#turn your pairings into worms it's peak romance

[chipsncookies]

The answer is yes 🐛 this was originally only one image, but someone drew her as a wurmple and it got out of hand bfhf (more sketches under the cut)

Edit: tunglr messed up the order of my post pls reblog the correct one

Turned him into a worm also

Not sure if they're correct sizes but they can fly together now!! 🍏🦋💖

[imaginesandinserts]

Irreverent Pt. 39 - Dinner Party

Title: Irreverent Pt. 39 - Dinner Party Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader Rating: M Words: 5812

Irreverent Series Masterlist

Clyde was handling another assignment so you were working out of Quantico for the time being. You'd learned really quickly that not everyone had a Penelope Garcia at their disposal and you needed to skill up fast. You'd bribed her with concert tickets and a very handsome Elliot Greenberg as her escort in exchange for teaching you the basics.

Elliot worked for the white collar crime unit in New York after the BAU rejection and had recently made the transition to Quantico for sex crimes. The two of you had kept in touch over the years and he'd hit you up when he'd moved back. He'd broken up with his girlfriend back in New York for the job - which really just told you the girlfriend hadn't mattered all that much. Elliot was smart, good looking, and doing well at work but you knew he also had a nerdy streak that Garcia would appreciate.

It was kind of fun being on the other side of a case and watching Penelope in action. You figured it would be easiest to learn on the job so you'd stayed holed up in her office and the two of you worked together with the team on a case. She taught you how to do some of the less complex stuff and you got to flirt with Hotch anytime he called for an update - it was a win-win really.

When they got back, he'd decided to have everyone be home for a week and do reports and consults to coincide with your schedule. No one was really complaining about a week of no travel.

Aaron had gotten home before you as you'd had a late afternoon meeting with McKinney to update him on your progress. When you walk in, you can smell roasted spices wafting from the kitchen. Aaron had always enjoyed foods from other cuisines but with you he'd really embraced cooking it as well, since you'd lived all over and had curated your own recipes over the years. If your nose wasn't mistaken, he was trying his hand at your Chicken Vindaloo recipe.

You walk into the kitchen to see him wearing an apron and manning the stove while Jack sits at the island doing his homework.

"Hi baby." You greet Jack and place a quick kiss to his head before going over to observe Aaron's handiwork - it smelled pretty good and he already had the rice cooker going as well. Jack mumbled a hello and you could tell something was off. You raise an eyebrow at Aaron who mouths "Soccer" to you, peaking a glance backwards at Jack's head bent over his worksheets.

Aaron and you had decided to sign him up for soccer lessons, figuring it was a good age to get him into team sports and be a little more active in a structured setting. Apparently he wasn't taking it too well, though you couldn't fathom why.

You take a quick taste from the spatula that Aaron had been using to stir and add a little pinch of salt to the pan. He throws you a mock glare. "I was getting to it," he mutters, shooing you away.

You leave him to the cooking and go sit at the island by Jack. Grabbing a tangerine from the fruitbowl, you peel it and break off a piece. "Orange for your thoughts?" you ask Jack.

You can see him hesitate but he still reaches out for the small slice, putting his pencil down. "I don't want to do Soccer," he confesses, reaching for another piece. Aaron's back is turned and he appears to be bustling around the kitchen.

"What part of it do you not want to do?" You pop a piece of tangerine into your own mouth as well.

He seems to consider your question as he chews on another piece. "It seems messy and the other kids seem mean."

You and Aaron had taken Jack by the soccer field a couple of weeks ago and you realize he's referring to the mud covered kids all pushing one another. Jack was a sweet and sensitive kid and you could understand how that was maybe a stressful situation for him. But you also wanted him to give it a shot because it would be good to do some team activities - help him make some more friends and be more active.

"It does seem kind of messy," you agree. "But I don't think the other kids will be mean. You're good at making friends and as long as you're nice to them they'll be nice to you."

He thinks over your response and you know you can seal the deal. "If you don't like it after you give it a fair shot, then we can discuss. Is that okay?" Jack was a reasonable kid and you and Aaron tried to give him choices as much as possible.

"Okay, Y/N." Jack nods, grabbing the last piece of tangerine from your palm.

"You know," you lean in a bit to Jack, lowering your voice, "your family has a special history with soccer fields."

"We do?" He quirks an eyebrow at you and he looks so much like Aaron in that moment. The cheeks are all Haley but the expression is completely Aaron.

"Well, you know how your parents met, of course," you confirm with mock seriousness.

Jack smiles and nods. "Pirate #4"

You laugh, ruffling Jack's hair. Aaron had kept his word to Haley and he did his best to make her a part of Jack's life as much as you could. But you had a feeling this wasn't a story Jack knew yet. Jack had been obsessed with all of the Disney movies lately so you know he'd appreciate a good romance story.

"Yes, your parents met during the play. But your dad was quite the young soccer star when he was in high school." You look and see that Aaron is adding the finishing touches to dinner and undoubtedly listening in. Jack has turned fully to face you, bringing his chair a little bit closer to yours.

"Well, your mom started to go watch him practice and go to his games. After a game where your dad scored the winning goal," you pause as Jack hangs on every word, "they were hanging out on the field and your dad finally plucked up the courage and asked your mom to be his girlfriend."

"That's pretty cool, I guess." He smiles, turning to look at his dad. "But not as cool as Buttercup and Wesley. Can we watch The Princess Bride again after dinner?"

You and Aaron laugh as he nods and tells Jack to go get washed up for dinner. The three of you had already watched The Princess Bride a couple of times and Aaron insisted that Inigo Montoya looked exactly like his old boss, Gideon. He'd pulled up pictures to show you, but you just didn't see it. It was probably the longest argument the two of you had had in recent memory.

As Jack leaves, Aaron turns to look at you, his face identical to Jack's from earlier, eyebrow quirked just the same. You know he's wondering how you knew that story about him and Haley because it sure hadn't been from him.

"Jess and I bonded while you were gone," you explained with a small smile. "He should know your love story."

Aaron nods as you get up to get changed for dinner yourself. He adores that you go above and beyond to make sure that Jack feels connected to Haley. Sometimes, though, he worries that you end up minimizing your role in his and Jack's life in the process.

As far as Aaron was concerned, Jack got to be witness to his favorite love story.

*------------*

With the whole team at home base for the coming week, you and Aaron decided to host the long postponed dinner party that you had initially aimed to have as your relationship reveal party. Between the team jumping the gun on you and then all of the work and cases, it had gotten pushed back indefinitely. However, now seemed like the right time to do it. You'd planned it for the end of the week when both Henry and Jack were invited to a birthday sleepover and all of the adults had the next day off.

Emily, Derek, and Penelope were all bringing dates. Rossi was seeing Strauss but knew better than to invite her to a team thing. You still remembered worming that particular secret out of Aaron. You had known something was up when you'd happened to catch his face when Rossi told him. You'd been too far to actually hear what caused that face, so you'd brought it up later. In his defense, he'd valiantly tried to protect Rossi's secret, but you had your ways. When he'd finally given in and told you, you regretted having tried so hard to get it out of him. Rossi and Strauss. Just the thought of it made you shudder.

However, with that large of a group, you decided to get some outside help, though you'd still make dessert. You'd left for lunch to go meet with the caterer, taking Rossi along with you since he'd actually be helpful. Aaron was in some budget meetings through lunch anyways and you'd grabbed him a salad on the way back. You thanked Rossi for joining you and he took Aaron's food up with him as you turned to see Derek and Emily hanging out by her desk.

"Hey, so what'd Hotch mess up?" Derek asks as he sees you.

You're confused for a second as to what he means but then you catch sight of the large bouquet of flowers on your desk. Your heart stops. You recognize that arrangement - the ostentatious roses arranged artfully. You'd forgotten what day it was. After he missed last year, you'd thought he'd forgotten - that he'd moved past it finally. This was the first time they'd arrived at the office. Usually it was sent to your home so you could deal with it in private.

You approach your desk not bothering to look for a note. Quickly, you pick them up and place the bouquet in your trash can, in the hope that no one else would see them. Both Derek and Emily eye you curiously.

You have to make sure your voice will come out steadily before you speak. "They're not from Aaron."

You hope they'll just go back to their conversation as you sit down in your chair, your mind whirling. You'd have to deal with this situation. Him sending them to work was an obvious escalation and to what end, you couldn't be sure.

From the corner of your eye, you see Derek stand from his spot on Emily's desk. He walks towards you with purpose and before you can stop him, he's reached into the trash can and fished out the note.

"Matthew? He's sending you flowers?" His voice is low and he looks troubled, holding the note in his hands and taking a seat on your desk instead. Seemed like him and Emily had decided he'd deal with it, as she was conspicuously missing, leaving just you and Derek in the bullpen.

You sigh internally. It had been too much to hope that they would've just ignored it. "It's our anniversary," you explain, looking around and making sure there wasn't anyone else around. "He didn't take the break up well. Now he sends flowers every year to torture me - though usually he's tactful enough to send them to the house."

Your revelation does nothing to ease Derek's mind. If anything he looks even more worried now than before. "So he's escalating. Trying to get your attention."

"He's not going to actually do anything," you say, trying to sound reassuring. "I can handle it, Derek." You place a hand on his knee closest to you and look firmly up at him. The last thing you needed was for Derek to be all worried and nosey about the situation. Or worse, for him to tell… "Do not tell Aaron."

He looks at you as though you're stupid and you can tell he's going to argue with you, but you really don't want to bother Aaron with this. Not in the one week you guys have at home together. "I mean it, Derek. He has a thousand other things to worry about. My sociopath ex does not need to be one of them."

Derek frowns and you know he's racing through the thousand cases you guys have done on stalker exes and escalation. Luckily for you, Matthew was too lazy to actually stalk anyone. Unluckily, he still found the time to order you flowers to remind you that he'd once been a very large part of your life. You didn't even like roses. With a glance up to Hotch's office, Derek nods, knowing he won't be able to convince you otherwise right now. He drops the note back into the trash can as Emily returns and you all go back to pretending to work.

It's late afternoon when you hear Hotch calling your name from the upstairs landing. "Y/N, can you come up here please?"

You'd gotten very little done, your mind whirling with what to do about the Matthew situation. You just wanted it to be over. You briefly wonder if Aaron wants to talk about the meeting with the caterers or Jack's schedule for the following week when the two of you will both be away. You enter his office, closing the door behind you.

"Hey, what's going on?" You walk in and take a seat on his couch. The blinds facing the bullpen are closed, but the ones facing outside are open, casting a warm glow around the room. Curiously, he hasn't moved back to his desk and is standing in front of you, with a concerned look on his face.

"When were you going to tell me about the Matthew situation?" he asks, placing his left hand on his hip and looking every bit the part of SSA Aaron Hotchner instead of your boyfriend.

You let out a breath. You couldn't believe Derek had told him, after you'd specifically asked him not to. And now he had that furrowed brow and the concerned face and he has a deadline from Strauss on the new budget. This wasn't what he needed right now and you knew it would distract from everything else.

You grit your teeth and stand up, ignoring his voice, and open the door to his office to scan the bullpen until you catch sight of who you're looking for. "Agent Morgan," you call out, "could you please join us up here?"

Derek looks up at you before he quickly walks upstairs and enters Hotch's office. He goes and stands by Hotch while you close the door once again, undoubtedly knowing what this was about. The two of them made quite the image - frowns marring both of their faces though Aaron's was less pronounced. I knew moisturizing was a good call.

Squaring your shoulders, you cross your arms across your chest, facing the two of them. "Figured it was more efficient to just talk to you both together. Save you the trouble of finding each other afterwards," you say, your tone hinting at how annoyed you were. Not that either one of them had the decency to look ashamed. If anything they looked defiant.

Aaron started to speak but you cut him off.

"You two need to realize that I can handle my own problems. If I say Matthew isn't an issue, trust me. If I say I have it handled, believe me that I do."

"No." You expected that, but not from Derek. Maybe from Aaron, but not from Derek.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, no. Not with our jobs. Not knowing what we do. I'll tell Hotch, I'll tell the whole team. The more people on the lookout the better."

"I -"

"Morgan's right. So, let's figure out what to do."

"There's nothing to do. He sent flowers, not a bomb. Leave it alone. If the worst thing he does is send me flowers once a year - well people have dealt with worse. You're both overreacting."

"You expect us to do nothing? What about when he escalates?"

"He won't!"

"You can't possibly know that." His entire demeanor is stiff and tense and he's aggravated with you for not taking this as seriously as he is.

"I was with him for four years, Aaron. Trust me. I know him. He has nothing to gain from an escalation and everything to lose. He's married, he doesn't exactly want me back. He just hates that I dumped him and once a year he remembers that and gets pissed off and drunk and in his own passive aggressive way, chooses to do this. It's not worth any of us wasting a second more of our time on!"

Derek looks like he'd rather be anywhere but standing in the middle of the two of you at that moment.

Aaron breathes out slowly before he speaks, as though if he takes a moment it'll prevent him from shaking you into seeing it his way. "I still would like for the team to be on alert. Just in case." It would appear he'd decided on the reasonable approach.

You groan, but know that's the best you're about to get. At your nod, Aaron and Derek exchange a look before Derek moves to leave the room.

"Hey," you stop him as his hand touches the doorknob. "Next time I ask you to not tell my crazy, overprotective boyfriend something. Just don't."

He grimly shakes his head at you. "No promises."

You narrow your eyes at him. The two of you will be discussing this later.

Turning away from you, he nods at Hotch before opening the door and closing it behind him.

Aaron sighs before sitting down on the couch next to you. "Why wouldn't you just tell me?" he asks, as though he's afraid of the answer.

You know he's genuinely worried about you and grasping at the implication of you not telling him about this. You reach across the couch cushion and grab his hand, squeezing it. His fingers intertwine with yours instantly.  

"Aaron, if I thought - for even a second- that this was some sort of actual threat, you'd be the first person I'd tell."

Which was the truth. If there was any chance that Matthew was a threat to Aaron or Jack, you'd have told him immediately. As it stood, however, your ex boyfriend was nothing more than a coward who got off on his little annual psychological warfare.

He nods, his mouth a straight line.

You spend a few more minutes in his office reassuring him properly (How convenient that the blinds were already shut), before leaving him to finish up the rest of his work.

*------------*

Derek watches from the bullpen as you exit Hotch's office, not a hair out of place, though he could imagine that hadn't been the case a minute earlier. He sees your eyes dart around furtively before making a quick phone call. You say barely two words before hanging up.

*------------*

Ricky Costello had the self-assured charm of a boy who had never questioned his place in life. He'd grown up scrawny and had to learn how to fight and stand up for himself. As he'd grown older and filled out some, people knew better than to pick on him or anyone he was friends with. He was loyal, headstrong, and the smartest of the family - which is why his father had pulled some strings and gotten him into a good school where he could learn something and be of some use to the family.

You'd met Ricky in your accounting class when he'd tried to partner with you for a project, thinking you'd do all the work for him. He'd had to rethink that strategy when you'd shown up at his dorm room, pretended to be his girlfriend to get rid of his flavor of the week, and then promised to continue ruining his chances with every gullible freshman unless he did his share of the work. Needless to say, the two of you had the best project in the class.

You arrived at the bar he'd texted you the address to. It was in a quiet street just off central downtown and at six in the evening, there were only commuters headed back home. No one paid much attention to you as you quickly looked around before entering.

The place was mostly empty save for an older couple seated at a table in the corner. You see Ricky seated at the bar and you make your way towards him. Feeling someone approach, he turns around, a grin breaking out on his face when he sees you.

"Hi Doll," he stands and wraps you in a hug that lifts you off the ground and elicits a small squeal of surprise.

"Hi Ricky." Your face lights up at the sight of him. It had been a while.

He indicates to the bartender for another round, before guiding you to a small table at the other corner of the bar. He pulls out a chair for you as the bartender sets down two glasses of scotch.

"Cheers," he says, lifting his glass and clinking it with yours. "To seeing old friends."

"Cheers," you smile, taking a sip, your eyes studying him. He looked older, the beginnings of grey could be seen near his temples. His leather jacket hugged him just right and he'd grown out his usual stubble into a full, well-kept beard. His smile was still very much him - a little cocky and every bit as affectionate as you remembered it.

The two of you drink for a while as he catches you up on all the drama your old group had gone through recently - the weddings, the breakups, the kids. It was odd to have missed out on all of it.

"So, tell me, why'd you really call?" he asks, leaning back in his chair, his hand playing with the rim of his glass.

You take a breath, mimicking his posture. "Matthew is planning on running for Congress."

He takes in your pursed lips and the tenseness of your shoulders. "I heard," he says slowly, deliberately. "Been meaning to pay him a visit. Congratulate him."

"Congratulate him for me too."

The quirk of his lips tells you he knows why you're telling him this. There was no love lost between Matthew and Ricky. If they were in the same room they were bound to get into it. You'd done your best to keep them sequestered in different parts of your life - however some events were inevitably meant for larger groups.

He nods with a soft laugh, before indicating to the bartender for a second round, which is delivered promptly.

"You should come back, Y/N. Give up the straight laced thing. The crew, we miss you, doll." His voice is earnest and for a moment you see the hint of the boy who'd confided all his secrets to you during study sessions that had bled into the early morning hours.

You smile, and your voice catches ever so slightly. "I've met someone - and well, he's pretty much as straight laced as they come."

Ricky laughs at that and you know he's just a little surprised. "What's his name?"

"Aaron." His name feels right at home in your mouth.

"Nice Catholic boy?" His face is one of boyish teasing.

"I always did have a thing for those," you joke. And you know, you know Ricky will take that in the friendly manner that it was meant.

The two of you wrap up and Ricky closes out the tab before walking you back to your car. As you're about to pull out of the parking spot, he leans into your window, placing the lightest of kisses to your cheek.

"Tell your boy Aaron, he's the luckiest guy in the world."

*------------*

You hear the front door open and close as Aaron arrives, having dropped Jack off at the birthday party sleepover he was invited. You'd spent the day making sure you'd made enough tiramisu for all the guests while both Jack and Aaron snuck bites of it when your back was turned.

You've just finished dusting off the final pan with cocoa powder, when you feel Aaron's arms circle your waist from behind. You have to slap his hand away as it makes its way into the dessert. Him and Jack had polished off half a pan that morning and at this rate, you'd have none left for the actual guests.

"You can't eat all of the dessert before the guests get here. At this rate, you're pretty much cut off from it entirely. I don't think I can make it again if you and Jack are going to be like this," you scold, turning and poking at his stomach.

He doesn't have the decency to look even a little embarrassed. He just smiles and shrugs, his arms encircling your waist again. "I'll just have to find something else to eat instead, I guess."

His words send a spike of heat and desire through you. The two of you had been making the most of being home at the same time and every night had ended with him between your legs - one way or another.

Shaking your head, you escape his hold and move to clear the island for the caterers. He was relentless, however.

"You expect to wear this and have me keep my hands to myself?" His voice is a deep rumble behind you as his arms cage you against the island countertop and his mouth finds your pulse point. He's referring to the off shoulder dress you'd changed into while he'd been gone, highlighting your collarbone magnificently. It flared out from the waist, making you look like the epitome of the perfect housewife you had once been destined to become.

"I'd hoped you'd at least wait till the end of the night," you retort. His arms are warm and his chest firm behind you and you really didn't have it in you to push him away again. You were pretty helpless against him.

"I always like to get a head start." You can hear the humor in his voice as he pushes you against the counter a little more firmly, his arms coming from around you to clear the space right in front.

"Aaron." His name escapes you with a soft sigh as he plants warm kisses along your neck down to your exposed shoulders. He sweeps your hair to the front, lips traveling down your spine as his hands move underneath your dress, finding the waistband of your underwear and then slipping inside to find you wet, warm, and waiting for him.

He lets out a groan at the feel of you and can't help but grind himself against you. He knows he's working against the clock and is surprised you've let him get this far.

You let out a sharp gasp as his thumb presses against your clit and he inserts two fingers deep within you. He had the art of getting you to come, down to a near science. He quickly pumps his fingers in and out, his thumb rubbing your clit in repeated circles. With his other hand he brings your head around and captures your lips. The press of his lips against yours is a feeling you'll never tire of you.

You come embarrassingly quick, fluttering around his fingers, your back arched and your ass grinding into his hard length behind you. He turns you around, his mouth hot and needy against yours. When you pull away, his eyes are blown wide and there's a sheen of sweat on his forehead from the exertion of keeping himself from simply plowing into you.

You make quick work of his belt buckle and help him work his jeans and underwear down, eager to have him in you. With one eye on the clock behind you, he hoists you up to the countertop, placing you on the edge, and enters you swiftly, eliciting a loud groan from you.

"Fuck, sweetheart. Always so ready for me. Always tight…wet." His voice is rough and low and makes the coil in your stomach tighter and your breath come out harsher. He moves efficiently, his head tucked into the crook of your neck and his arms working to keep you balanced on the edge.

His breath is warm against your neck, and he's panting and leave wet open kisses to any skin available to him. Your fingers dig into his shoulders, holding on for dear life as he thrusts into you. You're close and you know he is too based on how irregular his movement is becoming.

You remove one hand from his shoulder, pulling on his hair to move his head enough to reach his mouth in a lazy kiss. He groans into your mouth as he comes, drawing your orgasm out right after, causing you to tremble against him.

As you come down, you're entirely slumped against his chest and he's moved you to sit more firmly on the island. You know you look nowhere near as presentable as you did fifteen minutes prior, but you're finding it hard to be too upset about it.

Still, you can't help but be a little bratty about it. "I'm going to have to redo my makeup," you whine against him.

Laughing breathlessly, he picks you up to carry you upstairs. It was a wonder he had the strength to do that right after. You could barely stand up when he deposited you outside the shower.

The two of you work quickly to get cleaned up and Aaron is the one to let the caterers in as you redo your hair and makeup. You fish out another dress - one with sleeves and a higher neckline. You couldn't afford to be pulled into the coat closet with people around.

*------------*

An hour and a half later, the party is in full swing. Emily had brought Henry Eastwood - Senator Williams's Chief of Staff. The two of you had run into him while out shopping a few weeks back and having recognized you, had come up to say hello. You had a feeling that had Emily not been with you, he would've entirely ignored some girl his boss had dated for a few weeks a year or so ago. However, you couldn't deny that they made a handsome couple.

Penelope had brought Elliot - the two of them had really hit it off and you were happy to see her smiling and laughing with someone. You'd given in and allowed Rossi to bring Strauss and you were pleasantly surprised to see her being on her best behavior around Aaron. Derek had brought Savannah and they were talking to JJ and Will.

You walked to the kitchen to open up another bottle of wine and refill everyone's glasses. It seemed Savannah had followed you, empty glass in hand. Laughing, you top off her glass with the almost empty bottle in hand, before opening the next one.

"Thanks for having everyone over," she says, taking a drink from her glass.

"Of course. Aaron and I honestly meant to do this ages ago, but work got away from us."

You have a feeling Savannah wants to talk to you about something else, however, so you don't say much more, trying to give her the chance to speak up.

She looks around a little nervously, but seems to make up her mind. "You're different for Derek, you know. Different from Emily and Penelope. He's very protective of you."

"I'm protective of him too," you respond softly. You know what she means however. You and Derek had gone through the worst thing in the world together and only came out the other end because of one other.

"Savannah, you have nothing to worry about," you reassure her, knowing that's what she really needed at the moment. Her and Derek hadn't had much time together lately and you could understand feeling insecure. "Derek loves you and you're good for him. You challenge him and you're the first girl I've seen him be so head over heels for."

She smiles and you know that helped a bit. "Thanks."

The two of you each grab a bottle and head back to the main living room. As you pour more wine into Dave's glass, you catch Aaron's eye and you feel warmth pooling in your stomach, the promise of a good night ahead of you. You walk around the room and top off everyone, making sure there's enough appetizers still out.

Derek offers to help you carry back the empty platters and follows you into the kitchen. "So, I heard something interesting today," he says, placing the platters on the counter.

You hum, as you grab more of the stuffed mushrooms from the warmer and arrange them on the empty platter.

"Cops responded to a call about a break in in New Hampshire, placed by someone's neighbor," he pauses and he knows you're listening. "When they get there, guy living in the house was obviously beat up, but his wife seemed alright. Just a little shaken up. Funny thing is - dude refused to press charges, even though cops could tell that the house had been broken into."

Your posture has gotten incredibly stiff as he spoke. He knows. You don't say anything, simply look at him apprehensively.

"Tell me," he continues, "what's the Italian mob's going rate to put the fear of God in someone?"

You take a breath, before meeting his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't. Probably get the friends and family discount," he trails off, grabbing the platter and walking out of the kitchen.

Crap. He really did know. He knew about Ricky. Which meant he'd probably gotten Penelope involved as well.

Quickly composing yourself, you carry the other platter out, joining him by the appetizer table.

"Derek - "

"Don't worry. Garcia won't say anything."

You look at him, and you know he won't either.

"Thank you."

He nods, popping another mushroom in his mouth and smiling at you. He wouldn't be doubting you again when you said you had something under control.

He wouldn't tell anyone. When Hotch asks him later about the Matthew situation, all he'd say was that it was handled. Hotch would pause, look at him, but then trust Morgan to know that it was really handled.

[ezraeuropium]

SAINT BERNARD [𝙴𝙿𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙳𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙴 — ❝𝙷𝙰𝚆𝙺𝚂❞] (one-shot series)

ACCESS MASTERLIST [HERE] 

note before you read; this is basically a compilation series of one-shots that i’ll write. some requests will be from wattpad as well as here. there will be no one-shot that end up into two-shots, etc (those will be posted outside of this series). requests are open [0/10] slot are currently taken up (meaning there open), so feel free to request a character. i do have a list of prompts on my profile if you cannot think of any. i also write in second person / gender neutral reader to include everyone! enjoy!

word count: 2001 warnings: hawks commits cannibalism. 

[NAME] MARRIED AN IDIOT.

it became crystal clear as they stood on the street, watching their husband bounce up and down in undeniable excitement. the two were supposed to be patrolling through their assigned district, but hawks had become distracted by one thing — chicken nuggets. one of the men that lived in the area had a different meat every day of the week, and today had been chicken nugget day.

and hawks insisted to stop.

usually [NAME] avoided going on patrol with hawks. it proved to be distracting and a liability. however, this was the rare chance that they were ever assigned the same area as their husband — they could count how many times they patrolled with one hand.

"hawks," [NAME] stressed, their eyebrow twitching in slight annoyance. "we're supposed to be working!"

their husband turned to them with a playful pout, and a mischievous look dancing in his eyes. "oh, it's just a few minutes, sweetheart!"

"it's cannibalism," they retorted, crossing their arms over their chest. "you're eating a fellow bird, and people need help." one thing [NAME] was not going to do was fall into the man's charm. "or maybe the chickens need help since it seems that's all you seem to eat."

hawks grinned, "one, it's not cannibalism unless you make it cannibalism. two, you diet does not only consist of chicken— you're on it." the blond-haired man sent a went their way.

[NAME] tried not to gang. years ago, his ridiculous flirting might have worked on them, but now it was so common it was disgusting (even though sometimes hawks had his moments). now, however, was not a good moment for their husband to reference their sex life. any other time would have been fine, but they were on the clock, and [NAME] was ready to drag the man away from the shitty meat stand. hawks could get chicken nuggets from wacdonald's on the way back home.

"i'm making it cannibalism," they pushed once more. "come on. i'm tired and do not want to deal with your childish bullshit right now."

to anyone else, this might have seemed harsh. hawks had known [NAME] since middle school, however, and knew that they were a serious person, at least when it came to work. if work wasn't in the way, [NAME] easily reminded hawks of one particular yuuei student — kaminari denki. hawks knew that his lover was one of the biggest idiots he knew, maybe more so than himself. [NAME] had — somehow — managed to light a banana on fire during breakfast one morning, and claimed that it was magic (same person did not have a fire quirk). it was easy for hawks not to take most of what his lover said to heart. he was glad that they were at least serious about being a hero.

"go work then," hawks smiled, bumping his hip playfully against theirs. "you don't need to babysit me."

[EYE COLOR] eyes stared at hawks for a solid minute before a hum of acknowledgment left [NAME]. it was true, they didn't have to babysit hawks, but rather, they didn't want to leave him for their own well-being. having an offensive quirk was not something they were lucky to have. instead, [NAME] had a defensive quirk and they worked better when paired off with someone. the quirk was called hack. it allowed [NAME] to worm themselves into anything electronic. they could see every security camera in the city with the blink of their eyes, or rather, messing with the wavelengths that they could see in the air. bigger cities in japan always held a lot of wavelengths, and luckily for [NAME], they managed to successfully prevent having a headache with activating their quirk and seeing the instant flash of different color wavelengths. it did make them sick to the stomach after a while of activation.  

"don't get distracted," [NAME] reminded their husband. they leaned forward, giving the man a rare — for work — kiss on the cheek. hawks sent them a blistering white smile, and [NAME] could remember being weak for it when they were both scouted for personal hero educations. times had been hard then, especially when [NAME] started becoming interested in things that shouldn't have been important. romance was one thing they shouldn't have been focused on, and it wasn't. at least, not until they read some american woman's magazine and it sparked curiosity in their mind. it was a day of instant regret and resolution.

turning away from hawks, [NAME] made their way down the street, watching as the world around them moved in peace. peace was such a fragile word, especially when chaos could erupt at any second, or if one's mind wondered to what was happened else where in the world, then things were never at peace. the false ideology made them force a smile on their face, or at least while they were doing work. all might did things with a smile, so that was what [NAME] was going to do.

there was a small cry, and [NAME] turned their head to look for the sound. a frown was on staining their [SKIN COLOR] face, and they made their way towards the noise; the cries grew louder with every step. children were something that [NAME] did not specialize in, even if they dealt with children on a regular basis. children were so small and easy to damage, and the fear of seeing one hurt never sat well with them. so, seeing a small child sitting in the corner of a street, tucked in a ball with a pair of elegant white wings protecting them, made [NAME] worried.

walking up to the child, the pro-hero knelt down beside the kid. [NAME] put a soft, comforting smile on their face before they spoke up, careful not to scare the child. "hey, sweetie. i'm the pro-hero anon," they introduced. the child startled slightly, peaking her head out from the wings, staring at [NAME] with watery eyes. "do you know where your guardian is?" the hero pushed gently. [NAME] was careful not to say parents. there were several children who's parents have passed or abandoned them, and it was easier to use guardian as it didn't hold tight bonds, but enough so the child was in the care of another.

"nah. . . no," the smaller girl mumbled. "mama was with me, but. . . but now she's not!"

[NAME] gave a nodding of understanding. it was common for children to be separated from their guardians — sad to say. bigger cities meant bigger population, which caused a bit of discord on the streets that never seemed to stop moving. "well, how about we go find her? i'm sure she's looking for you too! you're her little angel after all, yeah?"

"mama calls me that! how'd you know!" the girl said, brightening up. [NAME] nearly laughed, amused. children were easily distracted, but the pro-hero was just glad to have the girl to stop crying. if there had been any more tears, well, [NAME] wouldn't have known what to do. as a child, [NAME] had been a bit of an overly sensitive child, but somehow, learning to care for others and their own tears was lost.

"it was a lucky guess!" really, it would have been a surprise if no one say the girl as a tiny angel. she had small wings that would grow as she did. her hair was in bouncy brown curls, and her eyes were glistening with a wet universe. the girl would breathtaking when she was older, and [NAME] wondered what greatness was in store for the small girl.

[NAME] opened up their arms for the girl to come to them. it would be easier to walk around holding the child, especially since the child would spot her mother easily if she was in [NAME]'s arms. the girl hesitated for a moment, and the pro-hero was about to put their arms down. they weren't going to make the child uncomfortable. [NAME] might have been a hero, but to the child, they were nothing but a stranger. however, the child had founder herself in the pro-hero's arms. carefully, [NAME] stood up, adjusting the tiny angel to their hip.

"can you see?"

"mhm! you're tall like mama!" so, the child's mom was tall, that helped a little bit. the woman would be around [NAME]'s height, if the child indicated a hint towards her mother's height, even if it was unintentional.

[NAME] looked through the crowd of people, before their gaze fell on the girl. "what does mama look like?"

the girl's nose scrunched up. "she's really, really pretty! she's got blond hair like a pom pom! and, and she had big black wings! mama said i got uncle's wings! they're big and white too!"

that. . . that made things a lot more easier than [NAME] thought. the large black wings helped clue her in. there weren't many people who had bird like quirks. [NAME] had only know hawks and tokoyami to have one, but that was personally. besides that, it was always people in passing, and there weren't a lot.

"wow, you're mama sounds amazing! just like you!" [NAME] cooed, their [EYE COLOR] orbs scanning the crowd. their teeth nibbled on their lower lip, before a small sequel escaped the child. "anon! anon! there's mama! she's with a man with wings, but their red! i want red wings!"

[NAME] turned around and snorted. there was a small panicked look on hawks face, but that was because the girl's mom look like since was in hysterics, which was not funny. they weaved their way through the people, [NAME] making sure to have a good grip on the girl.

"um, ma'am! is this your daughter?" the pro-hero exclaimed as they closed in on hawks and the woman. [NAME] didn't bother to take note of the to-go box in hawks hand, which was no doubt filled with chicken nuggets.

the woman let out a cry of relief. "yes! oh, adami, my little angel!"

the girl wiggled in [NAME]'s arms, and they didn't waste a moment by handing the child to her mother. the woman looked toward's name with a glossy eyed smile and thanked them. [NAME] simply waved it off, saying it was only natural that they'd help.

hawks watched the interaction for a moment before silently moving on with his lover. "i didn't know you were so good with kids."

[NAME] let out a laugh, rolling their eyes. they pulled their phone out checking the time. they had enough time to go clock out, even if hawks wasted part of this shift on chicken nuggets. "i'm not any good with them."

"so, you don't want any?"

there was a pregnant pause, and [NAME] looked at their husband. "do you?"

hawks gave a shrug, a small smile on his face. "i wouldn't mind one."

[NAME] frowned. there was one thing they couldn't do and that was produced a child. they were infertile and deleted all options of even having a child with their dna in it. "you know i can't, even if i wouldn't mind."

"[NAME]. . . we can always adopt, and it doesn't have to be now. it can be in a week, a year, or even a decade, or never. i'll stand by your choice."

their throat felt dry, and they reached to hold hawks hand. "keigo — I want to have a family, but — soon, i promise." hawks — no, keigo — leaned over and kissed his lover on the forehead, and [NAME] knew they had all the time in the world, and the ring on their finger was enough to prove that. if only keigo would stop eating his own species that is.

[thecardsimagine]

The Tale of the Fog Village

Summary: Venturing out of your foggy village, all you wanted was to save everyone from the looming threat that cowered in the forest. No one could have known what you would encounter in your quest to achieve that, how much you’d gain, and what you would lose. Not you. Not him.

Pairing: Lucio x Reader (Nonbinary) Rating: Mature because of swearing and suggestive content Warning: Blood, Death Genre: Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Action, Alternate Universe

Back to the Prologue / [Read on Ao3] / Next Chapter

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a/n: Yay, first chapter! I hope you all like it, let me know what you think! I try to keep it as mysterious as possible :P ____________________________

Chapter 1 - Adventures in the Green

Humming your old lullaby, you let your fingers glide through the thick bushes all around you. You weren’t scared of getting stung by a thorn or waking up some insects that could jump you. In fact, you weren’t scared at all.

The forest was idyllic if anything. You had expected a lot more than the fresh air, the vivid greenery around you, and the colorful flowers that peaked out every now and then on your path. If what your elders had always told you had been right, then you would have encountered hoards of monsters and wolves already, chasing you off steep cliffs and into deep, dark blue rivers. But there was none of it. An occasional deer roaming about, rocks you stumbled over the first time but not the second, and mellow streams of water, thick as your finger at best, popping up every now and then.

Though one thing was true. Just like they had always told you, the path you were on was uneven and overgrown by vines and moss. Only ever vague patches of dirt showed you, you were even still following it, not an easy task for someone who had no idea about how to keep track in a forest. But you did your best, that was all that counted after all. Fact was, no one had used this path in a long time, and if you remembered correctly, you had never encountered someone coming from the forest either, so it made a lot of sense. But once, there must have been people passing through here, you figured. Even if it was a long time ago.

Only after a few hours into your adventure, you finally noticed something strange. While your village was always clouded in some variation of fog, and you had seen the gray rise before you entered the forest too, right now, there was nothing like that to be found. Through the gaps in the tree crowns, you made out a tender blue sky, rays of light shining down on your path. Wind graced through the lush green leaves of the plants all around you, and through your hair, kissing the back of your neck. Funnily, it was more strange to you that there was no fog in the forest than having never lived a day in a sunny village. Alas, it was something you noticed, not minded.

All your life you had spent in the village, between old people and the ones born in the same year as you. Not all your friends had always stayed ‘friends’ but you still hung around them a whole lot. A necessity, considering the rites of your village. All the days you had spent back at home had been mostly the same, with the occasional conflict in it, but overall dull and gray like the ever so prominent fog. Somehow vividly, you remembered the days when your dad had still resided with you and your mom. He had taught you how to plant seeds and draw a bow. How to fend off annoying people and so much more useful things that made your life a little better. Those were good days, really. You missed them all the time. After that… everything turned more and more indifferent to you.

Taking a deep breath, you banished these thoughts, halting in your step to feel the air fill your lungs. Your eyes wandered, getting stuck on a pop of color on the ground. Leaning down, you picked up the orange flower in your path. It was probably the closest to a warm color you had seen in years, and you cherished the sight of it greatly. Carefully, you tucked it into the outer pocket of your cloak, letting the head stick out from it before continuing on your way. Merrily, you stepped ahead, expectations and anticipation of what to come fueling you more than the bad thoughts could hold you back.

By the time that midday hung over your head, you had managed to climb a rocky hill, testing your agility in a way you had only by jumping over fences before. Of course, you couldn’t have expected something as climbing rocks on your way, but it had still thrown you off your track at first to find the path going up there. You wished yourself back to your school days, where you had preferred to set out sporty activities instead of participating. Because now that the feeling of instant soreness fell upon you, you were sure that doing jumping jacks would have improved your agility better than reading fairytale books in the classroom all by yourself.

But it wasn’t the worst you had done so far, you decided. Bringing you out of breath, yes, but since you could still feel all your fingertips - with which you had held on hard to the stones to pull you up - and only had one scratch below your knee from an inconsiderate step, you counted that as a success. Taking deep breaths, you noticed one of the small streams hidden under the thicket, but next to the path you needed to continue on. Stumbling a little, you approached it, reaching into the cold wet and washed your hands which felt chalky after your climb. Cautiously, you washed out your scratch too, finding it not to be as painful as it probably could have been if it had been deeper. After using the water to wash your hands once again, you got up, feeling even a little refreshed now with the cool lingering.

Giving yourself an encouraging pat on the shoulder, you looked around, trying to find another patch of dirt that would indicate where your path was going. But before you could find the brown soil, your eyes got stuck on something different. Something you found as mesmerizing as you found it dangerous. Brushing aside the bushes in your way, you approached it, the wind swaying the grass around it peacefully. Of course, the forest would not be bothered by its appearance, and neither should you, but to say it fascinated you was an understatement.

Sinking down into the green grass directly next to it, you gave it a cautious look-over. Some part of you expected something to happen, but that wasn’t really the case, even when you released the pent up breath, you had held in before. How often had you read about them? The fairy circles. You didn’t dare to touch it, but in an airline, you drew the shape of the ring, finding it to be perfectly round to your eye. The white and brown-speckled mushrooms seemed undisturbed by your presence, doing whatever mushrooms were doing all day long. Not much in the human eye, to say the least.

Leaning back, you brushed aside the cloak and opened your bag, pulling on the loaf of bread until you held on to a ripped-off piece of it. Even though you had read so much about them, you weren’t sure how to approach the whole situation. You shouldn’t step or touch the circle, that much you were sure off. But if this was real - fairies especially - then you wouldn’t want to anger them with your lingering around either. Holding the bread up over the circle, you let it fall into the middle of it, relieved when it didn’t jump out again, but instead stayed inside and out of reach for you now.

Unsure about what do you, you laid your hands flat on your thighs, closing your eyes for a moment and asked for the fairies protection on your way through the forest quietly. That they may not hunt your or take you from this world, that’s what you were praying for in a silent mumble. With a small chill creeping up your back, you got up, feeling as if this was your sign to leave. You didn’t want to overstay your welcome after all or think about too many bad things that could happen. There had been too many fairytale books in your life, for you not feeling a little bit concerned. So instead, you promised to be more careful on your way onward. You wouldn’t want to disturb any other circle that may cross your path.

From then on, your path continued uphill. Steadily, not as abrupt as with the rocks to climb over, but continuously upwards. If you hadn’t known this was a forest, you would have said it’s actually a mountain, and if you thought the hill up to the forest was tiring, then you had yet to find a word to describe how you felt after minutes of tracking up the path. Going back would be more fun, you decided, barely able to hold back your excitement when you thought about racing back home after accomplishing what you were out to do in this forest.

When you reached a more even ground again, your legs felt incredibly wobbly. Maybe having lived in a town all your life and never venturing out to get used to hiking was what took its toll on you now, but you only patted your thighs and moved on regardless of the exhaustion in your body. You would prove yourself to not be useless like you were commonly called between the folks back home, even if it was straining. Walking up a hill was only the start of your rise to greatness, and you’d show that to everyone who ever doubted you earlier in your life. Even more so, you were going to show it to yourself.

With that, you continued onwards, the hidden path before you worming its way through the thicket, passing by tall trees and fluffy-looking bushes, flowers tugged in between the vines and clover on the ground, moss making the ground beneath you soft to walk upon. Even after all these hours walking, the forest seemed to bloom more and more the further you got. There was no sign of malice or anything really scary which you had anticipated, and with your newly won confidence, you felt better and better, the farther away you were from your foggy village.

With vegetation so thick all around you, you couldn’t have expected to come across a clearance so soon. In fact, you had expected it, but even deeper in the woods than you already were. It felt strange that suddenly, there was nothing around, just and open space to enter on your path. And when you stepped foot out into the area with the blue sky opening up above it, you were immediately hit with an ominous feeling. It was strong enough that under normal circumstance, it would have made you turn back and run, but no that day. You couldn’t allow yourself that luxury today.

Crisp, burnt leaves made an unpleasant crinkling sound as your weight smashed them under your feet. The air seemed to hang tighter around here, even though there was nothing separating the earth from the sky like the crowns of the trees before. Subconsciously, you hugged one arm around your own body, the other pulling the cloak a little tighter as you continued onwards. You gave each shoulder a look over as if you feared that something might just jump out from the way you came and attack you. Unnerved, your head bounced side to side, scanning the area that just didn’t seem right at all.

The whole clearance was burnt black, there was no green popping out from under the ashes either. Around you, you could feel no hints of heat, making you even more suspicious. Everything seemed like it had recently caught fire, but at the same time, it seemed like this was a battlefield in history. Especially, how could it? In an empty forest, far from civilization? Maybe when a lightning bolt struck something, it could have caught fire, but how come it seemed to stop so perfectly at the border of forest and clearance? None of it seemed natural, only adding to the confusion building up in the back of your mind.

You shouldn’t linger too long, you decided. With your head low as if you needed to avoid eye contact with something, you moved onwards, hoping to pass through quickly and get back on your designated path. But even though you were careful and your steps quick, you soon enough found yourself stumbling over a root sticking up from the ground, just as black as the rest of it was. With a small yelp, you tumbled down, catching yourself with your knees and the palms of your hands, feeling the pain from the concussion rattling throughout your body. Quickly, and with a mild panic rising inside of you, you cleaned your hands on your pants and got back to your feet. You really did not want to linger.

But your path was once again obstructed, and you had to stretch your neck to see the tree rising in front of you. Strangely enough, you hadn’t noticed it before, it’s ashen color fitting in into the scenery perfectly. As if the root had deliberately settled you in front of it, it seemed to loom over you, its long, burnt branches reaching out like a multitude of arms. As if it was trying to reach the other trees in a desperate attempt for help. It made you almost sad to imagine that.

The trunk was wide, almost twice your own width, but from its glorious brown days was barely any spots left. Everything was black and ashen, less beautiful than anything you had seen on your journey up till now. No leaves on its branches, no insects working through its bark. It seemed as lonely and forgotten as a tree in a clearance could be. Unable to reconnect with its kin on this vegetation-free space.

Absentmindedly, you reached up, brushing along the lines of the trunk, feeling how the crisp bark crumbled away under your touch. Something about it made you feel so endlessly sorry for it, as it felt cold and dead against your skin. You felt the rills of the bark clearly on your fingertips, but even more so, something else caught your attention. Stepping closer, you tried to make out the strange carvings that only got clearer as you inspected them closer. Hundreds over hundreds must have once decorated this tree, reaching from as high up as you could see, to the roots that slowly crawled under the ground.

But they were indecipherable.

If you could have even read them in the first place, they couldn’t be read now that this tree had found its end. Even if you tried to drive along them, see if you could make them out from feeling the way they winded themselves over the bark, all that happened was that they turned into dust, falling to the ground and getting blown away by the wind.

You could watch your hand turn black from touching the charcoal, and you took a step back, glancing the tree over one last time. Feeling like you were missing a big part of the history of this place, you heaved a heavy sigh, quietly telling the tree farewell before stepping around it. Strangely enough, it felt wrong to leave it behind, just like leaving behind someone in need of help. But even if it was dead, it was nothing to be sad about, right? One day grass would bloom again under the burnt ground, and then everything would pick up again. The moss, the vines, the flowers and lastly, the trees. Surely, that was what was going to happen. Right?

For a long time, your thoughts lingered on the burnt clearance as you tried to follow the patches of the path that showed itself before you again. It was hard to get it out of your mind, having never seen something burn down so wholly and precisely before. Of course, back in the village, you had often cleaned out the fireplace, but still, you found it hard to make any connections between the two places, even if they were similar.

Before long, you found yourself deeper and deeper in the forest. The trees grew denser now, and they seemed to get taller and taller the further you ventured. Soon, you had to not only be cautious around the vines on the ground, but also climb ever-growing roots of the massive trees which stuck out in loops from the forest ground, and jump streams that seemed to grow bigger and bigger with every you encountered.

Even the animals seemed to develop as you ventured forth. Bird noises picked up, and you encountered mice and ravens on your way, which looked curiously at you when they noticed your presence. The whole scenery changed as much as it stayed the same, and for the first time, you felt lost. If not for the path that you could still recognize beneath everything, it would have been the point you had to admit defeat and turn back. Additionally, it grew darker around you, time moving forwards just like you. For the first time, you wished yourself back in your bed, warm and free of all the problematic fears that seemed to rise with the change to dusk on the sky. It were all fears stemming from the thoughts you had tried to hold back the whole day already.

But one fact was clearer than ever to you: Your foggy, cowardly town was under attack.

And no one did anything.

Since a good week now, everyone knew and had heard about the strange buildings that seemed to have risen from the ground somewhere in the forest. Parents shushed their kids not to talk about it, and the elders denied their existence, but everyone knew they were there. It was a threat looming over the veiled village, yet, not one had ventured out to explore or gain information. No one had even seen them, but somehow, everyone believed in their existence.

The village elders did their best to keep the curious ones under control, that much was clear. And their words were what counted to everyone, more than the danger that seemed to approach all of you. You couldn’t understand how no one felt the need to go and do something, together, you all would have been able to put a stop to this menace. But whenever you brought it up, everyone shook their head and walked away. Cowardly, how you found.

But it was different for you. Though you had never left the village before, you knew that the rumors where true. You felt it in you, and you believed it was true. How could you have sat back and just let it be like all the other’s did? But still, some doubts lingered after all, even in you. Would you be able to stand your ground if you encountered the buildings and maybe other people guarding them? What about monsters? Would you even find what you were searching for if you continued merrily on your way?

Swallowing, you made a big step over a stray rock on the ground, feeling yourself sink into the moss that pathed your way. Walking felt incredibly exhausting by now as if your body was telling you to stop and reconsider. But you couldn’t, you had come so far. Even if you were trapped by your own determination, you could not bring it over you to turn and go back, there was too much to lose.

All your life you had been shunned and talked about, for something you had no influence over. You had always been the useless child since your father left. But you wouldn’t anymore. Once you would bring them some information on these strange buildings or maybe even free the town from their threat, you’d rise above the uselessness, celebrated as the hero of your town. You’d live a better life, knowing you didn’t sit back and watch danger approach all the people you loved. Your mom, your siblings, they’d all be save, thanks to you!

Huffing, you blamed this rise of emotions on the tree. It had been strange from the start, and now it had given you these creeping feelings from it on your way. After all, this was all just overthinking and riding yourself into your own fears. Maybe nothing as bad as you expected it to be would even happen, and you’d feel stupid for even thinking about it.

You just couldn’t turn around now. Even with your knees shaking like crazy.

[bxcketbarnes]

Favorite Book

Pairing: Dave Hodgman x Reader

Author: @ninja-stiles

Words: 1877

Author’s Note: This is the first drabble of Dave for The Princess Squad and the prompt was: “You keep reading that same book. There’s so many other books, why that one?” And instantly got bookworm vibes, so here we are! It’s short (it sucks) but I think it’s super adorable? Who knows. Enjoy!

I was labeled as the book worm by the kids that went to this school. Doesn’t matter what’s happening, I’ll more than likely will have a book in between my hands, eyes roaming the words on each page, drowning in the story. I’d walk down the halls, my books clinging to my chest, gaze looking at the floor so I can avoid eye contact with the people here, since some of them can be a little meaner than others. One person I’d notice that seems to be nice to everyone, no matter who they are and he’s absolutely amazing. I’ve always had some sort of thing for him, but not once in my school years have I gone up to him and talked to him. If we were characters in books, I’d be all up in that, because my character would be more confident than my actual self. That one person’s name is Dave Hodgman and he’s a senior, a grade higher than me. He’s got chestnut colored hair that’s looks incredibly soft and it’s spiky in the front, honey brown eyes that glisten in the sun, which makes me melt everytime I see him, lips that also look soft and are a pinkish color. He’s literally the character in a book that everyone would want to be with, the guy who’s incredibly sweet and also super attractive.

I walked into my corner of the library, setting my books onto the table, letting out a sigh of relief as the books the school gives you are super heavy. I strolled through the fiction sections, looking for another book by Sarah Dessen that’ll peak my interest. I had just finished Lock and Key and I fell in love with it. I have a certain type of book that I absolutely love to read, the cliche books where the main character falls in love with a guy who’s never noticed her and they fall in love, living happily ever after. Something that would never happen in the real world. Guys are too uptight about what they want in girls that it’s made it quite difficult for someone to get to know me. They don’t read what’s past the cover.

I bumped into someone as I kept my gaze on the bookshelf, stumbling over the lanky being, muttering an apology as I bent down, picking up the book I had dropped out of my hand. I glanced up at the person I had bumped into, my eyes widening as I realize that I had ran into Dave, himself. He gave me a small smile as his eyes glance down at the book in my hands.

“Lock and Key, huh?” He asked, looking at my face as I nodded my head, not being able to find my voice. “Have you read that one?” Once again, I nod my head as I looked at the cover at the book, mentally cursing myself to talk like a normal person would.

“Y-Yeah. It’s really good.” I whispered quietly, almost thinking that he didn’t hear me. He put out his hand, silently asking me if he could look at it and I hand it to him, our fingers brushing ever so slightly, my skin burning at the feeling of his touch. He opened the cover of the book, glancing at the words that vaguely described the book on the inside of the cover before looking back up at me.

“Can you tell me a bit about it?” He questioned and I furrowed my eyebrows, confusion on why he would want to read this type of book. He seemed to figure out what I was thinking and clarified himself. “I have to read a book for Ms. Martin’s class and it has to be fiction.” He shrugged and I nodded my head, understanding why he’s in this aisle, now.

“Well, it’s about a seventeen year old girl name Ruby, who was abandoned by her mother. She couldn’t wait for her independence when she turned eighteen, so no one could put her in foster care. She had a good life where she was living, had a job at an airport, grades that were high enough to stay under the radar of the administrators, and also had a friends with benefits.” I paused, collecting some of the story from the book, continuing, “Ruby was found living in a hotel and state services ended up sending her to live with her sister, Cora. So, she started out at a new school, and became friends with a guy named Nate,a handsome jock, who had lived behind her. Basically, she falls in love with Nate as they become closer all the while as she tries to figure out how to make her life better.” I finished, smiling as I looked up at Dave, seeing a small smile on his lips as well.

“That sounds really interesting. That’s kind of weird to say since I’m a guy.” He chuckled while I giggled, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “But, I don’t think that’s the right one for me, so you can keep it. I assumed you’ve finished it already?” He questioned, glancing at other books as I kept my eyes on him, surprised with myself that I’ve been able to hold a conversation for this long.

“Yeah, I finished it a couple weeks ago and I’m trying to find other books like this that are from the same author, but I don’t think we store any here.” I mentioned, glancing up at him, wondering why he decided to talk to me. “Can I ask you a question, Dave?”

“Of course.” He smiled, looking down at me as I become a little nervous, swallowing visibly.

“Um, well, I was wondering why you’re talking to me. When I bumped into you, you could’ve just apologized and walked away, but instead, you started up a conversation about books. D-Did someone tell you to do this?” I stuttered, my heart pounding against my chest, looking around for someone to pop out, laughing in my face. I felt his hand rest on my arm, my gaze turning towards him, a small smile on his lips.

“No one put me up to this, Y/N.” My lips parted as he said my name, surprising that I didn’t even think he knew my name. “I decided to talk to you because I’ve seen you around school and not talk to anyone. I-I just thought that maybe, you wanted a friend.” My heart swelled at his kindness, putting a hand over my heart.

“Oh my god, Dave. T-That’s so sweet of you, really.” I smiled, taking my lip between my teeth. “I’d love a friend if you’re still offering. No one’s ever asked or tried to be my friend.” I frowned a bit, lowering my head slightly.

“Well you have me now, Y/N. I’m here whenever you need me and I’ll sit with you at lunch, alright?” He questioned and I nodded my head, a large grin on my lips.

Dave and I had gotten really close and we became the best of friends. We knew absolutely everything about each other, even about the crush he had on Jane, but he claims that he doesn’t anymore. Dave had graduated that summer, which kinda sucked because next year I’ll be the girl who has no friends again. I haven’t seen Dave in a couple weeks since him and his family had gone on vacation, so I began to read again. I started reading Lock and Key for the third time, a smile on my lips every time I read it.

“You know,” Someone’s voice rang out and I jumped, pressing the book to my chest as I looked to the door, seeing Dave leaning against the doorframe, a smirk on his lips. “You keep reading that same book. There’s so many other books out in the world, why that one?” He asked, walking into the room, sitting on the edge of my bed as I put the bookmark in the crease, putting the pook on my end table, shrugging my shoulders.

“Well, I’ve always been a sucker for romances between two different types of people. For example, a bookworm falls in love with a popular guy and the popular guy feels the exact same way, but doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t think he likes her because of his status, or he doesn’t want his friends to make fun of him then realizes that maybe those aren’t his real friends type of deal.” I smiled, crossing my legs together as Dave smiled at me, scratching his jawline.

“How do you feel about a non-popular guy falling in love with a bookworm, but he doesn’t know how she feels because her nose is always in a book, while her mind is in fantasy land. Even though he’s desperately tried everything to get her to notice him.” He scooted closer to me, my eyes widening as his face was inches away from mine, feeling his minty breath hit my face.

“T-Those are high up on the list as well.” I muttered, my cheeks heating up as I look up into his eyes, seeing a look of passion as his eyes were already on me. Dave smiled, reaching his hand towards my face, grazing his thumb against my cheekbone before brushing some of my hair out of my face, my heart pounding against my rib cage. His hands land on my hips, moving me closer to him, our noses brushing together as my breath hitched in my throat, looking up at him through my lashes, my eyes fluttering shut. Dave’s lips brushed against mine, jumping back slightly, eyes widened. “I-I, what?” I stuttered, confused that he tried to kiss me.

“Isn’t this how you pictured your first kiss?” He whispered, his hand moving across my lower back, glancing down at my lips. I shyly nodded my head, moving my hands to his chest as he closed the gap between us. I trailed my hands up to his neck, moving my lips against his as his grip on my hips tighten, pulling me onto his lap. He ran his fingers through my hair, tilting his head sideways a bit, deepening the kiss. I pulled away from him, panting slightly, trying to catch my breath.

“O-Oh my god. That just happened.” I muttered, staring at Dave as he smiles at me, pressing his lips to my forehead. “That was better than anything I’ve read in a book.” I whispered, feeling Dave’s fingers intertwine with mine.

“Good. That was the plan, Y/N.” He smiled and a grin broke out on my lips, touching my lips with my free hand, loving the feeling of his lips against mine. “I was wondering if maybe, you wanted to go out on a date or something?” He asked and I nodded my head, pressing my lips against his. His eyes glanced at the book on my night stand, leaning over to pick it up. “You can tell me more on why you love this book so much.” He smirked, making me giggle, taking his face in my hands, giving him a loving kiss.

“I might not need the book now that I’ve got the real thing.”

[ramajmedia]

10 Matrix Memes That'll Have You Laughing Your Way To The Real World

 Released in 1999, The Matrix blew every other Hollywood action movie out of the water. Not only was it brimming with impressive fights and set pieces, but its plot engaged viewers with interesting philosophies and questions to ponder after the credits rolled. While the film dealt with burgeoning technologies like the internet and artificial intelligence, there is one phenomenon not even it could have foreseen—memes.

Related: 5 Ways The Matrix Holds Up (And 5 Ways It Doesn't)

Like any other pop culture staple, the internet has used all its might to craft as many hilarious and ridiculous memes as possible based on the franchise. This list will showcase the best of the best: memes so funny you'll forget the inevitable apocalypse at the hands of our future robot overlords.

10 Marshmallows

Leave it up to the internet to turn one of the creepiest moments in the film into a funny joke about overindulging on a beloved campfire snack. In 1999, watching Neo's mouth seal itself shut was truly terrifying.

Related: 5 Best (And 5 Worst) Things About The Matrix Sequels

It looked so convincing, audiences wondered how the filmmakers even accomplished such an effect. Is it possible the Wachowskis ordered Keanu Reeves to eat as many marshmallows as humanly possible? If so, Reeves deserves commendation for his dedication to the craft.

9 Cat Morpheus

Maybe not all cat owners will understand this—felines have all different types of personalities. However, some lovers of the little furry four-legged creatures know all too well how much these whiskered pets hate the vacuum. If only they knew how harmless it was and how it kept the house clean.

Related: 10 Hilarious DCEU Logic Memes Only True Fans Will Understand

Cat Morpheus knows the truth though, and will try to spread it to his peers around the world, forging a truce between his kind and the mechanical cleaning apparatuses. It wouldn't be much different than the arch of The Matrix trilogy, come to think of it.

8 Exams

Most people are familiar with university life and the stress it entails. Some barely make it out by the skin of their teeth, others put in the sufficient work for the appropriately decent result, and others seem to mosey through it with no problems.

Related: 10 Hilarious Thanos Memes Only Titans Will Understand

The above meme perfectly encapsulates those test days and everybody's reactions. The professor seems like a cruel and unforgiving dictator as they dole out tough questions. Studying is boring, but it's worth it to feel like Neo dodging an agent's gunfire.

7 Checkout Line

This meme could come in handy just about every day. People behind someone in line have a tendency to stand way too close to the person currently getting their items checked out.

Related: 10 Pixar Logic Memes That Are Too Hilarious For Words

There's no reason for people to do this, but they seem to think it will speed up the line and get them out of the store faster. If only Laurence Fishburne could stand in every supermarket across the world and relay this information as Morpheus would.

6 Catching Feelings

This one is particularly impactful for the singles reading it. Though upon deeper reflection, it's more profound for married folks. Regardless of one's situation, starting to feel something about someone is troublesome when one had no intention of starting anything romantic.

Related: 10 Romantic Movies For People Who Hate Romance

Unfortunately even when in love, most people cannot move with the same grace as an agent when they are dodging bullets. Most of the time, those feelings will be caught. In reality, it's the feelings that are doing the catching.

5 Tradition

Don't let Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof see this one. It may very well shake his strongly held beliefs on keeping with traditions. It's true, though: most people follow traditions because they feel a need to carry on what their ancestors used to do, even if the pragmatism of the practice has long since went away.

Related: 10 Hilarious Lord Of The Rings Logic Memes

It's certainly not a criticism of keeping traditions alive. As long as these practices don't harm anyone else, keep them going as long as one's heart desires.

4 Watching All The Movies In One Day

Life tends to imitate art. People adore cosplay and popular phrases from films often become normal cultural sayings. Watching a particularly meaningful film can also make the viewers feel like the characters. Kids walked out of Star Wars in 1977 feeling like they could use the force; audiences feel like the underdog after watching Rocky; and people feel like they know Kung Fu and can fly after watching The Matrix.

Related: 10 Twin Peaks Memes That Are Too Hilarious For Words

Watching the whole trilogy in a day could be dangerous, though. Not only is it almost seven hours of film, but that much cerebral dialogue and action could make somebody's head explode.

3 Disappearing Payphones

This is speaking to an issue the series will tackle head-on as Lana Wachowski prepares the recently announced fourth installment of The Matrix. Maybe the next incarnation of the simulation moves the clock up twenty years and payphones are obsolete for this exact purpose. It does raise the question regarding the upcoming movie—will the new Matrix try to look like 1999 or like modern times? If it is the latter, how will they exit the program? Audiences will find out when the movie comes out sometime after 2020.

2 Sales Training

Job training is literally the worst. Not only can it be difficult, it can also be training for a task in which one has no interest. Regardless of one's affinity for the vocation, it still feels pretty good once it is mastered and all the questions coming are answered with lightning speed. Just remember—ace the training, but don't work too fast if the job pays by the hour. Usually, if the given task is done too fast, employers will just give somebody more work for the same pay.

1 Sleepovers

This has happened to most kids, and can be extremely uncomfortable. Even after a night of hard partying and video gaming, early birds still wake up at the crack of dawn. Unfortunately, there's no worm to get when rising first after a sleepover. Instead, the one who wakes up first just kind of waits for everybody else to get up. They would poke somebody else awake, but they don't want to disrespect their host and friends. These are times when a Nintendo Switch and a pair of headphones really come in handy.

Next: 10 Best Keanu Reeves Film Quotes

source https://screenrant.com/matrix-funniest-memes/