on her jacket and walking out the door.

I take a deep breath, trying to think of something and hastily grab my pink bomber jacket and go out after her.

I start to go down the stairs quickly, feeling my heart beating fast in my throat and the fear that something could happen to my sister.

Y/n: Tara! - I hear behind me. -Tara, wait.- he asks me, standing next to me. -Where do you plan to go?- he asks me quickly.

Tara: With my sister as commissioner.- I answer in a simple way.

Y/n: Your sister said not to leave the apartment and I'm sure she was referring above all to you. - she reminds me without stopping following me.

Tara: And when has my sister respected my space or what I ask of her?- I remind him with a frown, seeing that Sam is one floor below me.

Y/n: Well then I'll go with you.- he tells me confidently and I look at him quickly.

Tara: No, you stay here with the rest.- I order him without looking at him and speeding up my pace so that my sister doesn't escape from me.

Y/n: Are you serious? - he asks me with some disbelief. -If you really think I'm going to let you leave alone in the middle of the night and after that news you're crazy.- he lists his reasons for accompanying me.

Tara: Okay.- I agree, letting out a tired sigh, but feeling a warmth invade my chest at his concern.

We continue down the stairs quickly, staying a few meters from Sam just when he reaches the main doors of the building and leaves them.

Tara: Sam, wait! - I call her, leaving the building behind her so she can wait for us.

Sam: Tara, no.- she tells me turning around. -Go back inside and lock the door.- she tells us, walking towards me and pushing me towards the entrance through which I just came out.

Tara: Are you kidding me, now you don't want to stick together? - I ask her in disbelief, ready to defend my position and reasoning for accompanying her.

Sam: Fine, but if I tell you to run, you do it and you don't stop until you reach the police station. - she points her finger at us, before turning around and heading towards the police station with us at her side.

We walk to the police station in complete silence, with me between my sister and my boyfriend. A few minutes after starting the walk, my boyfriend linked our hands and clung close to my body, giving me a feeling of protection.

But our walk stops when Sam's cell phone rings again and when he takes it out of his pocket we both freeze when we see the contact's name.

[stardewstardropthoughts]

How the bachelorettes are when you go down on them for the first time, mdni pls

Bear with me here lol I may be a lady but I ain’t got much experience in that department only content warning is my probably not great writing

Haley

She’s definitely not a virgin for sure

Shes probably had a handful of past partners, so she knows what she likes and isn’t afraid to direct you

She’s not fully waxed but I definitely think she keeps hair to a minimum down there

Will definitely be open to riding your face if you want her to

She likes a combination of clit and inner stimulation so don’t be afraid to use fingers

She’s loud, does not care if anyone hears her moaning

She definitely wears lingerie, like a cute pink lace set

When she cums she might accidentally trap your head with her thighs but that’s fine

She will return the favour, just give her a few moments and a bottle of water first

Emily

Personally I think she’s asexual but for those who don’t headcanon her as such here ya go

Probably not the most experienced but knows what she likes since she’s definitely explored herself

She doesn’t shave but who doesn’t love a little bush diving adventure

Her thighs are sensitive so place little kisses and gentle bites on them as you work your way up

Clot stimulation is her go to but she wouldn’t say no to fingering as well

Very easily overstimulated

She would be embarrassed with how quickly she cums if she wasn’t on cloud nine right after

Will return the favour, she wants to start off by giving you a whole body massage and working her way down

Abigale

I think she’s probably only had one previous partner

It was probably Sam on some night after the saloon when they got high and decided to lose they’re virginity together

She’s trimmed but not fully bare

She’ll direct you how she likes, what speed to move your fingers and tongue, what motion feels best for her

Leave hickeys on her hips and thighs she loves seeing the dark purple marks after words

She keeps pretty quiet aside from light moans and little gasps

Definitely has her hands in your hair

Grinds on your face as you go

If you get the motion and the pressure just right she might squirt

She’ll return the favour and then you’ll both shower together and play some video games with some snacks

Maru

Virgin

I can’t see her having much time for partners previously

Especially with all the extra courses and extracurricular activities she did

You learn together on what feels best and how to get her to cum

She’s decently loud in bed so y’all have to keep the activities to the farm so her dad doesn’t interrupt

She’s probably got a bit more hair then abigale but not full bush

Wants to return the favour after but definitely needs guidance

Penny

Another virgin

When would she have had time to lose it really

She hardly has time or space to masturbate

You and her figure it out together

She’s probably got a full bush just for lack of time to trim but her hygiene is still impeccable

She likes to hold hands when you go down on her

She doesn’t last very long at all

Probably fairly high pitched moans and whimpers

Likes to be praised

Will return the favour after

Pls give her snacks and water after, she won’t outright ask for them so just gather them and bring them to her

Leah

She’s got experience

Look at her I love her I just know she fucks

Who doesn’t want a big strong wood artist girlfriend

Keeps her hair trimmed and probably honestly trims a shape now and then like some people do for fun

She knows what she likes and she likes to be in control

Will ride your face if your okay with it

She moans decently loud

Loves when you pump your fingers in a come hither motion while sucking her clit

Cums hard

If your listening closely you can hear little whimpers as she cums

Definitely grabs your hair while she rides your face

More then willing to return the favour, will have you begging by the end of the night

Y’all will need a cold shower and snacks after, maybe a blanket and movie as well

[sunsetkerr]

10 THINGS Y/N L/N CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT | s.kerr

summary: british gq releases a video of you and the ten things you can't live without. [1k words]

pairing: singer!reader x sam kerr

notes: another singer!reader!!!!!

[STUDIO; BLUE BACKGROUND, Y/N SITTING AT A WHITE TABLE. TEN ITEMS SAT IN FRONT OF HER]

Y/N L/N: Hi GQ, I'm Y/N L/N and these are ten things that I can't live without.

[SHOTS OF VARIOUS ITEMS FLASH ONTO THE SCREEN; A LIP BALM, A PHONE, A VAN CLEEF CLOVER BRACELET, A VOCAL CORD STEAMER]

[CLIP OF AN IPHONE 13]

'1) PHONE'

Y/N L/N: So this is my phone, I don't go anywhere without it. I figured we could get the boring stuff out of the way first (LAUGHS). I know everyone comes and watches these and watches people pull their phones out and collectively groans. (WHISPERS) I'm sorry.

[Y/N CLICKS ON THE HOME SCREEN. A PICTURE OF SAM ON THE BEACH POPS UP WITH THE TIME OVERLAPPING IT]

Y/N L/N: Nothing special really until you see the home screen. It's a picture of Sam from the very first time we went to Fremantle together to meet her family. I had never been to Fremantle before, so it was very cool and I met all of her family, it was one of my favourite trips we had ever been on together. Very special.

[CLIP OF A MACBOOK AIR, THERE IS A NUMBER 20 STICKER SITTING IN THE BOTTOM CORNER]

'2) LAPTOP'

Y/N L/N: I don't ever go anywhere without my laptop. I like having it on me, I'm not sure why. I don't go on holidays without it, or stay at a friends place without it. I never know when I'll need it. She always comes in handy, and because it's a MacBook I can text and FaceTime on it if my phone dies.

[CLIP OF A VAN CLEEF BRACELET SAT ON Y/N'S WRIST]

'3) BRACELET'

Y/N L/N: Okay, so this bracelet is very special to me. Sam gave it to me on our first anniversary. It's a Van Cleef Alhambra bracelet and we both have one which I think is sweet. So if I'm not with Sam, I like to have it on so I can think of her... (PAUSES) That was a little lame, wasn't it?

[CLIP OF A GOLDEN RING, A CLOVER SHAPE]

'4) RING'

Y/N L/N: I feel like I'm just talking about Sam, and maybe I am, but I don't care. Anyway, this is my ring that Sam also got for me, it's also from Van Cleef.

[CLOSE UP OF THE RING; GOLD DETAILING IN THEN CENTRE OF THE CLOVER]

Y/N L/N: It matches my bracelet which is nice. I try to wear it on every red carpet or event that I go to, because usually I'm wearing clothes and jewellery that don't belong to me, so having this makes me feel like I've got a little piece of me on the night.

[CLIP OF A GREEN VOCAL STEAMER]

'5) STEAM INHALER'

Y/N L/N: Okay, so this is my steamer and I don't ever go anywhere without it if I'm working. This thing keeps me sane and sounding somewhat decent if I'm not feeling well. Lots of my friends in theatre had these growing up and I was always so jealous and wanted one, so I finally bought myself one online and I will never go back. After a show, I will shower and go back to the bus or the hotel and just sit with this for an hour.

[CLIP OF A PINK 'GO-TO' LIP BALM]

'6) LIPS!'

Y/N L/N: Caitlin Foord got me onto this skincare brand back home in Australia called 'go-to' and I am literally never ever going to put anything else on my face ever again.

[Y/N KISSES THE SIDE OF THE LIP BALM]

Y/N L/N: This is their 'lips!' lip balm and I take it everywhere with me. I hate having dry lips, or when I'm trying to sing and they crack at the sides. That *BEEP* kills me. (Y/N GASPS AND LOOKS INTO THE CAMERA WITH WIDE EYES) I am so so sorry.

[CLIP OF A WORN NOTEBOOK WITH SOME STICKERS ON THE FRONT THAT ARE BEGINNING TO CREASE]

'7) NOTEBOOK'

Y/N L/N: If you didn't know, I write songs..

[CAMERA ANGLE CUTS TO B-ROLL CAMERA, Y/N LOOKING DOWN THE LENSE]

Y/N L/N: (WHISPERS) Good ones

[CUTS BACK TO MAIN CAMERA]

Y/N L/N: And this is where I write them if I don't, for some reason, have my laptop with me. I don't love writing them down because I change my lyrics so much over time and I waste so much paper and room writing in an actual book, but I live with it.

[CLIP OF A GREEN AND YELLOW BEADED BRACELET WITH THE WORDS 'KERR 20' THREADED INTO IT]

'8) FRIENDSHIP BRACELET'

Y/N L/N: I go to lots of football games. I try to go to most of Sam's games if I can and I always wear this.

[Y/N TURNS THE BRACELET AROUND TO SHOW THE NAME ON THE BRACELET, THERE IS A SMALL WHITE BEAD WITH A RED HEART IN THE MIDDLE SEPARATING KERR AND 20]

Y/N L/N: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has started a very big thing for friendship bracelets, which I'm loving. So when Sam was playing in the World Cup, a girl tapped me on the shoulder and gave me this which was really sweet. I didn't have a bracelet to trade with her, but I have made one and I'm taking it with me to the Olympic Qualifiers in October in hopes that I'll see her again and I can give it back to her. So if you see this, I have a bracelet for you!

[CLIP OF A MICROPHONE, A PALE BLUE BODY AND WITH A MATCHING RING AROUND THE TOP]

'9) MICROPHONE'

Y/N L/N: This is my mic, I have played every show for the last three years with this exact mic. I don't like not playing without it now, it's become almost a superstition. (CHUCKLES)

[PICTURE OF Y/N AND TAYLOR SWIFT SINGING TOGETHER ON STAGE POPS UP, Y/N IS USING HER BLUE MICROPHONE]

Y/N L/N: Sam took this picture of me and Taylor during sound check (Y/N HOLDS UP A PRINT OUT OF THE PICTURE). I love this picture a lot, we didn't have any fancy outfits or choreography, it was just us having fun before a show. Very special.

[BACKGROUND MUSIC STOPS; CLIP OF SAM WALKING ONTO SET AND SITTING ON Y/N'S LAP]

'10) GIRLFRIEND'

Y/N L/N: Self-explanatory

SAM KERR: I'm honoured (SAM LOOKS DOWN AT Y/N AND KISSES HER CHEEK A FEW TIMES)

Y/N L/N: (LAUGHS)

[BLACK SCREEN; GQ LOGO]

[seenoversundown]

For Death Or Glory : Chapter Eight

Jake Kiszka x Charlotte (Fem OC)

Warnings: DRINKING / ALCOHOL (bigger warning because they are actively drinking in this one, not just in the bar) Swearing, Sex is mentioned (not had) A LOT of ridiculous puns and jokes, Slow Burn is REAL, Halloween Costumes, Brotherly Banter (gentle bullying) and finally, our favorite warning, YEARNING.

Word Count: 7k (longest so far!!)

Summary: IT'S HALLOWEEN BABES; Josh decides to decorate the bar for the holiday and so, they make it into a little party. Jake hesitates on what to do about Charlotte, but goes with his gut. And BOY IS THAT A LITTLE TREAT.

Author's Note: I said this week would be a sweet treat and I think that you'll find that it is! I don't want to spoil the surprise but, I think you'll be excited to see what it is 🤭 See you on the other side!

Crush - Tessa Violet "You make it difficult to not overthink, And when I'm with you, I turn all shades of pink, I wanna touch you, but don't wanna be weird."

Jake POV 

“You know, whatever you decide to hang up, we need to be able to get down, right?” 

I stand there watching Josh not so carefully hanging off the ladder’s top step. Quinn looks less than impressed while they stand on the bottom step.

“Maybe Jake is onto something, Josh Groban,” they tell him. 

Josh stops, looks back with a glare, and then returns to whatever he is trying to do. 

I look over at them, both of us shaking our heads, knowing that Josh will do whatever he damn well pleases. 

“He’s your problem to deal with now,” I tell them, gently squeezing their shoulders as I pass by. 

Deciding to make sure the bar is fully stocked for the night, I can’t help but eavesdrop on Sam and Willa as they try to get ‘cute post-worthy’ pictures for the bar’s Instagram. 

“Sam, can you just work with me?” Willa asks, letting out a frustrated sigh. 

“Birdie, you know this is also my job?” 

“Yeah, well, last time you took promo photos, you stole all my flowers, AND you hated the outcome. So, maybe just listen to me?” 

“I’m not trying to be difficult, little bird,” Sam says, “You just need to relax.”

“When has telling a girl to relax ever ended well for you?” 

I was chuckling to myself as I listened to them and took notes of what needed to be pulled from the back. I hate dragging myself away from the free entertainment, but I need to keep moving so the bar can be ready tonight. 

I wasn’t the one who came up with the idea to do a themed night; you can only imagine who suggested it, but people have been talking about it lately, so maybe it was a good choice. Even though I had to explain to Josh that we cannot require people to wear costumes, I think it’ll be fun to see everyone dressed up. 

Looking at the back stock and pulling out the things we’ll need, I hear footsteps approaching me. I simply glanced at the doorway to finally be met with Josh’s presence. 

“So.. are you going to invite her?” 

My eyebrows pull together a bit, “Who?”

“Your First Mate,” Josh says, wiggling his eyebrows at me. 

“Oh shut up,” I quip back, “I was thinking about it.” 

Regret has never hit me quicker. 

“OH ARE YOU NOW?”

“I mean… you saw her the other day, Josh. She’s obviously not having a great time and the fact she has to keep coming here, I may as well at least extend the offer.” I tell him, “Even if she’ll probably say no.” Quickly, I look back at my notes to make sure I’m not forgetting anything before walking back out to the bar. 

“Well, you have been talking to her,” he says. 

“We’ve texted .. a little bit,” I tell him, knowing that he will pry for more information, “BUT– it’s nothing crazy. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.” 

He follows me, offering no assistance carrying anything but absolutely still trying to make something out of nothing. 

“That’s very you… of you to do.” 

Both of us looked vaguely unimpressed at that statement. 

“Okay, that wasn’t my best work. I’m just saying that maybe there’s a chance you two could be something of an item,” he tells me, a little too giddy for my liking. 

Setting everything on the bar abruptly, “Jesus Christ, Josh. Just because I’m nice to the girl doesn’t mean I want anything more.” I’m trying to sound convincing, even though I know he will call me on it at any moment. I wouldn’t be opposed to it, though. But for god’s sake, Josh doesn’t need to know that. 

“Okay, okay, alright, I’ll stop,” he starts, holding his hands up. But know that I will find out if anything happens between you two,” he squints at me before turning around to continue helping Quinn decorate. 

I watch as he finds himself busy again, but I can tell from a distance that he updates Quinn on his interrogation. If there is anything I know about my brother, it is that he will know everything about everyone all the time, which in turn means Quinn knows everything as well. I let out a small sigh while piling bottles of Modelo back into the fridge. Maybe I should just text her. Is that weird? She’s going to say no anyway. 

Still squatting down behind the bar, I pull my phone from my back pocket. Unlocking it to a handful of email notifications and a few texts from Sam that I ignored earlier.  I love him, but he doesn’t need to ask me every time if he can take some promo pics for the bar. 

I tap on her conversation; my thumbs hesitate for a second. Is this stupid? Am I wasting my metaphorical breath? Maybe she’ll appreciate the thought. 

Me: Hi there. How are you? Are you busy tonight by any chance?

I shove my phone back into my pocket before standing back up, grabbing the few loose cans and bottles across the bar, and tossing them. Looking around at the new decorations, they all have managed to get hung up already, and it’s definitely feeling much more festive. 

“Josh, can you–” I start, but I feel my phone vibrate, stopping me mid-question, “Uh, lost my train of thought. I’ll get back to you on that,” 

I grab my phone and see her name sitting there, making the heat rise in my face. 

Charlotte: No, I’m free. Why? 

The three dots pop up before I can reply, making me more nervous. 

Charlotte: Do you need help with something?

Me: nooo I don’t need anything from you. We’re just doing a little thing here for halloween and I thought I would see if you were interested. No pressure or anything lol.

Those god-forsaken three dots come back, then disappear, and reappear. There is no worse form of torture in the modern day than waiting for a text to pop up. 

Charlotte: Maybe

Okay… Well, it isn’t a no. I look up to find Josh directly in front of me, scaring the shit out of me. I didn’t realize he could be quiet enough to do that. 

“Can I help you?” 

“You looked very intrigued by whatever was on your phone there, brother,” Josh says, with a shitty little grin on his face. 

“Don’t you have things to be doing other than watching me use my phone?” I ask, not able to stop the slight eye roll that came along with it. 

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that,” he says, “ Quinn and I are going to run upstairs to get ready, and then I can take over so you can go put on whatever pirate bullshit you want.” He says, staring at me with a matter-of-fact expression and his arms folded across his chest.  

“Sounds good to me, bub.” 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

 Sam and Willa left shortly after Josh and Quinn, leaving me with the usual regulars to tend to. They weren’t a rowdy bunch, so I got a good amount of cleaning done before the rush of people. 

Maybe. The fact she didn’t say ‘no’ was basically haunting me. It’s not a big deal if she does show up because she is just a ‘friend’. That’s even a strong way of wording it. 

At this point, the sun has been set for a while, which is attracting costumed customers. Some are more clever than others, but regardless, I’m just glad that people seem to like the idea. 

I’m talking to Linda, who’s dressed as an 80s Aerobic Instructor, when I hear the sounds of my dear brother entering the building. He always has a way of making his presence known, whether he means to or not. We both glance over to the door, where he lets Quinn through first, quickly following behind. 

Hand in hand, they joined us at the bar. I just looked at the two of them for a minute, my head tilted slightly. 

“Peter Pan and Tinkerbell?” I finally manage to ask.

“Yes!” Josh says, fluttering the tiny wings he has on. 

I let out a small sigh; I should have known, giggling to myself. 

“I think you two look adorable,” Linda compliments them, eliciting a curtsy from Josh while Quinn does a stage bow. 

“Alright, Tink, come tend bar so I can go change into something more festive.”

After I finally got upstairs, I started digging through my closet, looking for everything. I know it’s in here. I finally found my cream button-up; it was a bit looser on me than most of my shirts, so when I tucked it in; it definitely fit a pirate theme. 

I pull on my black slim-fit jeans, tucking the bottom of my shirt into them. I slide on my brown dress vest over the shirt, leaving it fairly open so that my chest is exposed. I grab the necklaces on my nightstand and walk into the bathroom to make sure they are sitting properly. I don’t need Josh telling me I layered my necklaces wrong again. 

I know Josh has some sort of scarf or belt that would make more sense for a pirate outfit, so I decide to bravely go into his room. Good lord, Josh.  Walking into his room, I always forget that he likes to have things. I mean that nicely; he just loves art, decor, and tchotchkes, so his bedroom would be overstimulating to most. Considering how long I’ve known him, I’m generally accustomed to his ways, but when he keeps his door shut more often than not, it starts to slip my mind. 

Rummaging through his closet, filled with colorful pieces, I find the clothes hanger loaded with scarves. I pulled out an olive green one; earth tones will work, right?  I tie it around my waist, moving in front of his full-length mirror; I look much more piratey than before. 

I look at the time, not realizing how long it’s taken me, I hustle back into my room. I grab the rings from the drawer in my nightstand, quickly sliding them on and spraying myself with another round of cologne to hopefully hold me over the rest of the night. I pull out a single cigarette from the drawer, shutting it a little harder than I mean to. 

Maybe? Her text is still sitting in my mind. What if she does show up? I grab my phone from the counter, slide it back into my pocket, and head out the door. 

“Excuse me, sorry,” I mumble as people pass me on the stairs. I’m moving a little quicker than I usually am because I don’t want to leave Josh bartending alone for too long. Maybe Melody is helping him out? I should have pulled everything out earlier, so this didn’t happen. 

I pull open the door, letting the couple outside into the stairwell. I pull my lighter out, placing the cigarette between my lips and covering the filter end with my hand to block the wind. I take the long way around the building so I can enjoy this while I have a second. Josh is fine, the bar is fine, if she shows up, that’s also fine. I think to myself as I’m rounding the corner. Taking one final drag before putting it out, I hold in the cloud of smoke for a moment before releasing it. I close my eyes for a second, breathing in the cool fall air. Glancing over to the most delightful sight, I’m unable to come up with words fast enough before I hear– 

“Well, hello there, Captain.” 

Charlotte POV

You’re allowed to have fun, Charlotte. That’s the mantra I’ve been repeating in my head since Jacob told me about this party, though the alternative is that this is incredibly unprofessional. 

I’ve been parked and sitting in my car for 10 minutes, building up the will to get out. You bought a costume, and you got ready, and you smiled at the text for about 15 minutes straight. Just go have fun. My hand finally reached for the handle, opening the door. 

My boots make a little click on the pavement as I get out of the car; I smooth out my pants and readjust the little corset so it’s more comfortable. I look at my reflection in my car windows, leaning in to make sure my lipstick is still in place. Okay. Just go. 

Rounding the corner, I see the entrance to the bar, making me slow my pace a little until- 

Jacob? I watch as he walks towards the bar; he looks .. good– No, Charlotte, cut it out. I slowly walk towards him, still watching him as he lets out a quick stream of smoke; why is that kinda…  He sets the rest of the cigarette in the ashtray placed on top of the garbage can. He stops for a second, clearly trying to calm down. Is he okay? His shoulders drop as he lets out a long breath. Suddenly, we’re making eye contact. Shit.

“Well, hello there, Captain,” I say to him. Smooth Charlotte, real smooth. 

He giggles at the name, “Well, blow me down. I didn’t know if I would see you tonight, Red.” 

“I decided that I deserved a little fun after this past week and all.”

“I think you made a good decision,” he says calmly, “Also, your costume choice is just lovely.” I don’t know if I ate too much or if he is actually giving me butterflies right now. 

“Oh, thank you,” I say quietly; I’ve never been good at receiving compliments. We both stand there for a brief second before he grabs the door to the bar, gesturing for me to go through. 

“Ladies first.” 

“What a gentleman– oh, I mean, gentle-pirate.”

The bar is full of costumed people, Halloween songs playing loud over the speakers that you can barely hear over the chatter from everyone.  It’s nice to see how busy the bar is finally.  I had only really been here earlier in the day and honestly, it’s refreshing to know that the bar is doing well, considering how many people are here. 

I followed Jacob to the bar, sitting down, only to notice that his brother was dressed as Tinkerbell. It seemed like an odd choice until I looked down to the other end of the bar to see Peter Pan sitting there. Oh… OH. 

“Charlotte! You came!” Josh says excitedly, “Y’know, I told Ol’ Captain Sparrow that if he just asked you that, you-” 

 “Oooookay, Tink, that’s enough,” Jacob cuts him off, making me laugh. 

He slid a glass over to me on a napkin. I looked down to see that he made me a Boulevardier. He remembered? My heart feels weird. 

“Let me know if it’s terrible, I’ll remake it for you,”

I take a small sip; it’s incredible?

“No, it’s perfect, thank you,” I tell him. 

He smiles at me, even his eyes light up. I watch him walk down the length of the bar, checking in on other customers and replacing their drinks with fresh ones. He’s so soft-spoken that I’m shocked he feels so comfortable bartending. The way he looks at every single customer, giving them his full attention, even for the twenty seconds it takes for them to place their order. He’s so-

“So Charlotte,” Josh starts, pulling me out of my thoughts, which may be a good thing at this rate. 

“How are you doing, dear?” he asks while wiping a wine glass dry. 

“I’m okay,” I tell him, “I am sorry about the other day, I hope you weren’t trying to get out of here.” 

“I was actually coming back from lunch, and you weren’t a bother at all,” he tells me, relieving me that I didn’t mess up his entire day. 

He continues, “Also, never apologize to me for having feelings. I don’t know what happened, but I’m glad that you were able to let them out. Jake is good at handling situations like yours, so you picked the perfect time, honestly.”

“Oh,” I say before taking a bigger sip. 

“Are you here alone?” he asks. I nod quickly, “Let me introduce you to someone. Hold on!” 

I watch as he waves over the person in the Peter Pan costume. They make their way over to us, and with how Josh’s face looks, I’m assuming this is a special person to him.

“Charlotte, this is Quinn,” Josh said, gesturing between the two of us. 

“Hi, nice to meet you, Quinn,” I can’t help how professional it comes out. 

“You as well,” they start, “If you haven’t pieced it together, yes, I’m Josh’s partner.” They let out a small laugh, gesturing at the Peter Pan costume. Okay, thank God, I didn’t want to say that I assumed.  

Looking at the two of them, they really are precious. 

“I love your costumes,” I tell them. 

“Oh, thank you!” they both say simultaneously. 

“So Charlotte, what exactly is your job?” Quinn asks. 

“Well-” I’m cut off by the group of people approaching us loudly. 

I watch quietly from my seat while they all greet each other. 

“WILLIAM,” Quinn hollers.

 “QUILL” 

“QUILLIAM,” the two of them yell at the same time, falling into a fit of giggles. 

I can’t help but wonder what I’m currently witnessing. 

“Oh my god, you look so fucking good.”

“Stop it- no, YOU guys look so good.”

Quinn looks back over to me, grabs the two girls’ hands they have been chatting with, and hustles back to the bar.

“Guys, this is Charlotte!” Quinn starts introducing us. “This is Willa,” they gesture to the petite girl with a cute bob haircut that frames her face so nicely. She’s dressed in light pink. Loofah? Which is quickly clarified when Sam comes into view dressed as a bar of soap, whom I met briefly the first day I came in. 

“I still can’t believe I’m soap, Bird.”

“It was this or Twilight, be glad!”

“And this is Melody, obviously. You’ve met already, though?” gesturing to her, who’s also absolutely beautiful. She’s dressed as Arwen, which means that Danny is dressed as the Aragorn man.

“Hi,” I manage to get out, “Yes, we have, and you both look so great,” 

“Thank you so much!” Melody quickly responds. 

“Oh, thanks!” Willa quips back. 

“Drinks for everybody,” Jake’s voice came from behind me as he slid a bunch of glasses towards us. A chorus of ‘thank you’ surrounds me. Before I can turn to acknowledge him, he’s grabbing my glass. 

“Another one?” He asks, fairly quietly this time. 

“Please,” my nerves are getting the best of me, and the best way to fight them off is not to be sober. 

“Oh, sick! We’re all in couples costumes,” 

“Sam,” Willa hitting Sam’s arm, “Shut up?”

I could feel the heat rising into my face; I had been ignoring that Jacob and I wore the same kind of costume and wishfully thought that nobody would mention it. I guess that ship has sailed.

“We have Peter Pan and Twinkerbell, Lord of the Rings, and Calico Jack and Anne Bonny at the bar– I thought it was safe to assume!” Sam says, his loud laugh following it.  

“Oh guys,” Jake sounds defeated, “Don’t embarrass her. You just met her.” 

He looks back at me, handing me a new drink, “I’m sorry about that. I swear sometimes my brother hates me.” 

“It’s okay. I was kind of waiting for it to happen,” I laughed, “I mean, we are matching so..” 

He laughs at my observation for a moment. 

“Between you and me,” he leans a little closer, whispering, “I think we’re the best dressed here,” flashing me a small smile; oh, how I wish he wouldn’t do that. 

“Charlotte, come with us!” Quinn says, grabbing my hand and pulling me off the barstool. They pull me over to a table where the other girls are sitting. Oh god.  

“Josh told me you were here alone, and well.. that’s not fun,” they tell me. 

“I don’t actually live around here, so I don’t really know anybody,” I start, “Well, aside from you guys, now.”

A slew of ‘oooohhhh’s come out from all of them. 

“So, I’m under the impression you’re all partners with the boys?” I ask. 

“Yes!” “Yep,” “Mhmmm,” quickly followed. 

I take another few sips of my drink, feeling the anxiety starting to melt away. 

“I’m secretly a sucker for romance, so who wants to let me in on the situations here?” I tell them, rapidly pointing around at all of them and the boys. I’m going to be around for a little bit. I may as well get to know them. Plus.. it probably wouldn’t hurt for me to try and make some friends… right? 

“How much time do you have?” Quinn asks bluntly. The other two erupted with laughter. 

I look down at my drink, swirling it around, and then drink the last few sips quickly before looking at them and delivering a monotone, “I got time.” 

“Well, in that case,” Willa starts, “Let me tell you about my sweet, dumb, but hot boyfriend Samuel.” She says while cracking her knuckles. 

“So– I met him at the farmers market, where he proceeded to be an absolute dick to me. And THEN, he was here when I came here on an unsuccessful date, we had to WORK TOGETHER, went on a trip where we got with ONE BED-” Willa pauses for dramatic effect before taking a breath to practically yell, “LIKE THE BOOK TROPE, CHARLOTTE.”

“You sure you wanna hear this?” Quinn interjects. 

“Oh, I’m invested now,” I quickly spit out. I catch a small glimpse of Jacob as he’s grabbing some empty bottles from a table across the room. He smiles and nods at whatever they say; oh, there’s that feeling again. 

Willa continues her tale, but I barely hear her. My eyes fixated on him, watching how he makes eye contact with anyone who talks to him. Making sure that he hears them, nodding along and giggling often. Every so often, letting someone have a genuine smile–

Willa’s voice hit me again, “–and now I guess I like him back.” 

“Oh, my god?” I respond, “That is uh.. A lot?” Oh, I’m the worst person ever. 

“It is a lot, but I guess he was worth it or whatever,” Willa rolls her eyes at the statement. 

Quinn smacked her arm, “You loved that silly string bean for so long. Don’t even act like you didn’t.” 

Everybody was giggling at the call out. I saw Melody look around the table at all the empty glasses before standing up and grabbing them all.

“Let me get us another round, but Quinn, feel free to start whenever,” She grabs their arm, “I obviously know how this goes already.” 

We all watch her for a minute as she walks up to the bar, getting the boys’ attention. 

“Melody is so pretty?” I say out loud, “Oh god, is that weird?”

“No!” 

“Not at all.” 

“We all think she’s hot, don’t worry.”

Before I can look back over to them, Jacob is in my line of sight again. This time, he’s behind the bar, talking to one of the older ladies he seems so fond of. The way they make him laugh is sweet. He’s stood there for a second before he leans over the bar to grab something from them, but the way he leans makes his shirt fall open more; I can see his stomach flex for a split second. Holy shit. Where is Melody with those drinks, dear god- 

“Alright, Quill, let’s go.” 

Melody sat back down at the table, dispersing the drinks to everyone. 

“Welllllll,” Quinn says, “I met him at Hobby Lobby- don’t ask me why HE worked THERE.”

I have got to stop getting distracted by this man. He walks past our table, gently squeezing Quinn’s shoulders as he passes them. They just glance over at him as they’re talking. It’s precious how much he seems to like them. Maybe he’s just a loving person? Oh, god I don’t like that. 

 “But, now we’re just in love, and he’s perfect, so!” 

“...in the cooler?” Willa mumbled, covering her mouth, “Please tell me you’re joking.” 

What did they do in the cooler? Shit, I need to be paying closer attention. 

“Yeah… I probably could have left that part out, huh?” Their eyes widened, looking over at me, with the realization of who they were telling that to. “We cleaned up after! Promise!”

“Wait a second- so, you and Josh.. here?” Willa says, pointing at Quinn, before turning to Melody, “And you and Danny …ALSO here..?” 

Never mind, I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me, don’t tell me, don’t tell me. 

The two nod in sync, holding back their laughs. 

“Well, that’s not fair!”

“This is truly taking years off my life,” I tell them while rubbing my temples, making them all giggle at my pain. 

“I’m not about to make it any better,” Melody says with a laugh, followed by the other two losing even more.

I hold up one finger while inhaling the rest of my drink, “Okay, I think I’m ready.” 

“So Daniel and I actually started dating in High School,” Melody says, pulling a quiet ‘awww’ from all of us, “We were together for a while before I decided to go to college out of state,” she tells us. 

I see him in the background, just scanning the room while Josh is making drinks, well, until he sees me looking back at him. Shit, shit, shit, shifting my eyes back to Melody.

“Anyway– I ran into Josh, who got me the job here, and I’m so thankful for it. The boys are so great, and I’m obviously not going to complain about getting to see Daniel again.” 

“I bet you’re not complaining,” Willa says suggestively with an exaggerated wink. 

“HE sure complained at first, though,” Quinn pipes up with a laugh.

“Oh hush,” Melody tries to brush it off, “I do love him for more than our sex life.”

Willa is quick to reply, “Whatever you say, girly.” 

“So.. what’s the part that will ruin my day?” I nervously ask. 

“Conveniently, the day you came in actually, Jake had sort of… walked in on us.” 

“Walked in on WHAT?” 

“The thing is.. The roads were terrible, so I asked Jake if he minded grabbing Iris-” Quinn quickly cuts off Melody. “YEAH, WE HAD A SLEEPOVER WITH THE CHILD,” Quinn can’t tell us fast enough. 

“Hey,” Willa, chuckling, gently grabs Quinn’s arm, “Charlotte was the only one not involved. You don’t need to yell.” 

“Sorry, I just love Iris a lot, okay?” 

“And she loves you back,” Melody reassures them, “Anyway, yes, so everybody else had a fun sleepover with my daughter, and I closed the bar with Daniel while having a weird argument–” 

Jake comes up between Quinn and Melody, placing one hand on Melody’s back, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I come bearing not watered-down drinks.”  

He starts placing the drinks on the table, having to slide mine and Willa’s across the table. 

I watch as he makes a little small talk with everyone and how much they all seem to like him. He seems too nice to be real. Everyone laughing with him, I look up at him before he slides my drink over to me. His hands. Oh my. He has rings on… oh my GOD. Trying not to be obvious, I quickly flit my eyes back up to meet his. 

“Thank you,” I mouth to him while the other three are talking. He mouths back, ‘Of course’, flashing me a smile. The boy is beautiful when he smiles. 

He turns to go back to the bar, and I just focus on him walking there; unknowingly, I am being watched.

“Charlotte!” 

“Yes?” I quip back; I can feel the heat in my face, but is it embarrassment or the alcohol? The world will never know.

“Are you… into Jake..?” Willa asks quietly. 

The other two leaned in on our little secret session, which I was not prepared for. 

“Nooo, no, no, no,” I can’t spit it out quickly enough.

Quinn lets out a laugh before choking out, “You were practically drooling over him,” 

“Ha ha.. Nooo.. I wasn’t,” I try to defend myself, scratching the back of my head, “Was it really that obvious?” 

A chorus of yelps elicited when I loosely admit to thinking he’s attractive. 

“Oh stoooop,” I cover my face. 

“Don’t be embarrassed– those Kiszka boys are incredibly charming,” Quinn states, “It’s hard not to fall for it.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about ‘charming’ per se, but they do have some good genes in that family.” Willa taking a light jab at Sam. 

“Really though,” Melody chimes in, “Jake is honestly very charming,” 

“Oh, he is absolutely,” 

“He’s too nice,”

Quinn and Willa tend to talk at the same time, and being a few drinks in does not help my deciphering of who said what, but at least when they’re on the same page, it helps. 

“He has been very easy to work with, so I would believe that,” I try to regain my composure,  even though the fact everybody thinks he’s sweet is not helpful to where my brain has been going all night. 

“I’m sure his brain just shuts down when you’re around,” Willa says into her glass before taking a sip. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Have you seen yourself?” Quinn questions, “You’re so hot?”

‘Mhm’ 

‘Yeah, you are.’ 

I know that my face is absolutely pink at this rate; I just shake my head ‘no.’

“I’m sure he sees plenty of pretty girls being a bartender,” I roll my eyes at the idea that he wouldn’t hit on other girls while he’s working. 

“Pretty sure the only one he entertains is Eleanor,” Melody giggles. 

“I’m almost positive he told Josh that he’d just marry her if he stayed single for too much longer,” Quinn says, looking over at Josh, who just blows a kiss to them. Wow, they’re so cute together. 

I watch as Melody taps on her phone, seeing the time, “Well, guys, I need to go relieve Josh for a bit.”

Quinn quickly stood up with their drink and nodded to the bar. Willa and I followed suit, migrating up to the bar. Claiming a bar stool and watching as Josh comes to find Quinn, quickly kissing their nose and then their forehead before Quinn snuggles themself into him for a brief moment. 

“Pretty cute, aren’t they?” Jacob whispers, scaring the living daylights out of me. 

“They really are,” I say, “And you need a bell or something because Jesus Christ.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he laughs, placing his hand on my back for a second, “I just need to get out of there for a minute,” he tells me.

 “So I’m going to run around to clean and just saw you fixated on them.” 

“Well, since you’re here, Jake,” Willa says loudly, leaning over to me and whispering, “Wanna see the boys squirm?” I simply nod with a grin plastered across my face. 

“Don’t you guys think Melody is insanely hot?” She questions everybody.

Daniel violently shakes his head, ‘Yes,’ while Melody laughs behind the bar. 

“I.. uhh,” Jake mumbles, holding the back of his neck, “I have tables to clean,” and quickly walks off to grab glasses. 

Sam’s eyes are wide, and his face is filled with panic. “Birdie, I can’t answer,” he begins to say before his brother abruptly cuts him off. 

“SMASH FOR SURE,” Josh confidently shouts, being met with a high five from Quinn. 

“You’re right, that was worth it,” I whisper, leaning into Willa. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

I sat with everybody while they talked, well, yelled. This is a much louder group of friends than I’m used to. Granted, I have like..no group of friends. I listen to a lot of very odd conversations filled with Sam instigating Willa so that she would get a little pissed at him. There are plenty of lengthy stories from Josh, which probably wouldn’t take as long if he didn’t tell us every side story that goes along with it, but he’s so animated I guess I can’t really complain. 

“Here, Charlotte,” Melody says, “Jake told me how to make your drink, so .. I hope it tastes right,” 

I take a sip, oh lord, that is STRONG, “It’s great!” 

Why did I do that? She needs to learn… Not that I could even correct her right now. 

I sip on my drink for a while, feeling it hitting harder than I’m used to. Every so often, Jake comes out from behind the bar to make small talk with some of the customers or come bug his brothers for a few minutes. I always hope it’s the latter. 

“How are we doin’, Red?” 

I blink rather slowly, “I’m thriving,” slowly cracking a smile, knowing it sounded terrible coming out of my mouth. 

“Well, I’m so glad,” he tells me. The way he makes eye contact but also watches my mouth when I talk makes me want to scream. 

“You know,” I tell him, what are you doing? , “I dare ye to resist me booty,” the alcohol starts speaking. 

“Are…are you trying to flirt with me?” He laughs out. 

“Maybe, is it working?” I ask, biting the inside of my lip. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

“Oh– well,” he giggles quietly; leaning in, he rests one hand on the back of my barstool to support himself, but his face creeps in closer to my ear before he whispers, “You don’t even have to try with me, honey.” Fuck me. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

I spend the rest of the night chatting with Quinn and Willa about the most random things. But I think that is what friends are supposed to do? 

Slowly, people start trickling out as it nears 1 a.m. I say my goodbyes to Sam and Willa, which is shortly followed by Josh and Quinn. Jake was nice enough to let Josh go to bed since he was here decorating so early. 

“Ready to go, ducky?” Daniel asks Melody;  party of one officially. 

“Oh, I am beyond ready,” she stretches her arms out before turning to me, “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” 

Shit. I already forgot that I told her about the training earlier today. 

“Yes, you will! Can’t wait,” I do my best not to show that I definitely forgot and that I’m definitely NOT going to feel like shit in the morning now. 

“I’ll see you then,” she says with a little wink. 

I turn to the bar, leaning into my hand with a very minuscule smile painted on my face as I watch him. Just waiting for him to look over at me, I can’t help but stare. 

“I can feel you watching me,” he grins from the other end of the bar. 

“I’m debating on how I’m going to get home, is all,” I say with a sigh. 

“Did you drive here?” He asks. 

“Yep,”

“Okay, so, first of all, you’re not going to do that,” he tells me. 

“And why not?” I protest. He sauntered over to me, leaning against the bar. 

“You’re so pretty,” he says to me, glancing down at my lips until I finally pull the bottom one in with my teeth, “Yeah- you’re not driving.”

My jaw drops; he really got me there. 

“I can just call an Uber,” I tell him.

“Charlotte, I don’t love that idea. It’s almost 2 am, and I literally live just upstairs,” Jake continues to tell me I need to stay here, and I don’t know why I’m fighting it so hard. 

“I don’t want to impose,”

“I’m offering?” 

“Touche Captain,” I giggle a bit at the nickname. I bet he likes it. 

“Just hang out for a couple minutes so I can close the bar down,” he tells me. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

“Don’t you want to clean?” 

“It’s so late. Josh can help me in the morning,” Jake speaks low as we walk into the stairwell. 

“Oh no,” slips out, “oh, I didn’t mean to actually say that,” 

Jake lets out a quiet laugh, “I got you, don’t worry,” 

Before I can react, he has his arm underneath mine, gesturing for my hand. I lace my fingers into his; the butterflies are back. How fun. He holds my hand tightly, letting me put a lot of my weight into him as we carefully go up the first flight of stairs. 

“I think I can do it,” I tell him; I absolutely cannot? 

“You sure about that, sport?” 

I squint at him and immediately stumble up the first couple of stairs of the second flight, letting out a small ‘oop.’

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” He makes fun of me gently while supporting me again. 

This may be the longest stair climb of my life.

We finally make it to his apartment.

Jake whispers, “You can take my bed, and I’ll just sleep on the couch.”  He’s so cute when he’s concerned.

“Noooo, I can sleep on the couch. I’ve already inconvenienced you.” 

He blinks at me slowly, unamused. 

I can’t stop myself from walking towards his couch, and it’s a humbling moment for me as my legs wobble in the process. 

“No, you don’t,” Jake says from behind me. 

“Jake, really, I don’t mind,” I look back at him, disorienting myself from turning too quickly. 

“Jesus Christ,” he mutters as he grabs my arms to stop me from falling over. I just stare at him like a deer in headlights. 

“Yeah, I didn’t want it to come to this, but,” he says before he wraps his arms around my thighs, lifting me over his shoulder. 

Childlike laughter erupts from me as he carries me through his apartment into his bedroom. I can feel his chest vibrating subtly from giggling with me. 

“Here ya go,” he says, moving one hand to my back so he can set me down.  So carefully, making sure not to drop me, he leans down slowly. The feeling of falling became so real suddenly, that I instinctively held onto his shoulder, which pulled him back with me. He stumbles forward a bit, catching himself before landing on top of me. 

I prop myself up on my elbows as I laugh. He’s hovered over me, with a hand on either side; our faces are so close. 

We both freeze as we realize how close we are. I wonder how soft his lips really are… My eyes defy me, shifting down to look at his mouth, just for a second, as he watches me. 

Clearing his throat as he stands up. 

“Uh- here, let me get you a sweatshirt or something,” he sounds timid. Quickly shuffling through his closet, he pulled out a navy sweatshirt and handed it to me. 

“It’ll probably be a little bit loose on you, but better than sleeping like a pirate?” 

I chuckle, smiling up at him. Simply grateful for something comfortable to wear. 

“I’ll go so you can do that,” still clearly very nervous. 

Pulling my shirt over my head, I quickly pull the sweatshirt over me. I lock the bottom of it under my chin so I can see what I'm doing. Oh no. No, no, no, no. My zipper is stuck, and staring at it makes me cross-eyed. I drop my head back, letting out an angry sigh. Please just unzip. My hands get increasingly sweaty, making the stupid plastic zipper hard to grip. 

I hear a few soft knocks on the door before it cracks open. 

“Can I come in?” He asks. 

“Actually… I um… I need help.” 

Coming in quickly and shutting the door behind him, I just stare at him pathetically. 

“My zipper is stuck,” I tell him, embarrassed. 

He chokes back a laugh, setting a glass of water on the nightstand next to his bed. 

He kneels in front of me; oh, this is terrible. I lift the sweatshirt, revealing the catastrophic mess from me, yanking the zipper every which way. 

“Where the hell did you even get these, Red?” He asks, looking up at me with a soft giggle. 

I wish he would just focus. I don't need to look at him like this. Making eye contact causes my brain to short-circuit, and I stare back at him silently. Watching him try to figure out how the zipper got caught, he’s so carefully moving the fabric around. 

“How much do you care about these?” He asks, gently tapping my hip. 

“At this point,” I raise my eyebrows in defeat. 

“Are you sure?”

I just nod ‘yes’ in response. 

He grabs either side of the zipper and tears it apart quickly. The sound of the fabric ripping was relieving, well, for a second. Both of us smile at the fact that I’m free until he looks back down to see the lace of my thong peeking out. 

I see his eyes go wide, and the pink creep into his cheeks as he pinches the fabric together. 

“Oh,” slips out of me. I let the sweatshirt drop, falling to the tops of my thighs as the now ripped pirate pants hit the floor. 

“So, uh, well,” Jake says, holding the back of his neck while avoiding eye contact, “I will let you get some sleep.” 

I don’t know what possesses me to say, “Wait-“ 

Closing the gap between us, I lean up onto my toes slightly, placing a small kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you,” I tell him before crawling into his bed.

“Of course, m’lady,” he says with a bow. His little English accent laces the words, which makes me laugh. 

“Sleep well,” he whispers, shutting off the light as he leaves. 

I fall back into his bed, wrapping myself up in the blankets. They smell like him, comforting, warm. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Chapter Seven

Chapter Nine

FDOG Masterpost | Masterlist | FDOG Playlist

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[prettypinkporkchop]

Can you do Embry X reader where it's father's day and all the imprints find out they're pregnant together so they make matching tie-dye pyjamas and onesies for father's day that says see you soon dad and they make some for the other pack members too that says see you soon uncles so they wrap them up in wrapping paper with a pack of cookies in each bag and the pregnancy tests for the fathers to be and all the imprints tell the pack together and the wolves are so happy and they decide to wear their pyjamas and watch a movie and it's just an amazing day with laughter and everyone's happy

You finish stuffing the bag for Embry. "Okay, boy names?" Emily asks you. "God, I'm not sure yet. I have a few I like, but Embry is picky." You giggle.

You lean back on the couch in Emily's house. "I can't believe this is happening." Kim rubs her stomach. "Trust me. I know. I'm terrified." You respond. Rachel appears in a panic. "Paul just texted me! They're heading back from lunch." You guys get up and place the bags in sections.

The blue bags are for Sam, red for Paul, green for Embry, and purple for Jared. You grab your phone and check life360 (yuh), and they are literally pulling in. "Shit." You mutter. "Don't worry!" Emily rubs your back.

They all walk in and look confused. "What is happening?" Jared asks nervously. "Sam, these are for you." Emily gestures to the blue bags. "Embry, green." You smile. Sam and Embry hesitate but step to their bags. "Don't open them yet!" Emily laughs as Sam tries to pull out the stuffing. Paul and Jared get to theirs, and we all look at each other.

"Okay, you can open them. START WITH THE BIGGEST BAG!" Emily orders. They ruffle through them.

You keep your eyes on Embry. He lifts the onesie with 'see you soon dad'. He blinks rapidly and places it down. He reaches back in and feels the pregnancy test. He looks at you and takes it out of the bag. He looks at the pink stick. Once the shock leaves, he smiles and comes running up to you. He lifts you up, spinning you around. "Oh my God. My baby!" He gushes. He sets you down and grabs your face, kissing you softly. You kiss him back and hold onto his wrists. "I'm so happy." He chokes out, almost in tears. You can't help but cry. "I love you, my boy." You sniffle. You pull away and notice all of the guys holding onto their imprints as well. Jared is bawling his eyes out!

"Guys! Open the other bags!" Emily sniffles while wiping her nose. They do as told and laugh at the different color cookies.

'From baby uley'

'From baby Cameron'

'From baby Lahote'

'From baby Call'

Everyone on of them had four cookies. "This is fucking amazing." Embry laughs. "Embry, your child is going to be so bad." Paul pokes. Embry shoves him. "Yours will be so 'hey mamas' and 'are you lost babygirl' coded!" Embry argues. "Mine will be hotter."

"Dawg, have you seen my wife?!" Embry gestures to you.

"Guys, shut up! We have plans for tonight!" Rachel shouts. You girls walk into the living room as the guys follow along. There are pillows and blankets spread all around the couches and floor. Even a random blowup mattress. There are snacks literally everywhere! The movie is waiting to be played on the TV.

Embry's hands grab your hips from behind. "Pick a spot, baby." He says in your ear. You decided on the air mattress next to Jared and Kim. Embry reaches for a blanket, but Jared grabs the same one. "Paws off!" Jared barks. "Aye! That's my favorite one!" Embry pulls on it. "Yeah, well Emily said I can have it." Jared leans intimidatingly. "She sewed this for me, ugly!" Embry laughs. Jared pounces on him, and they wrestle for a blanket. "Are we sure about them being dad's?" Kim asks you. "Honestly, they will be good." You giggle. "Damn it! Off! Get off of each other!" Sam yells. All of you girls burst into laughter. You turn to see Paul already stuffing his face with cookies and then look up at you four. "What?" He asks innocently, making you laugh even harder.

[krikeymate]

Fictober 2023: Day 7: “Do you recognise this?” - Everything stays, but it still changes. Fandom: Scream Rating: T Warnings: None.

➖

Sam collapses back onto her ass, exhausted by the very thought of tackling yet another box.

She never realised just how much stuff she had until this moment, until it came time to unpack her life and fit it neatly on a shelf or in a drawer. She’s always been so used to having nothing.

When she left home, it was with only the clothes on her back and what she could fit into a single rucksack. Even before that… everything she had was for her sister, and if Tara had no need of it, neither did Sam.

Leaning back against a box full of clothing she’s sure she’s never even worn – shirts with the tags still applied, a hoodie with an image of a band Sam doesn’t listen to, pink boots that she couldn’t wear even if she wanted to, sizes too small – she realises that maybe that wasn’t something she ever stopped doing.

Sam had left never intending to return, but had carved out a space for her sister anyway, without even thinking about it.

It was just a part of her. Like Tara.

The thought makes her smile.

They belonged together, that’s what was right. And here they are, together again, in New York.

Sam could be there for her as Tara took the next step in her life, and for every step after.

Exactly where she was meant to be.

Leaning forward, Sam drags another box between her legs, determined to keep unpacking. She hasn’t found her heated blanket yet, and New York is colder than California. Tara’s going to have trouble sleeping here without it.

Flipping open the lid, she doesn’t find what she’s looking for. Instead, she finds something that hasn’t been where it’s supposed to be for… well, as long as her.

Sam picks up the stuffed rabbit gently. The colour is faded, pattern worn and fur discoloured, but Sam remembers what it looked like brand new.

How she had pulled and pulled at her father’s hand, demanding he buy it for her.

It had been perfect, she’d fallen in love with it the moment she’d seen it.

The perfect gift for her newborn baby sister. A guardian to watch over her while she was in the hospital, a reminder that she had a big sister who loved her and couldn’t wait to bring her home.

Tara had loved that thing as much as Sam loved her.

She slept with it every night, talked to it, cried into it. It was her one companion once Sam started to pull away.

And Sam had stolen it the night she left.

She’d taken it right from her sleeping sister’s arms. It had felt a lot like she was stealing the heart from her chest instead.

There were so many nights Sam had laid awake, clutching at the rabbit and hating herself for taking Tara’s only comfort, but all she could think about in that moment was how she couldn’t take her sister with her. So she took the next best thing.

Sam needed comfort too. Nobody ever recognised that. Nobody ever cared. Nobody except–

“Do you recognise this?” Sam asks.

In the doorway, Tara stands with a takeout bag in hand.

She glances down at the toy. It takes a moment, but Sam sees the instant that recognition flashes through her.

Putting down the food, Tara moves to join her sister on the floor. She presses close and rests her cheek against Sam’s tense shoulders.

“V,” she whispers, reaching out a hand to run a finger down its ear. It’s still soft, despite all the years and everything they’ve been through. “I always figured they were with you.”

Sam isn’t shocked by her words, but the tender tone makes something unravel deep within her.

“You aren’t mad?” she mutters, half a question, half a passing thought that she already knows the answer to.

“Why would I be mad?” Tara questions. Why wouldn’t you be mad, Sam wants to reply. I stole it, I took from you when I was born to give.

“You were looking after them, weren’t you?”

“Of course,” Sam responds, instantly. She would never let anything happen to it, the rabbit is a part of Tara, she would never let anything happen to her heart.

“And V was looking after you too… right?”

Sam finds herself slower to react this time, unsure of what to say, what to think. Eventually, she murmurs a quiet yeah, and rests her head against Tara’s.

“That’s good. I missed you both, but I’m glad you had each other. If I couldn’t be there to look after you, at least you had the next be–”

Tara doesn’t even finish speaking before Sam is pulling her into her lap, squeezing her tightly.

She can’t find her words, but she doesn’t have to, Tara hears her anyway.

I missed you.

I love you.

Thank you.

[petedavidsonscock]

wrote nurseydex for the first time in a bit. this one's not as fun as usual but if you're in the mood for some angst and melodrama you are in LUCK. contains alcohol vomiting & mention of a p*n*s so this one is below the cut.

"Oh," Dex had said, "this is Sam. We're sort of..."

"Seeing each other," Sam had supplied, and smiled at Dex, and Dex had smiled back, and Derek had smiled at both of them, all them delighted, happy, smiles stretching until they disfigured their mouths, grotesque clowns, pulling at lips and teeth; Derek was all hurting bloody mouth when Dex said, "We should go."

We meant Dex and Sam; who had appeared from God knew where; when had Dex had time to fish him up, out of the river and dress him in ugly suburban dad clothes and bring him to the library; they had only been back for two week, in school. Unless Sam was from before.

Derek did not want to believe that Sam was from before, that Sam was the "complicated" Dex had talked about, had cited. Sam was simple: five foot ten and tan. Dark-haired and on the pre-med track. Boring but good in bed. These were things that Zee told Derek, because he'd asked around, the general group, half-jokingly he thought he managed, if anyone knew a Sam on the soccer team.

So Dex and Sam had gone off to who-knew-where, to have boring sex trying to keep quiet from Sam's roommates, and Derek, who was popular, who knew things about art, whom people liked, ditched Chowder and went out. Out-out. Not kegster-at-a-frat-house out; out-out, to a cool club with a cool group to which William Poindexter would never be invited, except only as Derek's boyfriend. 

Derek kissed someone wearing a bright pink miniskirt so bright it left behind imprints on his eyelids, afterimages, pink and green swirling together in his cup, vodka like watermelon. In the bathroom, sometime later, there was a mouth around his dick and a hand on his thigh, and Derek panted until he came and then threw up into the toilet behind him. The whole time he was vomiting he kept imagining Dex there, rubbing his back, stroking his hair, saying You're fine, everything's fine; calling him baby.

Ayesha found him near the bathroom crying. They took him back to their apartment even though it meant he was ruining their night. Derek didn't want to ruin their night. Derek didn't want to ruin anything. Dex had ruined everything, the friendship they had slowly built and whatever they were standing on the edge of that was more than that, a dizzying precipice, a cliff, wind blowing warnings, except that Derek had been willing, had jumped in fact, and reached for Dex on the way down only to crane his neck and see him still on solid ground, on rock, turning away. 

I wish he'd look at me, Derek concluded, falling, and Ayesha said I know, I'm sorry, which was a lie, how could they know, but he cried into them anyway until he fell asleep.

The next morning there was a hickey on his collarbone, or a bruise, he didn't know; walked to the Haus in gray pre-sunlight, world fresh but not any cleaner than it was the night before. He stopped on the front yard to muss his hair a little more, shift his shirt so the discoloration showed, bit his bottom lip a few times, hard. But Dex didn't show the whole time Derek was eating eggs, fielding questions about his night, drinking coffee he didn't like, and finally when the kitchen cleared Derek put away the last dish and went up to his room and sat and sat and wished things could have been different.

~~~

thanks for reading! as ever i appreciate kudos & comments over on ao3 as well if you are so inclined.

[lionydoorin]

I'm humbly requesting happy Tara headcanons

i literally live and breathe tara angst. HOW am i supposed to write happy thoughts at all when i love to blend her. i'll try because i love her and i love you :3

baby tara was a gem. probably the sweetest kid in the neighbourhood. woodsboro adored her. she was maybe a bit shy, but she had big, brown eyes and would always wave from behind sam when they had to greet someone new. after a while, whenever sam and her went on walks, little tara got more confident; she'd wave to every single person they saw, she knew all of their names, and would always have the biggest smile while saying hello.

she had the cutest little pink tutu, as well, and would wear it constantly. sam keeps some pictures of them from when they were little, and when they move in together again she fills the apartment with them; in at least 40% of them, baby tara is wearing the pink tutu.

when they were younger, as well, sam would put all of tara's drawings up on the fridge. as much as they didn't particularly care, their parents never took them off. it helped the whole "perfect family" image they wanted to display.

after she got back to physical therapy and could draw again, as much as her hand was a bit shaky and she didn't have as much confidence in her lineart, if there was anything she was still particularly proud of, she'd show it to sam. and sam would always ask if she could put it on the fridge.

after a few weeks, their apartment had tara's art on every corner. sam was so, so proud and wanted everyone to see how good her baby sister was.

we all know tara is littlest grumpiest guy but she's also the clingiest person ever. she'll have the most serious expression on her face as she scooches over to hug chad from behind, putting her hands inside his hoodie's pockets. she rolls her eyes when mindy hugs her, but will keep her in place and not let her go no matter how much she grumbles. anika used to wrap her arm around tara's and drag her everywhere, and tara would always lean against her and hug her arm a little bit tighter. sam? she's cuddling her constantly. always on her back. always around her like a small, angry baby koala.

she's always singing. sometimes out loud, sometimes just mouthing the lyrics as she goes about her day.

tara doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but she loves, LOVES sour candies. could eat a whole giant bag of sour patch kids if she had the chance to. people are concerned.

the King™ of dad jokes. the corniest the better

she's as much of a kids movies person as she is an elevated horror person. her letterboxd reviews are always a sequence of really disturbing psychological thrillers followed by an entire barbie movie marathon. tara also always gives the barbie movies an analysis as long as her horror film reviews.

[she-karev]

B-Team (Andrew DeLuca x Alex Karev's Sister)

Age Rating: 12+

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Canon Episode: B-Team Shorts on YouTube

Ship: Andrew DeLuca x Amber Karev (Alex Karev's Sister)

AN: Sorry for being away for so long but hopefully this makes up for it. Amber Karev is taking Sam Bello’s spot from season 14 so there won’t be a love triangle.

Summary: Amber starts her first day as an intern and is met with expected obstacles. Meanwhile DeLuca tries to navigate his feelings for Amber after discovering her relation to Alex and goes to Carina for help who takes matters into her own hands.

Words: 8260

I walk around the dozens of boxes in my studio apartment frantically as I look for my keys. Today is my first day at work and I already lost my keys as if the universe hates me and wants me to be late. I probably look insane no doubt with my hand trying to hold my hair up in a ponytail, my other hand holding my coffee mug and wearing my pink panties with my casual sweater for the day.

“Damn it come on where are you?!” I sip my coffee when I feel something metal hit my lips. I stop suddenly and look down to find my keys inside the mug to my relief and disgust, “Of course two sugars, crème and keys like I always take it.” I don’t know why I’m talking to myself, so I pull my keys out and clean them.

After throwing the mug away I go to a mirror and try to put my hair in a ponytail when the band snaps to my frustration, “Grrr!” I throw the band away and opt for a hair clip instead praying it suffices. I grab my backpack, put my jeans on, grab my Adidas and open the door. I hop down the hall as I put my shoes on trying not to fall. I finally put them on and run to the elevator exhaling as it closes.

I run to my black 2012 Ford Mustang in the parking lot and hurriedly go inside and hope the engine starts. I turn the key in the ignition and by some miracle it starts the first time and I skid out of the spot and drive to the hospital as fast as I can.

Later

Andrew walks to the hospital across the park trying to keep his head together after last night’s revelation. He looked around hoping to find Carina so he can talk to her and figure out what to do. Ever since he figured out who Amber really is his mind has been wrestling with images of her in the bar flirting with her and having fun and images of her brother beating him up and the pain he faced after.

If she was a regular resident who was related to an attending, he wouldn’t be so conflicted but a regular attending wouldn’t have hit him. He and Alex were amicable after everything but he highly doubted Alex would be okay knowing his little sister slept with Andrew and start a fantasy football league together. It would make things more complicated for both of them especially for Andrew. And then there’s Amber who would be caught in the middle of it. The idea of that makes Andrew feel equally uneasy due to how fast and hard he developed feelings for her.

“Hey, didn’t I meet you at a bar somewhere?”

Andrew eyes widen at the familiar voice and turns around to find Amber smiling at him wearing a black sweater with her hair in a clip. Even in a slightly disheveled state he couldn’t help his physical attraction towards her natural beauty. Andrew grins slightly trying to remain cool despite his stomach being in a twist in her presence.

“Hey, I-I didn’t think I was gonna see you so soon after last night.”

“Well it’s my first day and I’ve had perfect attendance since 1st grade and I want to keep that up. You’re not carrying a coffee are you because I don’t want coffee on my cleavage the first day.”

Andrew chuckles, “No I’m weaning off caffeine I’ve uh got enough keeping me up.” He didn’t add that she was the reason he was up all night and not in a good way.

“Well your stronger than me. So, have you told anyone about us hooking up? Besides Dr. Robbins, your sister and Jo I mean.” Amber asks.

“Uh no not really I figured that’s not an impression you want to make with the other interns.”

Amber grins, “No definitely not, I don’t want them thinking I’m using nepotism and sex to work my way into an O.R. Plus, if it got back to Alex, it would go back to my family who would be freaking out that I wasn’t being usual responsible Amber.”

Andrew nods trying to keep a calm face over mention of her brother, Amber is oblivious as she teases him, “Even though we were totally responsible…twice.”

“It’s cool I get it.”

Amber looks at her watch, “Oh shoot I gotta go, my shift starts but we should hang out after and…catch up.” Amber makes her voice breathier at catch up.

Andrew looks at her and is more conflicted the more he spends time with her so he opts to escape, “Um yeah maybe I’ll let you know.”

“Okay see you later.” Amber rushes inside with Andrew watching her as his anxiety increases causing him to walk briskly inside the building. He tried to stay calm as he put on his scrubs and finally finds Carina in the MRI room that she’s using for her study.

Andrew sits next to her as she writes down her data, “I need your help.”

“I’m busy as you can see my patient is about to reach climax.”

Andrew groans, “You know there are other ways you could explain that without making it dirty.”

Carina continues writing without looking at him, “Andrea if you want my help for something don’t insult my work before or I will kick you out.”

“Right sorry. Um I have a personal problem and it’s pretty big so I need you to swear it won’t get out of this room, can you do that?”

“I am studying women during the most intimate and private moments of their lives of course I can keep a secret, what is it?”

Andrew tries to find where to begin, “Do you uh remember that night I walked in on you and Dr. Robbins?”

Carina doesn’t look up from her notes, “It’s hard to forget, it was a very nice night for us regardless. Once we went our separate ways of course.”

“Right well do you remember the girl that I brought with me?”

“The blonde who looks a little like Princess Diana, I remember her, did you get her number?”

Andrew bitterly chuckles, “No she wanted to finish med school with no strings attached so we decided to save a date if she ever came here again and she did.”

His sister still doesn’t look up, “Okay why is she here? Is it just for you?”

“No, she’s a surgical intern here.”

Carina still doesn’t look up despite that information, “And that’s a problem? We work long hours and she’s a surgeon like you so she doesn’t have to pretend to be interested.”

Andrew grimaces, “Believe me I wish us working together was the only problem. Do you remember when I was beat up last year by my boss after I helped his girlfriend walk home after she got drunk?”

“Yes, it was very scary I remember you saying to me I didn’t have to travel 14 hours just to see you even though I was okay with it.” Carina gets confused, “Wait a minute what does that have to do with…” Carina doesn’t know her name due to Amber quickly leaving after meeting her when she was fighting with Andrew.

“Amber.” Andrew finishes for her.

“Amber, what does this have to do with Amber?”

Andrew purses his lips in cruel irony, “Well the boss that beat me up, Alex Karev.”

“Uh huh.” Carina nods, still looking at her notes.

“Amber is his sister and I slept with her that night.”

Carina finally stops writing and looks at Andrew with wide shocked eyes and he bitterly nods at her response.

“Do you see why I need your help?”

Meanwhile

I walk down the hall and find the intern locker room. I enter the room and I see that it looks how it sounds, a locker room. It’s like the lockers we get at high school only it smells like ammonia which frankly is better than sweaty socks. I’m not the only one here I spot approximately 20 people in here all in light blue scrubs with their stethoscopes hanging by their necks.

I go to my assigned locker and open it to find my own scrubs and lab coats. The sight of the rest of my life is both exciting and dauting but I push through it and put them on. The only thing I brought from home that I’m using are my adidas and burgundy stethoscope my mom sent me as a graduation gift. I don’t know why she sent it maybe as a way to make up for being out of it most of my life but I took it because it’s not good to pass up free stuff in my position. I put the stethoscope in my pocket as a woman wearing a hijab next to me pulls out her flashcards.

“What are those?” I ask curiously.

“Their study material’s.”

“For what? We already passed the boards.”

The woman looks at me, “No I know it’s just that it helps me remember what I learned so I don’t forget it and accidently kill someone my first day.” She chuckles nervously.

I raise an eyebrow at her, “You don’t have to laugh I can tell your nervous.”

“So nervous!” The woman shows her true face and it is fearful, “I’m Dahlia by the way or Dr. Qadri I mean I’m still getting used to that title.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean, I’m Amber.” We shake hands.

“I mean it is crazy I wanted this for so long and now I’m actually here and it’s…” Dahlia looks around in amazement, “You know I grew up in Utah and went to state school pre-med, it was the only thing my parents could afford at the time.”

“Yeah, I went to Iowa State pre-med, I don’t even think some of these people even know what Iowa is.”

Dahlia chuckles, “You know I heard a rumor that one of the new interns is Dr. Karev’s sister, he’s the chief of pediatric surgery here.”

I raise an eyebrow, “Really? What do you think of that?” I want to know her opinion of me before finding out who I am so I can know who I’m dealing with. And so I can mess with her.

Dahlia scoffs, “I mean come on most of these guys are legacies and they don’t know the true meaning of hard work not like us. Their parents donated to their alumni so they can get in with a median MCAT average. I mean this girl coincidently matches at the same hospital her brother works. She obviously taking the easy route if you ask me and that route is named nepotism.” I nod at her statement and try to act like I don’t want to punch her. She’s oblivious of course and she asks me something she’s gonna wish she didn’t, “Sorry I don’t think I caught your last name what is it?”

“Karev, it’s Dr. Amber Karev.” I say with a grin as Dahlia’s eyes widen as she realizes she just called me easy and spoiled.

Dahlia stammers, “Uh y-your-”

“Taking the easy route named nepotism I think you just said.” I say as I glare at her offended.

“I-I am so so sorry I didn’t know.” Dahlia tries to rectify her mistake but makes it worse, “And can I just say your brother is a pioneer and I think your about to continue that legendary legacy of his.”

It isn’t even an hour into my first day and I’m already being compared to my brother. I’m starting to get annoyed by this so I need to walk away, “I’m gonna walk away from you now before you make this more awkward.”

Dahlia nods, “Smart you seem really, really smart and so pretty I mean it.”

I roll my eyes and focus back on my locker and she gets the hint and goes back to her cards. I knew I was gonna be accused of nepotism and favoritism when I got matched here but it still irks me when they think I’ve had it ‘easy.’ I mentally chuckle at that assumption, if only these asshats knew how ‘easy’ I really had it. Of course, if they actually knew about the crazy mom, absent dad and crazy brother who attacked me the stares would increase and instead of being accused of nepotism I would be accused of being schizophrenic.

I immediately remember my morning routine and pull out my small sudoku book and work on one page of puzzles. One page a day has been my routine since I was 16 and I realized there was a strong possibility my genes could turn on me. I know it’s silly to think a kid’s puzzle will keep the hallucinations at bay but solving puzzles makes me feel better for some reason. I go through the grids quickly even with the guy next to me, Casey Parker, chanting something that sounds like, “Don’t stand out, don’t throw up and call it a win.”

Dahlia asks something from her flashcards, “Okay which is the artery that splits to the right common carotid in the right subclavian?”

Casey and I immediately answer even though I’m at the 3rd grid right now, “Innominate.”

Dahlia scoffs, “No that’s not it, it’s…” Dahlia checks the answer in the back and realizes we were right, “Crap!”

I don’t even look up from my book when Levi walks in chipper as ever. Frankly I’m amazed he even got into this program after he botched his first day here. It was the day of my interview and also the day he dropped his glasses into the body cavity during a surgery. And that was before he became a doctor, which says a lot.

“Good morning!” I wave dismissively at him too caught up in finishing the page before my shift, only three grids to go, “I think my mom forgot to pack my stethoscope, is it gross to borrow one?”

“Yes.” I look to find Taryn Helm sitting on the bench with her headphones on clearly stressed, “And shut up I need to get in my zone.”

“Nobody is talking except him.” I blankly say as I get to my final grid.

Casey explains to Dahlia, “Taryn’s nervous.”

“I’m not nervous!” Taryn snaps, “I’m in my zone.”

A voice I unfortunately recognizes whoo’s as he enters the lockers, “Day one baby! Let’s go!” Vik Roy tries to high five Levi who is carrying stuff. I roll my eyes at him and try to focus on my puzzle even when he tries to high five all of us even Taryn who is just as annoyed by him.

“No.” Taryn says dismissively causing Roy to retreat.

“What’s her deal?”

“Zone.” We all explain.

“How are you so not freaking out right now?” Dahlia asks.

Vik smugly grins, “Because Dahlia I don’t freak out, I don’t get jitters and I crush first impressions.”

I snort at that as Casey sarcastically dismisses, “Clearly.”

Vik catches my book as he chuckles and asks me, “Sudoku? What are you 13?”

“No that’s you.” I say as I finish the puzzle and Casey chuckles at my insult, “You know if you did as many puzzles as me, you’d probably be capable of an intellectual conversation. And that’s required by doctors…dude.” I say the last word with venom and he rolls his eyes.

“She’s right about that Dr. Roy.” I turn to find Chief Bailey behind me and I get my act together closing my locker to stand in front of her.

“Good morning chief Bailey.” The others gather in front of her with me at the front center. The chief doesn’t looked the least bit impressed with any of us and honestly I wouldn’t blame her.

“Explain to me why I was just in the conference room and you all were not?” We all look at her confused since none of us got the memo to meet her at the conference room, “If I’m somewhere you are supposed to be you had better be there too, any questions?”

“Uh Chief I heard a rumor that one of us will get into an OR today and be able to scrub in.” Taryn says eagerly. I can tell she’s hungry for surgery and will be hard to deal with this year.

Bailey answers, “Today you will have the opportunity to prove that you’re ready to scrub in, one of you might surprise me.” I grin at the opportunity to scrub in on my first day. I took the initiative before I came in to memorize the steps of basic procedures from appys to lap choles. It helps that I’m a pack rat who didn’t throw out her medical textbooks. The others are getting giddy as well including the douchy one who thinks he’s got more of a chance than any of us.

“So, there’s a chance?”

I decide to step in and show off, I would kick myself for not trying harder to beat this arrogant jerk, “Chief I would like to point out that I know all the steps to a basic procedure. If you ask me about an appy I can-”

The chief has none of it as she interrupts me, “I have five rules memorize them; rule number one don’t bother sucking up. Rule number two nurses will page you will answer every page at a run. A run!” The chief walks out and we all follow her as she continues to list all of her rules while we walk around the hospital, “That’s rule number two. Your first shift starts now and lasts 24 hours. You're interns, grunts, nobodies, bottom of the surgical food chain. You run labs, write orders, work every second night until you drop, and don't complain.

We stop outside an on-call room, she opens the door revealing bunks inside clearly used, “On-call rooms. Attendings hog them. Sleep when you can where you can, which brings me to rule number three. If your resident is sleeping, don't wake them unless your patient is dying. And you better sleep alone in here and not with anyone else especially attendings.” I raise my eyebrow at that comment. I wonder if that rule applies to one night stands with senior residents before you were even hired. I decide not to think on it and just listen, “Rule four: The dying patient better not be dead when they get there. Not only will you have killed someone, you woke your resident up for no reason. We clear?” I notice she left out one rule so I gingerly raise my hand like I’m in elementary school again.

“Yes?”

I put my hand down, “Um, you said five rules that was only four.”

Bailey finishes, “Rule number five, when I move you move.” We follow her to Jo Wilson who stands by the nurse’s station with a tablet on hand, “This is Dr. Wilson she is a senior resident and will assign you to someone’s service, Wilson they’re your problem now good luck.” The chief walks away and we stand in front of Jo.

“Um okay let’s see what we got here.” Jo reads through the tablet, “Parker and Helm you’re with Hunt in trauma, Qadri you’re with Dr. Webber, Schmitt you’re with DeLuca and Karev your with the chief of peds” At least she didn’t call Alex by his last name but I’m still bitter at this unfortunate turn of events. I try not to let my distaste show as Jo dismisses us.

I walk through the hospital and thanks to the directory I find the peds floor pretty quickly. I look around trying to find Alex in the sea of nurses and little kids. I see him by the nurses station talking to a couple I assume are parents of his patient. I wait till the parents leave, I don’t want to cause a scene in front of them. I know I should be a professional and normally I am but when your working with the brother who left you during the worst time of your life all bets are off. As soon as the couple walk away I walk towards Alex and clear my throat indicating my presence. He turns to me and look off guard by me but manages to speak in an even tone.

“Hey what are you doing here?”

“I’m on your service believe it or not.” I try to speak as numbly as I can, there are kids and they don’t need to see a unstable blonde while their recovering.

Alex’s eyebrows are raised as if he’s just as shocked as I was, “Jo sent you?”

“Dr. Wilson sent me yes, is she the kind of person who arranges a family reunion in the guise of an intern working for an attending?” I ask genuinely because I don’t know Jo but from what Aaron said Alex has a habit of hooking up with unstable women.

Alex narrows his eyes, “No she’s not and I would appreciate it if you didn’t make assumptions of a woman I love.”

I inhale to keep my emotions in check and get into the mindset of an intern, “Look can you just give me an assignment so I can get through your service and end this day quickly?”

Alex sees he hit a nerve and relents, “Fine Oscar Montez he’s in for a gall bladder removal. I need you to prep an O.R. take his labs and prep him before surgery.”

I nod tersely and walk away from him to prep an O.R. for my first patient.

Later

Andrew sits next to Carina as they speak in Italian so they won’t get overheard. Carina is upset with her brother over unknowingly sleeping with the sister of the man who almost killed him. Andrew is still in a mind boggle over this situation he somehow got himself in.

“How did you not know who she was? Didn’t she tell you her last name? Karev isn’t that common.” Carina admonishes in Italian.

“It just happened.” Andrew responds in Italian, “We met at the bar we got to talking she said her name was Amber that’s it.”

“And she didn’t tell you her brother works here?”

“No well…” Andrew pauses as he remembers what she told him after they walked in on Carina and Arizona.

“Well, what? She told you didn’t she and you didn’t connect the dots like an idiot.”

“I mean she mentioned having two brothers and one was named Alex but I just thought it was a coincidence and he didn’t tell anyone about a sister named Amber. There weren’t any dots to connect neither of them gave that much information or no information at all.”

Carina raised an eyebrow, “So you slept with a woman you didn’t know anything about beyond her first name?”

Andrew rolls his eyes, “You know I don’t shame you for having random one-night stands with women you know nothing about.”

“Yes, you do, you did that the other night remember?”

“I walked in on you about to sleep with my boss and roommate, and now you’re doing the same thing but with Hunt.” Andrew states annoyingly, “How am I supposed to react?” Just then Levi Schmitt knocks on the door agitating Andrew, “What?!”

Levi looks at them timidly, “S-Sorry um I’m Dr. Schmitt and they put me on your service Dr. DeLuca.”

“Of course, they did.” Andrew says under his breath at the unfortunate timing.

Levi looks at the screen curiously, “What kind of research is this? Can I help?”

“No look I’m busy at the moment so go help Dr. Karev with Oscar Montez do his labs and pre op tell them I sent you.”

Levi looks at him confused, “Uh but he already-”

“Go now that’s an order.” Andrew says tensely, causing Schmitt to walk away in fear. Andrew leans back and pinches the bridge of his nose trying to keep his mind together, “Where were we?”

Carina thinks, “Why did you sleep with her when you knew nothing about her?”

Andrew sighs, “…She seemed nice, I mean she was sarcastic and she had a bad attitude but that was because I kind of hit her and spilled coffee on her when we first met.” Carina’s eyebrows raise at that as he continues, “We ran into each other at the bar and I bought her a meal to apologize. We ate, we talked and eventually she dropped the attitude. She was nice, she was funny, smart she made me laugh and you saw her that night she is hot.”

“Very hot.” Carina adds.

“Yeah, the point is we got around the personal information and I started to like her and she started to like me we flirted and…after we left you two, we went back to her hotel room. I think you know the rest. It was all a coincidence.”

Carina looks at him curiously as a dark thought comes to her, “And she didn’t know who you were? Did you tell her your full name?”

“Um yeah what does that have to do with anything?”

Carina sighs at her brother, “Oh Andrea your still such an innocent bambino.”

Andrew looks at Carina confused, “What are you suggesting?”

“Maybe she knew who you were and wanted to get back at you. Maybe she planned to meet you and sleep with you so she can report you to the chief and get you fired.”

Andrew chuckles thinking it was crazy, “Carina she’s not some KGB sex mole I think I would know that. And why would she target me specifically? I dropped the charges against her brother.”

“Yes, but before that you almost sent him to prison for two years. When I heard about what happened I wanted to punch that man after what he did, perhaps she feels that way about her brother too. Does that sound so crazy?”

Andrew looks at her in thought as the idea starts to make sense. Now that he thought about it Amber was light on the details concerning herself especially her last name. He didn’t think much of it but perhaps his sister was on to something. However a thought stops him from fully considering it.

“She was eager to leave when we were fighting, if she really wanted to get back at me she would have stayed. Why did she leave?”

“You would have thought it suspicious if she stayed. Does she seem smart enough to come to that conclusion? Plus, you chased after her maybe she anticipated that too so she could seduce you back in bed. Was she forward when you came to her?”

Andrew pales at that logic as he has fully considered it now and wants to get ahead of it before another Karev comes after him, “Damn it. And just when I thought this nightmare was over for me.”

Carina looks at her brother sadly over his predicament, “I’m sorry Andrea.”

“So what do I do? Do I report her or something?”

Carina rolls her eyes, “You want to report an intern you slept with while you are technically her boss? I don’t think she needs to fire you if your gonna do it yourself stupid.”

Andrew closes his eyes in despair, “I guess I’ll just ignore her unless it’s about work. Speaking of work, I have to go.” Andrew stands up and walks out the door before adding, “And I know what you want to do but don’t Carina I don’t need my big sister fighting my battles for me. Please leave this alone and do not interrogate her.”

Andrew leaves Carina in the room. Carina looks at her notes before deciding to ignore her brother and find out more about this girl for Andrew’s sake.

Later

After I reserve an O.R. I go to Oscar Montez’s room to do his labs. I wrap the tourniquet around Oscar’s upper arm with my gloves on and grin assuredly at him to make it easier for him. He grins back either to be polite or because he finds me attractive. When it came to teenage boys, they usually fall head over heels for me because I’m fire, whatever that means.

I found from the chart most of his labs were already done and Oscar told me another intern was also here taking his labs. The only thing left was his bloodwork and I didn’t want whatever hungry intern swooping in and stealing my patient. By some coincidence that intern, Schmitt came in stunned by my presence while I wipe an alcohol rub over the vein.

“Oscar’s my patient.”

I raise an eyebrow at his excuse, “No he’s not he’s mine go find your own and try not to steal them this time.”

The guy doesn’t leave as he walks to my side, “I’ve already done the rest of Oscar’s labs, his pre op, he knows me.”

Oscar chimes in, “I-It’s cool.” He looks at me with a smile confirming his attraction to me, “I’m cool with it.”

I smile at him, “Thank you Oscar.” I turn to Schmitt with a glare that catches him off guard, “And you, I don’t know who sent you but you can tell them Dr. Karev sent me here first and to check twice before they screw up again.”

“Well a senior resident specifically instructed me to draw his blood.”

I scoff, “Well Dr. Karev asked me and he’s the attending so I win and you lose now walk away with some of your dignity left.” I try to insert the needle into Oscar’s vein but I miss causing him to yell ow, “Sorry Oscar.”

Schmitt tries to step in, “That’s the wrong angle.”

“Back off.”

“You’ll miss the vein.” Schmitt tries to grab my arm to take over.

My patience reaches its limits, “Schmitt if you don’t take your hands off me in the next two seconds you won’t have hands.” He relents and I try again but miss the vein again causing Oscar to yell ow again. Alex walks in and I put the needle away.

“What’s going on?” Alex asks.

“Dr. Karev, I was just running Oscar’s labs like you asked.” I say in a clipped tone directed at Schmitt.

“There might have been some confusion on who exactly was supposed to do it but…” He looks at the glare I give him and he cowers, “But we’ve totally got it under control.”

Alex puts his gloves on rolling his eyes, “Your butchering his arm Glasses move.” I’m glad Alex thinks it was him and not me because the last thing I want on my first day is to be seen as an incompetent intern who can’t even find a vein.

“Oh no that wasn’t me that was…” Schmitt tries to explain but Alex has none of it as he takes over and we walk to the other side of the bed.

“Don’t expect much from intern’s Oscar, that way you’ll never be disappointed.” I roll my eyes at his comment, “Karev present.”

“But she isn’t even-” Schmitt underestimates me but fortunately I looked at his chart and thanks to my almost eidetic memory I know what the prognosis is and what the surgery is.

“Oscar Montez, 16 has cholestasis that is currently not responding to dietary changes, he’ll need to have his gall bladder removed.”

“And the approach?”

“It has to be open. The scans show adhesions and it’s too difficult to take them down with a minimally invasive approach.”

“Very good Karev.” Alex says and Oscar notices the similar names we have.

“Karev? Is she your sister or something?” The kids question causes a silent moment for me as I come up with an answer.

“Or something.” The response clearly hurts Alex, he’s acting like it doesn’t but I know him well enough that those are his ‘I’m in pain but I’m gonna act like I’m not shoulders’ I guess a small part of me feels bad but I made it clear he’s not family to me and I’m not his family either.

Schmitt chooses now of all times to ask, “Dr. Karev, chief Bailey mentioned that one of us might be able to operate today. I do have O.R. experience.”

I snicker lightly, “O.R. experience, is that what you call it?”

“Do I get a say?” Oscar asks, scared for his life.

Alex glares at Schmitt specifically, “You dropped your glasses in the surgical field.”

I nod amused by it and add for Oscar, “It’s true, I was there it would’ve been a lot less hilarious if the patient didn’t make it.”

Levi looks at me insulted and tries to rectify it, “And I promised that nothing like that will ever happen again.” He points at the stupid sports band holding his glasses in place which doesn’t impress me or Alex.

“Right because I told the nurses I want you on B team today.” Schmitt looks pleased but for some reason I can see this heading south for him.

“Oh, what’s B team?”

Alex explains, “Well if it’s in a bed pan you clean it, if it’s in a barf bucket you clean it, if it’s blood you clean it.” I grin slightly at this as Levi’s face falls from despair while Alex goes back to the patient, “Oscar, well get you prepped in a bit.” Alex leaves the room and I decide to point out the obvious to Schmitt who probably doesn’t have enough social skills to realize.

“He hates you. And frankly I’m not crazy about you either.”

Levi nods, “I might have slept with Dr. Wilson.” That statement causes me to laugh out loud as I would never see a gorgeous woman like her reduce herself to getting in bed with this fumbling mess. The only reasons I could think was she’s desperate, dying or lost a bet and I haven’t seen any of those in our interactions so far.

“I’m gonna go now try to double glove when you’re picking up shit Schmitt.” With that I leave to get Oscar prepped for surgery. Along the way I find DeLuca in the surgical floor sitting at the station going over charts and decide to brighten my day just a bit.

“Hey.” Andrew looks up and sees me before turning his eyes toward the desktop again.

“Hey.” Andrew sounds aloof for some reason but I try to look past it and engage him in conversation.

“So, first day here is a bust so far. I was supposed to do labs for a peds patient but then Glasses comes in saying he was sent by a resident. I practically had to fight him over the damn needle and like an idiot I botched up the bloodwork…twice. Don’t tell anyone though.”

“Well, uh you’re an intern and interns are supposed to make mistakes.”

“Did you stab a person twice in the arm on your first day here?”

“No but I did accidentally pose as an attending and got caught when a resident tried to get me to stabilize a woman’s spine on my first day.”

I widen my eyes at that statement and my curiosity is peaked, “Really?” For some reasons hearing that he has war stories at work makes him more attractive. Maybe it’s because I’m comforted in not being the only messed up one out of the two of us.

“Yeah it’s as bad as it sounds trust me.”

“I would be shocked if it wasn’t.” Andrew grins slightly at my comment, it’s a first real reaction I got out of him today so I go for the kill, “Maybe you can elaborate more tonight assuming I’m still alive and not exhausted to death. I was thinking a night in town like we said.”

Andrew looks up at me with a solemn look that I haven’t seen in him since we first met. I don’t know what his problem is, could he already know about my past from working with Alex? I don’t know why Alex would tell people that part of my life that is mine to tell alone. Especially since he was clearly so ashamed of our family that he left as soon as he could and never looked back. I know I did the same thing but there weren’t any loose ends to tie when I left. Aaron was somewhat sane, and I kept my distance from mom, there was no one to leave behind in that hell hole. Could Andrew have figured it out somehow and that’s why he hasn’t given me a clear answer?

I mentally shrug it off, he’s a doctor he’s probably had a long day and doesn’t feel like going out tonight.

“Unless you’ve had a long day and you want to reschedule?”

He chuckles lightly for some reason, “I have had a long and stressful day, you wouldn’t believe it.”

I nod understanding, “Okay so how about tomorrow night then? You can pick out the place as long as it’s not that disgusting bar we met at last time. I can still feel the sticky residue on my fingertips.”

He licks his lips and looks at me in thought before answering, “Um…yeah tomorrow night would be good for me. I’ll text you the deets assuming you’ll give me your number this time.”

I grin at him, “Okay but let’s not exchange phones out in the open. I’m not up for exposing my sex life in public so…” I write my number discretely on a sticky note by the station and drop it in front of him. He takes it and puts it in his coat pocket. He looks somewhat tense and I want to ask what his problem is but he speaks before I ask.

“I’ll uh I’ll text you.”

“Great I hope it’s soon. I have to go see you later.” I turn and walk away from him as I walk down the hall and enter the elevator, I exhale a sigh of relief at my good fortune when someone stops the doors from closing all the way. I see a woman I think I recognize entering the elevator with me where only two of us occupy the space. She has a serious look on her face like she means business and after a few seconds I know where I’ve met her. She’s Andrew’s sister.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carina enters the elevator slowly and stands next to Amber who looks at her strangely. When she saw her passing her number to Andrew at the station, she knew she had to do this if her brother didn’t. She wants to protect Andrew from having his heart broken and possibly getting fired because of some vindictive woman who holds a grudge for her brother and will do anything to exact revenge no matter who gets hurt.

Amber looks at her curiously, “Um hi I almost didn’t recognize you with clothes on.” Amber chuckles to ease the tension, “I don’t think we properly met, I’m Dr. Amber Karev and-” Carina stops her midsentence when she pulls the stop button stopping the elevator. Amber looks at her confused as Carina faces her with a serious look.

“W-Why did you just do that? Is there something wrong or-” Carina ignores her question and instead grabs her face so she can look her in her blue eyes as she interrogates her. She notes that her eyes are a unique blue with a greenish tint but she moves on from that. She needs to know what is going on and if her brother is in danger once again. Amber stands still clearly intimidated which is exactly what Carina was hoping for before speaking to her for the first time.

“Are you a good person?”

Amber blinks with Carina’s hands still on both sides of her head, “What?”

Carina clarifies, “Are you a good person? Not perfect just morally do you consider yourself a good person?”

“I…This is very confusing for me.”

Carina ignores her comment and repeats herself, “Are you?”

“Um…Y-Yes.”

Carina continues, “Have people called you a good person before? Have you ever been accused of being manipulative or used anyone to get your own way?” Amber still looks at her confused but answers fearing what will happen if she doesn’t.

“Um no I haven’t if I did, I would’ve gone into politics instead of medicine.”

“Your funny.” Carina states matter of fact, “How many sexual partners have you had? I won’t judge.”

“Men or women or otherwise?”

“All of the above.”

Amber mentally counts, “…8 well 9 but I don’t know if it counts by your standards. I’m sorry, what is this about? I am very confused and a little scared right now.”

“It’ll be over soon; do you have a criminal record?”

“No well yes but it’s a juvie record and it was sealed when I turned 18.”

“What was the crime?”

Amber looks at her shyly as if ashamed of herself, “I might have possibly bashed a man’s knee with a crowbar but I don’t know you well enough to get into it and I was sent to juvie for three months after that.”

Carina tries to look past that as she can tell this girl has a rough past that led her to do that to someone, “Do you have any siblings?” She knows the answer but wants to hear Amber’s response.

“Two brothers. One works here and the other is in Iowa, he’s a mover.”

“Are you close with them?” Carina keeps a close eye on her reaction.

Amber shakes her head, “No we’re not it’s…it’s complicated and until last month I haven’t talked to the brother who works here for almost a decade.”

“Why is that?”

Amber sighs as if old memories are haunting her, “Because he left me when I needed him the most and I have resented him for it. I would elaborate but I don’t think a horror story is what you need before going to bed tonight.”

Carina sees that Amber is telling the truth, when the subject turned to her brother she didn’t flinch or grovel. She just gave an honest answer, “How old are you?”

“23.”

Carina looks at her slightly shocked at her age, “That’s awfully young to be a doctor, were you a genius baby?”

Amber shakes her head, “N-No I was just really desperate to get out of town and my mom was a librarian so I spent a lot of time reading books.”

Carina is impressed with her but stays on task, “Okay final question, what did you know about Andrew DeLuca before sleeping with him?”

Amber looks at her even more surprised if that was possible, “I guess he’s closer to you than he let on that night.”

“He is my baby brother.” Carina states coldly, “I love him and it’s my job to protect him, even if he can be an idiota sometimes. Now tell me what you knew about him that night before you two had sex. Tell me the truth and I won’t be mad I swear.”

Amber swallows but decides to be quick about it and state the facts, “Um…I didn’t know much about him. I met him at a bar and we ran into each other at work that morning, that’s how we recognized each other. When we first met he spilled cold coffee down my chest and elbowed me in the nose. I was pissed at him when we saw each other again but he offered to apologize in food and I took it because he seemed sweet and he wasn’t creepy about it like most guys. I knew he worked here but I didn’t get matched here until a month later so…now I’m just waiting to see where it goes if it goes anywhere.”

Carina looks into her eyes and sees what she was hoping for, complete and udder lack of malice. She knows now that this girl isn’t out to get Andrew and it was all just some coincidence on both of their parts. For once her brother was right and she was wrong making it both reassuring and annoying.

She shakes her head at her, “Your just another innocent bambina in this aren’t you?”

Amber looks at her blankly trying to process what just happened, “…If I say yes will you push that button and let me walk out of this elevator alone?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes I am an innocent…whatever you called me.” Carina finally stands back, pushes the button and keeps her hands to herself. Amber is still standing there frozen from shock until the elevator doors open and Amber walks out like her life depends on it.

That Night

My shift is over, it’s been a grueling 24 hours but I survived them with my sanity intact. Although my mind is still at a fog from my encounter with Carina DeLuca at the elevator. When she was interrogating me in there I was taken back and frightened. I don’t know what about me gave the impression I was manipulating Andrew that night we first saw each other. I barely said two words to her because she was preoccupied with reuniting with Andrew and I was in the middle of it along with Dr. Robbins. If anything her behavior that night was more alarming than mine at least one of us was wearing a shirt. I shake it off and decide to just get home and rest before the next day.

I try to ignore the blisters on my feet as I walk inside the locker room with Casey and Helm where I find the others just as exhausted.

“Wait did you scrub in?” Dahlia asks Casey after noticing the blood on his top.

“No but I was really close to Dr. Kepner when she shoved her hand in a gaping leg wound.”

I sit on the bench massaging my knees, “At least you saw a gaping leg wound.”

“I didn’t even get to see a leg.” Helm adds.

“Did anyone scrub in today?” I ask and they all say no to my relief. It would kill me if Glasses or Roy got to scrub in before I did. All of us are disappointed that the job we’ve always wanted is just B level grunt work.

“Are we ever gonna set foot in an O.R.?” Casey asks.

I chuckle, “Schmitt won’t in our lifetime.” He looks at me offended.

Helm smiles, “Hold it Schmitt was the first to kill a patient, Vik you owe me 20 bucks.” I chuckle at that as Schmitt tries to defend himself.

“I didn’t kill a patient.”

I grin at him before deciding to tell the others, I’ve had a weird day and I need something to take the edge off and making fun of Glasses is working so far, “No he just dropped his glasses in an open body cavity in the O.R. before he even started here.” All of them laugh and are shocked by my statement.

“Wait.” Dahlia chimes in, “Your Glasses?!”

I laugh, “Oh yeah I was there and it was worse than I made it sound.”

“You were all over Twitter!” Roy tells Schmitt with a laugh.

“Wasn’t the patient a little kid?” Helm asks.

“Yeah, I said it was worse than I made it sound.”

Schmitt stands up clearly having enough of the jokes and yells out, “My face was sweating and they accidentally slipped off!” I continue to laugh until I see chief Bailey approach behind him with a blank expression.

“Hello chief Bailey.” We all stand up and face her like soldiers going into battle which isn’t that far from what we’re doing.

“Who’s on call?” Bailey asks some of them raise their hands but I don’t since my shift ended, “A big rig flipped over on the five. Incomings about 8 minutes out.”

Helm is still hungry for surgery like us and asks what’s on our minds, “This means that one of us will get to scrub in tonight, right?”

Bailey looks at us confused, “Why would you say that?”

“This morning you said that one of us will get the opportunity to operate today.” Vik clarifies.

The chief looks at us astounded, “What I said was that today you would have the opportunity to prove yourselves ready to scrub in, not that you would scrub in today. Now, seeing as how all of you are doctors, I would think that you were smart enough to understand that difference.” We all stand there shocked at her statement, even me as I also hoped to scrub in on a surgery, “I don’t see anyone moving.” The interns on call exit out, “And what are you all still here for? You just finished your first day as a surgeon. Congratulations, go home.”

Bailey leaves us and I purse my lips at the cruel intention of getting us amped up only to be sourly disappointed in the end. It was like high school all over again, only I didn’t have black hair with green streaks. And instead of a promposal from Connor Lendel it was a surgery I was hoping for.

Casey is just as shocked, “The chief played us.”

I bitterly nod, “Yep like fiddles with MD’s”

Schmitt tries to chime in for some reason, “I mean she technically didn’t say that we-” We all groan and admonish him over his bad timing.

I put my casual clothes on, grab my backpack and get out of the hospital for a much needed power nap.

[underforeversgrace]

healing the wounds we hid - 9

title: healing the wounds we hid

Finally, the sequel to broken trust and the wounds hidden behind! (Refresh here on AO3 or here on Tumblr)

Story Summary: Now that his father knows, Danny's life is changing for the better. Jack encourages him to let his friends and the rest of the family into his small word. Unbeknownst to Danny, Jack is secretly worried about how Maddie will react to the news upon her return to Amity - and how to confront Vlad once Jack learns his true identity. Amidst it all, an enemy lurks and plots their revenge.

Chapter 9 of 11: Rescuing You

AO3

Tumblr Chapter One

(Tumblr Chapter Ten will be here)

~~~~~~

Maddie fidgeted uncomfortably in the passenger seat of the GAV as conversation and last minute preparations swirled around her.

“And you’re sure this will work? You threw it together in ten minutes from scrap.” Vlad asked, holding up a device the size of his palm.

“I’m positive. C’mon, an RFID jammer is one of the easiest things to build, what self respecting techno-geek wouldn’t know how to cobble one together?” Tucker retorted.

“I don’t think ‘self respecting’ and ‘techno-geek’ are ever able to go together,” Sam said. A strained laugh echoed around the GAV at the girl’s attempt to lighten the mood.

“Are there any other questions?” Jazz asked, trying to take charge and seem calm, but the way she repeatedly wrapped and unwrapped a strand of hair around her finger betrayed her anxiety. “Or are we all good on the plan?”

Soft murmurs of agreement went around the vehicle.

Maddie watched Jack as he drove, letting Vlad and the teenagers fall back into bickering behind her. He was dressed in a plain outfit, something she hadn’t seen from him in years. Jack wore brown slacks with a brown button up, a hat of the same color on his head. Even with his bulk, Jack looked like an ordinary everyday Joe, especially if she only glanced at him.

Her head itched under the wig she wore and she picked at the sleeve of the white coat she had on to keep from scratching at it. Why Sam had even had a blonde wig, especially of such high quality, Maddie had no idea. Maddie was similarly dressed plainly, a simple blouse and black slacks covered by a lab coat.

Jack turned the vehicle off the main road, stopping a half mile back from where they knew the facility to be.

“Vlad, Sam. You’re up. Mic check.” Jack said, hooking a Fenton Phone over his ear. Sam and Vlad followed suit. They only had four of these, so Tucker had the fourth one. The four of them flashed thumbs up to each other when they confirmed the Phones worked.

Sam scowled slightly down at her outfit - she’d dressed up in a costume as well, a black pencil skirt with a dusty pink top and light makeup, which, for a girl who Maddie had seen wearing combat boots since age eleven, was quite out of the ordinary. Vlad was the only one who would be interacting with the agents who didn’t have to change into some wildly unusual outfit.

“Be safe,” Jack said as Vlad and Sam clambered out of the vehicle. Both just shared solemn nods and began the trek to the facility.

“Hold on, I think I can patch the Phones into the GAV’s radio so you two can hear as well, Mrs. F, Jazz,” Tucker said, leaning forward and popping open the center console to expose the wires. After less than a minute of fiddling, static began to crackle through the speakers.

“Can you still hear me?” Tucker asked when he finished.

“Yes,” Sam answered as Vlad said “Affirmative.”

“Fuck yeah!” Tucker said with a grin, though he looked sheepish as he remembered who he was talking to. “Uh! I mean! You’re coming through the RV’s speakers, we can all hear you now.”

“Copy that,” Sam said. “We’re in sight of the facility.”

“Gotcha. Mr. F, wanna get us closer? Another quarter mile or so?” Tucker asked.

“Why?” Jazz asked.

“So that Vlad and Sam don’t have to walk as far back and so there isn’t as long of a gap between them leaving and Mr. and Mrs. F. arriving.” Tucker explained. “We don’t want to give them time to calm down.”

The four of them quieted down as the speakers flickered.

“Name and reason for visit?” A bored voice could be heard distantly.

“Vladimir Masters and my assistant, Eliza Jordans, here on behalf of Dalv Co. We have a meeting with some of your agents.” Vlad said smoothly.

“It’s six in the evening.” The agent answered, his boredom audible in his voice.

“Trust me, I am aware. I quite nearly canceled the visit when I was informed that your higher ups refused to meet with us at a more reasonable hour.”

“They were quite adamant this was the best time to meet with them,” Sam added, sounding timid and shy in a way that threw Maddie for a loop. That girl had been hard headed ever since the first time Maddie had met her, demure had certainly never been a word Maddie would describe Sam (or anyone in her family) with.

“No higher ups are here,” the guard grunted. “You’ll have to reschedule.”

“Oh, this is ridiculous!” Vlad said, doing a very good impersonation of a grown man having a tantrum.

“Mr. Masters, I think they don’t respect your time,” Sam added, sighing.

“Who is your manager? I wish to speak to him this instant!” Vlad said, the sound of a hand slamming against metal reverberating through the mic.

“He’s placed the jammer,” Tucker said.

“Sir, I apologize, but there is no one here higher than me at this time. You’ll need to call tomorrow and schedule an appointment.” The agent answered, clearly exasperated.

Maddie had to resist the urge to chuckle as she listened to her old friend absolutely rant and rave at this poor guard, but the stern, serious faces of the other three in the vehicle made her hold her tongue. They still believed Danny was being hurt, after all.

“That is enough!” The agent yelled after over a minute of Vlad screeching at him - a whole fifty seconds longer than Maddie herself would’ve lasted. “Call in the morning and get out of here before I call reinforcements! This is federal property and you are now trespassing!”

Sam sighed. “I’ll add it to my calendar tomorrow, Mr. Masters. But honestly, if they can’t make time to see the CEO of Dalv Co, are they worth your time? There’s other agencies that would grant you the respect you’re due if they want the multi-million dollar funding.”

“The - the what -“ the guard choked out.

“Right you are, Ms. Jordans. Be sure to mention this… lovely agent’s name when you call tomorrow to inform them why we will not be pursuing a partnership with them.”

“Certainly, Mr. Masters.”

They were listening to Sam get the guard’s name - and his stuttering - when Tucker distracted them with a yell. “No!”

“Tucker, what’s happened?” Jack asked, turning to look at him.

Tucker just blinked tears from his eyes, looking away from his PDA and jerking the singular headphone bud he wore out of his ear, leaving the Fenton Phones in his other. “Danny just woke up. He’d been unconscious until now. They’re…” Tucker took a deep breath. “Jazz, you said you were good to do first aid? He may have burns.”

Jazz and Jack both paled at the information. Tucker took a deep breath and returned his attention to the device in his hands. He flinched as he did so but didn’t elaborate further about what he saw as he pressed the headphone back into his ear, pain on his face. “You still have the blueprints I stole from city hall’s archives?”

Jack nodded, fishing the folded up paper from his pocket. “And we’ve got it noted which room you’re showing Danny is being held in.”

“Good. It sounds like Sam and Mr. Masters are done. You’re up.” Tucker said before looking up and making eye contact with Maddie. “Please bring him home.”

Maddie tried to give him a reassuring smile. Even if he didn’t realize this wasn’t really Danny, he clearly thought it was and it warmed her heart to see how much he wanted to help save her son. “I’ll get him,” she said.

“Here, your badges,” Jazz said, grabbing the fake cards from beside Tucker and handing them to Maddie and Jack.

Maddie nodded, tugging the badge into her pocket and straightening her wig, but Jack hesitated behind her.

“Tucker…” Jack started. He breathed shakily before continuing. “How hurt is Danny?”

“Hurt,” was all Tucker said. “Get him out of there. Please. I can’t… I can’t lose him again.” He pleaded.

“Don’t worry, Tucker,” Jack reassured. “I’m not going to lose him again, either.”

Maddie stayed quiet, merely nodding along as Jack finally hopped out of the GAV and they made their way towards the GIW facility.

“Thank you, Mads,” Jack said when they rounded a corner and were out of sight of Tucker and Jazz.

“For what?” Maddie asked.

“Believing our son. I know it’s hard, but… it’s him, Maddie. It really is.” He said, pulling the Fenton Phone out of his ear.

“How did he convince you so fast?” Maddie asked, keeping an eye out for Sam and Vlad.

Jack shrugged. “Same way as you, that video. Once you realize it’s him, it becomes so obvious in everything he does. I saw that video, I saw Danny’s goodbye… and I just knew it was him.”

“So what? He showed you that video and then everything just became fine?”

“Oh, no,” Jack shook his head. “I found the video by accident. I had gone into his room for something and found the USB and medical supplies hidden under his bed. He didn’t even know I’d seen the video. After that… well, you saw how afraid he was of us. I needed to earn his trust. It took a few weeks, but I did. He told me his secret of his own choice.”

“Why didn’t you tell me all of this, while I was away?” Maddie demanded. How long had her son been missing?

“Maddie, I love you and I always will. But it was… delicate. Tell me you wouldn’t have come home and accused me of being overshadowed and then shot him because you couldn’t believe he was Phantom without proof.”

She didn’t respond, they both knew he was right. She still knew Phantom wasn’t really Danny, after all. “Did he give you that? Proof?” She asked instead.

Even in the slight gloom, Maddie could see Jack’s lips turn up into a small smile. “I’ve seen his transformation a dozen times by now. He’s told me stories, explained things about what he’s hidden from us since this happened. The beakers he kept dropping in freshman year, you remember? Even that was because of being Phantom. He couldn’t control his powers yet.”

Maddie nearly stumbled as Jack kept talking.

Freshman year.

Pain spread in her heart. There was no way Danny was still alive after two years kidnapped by a ghost. Her son was dead and replaced.

And she hadn’t noticed.

Jack was still telling her things he’d learned since ‘discovering’ Danny was Phantom when Sam and Vlad finally came into view.

“Maddie. Jack.” Vlad said, pulling the Fenton Phone out of his ear and handing it towards her. “Is something wrong with your communication device? Mr. Foley and Jasmine have been trying to reach you.”

“Shit,” Jack swore, putting his Phone back in as Maddie followed suit, though her movements were slower and she felt more like she was in a haze.

Danny was dead.

He’d been dead for two years.

“You guys okay?” Tucker asked in her ear.

“We’re fine, sorry Tucker,” Jack apologized. “I was talking to Maddie.”

“Glad you’re fine,” Tucker said. “Remember, the jammer won’t work for long, hurry.”

Jack and Maddie did as they were told, Sam wishing them luck as she and Vlad made their way back to the GAV.

Icy determination fueled her steps as she pushed forward, patting gently at the weapon in her pocket. The jammer Vlad had planted for them would disrupt anything not powered by ecto-energy within fifteen feet, he’d said, so she’d decided to bring the gun just in case, and she was glad she had.

Phantom was not going to escape this night with his afterlife. Of that, Maddie was certain. 

Soon, she reassured herself as she tried to bury her feelings as deep as they would go. The plan was still the same - break into the facility and find Phantom. The only thing that had changed was her end goal - she’d have helped free him if it meant saving her son. But she had no son left to save.

The facility came into view - though ‘facility’ was a loose term for it. She’d seen the blueprints so she knew it wasn’t a very big place but she’d definitely been expecting more of a federal building, regardless. It was a squat, square white building with nothing of note to mark it, not even the name of the agency. Maddie looked to Jack and they shared a nod. They’d go in separately, Maddie was up first. Jack, dressed as a janitor, was there to help smuggle Phantom out, a Fenton Thermos tucked into one of his many pockets, and help Maddie fight her way out if it came to it.

“I’m right behind you,” Jack murmured, reaching for her hand and gently squeezing. “Let’s get our son.”

Maddie knew her smile looked strained, she could only hope Jack interpreted it as her being afraid about sneaking into the Ghost Investigation Ward’s base. With a deep breath, Maddie drew herself up to her full height, exuding confidence as she walked forward.

“Good evening!” She said pleasantly, fishing the fake badge out of her inner pocket.

“Evening,” the guard said, looking slightly shell shocked, probably thinking he’s about to lose his job once Dalv Co ‘calls’ tomorrow about the ‘funding meeting’ they were supposed to have.

Maddie just gave him a friendly grin, swiping her card over the access panel, which beeped angrily at her, a red light flashing. “Damn it,” she swore lowly, swiping it again and getting the same response. “Ugh, excuse me?” She asked.

The guard seemed to blink away some of his daze. “Uh, what’s up?”

“The door isn’t letting me in. Are the scanners acting up again? I thought they fixed that.”

“Damn it, again?” He asked, pulling out his own badge and getting the same response.

“Whoever is in charge of fixing this place really doesn’t want to do their job, do they?” Maddie asked, giving the man a sympathetic look.

“No,” he grumbled.

“Can you let me through? I was called in about the… specimen that was obtained today,” she said, glancing to the door in pretend worry. “I can’t miss it or my boss is going to blacklist me!”

The guard mumbled again, trying his badge uselessly. “I’ll put in yet another request about this. Go on in,” he said, buzzing open the door manually. “No one else needs to get fired,” he added so quietly she barely heard him.

“Oh, thank you!” Maddie said, overacting her relief as she hurried through the door, letting out a heavy breath as she did so. That had supposedly been the hard part according to their planning, getting into the building. “I’m in,” she said, pressing on the Phone in her ear.

“Copy that, Mrs. F.” Tucker said, though he sounded more staticky now. “These people really do say everything in their emails. Anyway, their shields are causing some interference but I can hear you loud enough. Mr. F, wait a minute and then follow her. We only have about four minutes left on that jammer.”

“Got it,” Jack answered. “Mads, start looking for Danny. Is he still in the same room, Tucker?”

“Yeah. Room B17, sub level number two. Please hurry, Mrs. Fenton.” Tucker said, his voice breaking slightly as he asked.

“On my way,” Maddie said, pressing at the earpiece again to silence her microphone. The halls were mostly empty - it was after 5pm on a weekday and this was a federal government agency, after all - so Maddie hurried towards the stairs, her hand going back to the blaster hidden beneath her robe, on her hip.

She had to get to Phantom before Jack got inside. He’d never let her do what needs to be done, never accept Phantom had only pretended to be their son, accept Danny was dead and they had been too negligent to notice. She only had a little bit of time to blast that ectoplasmic scum to whatever Hell he had avoided the first time he’d died.

She had no trouble getting down to level two - security really was astonishingly lax here. Tucker had said as much - the emails he’d gotten access to indicated the GIW’s focus was on stopping ghosts, not humans.

“I’m heading in,” she heard Jack say and she swore. He needed to stay out! Maddie desperately scanned around her for an idea, grinning when she saw the sprinklers in the ceiling. Perfect. A fire alarm would keep Jack out and may help clear out whatever scientists were with Phantom. She pulled the prototype Fryer from her waist, aiming it at one of the sprinklers above her. 

“Mrs. F, what are you doing?” Tucker yelled in her ear. 

“My son is dead,” she answered calmly, pulling the Phones from her ear as she heard Jack begin to scream her name, dropping the device to the floor and crushing it beneath her heel. She lowered the voltage of her weapon and fired, the sprinklers going off instantly as the fire alarm began to echo loudly throughout the halls. She heard scattered shouts of shock as she bolted out into a full run, relying on her memory of the blueprints to lead her to B17. She found the room just as someone jerked the door open and ran out, forcing her to jump to the side to keep from being trampled.

“Get back here!” A voice screeched from the room. The scientists paid the man who spoke no mind, more focused on evacuating.

None of the scientists paid her any mind either as she slipped into the room, Fryer held loosely in one hand.

“Cowards!” The man yelled, furious. It took Maddie a moment to recognize him - Operative O. He appeared more disheveled than she remembered him ever being, also wearing some type of metal prosthetic where his hand had been last time she’d seen him.

Maddie quickly studied the room - it was clearly some sort of surgical theater, full of medical equipment and sterile metal surfaces. Phantom was shackled to a stainless steel table in the center of the room, electrodes connected to various spots on his upper body. She didn’t care to study him too much, noticing the way O was standing beside him, hands on the table as he yelled.

“Get away from Phantom,” she ordered, holding up the gun and aiming it at O.

Phantom snapped his head to the side to stare at her. A gag was settled in his mouth, preventing him from talking. Tear streaks ran down his face, tinged with the same glow as ectoplasm. She’d have to be blind to not notice the Lichtenberg scars running across his arms and torso, sickly green that shot over him like lightning, so dark and concentrated over where a human heart would be that it looked like burnt flesh. Small branches of the same design poked out from around the sticky pads connecting the electrodes to him.

His eyes were wide as he stared at her, though she couldn’t bring herself to truly study his face.

What if? Her mind whispered and she stomped the sentiment away.

“Who’re you?” O demanded.

“Doesn’t matter. Phantom is mine. Back off, I don’t want to hurt you,” she said, making a shooing motion with her hands.

“He is mine,” the man hissed, going for the gun on his waist and aiming it at her, one handed.

“He killed my son,” Maddie shot back. “Back off!”

She heard Phantom make a slightly strangled gasp through the gag, but she refused to look at his face again.

“He killed my brother!” O shot back. “He needs to pay!”

“He does,” she agreed. “But he’s tricked humans. They’re coming to save him. He dies now or he escapes!”

That made O stop, even lowering his gun. “Phantom can’t escape again. He can’t.” O’s face crumpled slightly in grief. “He has to pay for what he did to K!”

"He does," Maddie agreed, stepping closer to the table. "But if we don't get rid of him now, he's going to escape."

Maddie ignored the sounds Phantom was making as he struggled on the table, screams muffled by his gag. She accidentally looked at him - she saw the pain and hurt and betrayal in his eyes as tears dripped down his face.

What if? Her mind muttered to her again. No! She insisted, forcing herself to look back at O. She held up the weapon so he could see it. "I think this can destabilize him. It has a high enough electrical current, based on my theories, to unravel a core. We never used it because we wanted a specimen we could study. I’m willing to make an exception,” she said, gesturing towards Phantom with the gun.

Phantom began to actively pull and strain at the metal cuffs binding him to the table. O practically growled, angrily flipping a switch on the machine near him. Maddie jerked away as electricity crackled and sparked along the ghost’s frame.

His entire body seemed to dance with electricity, his back arched so far he’d have broken his spine if he were human and had one. His eyes rolled back into his head, spit dripping from the gag as he screamed so loudly it may as well not even be there. It didn’t last for long, O turning the switch back to its ‘off’ position. Phantom collapsed back down with a thud, fresh tears falling from his eyes as he sobbed, eyes clenched tightly closed.

Good, she determined. He can feel pain.

She did her best to not notice the rise and fall of his chest as he desperately tried to draw in air.

“How high is the voltage on that?” O asked, turning away from the crying ghost. Maddie answered and he frowned. “We’ve shocked him with something higher than that already and he showed no signs of destabilization.”

Maddie frowned slightly, glancing at the watch on her wrist. The fire alarm had delayed Jack, but it wouldn’t keep him away forever. She nor Jack had ever actually destabilized a ghost, all they had was theory.

“We’re running out of time. I’ve got an idea. We may be able to disrupt the core by running two separate currents, so the core can’t find an equilibrium. Meaning - you turn yours on, and I’ll turn mine on,” she explained, dialing the voltage on the prototype as high as it would go.

Operative O’s grin could only be described as sadistic. “You hear that, Phantom?” He asked, clapping his metal hand roughly against Phantom’s shoulder. “Time to ride the lightning! Something you already have experience with, hm?” He added, gesturing to the distinct scarring on the ghost’s chest.

“Goodbye, Phantom,” Maddie murmured. The ghost turned to look at her, wide eyed and afraid as she pressed the gun to his forehead. She didn’t mean to, she really didn’t, but she ended up holding his gaze.

There was no anger, no malice in his eyes. No desire for revenge, no defiant sass.

No, all that she saw was terror - pure, unbridled terror - mixed with agony. Tears tinted green fell freely and a scream that was clearly a plea for help, for mercy, was audible through the gag.

What if I’m wrong? pierced her mind and her grip on the gun loosened slightly, enough that Phantom noticed. Hope filtered into his green gaze, though it didn’t stay there long, as O flicked the machine back on, turning the voltage to max. Again, Phantom’s body seemed to involuntary raise, trying to pull away from the table as he screamed so loudly she wondered if she’d go deaf.

What if I’m wrong? echoed in her head as a memory came to her unbidden. A family vacation down south, to the coast, the first time Danny had ever seen the Atlantic Ocean. He’d been eleven - was it really only five years ago? It felt like a lifetime - and he’d gone too far, getting caught in a riptide. Jack had gotten to him easily, but she’d never forget the look on Danny’s face when Jack had pulled him up out of the water and he’d choked, drawing in breath.

Why was that memory coming up now?

Maddie took a deep breath, steadying her hand, which had begun to shake at some point as the ghost child’s screams continued to fill the air. She could hear O’s laughter as Phantom cried out in wordless agony.

What if you’re wrong, Maddie? kept being screamed inside her mind.

This isn’t my son! she argued with herself, pressing the barrel of the weapon close to Phantom's head.

Before she could fire, a loud crack! sounded around the room and Phantom screamed even louder, his body arching even further in the air. The odd shape he contorted into made her heart skip a beat. That was his spine breaking.

He had a spine to break.

Are you willing to kill your son? was a quiet, tired sentiment in her head, the memory of Danny’s terrified eyes the day at the beach and Phantom’s similar look shoved themselves to her.

Not just similar. The same. It’s the same.

That’s my son!

Maddie made her decision instantaneously once she could no longer deny the proof in front of her. She raised her gun and fired at Operative O - knowing she was shooting hundreds of volts of electricity into a human, more than anyone could survive.

Killing a human to save a ghost.

Killing a human to save her son.

He dropped immediately and Maddie released her grip on the gun, letting it clatter to the floor as she ran to the device, quickly turning it off. His body fell heavily onto the table, unmoving and with closed eyes, even his chest still.

“Danny? Danny!” Maddie screamed, pulling the gag out of his mouth and jerking the sticky pads off his skin, ignoring the nausea that sprung up in her stomach as blackened, charred flesh was exposed with each electrode she removed. “Danny, please!”

A single bleary eye opened, unfocused. “Mom?” He asked, his voice hoarse from screaming.

“I’m right here, Danny, I’m right here,” she reassured, fumbling with the button marked to release the cuffs holding him down. They retracted and disappeared.

“You didn’t kill me?”

“No, no, of course not,” she said, running a hand through his hair, biting her tongue to keep from hissing in pain as he was so cold it burned.

“Dad won’t let you dissect me,” he said softly. “He won’t.”

“Oh, God, sweetie, I’m so sorry, I’m not going to hurt you! I swear! But we need to get out of here! Can you sit up?”

He made a grunting sound but nothing happened. “I can’t,” he said, a panicked edge in his voice. “I… do I have legs right now? I can’t… Mom, I can’t feel my legs!” He said, his panic growing the longer he talked, though his speech was slurred.

“Your back,” Maddie realized and guilt burrowed into her soul. “I think you broke your back!” She was struggling not to panic, not to throw up. Had she just paralyzed her son?

“Fuck,” Danny swore, his voice hitching in pain. “It’ll heal. We need… We need…” He trailed off, gaze again unfocused. Maddie had a strong suspicion he was going to lose consciousness any second now.

Determining she had no other option, Maddie leaned over the table, tucking her arms under Danny, lifting him and holding him close to her.

He was so light.

He was so scarred.

God, what had she done?

[fryingpan1234567]

welp I’m obsessed now, have some more headcanons from my college au

Wow not just Empires this time? Crazy

So the DSMP- it’s funny because no one else really swears, so when one of them (particularly like Q or Tommy) swears they get like a hundred people going “LANGUAGE” and at least four of them flick them in the side of the head

A few of them show promise as far as building goes- Foolish and Sam are both pretty awesome STEAM people

Most of them still don’t know what they’re doing tho lmao

As previously mentioned, the dorm buildings are really funky but I want to talk about them more

So the ESMP (Empire Building) is gorgeous architecture and vaulted ceilings and mural walls done by students; very shmancy, as far as dorms go. And then all the rooms are very different styles- Joel and Pix share a room (bf things✨✨) and it’s an Ancient Greek style, Scott and Sausage have a very colorful place, Lizzie and fWhip’s room is full of plants, aquariums, terrariums, and as many other living things as possible, Katherine and Shelby have lots of witchy magic everywhere and it’s pink and green and purple and black, Gem and Jimmy’s place is an absolute mess of things, but it’s all perfectly organized and put together and Gem’s ceiling is a skylight. Ollie and Joey look right over the coast, but the dorm is mostly ship themed because Ollie pitches a tent on the beach most of the time

I… didn’t really want to talk about the other two I just wanted to do Empires XD

Well a lot could be said about everyone’s fashion sense, because here’s the thing: they’re college students

That means we’ve got some of them absolutely tryharding and the others too lazy to throw on much more than jeans, a partner’s shirt or hoodie, and the nearest pair of Converse

But our tryhards (Tango, I’m looking at you) are out here in full fits and sometimes makeup that they spent a good hour on that morning and like?? Who’s got that kind of energy??

But all of them have to try at least a little bit sometimes, because field projects are a thing and they can’t show up in their pajamas

Example number one: fWhip spends most of his time in a combination of Pix’s sweats, Joel’s hoodies, and Lizzie’s flannels. But when it’s time to climb down into a bigass cavern for three days, it’s a WHOLE other story

We’re talking cargo pants, hiking boots, Mojang Uni T-shirt, full climbing harnesses, and he’s tied the longer front part of his hair into a unicorn horn to keep it out of his face so you can see the freckles all over his cheeks and forehead. We’re not gonna talk about why his partners very suddenly had nosebleeds while waving him off on his trip have fun babe!!

Example two: Bdubs normally wears his fuzzy green bathrobe that looks like moss over a white T-shirt and black jeans, but on days where he was to present projects/ models/ builds, it’s a sweater over a collared shirt and a Uni cap that Etho ALWAYS has to steal just because it’s that tempting to mess with his poor short boyfriend

But ofc there’s always those ones (ahem DREAM) who just don’t put all that much effort in

Niki, Lizzie, Stress, Katherine, Gem, Hannah, and Shelby work at the campus coffee shop (their menu is infused with magic!)

You can order a latte with a shot of confidence if you’ve got a presentation

You can order extra hydration if you have a field trip and need to walk a lot and you don’t want to bring a water bottle

The campus wind sailing team that consists of Puffy, Joey, Ollie, Ren, and Keralis uses the bay for practice while the rest of everyone else has a beach day (it’s a crowded but lovely sight)

Truth or Dare at parties is a fucking nightmare are you kidding me

Do not challenge Dream to obstacle courses. The only one who’s ever beaten him is Grian

Anyways

[doctorbeverlycrusher]

I’m liveblogging Who’s The Boss again because I’m on Wedding Bells and apparently this one is something else.

Thoughts under here

- I’ve found that the versions on CTV seem to cut things apparently and I hate it.

- Teens now are so lucky they don’t have to tie up a landline to talk to each other. I didn’t have to do that either but it’s fun to see it depicted because I’m sure that was an actual thing.

- Angela wears so much pink and I love it for her. This pink blouse in particular I love to bits.

- Samantha being offended that Marci’s dad told her he was engaged before Sam could 💀

- Oh my god they’re going to be the matron of honour and best man oh god oh fuck oh god

- TONY SQUEALING 😂 And Angela’s genuine laughter in the background 🥹

- NOT TONY AND ANGELA PICKING THE INVITATIONS BUT GOING WITH WHAT THEY THINK NOT WHAT THE BRIDE AND GROOM THINK AND MONA CALLING THEM OUT 👀 These two will be the fucking end of me.

- “Any woman I love would have to love you as much as I do” Did you mean Angela Bower?

- “And then I’ve got to find a woman who accepts me for what I am and what I do.” DID YOU MEAN ANGELA BOWER?

- “This time I would like a man that would be supportive of my career, that loves my son, and is sensitive and considerate.” Wow, so Tony right? You realize that you’re describing Tony don’t you?

- Oh god them walking down the aisle together they’re so cute I can’t handle this 💜

- THEY KEEP GLANCING AT EACH OTHER DURING THE CEREMONY JESUS

- That was the shortest ceremony I’ve ever seen in my life.

- OH MY GOD NOT THEM IMAGINING EACH OTHER I CAN’T

- “Perfect couple don’t you think?” Yes you two are

- “It’s almost like there’s love in the air” “Oh c’mon Angela, that was Pine Sol.”

Okay I need to break this down (read: extremely overanalyze) for a second. Obviously, Tony is cracking a joke here, but I can get some deeper meaning here. Tony’s her housekeeper right? So he would use cleaning products, like say, Pine Sol. And we all know Angela’s in love with him so maybe love does smell like Pine Sol to her.

- NOT THE FERGUSONS OFFERING TO LET THEM GET MARRIED TOO 💀

- “You probably know what I like as well as I do.” “Better.” OH MY GOD HE’S RIGHT BUT I’M DYING

- TONY ANSWERING THE GUY’S QUESTION AT THE HORS D’OUVRES TABLE WITH TABLE 6 WHICH IS WHERE HE AND ANGELA ARE SITTING.

(I’m sorry for the permanent caps I am just literally trying not to scream out loud so I need to scream through text)

- I’m already getting bad vibes from Fred and Ginger…

- “He’s very sensitive about his organs.”💀💀

- Mona is being a shit disturber and I don’t know how I feel about it.

- Tony and Angela dancing together gives me all the feels 💜

- And then them going to say the same thing at the same time. This is soulmatism if I’ve ever seen it. I’m still convinced at least one person on the Ted Lasso writing staff was inspired by these two because Ted and Rebecca have some similar stuff here

- THEY WAY THEY ARE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER 😍😍😍

- Sam i love you but please don’t interrupt them dancing

- “As you well know, good husbands are hard to find.” MONA I LOVE YOU

- NOPE FUCK FRED AND GINGER. THEY NEED TO FUCK RIGHT OFF.

- Angela, I know your heart is in the right place here but this is going to make things worse and I hate it here

- “I don’t give a Fig Newton what people say” I need to use this euphemism now. I love it.

- Angela’s gonna catch the bouquet. I guarantee it.

- Okay she tossed that right at them 💀

- TONY NO 😭😭😭😭 YOU’RE GOOD ENOUGH FOR HER YOU GOTTA BELIEVE THAT 😭😭😭

- HE’S GIVING HER A FOOT RUB HELLO?!?

[motownfiction]

pride in a sunflower dress

Lucy breaks out her sunflower dress when she needs help with something, and she’s too proud to really ask for it. She wishes she wasn’t superstitious, but she’s always bought into the whole “lucky clothes” thing. Whenever she has a math test, she wears her bubblegum pink tights. Whenever she has to give a speech, she makes sure she’s sporting purple shoelaces. And when she’s too proud and too nervous to ask someone for help, she wears her sunflower dress, no matter how cold it is.

Today, on a Wednesday afternoon toward the end of March, it’s still pretty cold. Detroit is having a long winter. It doesn’t matter. Lucy’s breaking out the sunflower dress because she needs help, no matter how embarrassed she is to get it. The worst part is that she needs help in school.

No, maybe the worst part is that she needs help from Will O’Connor.

And it’s not that she thinks Will is dumb. He’s not. He’s smart, and he does well in school. He says he tries hard in school to impress her, but Lucy knows better than that. His eyes light up a little too brightly when they have debates in Honors English, and they’re not just lighting up to see her. It’s the kind of spark that only comes with loving what you learn. Lucy usually has that spark for almost anything, except this unit in her mandatory ninth-grade health class. This is enough to make her want to drop out and leave her Ivy League dreams in the dust.

For the past two weeks, the freshmen at St. Catherine’s have been learning CPR and First Aid.

And Lucy is really, really bad at it.

Everyone else seems to love this unit of health class. They think it’s easy and practical. And maybe, for most teenagers, it is. Not Lucy. Lucy would prefer to memorize all the warning signs of heart attacks in men and women. Anything but having to tie a splint for a grade. Whenever she tries, it just falls apart in her hands. She’s a fucking fool.

Will, as it turns out, is the master of First Aid. He says it’s because he’s the second oldest of six children, so he’s had a lot of experience at tending wounds quickly and without many questions. Sam said he was impressive in class, and if Lucy needed a little help, she should put on her sunflower dress and ask.

You know he’s not gonna say no, Sam said. To you or your dress.

So, here she is, standing in the middle of the O’Connors’ living room in her sunflower dress, trying to tie a splint around Molly O’Connor’s left arm. Will stands over her and gives her direction.

“Don’t loosen your hands so much,” he says. “Keep ‘em tight.”

“You wish,” Lucy says.

“Look, do you want my help or not? Because it’s OK if you just wanted to hang out.”

Lucy feels her chest grow warm. She swallows hard and thinks about what she’s going to say. The truth is that this is largely an excuse to spend extra time with Will. They’re friends, and they spend a lot of time together as it is, but they don’t get a lot of time without the twins or Daniel being there, too. Maybe they could if Lucy owned up to being in love with him already. But she’s not sure she’s ready for that. She’s ready for splints. Just not much more.

“Look,” she says. “If I didn’t need your help, I wouldn’t have asked for it. You know how I am about things like this.”

Will looks at her like he doesn’t believe her. Typical. He’s always been good at seeing through her. That’s probably why Lucy loves him so much.

“Right,” he says. “Well, give it another shot. Sorry, Molly.”

“It’s OK,” Molly says. “Do I still get a hot fudge sundae?”

“A promise is a promise, kid. Even if I’m gonna get lazy and wanna break it.”

Molly laughs, and against her better judgment, Lucy laughs, too. She wipes her hands on the sides of her sunflower dress before trying to tie the splint again … before keeping her hands tight, just like Will said she should.

This time, it works just fine.