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thatesqcrush · 3 years

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The Nanny, Part 2

Bryan Kneef x Reader. Follow-up to part one here. Warnings: NSFW - smut, oral (male/female receiving), squirting, daddy kink), language. WC 5.3K.

It was early in the morning when you woke up. You stretched, arching your back and elongating your limbs, enjoying the way the expensive sheets felt against your naked body. You winced as you did so, realizing you were sore in the best way. You looked over and realized Bryan was not next to you. You knew he was up early most days as he had to deal with legal business overseas.

You quickly redressed and made way back to the joined apartment, where after your shower, you admired the bruises and marks that decorated your body. As your fingers traced over the love bite on your breast, your mind went back to the events of the night prior. A feeling of nervousness developed in the pit of your belly - you wondered how you would get through the day - would Bryan have regretted it? Would you still have a job? Looking at the time, you realized you didn’t have much time to ponder the what-ifs. Sandrine and Jasper would be up soon and you had to get them ready for the day.

The hustle and bustle of the morning did keep your mind otherwise preoccupied. “Turn around, let me see.” You told Sandrine as you finished doing her hair. Sandrine did so and looked up at you a toothy smile. You gave her a smile in return as you brushed her bangs from out of her eyes.

“Ms. Y/N, did you have a fun Valentine’s Day?” Sandrine asked.

“Ummm, something like that.” You murmured as you leaned to grab a hair bow to clip to her hair. You slid the purple bow and then gave her a once-over. “All set - let's go have some breakfast.”

“Did you kiss any boys?” Sandrine continued to inquire as she followed you into the kitchen. You opened your mouth to reply when you halted in your steps seeing Bryan ahead, pouring coffee.

“Morning sweetheart.” Bryan greeted, his gaze turning toward Sandrine. You tried to move discreetly past the six-year old when Bryan turned to you.

“Morning Y/N.” Bryan winked as he sipped his coffee. He was shirtless once more, and your mind flashed to how you gripped his strong, defined arms as he came inside of you not even 24 hours before.

“Hi Bryan.” You murmured, barely meeting his gaze as you walked over to where he was. Bryan watched you as he leaned against the sink, his arms crossed. You stood on your tip-toes to reach into the cabinet to get a coffee mug.

“Let me get that for you.” Bryan offered, stepping behind you as he placed his own mug down beside you. The feel of Bryan being pressed against you and the scent of his soap caused a shot of arousal to course through you. As a result, your pussy clenched involuntarily around nothing. Bryan’s breath was hot on your neck and you felt your skin prickle. Bryan reached around for his mug once more and leaned against the counter.

“Y/N, after you get back from drop-off, you and I need to talk.” Bryan announced quietly.

You felt your heart drop into your stomach and your cheeks burned. “Um… sure.” You replied, hoping Bryan would not hear the shake in your voice. “No work today?” You asked. “I thought you had to go into the office?”

“Took my calls earlier and two of my cases have continuances. I have the entire day ahead of me.”

Jasper happened to catch the tail-end of the conversation as he placed his empty cereal bowl into the sink.

“Dad, you have the day off? Can we have a movie day?” Jasper asked. Sandrine let out a squeal, hearing her brother.

“Please, daddy, please!” Sandrine begged. “With popcorn and everything!”

Bryan smiled as he leaned over to ruffle Jasper’s hair. “Of course we can - that’s if Y/N would care to join us?”

Your brows furrowed. ‘Maybe I am not getting canned after all.’ you thought to yourself.

“Please Ms. Y/N, please!” Both children pleaded in unison.

You shook yourself out of your thoughts and smiled brightly. “Of course I can! Now, if you’re done, brush teeth and put on shoes - we have to leave in ten minutes.”

As the children ran off, you turned your attention back to Bryan, who was looking at you once more. His face was unreadable and you awkwardly gave him a small wave before following the children to help them finish getting ready.

You rapped on the door quietly, with your knuckles. “Bryan? You wanted to talk with me?” You called out.

You heard Bryan beckon you in and when you opened the door, you found him sitting at his desk. He looked up at you from his laptop and gave you a smile. “Please sit.” He extended his arm to the chair in front of his desk.

Your pulse quickened and your mouth suddenly went dry. You swallowed hard and wiped your now sweaty palms on the tops of your thighs. “So you wanted to talk?”

Bryan nodded. “About last night. It - you - I…” The normally loquacious litigator found himself at a loss for words. He cleared his throat and let out a deep exhalation. “Last night was a lot of fun, but--”

“Oh that’s never a good sign.” You interjected, nervously laughing. Bryan responded with holding a sole finger up and you instantly quieted.

“We cannot let last night happen again.” Bryan continued. “I would be remiss to say I didn’t find you attractive - and really, I should be trying to find someone to replace you as we crossed an inappropriate line. That said, you are really integral to Jasper and Sandrine’s happiness, so I will keep you on unless you want to tender your resignation - which of course, would be understandable.”

You felt your cheeks burn once more and your eyes well up. What were you expecting? A proclamation of love? That he would fall for the nanny? 'This isn’t a Harlequin romance novel.’ you chastised yourself.

You put on a brave smile. “I totally understand. I would be happy to stay on. There is no reason why we cannot go back to a strictly professional relationship.”

Bryan tapped his desk with the top of his hand. “Great. I am so relieved that we are on the same page.”

You nodded and you waited for him to continue. After a beat, Bryan gave you a pointed look and you took the hint to leave. You shut the door behind you as you left and allowed the tears to freely fall. Unbeknownst to you, Bryan had just dropped his head into his hands, defeated.

Time moved forward and the seasons changed. The freezing temperatures of winter in Chicago gave way to the blistering heat of summer. The twins birthday had arrived and turning seven was apparently a much bigger deal than when you turned seven. No expense was spared. Bryan’s home was bustling with children, caterers and party professionals.

The spectacular event (held inside a makeshift circus tent, of course) included a “trapeze” photo op, circus-themed treats like popcorn and candy, an outdoor swing, tons of colorful balloons, a “TICKETS” booth and more. Circus performers were preparing to liven up the party. Topping everything off was a truly lavish multi-tiered birthday cake with miniature versions of the children as acrobats in front of a circus tent.

Bryan had gone to pour himself a glass of water when he caught sight of you through the kitchen window. He swallowed hard as he watched you busy yourself with the children. You had dressed up for the occasion, cosplaying as Anne Wheeler. You wore a lilac sleeveless leotard with a matching short length lilac cape. White shorts were molded to your ass and thighs. Your hair was sprayed bubblegum pink.

Bryan swallowed his drink, desperately hoping the iced cold water would help cool him from the sudden warmth he was feeling. He decided to go outside and distract himself with some of the guests. The sun was beaming bright and hot, nary a cloud in the sky. The sounds of children giggling and shrieking filled the yard space. Bryan couldn’t help but keep you in his line of sight. You had taken off your cape and was now in just the leotard and shorts. As you danced with one of the kids, Bryan couldn’t help but watch your tits bounce. His mind was suddenly brought back to Valentine’s Day and how he got an up close shot of those tits bouncing as he fucked you.

A hand clasped Bryan on the shoulder and he turned, seeing it was the dad of one of Sandrine’s and Jasper’s friends. Another joined, a colleague, with beers in hand. “This is one hell of a party Kneef.” The blond in a teal polo replied - Bryan vaguely recalled his name was Bryce and was opposing counsel on an old case.

“Agreed.” The other man, Derek, replied. His gaze steered to you and he let out a low whistle as you bent over to talk to one of the kids.

“Damn Kneef, your nanny sure is something.” Derek continued. “Tell me, are you fucking her?”

“No!” Bryan denied, a bit more loudly than he intended. Derek looked at him with brows arched. Bryan shook his head. “I - I - I wouldn’t jeopardize her relationship with the twins. They really love her.” Bryan replied. “Good help is hard to come by.”

Bryce snorted before taking a swig of his beer. “If I wasn’t married, I’d be taking her home right now.”

“Hell I’m married, and I am considering taking her home.” Derek chuckled. “Lily’s away on business.”

Bryan stiffened, doing his best to swallow the urge to clock both men. He was filled with a surge of jealousy at the idea of you going off with one of them, who in his mind were just a bunch of douchebags. “Really?” he sneered, turning his attention to Derek. “You’d do that?”

“Oh fuck off Bryan. You’re one to talk. If you didn’t have the kids, this would be something you’d absolutely be doing - hell, you have done it!” Derek replied, rolling his eyes. “How many times have you been caught with your pants down and some bimbo paralegal over your desk?”

Bryan chose to not respond, as the answer was too many times to count. He was the office playboy for a number of years. The only reason he was even kept around as long as he was, was because he brought in a lot of business for the firm.

“Neither one of you are going home with my nanny.” Bryan gritted, taking another swig of his beer. “She’s…a person, not just a piece of ass.”

Both men didn’t reply, instead just looking away. Bryan let out an audible sigh before walking over to another group of friends and colleagues. “Come on, the game should be on and I have some Cubans that need to be smoked.”

At one point the adults and kids changed and it became a pool party. You sipped on a lemonade and watched as Bryan climbed out of the pool. His body was soaking and was more toned than from even the last time you saw him naked. ‘What is he doing? Pull-ups on the scaffolding?’ You wondered as he wrapped a large towel around Sandrine and Jasper.

Your pussy clenched, remembering how you clawed his back desperately as you came all over him repeatedly, with his cock, mouth, and hands. Arousal coursed through you and you let out an irritated sigh, knowing you’d need to rely on your battery operated boyfriend some more if you were going to survive this job.

Hours later, the festivities were over. You and Bryan each carried an exhausted twin and set them in their room, each likely down for the night. You followed Bryan out and shut the door behind you with a gentle click before making way to the kitchen. You found an empty tiered cupcake carrier and began to pack away some of the leftover cupcakes.

“You don’t need to clean up.” Bryan commented as he opened another beer. “I hired a clean up crew for that reason.”

“I don’t mind.” You shrugged, turning to him. Bryan’s gaze fell to your breasts again, and it was apparent you weren’t wearing any bra as he could see the outline of your hardened nipples.

“Idle hands are the devil's workshop.” you continued. Some frosting got on your fingers and you sucked your finger clean, while meeting Bryan’s eyes, which were blown with lust.

“I can find something to do with your hands.” Bryan retorted, stepping towards you and closing the gap. One arm wrapped around your waist while the other brushed some hair out of your face. You gazed at Bryan’s lips, pink, soft and plush and you licked your own lips in anticipation. His mouth began to drop to yours when the sound of a voice clearing caused the two of you to jump back in response.

It was mommy dearest herself, lips pursed in a thin line, arms crossed. “Am I interrupting?”

“Constance.” Bryan greeted coolly, turning away from you. “What are you doing here? Party finished two hours ago.”

“I was hoping that I could be with the kids on their birthdays and give them a present.” Constance replied, her eyes still locked on you. You dropped your head and choked out an ‘excuse me’ before dashing off to your apartment. Bryan watched as your form disappeared before turning back to his ex-wife.

“Connie - we have a custody arrangement in place for a reason. You cannot just show up unannounced.” Bryan gritted as he took the gift bags from her and placed them on the breakfast bar.

“I know, I know.” Constance stated. As she walked towards Bryan, the echoing sound of her heels against the marbled tile filled the room. She clasped her hands together, her bracelets jangling together. “I was just hoping we could make an exception for today, after all I am their mother.”

“You left us. You were never part of their lives. You may be Sandrine’s and Jasper’s mother on paper, but that’s all you are. You are lucky I was considerate enough to entertain the amount of visitation you have in place right now.” Bryan spat.

“Bryan, don’t be like that. I was young, I had a burgeoning model career that got derailed when two pink lines showed up on the test. I have more than made up for it.” Constance argued.

Bryan pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a deep breath in exasperation, wanting nothing more than for his ex-wife to leave. “Connie, the kids are asleep. Please just go - you have the kids next weekend. I’ll make sure they get your gifts.”

“Fine.” Constance looked at Bryan, her brow arched perfectly in judgment. “Before I go, just tell me since when did you start fucking the help?”

Bryan spat out his beer. “What you saw--”

“Please, I am not an idiot. Just wait til I let my lawyer know.” Connie threatened.

Bryan’s blood pressure shot through the roof. A fresh swell of rage rose inside. He clenched his fists, his guts churning in turmoil.

“Don’t you fucking threaten me. Get the fuck out.” Bryan growled. And when Constance didn’t move, he burst in anger. “Now! Go home Connie!”

***

You watched from your window as Constance climbed into her Mercedes and drove off. You climbed into your bed and stared at the ceiling as you contemplated everything from the last few months. ‘What were you doing? Sleeping with your boss - then the near kiss! You are such an idiot! How did you think that was going to end?’

‘But there is something more’ the voice in your head said. 'Isn’t there?’ that same voice continued. ‘Or were you both just so good at pretending it was real?’

There was a knock on your door and you shuffled your way to the door. The knocking continued followed by the sound of Bryan’s voice.

When you opened the door, the sight of Bryan standing there, kicked your libido up fifteen or so notches. His form was stiff, with set shoulders.

“Hey.” You greeted, stepping aside. “Come in.” There was already an awkward tension and the two of you hadn’t even spoken yet. You took a deep breath as you shut the door and followed him into the living room.

“Can I get you anything?” You asked nervously. “I can make some co--”

“Why’d you run out?” Bryan asked, interrupting you. His expression had hardened.

Looking away, you sighed before sitting down. Your shoulders sagged and you rubbed your face, smearing some of the glitter on your face. “It was awkward! We said we weren’t going to do anything… and then it felt like we were. And then of all people to show up, it was your ex-wife! What else was I supposed to do?”

“Not run out.” Bryan gritted. “We could have talked about this.”

“Well isn’t that what we’re doing now?” You asked, crossing your arms. You hadn’t changed and you were still in cosplay. Your breasts were pushed up under your arms and Bryan felt his cock twitch in his pants. Bryan looked around your apartment for something to distract him and his eyes settled on a picture of you and the twins at the park. He let out his own deep breath.

“You don’t need to worry about Constance. She’s just bitter - she is the type of person who shouldn’t have become a parent.” Bryan replied, taking a seat next to you. He cocked his head. “Admittedly, I was that type too.”

You turned to Bryan. “What do you mean?”

“I won’t sugarcoat it; I had more than my fair share of partners. I met Constance at a rough time in my life and she helped settle me down. We did the whole wedding thing and she got pregnant. After the kids were born, she just had a hard time giving up her old life - it was probably some kind of post-partum thing but I was too busy prioritizing my work otherwise to notice the signs. One day she was just gone. Left me a ‘dear John’ letter and that was that.” Bryan explained.

“But the kids see her. How did that happen?” You inquired.

“She showed up around when they were older. Showed interest. Wanted to make amends. For the sake of the kids, we negotiated visitation. I have primary custody and there’s a schedule. She wasn’t supposed to come today.”

Bryan continued, now pacing the length of the room. “I was cut off guard when I saw her. With her, I always feel like another shoe is about to drop.”

You walked in front of him, pausing him in mid-stride. “Oh Bryan.” You wrapped your arms around his neck and looked up at him. Bryan watched as you licked your lips and as he saw the pink of your tongue dart out, he had made his decision. He leaned down to kiss you and you met him the rest of the way. You sighed into the kiss, molding into the heat of his embrace. You felt him harden against your belly and you dropped your hand to rub him gently through his pants.

“I thought we wouldn’t do this again. The rules.” You panted in between kisses.

Bryan broke the kiss. “Fuck the rules. Let me make sure the cleaning crew is done and then we’ll pick up where we left off.” His voice was gravelly, the tone lustful.

“Sounds like a plan.” You agreed; a shiver went up your spine and your heart quickened in anticipation of what was to come. “I’ll freshen up and meet you there.”

You let out a moan as Bryan’s lips found purchase on your neck. His hands cupped your tits from behind, squeezing your flesh. You pushed your hair to the side to allow him greater access. A hand slipped down in front of the leotard you wearing. “No bra? Naughty girl.” He murmured as his thumb and forefinger tugged and rolled your nipple, until it was at attention. You turned around and cupped his face, tugging on his beard as you drew him in for another kiss. His tongue pressed at the seam of your lips, requesting access and you opened your mouth in response. His tongue slid into your mouth, exploring and rolling against yours. Bryan’s hands cupped your ass, squeezing them through your shorts.

Bryan broke the kiss. “You in those tiny shorts - all I wanted to do was haul you off and fuck you.”

“You should have.” You purred as you took his arms and led him to the bed. “And then you could have told the guys that you had filled me up and that my panties were dripping with your load.” You nipped his ear, causing Bryan to growl.

“You knew we were talking about you?” His green eyes were blown with lust and searched yours.

“Of course, I did. I have eyes you know.” You rolled your eyes. “I saw how you were all staring.”

“But now we can make up for lost time.” Bryan remarked, kissing you once more. You smiled against his kiss as you dropped his hands and walked a few steps ahead. You made a big show of removing your clothes. “See, no panties either.” You shimmied the leotard down your hips and thighs letting the material pool around your feet.

Bryan’s eyes darkened with lust as he watched you and made his own removal of his clothes. His cock sprang to attention as he pulled down his boxers and without a word exchanged, you dropped to your knees. You took the hair elastic that was around your wrist and you scooped your still-very pink hair into a ponytail.

Bryan’s cock was painfully hard and aching, with a bead of pre-cum weeping from the head. Bryan chuckled darkly and gripped his cock, pumping it a few times before dragging it back and forth along your lips. “You want this?” He asked, as he now tapped it on your face.

You looked up at Bryan and opened your mouth wide, extending your tongue over your bottom lip. Bryan let out another chuckle as he fed you his cock. “That’s it, take daddy’s cock.”

You relaxed your throat as Bryan continued to press his cock into your mouth. Once he had hit the back of your throat, he holds you in place, causing you to gag, and spit to start dripping from your mouth. He released himself and before you could get another deep inhalation of air, he slammed his cock into your mouth all the way again. He again held you in place and your eyes began to water as you gagged; more saliva dripped over your chin and onto the floor. Bryan withdrew again and this time you used your hand to pump him. You gathered some saliva and spit on his cock for lubrication. You gave him a few more pumps and then you took his length into your mouth once more.

Bryan threw his head back as you closed your mouth around him, using your tongue to go over every ridge and vein. The weight of his thick cock against your tongue caused your pussy to ache with need. Bryan focused his gaze back on you, watching as his length disappeared in and out of your mouth.

Bryan grunted and groaned, moaning your name in encouragement as you worshipped his cock. You flattened your tongue and ran it along his length before sucking on the sensitive crown, flicking your tongue against the tip. Bryan reached for your ponytail and wrapped your hair in his grip, guiding you along again. You let him set the pace and soon he was fucking your throat, the only sounds in the room being wet, slurping sounds and the obscene moans you were making from around his cock.

“Fucking love your mouth but I love coming in that pussy more.” Bryan grunted. You let out a whine and Bryan removed himself from your mouth. With your hair still gripped in his hand, he tilted your head up. “Is that what my girl wants?”

You nodded, desperately. “Yes daddy, come in my pussy! Please.”

Bryan helped you rise to your feet. He gripped your chin, and took in the sight of you. Chin messy with saliva, streaks of mascara down your cheeks. His cock twitched once more - you never looked more beautiful. “Bed - now. I want to feast on that pussy.”

You turned to climb onto the bed and Bryan gave you a smack on your ass, causing you to squeal. You flopped onto your back and spread your legs wide. Reaching down with your hand, you spread your folds apart, giving Bryan an ample look at your arousal.

“Have I told you that you have such a pretty pussy?” Bryan murmured against your skin. He used his fingers to spread your lips more, revealing your flesh. He stroked your pussy teasingly, gathering your arousal on his fingertips but never sinking them into where you wanted it most. As he continued to stroke your lips, he pressed kisses along your inner thighs. You reveled in the feel of his wiry beard along your skin. You recalled how Bryan liked a bare pussy and you were happy to endure repeated Brazilians in hopes of anything would come about in the future... and now it had.

His breath was hot on your aching cunt. You cried out as he wrecked your pussy with his tongue, burying his face inside of you, sucking and licking and devouring your slick folds.. To Bryan you were like a juicy peach, with your arousal dripping into his mouth. You were delicious and he couldn’t get enough of you. He licked you with big, broad strokes, before targeting your swollen, sensitive clit, taking it between his lips, trapping it so he could torment it with his tongue, scraping just slightly with his teeth. He reached up to grab at your tits, his large hand gripping one tightly. You cried out from the sensation of how his tongue massaged your clit furiously before dipping inside you, mimicking what was to come.

You ground against his mouth, riding against his face, as pleasure coursed through you. Bryan lifted his mouth from you and you whined at the loss. It was short lived, as he sucked two of his fingers and then slid them into your tight cunt, knuckles deep. As he massaged your walls with his fingers, he used his free hand to rub your clit.

“Gonna come for me Y/N? Gonna make a mess for daddy?” Bryan rasped as he curled his fingers, pumping them into you faster.

“Yes, fuck, yes!” You cried out, throwing your head back. Your thighs began to shake and Bryan began to rub your clitoris roughly and haphazardly. You shouted Bryan’s name as you clenched around his fingers, squirting and soaking him in the process. You began to push away from him, overstimulated but Bryan threw his large arm over you, keeping you in place.

“Oh no, no.” Bryan darkly commanded. “Daddy wants more.” He slipped his fingers back into, this time, adding one more into your fluttering cunt and began jackhammering them. He rubbed your clitoris roughly again, the squelching wet sounds filled up the room. You cried out again, feeling the pressure inside you burst, as you squirted again. Bryan lapped you, cleaning you with his tongue, enjoying your flavor.

You barely had a chance to recover, as Bryan slid his body over yours and slid his cock easily into you. You groaned as he filled you, the slight burn sensation mixing with pleasure as you accommodated his girth. He gripped your wrists and placed your arms overhead.

“Hold onto the rails sweetheart.” You looked back and gripped the wrought iron rails, which elongated the length of your body. Bryan covered your mouth with his as he began to drive into you with long, deep strokes. He pounded into you, and you could feel his balls slap against your pussy.

“Yes, oh fuck, yes, yes, fuck me!” You cried out. Bryan leaned up, so he was sitting on his haunches and took both your legs and hooked them over his shoulder. Bryan continued to thrust into you and you let out a wrecked moan as the angle changed, causing his cock to hit your sensitive spot. A sheen of sweat coated both of your bodies as you fucked each other. You released your grips on the rails and began to play to play with your tits, pushing them together and tugging on your nipples.

“Yes…” Bryan grunted. “Play with those titties.”

You moaned, and continued to do so, encouraged by his words. Bryan slowed his thrusting, rotating his hips, teasing you. You let out a choked sob as he did so, and he reached down to rub your clit. “Come for me.” Your legs trembled as you felt yet another orgasm begin to build.

“Oh fuck daddy, oh yes!” You cried out, squeezing your eyes shut as you began to tighten around his cock. Bryan paused his movements and withdrew, tapping his cock against your clit furiously. A gush of your come squirted out, covering him and soaking the bed below. You had barely caught your breath when Bryan pulled you up and flopped you onto your stomach. You looked up at him, meeting his eyes as you took his length into your mouth again, bobbing on him enthusiastically. You could taste yourself on his cock.

“My dirty slut.” Bryan cooed, as he stroked your now sweaty hair. He wrapped some of it in his fist, guiding you along. You squealed as he reached over and began to lay spanks on your ass.

You released him from your mouth, gasping more. “Yes, daddy, spank me. I have been such a bad girl.”

“Bad girls get punished.” Bryan growled. You looked up at him and nodded eagerly.

“Mmmm, punish me daddy!”

He pulled you up roughly and crushed his mouth against yours - the kiss was all teeth and tongue. He broke the kiss and lightly smacked you on the face and then gripped your chin.

“Is that what daddy's girl wants? To be punished for being such a dirty fucking slut?”

You nodded again. “Yes. Please.” You begged desperately. Bryan repeated the slap and then reached down to grab your tits before also slapping them. You let out a whimper, as the pain mixed with pleasure. You wrapped your arms around him and pulled him back down onto the bed. He rolled so you were on top. You leaned forward, rising slightly and reached down for his cock, lining it up along with your entrance.

You both groaned at the sensation. Bryan’s grip on your hips were tight and you were certain there would be marks on your hips in the morning. The room smelled of sex and sweat and the only sound were moans and groans as well as the sound of skin slapping on skin.

You wanted one more - just one more to lessen the ache that only Bryan seemed to create. You reached down and rubbed your clit, closing your eyes as you let this final orgasm crash over you. You slumped forward, dropping your head by his ear as Bryan planted his feet up onto the bed and hammered into you, now chasing his own release. You mewled and whimpered in his ear, begging sweetly for his cum. Bryan stifferned, gripping your hips tightly as he let out an animalistic groan as he spilled his release into you. His release dripped out of you, pooling where you were connected.

You both stayed there for awhile, catching your breaths. Bryan stroked your back as you nuzzled against him. Finally, you rolled off of Bryan and curled into him, stroking his chest hair.

“You certainly know how to keep me young.” Bryan murmured, causing you to laugh. Bryan rolled onto his side, turning to face you. He pushed back the hair from your face. He observed a pink strand. “I like it - you should keep it.”

You smiled. “We’ll see.” Bryan hummed and pulled you to him, where you both fell asleep from the little party you had with one another.

FIN.

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hotch-isbae · 3 years

Text

They Take Care of One Another

Pairing: Hotchgan

Genre/Warnings: Fluff ???

Word Count: 1312

Summary: After a hard case, the guys run baths for each other.

Originally posted: here

I feel like they are both very busy and impatient men so baths are a rarity for them. Baths are strictly for special occasions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aaron runs a bath for Derek

"You know you're not getting any younger, right?" Aaron says with a sly grin on his face as he helps Derek hobble through the door to their apartment.

"I'd watch your mouth unless you want to be the one with a limp," Derek replies, there's a pause as he looks into Aaron's face to see him smiling.

"...promise?" they both giggle. "Seriously though, can you at least try to stop getting injured."

Aaron takes Derek over to the couch and helps him lower himself onto it before sitting next to him. Derek sighs, "It's not like I do it on purpose, you know that."

"I do...it just scares me sometimes ya know. I don't know if I could handle losing you," Aaron closes his eyes to hold back tears.

Derek reaches up and wraps one of his hands around the back of Aaron's head, carding his fingers through his short hair. "Hey, look at me. I ain't going nowhere, promise. Maybe you're right though, I should try and let someone else take a hit now and then," he pulls Aaron's head towards him and plants a sweet, gentle kiss on his lips.

"Mmm, I love you," Aaron says as he slowly pulls back.

"Love you too."

"Hey, it's late so Jack is staying at Jess' tonight, so why don't you wait here and I'll go run a bath for you!" Aaron gets up and rushes for the bathroom before the other can even reply.

Derek stares after him with a look of wonder on his face, realising how lucky he is, glad that no one else knows this side of Aaron.

Derek runs a bath for Aaron

They had just finished working a case where the unsub had been kidnapping and killing boys aged 7-12 who were being abused by their fathers because he believed that he was saving them from their own fate. The case had effected Aaron more than he was letting on, the team knew of his family history, as much as the team are taught not to profile one another, it's hard to switch off. It doesn't help that the last victim looked a lot like his son who just so happens to be a carbon copy of Aaron when he was younger.

Whilst Aaron was taking a moment to collect himself in his office, Derek was using his time to call Jess and ask if she could drop Jack off later that night.

After hanging up he made his way up the stairs to knock on Aaron's office door, "It's me", he says before entering. He expects to see Aaron at his desk but finds him sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands.

Closing the door and walking over to him, Derek sat down next to Aaron, placing one hand on his back and the other reaching up to pull his hands away from his face.

"You alright?" Derek asks, his tone of voice just daring Aaron to lie to him.

Aaron takes a deep breath before lowering his head. "No...but I will be. Promise."

He smiles as he feels Derek lean in and press a close-mouthed kiss against the side of his head. Derek takes his hand and moves to stand up, dragging Aaron up with him.

"Come on, we're going home. The paperwork can wait until morning."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Derek led Aaron into their apartment by the hand before shutting the door and pulling his boyfriend into his arms.

"Why don't you go and get undressed in the bedroom. I'm gonna lock up and then I'm running you a bath," Derek spoke into his ear.

"K, might need some supervision though, 'm tired. Give me a kiss first," Aaron demanded, and who was Derek to deny him.

Both men smiled at each other before leaning into a kiss that, realistically, only lasted a few minutes but felt like an eternity.

"Better now?" Derek asks as he finally pulls away from Aaron's lips.

"Almost," he leans in for one last kiss before stalking off towards the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he went.

Derek locked the door and made his way to the bathroom, turning the taps on and pouring some lavender bath oil into the water to help Aaron relax. Aaron, dressed in only his underwear, enters the bathroom just as the taps are shut off.

"What did you put in there?"

"Just some bath oil, don't worry, nothing too strong. Just a little something to make sure you sleep tonight," Derek replies, turning around. "You know bathing in underwear isn't advised," he grins.

Aaron mock laughs before speaking, "...Please don't quit your day job, you'd never make it as a comedian. You getting in with me?" he sounds hopeful.

"Want me to get in with you?" Aaron nods sleepily. (*Not really logistic considering they're both over 6 feet tall...but this is my fic so go with it*)

Derek begins stripping off, throwing his clothes into the hamper in the corner of the bathroom, then climbs into the tub, leaning back. He reaches his hand out for Aaron who has finished undressing in the mean time. Aaron takes Derek's hand and steps into the bath and lowering himself into the water, leaning back against the solid mass of Derek's chest.

"Make yourself comfortable why don't you," Derek laughs, wrapping one arm around Aaron's chest and bringing the other up to drag his fingers through his hair, knowing it makes the other man melt into a puddle.

After relaxing for about five minutes, Derek stretched a hand out to grab Aaron's favourite shampoo. He lathers it between his hands and begins to massage it gently into Aaron's scalp. He releases soft, tired moans, enjoying the head massage he is receiving.

"Like that? Close your eyes for me, need to rinse it out." He rinses his hand out in the water before grabbing a jug off the side.

"Mhmmm," Aaron closes his eyes, relaxing further into Derek, rolling his head back to rest on Derek's shoulder.

Derek dips the jug underwater, filling it up. He wraps one hand around Aaron's eyes, making sure they're covered, he doesn't want to cause his boyfriend any discomfort. Especially after the day they've had. He begins pouring the water over Aaron's head, making sure to get rid of every bit of shampoo. When he's finished he presses a kiss into the back of Aaron's head.

"K, up and out, you're falling asleep," he wraps his arms back around Aaron and pushes him forward gently so that he can bring himself to stand and step out of the tub. He wraps a towel around his waist before helping Aaron up and passing him his own towel. "Go get dressed, I'll just be a minute." Aaron walks to their bedroom, toweling himself dry.

Derek quickly pats himself dry before pulling on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. He finishes getting dressed just and there's a quiet knock on the door, he rushes towards it, hoping Aaron hadn't heard. He opens the door with a finger pressed against his lips.

"Babe, there's someone at the door for you!" he shouts as quietly as possible so as not to wake the neighbours. He looks up to see Aaron coming down the corridor, similarly dressed to Derek.

"Who? It's getting late," he says tiredly.

"Daddy!" Jack launches himself at his father, wrapping his arms and legs around him tight. Aaron grabs him gently and lifts him off the ground, basking in his sons presence.

He looks over at his boyfriend and sister-in-law and mouths 'thank you', the realisation quickly dawning on him, how lucky he is to have these three in his life.

#criminal minds #hotchgan #mortch #can somebody please clarify what we call these two?#mortch sounds like an animal throwing up #anyway #aaron hotchner x derek morgan #in my universe two 6ft+ men can totally fit in a bath together #just don't even question it #aaron hotchner #derek morgan

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tweedlydumbtweedlydoo · 4 years

Text

Not Perfect (JJ Maybank x reader) pt. 2

Summary: JJ Maybank is the one who makes sure your kook lawn is immaculate. Your family may look perfect just like the lawn from someone looking from the outside in, but it turns out you and JJ have more in common than you thought.

Previous Part: Part 1

!!warning: This story talks about abuse through out, so if that’s triggering please don’t read. This is strictly fiction.

A/N: Had not expected this to get as much attention as it did! I’m glad you all liked the first part :) Hope you enjoy the second xx

Tag list is at the end. Let me know if you want to be added xx

**MASTERLIST**

Requests: {OPEN} CLOSED

I am currently taking requests for:

The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Elijah Mikaelson

Damon Salvatore

Criminal Minds:

Spencer Reid

Derek Morgan

Supernatural (I’m only up to season 2, so please don’t request something with spoilers)**

Sam Winchester

Dean Winchester

Outer Banks (Netflix):

John B Routledge

JJ Maybank

Rafe Cameron

********************************************************************************************NOT MY GIF, CREDIT TO OWNERS

It was Thursday night, JJ’s night to work at the country club. He was clearing off a table when he saw your family walking in, dressed head to toe in fancy clothes. Multiple people greeted your father, shaking his hand. He was a well-known man around the island, just like the Cameron’s. Your family was up on the popular pole with the Cameron’s, fighting for the richest and best family on the island. He thought your two families were in a feud for power over the island, but he wasn’t sure.

He watched as your dad put his hand on your back, pulling you closer, so he could introduce you. Your body tensed up at the touch and he watched you force a smile and shake the other man’s hand. Your eyes darted around and met JJ’s. He blushed because you had caught him staring. You gave a genuine smile and a wave. He smiled and started to wave back but the look your dad gave him made him think otherwise. He hung his head and continued clearing off the table. Out of the corner of his eye he watched your dad grab your arm and pull you inside the club.

You weren’t sure if it was the shadow from the outside lights, but it looked like his eye was bruised. You were pulled from your thoughts when your dad guided you into the country club.

JJ had stepped out to clean off another table when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around he was surprised to see you.

“Hey.” You smiled.

“Hey.” He wipes his hand on the black rag and smiles at you.

“I didn’t know you worked here too?” You take a second to look over his features. His right eye was for sure bruised and there was a cut under his eye, looked like from a ring. It wasn’t a secret around the island that his dad was abusive. Everyone knew of it, but there wasn’t much for people to do, especially the kooks, so everyone minded their business. Especially, if it dealt with the people on the cut, also known as the pogues.

He nods, “Yeah I alternate between helping Pope, here and then landscaping.”

“You’re just a man of many talents, aren’t you?”

“I guess you could say that.” He chuckles and you laugh in return. He knows you’re staring at his black eye. He’d come home from hanging out with the pogues and had a run in with his dad. He wasn’t too happy about JJ showing up and interrupting one of his shows.

“what’d you do, Maybank? Run into a pole?” You motion up to his eye.

“I-uh..” he chuckles, playing it off, “Yeah. Was messing around John B and he got me good.”

You nod. Someone with a mean right hook. You weren’t a stranger to those. “Well, he’s got a mean right hook.”

JJ nods, “Yeah…” He clears his throat, hoping to change the subject, and motions to your dress, “You look pretty.”

You blush, glancing down at your dress and then at him, “You think? I think I look like a lemon.”

“A very pretty lemon.” He adds. Both of you laugh and it quietly dies down. He contemplates asking you if you’ll be at the boneyard tomorrow, but he’s interrupted by your dad yet again.

“Y/n. Let’s go.” His eyes are sending daggers JJ’s way.

You and JJ turn around, “Okay. Just one more minute. I’ll meet you in car?”

Your dad shakes his head, “No. Now, young lady.”

You give a nod before turning around to JJ, giving him a soft smile, “I’ll see you in the morning?”

He nods, “Yeah of course.” He watches as you walk away from him once more. Even after you have walked by your dad, he’s still glaring at JJ and takes a sip from his drink before turning away and heading after you. What was this guy’s problem?

The next morning when he arrived at your house, he could hear you and your dad yelling inside the house but tried to ignore it. It wasn’t his business. He heard the door slam closed and looked up from the lawn mower. You stormed out of the house and across the lawn, your dad now outside as well, “Y/n, you get back here right now!”

You ignored him and got into your car, your dad following close, but you had already closed and locked the door.

JJ flinched when he watched your dad bang on your window, “Don’t you dare leave!”

You started the car and pulled away as quickly as you could, leaving your dad standing in the dust. When your dad turned around, JJ was staring from the lawn mower, “What are you looking at, boy?! Get back to work!”

JJ quickly nodded, “Yes, sir.” He turned around and started the mower as your dad stormed back inside.

“There’s the perfect kook.” Kie rolled her eyes.

JJ turned around to see you had arrived, heading to the keg. You hugged a few girls and a couple of the guys, grabbing a drink from one of the guys and chugging it.

“Damn.” John B says, noticing. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her drink.”

JJ glances at John B then back at you, “I haven’t either.” You were the good girl, the one who didn’t drink or do drugs. You came and hung out at the Boneyard, had fun but never engaged in such activities. He decided then and there, he’d keep an eye on you, and it’s a good thing he did.

Usually, he wasn’t one to get into people’s business, especially kook business, but the way your demeanor was around your dad, it mirrored his own and his mind wondered if there was something more behind your perfect family. The perfect family and perfect life he wanted but would never have. You didn’t live like him though, did your dad really do the same thing his shitty pogue father did to him? No, there’s no way. Your life was perfect. Your life was one he’d never have, you had a family he’d never have, a loving father that he didn’t have or never would have. He was jealous of your perfect life, so why did he feel the need to protect you?

Two hours later, you are upside down on the keg as people yell “Chug! Chug! Chug!”

“Dude… she just beat the record.” Pope says, eyes wide, “And she’s never drank before.”

Taking a sip of his red solo cup he watches you get down, throwing your hands in the air as people cheer around you. This wasn’t you, but who was he to judge?

He watched from a far. He’d kept a watchful eye on you all night, ready to step in if something went wrong. You were dancing with a few girls and a guy, who had his hands all over you. You were stumbling and he knew it was time to step in, especially once the guy started to lead you toward the woods.

“Hey hey!” He hurried after you and the guy, “No you don’t.” He grabs the guy by the shoulders, making him face JJ, “What the hell are you doing?”

The guy looked at JJ, “Dude, what are you doing? Back off! She’s the one who wanted to go back here.”

JJ looks at your figure, the guys practically holding you up as you sway, “Yeah, I doubt that. Fuck off before I beat your ass.”

The guy rolls his eyes, dropping his hands, “Whatever.”

JJ catches you as you start to fall, “Alright… I think it’s time to head home.” He picks you up bridal style and heads toward the pogues.

“hey! You’re JJ!” You giggle.

JJ can’t help but laugh and nods, “Yeah I am. And you’re y/n y/l/n.”

You giggle again, “My daddy doesn’t like you.”

He looks down at you but is interrupted by Kie. Is that why your dad was always staring at him, giving him evil eyes?

“She okay?” Kie asks standing.

JJ nods, “Some guy was trying to head to the woods with her. I’m going to take her to the Chateau, she’s plastered.”

John B nods, handing him the keys, “We’ll be back soon.”

JJ carries you to the van and lays you down in the back as you mumble incoherently about needing to be a good perfect girl. You can’t do no wrong. You have to be perfect. Before he could close the door, you leaned out of the van and vomited, before falling back into the van.

“Lovely.” JJ mumbles, scrunching up his nose in disgust. You had luckily missed his feet but had managed to get some on your shirt. Sighing, he closes the door to the van.

When he arrives at the chateau, he picks you up bridal style and carries you inside. He thought you had passed out, but your head swung forward, looking up at him, “Why do people think my family is so perfect?” You slur.

JJ gently sets you on his spare bed, “Because you guys are perfect. Your house and yard are always clean. You guys are always a happy little family.” He grabs one of his t shirts, “I need to change you, you’ve got vomit all over your shirt.”

You nod, but then shake your head, swaying back and forth on the bed, “They wouldn’t think we’re perfect if they knew the truth….”

He carefully helps you out of your dirty one and then the clean one over your head, “Oh yeah?” He’s letting you ramble on as he grabs the trashcan and sets it by the bed. He’s taken back by your next statement. Your voice was slurred and mumbling but he heard you perfectly, loud and clear.

“If they only knew what Mr. y/l/n does to his daughter behind closed doors.”

When he looks up at you, you’re passed out on the bed. What he does to his daughter behind closed doors? Is that what he thinks it means? He gently picks up your legs and tucks you into the bed, leaving a glass of water by the bed. As he steps out of the room, he turns around to see your sleeping figure on the bed, suddenly looking so small in his spare bed. You’re a kook, a part of this perfect family, living in a perfect house, on the perfect side of the island, yet you’re living a life just like he is?

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some-cookie-crumbz · 6 years

Text

Aliens

Aliens Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Pairing: Kidge Summary: Implications of torture! After getting booted from a summer camp, Katie has to tag around with her dad at the Garrison base. Things get slightly more interesting, however, when she starts following around a different Garrison emlpoyee. Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more. AN: So, this prompt ended up getting ridiculously involved for me, and I’ve decided I’m gonna write this as a multi-chapter story. For now, consider this a preview and I’ll include more information about the full story in my next update post. :3

She watched everything around her with a sharp eye and keen interest.

Bringing your child into work wasn’t something that a lot of Garrison officers typically did – mostly because they weren’t supposed to – but this was a special case. “You see,” Her dad explained to his superior officer with a small, almost-nervous chuckle, “my wife is away visiting family. Her father is terribly ill and, well, we decided it would be better for Katie to stay here. It would be too hard for my dear Colleen to help her mother, whom is also terribly frail, take care of her father as well as keep a seven year old entertained. And it’ll only be for seven, eight weeks, at most!”

Commander Sampson eyed her wearily as her father spoke, still seeming unsure, before turning his attention back to her dad. “Are you sure that she will behave herself, Samuel?” He asked calmly.

“Oh, absolutely! I’ll keep her stuck to my hip like glue!” He promised, smiling wide and reassuringly at the other.

“Will your son also be following you along?”

“Oh, no, Matthew is away at a science summer camp until late August. Colleen should be home by then,” He said. Katie had originally gone to a science summer camp, too, but been kicked out after she stuffed another kid’s bunk with honey to play a real-life game of Ants-in-the-Pants. She was accused of being too rowdy and mean-spirited; she argued that she was standing up for herself against one of the kids bullying her, since none of the camp counselors had tried to help her at all. Samuel had stood beside his daughter, saying something about “bad press” and “negligence lawsuits”, which successfully got both Katie and the other child booted from the program.

Which had left her preening in delight. She may have gone down, but at least she took that jerk down with her.

With a slow exhale through his nose, Commander Sampson turned to Samuel again. “I’ll allow it, but make sure you keep her close at hand. The Garrison is not a daycare; it’s a military organization that trains space explorers,” He said strictly, sizing Katie up one last time, before heading back off to resume his duties.

“Thank you, Sir!” Samuel called after him before beaming down at her. He reached down and ruffled her hair before taking her hand. “Well, looks like you’re going to be getting the grand tour of the Garrison a few years early! You excited?”

“Yeah! Can I sit in for your lectures?” She asked eagerly.

He chuckled and gently steered her towards his office. “Absolutely! But do make sure to behave and stay quiet; can’t have you giving my students all the answers, now, can we?” He chuckled as they headed in. He gathered up his laptop, folders and a few other things before handing her the little messenger bag with some of her things in it. Once she had properly settled the strap on her shoulder, he took her hand and they headed along the halls towards the lecture halls.

And for the first two times she watched his lecture, she’d been enthralled. The third time, however, her interest started to wane. She tried her best to stay quiet – really, she did – but she was bored with this and flopped about in her father’s office chair. Sometimes, when he asked a question and there was a long pause between volunteers to answer, she’d let out a long, pitiful sigh. The students found this hilarious each time she did it, but she could tell her dad was reaching the ends of his patience by the time the lecture was over. “Katie, darling, you promised to behave,” He said, keeping his tone gentle as he knelt down and spun the chair around so she was facing him again.

“But I’m bored!” She whined loudly, feeling no need to tone it back now that there were so few students left in the room. The last couple chuckled a bit at her but she ignored them. She flipped around so that she was sitting in his chair upside down. “I like your lecture, but why can’t you do a different one for the next class?”

“That’s not how a teaching plan works, Katie,” He said patiently. He reached down, picked her up, and set her back down in the chair so she was seated properly. “I have to make sure all my students in all my classes are on the same page so they can work together or seek me out if they need additional help with something.”

“Showing the future head of our department a thing or two, Samuel?” A warm voice teased from the large doors leading into the classroom.

Sam chuckled and glanced over. “Hello, Hannah. And I’m just trying to convince my daughter, Katie, to behave despite being bored with my lecture for the day,” He explained, motioning the woman over. Katie thought she looked kind of familiar; an adult she’d probably seen at one of those boring work events her dad had to attend a lot. “Katie, this is Hannah Curtis. She’s one of the head researches in life on other planets.”

Katie perked up at that, eyes getting bright at that. “You mean you get to study aliens?” She asked.

Hannah giggled politely as she walked down one of the aisles to the table. “Well, so far we haven’t found any in the way you’re thinking; mostly just alien plant life. But it’s still pretty interesting stuff,” She said happily. She then turned her attention back to Sam. “I was wondering if you had a spare tablet charger. I’m working on a new project with a lot of complicated data and, well, I’ve never been good about remembering where I keep those chargers.”

Samuel chuckled and nodded, opening a drawer of his desk and rummaging through. “I swear, between you and the Douglas’, I’m gonna run out of spare charging cables,” He teased lightly, pulling out a small, bound black cable and offering it to her. “What projects are you working on right now, anyway? I heard they’d transferred you off of the Callisto research study to put you in charge of another program, but didn’t hear any specifics being mentioned.”

Hannah chuckled a bit as she fiddled with the cord. “Oh, just your run-of-the-mill research on a foreign organism located a few miles off. They think it has something to do with that meteor shower a few weeks back but I’m still not sure. You know, Samuel,” She said, her gaze shifting to Katie as she spoke before snapping back up at him, “I could take Katie with me back to my lab, if you’d like. I have some samples and tests to run that I could use a little bit of help with. She could take notes for me and maybe even get to see some of the results up close and personal.” She offered, fiddling with the cable in her hands.

Katie gasped and sat upright immediately, clutching at the arm of the chair and looking at Sam with large, pleading eyes. “Can I, Dad? Pretty, pretty please?”

He looked down at her and scowled. “Katie, darling, I told Commander Sampson that you would stay with me,” He said.

“Aw, Sam,” Hannah laughed lightly, “I’ll deal with Derek. I’m sure he won’t mind so long as she isn’t wandering the halls aimless and alone.”

He still seemed a bit unsure, turning his attention back to Katie. He reached down and gently pushed her unruly copper-tinted bangs from her face. “Do you promise to behave yourself for Hannah? Meaning you’ll mind your manners and do as your told and not act out?” He asked.

“I promise I will if you let me go with her!” She insisted, sticking her lower lip out just enough to make it quiver.

He chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately. “Okay, you can cut it back on the theatrics. Just make sure you keep your promise to listen, because if you don’t, Hannah will bring you back to me in a heartbeat, understand?”

She beamed up and held her arms up, embracing him tightly once he leaned close enough to be reached. “I will! Thank you so much, Daddy!” She slipped out of the chair and took the hand Hannah offered to her, staring up at her excitedly. “Will I really get to look at samples if I behave?”

“Of course! Oh, and I’ll bring her back for lunch, too. I figure, depending on how interesting she finds everything, I could keep her with me after that, too, if it’s okay,” Hannah suggested.

“Let’s just see how she does between now and lunch,” Samuel said, picking her bag up off the floor and gently draping it over her shoulder, “and determine where to go from there, okay?”

“Thank you, Daddy! I’ll see you later!” She called as she walked along with the older woman, waving back at him as they headed out. She looked up at Hannah curiously as they stepped out into the hallway, weaving between the throngs of students darting here and there before the bell could chime again. “Have you ever seen a real alien before? Because my Dad says that aliens are real but that we just haven’t gotten enough proof yet.”

Hannah giggled a bit. “What if I told you that I have a real life alien in my lab, right now?” She asked, leaning down a bit and lower her voice to avoid being overheard.

“Really?” Katie nearly shrieked, eyes shining with excitement.

Hannah gently pressed a finger to her lips but giggled despite herself. “Settle down, dear. We can’t have the whole place finding out about it,” She said gently. Katie gasped quietly and clapped a hand against her mouth, nodding in understanding. “But yes, we did. It’s a small thing and we still don’t know a lot about it, but we’re doing the best we can to learn more about it and why it came to Earth.” She explained before fishing a key card from her jacket pocket and sliding it through the elevator. She let Katie enter first, then stepped in herself.

The ride in the elevator was mostly quiet, with only Katie’s excited humming to fill the void. When the doors opened, they were in a lower floor area that was filled with transparent cells with cots and toilets but nothing else. It reminded her of a scene she’d seen in a movie she and Matt had watched one night when their sitter fell asleep on the couch while their parents were out. The rooms had transparent, glass doors with multiple little holes in them for oxygen and, if she were to guess, communication. There were tons of other Garrison scientists running about, but they had swapped out their Garrison golds and olives for traditional scientist white coats. Hannah approached an area with desks to their left, already starting to shrug off her blazer. Katie followed after her, unsure of what else to do. “Let me just slip into my proper coat and I’ll take you to see it, okay, Katie?” Hannah said politely.

“Dr. Fritz, there you are! We’ve been looking all over-!” Another scientist, a younger looking fellow with hair that looked like it had just been rubbed against a balloon and wild green eyes darted over, a tablet clutched tightly in his grasp. He cut off, however, when he saw Katie and let out a terrified squawk. “Dr. Fritz!” He voice grew high and cracked with anxiety.

“Oh, settle down, Andy! This is Katie, Commander Holt’s daughter. I’m sure you remember her from the company picnic a few weeks ago, right?” Hannah said with a small wave, finally shrugging her blazer off completely and moving to grab the white coat tossed over the back of the chair. Katie waved politely at Andy before her attention shifted to a picture of Callisto on Dr. Fritz’ desk. She seemed to notice, by how she plucked it up and offered it to her. “Here, if you’d like a better look. Pretty neat, huh, Katie?” She giggled.

“Doctor Fritz, this is highly problematic! We can’t have a child wandering around here with that thing in here! What if word got out? If Commander Wickler found out what we were doing-!” He yelped again when Hannah grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and pulled him closer.

“Commander Wickler won’t find out anything if you keep your mouth shut and let me do my damn job. I know what I’m doing, unlike the rest of you,” She said, keeping her voice quiet to avoid attracting Katie’s attention. She then shoved him back and glared at him. “Now, Andy, why don’t you go make sure our guest is awake and ready for visitors? I promised Katie that she could see it for herself.” She said evenly, turning her attention and a bright smile back to the young girl beside her.

Andy still looked uncomfortable but nodded. “Of course, Dr. Fritz,” He said quietly, rapping his fingers along the tablet as he headed off.

“So you’re a doctor? Do you specialize in aliens?” Katie asked, offering the picture back to Hannah.

She smiled and nodded, calmly placing the picture back on her desk. “Indeed I am. Well, the degree technically says I’m a doctor of Biology, but I’ve always been more interested in the anatomy of foreign entities. This is the first time it’s been something more than a plant or a root. This one… This one could yield some real information about what space is like,” She said, her voice becoming awestruck the longer she spoke.

Katie smiled wider herself. She hoped that someday she could be as passionate as Hannah was about her work.

Hannah seemed to snap free of her moment and led Katie along. “Now, I want you to stay close to me. It can get a little aggressive if you get too close to the glass of its cell,” She explained as they walked. Most of the units were empty but the farthest one back was where Hannah finally stopped. “It usually tends to duck under the cot and stay in the corner, but if you look you should be able to see it’s eyes.” She advised, pointing at the area in question.

Katie looked down to see two narrowed, glowing gold eyes watching her from beneath the mattress of the small bed. She gasped and immediately scrambled down, sitting cross-legged and leaning a bit closer to the plate-glass of the cell. Hannah stepped back a bit further as she observed Katie’s behavior, going until she was nearly pressed against the glass of the empty cell across from the one the subject was being held in. “Hello,” She said with a soft gasp.

The eyes widened a bit before she could see the silhouette of whatever it was moving. She heard Hannah mumble something under her breath but she couldn’t make out exactly what she said. The figure shifted out, crawling out while staying low to the ground, and she blinked in surprise at the alien staring back at her. It’s eyes were a bright gold with slim pupils, but the eyes were set in a humanoid face of pale purple skin. There was also a mop of inky hair with two cat-like ears sticking out, the ears covered in a purple fur that match his skin. The ears also had two little tufts at the tip, the fur there a slightly darker purple than the rest. It was wearing Earth attire, which she found a little strange, and the bright red shirt paired with tan khakis seemed like an odd fit. She also noticed a long, fluffy purple tail curling behind it and a strange collar of some sort around it’s neck.

She shifted a bit closer herself, starting to reach out to touch the glass, when Andy darted back over and gasped. “It came out!” He sputtered in alarm.

Immediately, the alien hissed violently, revealing long and sharp looking fangs, before scampering back under the bed. Hannah growled and whipped her head around to glare at him. “You simple-minded idiot!” She hissed, walking over to him.

Katie watched them for a moment then scooted a bit closer, leaning up a little so that she could speak near one of the vents. “Hello, my name is Katie,” She called lightly.

Hannah paused in her berating of Andy and watched, shifting her attention from Katie to the alien inside the cell whom had perked back up a little bit from the other speaking to him.

“I take it you haven’t spent a lot of time on Earth, but it’s good that you at least got some clothes. Hopefully it not too bad, since I’m not sure how comfy it is with your tail and all. I mean, unless a hole was cut in the back so that your tail could come out easier? I can’t really tell, since you seem to like hiding under the bed,” She said.

The alien shifted inside the cell, moving to lay down on its belly. It was the most at east that it had been since they’d found it half-dead on the side of the road nearly three weeks back.

“So, like, I take it your type of alien are kinda like cats? My Aunt Lucy has a cat that runs under the couch or the bed whenever visitors come over. She says that he’s a scaredy cat, but I think it’s just more that he doesn’t like Matt cause he pets him weird,” She said, tapping her feet together as she spoke. She leaned back a bit on her hands, getting more comfortable. “Matt’s my big brother. He’s okay when he isn’t being a total jerk. Sometimes he calls me Pidge, cause he says I’m small like a pigeon, and I hate it.” She continued to prattle on for as long as she was allowed, promising that she’d draw a picture of the new puppy they’d just gotten for him to see while she was eating her lunch.

Hannah dropped her back of with her Dad after about two hours, promising to come get her again a little later.

---------------------------------------------------------

“Dr. Fritz, I don’t understand why you brought that little girl in here. She could tell Commander Holt about the alien and blow the whistle on our research studies!” Andy squeaked out anxiously, clutching the tablet so tightly that it looked like the screen might crack. He was standing beside her desk as she turned her tablet back on, humming quietly as it loaded. He glanced down at the tablet in his hands, at the near-empty document regarding the alien they’d found. He didn’t have much to say about it other than it’s appearance and the accelerated rate at which it’s injuries had healed.

“Andy, we have a lovely little opportunity placed before us,” She said evenly, plucking out the stylus and beginning to write down some information. Added to her own list of information – which also included the alien’s hostile and volatile temperament, as well as its apparent lack of Earth knowledge or speaking capabilities – she added a few notes to her file.

“What do you mean?” He asked, trying to peer over her shoulder at what she’d written. Instead, she turned her chair around with a quick snap and pointed her stylus at him, less than an inch from touching his nose. He took a step back and gulped.

“How about instead of questioning me,” She mused, her tone sugary sweet and fatal, “you follow my orders to assure the integrity of our research? Katie Holt can be an interesting little pawn that can help us figure out where this thing came from. That kind of information could be invaluable to the Garrison.” She glared before tilting back in her seat, adjusting to reread the report she had drafted up about her research for the day.

Subject is a potential juvenile specimen of species; more data needed to confirm. Subject seems to have a higher tolerance for pain than humans; electrocution caused clear pain, but had a higher tolerance than human before pain reached excessive levels. Heightened healing element continues to be prominent factor; wounds caused by electrocution assessment seemed to heal more effectively than would heal for a human specimen once current was shut down. Healing element only seems to take effect once injury has ceased but will need to conduct further research to confirm. New assessments are being completed to determine the intelligence and amount of knowledge the subject has about Earth culture and habits. As of now, seems to recognize inflection and volume as indicators of intent of words; ability to understand the language has yet to be determined. Assessment schedule shall be properly scheduled and finalized to determine.

She smirked and picked her tablet back up. “Andy, go get a testing room and tranquilizer gun ready, would you? I want to run a few more tests on the subject’s limitations in regards to pain tolerance and the healing aspect of it before I start figuring out a proper schedule for the rest of the tests,” She said while standing up.

The other nodded and headed off, glancing back over his shoulder as she headed down along the aisle to the cell it was resting inside. Shortly after Katie had left, it seemed to go back on the defensive, its anxiety hyped up. “You must be so lonely, aren’t you?” Hannah giggled, lightly wrapping her knuckles against the glass.

A hiss that was most likely meant to sound threatening was her answer.

“Don’t worry now, little one. I think I can schedule regular play dates for you and Katie. Would you like that? Having a little friend to talk to?” She mused, pushing away from the glass to close the tablet and tuck it into one of the large inner pockets of the coat. “So long as we keep things under wraps, Katie will continue playing into our hands quite nicely. We can assess of how much use you’ll be to use. And who knows! Perhaps we’ll even be able to locate whatever kind of ship you came here on! That would certainly be a discovery worth something to Commander Wickler, maybe even keep us from getting read the riot act for keeping you under wraps!” She said with a happy sigh, pressing one hand to her chest.

If she could just make that reality, everything she’d been through would be worth it.

Andy reappeared a moment later with the gun she’d asked for, passing it over uneasily. “Dr. Fritz, I wasn’t sure what you wanted to check so I just set out a whole bunch of different options. I hope that’s acceptable,” He stammered out uneasily.

Dr. Fritz turned and smiled, a cruel little thing, and gave his cheek a little pat. “Thank you, Andy. I’ll meet you in there in a moment,” She said before pulling a small key card from her pocket. This one was different from the one she used for the elevator, a bit smaller and was a pale blue hue, so that she distinguish them and avoid getting asked questions about the smaller one. She slid it through the card reader beside the cell and beamed as the door slowly slid up.

The subject, as she had learned once before, was surprisingly quick, but luckily she was a faster shot.

----------------------------------------------

Katie had been thrilled to bits when Hannah offered to take her for half the day to make things easier on Samuel. “I can see why you wanted to bring her with you, Sam,” Hannah had said with a bright smile. She reached down and gently gave Katie’s shoulder a squeeze. “She’s such a good little helper!”

Sam stared at her surprise, blinked, then chuckled a bit. “My, you must have really been able to keep her interest then! If she doesn’t enjoy something, she tends to become a bit unruly!” He said.

“Alien plants can be rather interesting, I’ll have you know,” She teased lightly. “If it’s okay, I’d like to take her on for as long as she’s here as my helper. I could take here around the same time every day, bring her back up for lunch, take her back to my lab afterwards, and then bring her back in time for your last lecture of the day. Would that be okay?”

“So long as she wants to go and you don’t mind having her, I suppose there isn’t a problem with it,” He said, smiling at his daughter. There was comfort in knowing that she was gaining more knowledge despite not being in the camp still. At least this way he didn’t have to worry about her getting bullied by a bunch of immature little ingrates. He smiled and waved as the two of them headed back out of the lecture hall.

“Can I ask a question, Dr. Fritz?” Katie asked curiously as they walked along.

“Katie, you can call me Hannah. We’re friends, after all,” She said, her smile and voice warm to the younger beside her.

The younger beamed up at her. “Okay, Hannah. I wanted to ask about… Um… The alien,” She said, lowering her voice and mouthing out the last bit. Hannah hummed and nodded as they got into the elevator. “Well, where did you find him? Was he out attacking people? Or was he, like, eating power lines or something?” She asked curiously.

“Oh, I found it while doing some additional work. See, I had driven to a separate Garrison base to assist another researcher with examining some samples they acquired from a meteor,” She explained as she slid the card key through and began the descent. “I was driving home to my hotel late one night, and it ran out into the road from the treeline nearby. At first, I thought I had just hit a large dog or something, but when I stopped, I found that I had actually hit it. I figured this would be a wonderful chance to learn a bit more about the life forms we share the universe with.”

Katie’s brow knitted a bit at her words. “Do you think… Do you think it was lost? And that was why it ran out into the road?” She asked worriedly.

“Katie, darling, it is much better that it be here. After all, it clearly knows next to nothing about human culture or life on Earth. And the poor thing was terribly injured from being hit! If not for me bringing it here, it probably would have died. I, in a way, have saved its life,” She said calmly as they reached their floor. The doors slid open and she gently ushered Katie out and into the front room. “It’s a win-win situation for us all, really. It stays alive and well-fed; we gain more knowledge about what aliens in our universe are capable of.”

Katie nodded mutely but said nothing. Taking her silence as anticipation, Hannah hurried her along to the cell.

Andy was there, carefully shoving a tray of food into the cell through a slim slot on the floor. He looked over and plastered on a nervous smile. “A-Ah, Katie Holt! Welcome back to our neck of the woods!” He said, glancing from her to Dr. Fritz uneasily.

His response from his boss was a curt nod. “We’ll have to see if he’ll come out to eat. He hasn’t seemed too keen on having guests to talk with him while he eats,” Hannah advised Katie as she settled on the floor in front of the cell, much like she had the day before.

“Maybe none of the things you’ve wanted to talk to him before are things he wants to talk about,” Katie said as she opened her little bag and fished out her drawing pad and crayons. She flipped to a new page, opened her box, and pulled out the brown crayon first. “I mean, I know I’d be less likely to want to eat without someone to have a fun conversation with.”

A quick glance over the top of her page revealed two gleaming yellow eyes keyed in on her. Good, she had its attention. That was a start.

She turned her attention back towards her drawing as she started to drag the crayon along the pages. “So, it’s clear you aren’t from Earth. So you must be from some place really far away and really cool, huh? But I guess Earth is kinda cool to you, huh? Since you’ve never been here before?” She said. After a small pause, she switched the brown crayon for the gray one instead. “That’s one of the things me and Matt like about when we do big family trips, anyway. Getting to see all the different places we’ve never been before, I mean,” She said before lifting her head again.

The alien had crept out a bit further and settled to imitate her posture, sitting on the other side of the glass to watch her in exchange.

She smiled and giggled. “So, my name’s Katie. What’s yours?”

Silence for a beat, before the alien cocked it’s head, mouthing out its response of, “Keith.”

#Voltron legendary defender #Keidge #Kidge #Peith #Kidgemas #keidgemonth2k18 #kidgemonth2k18 #Pidge Gunderson #Keith Kogane #my fics

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stunudo · 6 years

Text

BAU Prep School AU: Class of 18

Welcome to the Frederick Buchanan Institute located in scenic Quantico, Virginia, a senior high academy that shapes the best and brightest minds. Its motto is “Behavior, Analysis, Unity,” the mascot the Submariners, colloquially “the Unsubs”. The small school supports the most accomplished faculty from across the country. (image link) 2016-2017 school year Class of 18

A/N: This title is a little misleading, but some scenes apply and will apply later. xoxo Stu

PUBLIC LIES

November 17, 2017 5:40pm

“Meg! Maya is here!” Chris called from the kitchen, he was answered by the thundering of footsteps down the stairs.

“Mai-ma!” Kit threw his hands up, hoping to greet their guest at the door.

“Not yet, buddy, you’ve got another bite or two before you can be released.”

“Mai-ma has dinner. Me want Mai-ma.” Meg led Maya into the kitchen, a bag of fast food in her arms.

“Hey Kitt-o. I have some fries here, but you gotta eat your green beans first. Deal?” Maya’s bright smile had the toddler’s attention.

“Nom-nom, Daddy!” Kit shoved a handful of beans and scraps of chicken into his mouth without so much of a glance at his fork.

“Well, there’s one way to get it down. Hi Maya, how’s it going?” Mr. Callahan stood up and brushed the crumbs from his pants.

“Great, Mr. C. How’s it going with you?”

“Same old, same old. You guys gonna be alright with three babies tonight?”

“Chris, come on. We’re going to be fine.” Meg rolled her eyes, sneaking one of Maya’s fries.

“Big boy! No baby.” Kit argued.

“Okay, are you guys going to be alright with this big guy and two babies? Better?” Kit grinned up at his dad with a mouth full of food, sending Meg and Maya into fits of repulsed laughter.

6:12pm

“Okay, what happens if there is a fire?” JJ looked down her nose at Meg and Maya sitting on the couch, piercing the babysitters’ very souls.

“I will get the kids outside while Maya calls 9-1-1.” Meg answered.

“How are you going to carry three children?” JJ countered. Meg rolled her eyes and stood up, she grabbed Jack by his overall straps, hugging Kit around his waist and picked up Henry’s carrier in her free hand.

“Like that, Ms. Jareau, seriously, we got this.” Maya tried not to laugh out right.

“Jayge? It’s going to be okay, they have our numbers if anything comes up.” Emily tried to soothe JJ’s worried face.

“Meg and Maya have both watched Jack, Jennifer. They are very responsible.” Haley reassured the new mother as she slipped her coat back on.

“It’s nothing personal, I swear, its just the first time we’ve been out.” JJ explained.

“It’s going to be fine. We’ll have fun, you’ll have fun. Go, get some adult time.” Meg tried to escort the six adults out of the house.

“Yeah, we should get going if we want to make the reservation.” Hotch glanced at his watch. JJ kissed Henry one last time as he lay sleeping in his car seat bucket. Emily gave the sitters one last wilted smile as she led her girlfriend back outside. Kate and Chris were the last ones to slide into their car behind Hotch’s large SUV.

“Was I ever that clingy?” Kate asked amused.

“Worse.” Chris answered, glancing in his mirrors. That earned him a swat to his meaty upper arm.

Nov. 22 6:26am

Derek always seemed to keep the heat at the coldest possible setting overnight, which sent Penelope cringing as she made an early morning bathroom stop. She snuggled back into her silk robe as she shuffled toward his kitchen to start the coffee pot. He had yesterday’s mail out on the counter and she may have started sifting through it as she waited for the gentle hiss of heating water and gurgle of brewing coffee. Ads from a gym and a car detailer were ignored, her man was perfect, thank you very much.

There was an open letter from some pretentious sounding company and she really couldn’t keep her fingers from releasing it from the confines of its envelope.

Final Notice:

Mr. Derek Morgan,

This is the last time we will be contacting you. Your lease is concluded as of November 30, 2017 and the property has since been sold. Please ensure you have made appropriate arrangements to have your property removed from the building by no later than Friday December 1, 2017.

Regards,

Matthew Hausenweir, landlord

Solutions Quartered, Inc.

“Baby Girl?” Derek called as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants from the bottom drawer of his dresser. Penelope squeaked as she shoved the letter back into its trifolded form, earning herself a papercut in the process of trying to hide her snooping. Derek found her sheepishly sucking on her ring finger. “What’d you do now?” He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her in to inspect her wound.

“Nothing, I’m fine. Did I wake you?” Penelope nuzzled against Derek’s neck.

“Penelope? I know you don’t think I left my mail covered in blood.”

“Blood? Weird, I must have brushed it and gotten a papercut.”

“Brushed a letter that was stacked on the other side of the counter? Girl I know you.” Derek grinned, leaving teasing kisses on either side of her neck. She stomped her feet and huffed.

“Fine! I was reading your mail. Whatever. You! You should be packing. You need to be out by next week.”

“Is that so?” Derek gave her a blasé glance. “And what if I have nowhere to move to?”

“Uh, my place, duh. Derek Morgan, I don’t know how you teach kids when you don’t see the obvious in front of your face. We can finally stop having overnight bags and just live together!”

“Are you sure? I was going to ask you with flowers and things.”

“Oh, still do that. All the flowers and things. But my answer will be yes, because then I can finally not freeze to death at night.”

Derek barked a laugh, “Well, I hope there’s more to moving in together than just control of the thermostat.”

“It’s one of the many perks.” Penelope grinned up at him, pointing to her cheek so he would kiss her again. She stood on her tip toes in his kitchen and reveled in the fact that every morning would be like this. Waking up with her love and making coffee.

What more could a girl ask for?

Nov. 27 7:02am

Luke had started worrying about another slight against F.B.I since their defeat of New Canaan in the football play offs. The week-long break over Thanksgiving would have been a perfect opportunity for another form of vandalism or theft. He pulled into his usual spot in the staff parking lot and began surveying the grounds for any signs of misdoings. His breath puffed in front of him as his dress shoes crunched against the frost lined sidewalk.

Matt Simmons was sitting in his car a few spots down, listening to NPR and finishing his first cup of coffee for the day. Luke looked like he was looking for something which caused Matt to hurry up his morning routine.

“Everything okay?” Matt called out as he grabbed his briefcase and messenger bag from the back seat of his two-door coupe.

“Yeah, so far.” Luke answered, nodding with his jaw set in concern.

“Thinking something went down over break?” Matt added his eyes to the patrol, his long legs quickly caught up to the soccer coach.

“Call it a hunch,” Luke sighed, shoving his hands in the pockets of his khakis. “You ever wonder why this rivalry started?”

Matt tilted his head noticing a distinct shift in Luke’s posture and phrasing. “I figured it was one of those long running old boys club things, a ‘your dad beat my dad at polo and now you’re in for it’ type of thing.”

Luke grinned at the example, damn it was easy talking to Simmons. “Maybe, at some point, but the egging, the theft of the Submarine, that’s only been going on this year.”

“No shit. Why now?” Matt asked, knowing Luke was building up to something.

Luke didn’t say anything, he just stopped in front of the main doors. He worried his jaw before he finally came clean. “Because I took the job here.”

“What? You used to work there?” Matt didn’t remember hearing anything about Luke’s previous schools, in particular. He had a memory for details and now wondered if he missed something about his fellow new teacher.

“Phil Brooks, the football coach? He’s my, uh, ex,” Luke cleared his throat, holding the door for Matt to get out of the cold.

“This is all the case of a jilted lover?!” Matt’s mouth puckered ruefully for Luke. “Tough break man. You dump him for the job?”

“Well, no, not exactly, but I think that’s what he took away from me moving.” Luke explained, heading towards the kitchen and Rossi’s famous espresso. “Look, I’m not exactly out here, but with everything that the school has had to face, because of me—”

“Look, you did not ask for any of this. I won’t say anything, this was strictly off the record.”

“Hey, thanks, I’m just trying to figure out how to hash it all out with Hotch.”

“Good luck, but hopefully they’ll come to their senses and stop playing dirty.” Matt suggested, he adjusted his bag on his shoulder before heading toward the stairwell. “See you later, Luke.”

Luke nodded, his thoughts swarming inside his head as he went to grab a latte from the Chef.

Nov. 30 9:38am

Jordan made her way to the office to check her mailbox during her prep period. She had done well this year and kept her opinions to herself, after the mess last year she had been holding her breath constantly. Ashley was leaning over her desk purposely making small talk with Grant as he vacuumed. Jordan shook her head, that woman knew full well he didn’t want to talk and couldn’t hear her anyway.

“Morning Ashley,” Jordan gave her a look before walking to the wall of trays.

“Jordan, hi! Hey, did you know that Luke Alvez helped Grant, here, clean up after the egging fiasco?” The blonde smirked as the poor custodian blushed with the women gossiping.

“Well its good to see there still some good old fashioned hard work and kindness out there.” Jordan admitted.

“And he’s so handsome too. Can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t want to snatch him up.”

“Oh no, Ashley, no. Leave the poor boy be.” Jordan warned, thinking she meant for herself.

“What? Please.” Ashley sat back, settling into her well-worn seat. “I’m not quite his type, I’ll have you know.” She made eyes at Grant who was trying desperately to finish his tasks and escape this uncomfortable scenario for good. He had his head down, but the vacuum was off, so he certainly could hear their continuing conversation. Jordan was now on the same page.

“He has got a lot of free time now that soccer season is over with.” Jordan admitted after an awkward pause. “And that’s all I am going to say. If a certain single guy wanted to ask him out, he would probably have a nice time.”

Ashley and Jordan watched Grant wheel the vacuum out of the office and let the beveled glass door slowly close behind him.

“Do you think he is going to do it?” Ashley gushed while twirling a pen into her cheek.

“He’s going to be adamant about not doing it for a good few weeks. That’s why we need to hope Mr. Alvez does it for him.” Jordan smirked.

Dec. 5 12:43pm

Michel didn’t want to walk to the other side of the school to use the staff bathroom, like they had been doing for the past three and a half years. The lunch hour had just begun, so they figured if they ducked into the guys’ bathroom they wouldn’t be intruding on anyone. Michel hadn’t counted on someone who wasn’t paying attention to the class schedule at all. He was in the back of the room, sat on the floor opposite the stalls, vaping.

“Whoa, sorry, uh, do you mind if I—?” Michel asked.

“Piss? Be my guest.” Jake shrugged, he was dazed and staring at the ancient ceiling tiles. Michel made their way to a stall and took care of business, trying not to over think the situation. Washing their hands, they finally caught a whiff from whatever Jake was smoking, it definitely wasn’t jasmine.

“I can’t believe you right now.”

“Yeah, well, I wasn’t expecting you here either.” Jake muttered, standing and tucking his pipe back in his pants’ pocket.

“Don’t you have Mr. Alvez this hour?” Michel spun, challenging Jake, despite the height difference and all that had passed between them.

“Yeah, I do. Sorry, Mom but I skipped Spanish today. Don’t think she would really care, since I have been speaking it longer than English.” Jake dusted his pants off as Michel gaped at him.

“Why are you being like this?” Michel’s voice was so soft it wasn’t meant to be heard. Jake’s inhale and flaming eyes caught Michel in the mirror before they could turn away.

“Just making everything easier.” Jake spat.

“For who?”

“I don’t know, everyone? You don’t want me like I want you, Michel. Might as well keep the lines clear from here on out.” He was hurt, it was oozing through his tough guy exterior. Michel turned and finally took in the state of the boy in front of them. How much they had affected Jake since breaking off his kiss backstage all those weeks ago.

“You know I hate distinctions like that. Nothing is ever one or the other.” Michel countered, leaning against the wall, refusing to let Jake out of the conversation now.

“Yeah, well, maybe this isn’t about making you comfortable. Maybe this is about trying not to break down while I watch you flirt with Iggy next hour or help Cissy with her Bio homework.”

Michel eyes pinched, finally taking in how much Jake saw them in every situation. The actor in them craved the spotlight, but the focused attention of someone was jarring. Especially when it wasn’t unwanted. They shook their head trying to find the words for what they wanted to say.

“I don’t want you in pain, Jake, you have to know that.”

“Doesn’t exactly feel like it, Michel.” He was still stoned, but he swung his arms to do something besides just stand there.

“Kissing me-- you caught me off guard, I had no idea you liked me. Not like that. Well, especially since I’m not exactly a guy.”

“You’re beautiful Michel, no matter how you dress or if you wear makeup or not. Look I am as gay as I ever was, but I’m not blind. We’ve been friends too long for you to think I want you to be something you’re not.” Jake had somehow started comforting Michel, why was this so confusing? Michel walked closer, glancing at the door as the noise from the cafeteria increased.

“You scared me.” Michel whispered, tucked within an embarrassed laugh. “I have spent so many years declaring my identity that I hadn’t really accepted my sexuality. I guess, with my father, parents, I just hadn’t brought it up. You know? I’m enough of a burden.”

Jake ran his hand through his hair, his heart breaking again, knowing the pain of being yourself and having no way of satisfactorily expressing it. “You’re not a burden, Michel. If you’re not ready to date or not sure if you like guys—why didn’t you just say something?”

“Because, its you. I never wanted to lose you. You’ve been one of the few people who I can just click with, you know?” Michel’s eyes were glistening now, Jake gave them a half smirk.

“Kind of backfired, don’t ya think?” Jake held out his hand and intertwined his knuckles with Michel’s, arms lengths apart, connecting and calming each other. “Is this okay? Are we going to be able to figure this out?”

Michel sniffled, “Are you going to stop smoking in the boys’ room?” They both laughed at the reference, Jake drew Michel to his chest. They stood there holding each other in the middle of the school day in the entry way of the restroom for a heartbeat. Jake kissed his friend’s head, breathing in their scent before letting go.

“You should get some lunch, I’ll call you later.”

“You coming to English?” Michel asked assertively. Jake nodded, a satisfied yet cocky look on his face.

Dec. 7 4:18pm

Spencer Reid was appreciating the end of fall as the bare trees billowed in an afternoon breeze. The skeletal forms were reminders of change and not a depressing sight to the science teacher. He had driven this route for the majority of his time teaching at the Institute and was still glad he had found the scenic drive in the first place. He didn’t need to rush home, but he could if he needed to. It was nearly dark, and he had a long night ahead of him between his usual Thursday night NA meeting and grading labs.

He couldn’t help but smile as he pulled into the driveway, he could see the cat watching him from the window, fuzzing up the back of the couch. He leaned down and grabbed his satchel and his stack of folders from the passenger’s seat. Someone was burning leaves in the distance, the scent locked into his mind as a Virginia phenomenon as he hadn’t experienced as a desert native. Rationally, he knew it was a common practice wherever deciduous trees were abundant. Spencer slammed the car door shut and double checked the lock before strolling to the front door, it was robin’s egg blue with gold accents.

Voices rolled from the living room, laughter and the television melding together.

“Spencer’s home! How was your day, honey?” Diana cackled from her recliner in the living room.

“Good!” Spencer wiggled his nose before kicking off his Chuck Taylor’s on the mat. “How are my girls doing today?” he called back.

“You get your card skills from your mother, don’t you?!” Elle accused from the couch.

“Uh-oh, what happened?” Spencer’s brow pinched as he ducked his head around the half-wall where his mother and his girlfriend were watching a telenovela.

“She cheats, just like you!” Elle pointed at both the Reids before shaking her head.

“Mom?” Spencer raised his eyes at Diana, she bit her lip and shrugged. “Mom!”

“Oh don’t give me that look, Spencer. I had to cheat to beat you as a kid and now it’s the only way I know how to play.”

“What were you playing?” Spencer plopped down next to Elle and put his arm around her on the back of the couch.

“Bridge.”

“Well, I hope the stakes were high enough to warrant such dubiousness.” Spencer’s jaw pitched forward as Elle gave him an unamused look.

“Don’t encourage her.”

“What? I’m not!” He feigned shock. She pinched his side, doubling him over.

“Hey, you two, old lady here. Leave room for the Holy Spirit.” Diana teased, turning up the sound on the television.

“Mom, you can’t use piety as an excuse as an atheist.”

“And why can’t I? I’m your mother, I’ll do as I please.” Diana huffed, hiding a half smirk. “And I am going to go finish dinner, so you kids can be off to your meetings.” She not so subtly left the couple alone for a few welcoming kisses. Spencer hummed into Elle’s mouth.

“Was she really that bad?”

“I don’t even think she knows the rules, Spencer, I swear.” Elle giggled as he tucked her hair behind her ear. “What?”

“Just happy to see you.” Spencer’s brown eyes turned puppy dog and his hand sneaked up her thigh.

“Still not very smooth there, Dr. Reid,” Elle rolled her eyes before straightening his tie. “How much grading do you have tonight?”

Spencer sighed, “Not so much.” Elle knew by the tone of his voice that he was flubbing his answer.

“Go get started, can’t have you up until midnight again,” Elle pointed to his desk in the office across the house.

“Just one more?” Spencer leaned down sheepishly. Elle groaned, letting him kiss her neck before pushing him on to the floor.

“Homework, go!”

Next Chapter: Private Lives

@mentallydatingspencerreid @dontshootmespence @ultrarebelheart @lyrasilverroseelizabethamanti @cynbx @rikersgirl22 @pllfrommars @wheresthewater @darknesstoglowing @adropintheocean1234567 @tleighstone12 @unitchiefwives @sam-carter-in-training @prettyboysjello @ddreammcatcher @thegirlinflames @night–hawk @t25luver @onlyalittleteenwolfobsessed @thismiss02 @literallyprentissstwin @usercorgis @natalie-fangirl @holding-on-to-francis @nikkipea @alisonxnguyen @nsanchez1992

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mystupidoverwatchimagines · 7 years

Text

Musical Muses and Character Insight (Non-Imagine Writing)

So I wanted to give you guys a list of music I listen to for each character I usually write for. Like a cool peak into my mind when I'm writing for specific characters, events you guys request. I also wanted to comprise this list for any writers in my list who have come to ask me questions and stuff of the like. I'm basically going to go through each character, give my little side of the mind set I put myself in to write for them. And I'm very lucky as a writer to have such an outrageous music eclicity because music is the most helpful tool I use to help me achieve the thought process I want for each prompt.

Sombra--

Sombra is always a fun one for me. I have loved her since she was introduced. I love her voice, I love the way she talks, I like she runs in any situation with the tools to make it turn out just the way she wants it too. I have a tendency to write her very similar to Gabe with speech patterns, because I see them like brother and sister, so they speak very similarly, only Sombra teases while Reaper demands. (Also I really like her saying Cariño/a more than Gabe. Just my personal preference) In my mind she listens to everything like I do. Like everything as long as it has a deep bass or fast paced vocals.

° "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes

° "American Idiot" by Green Day

° "Mi Gente" by J Balvin and Willy William

° "DVP" by PUP (as seen in Dream Daddy)

° "Stormtrooper" by Pepper

° "Lane Boy" by Twenty One Pilot

° "MEIN TEIL" by Rammstien

Angela Zeigler | Mercy--

Imagine if you will, suddenly becoming engulfed in a warm, comfortable light. The light can touch every part of you, even right down to your soul. Its cozy and the aura of the light feels like your favorite blanket, so familiar and safe. There is only one place that doesn't feel the light's warmth, and that is the base of your neck. The base of your neck is ice cold. Thats what I feel when I think about Mercy, I'm not sure why, but I imagine our beautiful angel has this healing aura all around her, but there is always something chasing her, and just brushing its icy deathly cold fingers at the base of her neck. A memory she wants to forget. People always depend on Mercy, but I like to imagine this pressure sometimes becomes too much (Which I tried to illustrate in "I'm So Happy You're Home" series) which may not seem canon, but in my mind, she is only human (despite not aging like one). When writing for Mercy, I tend to listen to instrumentals. I need to focus more when writing for her.

° "Humans Are Such Easy Prey" by Pertubator

° "Euphotic" by Carbon Based Lifeforms

Ooooor ABBA. Lots and LOTS of ABBA

° "Take a Chance on Me"

° "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

° "Does Your Mother Know"

° "Money, Money, Money"

The Shimada Brothers--

Ah the sweet boys. Its interesting, I'd say these two are my most difficult requested boys. Hanzo being nothing like me and Genji only being relatable to me because I am YOUNG Genji. Not Present Genji. However for both I absolutely love writing for them when I can finally get into the mood for them. I imagine Hanzo much like I imagine what a wolf would feel in a modern world like theirs. Soliditary, cold to love, merely out to protect itself, but the lonliness pains him deeply. And for Genji, I see him much like a bird. Constantly flying and searching for somewhere to settle and call home, but be never lands. A little ridiculously poetic, I know. And I also never mention the dragon noodles, as I see them more like ghosts than noodles. But I love noodles, just for me, I see them almost as the power of the Shimada ancestors coming forward in the sons. For the Shimadas I listen strictly to Japanese folk music (I know but hear me out). These songs tell stories to me. I am not Japanese and do not know the actual stories behind these songs (I wish I did, they all sound so beautiful). But they also sound so tranquil, which I know the boys are both striving for, tranquility and peace. So I put a couple names down here you guys are more than welcome to look up.

° "Fishing Village" by Derek Fiechter

° "Geisha" by Anthony Davilio

° "Tancha Meh" by Hideo Osaka Ensemble

° "Utsukushiki Ten-Nen" by Ikuta Ryu

° "Horyo" by Tomoe-Ryu Yutakadaiko

Jesse McCree--

Oh my cowboy. So its actually funny, McCree is the easiest for me to write. By far. I relate to him on several levels. From the southern drawl (though mine has been watered down, its still strong enough that people ask me where I'm from cause I don't sound like I'm from Nevada), to the longing of a simple life of a cowboy. When I was young I dreamed of being a young gun slinger like Kissin' Kate from Holes. For some reason, with McCree, I'm just writing from my heart, and because of this I can listen to just about anything and still come up with the feeling I want to. But I do have a set of songs that belong only to McCree and no one else.

° "Johnny Guitar" by Peggy Lee

(This happens to be one of my favorite songs in the whole world. I highly suggest looking it up)

° "Bang Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down" by Nancy Sinatra

° "Que Sera Sera" by Doris Day

° "Short Change Hero" by The Heavy

° "Maneater" by Blue Eyed Blondes

° "Red Solo Cup" by Toby Keith (Teehee)

Mako Rutledge | Roadhog--

Ah, my big man. I love him so much, I truly do. I love the mystery of the mask. I love the mostly silent intimidation. I love the comics depecting such a rogue soul, a wonderer. I love everything about our perfect soul gone renegade. He is a favorite to write, but I will admit I give him a lot more gentleness then I probabky should. If I were put myself in any position, I would be this man's best friend (after Junkrat, of course). I would give him big hugs and tell him he's one of God's most beautiful creatures. So its been easy to write for him. I would probably write just about any situation with him, because I can easily put myself in this man's shoes and imagine the pain he has gone through, to see his home erupt in flames and losing everything. Yeah. I love writing for him. Its weird, but its almost humbling for me for even just a little while.

° "In Loving Memory" by Saba

° I wonder if we're dead" by eevee

° "Will He" by Joji

° "I am in Great Pain, Please Send Help" by Crywank

(^^^This shit is rough and super sad please be careful)

° "Crying" by Roy Orbison

Jamison Fawkes | Junkrat--

My trash can man, my Main in Overwatch. My tol boi. My fireball falling from the sky. So if anyone has seen or watched The Stand, he reminds me of Trash Man, a Pryomaniac seeking aimlessly to please the devil himself. And he was my FAVORITE CHARACTER OF THE BOOK OMG I LOVE HIM. Aaaaaaanyway, I think my love for Jamie roots in that. But also, I have found such love for him just for being the crazy unruly ball of fire he is. I love writing for him but like Roadhog I probably writw him a little sweeter than he should be. And I'll be damned, he is so hard for me to write. The fandom has swt such high standards I hopelessly strive to compete with. But, nonetheless, I do very much love the imagines I've written for him. I love him, I wish to protect him. I write him very snuggly when he needs to be, warm when he wants to be, and crazy all the time. Unfortunately for him, Every. Single. Song. For him is My Chemical Romance (sorry not too sorry)

° "House of Wolves"

° "Dead!"

° "Mama"

(This song you guys, for Junkrat, I don't know why but this IS Junkrat's song for me)

° "Na Na Na [Na Na Na Na Na Na Na]"

° "Part Poison"

And I'll do the rest tomorrow, you guys! That is if you guys like this and want to see more. If not thats totally okay!

#mako rutledge #roadhog #jamison fawkes #junkrat #jesse mccree #mccree #olivia colomar #sombra #angela ziegler #mercy

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carolina-bleus · 7 years

Text

One Step at a Time (Richonne Date Night- September)

Michonne sighed in contentment as she snuggled deeper into Rick’s embrace. “I had a great time tonight.”

“Me, too. I hate that I have to cut the evening short on the one night we can actually stay out past ‘curfew’,” Rick joked while tightening his hold on Michonne.

Rick and Michonne had been a couple for four months. They’d started dating towards the end of the previous school year. Since their kids had spent much of the summer away from home either at camps or spending time with family, the pair had been able to spend a lot of time early on really getting to know each other and their relationship grew serious quickly. Now that school was back in session, the single parents tried to spend as much time with each other as their busy work and home schedules allowed.

Tonight would have been a rare date night when they could stay out as long as they wanted. It was the Saturday before Labor Day and their kids were spending the weekend with Rick and Michonne’s former spouses. Unfortunately, the couple wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the night because Rick had an early shift at the King County Sheriff’s Office the next day.

Michonne sat up to look at Rick. “Do you have to leave right this minute? There was something I wanted us to do tonight.”

“What did you have in mind?” Rick asked. His mind and heart started racing at Michonne’s words.

“Well, we’ve been seeing each other for a few months now. I think things have been progressing really well...at least they have from my perspective.”

“Mine, too,” Rick rushed to agree. “They’ve been just about perfect. It would only be better if we got to spend more time together.”

Michonne smiled brightly at Rick’s words. “Exactly! Things have been so amazing that I want us to spend even more time together. I think now is the perfect time for us to take the next step in our relationship. What do you think?” Michonne bit her bottom lip while waiting for Rick’s next words.

But rather than using words, Rick chose to express his thoughts in a different way. He leaned forward and gave Michonne a soft, lingering kiss that quickly moved from sweet to sensual before it ended.

“So, I take it you are in agreement with my thoughts?” a now breathless Michonne asked.

“Absolutely! I’ve wanted to take this step for a while now. And tonight is the perfect night. Actually, if I’m being honest, whenever we took this step was going to be the perfect night.” Rick gave Michonne another deep kiss before he stood up and offered her his hand. “Come on.”

Michonne looked at Rick in confusion. “Where are we going?”

Rick slowly lowered his hand back to his side. “Uh, to your room, right?”

“Oh?” Realization hit Michonne. “OH...no!”

“No?”

Michonne shook her head. “I mean ‘yes’ to that but ‘no’ to that tonight.”

“Michonne, between the confusion, arousal, and embarrassment, I’m not functioning at full mental capacity at the moment,” a blushing Rick admitted. “What exactly were you talking about on the couch? I thought you wanted us to take that next step of commitment to each other by making love tonight.”

“I do, Rick. And we will do that soon...very soon,” Michonne promised. “But before we take that particular step, I think we need to take the step of telling our kids about us.”

While Rick’s two kids and Michonne’s son both knew their parent was seeing someone, they didn’t know much about them beyond a name. By some unspoken early agreement, Rick and Michonne had both decided to wait a while before introducing each other to their children. All involved were still navigating the ins and outs of a post-divorce family life. Neither Rick nor Michonne wanted to risk their kids getting too attached to someone if things didn’t work out. But since it was evident to them both that they were building towards something long-term, their early concerns had vanished.

Libido now sufficiently tamed and embarrassment in check, Rick sat back down beside Michonne.

“You are absolutely right. I temporarily reverted to my teenage self for a moment when you mentioned ‘the next step,’ Rick said with a laugh. “But we do need to officially meet each other’s kids and our kids need to meet each other. We are all going to be spending a lot of time together because I’m in this for the long haul.”

“Me too,” Michonne agreed with a smile. “So, when do you want to make the introductions?”

“I guess the sooner the better.”

Michonne shifted closer to Rick. “Yeah, because the sooner we tell our kids, the sooner we can...”

“See, now you have me wantin’ to round up all the kids so we can get this show on the road tonight.”

“Calm down, cowboy. I assure you that it will be worth the wait.”

“Oh, I have no doubt about that. But how about we all meet next Friday?”

“You’re inviting us to your family night?”

“Yeah,” Rick said softly.

They both understood the significance of Rick inviting Michonne and her son to a family only affair.

Rick and his kids had designated the first Friday night of every month as strictly theirs...no friends, no phones, or any other distractions...just family. They typically had a game night that ended with them all piled up on their massive sectional in the basement watching movies and eating junk food. Since the first Friday of September was the beginning of a long holiday weekend, the Grimes’ had decided to push their night back a week.

“Will your kids be okay with that? Maybe you should see how they feel about that first.” Michonne was extremely happy and touched about the invitation but she didn’t want her first meeting with Rick’s kids to feel like an intrusion for them.

“I plan on talking to them, but I know they’ll be fine with it. Judy will just be glad to have new potential playmates. And Carl will understand what this means. He’s matured a lot since the divorce.”

“Okay, we’ll it’s a date...sort of,” Michonne said with a laugh.

Rick gathered Michonne into his arms once again.

“You know you need to get to bed soon.” Michonne reminded Rick even as she laid her head against his chest.

“I know. I just want to spend a few more minutes with you before I go back to my empty house.”

“You can always stay here tonight. I have a guestroom you could use,” Michonne offered. She wasn’t too keen on being alone tonight either.

“I’d love to but if we are going to follow through on our original plans, then it’s best if I go home tonight.”

“You’re right. Our plans would go out the window and you’d be extremely sleep deprived at work tomorrow,” Michonne joked.

“Sleep deprivation would be a small price to pay to wake up with you in my arms tomorrow morning.”

“Coming from any other man, I’d say that was a line...a very smooth one. But I know you are being sincere which makes sending you home right now even harder than usual.”

Rick gave Michonne a quick kiss on the forehead before he gently set her away from him and sat up. “Well, then that is definitely my cue to leave cause I don’t want you feeling guilty tomorrow morning. No matter how much we’d enjoy tonight, it would be tarnished for you because you’d feel so guilty for not telling the kids about us first.” He stood and helped Michonne from the couch.

Michonne smiled knowing that Rick was exactly right. She reached up and laced her arms around his neck. “How is that you know me so well already?”

“I reckon I could ask you the same thing.”

The couple shared a look with the answer reflected in their eyes. Their eyes held the emotion they had felt for a while but hadn’t yet built up the courage to express to each other. That was yet another step for them to take.

***

Rick and Michonne decided to separately tell their kids about their relationship prior to everyone meeting on Friday. They didn’t want to spring everything on their kids at once. Rick wasn’t sure when Michonne was going to tell Andre, but he was bursting at the seams by the time Carl and Judith returned home early Labor Day evening.

After waving goodbye to Lori and her husband, Rick closed the door and turned to his kids. “Did y’all have fun with your mama and Derek?”

“It was fine. We didn’t do a whole lot cause mom didn’t feel well all weekend,” Carl said on his way to the family room. Rick and Judith followed after him.

“Yeah, I noticed she didn’t get out of the car like usual when they drop y’all off. If my memory serves me correctly, she’s probably completely miserable at this point. Her due date is close, right?” Rick sat down in his recliner and Judith cuddled up next to him.

Carl kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the couch. “Yeah. They said she could deliver any day now.”

Lori was pregnant with her third child. It was her first with her second husband, Derek. The prominent businessman and Lori lived in a posh suburb of Atlanta. She was now living in the type of neighborhood and type of life she’d always secretly dreamed of and Rick didn’t begrudge her one bit of happiness.

He and Lori had made it work until they simply no longer could. When their unhappiness started impacting the kids, the high school sweethearts knew it was time to stop trying to fix something that was beyond repair. Their kids were the one thing about which Rick and Lori had always been completely in sync. So, when the time came, they’d agreed that the kids would continue to live in their hometown with Rick. They visited Lori often and spent part of the summer and alternating holidays with her and Derek in Atlanta.

“Judy, you excited about becoming a big sister?” Rick asked.

“Oh, yes! I can’t wait to play with the baby and have him sleep over here. Can he sleep in my room, Daddy?”

“Judy, your little brother is going to stay with your mama and Derek at their house. But you’ll be able to see him whenever you stay in the city.”

“We can’t have sleepovers?” Judith asked disappointed. “I wanted somebody new to play with.”

That statement gave Rick a perfect segue. “Well, I think I can help with that.”

Judith gasped and her eyes lit up. “Are you having a baby like Mommy?”

“What?! No...I am definitely NOT having a baby.” At least not anytime soon. Who knows what the future holds though, Rick thought with a smile.

“Dad? Dad!”

“Uh, yeah, son?”

“You spaced out there for a minute. What’s this about somebody new for Judith to play with?”

“How would you all like to have some new people over on Friday?”

“This Friday?” Carl asked. “For our family fun night?”

“Yeah.”

“Yaaayyy!!!” Judith roared with approval.

Carl sat up from the couch. “Dad, you never let people come over for that night. You wouldn’t even let Grandma come over when she hinted at it.”

“That’s because Mama has a takeover spirit, Carl. She’d have us eatin’ picnic ham and potato salad and watching Steel Magnolias again. I’ve shed enough tears for Shelby.”

“So who’s so special that they get to come over?”

“It’s Miss Chonne.” Rick had initially told the kids he was going out with “Miss Michonne” as he didn’t feel right calling her by just her first name with the kids. But Miss Michonne was a mouthful for Judith and it eventually got shortened to Miss Chonne.

Carl raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Oh.”

Rick wasn’t sure how to interpret Carl’s response. “Is that a good ‘oh’ or a bad one?”

“It’s not bad. So, I guess you guys are pretty serious if you’re inviting her to family night.”

“Does that bother you?” Rick looked at Carl closely to gauge his honest reaction.

“What...inviting Miss Chonne here on Friday or the two of you getting serious?”

“Both.”

“I’m fine with both, Dad. Mom has moved on with her life and she’s happy. Why shouldn’t you be happy with someone?”

“I am happy, son, but I want to make sure you are okay with all of this. Your and Judith’s happiness comes before mine.”

“It shouldn’t.”

“As a parent, your kids’ happiness will always come first, Carl. That’s just the way it is.”

“Well, your happiness should be just as important as ours. I don’t know Miss Chonne but I already like her. Since you guys have been going out, you smile more than you have in a really long time, Dad. You’re like you used to be before.”

Rick knew Carl meant a time from before the divorce. The last couple of years of his and Lori’s marriage had not given either of them much reason to smile outside of their kids. When they’d finally made the decision to divorce, there had been a profound sense of relief for Rick but also one of profound sadness. It wasn’t sadness over the necessary ending of the marriage but over dreams shattered for the kids, dreams deferred for Lori, and dreams unrealized for himself. The kids and Lori bounced back faster than he did. While it was rough going at times, the kids benefitted from the resiliency of youth and the overwhelming love and support of their parents and family. Meanwhile, Lori took time after the divorce to truly discover herself and found love with Derek in the process. But for Rick, it was harder and it took longer.

In so many ways his life had appeared to be the same. He had the same job. He had the same house. He was there with the kids every day. But he wasn’t the same. The life and the love he’d known for over half his life wasn’t the same and that made him question most everything else he’d known...including himself and the dreams that he’d once had.

Ironically enough, it was through a post-divorce therapy session of Lori’s that he had been asked to participate in that Rick started to heal. He started to understand that all dreams, whether they are the ones we live or the ones we have in the dark of night, were the same in that one dream has to end before another can begin. Once Rick accepted this, he began to live again and dream again. And when Michonne appeared in his life, he knew it was time to open himself up again to a love and happiness that wasn’t strictly connected to his kids. And now Rick was happier than he’d been in a very long time. He finally felt fully like himself again. And that hadn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated by his son.

“Dad, I really want to meet her,” Carl said sincerely.

“Okay, then.” Rick nodded, relieved and proud of his son. “But it won’t just be Miss Chonne. She has a son a couple of years younger than you. His name is Andre. He’ll be coming as well.”

“Cool.”

“Cool,” Rick agreed with a smile.

Carl grimaced. “Dad, don’t say cool.”

“Why not?”

“Just don’t. It sounds weird coming from you.”

“Can I say it?” Judith asked.

“Yeah,” Carl replied.

“Cool!” Judith exclaimed.

“Hey,” Rick huffed out. “How come she gets to say it?”

“Because Judy was actually born in this century, Dad.”

“Hey, I was born in---” Rick paused. “Well, shit.”

Judith giggled at her father’s language. “Oooh, Daddy, I’m telling Grandma!”

“Sorry, Judy,” Rick apologized to his daughter while glaring at his son who fell back on the couch laughing.

***

“Live?” Andre scrunched up his face in confusion. “Mama, why didn’t you play ‘evil’? The ‘v’ would have been a triple letter score.”

“Huh?” Michonne glanced down at the board. “Oh, you’re right. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Well, I’m going to need you to pay full attention to what I’m about to drop on you. I have a ‘q’, a ‘u’, a ‘z’ and, thanks to you, a well-placed ‘i’.”

“Dre, you wouldn’t do that to your mother! I was distracted.”

“Mama, what have you been telling me since I was eight? All’s fair in love and Scrabble. So, I gotta do it.” Andre placed the tiles and then sat back and slowly crossed his arms behind his head to admire his triumph. “I have a feeling I’m picking out our activity this weekend.”

Andre was still woefully behind his mother in points, but that didn’t mean he was going to lose. Direct head-to-head competition wasn’t the primary focus of their weekly Wednesday night game of Scrabble. It was more of a competition against self. They kept score but didn’t compare points against each other. They compared their individual results on a week to week basis. Whoever had the most growth in points since their last game won the right to pick their weekend activity or dinner for the night. Whoever showed the least improvement got to choose a book they liked from the library to “expand their vocabulary.” So, really, it was a win no matter what for the book loving mother and son.

“You know there is a new zombie movie coming out on Friday,” Andre began.

“Umm, sweetie, if you win this week, we are going to need to see the movie on Saturday instead.”

Andre put his arms down and sat forward on the couch. “Why? You have a work thing on Friday...or a date?”

“It’s not a work thing and I would never put you off for a date. This is more of a group outing...but at a home...and it does involve the man I’ve been seeing...and you, too,” Michonne finished lamely.

“What’s going on, Mama? You’re rambling and you never ramble.”

Michonne took a fortifying breath. She felt more nervous telling Dre about meeting Rick and his kids than she had when talking to Rick about taking their relationship to the next level.

“Well, you know I’ve been seeing Deputy Grimes. I really want you to meet him and his kids this Friday.”

Andre let the information sink in before speaking. “Does he want to meet me?”

Michonne walked over and sat down beside her son. “Of course, sweetie. That’s why he invited us to their family night on Friday. It will be just the five of us playing games, eating food, and getting to know each other.”

“The five of us? So he has two kids?”

“Yes, a boy named Carl and a little girl named Judith. Carl is actually pretty close to your age.”

Andre thought for a moment. “I don’t think there are any Carl’s in Lower School, so I take it he doesn’t go to the Sacred Academy of the Socially Awkward.”

Michonne sighed. “Dre, we are not going to start that again. You are going to the best private school in the county.”

“Mama, I’m pretty sure it’s the only private school in the county,” Andre countered dryly.

“It is not, Andre Anthony. It is a great school that produces great students who go on to some of the best colleges in the country.”

“Well, they must get in strictly on their grades and not their extracurriculars. I heard there is a D&D club in Upper School. But it’s by invite only. If I’m still there for high school, I hope my invite gets lost in the mail. And, yes, I heard they send actual invitations by mail...with a wax seal and everything.”

“D&D?” Michonne quirked a brow “Is that still a thing?”

Andre shrugged. “Apparently so.”

“Regardless, it’s a great school and not everyone has the opportunity to go. Give it a little longer to see if your feelings change. You haven’t even been there a month yet.”

Michonne was a fairly new resident of King County herself. Eight months ago, she’d moved from Atlanta after she’d received the opportunity to open a firm with an old law school classmate, Andrea Harrison. Michonne had been surprised to find Andrea living so far outside of the city, but she learned that love had been the catalyst. Andrea had fallen in love with a rough around the edges but fun-loving sheriff’s deputy named Shane Walsh and eventually decided to move in with him and start her own firm. Michonne had been at the very top of Andrea’s wish list for a founding partner.

Once Michonne spoke with Andrea, visited the town, and had a discussion with Andre, it didn’t take much more to convince Michonne that it was the right move. A lot of the planning for the firm had already been done. It was just a matter of making the last few crucial decisions and contributing capital. It was a great situation for Michonne and a much-needed change. Since the divorce, Michonne and, to a lesser extent, Andre had both been feeling restless in Atlanta and wanted a change. The move to King County offered them just that. Though she had primary physical custody, it was agreed between parents and child that Andre would finish out the school year in Atlanta (with weekend visits to King County) and spend the summer with his father before moving to join his mother. Thus far things had gone smoothly...with the exception of Andre’s new school. In short, he hated it and made it a mission to convince Michonne to let him go to the local public school.

“I have given the school a chance, Mama, and I just don’t like it. Some of the kids are okay but the others...not so much. I’ve been there long enough to know that it’s just not the place for me.”

“Well, let’s just table this discussion for the moment. I need to know...are you okay with meeting Rick and his kids on Friday, Dre?”

Andre shrugged. “I don’t really have a problem with it. You’ve been seeing him for a while, so you obviously like him. And you’re a pretty good judge of character so I’ll probably like him, too.”

Michonne smiled at her son. “I do like him...a lot. But your feelings are just as important and I want you to feel comfortable. I know it hasn’t been that long since the divorce—”

“Mama,” Andre interrupted. “It’s been long enough for Dad to get a girlfriend.”

Michonne was taken aback by this new information. “Your dad has a girlfriend? When did this happen?”

“I don’t know. I just met her when I went to Atlanta for Labor Day.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Michonne shook her head. “No, it’s not your place. Your father should have told me.”

“Have you told him about Deputy Grimes?” Andre asked wryly.

Michonne pursed her lips. “Touché. But we do need to have that discussion. We aren’t in each other’s live anymore but you are in both of our lives, so we need to know who else is going to be in your life.” Michonne made a mental note to speak with her ex next week before turning her attention back to her son. “So, you are okay with me and your dad moving on with other people?”

“Mama, I know you and Dad aren’t getting back together. I’m not one of those kids who holds onto that fantasy. I just want you to both be happy and you are, so I’m happy, too.”

Michonne gathered Andre into her arms. “You are the absolute best and I’m glad you’re my little peanut.”

Andre hugged his mother tight before ending the embrace. “Okay, emotional moment over. Now it’s time to get back to this game. I want to go on and win this thing so I can look up movie times for Saturday.”

Michonne moved back to her seat across from Andre. “Not so fast. I am now completely focused and ready to play. I’m not a teacher but you are about to get schooled, Peanut.”

“Mama, your bad jokes won’t distract me,” Andre murmured while studying the board and the letters on his tray.

Michonne scoffed. “That joke was quality.”

“If you say so, Mama.”

“Okay, you may not be impressed with the quality of my jokes. But you can’t argue with the quality of my words.”

Michonne used the ‘q’ from Dre’s word to spell out “quagmire.”

“And I do believe that’s a double word score.” Michonne mimicked her son’s earlier move and sat back with her arms behind her head and a smile on her face. “Your turn, Peanut.”

***

Later that night, with phone in hand, Michonne got comfortable in her bed as she settled in for her new favorite nightly ritual. She smiled when Rick picked up on the first ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey. Did you even let the phone finish a first ring before you picked up?”

“Nope. I’ve been waitin’ all day to hear your voice. I couldn’t wait another second.”

Rick and Michonne usually spoke to each other first thing in the morning before their kids got up for school and last thing at night after the kids had gone to sleep. They’d had to forgo their call that morning because Judith had gotten sick in the middle of the night. Rick had texted Michonne to keep her apprised of the situation but they both agreed to hold off on their regular call so Rick could try to get a few hours of sleep.

“I missed talking to you this morning, too, but you needed your rest. How is Judith feeling?”

“She was much better when I got home this evening. Mama stayed with her today. I think she just caught the bug that is going around the elementary school. It happens every year after the kids go back to school.”

“Well, I’m glad she’s feeling better.” Michonne chuckled at a sudden thought. “I’m sure Dre would love for that bug to go around his school so he could stay out a few days.”

“He still doesn’t like it?”

“No.” Michonne sighed. “He keeps trying to convince me to let him transfer to King County Middle.”

“Are you considering it?”

“I just want him to give it a little more time. If I thought he was being picked on, I would have him out of there without question. But he said the kids are nice enough. And the school has such a great academic reputation.”

“Well, sometimes no matter how perfect it may seem on paper, a place may just not be meant for you.” Rick thought of his former marriage. “I know I sound like a broken record at this point and I might be biased because I’m a product of the public schools of King County and my children are there now, but the kids are nice, parents are really involved, and the teachers work hard. It’s not perfect, but I think Andre would like it.”

“I’ll think about it,” Michonne conceded.

“Good. Now, on to tomorrow night. You ready for Grimes Family Fun Night?”

“I think so. I’m not really sure what to expect.”

“It’s going to be a night of games, food, laughter, and maybe a movie or two.”

“A movie or two? How late into the night do these fun nights go?”

“I let the kids stay up past their bedtimes since it’s a Friday but Judith is usually out by ten o’clock...usually before her movie ends. Then Carl and I will watch a movie of his choosing and talk until he falls asleep.”

“Oh. Well, should Dre and I bring anything?”

“Just bring yourselves. I have everything under control.” Rick fell silent for a moment. “Michonne, I’m glad we’re doing this...taking this step with the kids and with us.”

“I’m glad, too.” There was more that Michonne wanted to say but a sudden yawn let her know that now wasn’t the time.

“I’m sorry for yawning, babe. I guess staying up all night is finally catching up with me.”

Michonne waited a beat before speaking. “That’s alright. Get some rest. I don’t want you claiming tiredness as an excuse when I kick your butt in whatever games we play tomorrow night.”

“Oh, we’ll see about that. Goodnight, Michonne. I’ll see you and Andre tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Rick.”

Michonne ended the call and sank back onto her pillows with a smile. She wondered if Rick even realized he’d called her ‘babe’? She loved how it flowed off of his tongue so naturally. That was the first time either of them had used a term of endearment for the other. Yet another step.

~Friday Night~

“Hey! Y’all come on in.” Rick stepped back to let Michonne and Andre into his home.

“Hey. Thanks again for having us,” Michonne said before turning to her son. “Dre, this is my...friend, Deputy Rick Grimes.”

Andre eyed his mother slyly. “Don’t you mean boyfriend, Mama?”

Michonne turned to Rick. “And this young man with the slick mouth is my son, Andre.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Andre,” Rick said with a chuckle.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. And you can call me Dre.” He held out a dish to Rick. “Mama made this for tonight.”

“Thank you, Dre.” Rick took the colorful ceramic dish. It was warm to the touch. “Y’all really didn’t have to bring anything.”

“Oh, that’s kind of my fault that Mama didn’t listen. But you’ll be glad she didn’t,” Andre offered. “That’s her Buffalo Chicken Dip. She doesn’t make it a lot because it’s kind of unhealthy but I convinced her to make it especially for tonight.”

“Well, I appreciate that, Dre.” Rick smiled at Michonne. “And thank you for making it.”

“You’re very welcome, Rick.”

“Let’s go down to the basement so y’all can meet Carl and Judy. Dre, you lead the way. Keep walking till you hear the noise.” Rick instructed.

When Dre was safely ahead of them, Rick leaned down to whisper in Michonne’s ear. “You look beautiful tonight.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before straightening up again.

“Thank you.” Michonne looked Rick up and down. “You look good yourself. You know I love it when you wear that denim button down...babe.”

“You caught that last night?”

Michonne nodded. “I sure did.”

“Good, I meant for you to.”

“I found the noise,” Andre declared from up ahead.

Michonne and Rick joined Andre at the entrance to the Grimes’ finished basement and made their way down the stairs. Rick placed the dip on a table already full of snacks before calling his kids over from the big screen television.

“Carl, Judy, I want you to meet Miss Chonne and her son, Dre.”

Michonne offered the kids a smile. “It’s very nice to meet the two of you. Your dad has told me a lot about you.”

“Hey,” Carl greeted.

“Hey, Miss Chonne!” Judith exclaimed with a wave.

Rick cut in with an explanation to Michonne. “In case you are wondering, Miss Michonne was a bit of a mouthful, so I settled on Miss Chonne.”

“Rick, the kids can just call me, Michonne.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Well, okay.” Rick shrugged. “Just don’t let my mama hear them. She’ll have a fit if she hears them calling an adult by their first name.”

“Ooh, since we are altering names, can I call you Deputy Rick?” Andre asked.

“Uh, sure.” Rick allowed. “But why Deputy Rick?”

“Because I just realized you look a lot like the lead character of my favorite comic, The Walkers. He’s a deputy, too.”

Michonne studied Rick. “You do sort of look like him. I don’t know why I never noticed that before.”

“Uh, should I be offended or...?” Rick asked warily.

“No, you shouldn’t be offended,” Michonne assured him. “I find him quite attractive.”

Rick reached for Michonne’s hand. “So, it was my comic book good looks that won you over?”

Michonne entwined her fingers with Rick’s. “Nah, that was just a bonus.”

Carl and Andre shared a look of adolescent bemusement at their parents’ actions before moving back to the topic at hand.

“You read The Walkers?” Carl asked Andre.

“Yep. Mama introduced me to it.”

“She did?”

“Yeah, she has every issue.”

Carl turned to Michonne. “Seriously?”

“Yes,” Michonne confirmed with a nod. “I was in the bookstore looking for some magna for Dre and myself and I happened to stumble upon The Walkers. I loved it from the first page and I’ve been a devotee ever since. If it’s alright with your dad, you can come over and read them and my other comics whenever you like.”

“How big is your collection?” Carl prided himself on having the biggest collection of anyone in town...outside of Eugene Porter.

“We have a whole room full of nothing but Mama’s comics. She’s been collecting them since she was a kid,” Andre answered.

And that was the moment when Michonne completely won Carl over.

“If Carl is done drooling over comics, why don’t you kids have a seat while Michonne and I finish getting the food set up.” Rick motioned to the sitting area where some board games were out and ready to play.

Carl, Andre, and Judith walked over and plopped down on the sectional.

Judith eyed the cast covering Andre’s left wrist. “What happened to your arm?”

“I broke my wrist on a seesaw.” Andre held his cast out for Judith to get a closer look. The cast was wrapped in a bright blue fabric that was covered with the names of Andre’s friends from back home and some classmates from KCA.

“Can I sign it?” Judith asked.

“Sure. You have a marker or something?”

After securing a felt tip pen, both Judith and Carl signed Andre’s cast.

“You hurt it playing on a seesaw?” At Andre’s nod, Judith continued. “You like to seesaw, too?”

“Actually, the monkey bars were always my favorite.”

“The monkey bars are my favorite, too!” Judith exclaimed.

“Wait, how’d you break your wrist playing on a seesaw?” Carl asked.

Michonne turned from the food table to eye her son. “Yes, Andre, tell everyone how you broke your wrist playing on a seesaw,” she said dryly.

“Uh, well, I wasn’t really playing on the seesaw. I was skateboarding off of it.”

“No way!” an impressed Carl uttered.

Andre turned to Carl, eager to finally share his tale with someone who would appreciate it besides his friends back in Atlanta. “It happened about a month ago when I was visiting my dad. I was hanging out with some friends in the park killing some time until we went to see a movie. Well, we got bored so one of my friends who had his skateboard suggested we try some tricks. I saw a seesaw with low handles and thought I could make it work.” Andre sighed at the memory. “I almost made it, but I didn’t quite clear the second set of handles when I came down the other side. I went flying and landed on my wrist.”

“Man,” Carl shook his head in awe. “That would have been awesome if you’d made it.”

“Right?!” Andre agreed.

Rick and Michonne looked at each other and shook their heads.

“We have a skateboard park around here. We should go. I guess you won’t be able to skate but I could introduce you to some kids from school,” Carl suggested.

“Cool. Let’s do it.”

That was the moment that Carl and Andre bonded.

Not happy being left out of the conversation, Judith tapped Andre on his uninjured arm. “We have monkey bars at the park. We can go on them.”

“I’m a little tall for those now,” Andre said apologetically.

Judith looked down in disappointment. “Oh.”

“But we can always go on the swings,” Andre rushed to offer.

“I LOVE the swings! They are my second favorite.”

Happy once again, seven-year-old Judith scooted closer to the Andre, whom she now considered her new best friend.

“Alright, y’all, let’s eat,” Rick announced.

***

The conversation flowed easily during dinner as everyone got to know each other.

“I love your sweater, Judith. The kitten on it is cute.”

“Do you like kitties?”

“I love cats. I have an orange tabby named Garfield.”

Judith gasped at this new information. She immediately dropped her hot dog onto the plate and gave Michonne her undivided attention. “You have Garfield?!”

Michonne chuckled at Judith’s excitement. “Well not the actual Garfield but my cat does look a lot like him.”

“Can I please play with him?”

Michonne looked to Rick for his okay. When he smiled his approval, Michonne continued. “Sure, you can.”

“Tonight?” Judith stood as if she was going to make her way out to Garfield at that very moment.

“Eager like your daddy I see,” Michonne said with a laugh. “How about we set up something for Sunday? If that’s okay with your father.”

Rick, who was never one to turn down more time with Michonne, readily agreed. “We can definitely set something up.”

Judith clapped her hands in delight as she sat back down. She now had two new best friends and a cat named Garfield.

***

“How come I’ve never seen you at school, Dre? You’re in sixth grade, right?” current eight-grader, Carl asked.

Andre sighed. “Yeah, I’m in sixth grade but, unfortunately, I don’t go to King County Middle. I go to the Sacred Academy of the Soc—” Andre cut off his sentence when he received a look from his mother. “King County Academy,” he finished.

“Reject U? Sorry to hear that man,” Carl said in sympathy.

“Reject you?” Michonne asked.

Carl nodded. “Reject U...Reject University. That’s what we call it at KCM...cause that’s what it’s full of.” Carl glanced at Dre. “Uh, no offense, Dre. I don’t mean you.”

“No offense taken, Carl. You can’t get angry over the truth.”

Rick let out a laugh. “When I was in high school we called it the Palace of Perpetual Virg--“ Rick swallowed the rest of his sentence when he received the same look from Michonne that she’d just given Andre. “Sorry, I forgot myself.”

“Is the reputation really that bad for this school?” Michonne asked.

Rick nodded. “Yeah. The kids there are really smart and some come from rich families in the county, but, overall, they are just odd and act like they are better than everybody else. And they don’t grow out of it. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember.”

“But, Rick, Milton Mamet who runs the county crime lab went there. He’s the one who recommended the school to me. He’s extremely intelligent and well-adjusted.”

“Milton is an anomaly, Michonne. His lab assistant, Eugene Porter, also went to KCA.”

That brought Michonne up short. “Eugene with the mullet who speaks in monotone and doesn’t move his arms when he walks...or runs?” Michonne had once witnessed Eugene hurrying to his car to get out of the rain. His stiff arms and black mullet made him look like Frankenstein out on a jog.

“That’s the one. He was voted Head Hobbit or Crypt Keeper or whatever it is they designate as homecoming king over there.”

“Eugene?!” Michonne asked incredulously.

Eugene was extremely intelligent but his social skills were painfully non-existent. And though Milton was just as intelligent and slightly more sociable, Michonne realized that he and Eugene both shared a condescending air that would sometimes show itself in their interactions with others. While Michonne was sure a lot of their demeanor was based on nature, she couldn’t be too sure of how much influence going to the exclusive school had as well. She did not want to risk her sweet child becoming just as arrogant.

Michonne looked at Andre. “We’ll look into you possibly transferring to King County Middle. School hasn’t been in that long.”

“Plus, he’ll already know me and I can show him around,” Carl offered.

“Thank you, Carl.” Michonne smiled at the teenager. “Well, we’ll take a look around the school on Monday, Dre.”

Andre jumped up and hugged his mother. “Thank you, Mama!”

“Thank Rick as well. He’s been advocating your case whenever we talk.”

Rick shrugged bashfully when Andre looked at him. “I just think if you have to go to school anyway, it might as well be at a place you halfway like.”

“Thank you, Deputy Rick.” Andre moved over to Rick and opened his arms. “I don’t know if Mama told you, but we are huggers in our family.”

Rick chuckled as he gave Andre a hug. “Well, that’s something that we have in common.”

And just like that, Rick and Andre bonded.

***

When game time arrived, the kids teamed up against the adults for games like Heads Up. Their shouts and raucous laughter filled every corner of the spacious basement. Before finishing up the games and starting a movie, Judith had one last game request.

“Can we please play Twister?” she asked. It was Judith’s favorite game and she’d never had the chance to play it with this many people at once other than at birthday parties.

“Sweetie, Dre can’t play that on account of his arm,” Rick explained.

“Oh, I don’t mind, Deputy Rick. You need someone to call out the directions. Besides, I’m full of so much of your hot dog chili, I don’t think I need to do a lot of bending over right now,” Dre offered good-naturedly.

“Well, if you’re sure, then I guess we’re playing Twister.” Rick smirked at Michonne. “I hope you stretched before you came over.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Deputy Rick. Mama is really flexible. She can even stand on one leg while she lifts the other one straight up by her head. It’s so cool!”

Rick looked at Michonne. His mouth went dry when she nodded. Our next date night can’t get here fast enough, Rick thought.

“Left hand...Yellow,” Dre called out. Everyone shifted into position.

“Right foot...Red.”

There was a lot of shuffling and then a “bruump” sounded out from the mat.

“Ew! Judith farted right in my face!” Carl yelled.

“Carl, quit yellin’,” Rick yelled back. “And your little sister doesn’t fart, she toots.”

“Really, Rick?” Michonne asked in amusement.

“Yeah, my mama says ladies toot.”

“Well, your daughter just tooted in my face,” Carl complained.

“I’m sorry, Carl. You know I toot sometimes when I get excited,” Judith explained.

“You might want to get that under control. And could you move your butt—”

“Carl,” Rick said in warning.

Carl heaved a sigh before continuing. “Could you move your fanny out of my face?”

“Where am I supposed to put it?” a now annoyed Judith asked.

“How about you—"

“Carl, if you get the smart mouth one more time, I’m going to take your phone away and make you use my old one for two weeks,” Rick bit out.

“But, Dad, that’s a flip phone,” Carl said, horrified.

“I know. And I’ll make sure to call you in front of your little friends so you’ll have to pick it up,” Rick finished.

Carl clamped his lips shut and rolled his eyes.

“And, Judith, you have to learn to control your toots. That’s not nice to be tootin’ all over the place.”

“Okay, Daddy. I’ll try,” Judith promised.

Michonne caught Andre’s eye where he was standing on the sideline. They looked at each other with twin amusement twinkling in their eyes.

“Y’all ready for the next move?” Andre asked.

“Yes!” All agreed.

“Right Hand...Blue!”

When they finished maneuvering around the mat, Rick was nearly entwined with Michonne. When he happened to look down, Rick noticed that Michonne’s face had ended up extremely close to his crotch. Michonne chose that moment to look up at him and smile.

BRUUUMP!!!

“Judith!” Carl yelled.

“It wasn’t me!”

“Sorry, that was me.”

“Dad?”

“I got excited,” Rick explained sheepishly.

“Daddy tooted!” Judith giggled.

The laughter that Andre and Michonne had been holding in bubbled over at that statement. Andre doubled over on the sidelines while Michonne fell to the mat causing a domino effect with Rick, Carl, and Judith all tumbling after her. They all ended up laughing in a heap on the floor. The game was declared a draw.

The game might have been over, but a new family unit had just begun.

“Is everybody all settled in? If you want to bring over some more snacks, get them now cause I’m about to start the movie.”

“We’re good, Dad. You can start,” Carl answered from one of the air mattresses that had been placed on the floor for the kids to lounge.

“Alright.” Rick pressed play. He put his feet up on the reclined section of the couch and pulled Michonne closer into his side.

Not yet wanting to kiss Rick fully with the kids so close by, Michonne kissed the corner of his mouth. “What are we watching?” she asked.

“Moana,” Judith explained to Michonne. “It’s my favorite.”

Michonne beamed down at the little girl. “That is a great choice, Judy.”

Judith glowed at the praise.

Halfway through the movie, Judith asked Rick if she could sit with him and Michonne. Once she received permission, she squeezed her way in between the two and watched the movie contentedly until she fell asleep against Michonne about twenty minutes before it ended.

The other four finished the movie before putting on Carl’s choice, the predecessor of the zombie movie that Michonne and Andre were going to see the following night.

“You going to the sequel?” Andre asked Carl.

“Yeah, I’m going with some friends tomorrow night. You wanna come with us? It won’t just be eighth graders. They’ll be some kids from sixth and seventh grade, too.”

“Well,” Andre hesitated and looked towards his mother.

“It’s fine, Dre. You should go with Carl and meet some of the other kids.”

“You sure, Mama?”

“Absolutely.”

Andre turned back to Carl. “What showing are we going to?”

While Carl and Andre worked out the details for the next night, Rick leaned over Judith to speak with Michonne. “Looks like you are free tomorrow night. You feel like spending some time with an old bearded man and his pooty seven-year-old daughter?”

Michonne laughed. “That sounds like a wonderful way to spend an evening.” She threw caution to the wind and gave Rick a sound kiss on the mouth.

“I’ve been waiting for that all night,” Rick whispered.

“Me, too.”

They pulled apart to finish watching the movie.

***

A sudden slap brought Rick out of his comfortable sleep. He opened his eyes to find a small hand in his face. Rick moved Judith’s hand and marveled at how she had managed to sprawl across him and Michonne like a starfish at some point during the night. During the second movie, Rick had carefully detached Judith from Michonne and stretched the little girl out on the other end of the couch under her favorite blanket. He’d then snuggled with Michonne in his arms under another throw. Judith must have crawled back over after everyone had fallen asleep. Rick smiled at his daughter before looking at the others in the room. The evening had turned into an impromptu sleepover.

Carl and Andre were both asleep on the air mattresses. They’d stayed up for a while discussing their favorite comics and movies before they fell asleep. The boys had become fast friends and that made both Rick and Michonne happy.

Rick looked down at Michonne, who was still asleep in his arms. Last night had gone better than either of them could have hoped for or imagined. There had been an immediate spark the first time Rick and Michonne locked eyes. But he never fathomed that when they met all those months ago at Shane and Andrea’s house that they’d end up here. He never imagined when his first marriage ended that he’d get a second chance at love and happiness...a new love and a new dream. But Rick now knew that every step (the good and the bad) taken in life before this had led all of them to this moment and to each other.

“What are you smiling about so early in the morning?” a now awake Michonne whispered, mindful of the sleeping kids.

“You.” Rick looked at Michonne smiling softly up at him in the early morning light and knew he wanted to wake up to that face every morning. “I’m smiling about us. I’m smiling about our kids. I’m smiling about last night. I’m just...really happy.”

“So am I.”

Rick hesitated before his next words. “I hope you don’t think it’s too soon and this may not be the best place to tell you...but I love you, Michonne.”

“I don’t think it’s too soon because I love you, too.” Michonne laughed softly as she dodged one of Judith’s hands as the little girl turned over in her sleep. “And I couldn’t think of a better time or place for you to tell me.”

Unable to maneuver around Judith, Rick settled for a kiss on Michonne’s palm.

Michonne’s sleepy smile got bigger before it morphed into a small yawn.

“It’s still early yet. Why don’t you go back to sleep? I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours and we can make breakfast for the kids,” Rick suggested.

“That sounds like a great plan because I was in the middle of the best dream.”

Looking at everyone around him before once again focusing on Michonne, Rick smiled. “Me, too.”

#Richonne Date Night #Richonne #Richonnefics #rendevous

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callunavulgari · 6 years

Text

Year-In-Fic

How many fics did you write this year? What was your total wordcount? 26 fics, which is a million times better than my nine from last year, so I’m counting it as a win! 59,441 words, so clearly all of those 1-2k fics added up.

Fic Roundup!

1. Piece From a Satyr Play | Star Wars | Reylo | 141 words

Her hair is done up in white ribbons, three enormously lopsided buns trailing down the back of her neck.

2. Wasted Early Sunday Morning | Star Wars | Reylo | 434 words

Her skin is smoother than his, smoother than many of the people that he’s touched in his life, and he aches to touch it now, watching her stretch lazily in the early morning sunlight, spine arching like a cats.

3. Cosmic Love | Stargate Atlantis | Mcshep | 786 words

There’s solid matter under the palm of his hand, a beating pulse, and a heart to go with it. A living person that Rodney thought that they’d lost.

4. can’t help but be wrong in the dark | The Flash | Barry/Julian | 2,942 words

The day that Allen had snarled an insult back in response to one of Julian’s cutting remarks, he’d gone home and fisted his cock furiously, thinking about the slant of Allen’s mouth and how it would look smeared with come. How Allen’s hair would feel, knotted in Julian’s fingers as he fucked his mouth.

5. eat flowers, breathe light | Stargate Atlantis | Mcshep |1585 words

John gives Rodney a dreamy smile, swaying slightly towards him, and says, “You have really beautiful eyes, you know that?”

6. Bifurcation Theory | Teen Wolf | Stiles/Derek/Lydia | 7208 words

Lydia sucks in another shaky breath, trying to think of a polite way to explain that she’s sorry, that this was a mistake, and she didn’t mean to bother him. Just as she’s opening her mouth, Derek sighs gustily, the sound breaking apart with static in her ear. “What’s Stiles done now?” he asks, his tone resigned.

7. Ain’t At Home (Home’s Where I’m Going) | Horizon Zero Dawn | Aloy/Everyone | 6857 words

“Not all comforts are bad,” Vala whispers, and Aloy shudders apart.

8. love, can’t protect you now | Stargate Atlantis | Mcshep | 1635 words

“When they come,” Rodney tells him quietly, “I won’t kill you.”

9. Say You’ll Be There | The Flash | Barry/Iris, Barry/Thawne | 1159 words

Barry swallows, fingers tangling with hers, and says, “Storms make me think of him.”

10. it’s warm, this skin i’m living in | SGA | Rodney/John | 1,170 words

When he is thirty-seven years old, John Sheppard thinks about the universe.

11. it’s good to be in love, it really does suit you | KH | Sora/Riku/Kairi | 1,694 words

“We’ve done dangerous before.” Sora shrugs. “Getting a mortgage was dangerous, but we did it anyway.”

12. a hazy shade of winter | Stranger Things | Steve/Nancy/Jonathan | 1,863 words

In November, they build a tree house.

13. can’t deny your appetite | SGA | Mcshep | 4,031 words

John finds out that there’s a vampire in Atlantis the day after they’ve stepped through the gate.

He finds out that the vampire in question is Rodney McKay four weeks later, when they’re all hunkered down in the yawning shadow of some crumbling ruins and Rodney looks at him, his eyes eerily bright in the darkness, sees the blood on John’s face, and says, “Oh.”

14. caught off guard by you | FFXV | Prompto/Noctis | 1,671 words

“I just got you back,” Prompto says quietly, words muffled into the curve of Noctis’s neck.

15. take me to church | Teen Wolf | Sterek |3,129 words

Derek scoffs. “You want to take me back to Quantico.”

16. how to be eaten by a woman | Star Wars | Reylo | 1,350 words

“So why don’t you do it?” he asks, breathless. His chest is heaving, his mouth open, gasping for breath.

“Do what?” Rey asks, and thinks about biting his mouth.

The corners of his lips tick upwards. Kylo squints at her, half-smiling. “That.”

17. move the stars for no one | SGA/Labyrinth | Mcshep | 3,049 words

“You have no power over me,” Rodney whispers, just to see the way that the Goblin King’s eyes narrow - how he steps closer, until his narrow hips are pressed up against the footboard.

He slouches in towards Rodney, sways toward him, his clever eyes hooded, and smiles like he’s won something. Asks, “You sure about that?”

18. is this love? | SW | Reylo | 4,013 words

“It’s okay,” her brother tells her on their wedding night, lowering himself to sit on the floor beside her, until his nose is level with her shaking knees. When he smiles, he looks like a monster. “You don’t have to love me.”

Then he goes to sleep on the couch, taking only a threadbare pillow from their marriage bed.

19. rise again | SGA/SW/Dishonored | Rey, Emily, and John Sheppard | 952 words

“You’re Emily Kaldwin.” A pause. “You are, aren’t you?”

Emily blows out a loud sigh, giving him an annoyed look, as if he’s to blame for the fact that she’s the most recognizable face in all the Isles. “Might be.”

“Huh,” the girl says, and takes a seat right there on the floor. “I’m Rey.”

20. i hope you’ll be happy, miss tara joan | SGA | Rodney/John, original child character | 360 words

They turn off John’s life support on a Thursday.

21. blue lips, blue veins | Voltron | Keith & Allura | 655 words

“I am not,” he says stubbornly, “kissing you awake.”

22. jewel of the south | Dishonored/Star Wars | Corvo & Rey | 686 words

The girl watches him warily, hunkered down in a nest of blankets in the corner. She’s a squatter, that much is obvious from her thin, patched clothing and the general disrepair of the apartment that Corvo’s found himself in. He blinks around, eyes lighting on a sofa, a desk, a couple rat-gnawed shoes.

“You’re bleeding all over my floor,” she says flatly, her eyes heavy on him.

“I’m bleeding all over your balcony,” he corrects, and wavers hard enough that his other leg gives out from under him. “And I’m mostly sure that it isn’t yours.”

23. when the autumn moon is bright | SGA | Mcshep | 2,881 words

There weren’t, strictly speaking, supposed to be wolves in Atlantis.

24. hard and heavy, dirty and mean | Stranger Things | Steve/Billy | 2,846 words

“Remember,” he whispers in Steve’s ear, his breath hot. “You wanted this.”

25. I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus | SGA | Mcshep | 3,855 words

Rodney can’t see much about the man inside of the Santa costume from where he’s standing, the wig and beard hides what the suit doesn’t, but there’s something in his mannerisms that makes Rodney feel a spark of familiarity. He swallows and is still trying to puzzle it out when the Santa finishes with the little girl and turns their way.

John Sheppard looks back out at Rodney from behind a fuzzy white Santa beard, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly as they shift from Rodney to Charlie and then back again.

Jesus - fucking - Christ.

26. The Yawning Grave | Star Wars | Gen, Possible Reylo | 2,489 words | WIP

does the skywalker choose the path, or the path the skywalker? [or: the sabriel au that no one asked for]

Best story I wrote this year: take me to church, hands down. Coming back to Sterek, after two years away felt like coming home. Stepping back into Stiles and Derek’s world, into their feelings for each other, was an amazing experience. I miss them, and I love them still, and the story that I gave myself the chance to write was dreamy and quiet, and just so entirely conveys the feel that I wanted to achieve this year.

What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest. Probably a toss up between is this love?, take me to church, and move the stars for no one. Those were the fics that I felt most at home in, the ones that came easily and quietly, like stepping into a comfy robe.

Okay, NOW your most popular story. hard and heavy, dirty and mean comes in first at 992 kudos, 12,356 hits, and 228 bookmarks. I had the good fortune of posting it right after Stranger Things 2 came out, so it got nearly as much traffic as the fic that I wrote last year for the Stranger Things fandom. It is entirely filthy locker room porn between Steve and the latest asshole to be introduced to the high school, and basically exactly the itch that I needed scratched after watching the season. Story of mine most underappreciated by the universe, in my opinion: I’m, um. Maybe a little bit put out that I published the first chapter of The Yawning Grave, and it’s only gotten seven kudos. I mean, it’s a prologue, and I made it abundantly clear that I wasn’t sure when the next three chapters would be out, but it was still a little bit of a downer, considering how long I’ve been fretting about the fic itself.

Most fun story to write: jewel of the south was super fun to write, but I tend to have fun with all of my crossover prompts. Imagining Rey in the Dishonored universe (twice!) was great fun, and I would totally do it again. I’m going to pretend that this isn’t tickling the portion of my brain that wants to write a Reylo AU where Rey is the street orphan in Karnaca that Empress Ben Organa runs into when he’s on the run. Don’t think that way, Heather.

Story that could have been better? I think that all of my fics could be better in certain ways, and the day that I don’t feel that way I’ll have gotten too conceited to live. I think the one that bugs me the most is one that I haven’t even published yet. Because I hit a snag with the plot and can’t decide if I feel like going back and changing everything or if there’s a handy work around. If we aren’t counting this one, caught off guard by you was the Prompto/Noctis tragic love story that was supposed to be two or three times as large as it is now, and also feature tent sex.

Story I wrote to fix things: take me to church and Bifurcation Theory. The first I wrote because I received a prompt regarding Derek and Stiles around the time that the first episode of the last season aired. I didn’t watch it, but I did see the scene where Stiles does a literal spit-take upon seeing a shirtless Derek on screen in his FBI class. My brain basically went, ‘huh, they’re gonna fuck it up’ and so I just went for it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s canon.

The second I wrote after I’d reluctantly let myself watch season 6. 6A? Whatever. I was pretty intrigued by the idea of Stiles being taken and forgotten, and I don’t mind Stydia, so I watched it and Bifurcation Theory is basically what I wanted to happen.

Longest completed fic this year: Bifurcation Theory, at 7k. So, you know. Not particularly long at all.

Fandom you enjoyed writing for most this year: I actually had a lot of fun dipping my toes into the Stargate Atlantis fandom this year. The people are all really great, and I wish that I’d been around for the old days. Alas, I was up to my eyeballs in anime and Kingdom Hearts.

Favorite character you wrote this year: Toss up between Lydia and Rodney. I like both of their brains, for - weirdly - a lot of the same reasons. Lydia in Bifurcation Theory felt comfortable. A lot of the fic itself is full of tropes that I love. Angst, road trips, little food places that are entirely based off of cafes that I frequent, two people having sex because they’re pining after a third. And Lydia herself is strong and soft and just. I really like writing girls, and Lydia is one of my favorites.

Rodney is just easy.

Most memorable comment this year: Basically every comment that I got on take me to church? Some people welcomed me back to the fandom, others made comments on exactly what I wanted them to feel about the fic - slow, sleepy, and according to one reviewer, tired, but hopeful. I wanted them to be able to feel the atmosphere of the fic above all else, from the quiet echo of the church to that southern sun shower to the shitty apartment. I even had someone comment on the little town in North Carolina that I used as the setting, so all of them were a delight.

Also, I feel the need to say that @popkin16 has some of the best comments and every time I publish a Mcshep fic I eagerly wait in the hopes of a comment from her. They make me really happy.

Fics you wanted to write but didn’t:

Okay, but I’ve written so little compared to what I’ve wanted to. The Sabriel AU is definitely at the top of this list, though I’m hoping to fix that soon. I have the SGA fic where John is a wraith, the SGA fic where John is dead and Rodney is raising his kid, the Enjolras/Grantaire fic, the roadtrip/beach fic that never got written because I couldn’t figure out if I wanted it to be Voltron, Kingdom Hearts, or SGA, the long ass Dishonored fic that spans all three games and basically centers around the idea that the Outsider, Corvo, and Emily come together as the most dysfunctional family ever, the prompt-fics that I started but never finished, the Beetlejuice AU, the girl Cisco AU, the bodyswapping Reylo fic... and those are just ones that I liked enough to jot a sentence or two down somewhere.

Oddest story: Probably move the stars for no one. I mean... it is a fic where John Sheppard is the goblin king. Though I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus was a little crackier than I usually get. Hardest story to do: Hah, my answer to this question last year was the Sabriel AU. That... is still at least slightly true, though the wraith John AU has been a pain in my ass and isn’t even out yet. Of those that I did actually publish this year, caught off guard by you which gave me so much trouble that I eventually just published it as is. Fortunately, a lot of the fic that I wrote this year were little things that niggled their way into my brain, so they came naturally. I didn’t do any challenges or secret santas or big bangs, so I didn’t have to force myself to write anything. Easiest story to write? Again, a lot of them sort of wrote themselves since they came out of my brain mostly formed already. can’t deny your appetite was probably one of the easiest, as were all of the ones that I’ve already mentioned on here. take me to church was pretty high up there.

Most mining of your own history in one story: take me to church and Bifurcation Theory, probably. For the first one, I spent a lot of time in chuches as a kid, a lot of time in cars, and well, the entirety of my childhood in the south. Stiles’ apartment is also completely based off of my last apartment. Well. The building anyway. I had two other roommates and a lot more furniture in my actual apartment, but the layout is all the same.

The vegan cafe that Lydia and Derek stop at is based off of Cornerstone Cafe in Columbus, right down to the probably-gay teal haired kid and the pretty college girl who checks out Lydia. I’m pretty sure there are other bits I’ve borrowed, but that’s the one that stands out.

Oh! Also, it’s good to be in love, it really does suit you. There’s... a whole lot of domestic mumbo jumbo in that. Also, weed smoking on what is an exact replica of my back porch. Actually, scratch that, upon rereading this I realize that it is also an exact replica of my house, minus the weird clock. The table holding Riku’s moon flowers holds my bougainvillea and a couple of my coffee plants in real life. Mickey-the-cat is not mine, but he is based off of BMO, who is. Looking back on it, I’m actually 100% sure that what inspired this entire fic was coming home from work and watching the fireflies with Nick on our back deck. We have a really dense knot of trees surrounding our backyard, and the fireflies are NUTS in the summer. It’s really gorgeous back there.

Themes, or absence thereof: Atmosphere. Feeling-the-fic. Slow, quiet love and burn-you-up passion. Where did you publish/archive your stories? Ao3, as per usual. Story I haven’t yet written, but intend to: Sigh. Fingers crossed that I’ll get the Sabriel AU out at least. Though this question has reminded me that I wanted to finish the Carmilla AU as well.

Sexiest moment (excerpt): “Did he ever fuck you?”

“Yes,” Derek gasps, a ragged catch to his voice. Her smile grows and then carefully, she crawls off of him, leaving him blinking at her blankly.

“Good,” she whispers, and hitches her knee invitingly. “So you can fuck me how he fucked you.”

He blinks at her and for a moment she thinks that she may have broken him, but then he’s surging into motion, pinning her to the bed, and sliding home in one smooth movement. She gasps, head thrown back against the pillows, and wraps her legs around his waist. They hold like that, both trembling, sweat on their skin and the smell of sex heavy in the air. His lips hover over hers, so close that if either of them moved even an inch they would drag together, his breath hot against her lips. His eyes dart down to her lips before they jerk back up to her eyes.

“Does that mean I should kiss you how he kissed me?” Derek asks, his voice wrecked, and she whimpers, high and desperate.

“Yes,” she breathes, wetting her lips. “Please.”

(or)

“Who else has been touching you like that, Harrington?” Billy whispers, his lips catching on the curve of Steve’s ear. He licks his lips, tongue flicking out like a snake, like he’s tasting Steve. Like he wants to eat him. “Was it your daddy?”

Steve’s heart is pounding, adrenaline singing in his veins. He’s let this go on too long, has all but given Billy the advantage here - Steve's let himself be backed up against the shower, the handle digging into his lower back.

With a sigh, Steve finally opens his eyes and looks at him.

Billy is standing too close, fully clothed and soaked to the bone, his own hair damp from the spray. The only thing he seems to have thought to take off is his jean jacket, which has been flung thoughtlessly at the benches behind them. His shirt is near translucent against his chest. When he sees Steve looking, he grins, touching the purpling bruise that hasn’t quite faded from Steve’s lower lip.

“Now this one I remember giving you,” he remarks, pressing in closer, until his head is under the spray too, tilted towards Steve.

Steve’s breath hitches and he tries to backpedal, going up on his tiptoes when he finds that there’s no more ground to give. The handle digs painfully into his lower back, but he can’t be bothered to care. He gasps as the hand cups his jaw, Billy’s fingers lingering over another bruise before they begin to skitter down the column of his throat.

Billy grins at him and leans down, pressing a strangely gentle kiss to a fist-shaped bruise at the base of his throat.

“You wear them well,” he whispers, lips slick against Steve’s skin.

Crackiest moment (excerpt): “Dinner should be ready around then,” he says with a shrug, and realizes with an abrupt, sinking sensation that Charlie is going to think that he’s inviting Santa Claus to dinner with them. “I’m uh, shit, here.”

His cheeks go ruddy with embarrassment as he rummages through his bag and comes up with an uncapped green pen and a pad of crinkled yellow paper. He quickly scrawls their address across it before tearing it off the pad and shoving it John’s way. Jesus fucking Christ, the entire food court just watched him set up a date with Santa.

“I, um,” Rodney says, becoming increasingly aware of the surge of noise coming from the disgruntled soccer moms waiting in line. He cringes, dragging Charlie down a few steps. “I’ll just see you later. Maybe.”

He trips on the rug once he reaches the landing, but catches himself on a reindeer before he can go sprawling into the nearby fountain. His face is on fire, but when he looks back up, John Sheppard is smiling down at him, fond and horribly, achingly familiar.

Favorite dialogue (excerpt): “Come on,” Stiles says, pushing to his feet. He turns once he’s up and grabs Derek’s hand, yanking him upright before Derek can think to protest. “I’ve got a place.”

Derek looks at him, his nose wrinkling dubiously. “You have a place in Murfreesboro?”

Stiles raises an eyebrow back, refusing to give ground. “I have a place in Virginia. It’s like, a three hour drive, tops. Less if I speed.”

Derek scoffs. “You want to take me back to Quantico.”

“I’m an intern, Derek. Pretty sure they’re not going to go looking for you under my mattress. Come on,” he coaxes, jostling Derek with his elbow. “You know how this works, we’ve done it before. Safest place to be is right under their nose.”

“This is a little bigger than hiding in the closet every once in awhile so your father doesn’t notice that you're harboring a fugitive, Stiles,” Derek tells him. He shuffles backwards, but Stiles follows him, always a little too close. When Stiles refuses to look chastised Derek reaches out and grabs hold of his wrist, stopping him at arm’s length. He swallows. “We aren’t talking about you getting kicked out of your program if they find me. You’ll go to prison.”

Stiles watches him, his eyes dark. Knowing. He takes a pointed step forward, always pushing, and turns his wrist in Derek’s grip. He’s still watching as he threads their fingers together carefully, his palm a dry rasp against Derek’s.

“I know,” he whispers, and leans in to press their mouths together.

(or)

“You have no power over me,” Rodney whispers, just to see the way that the Goblin King’s eyes narrow - how he steps closer, until his narrow hips are pressed up against the footboard. He reaches out, curling long, elegant fingers around the cold metal rungs between them, and though he hisses out low through his teeth when he finds the sting of iron waiting for him, he does not look away.

John is a looming figure in the shadows, a slash of moonlight thrown across his face illuminating the smirk that sits there. He slouches in towards Rodney, sways toward him, his clever eyes hooded, and smiles like he’s won something. Asks, “You sure about that?”

“No,” Rodney admits and pushes himself up. The cracked saucer is in John’s hand, empty. Rodney licks his lips. “Not at all.”

“I love you,” he offers quietly. It’s the only secret he has left.

John cocks his head, letting go of the bars and coming around the side of the bed. He is human enough, save the glint of gold in his collar and the slight sharpness of his teeth. He smells real, and absurdly, Rodney wants to dance with him.

“Nothing is freely given,” John says, but it sounds like a question. There isn’t an apology in his eyes, but Rodney hadn’t expected there to be one. The empty saucer in his hand was proof enough.

Rodney shrugs. “Your rules, not mine.”

Favorite lines (excerpt): It’s raining when they leave the church, a warm downpour that leaves everything smelling of green things and wet earth. The sun is still shining, giving the parking lot a strange, otherworldly air. Stiles squints out into the glare, mashing the button on his key fob until an anonymous black sedan honks back at them, the tail lights flashing red.

Stiles bounds across the parking lot, holding a hand over his head to ward off the rain. A hint of ankle winks back at Derek as he scrambles gracelessly into the driver’s seat. Derek follows at a more sedate pace, swinging by the car that he’d bought for a couple hundred bucks from a local hick’s junkyard. He grabs his bag from the back and the picture of Laura that he’s got pinned under the visor, but leaves the rest to rot in the parking lot. Someone will find it eventually.

When he climbs into the passenger seat he’s uncomfortably damp, but can’t bring himself to be troubled over it. He feels lighter than he has in months. Maybe years.

“What happened to the jeep?” Derek asks, dragging a careless hand across the unfamiliar dashboard. The jeep had reeked of Stiles, of junk food and sweat and a little like the cheap cherry-scented pine tree he had looped over the rear-view mirror. This car still smells new, fake leather and plastic, with the faintest undercurrent of boy.

“Left it with Scott,” Stiles says easily, sliding the key home and turning the ignition. It doesn’t even fight him for it. “It wouldn’t have made the trip.”

That was true enough. Derek watches the parking lot disappear from view, relaxing into his seat more and more as the minutes pass. Derek is tired. It's been days since he's felt safe enough to catch more than a few hours of sleep in his shitty car, head propped uncomfortably against the window. Here, with Stiles next to him, Derek’s body is finally beginning to cave in to the need for sleep.

He makes himself stay awake for awhile, long enough for Stiles to flick the radio over to some generic top 40’s station. He keeps it quiet, occasionally mouthing along to the words, but never once getting loud enough to be offensive. The third time that Derek jerks himself out of a light doze, Stiles turns to him incredulously and says, “For god’s sake, just go to sleep. I knew what I was signing up for when I saw those bags under your eyes.”

(or)

The first time that Rey sees her brother practice the art, she is being fitted for her wedding dress.

He is not strictly speaking supposed to be in the room with them, but none of the servants have quite worked out how to tell him to leave, and Rey doesn’t care one way or another herself. From her understanding, seeing the bride before the wedding makes for a bad match. It brings misfortune on the future household. Bad crops. Dead cattle. Some tales even say that it leads to an empty womb.

Let them be unlucky, Rey thinks with a sniff.

Her brother is reading, half-reclined on the settee to the left of the door, his leg crossed at the knee. It’s been well over an hour since he’s moved to do anything more strenuous than turn a page. Whatever lies within the book's pages has captivated him thoroughly, his mouth having gone ever so slightly slack as he mouths words to himself, black eyes intent.

The sun is beginning to set, the room growing long with shadows around them.

Rey is watching him when her brother flicks his wrist lazily, still absorbed in his book, and calls a ribbon of scarlet flame to the palm of his hand. It winds itself lovingly between his fingers, circling around and around his wrists, like some lazy beast.

Startled, Rey’s breath catches in her chest. Blinking, her brother looks up, catching her eye over the flame, the red glow casting him in a devilish light.

He cocks his head, and she wonders at his expression, the curiosity there as he unravels the flame outward, letting it find the wicks of the fat, ivory candles on the desk next to him. He quirks an eyebrow at her.

The room is still half in darkness, the last of the fading sunlight leaving them.

Rey licks her lips and steels her expression, flexing her fingers nervously before she raises her hands and cups them together. She doesn’t look away from him as she calls on her oldest friend, the familiar blue flame licking first over her knuckles and wrists, teasing, before it settles between her palms. She lights the rest of the room like that, and doesn’t pay any attention to the way the seamstress is fretting about Rey scorching the sleeves.

Her brother’s eyes are dark and intent on her, his book forgotten.

(or)

Rodney’s mark started out small, elegant slashes of color splashed across the meatiest part of his bicep. At the time, Rodney was six years old and didn’t much care for the idea of soulmates. There were cooler things than a bunch of blue paint on his arm, like black holes and the crowded, complicated mess of wiring inside his dad’s alarm clock. He’s going on nine when his mark changes, the familiar blues and greens and whites of sea and foam now a backdrop for the gleaming ferris wheel laid over top the waves, black lines on cool colors. He stares at it, lips pursed, and can’t for the life of him decide if he actually likes the new addition. When he’s thirteen the dark silhouette of a sleek, dangerous looking airplane is added to the mess. The plane itself is larger than the waves, larger than the ferris wheel, so long that the tip of it’s pointed nose touches the inside of his elbow. He grimaces at it, touching the curve of its broad back with one finger. It takes an hour of hunting through books at the library before he recognizes the shape of the SR-71 “Blackbird.” By the time Rodney’s fifteen, two more things have been added - a horse made out of shadows and edges, indistinct black smoke licking up the insides of his forearms and the mandelbrot set that sits neatly underneath it, an expanse of beautiful lines and inky dark that go clear down to his wrist. At fifteen years old, Rodney is significantly more interested in his soulmate than he was when he was six years old. He’s moved to America and is the top of his class at one of the most prestigious colleges in North America. He doesn’t like the majority of his peers and is beginning to realize that it’s entirely possible that he just doesn’t like people in general. He’s prickly, bad-tempered, and his ego has swelled to be the size of a small city. Whoever his soulmate is, she apparently likes the ocean, ferris wheels, planes, horses, and math. Rodney, who enjoys exactly one of those things, doesn’t have very high hopes.

Fic goals: I’m going to carefully not say anything about finishing the Sabriel AU, because that way lies madness. Instead I will say that in 2018 I would like to a) write something novel-length, b) write something original, and c) focus more on original characters. ....Additional goal: write over 60k.

#heather says what #heather writes #2017 #new year's memes #the year that became a meme

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