#WHEN I WENT PAST THE GIRLS IN THE CAR TODAY I LOOKED AT EM AND YELLED “FUCK YEAH” AND THEY LOST IT IT WAS SO COOL

[where-fantasy-meets-reality]

“Reflections of a Distant Past” Chapter 5

Masterlist here

Pairing: Ben Kenobi x Fem. Reader

Word Count: 8.3K

Warnings: mentions of a car crash and parental death. 

A/N: ITS FINALLY DATE NIGHT! writing this chapter and diving into each character's backstory a bit more was enjoyable and I can’t wait to continue developing these characters further. Lots planned in this slow burn. As always thanks for supporting and enjoy. Feel free to comment your thoughts and reactions as I always enjoy reading them and if you want to be added to the tag list just let me know. 

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Whether it was the intense anticipation of a date with Ben or just the busy life of adulting (or a bit of both) the half-a-week went by at light speed.

Somehow time had kicked into hyperdrive and the hours between your lazy Sat. superhero movie session and Wed.’s date night had blurred by.

Even when you woke up this morning you felt like you needed to calm yourself because you had all day to get through before you could genuinely get overly excited about what the night would bring. 

Ahsoka hadn’t helped to curb your excitement when you picked up your coffee this morning.

“So what are you wearing tonight?!” She exclaimed as you approached the counter. Giving you a once over, she pursed her lips. “Please tell me it isn’t that…..His favorite color is blue, so you should start with that.”

Rolling your eyes, you placed your purse on the counter. “Good morning to you as well Ahsoka, I’m doing fine thanks. I’d like a dirty chi latte today please…and don’t hate on my work clothes, I apologize for my ballgown being in the shop getting pressed.”

Without missing a beat or turning to look over her shoulder at you, Ahsoka sassed you back as she made your order. “Oh no, a ballgown is far too formal for Ben….something much more casual will do, a ballgown might scare him off….No, I’d say stick with something blue for good luck…..or a soft rose color…maybe yellow, you look good in those colors….”

She placed the latte down in front of you. “....What about that blue long-sleeve top you have, the thin one with the crew neck? It’s really soft. That one is good, it can get cold at night this time of year so it should be comfortable, and it can be dressed up or down….pair that with a nice pair of jeans and those chunky black heels you have….or maybe those nude ankle-strap heels that you have…”

Your mouth hung open, interrupting her. “Jeez Ahsoka, have you memorized my closet?”

Ignoring you, she studied your face. “Definitely freshen up your makeup….maybe re-do your eyes in a softer brown, they bring out the warmer tones of your eyes.”

Throwing the cash on the counter, you picked up your purse and the latte. “Bye Ahsoka, keep the change and consider it your tip for the fashion advice.”

She smiled brightly. “Thanks…Just so you know, he is really excited…he hasn’t stopped smiling since you said yes.”

Stopping, you turned around. “Really?”

The young girl with large eyes and blue-striped hair smiled. “Yup. I think he really likes you….Just relax and be yourself. She punched something in the cash register and the drawer popped open. “…Good luck Em!” She shouted as pushed the cash draw close.

That little last bit made up for the harassment about the makeup and the clothes. You knew she meant it all in good fun….but it still made you nervous.

Unannounced to her, you really liked Ben too. And despite only having been texting him for less than a full week….You had done the one thing that you told yourself not to and that was to develop full-fledged feelings before you even went on a date.

It may just be a casual dinner, but there was a lot riding on the small talk at the dinner table.

Still, if Ben was excited, then maybe everything would be alright.

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

You were standing in front of your bedroom mirror, turning and eyeing yourself as you did any last-minute fixes or outfit changes.

You would never let her know it, but you had done everything Ashoka had suggested. The more you thought about it, her suggestions were spot on…and if she knew what he liked, why not take advantage of the advice?

The thing long sleeve dark blue shirt had paired nicely with a pair of straight-leg jeans and you had opted for the pair of ankle-strapped nude heels that Ahsoka had suggested.

Your makeup, however, changed. You had washed your day look off and opted for a more subtle and natural look this evening. A soft brown lipstick and some light brown eyeshadow and black mascara were enough…no sense in overdoing it.

Your dark brown hair was down with a nice headband that allowed your hair to flow down your shoulders and fame your face.

Turning to Coal, who sitting like a hen in the middle of your bed, you twirled and asked his opinion. Sadly though, the grumpy old cat seemed less than impressed and just stared at you blankly.

“Wow, tough crowd.” You murmured as you turned back to the mirror. “Well…I like it. I feel comfortable, confident, and ready….If Ben does’nt like it then that’s too bad.”

Before you could pretend to believe that statement or not, not the confident and comfortable part, that part was true; it was the part about it being too bad if Ben disagreed, the doorbell rang.

Looking at the clock on the nightstand, the green, large numbers glowed brightly. 7:00.

“Mr. Perfect is punctual too….”

Talking one last twirl in the mirror, you let out a short breath. You grabbed your small evening bag and slung it over your shoulder. “Bye Coal.”

But Coal ignored you.

The walk from your bedroom to the front door seemed a lot shorter than it should have, but as you were gripping the handle of the door, you took a deep centering breath.

Opening the door, you didn’t know Ben could further surprise you…but he did.

Ben Kenobi stood in front of you with a singular red rose in his hand. He wore dark jeans, camel-colored dress shoes, a white button-down shirt, and a navy blazer that made his gorgeous cerulean eyes stand out against the black of night. His strawberry blond hair and beard were trimmed and styled neatly.

He just stared at you, like you were him.

Holding out the Rose towards you, he was the first to break the silence. “Emma…You look absolutely beautiful.”

Blushing, you took it. “Thank you. Come inside while I put this in some water.”

Standing aside and holding the door open wider, you allowed him entry into your home.

“Thank you,” Ben murmured with a tight head nod.

He stood at the entry and looked around, or at least that’s what you noticed as you darted to the kitchen to grab a small vase.

“Your house... It is quite charming and cozy…very nice.”

“Thank you!” You called out over the sound of the water coming from the faucet.

Placing the singular rose hastily into the vase, you put it on the counter and shut the lights off as you darted back to the front entryway.

Ben was standing with his hands held behind his back. “You have a cat too…a long-haired one…right?”

You winced at his recognition. “Yeah sorry…I groom him regularly but the fur is so much work for me to keep up with.”

Looking alarmed, his eye grew as his eyebrows shot to his hairline. “No! Please don’t miss understand me, your house is quite clean…I was merely referring to his scent…had I not smelled him, I would hardly know you had one.”

Tilting your head at him, your eyes narrowed in confusion. “That’s odd…I didn’t think Cole had a smell…I must just be immune to it, as I said I do attempt to keep him clean but he always makes such a fuss.”  

He suddenly stiffened. “Ah….Well….I’ve always been known to have a sensitive nose and good senses…”

Judging his behavior, and what you had known about him prior to this, you came to the conclusion that he became nervous or put off very easily. You bit the inside of your lip hoping this wouldn’t become a problem in the long run…if there was a long run…

Not wanting the evening to start off wrongly before it even started, you changed the subject.

“That’s good to know…Remind me to take you candle shopping when Bath and Body Works has their half-off sale…”

He relaxed visibly and smiled. “Padme.. my roommate’s wife says I pick out all the best ones.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it.”

The tension left his shoulders and he extended his elbow out to you, an opportunity for you to link arms with him. “Shall we?”

Linking arms with him, you noticed that even though the blazar, his skin ran hot again like that day in the shop.

“Never mind candle shopping, remind me to take this guy with me when I go sledding or ice skating.”

Outwardly, all you said was, “So…where are we going?” as you locked the front door to the house.

“I thought I’d take you to this place in town, it is a little whole-in-the-wall bistro called “Angelina’s”....I’ve been there before and they have a large menu with the best comfort food….I thought it suitable for the evening.”

Stepping into him, you looked up at him. “That sounds wonderful…I have always wanted to go there and have good things about the food.”

A small gust of wind blew a stray piece of hair in your eyes, but before you could do anything to move it back, Ben gently tucked the stay piece of hair behind your ear. “Splendid.” He whispered as he looked at you.

Walking arm and arm down the steps toward the driveway, you started to slow down as you noticed his car.

It was nothing out of the ordinary. An average Honda Accord…..in a blue-gray color….the only striking thing about it was how new it was; it could only have been a year old.

Come to think of it, you had never even seen Ben behind the wheel of a car…he just always kind of…appeared.

But then again, you had never been outdoors when you had seen him, so that wasn’t a fair assumption to make.

Chuckling, he sensed your internal conversation. “Not what you were expecting? Padme drives a BMW, next time I could take that if you’d like?”

Quickly you turned to apologize to him, but he was wearing a smile that told you he was kidding. “...I know, no one ever suspects that this is my car….truthfully, it could be because I never pick them out. One of my roommates, Anakin, he’s a mechanic and I always just let him choose what car I drive because I do not care what I drive, and it’s fun for him. I give him a budget and just tell him not to pick any loud color like yellow or red…”

Stepping toward the car and unliking his arm so he could open the door for you. “This is his latest choice. It is quite comfortable too, drives nice….”

You gave him a bashful smile as you ducked your head to get into the car. “I agree, it’s a very nice car….I just had never given what you drove much thought so…it kind of took me by surprise….”

He just gave you a small chuckle as he closed the car door.

Walking briskly around the front of the car to the driver’s side, he seemed to be seated and seatbelted before you could blink….but that wouldn’t have been possible.

Boy…. if time was starting to blur that badly then you really must be nervous….

Taking a deep breath as the car backed out of the driveway, you scolded yourself for being this nervous. You were not 15 and this was not the first date you had ever been on. Granted…it had been a while…and the last time you went down this road, it hadn’t ended in the best way….but you could do better than the way you were acting.

As if Ben could sense your uneasiness, he started the conversation again.

“I apologize if I am quieter than usual…I find myself a bit nervous this evening.”

Finally relaxing, you couldn’t help but find his confession adorable. It had the desired effect of relaxing you (whether or not that was his intention), as you felt the tension and stress leave your shoulders.

“It’s okay, I…I too am a bit more nervous than I’d like to be.”

You weren’t looking at him, you just kept looking out the window. You were afraid that if you looked at him you would say something stupid.

“Well….then we’ll take things slow and go forward together so that we stay on the same page….” He turned to look at you briefly. “Sound fair?”

Glancing at him, you couldn’t help but smile. There was just something about him that put you at ease. You believed him when he said he wouldn’t rush things or make you feel pressured. “Sounds very fair.”

- - - - - - - - - - -

Ben continued to put you at ease for the remainder of the ride. The ride to the restaurant had been filled with small talk. He also appeared to be a very good driver…very intuitive; he handled the car well and drove at reasonable speeds…not exactly at the speed limit, but 5 mph over never hurt anyone.

Topics such as the eventual start of term at his work, what classes he was teaching, any exciting book launches that you were looking forward to at the store, the inevitable change of season…Ben had said that he was looking forward to that one, fall was one of his favorites.

Angelinas was a quaint, charming little bistro. Dimly lit, small candles on every table and fairy lights lined the windows and wrapped their way around the room, adding to the aesthetic.

It may be summer, but nights in northern Vermont could get pretty chilly, so you were grateful to be sitting inside…and grateful that you had chosen the long-sleeve wardrobe option.

Ben was not kidding when he said that the menu was huge. Italian, French, and American comfort food options lined page after page of the menu. Everything sounded so good, you didn’t know what to choose.

You weren’t one of those girls who ordered something different on the first date to make an impression. Nothing against them, but you were the type of girl who ordered fries and actually ate them.

Ben had suggested getting an appetizer, and the two of you settled on an order of Eggplant fires; they were paired with this zesty lemon garlic aioli that was the perfect dipping sauce. Ahsoka had turned him onto them and now he couldn’t get enough of them. You were down to try anything once, culinary-wise, and to your delight, they were actually pretty good.

For your entrees, you had decided to order a classic comfort food; an order of chicken parm over a giant bed of pasta. Ben, on the other hand, had opted for the steak, a baked potato, and broccoli…not exactly comfort food but classic enough.

Now, you found yourself halfway through the meal, and no end in sight as far as the conversation is concerned. Thankfully, you had completely relaxed and let your walls down, and so it seemed had Ben.

“Okay…okay, so let me see if I can get this straight….Padme and Anakin are married, you met Anakin in college….and they adopted Ahsoka….but in a way, you did too…did I get that right?”

“Bravo.” He raised his wine glass towards you. “Well done…not many people get it that quickly.”

“And Anakin is a mechanic…he owns the garage on Tower Street…right?”

Ben’s eyes twinkled in the glow of the candlelight. “Right again….Anakin is an excellent mechanic…Although, he is equally good with computers, perhaps better. I keep telling him to sell the garage and go work for some computer company. Better pay, better hours, and a lot less grease….” He chuckled. “But he insists on the garage…he loves working with his hands and truthfully I think he’d become like a destructive toddler if he had to sit at a desk all day; working with his hands is good for him.”

“That's hysterical, but I know the feeling. I love owning the store and couldn’t imagine being strapped behind a desk all day.”

“How long have you owned the store?” Ben asked as he took a sip of his wine.

Titling your head to the side, you had to stop and think about that. “I’m not sure… definitely longer than five years…I didn’t open it right after college but it has been….oh…yeah probably about 6-7 years.”

“You said you went to college up here, correct?”

Nodding your head, you cut a piece of chicken. “Yes….I went to the state college and majored in English. That's where I met my best friend, Paisley. We were roommates freshman year and we’ve been inseparable ever since. When we graduated, I had only planned on staying for the summer but I ended up not having much of a reason to go back home…”

Swallowing the piece of broccoli, he lifted the napkin to his face to dab at his lips. “Why is that? A job offer?”

You stiffened. This was never a fun subject, but you had allowed the conversation to go this far knowing you would have to disclose the information…he would have to know eventually. “...No…that summer, I was just goofing off and working a crap job to hang around with friends and say goodbye to my college life, planned to leave in the fall… when….well….one day I got a phone call from a police officer saying that my parents had died….”

You reached out for your glass and took a sip of wine. Ben stiffened and his eyes widened as he watched you take a drink.

Swallowing quickly, you continued.

“... head-on collision…a driver from out of town had got on the highway exit ramp from the wrong direction and well….you can imagine what happened….”

Ben just continued to stare at you, his eyes almost hollow.

Very quickly though, grief filled them as his eyebrows furrowed. “Oh…Oh, Emma…I am so sorry….that is terrible, ghastly….How old were you?”

You swallowed your next sip of wine hard. “24.”

His jaw dropped open and his eyes seemed to be even more concerned than they were before.

“Yup…about 7 years ago last month….I was an only child…no grandparents around, no siblings….Aunts and Uncles on both sides who live out of town and I hardly saw them when I was a kid… I went home to bury them, sold the house, and then came right back here in an attempt to bury the pain and heal. I’ve never left since. Paisley was my rock during that time…”

Ben seemed to have recovered from the shock.

“I can imagine. That must have been devastating…to be on such a precipice of life…like getting ready to jump off of a cliff, take off and soar, a world full of possibilities… only to be yanked backward brutally by reality….Again, I am truly sorry.”

Shrugging your shoulders, you shook your head. You didn’t want to dwell on this too much and have it ruin the tone of the evening. It had been some time and if you were being honest, the pain had healed enough where you were usually okay to talk about it; but not tonight.  

“Thank you Ben. But, it’s okay. They got to see me graduate and I had talked to them, ironically, that morning. We had a great relationship filled with beautiful memories…Most days I’ve accepted that this is reality now and I’m at peace with it…I don’t want to dwell on it too much tonight, so let us change the subject.…. How about you? Are you an only child?”

Ben took in a deep breath as if he was bracing himself for this topic. It just now occurred to you that his past might be just as tragic as yours. “No, I was the middle child. I had an older brother and a younger sister. My parents…well they were tough but they loved us…I guess you could consider them old-fashioned.”

Relaxing, you breathed out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding in.

“That’s wonderful. Are you close with your siblings? Your parents?”

He pursed his lips. “My parents….well….I’m not sure if we were close…it was tough to explain…but my siblings…we were definitely close. My older brother, Michael… was one of my best friends, and my younger sister, Lillian…well she was adorable….I was always very protective of her and she loved to read, like you…”

You brightened. “That sounds like the type of sibling relationship I would want if I had siblings….what was her favorite book?”

Ben leaned forward, excited. “You know… surprisingly, it was “A Study in Scarlett.” She and I were constantly passing that book and forth when it came out….she was obsessed with it…”

Confusion…you must have not heard that incorrectly. “Ben…I think the wine is getting to me…I’m sorry but I think you said “when it came out”….that book was published in 1887…do you mean when the two of you got it as kids?”

His eyes clamped shut and you noticed his fist that was resting on the table ball up. He swallowed hard, taking a minute to visibly force himself to relax before his eyes opened.

Ben’s voice was strained when he spoke, his British accent thicker than usual.

“...Yes…forgive me, I believe the wine and the excitement are getting to me as well… yes, I mean when it came out…I think my mother must have gotten us a new edition from the bookstore at the time and we just poured ourselves over it….”

Not wanting to linger on the mess up, you chalked up to it him just being nervous and the wine; an honest mistake like he said. “How about Michale? Did he like to read?”

“He did. He used to pick up the copy and read it when my sister and I weren’t hogging it. But he was always working a lot of long hours, so he didn’t have as much free time as we did.”

“What does he do?”

“He was a banker…My father was a banker….In my family, it was customary that the oldest boy follows in the footsteps of his father, and thankfully Michael came first because I would go mad if I was a banker, not at all my idea of an enjoyable job…no, no I am all set…”

The two of you shared mutual laughter.

“Oh and history professor is much more invigorating,” you teased.

Ben’s mouth hung open in mock offense. “Now hang on there missy…I started out as a news reporter, thank you.”

You sat forward, a sudden excitement over you.

“Really?! What paper did you write for? And you refer to your siblings in the past tense, do you not see them anymore?”

Maybe it was the wine, or, maybe Ben wasn’t up to sharing as much information as he thought he was or he would like to. He had clamped his eyes shut again as if he was frustrated with himself or something was bothering him…like the questions you were asking him.

Sinking back in your chair, you didn’t like that he beat himself up so much and you didn’t want to push him into sharing anything that he didn’t want to, so you decided to back off…again.

“I’m sorry if my questions are too personal, we can change the subject and talk about something more general if you like.”

His ocean-colored eyes popped open. His usual calm and centered state returned.  “No….it’s fine…Just…I understand where your coming from when you say it’s hard to talk about your parents…Sometimes this is hard for me to talk about my family and my past as well.”

Okay….maybe you did want to prod a little.

“Why is that?” Your voice was gentle.

A small frown quirked up in the corners of his mouth. But at least he wasn’t visibly shutting down or frustrated like he was before. “It was a very long time ago and…things just fell apart one day and changed drastically….I’m not sure what happened to any of them, I lost touch….”

Looking up at you, for a brief second, you could have sworn you saw a flash of gold in his very blue eyes….probably just the glow from the fairy lights and the wine messing with you again.

Reaching out, you laid your hand palm up on the table, a gesture of comfort toward him. You kept your voice low and soft. “I understand, truly….Still, that can’t be easy…for what it is worth, I am sorry….I’m glad you have your friends that you live with for support, no one deserves to be alone. If you ever need someone to talk to, I am here.”

He smiled, a soft, half-mouthed smile as he reached out and placed his hand in yours.

Ben’s skin was soft and warm. His hand’s hands were so much larger than yours…but you could have linked your hands with his forever…there was something magnetic about his touch. In addition to his skin being so soft and warm, his hands were…comfortable. Frim, but comforting.

He must have felt similar things because he gave your hand a soft squeeze as he curled his fingers around yours.

But, as quickly as it happened, it was over.

Your hand lying palm up on the table felt cold and vulnerable without his hand in yours. If you two were closer, you would have asked him to put his hand back, having missed his touch already.

“One hour at a time. Go slow, remember, stay on the same page Em.”

Attempting to get off the heavy topics, you shifted to a neutral territory as you sipped your wine. “So…has Ahsoka started considering college? She’s a junior right?”  

Ben started bobbing his head. “Yes…she is a junior, where the time went I’m not sure, I feel like she’s growing up so fast….She does want to go to college, but I am not sure what for…” He chuckled lightly. “I’m not even sure she knows….Padme, Anakin’s wife, is always trying to get her to explore new ideas.”

“Really? What does Padme do?”

“She is a preschool teacher. She used to be a nurse at one point and she loves politics, but she switched careers and went into early childhood education….” He smiled fondly as if he could see something beyond you. “She loves children and she loves those kids she works with…she is an excellent teacher; patient, kind, and caring…they all love her.”

“It sounds like you have quite the group of amazing friends.”

“ I do…and…” he leaned in closer to you from across the table “...We put on a heck of thanksgiving….I’m just saying… it’s of legendary proportions.”

He winked playfully at you.

Covering your mouth to stifle your laughter and praying you didn’t snort, you tried to collect yourself. He had spoken with such seriousness that you thought he was going to say something else. When his tone didn’t match his words, it only added to the humor.

“Oh yeah, well here is hoping I’m still around by Thanksgiving….What about Christmas? I’m more of a Christmas gal personally…”

His eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. “Ah…Now see, whereas I leave Thanksgiving to my roommates…Christmas is MY thing…..I go all out for Christmas….We’ll have to introduce you to a Kenobi Christmas this year…” He winked at you again.

Lifting your wine glass, you tilted it towards him briefly, a cheeky grin on your face. “I’ll drink to that.”

Picking up his glass, he gently clanged it with yours. “Indeed.”

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

Ben had insisted on ordering dessert.

“It’s part of the rules of a first date.” He had teased.

Not being able to choose, the two of you had decided to split a very large, but delicious piece of chocolate cake with a large scoop of cookies and cream ice cream (your choice) on the side.

The cake had been the epitome of comfort food. Four moist, rich layers of chocolate cake, with sweet, whipped chocolate frosting in between each layer and covering the whole outside.

You had barely made a dent in when Ben had announced that he was throwing in the towel and insisted that you take the rest home.

Now the two of you found yourself strolling through the night, linked arm and arm. Ben was carrying the desert bag, as he insisted that “a lady does not carry her own parcels.”

Angelina’s was in the older part of town where the stores, older houses, and duplexes were very close together. The streets were still made of cobblestones and the sidewalks were larger: the concrete had been poured during a time when people utilized the sidewalks as a necessary means of transportation.

The street lamps still looked old-fashioned, despite having been converted from gas lamps to electrical ones. It gave everything a charming feel and seemed to match the aesthetic inside Angelina’s as well.

There was a slight breeze, which normally would have made you chilly, but when linked arms with Ben, between the heat of his skin and your butterflies, you were anything but cold.

You two were walking together at a strolling pace, laughter, and joy radiating from the two of you.

“No….no….see, this what irritates me…They downplayed Vision in the movies so much…in the comic books Vision is so much more of a heavy hitter and force to be reckoned with.”

Even though you agreed with Ben, there was something about his British accent that just made everything he said seem more intelligent and correct.

“Yes! I agree…I mean we get a taste of it in some parts of the movies but they never really let him loose….”

Bed nodded vigorously. “I mean…all of the Avengers are forces to be reckoned with in their own way…and we get to see that in most cases, but It always bugged me that they did Vision like that…they did him “dirty” as Ahsoka would say.”

Looking at you, he quirked up an eyebrow. “Did I say that right? Is that how it goes? “Did him dirty” means to jip someone right?”

You giggled unapologetically.

“Yes…, that is how it goes, good job on picking up the lingo…and I agree, Vision deserves his justice.”

There was a gentle hum of the city that you swear on other nights was so much louder, but tonight everything seemed to be muted; everything but Ben. Ben was lively, bold, and comforting.  

“Do you have any other tastes in film…or do you just restrict yourself to superheroes?” He teased.

“Haha…Well truthfully, it’s the book that’s the best version of any story”

His eyebrows rose as he nodded. “Hard to argue with that.”

“…But I enjoy all types of movies..drama, romance, comedy, period pieces, sci-fi..…even animated ones….”

He bobbed his head in thought.

“Well…” You started to speak again. “...that might be a lie….horror is out, no horror films…”

“Ah, got it. So animation in, horror out….”

Rolling your eyes, you jabbed him gently.

“Holy crap!… This man is all muscle. You would never know it….I mean you can tell he is in fantastic shape but… dang…I think I hurt myself on that jab, it certainly did not affect him.”

Good-naturedly, you rolled your eyes and huffed.  “No…I mean some light suspense movies I do enjoy…but the real horror stuff, like the slasher and gore…or the dark-themed films, that’s not my thing. I don’t enjoy being scared and I can never understand why people pay to be scared. Oppositely, the reason I enjoy animated films is I think that they are beautiful…they usually have great scores, and good lyrics and the artwork is always breathtaking; its moving paintings that tell you a story.”

Ben stopped walking and looked at you, somewhat amused. “...I’ve never heard anyone describe an animated movie like that but I’d be hard-pressed to disagree with you…I always felt that the artwork was astonishing myself… especially in some of the older ones…with the newer ones, its art and technology working together and it is equally as amazing…but the hand-drawn stuff…”

His eyes really were blue….like unbelievably blue as you stared into them. They reminded you of the sky on a sunny day… you could easily get lost in his stare forever.

“Exactly.”

You were afraid to talk louder than a small murmur, afraid that it would disturb the flow of the night. Why you felt that way, you weren’t sure. The town around you was anything but quiet in reality, despite what you felt, and Ben was talking at the same volume he had been all night.

However, you were feeling enchanted by your date’s charm and charisma. He stared back at you and he felt his hand that had previously been linked with your wrap itself around your waist.

You breathed in and stepped closer to him, desperate for more contact. However, something had broken the trance between you two and Ben took a step back. Regaining composure, he linked arms with you again and restarted the stroll.

‘So movies, books…What about music?” You shifted topics.

“Music, I’m a bit pickier. Anything after the 1960s is not my interest. Anakin loves, like really loves 80’s rock….Padme is big into Jazz and swing…and oddly enough disco…I have no idea what Ahsoka listens to anymore, I can’t make sense of it…”

The two of you chuckled. “Typical teenager, my parents felt the same way when I was her age.”

That was your attempt to defend an innocent teenager and her, most likely, questionable taste in music.

“Sadly…but yeah….anything prior to 1960…Although…some 90’s stuff is really good…”

“Hey, that’s my music! I grew up in the 90s and 2000’s….But I guess I can share considering you’ve got good taste.” You teased.

Ben gave a gracious, exaggerated head nod. “Ever a gracious lady.”

Blushing, you tipped your head back at him.

“Well, we’re flip-flopped then. I will listen to literally any kind of music….jazz, classical, rock, hip-hop, pop, rap, country….as long as the music is going, I’m in…whereas you, Mr.1960, clearly are pickier…”

Ben bobbed his head. “Whereas I will watch just about any film or television show…and you…well, like I said…animation in, horror out…”

He nudged you teasingly with his elbow.

Your head few back as your eyes squeezed shut in exasperation. Ben, however, was amused, his light laughter telling you so.

“I am never going to live that down am I?” You sighed.

“Nope.”

The two of you walked, continuing the causal conversation as the two of you continued to learn all about each other.

Ben’s favorite season was fall. His favorite color was blue. His job as a reporter had been a natural path to his job now as a history professor. He learned to play piano as a child. He had a best friend named Charlie growing up.

You both loved chocolate. He couldn’t begin to understand why your favorite season was summer. You also loved piano music. You both loved animals. He was not surprised that your favorite flowers were roses.

“Typical.” He snorted.

“What do you mean typical?!” You shrieked in mock offense.

“Girls always like roses. What about tulips, hydrangeas….orchids? There are so many gorgeous flowers in the world and everyone picks roses.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a classic. I bet I can still surprise you though.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Purple roses are my favorite roses….yellow daffodils are my second favorite flower.”

He smiled. “Okay…you’re redeemed. I don’t believe I’ve heard anyone say purple roses were their favorite. And daffodils are a wonderful choice, not typically what people choose and much more original.”

As you nodded your head in agreement, a small yawn escaped your lips. “Ooo I’m sorry.”

Stopping, he looked suddenly protective of you. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kept you out so late. I can take you home if you’d like.”

Putting a hand on his forearm, he softened. “It’s okay Ben…I’m a big girl, if I wanted to go home I would have told you so.”

Giving you a bashful smile, he tilted his head. “I apologize. I just want to make sure I am making a good impression…It’s bad manners for a gentleman to keep a lady out later than she’d prefer to be on the first date.”

“Well, lucky for you….You’ve made quite a good impression…So, I wouldn’t stress…but I do apologize, as much fun as I am having, I am getting sleepy.”

Unlinking his arms with you, he wrapped them around you instead, resting his hand on the small of your back, Ben closed the distance between the two of you so that your noses were almost touching…almost.

“Well…if I want to keep myself in your good graces, I should be getting you home then…It wouldn’t be proper for me to let you fall asleep in the middle of the street.”

Butterflies erupted throughout your veins, his velvety voice crisp with his British accent almost sent you weak at the knees.

He was so beautiful…better looking than any other guy you had dated…He was kind, intelligent, charming…well mannered.

Gosh, you were falling so hard for him.

Sometimes it felt like he was from a different time. The way he approached relationships and dating…the way he acted and spoke….How he carried himself, he wasn’t like other men. Especially the men you had dated.

Some of the things he did and said should have sent red flags, but they didn’t. He didn’t feel dangerous. He felt safe.

If he thought he would fall off your good graces by keeping you out late, then he was even more of a keeper than you originally thought.

Jokingly, you bumped your nose against him. “I’ll let you off the hook this time. But next time you will lose points if I yawn and I am not home.”

He bumped his nose back with you and smiled.

Stepping back, he linked arms with you again and pointed in the direction of the restaurant that you had eaten at earlier, where the car was parked. “Your carriage awaits my darling.”

- - - - - - - - - -

The car ride home was quiet but pleasant. You cursed the fact that you were tiered; you wished this date could have just kept going. Not even in a promiscuous way…you were just generally sad to leave his side. Being sleepy made you feel like you were wasting an opportunity for valuable bonding time.

Pulling into your driveway, he turned the car off. Like earlier, he was around the car and opening your door before you had even unbuckled yourself. You must have been really tired.

Helping you out of the car, he walked you to your door.

Getting your keys out of your purse, you turned to address him from the front steps. “I had a really wonderful time this evening.”

Ben smiled brightly. “I did as well, thank you for a wonderful evening….” He suddenly became shy. “If it is alright with you, I would very much like to take you out again.”

“Absolutely.” You didn’t hesitate, and the confidence in your voice made him smile warmly.

“This time you pick the time and place. I’m still off for the summer, so my schedule is wide open…”

“How about coffee one evening? I have to go inside and look at my schedule but I can text you and let you know, maybe this weekend?”

He smiled, eyes practically glowing.

“It’s a date.”

You stared at him, lingering on your front doorstep, not wanting to say goodbye. You wanted to pull him inside and snuggle into him forever.

Ben pursed his lips, sensing the lingering awkwardness. “I apologize, I’m out of practice on current dating trends…and  I do not usually kiss on the first date…”

Not being able to help it, you snorted. “It’s okay, I don’t either…I just don’t want to go inside and say goodbye yet.”

He relaxed. “A comprise then?” One of his eyebrows arched.

You nodded your head, curious.

Ben climbed the two steps of your front porch so he was higher than you. He placed his hands on your forearms, holding you firmly but gently, close to him.

“Don’t move.” He whispered.

As he leaned in, you couldn’t help but close your eyes. You felt his warm, full lips softly touch your forehead in a gentle kiss.

Breaking away, he didn’t back away fully from you. Your body felt as if thousands of volts of electricity were flowing through you, your heart beating widely. Desire and longing spiked within you.

Closing his eyes, he squared his jaw.

“May I hug you?” His voice was low and hushed.

“Please do.” You panted.

Receiving his advances eagerly, you hugged him back, practically throwing your arms tightly around him and burying yourself into the crook of his neck unapologetically. You felt his arms come around, equally as tightly. He held you to him.

Ben smelt like a combination of musk, sandalwood, and spice. The heat that came from his abnormally warm skin surrounded you and made you sigh in comfort, adding to the flaring emotions you were feeling.

Originally, you had feared that you would have made Ben feel uncomfortable or put him off. Instead, he wrapped you securely in his arms and held you tight.

You could have stayed there all night. You had fallen so hard and so fast that it normally would have bothered you how much you had fallen for him….but you couldn’t care at this point. You felt so safe, so wanted when he hugged you like this or even just the way he looked at you made you feel like you were worth your weight in gold.

“Good night Emma.” He whispered as he let go of you.

Closing your eyes, you nodded. Turning and putting the key into the lock, you turned it and opened the door. “Thank you, Ben, for a really amazing time…and good night.”

Ben waited till you went inside. As you leaned against the door inside your house, you heard him walk back to his car. Eventually, it turned on and pulled out of the driveway.

Only then did it feel like it was possible to breathe again.

You walked into your bedroom and plopped down on your bed and stared up at the ceiling.

How was this happening?

This type of romance was only something you had ever thought existed in movies or books. There was no way you were this lucky.

Part of you, the pessimistic and cynical part of you, was waiting for the “other shoe to fall.”

Because, as cynicism loved to remind you, there was no way that Ben could be as perfect as he appeared to be. He had to have some major flaw or secrete that hadn’t been exposed yet.

Staring up at the ceiling and watching the fan spin round and round, you recalled how he seems to get frustrated easily….and that he doesn’t like to talk about himself.

….But that wasn’t so bad…..right?

It’s okay if he didn’t like to overshare things about himself, some people are just privet… especially at first. There was no guarantee that this was going to work out and that you two would officially date.

So maybe he was just being cautious? In case things didn’t work out.

“Don’t cover up the red flags just because you really like him. Being humble or even shy about oneself is possible….but he gets downright angry when he talks about himself.”

Maybe you could bring it up to him. Sometimes people do not realize that they are doing things that they are.

Sighing loudly in the silent room, you realized that if things did go badly at this point, or if they just didn’t work out, you were going to get your heart broken.

It wasn’t supposed to happen that way…but it did. You had fallen for Mr. Wonderful despite your constant reminder not to do so…

Deciding that there wasn’t much you were able to do about it tonight, other than the daydreaming that you were most likely going to be doing about him until the next date.

After you showered and toweled dried your hair, you padded your way across the house to get a glass of water before bed.

As you passed through the hall, you noticed that one of the photos on your gallery wall was crooked.

One of your few prized possessions in your house was your gallery wall full of family photos. Even though you hadn’t known your aunts and uncles super well, you had fond memories of your grandparents on both sides when you were kids. Your parents had been close to their siblings growing up, so there was no bad blood. When your parents died, you gathered all the family photos around their house and took them back home with you. Now they and the rest of your family were always with you.

Photos of aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, big family gatherings, photos of your parents at various sporting events, graduations, romantic dates, and birthday parties. Even a picture or two of you and Paisly had even made its way to the wall. After all, at this point, she was family.

You even had a photo go your great, great, great grandparents (or however many generations ago it was) from the turn of the 20th century. It was an old family photo that just kept getting passed down from one generation to the next, and you weren’t one to break tradition.

That was the one that was crooked… as if someone had brushed by it and moved it accidentally.

Fixing it, you couldn’t help but marvel at how remarkably well-preserved the photo was for being over 100 years.

Your great-ish Grandmother had been a beautiful lady, elegant and kind-looking. Your grandfather looked kind and dressed well in the photo, but expressionless like all the men in his generation….

While they didn’t look as if they were madly in love, they definitely looked like they liked each other, unlike most marriages in those days, which were either out of obligation or out of being promised (an arranged marriage).

In this particular photo, they hadn’t been too old….if you remember correctly it had taken a few years before the first world war…1912 if you remember what your mom had said correctly.

No, there was definitely a smile between them and warmth in their eyes. They made you smile.

Steeping back, you took in the whole gallery as one, making sure no other pictures were out of place or titled.

A high-pitched “meow” that was more like a “raw” sound. Coal came out of the living room, stretched, and eyed you with an expression that said “And where have you been?”

Full of sass, you resumed your walk to the kitchen as you addressed him.

“I’m sorry warden sir, but I am home by a reasonable hour….and my date was a perfect gentleman mind you, so I’ll have none of your backtalk thank you.”

Coal just looked up at you unamused, his usual condescending look.

Rolling your eyes, you chuckled. “Come on grumpy. Let us go to bed.”

- - - - - -

The spinning cleaning fan in your room created a nice airflow, keeping the room at a pleasant temperature. Normally the summer nights were humid, but you were the type of sleeper who had to snuggle under some kind of blanket no matter what the season was, and this bedroom fan allowed you to burrow under your covers even on the hottest of nights. Even though tonight wasn’t cold, Ben had given you plenty to feel warm about.

Plugging your phone into the charger on your nightside table, you set your alarm for the morning.

Opening the sounds app, you selected a rainy city as your soundscape.

You couldn’t ever fall asleep to nothing. Some nights you played soft instrumental music, other nights you listened to white noise. Tonight, you choose a rainy urban city, filled with the sounds of thunder, pelting rain, and the hum of car motors as they drove about the city.

Snuggling under the bed sheet, finally comfortable, you sighed deeply. Tonight had been absolutely, incredibly wonderful. Ben was just the type of guy you had imagined him to be…but somehow better.

What made your heart soar, even more, was that he clearly seemed to be interested in you as well.

Earlier, you had promised each other that you would go slow.

Relationships had left you with a bad taste in your mouth, especially after your last one, and you had sworn you wouldn’t ever jump head-first into another one again.

But this was different….Ben was different.

Your eyes kept fluttering open and closed as you remembered how his blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight under the warm glow of the old-fashioned street lamps. How warm he was as he escorted you around town…The way his large hands delicately held yours…..his perfect smile, his charming laugh….that delicious accent that you could listen to forever….

Yup….all bets were off at this point. There was no going back. You were truly and utterly in love with Ben Kenobi.

@sillynilly27 @nanagoswife @transcending-time @thewhitedannimal @kirstenvldfan21 @the-clones-and-me @hugmekenobi @naughtyry @nicole-lightfoot​ @janebby​ 

#Obi-Wan Kenobi #obi wan kenobi #obi wan #obi #obi-wan #obi wan fanfiction #obi wan fluff #obi wan kenobi x reader #modern obi-wan #modern au #obi-wan kenobi fanfic #Obi-wan Kenobi X Reader #obi-wan kenobi imagine #obi-wan X reader #obi-wan x you #obi-wan kenobi x you #obi-wan fanfic

[authored-vanessa]

“We don’t have to do this…” she trailed off.

It wasn’t until hearing those words, that I realized I had been white knuckling the steering wheel since either the moment I’d put the car in park or afterwards.

“I need to be able to do this” I said more for myself than Emily. I knew the chances were slim that anything untoward would happen at the mall today. But, I also knew that to most people, I was a guy wearing a skirt and makeup and a t-shirt bra stuffed with tissues. To Emily though — I was just Jessie. Funny, smart, and a great kisser. Her words, not my own currently mortified ego.

“Jessie, nothing is going to happen.” Echoing my own thoughts was something Em managed to do since the moment I met her, but right now? It meant just a little bit more, like she was willing the universe to make that statement true. Letting out the biggest sigh, I pushed open the door, making sure to swing my legs together so as not to flash anyone. Em let out a tiny yay that helped me relax. We were two girls, queer girls admittedly with its own set of problems, going shopping at the mall on the weekend. Today couldn’t possibly be any more normal. Emily stood waiting looking towards the mall with her hand outstretched waiting for mine. Once we’d locked together, it was like I had donned armor, I was confident and safe finally.

We went from store to store, looking at and trying out clothing, makeup, shoes, clothing, and stopping for a bite at the food court too. We had a few stares, but only when we got too loud. We were walking out of JC Penny when I froze, Emily’s arm jerking from the abrupt resistance. There, across the walkway outside the Victoria’s Secret, was Jacob and Leiah! Jacob was looking too bored while Leiah examined a lacy pink thong. No one from school was supposed to be here! Emily followed my gaze and, facing me, blocked both of us from being easily recognizable.

“It’ll be ok, they’re just shopping, like we are.” I could barely process what she was saying, but it pulled me out of my freeze nonetheless. I caught sight of the two walking off and as nonchalantly as I could muster, pulled Emily the opposite direction. My heart threatened to make a scene by jumping straight clear of my throat. We were two towns over, why were they here? We needed to leave but they headed in the direction of where I parked the car, maybe we could —

Emily pulled me into a kiss. And I… and I… I…

“Whoa Leiah, look at those two chicks making out, pretty hot, right!” Jacob’s voice snapped me not just back to where I had been but through the roof of it. I felt too hot, too exposed, like a mouse being eyed by a cat with nowhere to run.

“Jacob” Leiah whined. “Don’t be so gross! C’mon we have better things t— wait, is that Emily Breacher and David Markos?”

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Emily had pulled from our kiss to urging me to just walk away and hopefully avoid confrontation.

“Oh shit that is D-dog” and I hated when he called me that! “The freak is wearing a skirt and makeup!”

At that, I bolted, sprinting past them, leaving Emily, Jacob, Leiah, and everything else behind. I ran and ran and ran, each new pair of eyes on me make it so much worse! I had to get away and fast. Before I knew it I was at my car, slamming the door. I hadn’t even noticed I was crying until I finished climbing into my little Camry. A new wave of guilt and pain blossomed in my chest, sobs causing me to shake. Freak flooded my mind, drowning out any other thoughts. I began to openly wail, sound making its way past the tightness in my throat, painful and raw.

I jumped, like actually jumped when Emily knocked on the passenger window. I unlocked the car and let her in and we sat there in silence for, who knows how long. When I finally managed to control myself enough to look at her, her reddened eyes and streaks on her face showed me she’d been crying too. I grabbed her hand, started the car, and drove off without any other words.

#queer writers #queer #writeblr #tw transfobia #trans writers #creative writing #original story #transfem #lesbian

[sofarsogoodsowhat]

there’s literally nothing like pretty girls complimenting your outfit or appearance in general its so fucking uplifting dude

#ITS LIKE THE DRUNK GIRL IN THE BATHROOM THING BUT INSTEAD THEY WERE JUST HAVING FUN AND I WAS (am) HIGH AS FUCK #every time a girl tells me she likes my makeup or my outfit or does something like what happened today w the girls headbanging it #sticks in my mind forever #GHERES SO MANY TIMES ITS HAPPENED SINCE LIKE. THE MIDDLE OF MY PUNK PHASE I THINK? #WHEN I WENT PAST THE GIRLS IN THE CAR TODAY I LOOKED AT EM AND YELLED “FUCK YEAH” AND THEY LOST IT IT WAS SO COOL #im fuckin baked and im jsut like #i love people dude #like that’s somethign i really like about looking the way i do #because i look like an asshole #i AM an asshole #but i try to be nice to people if they’re not shitty to me #and like #idk #itsreally cool to see how excited people get when you compliment them ITS ALWSYS SO CUTE

[v-hope]

valentine’s is around the corner! what would the tf! couple would do for a day? 🥰 i miss em so much

pairing: jeon jeongguk x reader

genre: fluff, established relationship, slice of life, non-idol au

word count: 2.3k

a/n: i just had to make a drabble out of this for today (yesterday lmao, i took too long to write it). this takes place back during the first time they went to their hometown (busan) for their break from college, meaning this is the first valentine’s day they ever spent together. also, i went with the korean way of spending valentine’s day for this one (aka girls giving boys chocolates and all that). i hope you guys enjoy!

Smiling at you as you took the food you had made out of the basket and placed it on the table he had set a minute ago, Jeongguk slumped down on the back of the car, where a cozy blanket had been thrown so you could later take a nap or just lie down on during your picnic day.

This was the first time he got to spend Valentine’s Day with someone —the fact that it was you the one he got to spend it with making his heart flutter like never before—, and he had thought of taking you somewhere nice so he could treat you to your favourite food, or maybe even your favourite dessert.

However, you had insisted on it being his day, since the tradition was for girls to confess to their love interests on this day and not the other way around, and, therefore, it was either you treating him out to eat in his favourite place in Busan, or you planning a picnic so the two of you could enjoy some quality time alone, as you had so confidently stated.

Needless to say, he had chosen the second option — the thought of having you all to himself for an entire day being way too tempting not to go for it.

So, after he had begged his dad to lend him his car for the day and after a lot of planning on your end, here the two of you were, parked in your second favourite park in Busan —right after the one you would always run into each other back in high school—, about to enjoy the rest of your day alone, like the two of you so badly needed.

“The food is all set up” you informed him as you crawled next to him inside the trunk of the car.

Jeongguk nodded, not even rushing to get up as he silently stared at you with a small smile, innocently playing with the strap of the floral dress you had decided to wear that day.

“What do you think you’re doing?” you breathily laughed at his mindless action.

He smiled, shifting in his place as he fixed the pillow under his head. “You look so beautiful today”.

“Are you implying I don’t look beautiful every other day?” you playfully raised an eyebrow.

“You are always the most beautiful,” he stated, fingers no longer playing with the strap of your dress but running up and down your arm instead. “But you’re killing me in this dress”.

“I can throw a hoodie on or something if it’s distracting you too much”.

“Please don’t” he pleaded, pulling you down next to him. “I don’t mind being distracted by you”.

“Yah…” you nuzzled the crook of his neck as you felt the heat reach your cheeks. “Let’s go eat”.

“Let’s stay here for a little longer” he hummed, gently wrapping his arms around you.

“The food will get cold…” you whispered against his lips as they searched for yours.

“I don’t mind…”

Not finding it in you to pull away, you let him softly trap your bottom lip in between his mouth, feeling him smile against yours when your hand cupped his cheek as you kissed him back.

“I missed you…” he whispered in between small kisses.

“We saw each other three days ago” you teased him.

“It’s not enough” he shook his head.

And it was not the same either.

Although you loved being back in your hometown and getting to see your parents during your break from college, the two of you had grown way too attached —or clingy, as your friends liked to call it— for the past year to get used to the small amount of time you got to spend together over here.

Even if you did get to see each other most days a week, it was either at one of your houses, where the most action you’d get would be cuddling on the couch and stealing a few kisses when no one was looking, or somewhere outside, where PDA was frowned upon. Intimacy was by this point something you would hardly ever get.

So, it was fair to say, both of you could not wait to go back home so you could spend the night, morning, afternoon and evening at each other’s with no one questioning it.

“Don’t pout” you pleaded with a pout of your own, tenderly tracing your thumb over his bottom lip.

“I’m not” he mumbled, only to have you squint your eyes at him when his pout was still there.

At that, he puckered his lips, not needing to say anything else for you to lean down and lock your lips with his.

“Oh, I have something that will cheer you up!” you excitedly pulled away.

Sitting up by the edge of the truck as soon as you abandoned his side, Jeongguk stared curiously at you while you looked for something inside the basket you had left on the table.

“Here” you said once you found what you had been looking for.

Going back to sit next to him, you handed him a nicely wrapped up heart-shaped box, laughing under your breath as you watched him stare at it for a moment before he took it in his faintly trembling hands.

“Yah, you didn’t have to get me anything” he shyly mumbled.

You couldn’t help the breathy laugh that had just escaped your mouth when, opposite to his words, he had rushed to open your present — your smile growing bigger at the sight of his eyes shining as soon as they got a glimpse of the chocolates inside.

“Oh my—baby…” his stunned eyes locked with yours.

Not only were their favourites, but it was also the first time he was given chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

“You like them?” you wondered with a smile.

“You even have to ask?” he laughed breathily. “You really didn’t have to, petal”.

“Of course I did, it’s tradition” you pointed out.

“They’re usually used to confess, though” he reminded you with a smirk. “We’re already together”.

“Well, I’m using every chance I get to confess my undying love for you”.

“Cheesy” he rolled his eyes.

“I believe the words you’re looking for are ‘thank you, petal, you are the absolute love of my life’” you hummed, teasingly batting your eyelashes for him.

Jeongguk chuckled, leaning in to gently kiss the bridge of your nose. “You know you are. Thank you, I love them”.

You smiled at his loving actions, gently bumping your nose on his. “Come to think of it, though, things would’ve been so much easier for us if I had gifted you a box of chocolates back in high school”.

“I would’ve died” he shamefully confessed.

High school Jeongguk receiving a box of chocolates from one of the most popular girls, who just so happened to be the person he was absolutely head over heels for? He would’ve passed out right then and there.

“Either that or I would have chickened out when the 14th of March came”.

“I would’ve killed you,” your overdramatic statement earned a throaty laugh from him as he pulled you into his embrace. “Seriously, you secretly gave me flowers for an entire year but you would’ve chickened out after I confessed to you?!”

“I was a secret admirer, that was the whole point” he defended himself.

You pouted. “I hate you”.

He laughed under his breath, pulling you to his chest. “I love you”.

You said nothing in response — your pout only growing more prominent.

“Yah…” he squeezed you against him. “Tell me you love me…”

That managed to earn a giggle from you, eyes softening the moment you stared up at him. “You know I love you”.

A bunny smile parted his lips at your confession, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead before he reached for a piece of chocolate and brought it up to your lips as a peace offering.

“No,” you shook your head. “They’re for you”.

He said nothing, instead motioning with his head for you to open up and bringing the goodie even closer to your mouth.

Rolling your eyes as you realised he would not give up on this one, you were the one to give in — biting down on it enough to hold it in between your teeth, yet not enough to break it in half and take it away from him.

“Yah,” he half laughed, half called you out. “Eat it all”.

You shook your head no, one small motion with your mouth towards him being all he needed to understand what you wanted him to do.

Feeling his cheeks burn, he looked around to see if anyone was looking, only to realise that the few other couples in the park were too far into their own worlds to even care.

So, not letting another second pass, he leaned in, faintly brushing your lips as he rushed to bite down on the other half of the piece of chocolate your teeth were holding, with the intention of pulling back right away.

You, on the other hand, seemed to have different plans, as he felt your lips trap his bottom one before he could do so — a muffled laugh coming out of your mouth as you threw your arm around his neck to stop him from pulling back, giving you the perfect chance to deepen the kiss you had just stolen from him.

The way his cheeks remained ever so flushed the moment you let go of him, made you want to kiss him all over again. But you stopped yourself, focusing instead on enjoying the delicious piece of chocolate that kept on melting in your mouth.

“No wonder they’re your favourite” you nodded after a couple of seconds.

Jeongguk agreed, swallowing it down as well. “I’ll have to keep eating them this way from now on, though. Otherwise they won’t taste as good anymore”.

Throwing your head back, you couldn’t hold back the throaty laugh that had just escaped your mouth — one that could only become louder when you watched him take another chocolate out of the box and place it between his teeth.

“Yah, Jeon Jeongguk” you called him out. “I said they were yours”.

Taking it momentarily out of his mouth so he could talk, he proceeded to fight back. “And I said I am only eating them like this from now on”.

Rolling your eyes as you watched the piece of chocolate go back in between his teeth, knowing well enough how stubborn your boyfriend could be and how there was no use fighting him, you leaned in — unlike him, slowly biting down on the chocolate, allowing him to take his sweet time stealing as many kisses as he wanted from you.

“Next year let’s go back to Seoul before Valentine’s Day” he mumbled against your lips, pressing one last kiss to them. “We can have a picnic over there instead”.

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “You like parks over there the best?”

He shook his head no. “So we can spend the night together afterwards”.

“Yah!” you called him out, looking around to make sure no one had heard that. Not like anyone would’ve anyway.

“What,” he laughed, enjoying having you be the one with heated cheeks for a change. “I said I missed you, didn’t I?”

You bit down on your lip. “Hopefully we’ll be living together by this time next year”.

Jeongguk let his forehead rest on yours, allowing a sigh to escape his lips at the thought of your plans. “That’d be the dream”.

“You know what else would be the dream?” you hummed against his mouth.

“Mm?”

“Eating food that is not completely cold” you pulled away before his lips could press on yours.

Laughing at him when you saw his mouth hanging open at your teasing antics, you took a seat by the table, playfully tapping the chair next to yours for him to take a seat as well, so you could have the lunch that had taken you hours to prepare for once and for all.

Letting out a defeated sigh, he closed the box of chocolates and placed it down on the blanket before he took a seat next to you.

“Ah, everything looks so delicious” he whined, reaching for a pair of chopsticks as he decided on what to have first.

“It does?”

“Mhm…” he nodded, deciding on getting a piece of gimbap first. “You owe me a kiss, though”.

Staring at him in amused disbelief, you couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think I’ve kissed you enough”.

“Don’t make me bring another chocolate” he threatened, earning another laugh from you.

“At this point, you’re finishing the entire box today”.

“Unless you kiss me with no need to bribe you”.

Cupping his face without notice, you pulled him into a quick kiss before he could keep on complaining, not being able to hide your smirk over the way his lips remained puckered up in surprise after you had pulled away.

“Good?” you pushed it.

Jeongguk shrugged, sitting up straight and trying his best not to show the effect you had on him, as he picked back the piece of gimbap he had dropped on his plate when you kissed him. “For now”.

After all, Valentine’s Day was just beginning and you had promised to make it all about him. You could bet he was definitely getting enough kisses from you to make up for the entire time you had spent apart in Busan.

#bts #bts imagines #jungkook imagines #jeon jungkook #bts fluff #jungkook fluff #kpop #kpop fanfic #bts fanfic #jungkook fanfic #bts scenarios #jungkook scenarios #bts reactions #jungkook reactions #bts fake texts #jungkook fake texts #bts x reader #jeon jungkook x reader #bts jungkook #jungkook

[pennylanefics]

Promise - Jacob Black

•••

“He’s asking to see you,” Carlisle says to Bella as he walks out of the house. Upon hearing this, your head shoots up and your eyes widen in curiosity. Why would he want to see her first?

It had been a rough night for everyone. Carlisle spent so long breaking his bones to put them back into place, Jacob’s painful cries breaking your heart each time they rang out. Paul and Embry sat beside you, comforting you when they did. They knew how you felt about Jacob, everyone did. Besides Jacob.

You were hopelessly in love with him, yet he was in love with Bella. He had been for so long, yet he never saw that she didn’t feel the same. Embry always reassured you, though, that Jacob felt something for you as well.

It’s just that Bella was his main focus, his first choice. And you were nothing. That proved to be true when the first person he wants to see after all this is her.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Embry whispers, rubbing your arm, warming you up instantly. You can’t help the tears that fall from your eyes, hating that you loved someone who didn’t love you back.

“No, it’s not, Em. I need to stop, I can’t keep doing this to myself.”

The pack of wolves share looks with one another, hearing Jacob’s thoughts as Bella gets up to leave, their conversation finished. Bella steps outside and looks to you with an awkward grin on her face.

“He wants to talk to you,” she says. Taking a moment, you nod and she leaves, Embry standing with you.

“Are you sure you want to, (Y/N)?” He asks. You nod and take a deep breath. He pulls you in for a hug, Paul doing the same seconds later.

Finally, you slowly make your way inside straight to Jake’s room, which thankfully moved to a larger room in the house than the small back room he was living in.

“Hi,” you murmur, stepping in and closing the door behind you.

“Hey,” he chokes out, struggling to breathe a little. You kneel on the ground next to his bed, not really knowing what to say.

“Were you crying?” He wonders. A low chuckle escapes your mouth and you wipe your cheeks.

“Uh, yeah. It wasn’t easy hearing you scream out like that. Everyone was at least tearing up.”

“Not Bella,” he says in a spiteful tone. You scoff immediately, realizing there was no going back from what you were about to say.

“She doesn’t care about you like that, Jacob. She loves Edward, and it’s time you move on,” you tell him.

“She does care about me. I know she does, she just doesn’t want to admit it because she’s scared.”

“Do you not hear yourself? She’s been with Edward for over a year, and she’s told you multiple times she feels nothing more than a friendship with you. Find someone else, someone who is willing to love you for you, and not because you’re a distraction and only seeing you as a friend.”

“Oh really? Where am I supposed to find someone like that, huh?” You laugh cynically and stand up.

“Right fucking here, Jacob. I have loved you for so long, yet you never saw it because you were so hung up with Bella. And honestly, I’m sick of this. I’m done trying to get your attention, I’m done trying to love you, and I’m done with whatever this is. I can’t keep being around you, reminded of how you will never look at me the way you look at Bella, or how I could possibly be your imprint, based on what Sam says, and how you will never feel the same way for me as I feel for you. It’s exhausting, and quite frankly, it’s not worth it anymore. Goodbye Jacob.”

You turn and walk out, not giving him a chance to explain, fearing that you would fall back into his arms if he even spoke of how sorry he was. You needed time, and you were hoping he would give that to you.

Embry immediately brings you into his arms when you step outside, comforting you as you quietly cry into his shoulder.

“Embry, why don’t you take her home,” Billy tells the young wolf. He nods and pulls away from you, grabbing your hand to take you to his car.

“How did it go?” Embry asks as you start the drive back into Forks.

“I told him he needs to move on from Bella, to find someone else who will love him for him. He got mad because he still believes Bella loves him and will leave Edward.”

“Did you tell him you love him?”

“Yeah,” you whisper. “I told him that someone is right in front of him, but it’s too exhausting to love someone who doesn’t love you back. I left before he could say anything else. I just...need space from him right now.”

“I know I shouldn’t tell you, because this telepathy is kind of invasive, but I hear him kicking himself right now. He’s thinking about how much he ruined your friendship and how awful he feels.”

“He didn’t feel too awful when I, coming to him as a friend, told him that what he is chasing after is no use.”

“I know, I know. But I just wanted to tell you that your words got to him, so you did the right thing.” A small smile breaks out onto your face and Embry notices.

The rest of the drive, you turn the radio on and listen to the soft songs play while you watched the tall trees pass by. When Embry got to your house, he was planning on leaving right away, but you ask him to stay.

“Would you stay with me? Just for tonight?” You ask. He agrees right away, seeing as you’ve gone through a lot within the past couple hours and being alone probably wasn’t the best option.

“We can have a movie night like we used to, before the whole shape-shifting thing,” he smiles, walking inside with you.

“That sounds great. I need a break from everything. I’ll get the popcorn and sodas, you find a movie. Comedy, please.”

“Of course.”

—

The days pass and Embry is now gone. He stayed with you the first couple days after everything happened. He knew you needed some company to lift your mood, and thankfully, he did.

You were much happier and coming to terms with how things ended with Jacob. Embry of course had to tell you what was going on, just so you were in the know. Jake had fully healed by now, and according to Paul, he was planning on visiting you sometime soon.

And that just so happened to be today.

You were doing some chores around the house when a knock sounds on your front door. Pausing your music, you answer it, thinking it’s the delivery man, as you were expecting a package, but to your surprise, you find Jacob.

“Uh, hi,” he mumbles, shoving his hands in his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet.

“Hi,” you clear your throat, not really knowing what to do or say.

“Um, I wanted to talk to you about what happened,” he begins. Seeing as it was a nice, rainy day out, you step outside, shutting the door behind you, and guide him over to the porch swing.

“What is it that you wanted to say exactly?” You ask, staring forward, not wanting to look at him just yet.

“I was an idiot. I let my emotions get the best of me and didn’t think about anyone else but myself.”

“You got that right,” you mumble to yourself, though Jacob hears.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N). I’m sorry for not seeing that you loved me and being so...caught up in someone else.”

“You don’t need to be sorry about that, Jake. You can’t help who you love. But when it comes down to it, the thing I’m upset about is the fact that even after Bella told you so many times that she doesn’t love you like you love her, you still tried to pursue her. You didn’t let her go like you should have an found someone who actually cares for you.” He nods along to your words, which were very similar to what you said to him a few nights ago.

“I see that now. I got a stern talking from both my dad and Sam, and the rest of the pack, and I can’t believe how horrible I’ve been acting and…” He looks at you, finding you staring at him already. Although you didn’t really want to see him, you still felt some sort of love for him. Watching him talk was so mesmorizing.

His mouth opens and closes as he tries to say something, and he soon realizes what it is. You are in fact his imprint. You feel it too. He’s told you about imprinting before, when he told you about Sam and Emily, and the feeling he described his imprintee would feel, this was it.

“Jacob,” you whisper.

“God, I am so fucking stupid,” he finally breaks the stare to lean his arms on his knees, his head in his hands, disappointed in himself. Your hand comes up to rub his shoulder, making him flinch a little.

“Sorry,” you murmur, removing your hand. Jacob sits back up and shakes his head.

“I just, I can’t believe you’re the one. I’m so dumb.”

“Well, yeah,” you chuckle. “But again, you can’t help who you fall for.”

“Except for I could. I could have dropped Bella, but I didn’t. And I hope you understand how truly sorry I am.”

“Are you sorry for it because you’re sorry for it, or because I’m your imprint?”

“I am sorry for it, and the imprint goes with it because I feel the pain I put you through. I can feel how heartbroken you are, and I hate myself for it.”

“I mean, I’m still not happy about how everything went down, and how you still refused to think Bella wouldn’t leave Edward for you. But, I’m not going to reject the imprint, and I know we can’t be away from each other for long, so we’re going to have to work through this.”

Jacob smiles softly and holds his hand out for you to take. Reluctantly, you place your hand in his, which immediately closes around it.

“I promise to never hurt you like this again. If you give me a chance to love you, or if that’s no longer an option, then I’ll be your protector. You’re by my side forever.”

“Jake, you really did hurt me,” his face falls, nodding his head. “But I can’t say that I don’t love you anymore. All I’ve thought about these past couple days after Embry went to sleep, was you. How I wanted to be spending time with you, but you were in love with another girl.”

“I’ll wait as long as you need me to,” he whispers, squeezing your hand. “If it means we can be together, because I want to give this a chance, a chance to do things right and not have someone else in the way.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I’ve thought over everything since you left and with Bella out of my mind, I was finally able to think about you. And all the times that we’ve spent together, when I talk about Bella and your face would just slightly fall. I remembered all the little things that you did because you loved me, but I never saw them. But trust me, that part of my life is over. She’s gone, and it’s just us going forward.”

“You promise?” You grin a little. Jacob nods.

“I promise. And I won’t be breaking that anytime soon.” You curl up into his side, your head falling to his shoulder.

“Good. Because she stole too much of our time together and I can’t lose you again.”

“Hey,” he whispers, sitting up and tilting your chin so you look at him. “You’re not gonna lose me. We have this special connection now. And no one is going to steal you from me. Ever again. I mean..”

“Unless it’s our child?” Jacob chuckles, finding it funny that you were thinking the exact same thing, leading him to think that a relationship is very much possible in the future.

“Exactly, darling.”

#jacob black #jacob black imagines #jacob black imagine #jacob black x reader #twilight #the twilight saga #twilight new moon #twilight eclipse #twilight trilogy #imagines #fanfiction #fanfic

[musicshylover]

Precious Arrival

Pairing: Jason DiLaurentis x OC

Genre: Fluff

Summary: Babysitting with Jason and surprising him with the greatest news! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images and the pretty little liars characters or the storylines. They belong to Marlene King and Sara Shepard.

Third person’s pov

"Are you sure you both will be alright?" Emily asked worriedly as she looked at Ami. Alison and her were going out to spent the day together to celebrate their anniversary.

Ami had volunteered to help them to take care of Grace and Lily(their daughters) when Emily told her about their anniversary.

"Jason and I will be fine! Don't worry Em! Just relax and enjoy the day together!" Ami said as she smiled at both of the girls.

"Just call us in case of anything." Alison said as she smiled back at the girl.

Ami nodded as she watched the two girls walked towards their car and headed off.

As Ami walked back into the house, she almost squealed in delight at the scene in front of her.

Jason was playing with the twins, making funny faces which caused the twins to laugh. Jason had not notice her standing there yet as he was too busy playing with them.

Looking at the interaction between the twins and her husband, Ami placed her hand on her belly as she smiled and spoke softly to her own baby. "I'm sure daddy will be so happy when mommy tell him about you! Mummy loves you so much and I’m sure Daddy will too! Thank you for coming to us!"

Ami had just found out that she was pregnant a few days ago but she had yet to tell her husband. She wanted to give him a surprise on his upcoming birthday which is coincidentally the day after. She had planned to tell him right after midnight today.

They have had conversations about having a family before together and had came to an agreement that they were both at the right age and it was a good time to walk into the next step of their life. So when Ami found out she was pregnant, she was jumping with joy and couldn't wait for her husband to know. She hadn't told anyone yet as she wanted Jason to be the first to know.

She was sure that her mum would be very happy when she heard that she was going to have another grandchild again.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a toy car hitting her feet. She looked over at the twins that were smiling cutely at her and proceeded to pick up the car and joined her husband to play with the kids.

_______________________________________________

It was definitely not easy taking care of babies.  Ami and Jason had spend the whole day playing and attending to the needs of the twins.

Although it was tiring, but the couple had done everything together and figured everything out.

It was a new experience for the both of them. They both couldn't help but feel excited to have their own child. The thought of a mini version of themselves running around in the house brought a smile up to their faces.

_______________________________________________

Ami was washing the dishes in the kitchen as Jason placed the twins to bed. He covered them with their blanket gently as he smiled softly at the sleeping twins.

Afterwards, he left the room quietly and went to the kitchen to find his wife.

Ami was wiping the last plate to dry when she felt arms wrapped around her from behind. Smiling softly,  she leaned back into her husband's embrace.

"I didn't know you were so great with children." Ami said as she felt her husband kissing her cheek.

Jason chuckled as he replied, "Gotta be prepared for our own child, I’m gonna be the best dad."

"I am sure you will be!" Ami says as she turned around in his embrace and held his face.

"And I'm sure you will be the best mom." The couple smiled lovingly at each other as they leaned in to close the gap between their lips.

_______________________________________________

It was already past midnight when Ami stepped out of the shower. She went to check on the twins before proceeding to find her husband that was in the living room.

As she walked closer to the living room, she could hear the noise from the television. Her smile softened as she saw her husband who had fallen asleep on the sofa. He must have been tired from taking care of the twins the whole day.

Ami turned off the tv and quietly approached Jason who was still sound asleep on the sofa. She kneeled down softly close to her husband and gently brushed a few strands of his hair away from his eyes.

She smiled lovingly at the sleeping boy, and whispered softly to him, "Happy birthday! Thank you for being the best husband and always giving me a shoulder to lean on. I love you!" Ami then proceeded to press a kiss to his lips.

As she started to pull away from the kiss, she felt arms around her which pulled her back into another kiss. Without breaking the kiss, Jason had rolled onto his back on the sofa and pulled Ami along with him. She landed on top of his chest as she looked into the pretty green eyes of her lover.

"Were you pretending to be asleep?" Ami laughed as they pulled away from the kiss. Jason smirked as he replied, "If I hadn’t, I would have missed those heartfelt words."

A smile tugged at her lips as she laid her head on his broad chest. Jason slowly runs his fingers through her hair as they enjoyed the moment together before he pressed a kiss on the crown of her head and said, "I love you too!"

No matter how many times Ami had heard those words from Jason, her heart still warms when she heard it. Feeling glad to have him by her side, she smiled happily, closing her eyes and listening to his heartbeat as she laid on his chest.

They stood in that position for awhile before Ami suddenly remembered the surprise she had planned.

"I have a present for you." Ami broke the silence as she pulled away from the embrace and walked to get a small box that was wrapped nicely.

Jason looked at her curiously as she handed the box to him. He shook the box lightly first, trying to figure out what was inside, before tearing open the wrapping paper and opening the box.

When he opened the box, he was surprised to see the content inside.

Inside the box, was a pregnancy test stick showing two lines. Knowing the meaning of what the two lines meant, he immediately turned to Ami wanting to confirm what he was thinking. When she nodded her head confirming his suspicion, his face broke into a huge smile as he immediately pulled her into a hug.

Nothing could seem to describe the emotion he was feeling now. He was overjoyed.  He then proceeded to continuously press kisses on Ami's face, thanking her for giving him the best birthday gift ever. Ami giggled as she pushed Jason’s face away from her’s, feeling ticklish from the kisses Jason was pressing against her face.

With the smile still on his face, Jason moved his hand gently to her belly and looked lovingly at the baby. "Thank you for coming into our world! Daddy can't wait to hold you!"

Ami’s heart swells with happiness seeing Jason so happy after hearing the news about the baby.

"Do you think our baby is a boy or a girl?" She asked the boy curious to hear his preference.

Jason's eyes shined as he replied, "I will love both equally. If it is a girl, she will be my little princess that I promise I will protect forever. If it is a boy, I will teach him many things and we will protect their mummy together."

Ami laughed as she looked at the bright smile on her husband’s face.

The feeling of excitement for the precious arrival of their baby was what the couple had felt at this moment. They promise to love and protect their baby together forever. And were going to build a happy home together with no secrets for their child.

#jason dilaurentis oneshot #jason dilaurentis x oc #jason dilaurentis #pll imagine #pll #pretty little liars imagines #pretty little liars #jason dilaurentis imagines #Jason DiLaurentis imagine

[leossmoonn]

Second Chance

masterlist

pairing - carl gallagher x fem!reader

type - fluff, lil angst

note / request - “hi! can we get a carl x reader during like season 10. they were together in the past and they broke up, but hang out everyday. but carl still likes her so he tries getting her back.” this is so trash lmao, but enjoy!

summary - you and carl dated a while back, but now are just friends. he spends the day with you, hoping to win you back

warnings - language, underage drinking, suggestive content but no real smut

————

*gif isnt mine* 

“Hey, C-Bear!” You called out.

“‘Sup, Y/n/n!” Carl smiled at you. You ran up the stairs of his porch and gave him a tight hug.

“How was Florida?” Carl asked once you pulled back.

“Hot as shit, but fun. How was Chicago?” You asked a giggle.

“Same old,” he shrugged.

You looked at your best friend and smiled. “So, what’re we gonna do today? It is the last day of summer.”

“I was thinking of just hanging out here. It’s too hot to do anything,” Carl shrugged.

You nodded, “Sounds good.”

You two walked into Carl’s house. You saw Franny on the couch with Debbie.

“Hey, Debs. Hi, Fran-Fran!” You squealed and went over to Franny.

“Y/n!” Franny exclaimed.

“How have you been, squirt?” You asked the little girl, picking her up in your arms.

“Good,” she smiled widely. “Good,” you smiled.

Carl looked at you while talking to Franny, absolutely mesmerized.

You and Carl had dated the previous summer. You two had a good run. You lasted for 6 months before Carl had met a girl named Anne at his job. You noticed him slipping away slowly everyday. It broke your heart and you knew that you had to end it. Carl obviously didn’t realize he was falling in love with someone else, so you sat him down and told him you were breaking up with him. It hurt like a bitch for you, but you knew it was for the best so you wouldn’t end up getting more hurt in the end. You handled it maturely, telling him that you two could still be friends no matter what. You two were friends way before you dated, anyways. 

Carl handled it differently, though. He was angry at you for accusing him for falling in love with another girl. He cursed at you, stormed out of your car, and didn’t talk to you for 2 weeks. You missed him, but you were kind of thankful he left you alone. 

In those 2 weeks, you were able to rediscover your self worth. You managed to convince yourself that Carl was just like every other guy at your age; stupid. You knew you were hot shit and if he didn’t want you, then that was his loss. 

Even though you said this to yourself everyday, the hurt feelings didn’t stop. It took you a good 2 months to stop thinking about Carl and Anne together, him possibly cheating on you while he was on the job. You finally got over all the anxious thoughts and were happier now. You’d never admit it, but you were still in love with Carl, and you knew that he was the one, but the one that got away. 

Those 2 weeks for Carl were absolute hell. He missed you so much and started to pull away from Anne. Pulling away from Anne made him realize that you were right. That he was slowly falling in love with another woman, but he also realized that he loved you more. He took those 2 weeks to straighten himself up. He did pep-talks with himself, had his brothers help him out in what to do. They gave him hell for letting you go. Even they knew you were the one for him and reminded him of it everyday.  

Carl called you up after those two weeks and you agreed to try and be friends. It was hard for the first month, for both of you. You two were quiet and awkward when you hung out. You wouldn’t even hug him goodbye when you left his house, much less a high-five. But, it gradually got easier. You two saw each other more and fell into a comfortable rhythm, which consisted of you ignoring your feelings of love for him, and Carl acknowledging his feelings for you, always thinking of ways to get you back, but none of them working out. 

Now it was a year later and you two were back to being best friends like you were before you started dating. You had pushed the feelings you had for Carl away so much, it was barely there anymore. It was the opposite for Carl, he was still so deeply in love with you. So now that it was the last day of summer, he had planned to spend the whole day with you, try and woo you and get you back. 

“Are you hungry?” Carl asked, grabbing back your attention. 

You nodded. “Starving.”

“I think we have some cookies we can bake, right Debs?” Carl asked his sister. 

“I think so. We also have decorating icing, too,” Debbie said. 

“Great! What kind of cookies do you guys have?” You asked, going over to the kitchen.  “Just chocolate chip, I think. Maybe sugar cookies?” Debbie said. 

You hummed and looked in their fridge and found two rolls of chocolate chip and sugar cookies. 

“Found ‘em!” You exclaimed excitedly. 

Carl went into the kitchen with you, smiling at the happy expression you had on your face.

“Help me put them on a tray?” You asked. 

Carl nodded and went next to you. He took the sugar cookie roll and broke it into pieces. Debbie walked over to the kitchen, taking a seat, wanting to catch up with you.

“So, why did you guys do in Florida?” Debbie asked. 

“Went swimming, went to Universal Studios. We went to a lot of nice restaurants. I met a few cute guys there, too,” you smiled. 

“Ooh, really?” Debbie smirked. “Any that stuck?”

“This one kid named Josh. We played volleyball on the beach for a while. He told me he liked my swim suit,” you smirked. 

“Did you two hook up,” Debbie asked.  

Carl tensed at her words. He hoped you would say no. You weren’t like someone to jump into things like that so fast. Sure, you had a few boyfriends before Carl, but he knew that you took time in getting to know him. Plus, your first time was with him. 

“Nah. I’m pretty sure he had a girlfriend. There was a girl on the beach that kept glaring at me and hanging onto his arm. I even saw them kiss a few times,” you snorted. 

“Wow, he sounds like an ass,” Debbie said. 

“Yep. That’s why I rejected his kind offer to fuck,” you laughed.

“Atta girl,” Debbie gave you a high-five. 

“Yeah, I didn’t really feel like becoming the talk of the town or whoever those people lived,” you chuckled. 

"It’s good you said no,” Carl chimed in. 

“Oh, yeah, why? Besides the obvious,” you raised a brow. 

“Because it’s not you to hook up randomly,” Carl said. 

“Are you implying I’m a prude,” you chuckled. 

“No, no. I just... you waited until we dated to fuck, I-”

“Yeah, yeah,” you cut Carl off. You moved to put the cookies in the oven. Carl couldn't see it, but you were very flustered.

Him mentioning your romantic past brought up memories. These memories were the ones you didn’t mind remembering. They just made your legs weak heart swell. 

Carl was right, you did wait until you two were dating to have sex. You wanted it to be special and even though you two were just friends at the time, before you two were dating, you knew that sex with him would be special. And to your delight, it was. He was gentle, sweet, loving. He payed attention to you the whole time. It was one of the things you knew would live in your memory forever. 

“You waited?” Debbie asked. “Yeah,” you stood back up and shrugged. 

“Wow, I wish I had your self control,” Debbie snorted.

“It wasn't about self control. It was just knowing who was right for me,” you said. Your gaze fell on Carl as you said those words. 

He had a small on his face, to which you returned. Your heart fluttered at the sight, which made you avert your gaze immediately. Even though you didn’t mind the memories, you did mind the feelings they and him brought. As much as you hated to admit it, a part of you was still attracted to him. 

That part of you was the one you constantly had to push away. You had to remind yourself what he did. How he fell in love with another girl. How he let go someone good, kind, so loving and supportive. You knew if you let that other part of you invade your mind and feelings, you would be in his bed making out with him and possibly getting hurt, which was something you didn’t want. 

“How long do these have to bake?” Carl asked. 

“Like 15-20 minutes,” you said. He nodded and put his tray in the oven. 

“Wanna watch a movie?” Carl asked. 

“Sure,” you nodded. 

“I’m gonna go and meet Claudia. Watch Franny for me?” Debbie asked. 

“I’d love to!” You smiled. You loved Franny. She was such an easy and good kid to watch. She took care of herself, too, so all you had to do was make her food whenever she was hungry.

“Great, thank you. I’ll see you guys later!” Debbie smiled and left the house. 

“Franny, do you wanna watch a movie with us?” You asked the little girl. 

“Yeah!” She smiled. 

“Great! What movie do you want to watch?” You asked. 

Carl smiled at you as you talked to Franny. Seeing you play with Franny was one of the things that made him fall in love with you. Seeing a girl good with kids was attractive as hell. 

“She wants to watch Sleeping Beauty,” you said and walked over with Franny to the couch. 

“Alright. I’ll put in the DVD,” Carl said. 

“Thanks,” you smiled.

He smiled back at you and nodded. You sat on the couch, Franny sitting next to you. Carl walked back to the couch and groaned internally. He was planning on sitting next to you so you could lay your head on his shoulders whenever you go tired, which was something you did during every movie you two watched together. But now you couldn’t do that because Franny was sitting in the middle. 

“What’s wrong, C-Dog?” You noticed his annoyance. 

“Nothing. I’ve just watched this movie a billion times,” he sighed. 

“That's what you get for having a little child in the house,” you chuckled and turned your attention over to the movie. 

About 20 minutes in the movie, the oven beeped, singling that the cookies were done. 

“Franny, do you want to decorate cookies or watch the movie?” You asked while getting up. 

“I wanna watch the movie,” she said. 

“Alright, kid. Don’t cause any trouble in here. Aunt Y/n and Uncle Carl will be in the kitchen,” you said and patted her head. 

She giggled and you left to go to the kitchen with Carl. 

“You’re really good with her,” Carl complimented you. 

“Thank you. I have two little brothers, so I’ve learned a thing or two about kids. You just gotta treat them like adults, but also make sure they know they’re boundaries. Franny is such a good kid, though, she doesn’t need a lot of boundaries or rules,” you explained. 

Carl nodded. “Oh, yeah. How are Lucas and Lyle?”

“Trouble,” you chuckled. Carl laughed with you. “I bet not as much trouble as I was when I was little.”

“Hm, true,” you giggled, recalling memories of when you two were in elementary school. 

“You’ve shaped up good, though. Military school helped with that,” you complimented. 

“Thank you. You’ve always been good. Even when we broke up,” Carl remarked. 

You met his eyes. A frown was plastered on your lips. “Thank you. I try not to be sour and shit. I know it gets me nowhere.”

“Yeah, I learned that the hard way,” Carl sighed, referring two his 2-week temper tantrum. 

You gave him a kind smile. “It’s alright. I’m glad we stayed friends, though.”

Yeah, friends, Carl thought in dismay.

He put on a fake smile though. “Me, too.”

You went over to the cupboard and got out some decorative icing that you found. You put them on the kitchen counter and picked up a sugar cookie. 

“What’re you gonna put on yours?” You asked. 

“A penis,” Carl said. 

You rolled your eyes, but laughed. “I take back what I said about you shaping up.”

Carl laughed with you,  “Hey! Not fair. You asked me and I responded honestly.”

“True,” you giggled. You squirted some icing on Carl’s face, irrupting into a fit of laughter when it got all over the left side of his face. 

“And I take back what I said about you always being mature!” Carl exclaimed, squirting some icing on you. It landed on your collar bone. Carl eyed the bare skin, licking his lips, wishing he could lick it up. 

You noticed his stare. Your heart couldn’t help but race. You felt yourself start to get sweaty under your armpits. You averted your gaze and got a towel to wipe the icing off. Carl grabbed the towel out of your hands. 

“Here, let me,” Carl offered. “I was the one to make the mess.” You rolled his eyes. You knew this was one of his ways of trying to flatter you and kiss you. You let him, though. You would never admit it to anyone, but you liked when he did these things. Not so much because he was still pining over you, but it reminded you of how much of a caring boyfriend he was. 

You leaned against the counter while Carl wetted the towel. He gently wiped the icing of your collar bone. Your heart skipped a beat as his fingertips brushed lightly over your skin. His face was abnormally close to yours, too. He was crouched down and looked up to you every so often. It made your stomach flip. It reminded you of when he ate you out, looking up at you with his lips glistening. You averted your gaze, feeling warmth spread between your legs. 

Carl was taking an annoyingly long time. You sighed heavy, hoping he would be done soon because if not, you would just end up kissing him. To your releif, he backed away from you, throwing the towel in the sink. He got another towel to wipe his face off.  

Even though you looked relieved on the outside, your heart was begging for him to comeback and be close to again, to tease you. 

“Did you like that?” Carl asked, smirking at you. 

“No, you were very slow,” you lied. Carl frowned at you and looked away. You felt bad, but you didn’t say anything.

“Let’s finish the cookies so Franny can eat some,” you said. 

Carl nodded. You two decorate the cookies in silence. You put them on plates, bringing them into the living room. 

“Here, Franny,” you said and put one of the plates on the table. You sat back down, Carl following slowly after you. 

You took a few cookies, giving Franny two and keeping two for yourself. 

“Thank you,” Franny said. 

You gave her a sweet smile. “You are very welcome.”

Carl took a couple cookies and slumped back on the couch. The tension between you two was thick. It hadn't been like this for a while, but you knew to just let it subside until you felt ready to talk again. Luckily, the movie was still going, so you had an excuse to not converse. By the end of the movie, Franny had fallen asleep. Her head was on your lap and the rest of her body was on Carl’s. When the movie was done, Carl helped you carry Franny back up to Debbie’s room. You two tucked her in and went back downstairs. 

You went back into the kitchen, grabbing two beer bottles for Carl and you. 

“Thanks,” Carl said when you handed him a bottle. 

You hummed in reply and sat back down on the couch. You turned on the TV, switching to re-runs. Carl sat next to you, leaving lots of space in-between you two.  

“How is everyone else doing?” You asked. 

“Good. Lip and Tami have Freddy and Ian has Mickey,” Carl said. 

“Wow, everyone is shacked up, huh?” You asked. 

“Yeah, even Debbie. She gets mad money, too,” Carl chuckled. 

“It’s weird the way the world works,” you remarked, half paying attention to Golden Girls. “Have you met any girls this summer?” You asked, your stomach flipping thinking about his answer.

“A few, but I’m not really interesting in dating,” Carl shrugged. 

You turned to him, fully surprised. “Carl Gallagher, not interested in dating? I think the world is ending.”

Carl chuckled, “I’m just not interesting in dating the girls I met.” Carl scooted closer to you while saying those words, putting a hand on your thigh. 

Your heart pounded against your ribcage. Carl was getting closer and closer to you. You didn’t move, though. You liked his touch and being in his vicinity. 

“Who are you interested in dating?” You whispered. 

Carl’s eyes burned into yours. They drifted down to your lips and back up to your eyes. Your body shivered and butterflies shot down your whole body. You found yourself moving closer to him, putting your hand over his. 

“You,” Carl spoke. 

You looked into his eyes deeply. You could tell he meant what he said. The look on his face was almost enough for you to kiss him, but you pulled away. His hand slipped off your thigh. You stood up off the couch, putting on your shoes. 

“I should go. It’s late and my parents are probably wondering where I am,” you said, avoiding eye contact. 

“No, stay. Your parents know where you are and probably aren’t worried. You always stay over,” Carl protested. 

“I’m tired, anyways. Plus, Lucas and Lyle probably miss me,” you made up more excuses and went  to the front door. 

Carl ran to you and put his hand on your arm. 

“Stay, Y/n. I’m not letting you go this time,” Carl said. 

You turned to him, tears in your eyes. “I don’t love you anymore, Carl, not like that.”

“I know you’re lying. I’m not as dumb as people think, okay? I see it in your eyes. I notice you breathing heavily when I come close to you. I know you still love me. I still love you. I’m still in love with you,” he confessed. 

“Listen, Carl,” you sighed. “I know you want to make it up to me, I appreciate it, but I’m not letting myself get hurt again.”

“I know I hurt you, Y/n. I’m so sorry for what I did. I’m stupid as shit. It hurts me every fucking time I see you. It hurt me so much to see you cry because of me. I do want to make it up to you, but I also want you back. I need you, Y/n. Please, give me a chance. I need you so fucking bad,” Carl pleaded. His voice broke and tears shined in his eyes. 

You shook your head. “I said I don’t love you anymore! Let me go!” You shouted. You wanted so desperately to get out of the house because you knew if you stayed, you would end up kissing him. 

“No,” Carl said. With that, he pulled you into his arms and crashed his lips on yours. 

With Carl’s arms wrapped around you, holding you tight, and his soft lips on yours, you could’t help but finally give in. You melted into the kiss, putting your hands on the nape of his neck, playing with his hair. Carl slammed you against the wall, his fingertips digging into your sides. The kiss was fast, rough, passionate. 

You were so glad that you gave in. You missed this feeling more than you would ever admit.

Carl pulled away, putting his hand on your cheek. His thumb ran across your bottom lip. His eyes stared into yours. 

“Give me another chance. I promise I won’t hurt you again,” Carl promised. 

You sighed and nodded. You knew he had good intentions, and that he was the one for you. “You better not. Or I will beat you up.”

Carl smiled, pulling you into another deep kiss. 

————

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#carl gallagher x reader #carl gallagher imagines #carl gallagher imagine #carl gallagher #shameless #shameless season 10 #shameless imagine #ethan cutkosky #ethan cutkosky imagine #carl gallagher x reader smut #carl gallagher smut #carl gallagher x fem reader #carl gallagher fluff

[shemarmooresfedora]

Rebuilding Family

Summary: Y/N and Spencer were college sweethearts at Cal-Tech but once Spencer got accepted to the FBI Academy, he ended things deciding it was not fair to make Y/N wait for him. When they meet again years later, he discovers something unexpected.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Content/Warnings: pure fluff and a happy ending as promised :)

A/N: the final chapter 😭❤️ see my full note at the end

Masterlist

Chapter 37

“What’s your location? Over,” the walkie talkie on the kitchen counter crackled.

“Dino chicken nuggets are coming out of the oven as we speak. Over,” you replied back.

“Roger that. Over and out,” Jo stated and the walkie talkie went back to static.

Spencer got them as a gift for her and she would constantly have one with her, giving the other to someone before leaving the room so they could talk through it.

You headed out to the back porch and down the steps into the yard with a big plate of nuggets and dipping sauces as well as some juice boxes and applesauce for the twins.

“Coast is clear. Do you copy? Over,” you spoke into the walkie talkie.

“Affirmative. Bring ‘em up,” Jo exited the main part of the treehouse and you saw her on its little porch.

Spencer had built her a little pulley system with a basket and rope so she could lower or raise items up into the treehouse instead of carrying them up the ladder.

You placed the food and drinks inside and then made your way up the wooden ladder.

“Thank you, Mommy,” Jo smiled as she bit into a nugget.

“No problem, Cadet Jo,” you ruffled her hair up a little as she giggled.

You ducked to get through the door of the treehouse and sat down on a cushion on the floor next to Spencer who had both the twins in his lap.

“What are we watching?” you asked as you clipped the twins’ bibs on.

“Cars!” Jo cheered.

“I wanted to watch a subtitled Russian film but I was ‘boo’ed when I made that suggestion,” Spencer grinned as he grabbed the spoon to start feeding the babies.

“Hm I wonder why,” you teased.

Once Jo got the movie playing on the laptop, she took a seat in your lap with the plate of nuggets and took turns eating one, then handing one to you, then Spencer.

Once all the kids were fast asleep in your laps and the credits were rolling, you turned to Spencer.

“You and Derek really did a good job building this treehouse, love,” you complimented him.

“Anything for my family,” he smiled, then leaned over to kiss you.

-

It was the morning of Jo’s 8th birthday party. You wanted to make it extra special in light of what happened at her 7th birthday party.

Spencer kept reminding you that it wasn’t your fault a psychopath shot you and sent you to the hospital but you just wanted to give Jo the party she deserves.

You rented a bouncy house and an inflatable water slide. Spencer was doing a magic show and Penelope was doing face paintings. You baked a huge stegosaurus-shaped cake from scratch. No kid would be bored and Jo would have an amazing time.

You settled for having it in your backyard instead of the park now that you had plenty of room. The whole team came over earlier to help set up.

Penelope got all her paints organized on the porch table as Spencer set up his mini stage for the performance. Hotch and Derek filled the slide with water while you and Emily carefully brought the massive cake to the table outside.

Jo came running outside already in her swimsuit, eager to get the first splash in the water slide.

“You have to come with me, Uncle Derek,” she insisted.

“Jo, I don’t have my swimsuit on,” he replied.

“You’re in athletic shorts. They’ll dry quick,” Savannah, his girlfriend, yelled from where she was setting up the food table.

Derek looked to Hotch to help him out. Hotch pointed back to Jo who was giving him puppy dog eyes.

“Fine,” he groaned, taking off his shirt which elicited a holler from Penelope.

Jo made her way up the steps with Derek right behind her.

Jo sat down in Derek’s lap and then turned around to face him.

“Okay, ready?” she asked him.

Derek nodded and then pushed off, sending them both down the slippery slide.

“Weee!” Jo exclaimed as they slid down.

“Again,” she demanded, “Where’s Daddy?”

“He went to put his swimsuit on, Baby J, so he can go with you,” you told her as you set Ollie down next to Ophelia in the playpen outside.

“Coming, Princess!” Spencer ran outside and scooped the little girl up in his arms as he trekked up the steps.

“How about we go down like a penguin this time?” he suggested.

Jo nodded enthusiastically as Spencer got onto his belly and Jo laid on top of him and wrapped her hands around his neck.

“1…2…3!” Spencer pushed off and they raced down the slide again, Jo giggling the whole time.

“Again!” Jo said.

“I think we are going to have to buy one of these, love,” Spencer called over to you, laughing and running up the stairs right behind Jo again.

-

“Please welcome my lovely assistant to the stage,” Spencer spoke in his magician tuxedo.

You waved as the audience clapped. You were wearing a sparkly red sequin dress to compliment Spencer’s bow tie.

“I am going to make my assistant…disappear,” he stated.

The kids in the audience gasped.

Spencer took your hand and guided you to the big black box in the center of the stage.

“Just like we practiced,” he whispered to you as you stepped inside.

You winked and he kissed your hand as he let go and closed the door.

Spencer knocked on the door a few times and wiggled his hands for some showmanship.

“Okay, on the count of 3. We’re all going to yell ‘Abracadabra’,” Spencer explained, “1…2…3!”

“Abracadabra!” all the kids yelled.

Spencer set off a small smoke bomb and quickly opened the door, revealing an empty box.

The kids all screamed in wonder.

“Bring Mommy back!” Jo yelled.

You had to stifle your laughter from behind the fake wall in the box you were hiding behind.

“Your wish is my command, Princess,” Spencer closed the door again.

“To reverse the spell, we need to say the exact same word,” Spencer stated.

“Abracadabra!” the kids yelled once again.

This time, you opened the door and the kids clapped enthusiastically.

“For this next trick, I need a volunteer from the audience,” Spencer smiled.

All the kids’ hands shot up in the air.

“I’m going to have to go with the wonderful birthday girl right in the front row,” you took Jo’s hand and escorted her up onto the stage.

“Jo, I need you to pick a card, any card. Show the audience but not me,” Spencer fanned the cards out in his hands and closed his eyes.

Jo picked the ace of hearts and showed the audience.

“Now, put it back in the pile,” he said.

“Alright,” Spencer opened his eyes and began to shuffle the cards, “Is this your card?” he asked, holding the eight of spades.

“No, Daddy. Try again,” Jo said.

“Is this it?” he questioned, holding the queen of diamonds.

“No, Daddy.”

“Oh,” Spencer smacked his forehead, “I know where I put it,” he pulled off his top hat.

Spencer then proceeded to pull a bouquet of flowers, an endless handkerchief, a rubber chicken, and many other silly things out of his hat that had the kids in tears from laughing.

Finally, he pulled out the ace of hearts, “Is this your card, Princess?”

“Yes, Daddy!” she beamed, hugging him.

-

Jo’s birthday was a complete success. She was completely worn out by the end of it and slept in late the next morning.

But when she did finally wake, she was eager to try out her gift that you and Spencer had gotten her: a big kid bike with no training wheels. It was purple which was her favorite color with a white basket on the front and a little bell on the handlebars.

You and Spencer were going to teach her how to ride it today. She padded up with some knee pads and elbow pads and her helmet.

You had the twins in their double stroller with mini bucket hats on to protect them from the sun.

“Okay, Jo. Me and Daddy will run with you for a little but then we’re going to let go but you’re going to keep pedaling,” you explained to her.

“I’m scared,” she replied, looking at the street in front of her.

You were practicing in the street in front of your house because it wasn’t very busy and it was flat. Plus, you could leave the twins in the stroller in the driveway.

“It’s okay, Baby J. You’ve got all your padding on so even if you fall, it won’t hurt at all, I promise,” you assured her.

“I believe in you, Princess,” Spencer kissed her helmet-covered head.

“I’m ready,” she nodded, moving her feet to the pedals.

“That’s my girl,” you smiled.

You and Spencer began to jog alongside her as she pedaled.

Spencer looked at you, “Okay, Princess. We’re letting go.”

You and Spencer both removed your hands from her bike and she continued to speed forward.

“Yes, Jo! You’re doing it! ” you encouraged her.

“Princess, can you turn around and come back to me and Mommy?” Spencer asked.

Jo carefully steered her bike and headed back to you both with a massive smile on her face. You and Spencer were loudly cheering her on.

“Okay, try to brake,” you said.

Jo slowly came to a stop right in between you both.

“You’re a pro!” you grinned as you both knelt down to hug her.

-

Jo had been biking for the past hour and she was still having a blast.

You and Spencer were laying in the front yard with the twins in your laps.

“Mommy, Daddy! Look!” Jo exclaimed as she did donuts on the bike.

“We’re looking, Baby J,” you laughed, “Great job!”

You leaned your head on Spencer’s shoulder.

“Y/N…” Spencer began.

“Yes, Spence?”

“Thank you,” he replied.

“For what?” you looked up at him.

“All this,” he motioned to Jo, the twins, the house, the yard, the chalk drawings on the driveway, the rocking chairs on the front porch, the doormat that said ‘The Reids’, everything he ever dreamed of, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” you kissed him, “I’d give you the world if I could.”

“You already have,” he smiled.

A/N: thank you everyone so so so much for reading, commenting, reblogging, etc.! i love you all so much. i’m probably going to miss this too much and do one-shots of this series in the future. also, this series hit 14,000 on ao3! that’s crazy that that many people read my work. thank you, just thank you! -dory <3

main taglist (just ask to be added/removed!): @samuel-de-champagne-problems @g0lden-cth @spencerreid9 @averyhotchner @coldlilheart @k-k0129 @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange @harrystylesandthegoobs @cmily @jswessie187 @rem-ariiana @hoodpankow @mochionly @spencerreid-187 @babymetaldoll @fics4arainyday @ssavanessa22 @all-tings-diego @idonotexiste @beepbooptoop @tvandfanfic @mggsprettygirl @big-galaxy-chaos @navs-bhat

series taglist: @doctorreiding @reidsfish

#spencer reid fluff #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid #spencer reid x you #spencer reid fic #dr spencer reid #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid fanfiction #reid x reader #cm fic #cm fanfic #dad!spencer

[inkmemes]

this  country  (  2017  -  2020  )  sentence  starters ↪  taken  from  the  bbc  mockumentary.  trigger  warning  for  mentions  of  religion,  death,  sex.  alter  as  you  see  fit  ♡

“i like the underdog.”

“don't be a fucking dick.”

“everyone comes together on days like today and just forgets their utter hatred of each other.”

“everyone who's anyone's going to be there and there are people from my past that would love to see me slain.”

“there's a tea rooms there and under the counter they've got a panic button and if i take one step inside, they can press that. the police will be there in three minutes.”

"he whatsapped me the other day asking us to go laser quest with him and i ... well, i clicked on it by accident, didn't i? so he knows i've seen it."

"i mean, i get it, but it's not making me feel nothing."

“it's baffling. i'm baffled by the entire situation, if i'm honest.”

“what the actual fuck? what the actual fuck? you have fucking lost your head, mate. you have lost your fucking head.”

“when i get hold of you, i swear to god i will fucking deck you.”

"someone's just been throwing plums at my house. i'm going to kill them. i can't believe it. i can't believe it. all over this. plumming on here, plumming on that. plum on the sofa, look! there's nothing left that hasn't been plummed."

“i've had a target on my back since the day i was born.”

“thank you very much, enjoy your free potatoes.”

“do you know how small your brain is?”

“hogwarts is that way, dumbledore.”

“he used to say i looked like the puppet off the dolmio advert.”

“there's a kid crying over there. do you want me to...? i can tell him to shut the fuck up if you want?”

“he genuinely looked like a moomin.”

“on my first day of karate club, karate master goes to me, [name], i don't know why you're here because i can't teach you anything. if anything, you should be teaching me." and just gave me his black belt.”

“you know that little old blind man? yeah, when i was punching him in his face, the lens from his glasses broke and cut my knuckle.”

“some things are just best left in the past, where they belong.”

“what's the point in knocking if you're just going to walk in anyway?”

“it was a miscarriage of justice though, cos what people forget is 12 out of them 20 hostages actually found it funny.”

“i lied so much i still don't know what's real life and what's plain lies.”

“i'm so glad you're out of that lying phase.”

“he likes to be the only person on the road, so whenever he sees a car coming the other way he just pulls over.”

“nasa went through hundreds of them in the '60s. and now every time i see a really bright star in the sky i can't wish on it, cos in my head i'm thinking, ‘that's probably just a spacecraft with some monkey bones in it.’”

“you absolute traitor. that's my cheese - it's my fucking house!”

“don't you dare eat that cheese. you eat that and i will smash this. i promise you, i will smash you with this.”

“fuck! you switched them!”

“yeah, i can see it's fucking burnt, sherlock.”

“i honestly am ashamed to know him, sometimes.”

“if you knock on someone's door, don't take no for an answer. get into their house. if they say, ‘leave my house’, stay. and if they say, ‘i'm going to call the police’, you walk upstairs and see if there's anybody else upstairs to sell to.”

“she looks like uncle fester.”

“right. i'm going to piss in their flowers, then.”

“you really need to go home. your mum's called the police and everything.”

“you're also fired from being my best mate, by the way.”

“in business, there will always be setbacks. i don't drink my own juice, fray bentos doesn't eat his own pies. but that's business.”

“do you know what, i don't actually want to play this any more, because it is actually very, very boring.”

“i'm ashamed of myself, that's not usually me, so don't get the wrong impression.”

“i genuinely think one of them fancies me as well.”

“it's fate her moving across the street.”

“the problem with finding a girlfriend in the village is that most of the girls you meet round here are old-age pensioners.”

“yeah, i am looking for a relationship, but thing is i've just got so many trust issues, yeah, with being fucked over massive in the past, so no matter how much i get close to someone now i'm thinking in the back of my head, ‘shit, am i going to get fucked over?’ because i've been fucked over in the past massively. my last relationship proper fucked me up.”

“i went through a really dark phase. listening to papa roach and just blowing everything up with them little french bangers.”

“shut up, you don't know what you're talking about!”

“i don't like the man. i know he's my uncle, but i don't like him.”

“it's just malicious lies, that's all it is.”

“i'm not saying i've got a cruel heart, but if she ain't willing to take me as i am rather than the monster i've become, then she can literally just jog on back to sea with all the other fish cos i don't care.”

“what do you look for in a boyfriend?”

“the key to dating, yeah, is the two rs and the three ts. 'respect, rapport, and talking, talking, talking.' don't ever let that ball hit the ground. good relationships are built on great conversation.”

“on a date, you've got to tell them all the interesting stuff about you, because that's what they'll be interested in.”

“he said to me, he goes, ‘you can't smoke on here.’ i said, ‘i'm not smoking, i'm vaping.’ the look on his face when i said that. i don't think he knew what vaping… what a vape is.”

“you would make me the happiest mouse if you say yes and become my spouse.”

“here's a tip, [name], next time you take a chick out on a date, don't bore her to tears.”

“roses are red, violets are blue, i've got five fingers, the third one's for you.”

“get out of my way, pipe cleaner.”

“[name] phoned me the other day at three in the morning saying, ‘come quick,

there's a hedgehog in the garden that looks exactly like grandad.’ so i got up, i got dressed and i ran over to [name]'s as fast as i could and then i just stopped in the middle of the street at three in the morning and thought, ‘what the fuck am i doing with my life?’

“you're joking me? because if you are joking me, that is massively harsh.”

“oh, let me get a song up on youtube. you're going to absolutely love this, [name]. here we go… listen to this. oh, for fuck's sake, advert.”

“let's go down the pub and get shitfaced.”

“where do i see myself in five years? well, me and [name] will have a flat in the middle of the village and all of our furniture will be inflatable and we'll have cable and it will pay for itself, because we're going to use the spare room to breed quails, because their eggs are worth fucking shitloads.”

“is this about the calippo, still? because you offered to buy me that.”

“if he wants to go, good luck to him, i say. i reckon he thinks that i can't live without him, which is a laugh, because he went a whole weekend away once and i got on all right. i just ended up following this cat around the village.”

“i've got to do what's right for me, at the end of the day, instead of worrying about other people.”

“how about you say sorry? sorry for the massive knife that's hanging out the back of my back because of you.”

“oh, and while you're stabbing me in the back, feel free to bend down and kiss my arse.”

“can i just ask you an honest question? why would you want to leave the village when we've got a pub and a shop?”

“i think you don't know how lucky we have it to be doing nothing with our lives, like. we're all going to die, anyway, so what's the point in doing anything?”

“i want ownership of the words fucknut and dickmilk.”

“i had this come through the post. and i've got a few concerns about it. firstly, this guy on the front looks really arrogant. not the sort of guy i was expecting, if i'm honest.”

“this is starting to stress me out a little bit.”

“why are you trying to stress me out? you know i'm already stressed out as it is.”

“the bloke that used to live in there, right, kept hearing strange noises coming out of his attic at night. and he'd go to the fridge and find that food was missing from the fridge. so he thought, ‘i'm just going to go up to the attic and check this out.’ and he found an entire family of peruvian panpipe buskers just living up there. and he thought ‘i'm just going to leave them to it, ‘cos they're not really doing me any harm.’ and then, a few years later, he thought, "well, i'll just go up to the attic to check on them. ‘see if they're all right.’ and it turned out they'd all died of asbestos poisoning. yeah, he doesn't live here any more.”

“some people will always be scared of me, and i can't change that, no matter how nice i am. but there's a balance to be had between being nice and being feared.”

“don't really like catching up. it's not my thing.”

“i just watched this video of this girl doing a random act of kindness on youtube. she basically paid for this old man's shopping at the till. and this old man was, like, about 90 years old. and he's so fucking old, like, you could see through his skin. and he just starts bawling his eyes out. he's like, ‘you're fucking joking me, this ain't fucking real life.’ i just thought... i want to make someone feel like that. ‘cos that's... i really… that's what i want to do.”

“i'm not dead. just can't be arsed to text her sometimes.”

“you know, correct me if i'm wrong, but four texts a day is complete madness. no-one can keep up with that.”

“i am doing kind things selfishly.”

“i was at midnight mass one year, right, someone got tipped off i was there. as i was coming out the church, someone tries to shoot me with a crossbow.”

“well, i haven't seen the film, have i? that's why i came here - to watch the fucking film - like a normal human being.”

“i've made an effort by coming here tonight. i didn't want to come.”

“i had to wheel him here from his house in an asda trolley, cos he was just too heartbroken to move.”

“sometimes you don't know what you got until you ain't got it any more. like blockbuster's. i just took 'em for granted - and then, one day, gone, and you spend ages trying to figure out what went wrong, and then you realise it was your fault all along.”

“i thought you said you wanted to fix things.”

“she wanted it to go that way, and it just wasn't gonna go that way. she even got me thinking that they'd get back together… ..but that's manipula.... manipulative people... do that. and he's better off without her.”

“that wasn't much to write home about.”

“it's fucking dead, isn't it?”

“basically, somebody's been sending me threatening letters, and i don't know who's doing it - and i am concerned, because my peripheral vision is poor, so, if somebody attacks me from the sides or snipes at me from an upstairs window, i am fucked - but my hearing is excellent, see? so i just need to spend a few days inside honing my sonar, and i'll be fine then.”

“if you don't like the work, the circus is in town and they're always looking for clowns.”

“his soul is just going to crumble to dust.”

“this really is not a good situation for me. a physical threat is something that i can deal with, but a sexual thing is not my area of expertise.”

“just really fucked in the head, mate.”

“what have i done? i haven't done anything wrong.”

“do you know how sad that is? that is so, actually, sad. that makes me sad for you, that you can't take a joke.”

“i think i just got a bit carried away with the whole thing.”

“your finger's going up my arsehole, mate.”

“i'll hold the back of your head, so you don't bash yourself.”

“when i lie in future, i don't want a massive lecture on how bad lying is, cos deep down, you're the worst of us all, mate.”

“i'd quite like a coke.”

“it's going to be like gluing a breadstick back together, because… like, as if a breadstick's been in a blender and it's all… ...the pieces smashed up.”

“like, this one time i started a fight club in the village hall, and i got a black eye from beating myself up. but it made my enemies think, ‘fuck, if she can do that to herself, what the fuck can she do to me?’”

“i'm absolutely 1,000% sure i've broken it in two places.”

“i knew this day would come.”

“i should be in tk maxx, getting the bargains that i deserve.”

“unlike you, [name], i'm not a fashion disaster.”

“i'm still warm in my grave, and she's sucking off the pallbearer.”

“you know, it took me ten years to get over [name], and i only went out with her for half a day.”

“i swear to god, if i see him here again, i swear to god, i will have no hesitation in just going up to him and just planting one on his face.”

“right, then keep your nose out of my business, yeah? nosy old cock-womble.”

“[name]’s attitude to me is puzzling. if i walk past her in the street

and say hi, she'll tell me to fuck off. yet every year, she sends me a really sweet, nice christmas card. you know, there's just no consistency there.”

“he's good-looking up close, isn't he?”

“don't show me any weakness, because i will take advantage.”

“no, put the brick down, you fucking psychopath.”

“when i asked him, he just said, ‘come to my office now,’ which means we're in the fucking shit, cos we're always in fucking shit.”

“i shouldn't be paying you at all.”

“i've always had a son. i talk about him all the time.”

“he's my son. he's not my dog.”

“it reminds me of the wicker man. i don't really know why.”

“i just find it weird how you can be so close to someone and they can be such a big part of your life, and then the next minute, you're just sort of strangers in the night.”

“i don't want the emotional implications.”

“well, about five years ago, i sold my birthday to my mum for about 200 quid, which means my mum's legally entitled now to never celebrate my birthday ever again for the rest of my life. not even, like, a happy birthday cup of tea, or a moonpig card, nothing - which is the worst decision i ever made in my entire life.”

“he deserves that anyway, because he's been sexting my nan, so…”

“what's this surprise? cos i need to know whether it's going to be worth this walk.”

“i always see them banners above the motorway, and i always thought, ‘who the fuck does them?’ well, now i know. people like me.”

“did you know you can't get stung by a stinging nettle if you grab the leaf top and bottom, like that? it's only when you touch it on the sides, it stings. agh, actually, that stung, then.”

“pez dispenser, they're cursed. they are, i'm not even joking. honestly, when i had one of them, i had the worst bout of bad luck i ever had in my life.”

“i swear down, it's a short cut. it might be a pleasant walk, we might enjoy it.”

“i'm not scared of the fox twins. i'd just like to sit them down and ask 'em plainly, ‘look, guys, what is going on? ‘cos this has just gotten completely out of hand now. you know, stop walking on your knuckles, stand up straight, be the best version of you that you can be. get a job, even. there's a trolley boy who works at tesco's, you know, who may as well have been raised by wolves. if he can get a job, you guys can walk it.’”

“yes, there has been talk of strange goings-on in the woods, ghost sightings and the like. but… ...they're never from particularly reliable sources.”

“i live with a ghost. there's a ghost in that house. he's like a civil war cavalier, with all the hair and the hat and all that. and every time i walk into the living room, he doffs his cap. and on his shoulder, he's got this crow that barks at me. it means i spend less time in the house, really. not because of him, because he's-he's quite peaceable. but the crow is malevolent. and i'm not having that. i can't share my house with a malevolent bird.”

“that's haunted as fuck.”

“am i going mad here, or does that, to you, look like that's where just ghost will hang out all the time?”

“look at him, little red riding twat.”

“if he's got an attitude with me, i swear to god, i'll just grab the steering wheel and drive us all into a wall.”

“it's a bit annoying, actually. cos this is not the first or the second time i've had to tell you, really, is it?”

“his sparkle has just gone.”

“you know my dad actually wrote the song wonderwall on the back of a beer mat in the space of ten minutes, don't you?”

“i've just got a tiny, tiny, tiny little favour to ask you.”

“when i think of [name], i think of someone who is very loyal. and very, very stupid. sort of more stupid than loyal. sort of 70% stupid, 30% loyal, probably. because she's very loyal. but extremely stupid.”

“do you know what? i actually don't think he loves you at all and i don't think he's ever loved you.”

“all right, that's harsh and unnecessary, but fine.”

“frankly, she is behaving like the antichrist.”

“i literally just got here.”

“you are such an unemotional slab of ham, [name].”

“i've got so much shit on that man you would not believe.”

“there's something in my eye.”

“i just can't quit him, you know?”

“yeah, we might have a fiery relationship,  but when we're together, it's just… it's just pure chemistry, isn't it?”

“i'm not proud of it, believe me. but at the end of the day, i'm a very vindictive person, you know? it is what makes me me.”

“i basically went out and bought an alpaca off gumtree for £500. of all the mistakes i've made in my life, that was possibly the largest. definitely the physically largest.”

“yeah, i really don't wanna talk about that.”

“her only loyalty is to herself, staffies, and the tv channel dave… ...which, in my opinion, is a tv channel made by knuckle-draggers for knuckle-draggers.”

“i can't move on till i've seeked revenge, unfortunately.”

“if that was in france, that would be fine, but we're not in france.”

“the only thing we had in common, really, was stealing, and that was more my thing that i got him onto. but it just goes to show, you know, some friendships last and some friendships don't, but that's just the way it is.”

“you know it was me that got you sacked, don't you?”

“the thing i learnt about friendship is, you gotta accept each other's flaws, no matter how toxic they may be.”

“shit-stirring from beyond the grave.”

#rp meme #rp prompt #rp starters #rp sentence meme #rp sentence starters #this is the nichest meme ive made #but this show is so fucking funny okay

[cinebration]

Too Young (Forrest Bondurant x Reader) [Request]

I’m fine thank you can I describe my request because there is a no word for this at least i dont know I’m 21 so if you include this in imagine i will be really happy i love forrest bondurant he is shy caring strong and little bit mad giant bear a i want it fluffy and little bit angst I thought forrest wouldn’t want to love younger than him. I hope i can tell what i request because english not my native thank you so much again not much forrest imagine i really love this — Requested by @shooterere

This turned into something more than I expected. I had fun!

Warnings: none

Gif Source: fandomfatale

Pa operated one of the smaller bootlegging businesses in the county, but the moonshine he made was worth a hundred of the bottles being churned out by other operations in the immediate vicinity. People paid good money for your pa’s moonshine, though you wouldn’t know it to look at you and your family.

You lived in a ramshackle house on the edge of a farm known for producing one good crop for every five. You had just as many siblings, all of them younger than you, racing around the house like demons and driving both you and your beleaguered mother to wits’ end. So when Pa asked you to make a delivery, on account that the oldest of your brothers was a scant fourteen, and the fact that no one would stop you, you leapt at the opportunity. You put on your Sunday best, though it wasn’t much, and drove the old beat-up Ford truck down the country road into town.

It was there you met Forrest Bondurant. He operated the gas station you pulled up to after you delivered the moonshine. The smell of pie wafting from inside the restaurant behind the station was too good to resist.

He sat alone, his hat resting on the table in front of him. Glancing up when you entered, his brow furrowed as you slowly walked through the restaurant and up to the counter. You ordered a slice of the pie and a small cup of coffee, no cream, no sugar.

“This ain’t the watered-downed stuff,” the waitress told you.

“I know.”

The apple pie was thick and rich with apples and cinnamon flavoring. As you sat eating it, you swept your gaze around the room. There weren’t many people inside, but as soon as you fixed on Forrest, all else fell away. He met your eyes levelly, a frown pulling on his mouth. Tucking an errant strand of hair behind your ear nervously, you returned to your meal.

He approached you a moment later, the scrape of his chair back against the wooden floor alerting you to his intentions. You swallowed thickly, working up your courage as your heart fluttered with hope.

“You Frost Farm’s oldest?” The way his voice purred made a shiver roll through you even as disappointment followed it. He wasn’t interested in you, only in who your pa was.

“Yeah,” you answered, looking down.

“What are you doin’ here?”

“Making a delivery.”

“Your pa sends you off to do that yourself?”

“My first time today, but he hurt himself, so I figure I’ll be doing it for some time.”

“How’d he hurt himself?”

“He fell,” you lied.

Forrest’s gaze burned through you. Standing firm, you ate the last of the pie and swigged it down with the dregs of the coffee, the bitter mingling with the sweet down your throat. Excusing yourself, you slipped off the stool and kept yourself from sprinting away to the beat of your thumping heart.

~~

Forrest showed up the next day at the farm. You were out in the field, elbow-deep in the dirt, when the truck engine chugged up the dirt road. You recognized it vaguely as one you had seen parked outside the Bondurant gas station. You didn’t see who exited the vehicle.

Turning back to your work, you yanked out another weed and ignored the beating of the sun overhead.

When your stomach rumbled as the sun reached its zenith, you rubbed off the dirt on your apron and headed back inside for lunch. The truck was still parked outside the house.

As you neared the front door, it opened. You froze in your tracks. Forrest Bondurant stepped across the threshold, bidding your parents goodbye with some mumbled words. He paused when he saw you.

“Mr. Bondurant,” you said, nodding nervously.

He nodded back, putting the hat firmly on his head. His gaze swept over you. You became painfully aware of the dirt across your hands and knees and how it stained your apron and dress.

“I’m taking you for your other deliveries,” he mumbled suddenly. “’Til your pa gets better.”

You blinked in surprise, tried to find words. “Thank you.”

He nodded and stepped past you, leaving you stunned on the porch.

~~

The first few deliveries, made in your truck, not Bondurant’s, passed in awkward silence. You didn’t quite mind it so much, if it weren’t for the fact that being nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with the man was sending your senses quite mad. Not even the Franklin boy from the farm next door had made you as deliciously nervous as Forrest did. Your head swam with it.

But the trips after that improved when you began talking to him. You didn’t say too much, because he seemed too quiet to listen to you ramble on. Rather than complain about your siblings or the lack of help for the farm, you focused instead on the moonshine business.

“I dunno know if Pa told you, but we got into trouble with the law,” you said after a delivery. “They wanted our earnings, but Pa told ’em that we don’t have enough to pay. They broke his leg for that.”

“Were you there?”

“Outside, looking between the slats. I waited ’til they were gone before I went in to help Pa.”

Forrest frowned. “Why were you there?”

“I work the stills.”

He fixed you with a stare.

“It’s nothing,” you assured him. “I like the work, honest. It’s very methodical, and I like that.”

Forrest remained silent for the rest of the drive ’til you neared town.

“Show me,” he said.

You hesitated. “But you’re the competition.”

“I won’t steal your secrets. I just want to see.”

You wanted to show him, to impress him, but the idea of the Bondurants taking over your stills or trying to use your methods nagged at you. The desire to please him won out. You turned the car toward the farm and drove well past it, deep into the woods extending beyond it. Then you hooked a right and stopped the truck.

From there, you walked Forrest all the way down into a small ravine that led to a cave in the hill swelling behind it. The cave smelled cool and a bit damp, but you had remedied that with some techniques to moderate the temperature. Forrest made a circuit of the room, eyeing your still critically as you walked him through parts of your process.

“Figure we could make gin this way eventually, too,” you said, “when they lift the Prohibition.”

He looked at you keenly.

“They’ll do it,” you assured him. “Otherwise we’ll have ourselves another war.”

He grunted noncommittally and took a swig from a nearby bottle, testing the quality of the moonshine. The soft light from the oil lamp you had lit bathed his face in warm golds. Caught up by the vision, you reached out and gently touched his cheek.

He froze, turned woodenly to you. The guarded look in his eyes discouraged you.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled.

“You’re too young.”

“I’m twenty-one.”

He shook his head.

Frustration welled up within you. You glanced up at him, your hand clenching into a fist at your side. “Too young. Too female. Too fragile. You sound like every other man I’ve ever talked to.”

He blinked in surprise, taken aback by your sudden emotion.

“I can do more than you think I can, and I’m not that fragile. I’ve had to grow up fast, because Ma’s too weak and Pa’s not got enough boys yet to help him.” You grabbed his hand suddenly, pressed his palm flat against yours. “Feel that? I don’t have soft hands. Those are working hands. When I’m not in the fields, I’m in here, making the best goddamn moonshine in the county. I don’t have time, you see, to waste on being young.”

Forrest stared into your face as the wind died out of you. You turned away, suddenly embarrassed by the outburst. “Get out of my workshop.”

He didn’t even hesitate. He walked right of the cave. You waited fifteen minutes before realizing that it was rude to let him walk all the way back to town on foot. You raced to the truck and drove down the road until you found him lumbering across the dirt. You drew up beside him and wordlessly opened the door. He hesitated before climbing up into the cab.

“Sorry,” you mumbled.

You felt his eyes on you the entire drive, as though he were trying to keep you rooted to the spot. At last, you arrived at the gas station.

“You don’t come with me on deliveries anymore,” you said.

He didn’t get out of the car. “Who else has said those things to you?”

“What things?”

“About you being too weak.”

You shrugged. “Everyone. Probably your own damned brothers, for all I know. ‘Waste of a pretty face, making that girl work the fields. She ought to be providing a family.’ But I like the work. I like working.”

The cab filled with silence as Forrest stared out the windshield at the dark restaurant. Exhaustion settled in your bones from the emotional outburst and the pain of rejection.

“If you worked here,” Forrest said suddenly,” your hands wouldn’t be so rough.”

You frowned. “But I don’t work here.”

“I could get someone to work for your pa on the farm,” he continued in a low rumble. “And you could work here and your workshop.”

“Are you offering me a job?”

He grunted.

“Why?”

He shifted uneasily on the seat. “To keep you around, if you won’t let me make deliveries with you.”

The pieces didn’t quite fit together. “Why would you want to keep me around? I’m too young, you said.”

“I did,” he agreed.

“Then why?”

He fixed his eyes on you with a look that said, Do I really have to say it?

You met his gaze for a long while before slowly nodding, feeling something like hope flutter in your chest again. He nodded back, grunted quietly, and wished you a good night as he climbed out of the car.

#Forrest Bondurant x Reader #Forrest Bondurant #Forrest Bondurant imagine #Tom Hardy x Reader #Tom Hardy #Tom Hardy imagine #Lawless #requests

[winterscaptain]

marksmanship.

Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader a joyful future fic

a/n: thank @quillvine for kicking my ass into gear on this one. for the record, i took artistic liberties with the differences between the beretta and the glock - nothing too crazy, but they aren’t that different in real life. (yes, hello, i live in the united states of embarrassment and i’m sorry). the first two lines of dialogue come from ncis episode 1x09 and were the original inspiration for this fic. lemme know what you think and i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it!

words: 1.1k warnings; guns (handguns, sniper rifles), firing on human-shaped paper targets on a controlled range, questionable teaching practices, Sniper Hotch™

summary: “you know how you smoke out a sniper? you send a guy out in the open, and you see if he gets shot. they thought that one up at west point” - samuel fuller. au!april 2013

masterlist | a joyful future masterlist | ajf faq | taglist | what do you want to see next?

You watch him tape your phone to the target brace, dangling right over the hostage outline. 

“Damn it, Aaron. I need that.”

He puts his headphones on and kisses your cheek, lining himself up behind you. His lips rise to your ear and you suppress a shudder. “Then don’t shoot it.”

You adjust your grip on your new Glock, not entirely accustomed to the bigger weapon. Aaron’s weight against your back and his hands on your hips doesn’t help, either. He’s always distracting, but with a firearm in your hands, there’s a little more thrill to it, a little more benign danger. 

It’s exciting. 

This wouldn’t be nearly as fun with Derek. 

You take a shot, immediately letting all your breath out in a sharp exhale when you miss entirely.

“That’s okay. It leans left. Now you know.” 

You nod and roll your shoulders out again, staring down the sight. 

This time, you remember everything you’ve learned, taking a deep breath and firing on empty lungs. You barely blink, but still miss just outside the outline of the unsub. 

Aaron kisses the curve of your neck where it meets your shoulder. “Three more, then notes.” 

To his credit, he doesn’t move, only supporting your body as you get used to the slightly heavier weapon. There’s less recoil than your old Beretta, but the excuse is always welcome. 

You fire off three more shots in quick succession, one hitting inside the lines, right at the top of the head. 

Placing the gun on the felt pad Aaron lent you, the barrel facing down-range, you press the button to bring your target toward you so you can evaluate it. Because you’re the only two in the range, you remove your hearing protection and so does he, saving you the effort of shouting. 

Aaron reaches past you, pointing at the paper, completely ignoring your phone still dangling by the tape. “The Glock releases faster than your Beretta, and will pack more of a punch,” he says. “You don’t have to cheat high because your rounds won’t arc down as much at the higher velocity.” 

You look at your groupings, finding they were almost exactly where you aimed them, instead of the centimeter below, like you expected. “Makes sense. What else?” 

“Like I said first, it cheats left. You’ll have to compensate by about an inch to get it where you want to go.” 

You snort. “So what you’re saying is, if I want a perfect shot I have to aim right at my phone.” 

When he doesn’t say anything, you look over your shoulder. He’s grinning. 

You roll your eyes and put your headphones back on, grumbling something that sounds like “fuckhead,” but Aaron isn’t sure. 

He stands back a little ways, confident that you’ve got the hang of the disparities in physics, with his headphones on and arms crossed. You roll the target out to seven yards (the average distance to an assailant) and take a deep breath. 

Thank God you backed that phone up before you left this morning. 

You fire off three shots, Aaron’s voice echoing in your head. 

Front sight, trigger press, follow through. 

Front sight trigger press follow through

Frontsighttriggerpressfollowthrough

You set the gun down and pick up the scope from his disassembled sniper rifle - another item on Aaron’s to-do list for you today - and look at the target. 

With a sigh of relief, you see that your phone is intact and you’ve got a nice, tight grouping on the unsub. 

You hear Aaron’s small round of applause before you remove your ear protection, and turn around to acknowledge the praise with a gracious tip of your head. “Not so bad?” 

He shakes his head. “Not so bad.” He sniffs, holding the scope between two fingers - it’s huge, but he makes it look easily manageable. 

Nice. 

“Now - long-distance marksmanship will definitely take us the rest of the afternoon.” 

You let your head fall with a defeated groan. “We’ve been here since nine and it’s nearly one, Aaron. Can’t we do this… any other time?” 

He raises his eyebrows. “The range is deserted. Would you prefer an audience?” 

Your mouth twists. “No.” 

+++

You shove your earplugs in your ears and fold your arms right where Aaron’s shoulders flatten, resting your chin over your hands. You’re laid out entirely flat over him, lined up as best you can for posture and angle. 

He’ll take a few shots after he shows you how to adjust for wind, distance, obstacles, all of it. 

“The scope will take you where you need to go - you just have to get the reading right.”

Aaron settles his cheek against the stock of the gun, staring down the scope with his left eye. “So,” he says, his voice clouded by concentration, “we’re going about three thousand yards today. What you’ll want to do for a distance like that, with the wind as it is today from the southeast…”

How does he know that? 

You look up, trying to look at the clouds or the trees or something.

He rolls his shoulder, knocking you a little off-balance. “Hey. Focus. I’ll show you.” 

You settle back against him, very much liking his method of teaching, and listen as he walks you through all the knobs and levers and hinges on the scope. 

“...And then,” he presses his cheek against the stock again, making sure his shoulder is flush, too, “you fire.”

He takes a deep breath, pausing for a moment when all the air is gone, and fires. 

There’s a decent amount of recoil as he takes the shot and you can feel the muscles in his back ripple under you as he absorbs the energy. 

“We won't be able to see it well until we drive out to the target - it’s nearly two miles away - but you can see a decent amount through the scope.” 

You kiss the back of his neck. “Very nice.” 

The pull of his cheek is visible from where you are, but you can’t completely see his smile. “Thank you.” 

+++

By the time you get back Aaron’s car outside the BAU offices, you’re entirely beat. Your shoulders ache, your nose is full of dry dirt and gunpowder, your fingers are stiff, and you’ll need to ice your hips and knees when you get home. 

Aaron makes it look easy, but keeping your heels flat in sniper prone for two hours is awful. 

“Remind me why I went to you for marksmanship training, again?” 

He grabs your hand and kisses the back of it. “Because I’m the best.” 

+++

tagging:  @avengersbau @ambicaos @angelsbabey @arganfics @averyhotchner @bwbatta @capricorngf @cevanswhre @crazyshannonigans @criminalsmarts @deagibs @forgottenword @genevievedarcygrangerwriting @hotchsflower @hotchslatte @hurricanejjareau @joanofarkansass @kelstark @prentisswrites @little-blue-fishie @lotties-journey-abroad @mandylove1000 @missdowntonabbey @mrs-marcus-moreno @pan-pride-12 @popped-weasels @quillvine @qvid-pro-qvo @reidingmelodies @reidsmismatchedsocks @roses-and-grasses @shesbiochem4 @ssahotchnerr @ssaic-jareau @ssareidbby @starsandasteroids @stxrrywildflower @sunflowersandotherthings @sunshine-em @teamhappyme @this-broken-band-girl @ughitsbaby @unicorn-bitch @luciilferss @violet-amxthyst @word-scribbless @writefasttalkevenfaster @zizzlekwum @iconicc @avatarkorraswife @mooneylupinblack @ssworldofsw @nuvoleincielo @kaemarie23 @violentvulgarvolatile @abschaffer2 @ellyhotchner @rousethemouse @baumarvel @reidtomestyles @dreamsonthewall @jhiddles03 @willlemonheadsupremacy @infinity1321 @messyhairday-me @itsalwaysb33nyou @s-unflowxr @imlottiie @stummdummrumstehen @hqtchner @finnologys @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @hothothotchner @happyvol7 @the-falling-in-the-danger @ssa-holmes @mac99martin @ssahotchner99 @vagabond-ing @triangularroses @itsmytimetoodream @magic_in_the_eyes_of_the_beholder

#aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #aaron hotchner imagine #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #aaron hotchner #criminal minds #tali talks cm #tali writes fanfiction #a joyful future #a joyful future fanfic

[imtryingmybeskar]

So I'm sure we have all seen Pedro in the overalls today and my beautiful friend suggested a farmboy fic and I couldn't rest until I made it a reality.

*Disclaimers* I know nothing about farming, nor am I from the US. I imagined him as having a softer version of the Whiskey accent.

18+ only! You know the drill. 3.9k words.

The first time you saw him he was striding along the dusty road to your farmhouse, the sun at his back, his shadow stretching long ahead of him. Only someone looking for work and out of luck with it would be approaching at this late hour. From your perch at your bedroom window, you could look down and see the fatigue in the set of his shoulders, the dejection in the bow of his head. As he neared he stopped and dropped his pack to the ground before attempting to make himself presentable - raking his hand through his dark hair before setting his cap back on, dusting the legs of his overalls free of as much of the dirt of the road as he could, and finally straightening his back, righting his posture to make himself look strong, tall, not as hard up as he was. His rap at the door came as you were nearly at the bottom of the stairs and your dog, who had been peacefully sleeping at his approach finally woke and defended in a storm of paws and tail and barking.

"Hey! No!" you told her, and she quietened down and stayed where you told her to, in the line of sight from the doorway but no immediate threat to anyone on the other side. Opening the door you were greeted by the sight of a not-so-young-anymore man. Despite his efforts to clean himself up, his arms were streaked with grime and sweat and you could see the stains of his exertion under his arms and at his neck. His head remained bowed as he began to speak and you got the feeling he had replayed this spiel many times recently.

"Ma'am, I'm very sorry to trouble you. I'm here to see if you are lookin' to take on anyone at the farm at this time?" His voice was deep and rich with an enticing southern twang, sweet as honey whiskey.

"What kind of work can you do?" His eyes raised to your face and the hope you saw in their soft, dark depths almost melted you. As if he hadn't even gotten this far along with anyone for a very long time.

"Just about anything," he answered. "I can drive - harvesters, tractors. I can take care of all kinds of animals, muck 'em out, feed 'em. I've helped birth 'em too, though I know that time is passed for this year. I can sow and harvest by hand too if that's needed. And I can mend things, fences, roofs, you name it." Looking at him appraisingly, your curiosity got the better of you.

"Why are you on foot? Must have travelled an awful long way to get all the way out here." He looked down again, presenting you with the brim of his cap to look at instead and shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"I uh...I lost my own farm. Not too long ago. Sold everything I had to try and keep it afloat. Even my car."

"So, if I were to take you on-" his head snapped up eagerly again. "IF" you emphasised, "Would you be needing a place to stay as well?"

"If you had anywhere that could accommodate me, I would be most grateful for that, yes Ma'am."

"I want you to know that I've been out here on my own for a time. I know how to take care of myself. And I'm sure you heard and can see Tank behind me there." He was nodding as you spoke.

"I don't want no trouble. Just a job and a roof over my head." You eyed him for a few seconds more before stepping back from the door to let him in. He entered gingerly, staring around wide eyed as if he hadn't been inside a house for a long time.

"You hungry?"

"No...I mean, I don't wanna impose-"

"No imposition. If you're gonna work for me, you need feeding. Come with me." The dog whined a little as you approached, and you stroked her head. "Come!" you commanded the dog and she raced away ahead of you. Checking to see the man was following, you led him past the stairs and through the living area to the back. Here you had a small extension set up, with a bathroom and shower and a small room with a sofa which opened out into a bed, ostensibly for guests, though you hadn't had any for years. "You can get yourself cleaned up here. Any clothes you want to wash, you can do in the morning. There's no door to this room, so the only privacy you'll get is in the bathroom I'm afraid."

"This is...fantastic," he said in a low tone. "I've slept outside for a week or more, so this is just...Thank you ma'am," he finished, humbly. You left him to it and went to prepare him a plate of leftovers. When he finally emerged, scrubbed and fresh half an hour later, you bid him sit at the table and presented him with it. Without all that dirt streaking him and without his cap on you could finally see how good he looked and you had to tear your eyes away from the fullness of his lips before you went too far down that rabbit hole. The man was clearly desperate, hanging on to the shreds of the dignity of his old life by his fingertips. There was no way you were going to make him feel like he owed you anything by taking him in. You left him be until you heard him hum with satiated pleasure about ten minutes later.

"Better?" you asked.

"Better," he smiled.

"I see you've made a friend," you said wryly, gesturing to the large hairy head currently resting on one of his feet. You trusted your gut about this man, you didn't imagine him to be anything than he had said he was. But you had to be cautious for obvious reasons. The dog, however, had proved to be a truly excellent judge of character in the past and it warmed you to see her take to him so readily.

"I think I may have bribed my way into her affections. Chicken," he clarified.

"That'll do it," you smiled. He insisted on washing his own plate and then there was an awkward silence between you for a time as he stood in your living room, not really knowing what to do with himself. "Hey, you can sit and watch TV with me, or you can hit your bed if you want. I won't be offended either way."

"I...I think I will go to bed. I'm kinda lookin' forward to it."

"I can understand that," you said as you handed him pillows, blankets and fresh sheets to make it up with. "Just so you know, the dog sleeps down here too. She shouldn't wake you. And help yourself to water in the night, coffee in the morning. Whatever you want."

"Thank you," he said again, his eyes catching yours and looking happier than you had seen them thus far. "Goodnight."

The man worked like a machine. Having lived this life for many years, you were accustomed to being up before dawn, but he beat you to it the next morning, greeting you with a soft "Good morning," and handing you a cup of coffee that he had prepared. He kept up a pace all day, and you moved around each other around the farm, lifting your hands or voices in greeting when you passed. You couldn't help but notice how the soft cotton of his shirt creaked at the seams when he moved his broad shoulders, nor how deft his hands were at every task he set them to. The dog had begun to follow him everywhere and you found yourself liking that too, despite the mild sting of betrayal. He came in to help with lunch and after he washed up, set to chopping salad and buttering bread.

"This is gonna sound weird, but erm...your dog...she ain't partly deaf or anything is she?"

"No, why?"

"Its just, she comes when I whistle, but not when I call."

"Ohhh," you said, realisation hitting you like a wave. "Yeah, well, last night I might not have told you her proper name. I er...I wanted to make her seem a little more intimidating than she is. Just in case, you know. Hence Tank. Though she ruined that when she drooled all over your shoes." He gave a small chuckle, his eyes sparkling.

"So what is her name?"

"Cookie." At this, you heard the tell tale sound of Cookie's claws on the kitchen tiles. "Good girl," you threw over your shoulder at her.

"Well, that suits her a lot better'n Tank. She's so friendly."

"Only to the good ones. You should have seen her with the last man that came in here. She knew he was a wrong 'un. Took me a while to catch on, but I get there in the end." You turned your head to find him looking at you with sympathy and a touch of anger. "Like I said, I can take care of myself," you added and moved on with your day. In his first week staying with you he managed to do most of the little jobs that had been irritating, but not bad enough to address. The tap in the kitchen no longer dripped. All of the fencing was entirely without holes for the first time in forever. The roof of the chicken coop was renewed. You decided to celebrate by breaking out some beers in the evening and sat with him on your porch, watching the sky slowly turn from gold to apricot to scarlet. Once he had started to feel less awkward around you, you found him to be good company - intelligent and curious and with a good sense of humour and even your silences were now companionable, especially a few beers in.

"Need to plant some more things in the garden," he grunted, slurring a little. "Maybe some beets and some radishes?"

"That sounds good," you agreed, "but for tonight, just switch off a bit. Enjoy the beer and the view. You've more than earned it."

"Oh, I'm enjoyin' the view alright," he said. There was something low and sinful in his voice that made you turn your head to him in astonishment and definite interest, but as you did, his eyes grew wide and he started to splutter. "Oh God, I apologise. I haven't had a beer in months and I guess my tolerance ain't what it was. I...I didn't mean to offend. I didn't mean to say that."

"Didn't you?"

"No, I-I'm sorry." Putting your beer down, you came to stand in front of him, placing your hands on his knees and running them up his thighs.

"Are you sure you didn't mean it?" And suddenly the realisation of your own drunkenness came crashing around you. What were you thinking? You couldn't take advantage of him like this. He had nowhere else to go and he had said he wasn't interested. You straightened abruptly. "No, I'm sorry. This is wrong. I'm...I'm going to bed." And you did so, walking swiftly away before he could see the redness of your face.

The next morning, your coffee lay on the counter and you could see him outside the house pottering around. Berating yourself for an idiot for ruining the good feelings you had built up between you, you went about your own tasks in a crotchety mood. He didn't come in for lunch either, and you began to get a little worried about him. Deciding to tackle the problem head on, you brought him out a Tupperware with some food and some water. Eventually you found him in the barn, measuring some of the beams. He hadn't noticed you come in and you stood and openly stared for a moment at the sight of him with no shirt on under his overalls. It was pretty warm in here - you were starting to feel the effects yourself. His back was broad and muscular and his shoulder muscles rolled as you watched him reach up to measure something above him.

"Er...hi," you ventured, a little shyly. He whirled to face you, looking as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't. "I'm sorry to bother you, I just thought you might want some lunch." You deposited it on the hay bale closest to you and carried on, keeping your voice light, "And to say that I'm sorry about yesterday. You said no and I shouldn't have pushed it. I don't want you thinking you have to do anything like that to stay here!"

"Thank you," he said softly as he made his way over to you. "But..I said no because we had both been drinkin' and because I didn't wanna take advantage of anythin' I wasn't bein' offered freely and honestly." His eyes raked over your face, black and piercing in the half light inside the barn. He was so close to you, you could smell the lemon scent of his soap and the musky smell of him underneath. There was a sheen of sweat across his chest and before you could stop yourself or think too deeply about what you were doing, your hands were upon him, feeling the taut, strong muscles of his pectorals. You bit your lip a little as you raised your eyes to his.

"You're not taking advantage," you whispered. "I want this." That was all the invitation he needed to crash his lips upon yours with a fervent desire. His big hands circled your waist and roved your back as his tongue begged entrance at your mouth. Your own hand moved down his overalls to where he was starting to bulge, massaging his length and making him moan into your mouth.

"Christ, I...I've not been with anyone for so long. That feels so good, don't stop." You heeded him, but also brought one of his hands from around your back to your breast where he began to knead it intensely and he groaned again, in between peppering your mouth and neck with kisses. "Fuck, you're so pretty. I thought so from th' first moment I saw you. I didn't know how to say..." For someone usually so reticent, he was on a roll now he had your tit in his hand and you were palming him through his overalls.

You snaked your hands up his body again and undid his overalls, letting them fall and pool around his feet where they landed. His body was gorgeous, broad and muscular with a little fuzz over his chest and running down his stomach. You ran your hands all over it, feeling the slickness of the sweat beading through his hair under your hands and feeling your own body begin to heat and respond in earnest, your clit throbbing a little between your legs. He kicked off his boots, and took off his socks and overalls in one swoop before taking you back in his arms and kissing you ardently again. His hand slid up your shirt and hiked it up, the sweat at your back making it stick to you a little. You broke the kiss to hurl it from your head and away, closely followed by your bra.

"Oh fuck baby, your tits are so beautiful. Lemmie taste you." He got on his knees in front of you and did just that, taking your nipple in his mouth and sucking on it harshly whilst rubbing your other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Exhaling a moan of pleasure, you tangled your fingers into his dark waves and pulled him even closer, feeling his smile against your chest as his free hand undid the buttons on your jeans. You could feel the wetness in your underwear now, the telltale stripe of moisture under your cunt as he coaxed that sweet feeling all through your veins with his tongue and fingers on your nipple.

"I want you to fuck me," you gasped. "Need you to fuck me hard."

"Oh don't you worry, baby, I'm gonna take good care of you," he murmured against your skin as he pulled the material down your legs. "Fuck, you're so wet already. I can see it on your panties. I wanna taste you there too. Can I?" His big dark eyes looked up at you with pleading and what you would have called innocence had he not already been flicking his tongue back over your nipple, making you squirm and huff with the pleasurable tickle of it. In reply you pulled the rest of your clothes away from you, but before he could reach his prize you took his jaw in your hand and brought his head up to look at you. He was instantly attentive and alert, looking slightly worried, as If you might have changed your mind in the few seconds it had taken for you to remove your clothes.

"You can taste me, if I can taste you afterwards," you offered.

"Hell yeah you can," he muttered appreciatively as he got to his feet and lifted you on to a haybale. The straw poked you roughly and mercilessly, but you forgot about that when he leaned over you and kissed you deeply again. "Gonna make you feel real good, honey," he promised again before kissing a path downward. He hooked your legs over his biceps and ran his forearms up to your breasts, teasing your nipples again before diving right in to lick warm, wide stripes from your cunt to your clit. It had been so long since anyone had been intimate with you, your head felt dizzy and overwhelmed, but he took it to another level with the enthusiasm he brought to the task. He lapped at you and what you were leaking as if he were a man starved, pushing his face into you, so you could feel his patchy stubble rub against your inner thighs, and sucking gently on your clit. It took an embarrassingly short time before your breaths came stunted and your voice rose in a wail of pleasure as he drove you to your peak, the red hot lava of it flowing from your core throughout your body. He ripped a second from you when he pushed two thick fingers inside and curled them wonderfully to strike against that part inside you that you yourself could never reach. His eyes glittered with lust as you came down from your high and you swore you could come again just from the look he was giving you from between your legs. He kissed your inner thighs and wiped his mouth as he came in for another kiss, your taste all over his tongue and lips.

"Your turn." you announced breathlessly, as you got down from the bale on shaky legs. Not breaking eye contact, you knelt in front of him, the straw on the floor not much of a cushion for your knees. He moaned loudly as you raked your nails down his side, catching them on the waistband of his underwear and pulling them down, allowing his cock to spring free and bob up toward his stomach. You had felt that he was well endowed, but seeing him was something else entirely and you couldn't help the hum of appreciation that escaped you before you leaned forward kissed the reddened tip, his precum brushing over your lips. You looked up at him as you licked it off and could see his breaths coming heavy and wild, his shoulders and chest heaving in anticipation. His hands came around to tangle in your hair as you licked a swirl over his tip before taking it in your mouth and sucking gently whilst moving down his shaft.

"Fuck, baby. You're so good. C-can I move?" You brought your hands around to the firmness of his ass and moved him forward a little to give him permission and saw his head roll back in pleasure. He seemed to not want to hurt you and fucked your mouth much more gently than you thought he would. Your head bobbed further and further down his shaft until he was striking the back of it, making you gag a little. Raising yourself back off, you pumped him with your hand while swirling your tongue over his tender head. When you brought your other hand to cradle his balls he trembled a little under your touch. "Honey, I do not want you to stop, but if you don't I won't be able to fuck you before I come." You removed your mouth from him slowly, hollowing your cheeks and sucking hard as you progressed.

He helped you to your feet and reached down to stroke your clit again while he kissed your lips, the taste of you both mingling in your mouths. Turning your back to him you bent over the hay bale, presenting yourself to him and you heard a guttural sound of arousal behind you before the head of his cock was notching at your entrance and pushing in all at once, stretching you and making you whimper as he bent over your back and kissed your shoulder. "Are you ok, baby?" he muttered. "Does this feel good?"

"Yes," you whispered. "Now fuck me hard."

He bit down a little on the meat of your shoulder and whispered a low "Yes, Ma'am," before standing fully and beginning to piston his hips into you with forceful, firm strokes, his cock pushing further within you each time. It was overwhelming and even more so when he pushed down on your back further so that he was fucking down into you and sliding over your spot with each thrust. The change in pitch of your gasping moans and the wetness that you could suddenly feel around the tops of your thighs encouraged him to fuck you even harder, his cock swelling as he got close to his release and filling you up beautifully. "Like that, honey? Right there?" he grunted as you started to feel yourself lose control around him.

"Yes, there, please, don't stop, please," you begged. He captured your arms and pulled you further back toward him, and suddenly he was striking something white hot and golden inside and you were gone, your cunt pulsating around him and flooding him with you. Your head was so dizzied that you only noticed he had pulled you flush against his sweat-sticky chest when his arms were around you, grasping greedily at your breasts and the hot breath of his rich, deep voice was beside your ear.

"Where-"

"inside." He drove into you half a dozen more times before he cried your name aloud and you felt him pulsate strongly within you, jettisoning his spend into you with groans muffled against your shoulder. As he withdrew, he held you up gently before turning you and lying you on the bale he had just taken you over, coming to lie down beside you with his big eyes searching your face and his big calloused hands stroking the soft skin of your belly. The sweet summer sun was slanting over his face, turning his black eyes amber in its glow and you felt a welcome twinge in your heart as you took his face in your hand and kissed him.

#m x f reader #farmboy #farmboy smut #pedro pascal smut

[criminalshminds]

A Broken Whisper

A very, very, very late prompt from @eprcntiss, but good things happens to those who wait, right???

Prompt: “What are you doing here?  It’s late.” Pairing: Hotchniss (Emily Prentiss x Aaron Hotchner) Rating: General Audiences Words: 1968 TW: Canon faked death, slight intrusive thoughts

Summary: He didn’t know why he felt the need to check up on her, but he’s glad he did.  Though he never thought she’d be here. (Post Doyle)

*****************************************************************

He couldn’t say why he had the urge to check on Emily, he just did.  Something has been up with her since she came back after Doyle. Hotch has tried to be a sounding board for her, but her walls are always up that she manages to deflect any of his concern and places it back on him. But he saw her face at the take down that night.  He saw the lone tear that fell down her cheek, one that she quickly wiped away before anyone could see it.  Maybe that one tear led him to her apartment.  He parks in a spot that looks directly up into her apartment.  A spot that he has been in plenty of times before, back when things were simpler.  Back when they would steal little kisses.  Where she would wave at him from the window in her living room as he left to go back home to shower and change before work.  Where he told her that he loves her.  Back before she started to pull away.  Back when things made sense.

Since her return, they haven’t spoken of the past.  Actually, they haven’t really talked at all.  The only words they utter to each other are work related.  Well, that’s not completely true.  She did utter a goodbye today.  Maybe that’s why he felt the need to see her.  Looking up at the window that used to hold her smiling silhouette now just holds a darkness that sends a shiver down his spine.  Like he’s not supposed to be here.  Like he is intruding in a life that he doesn’t belong in anymore.  Taking a chancery glance around the parking lot, the first thing he notices is that her car isn’t in its designated parking spot.  Second thing he notices, is that she hasn’t been home since leaving work five hours ago, if the snow piled up on the concrete has anything to say about it. Knowing that she could be literally anywhere, he huffs out a sigh before digging around his pockets for his cell phone.

“Bossman, I know I am the goddess of all wisdom, but even goddesses need their beauty sleep.”  A grumble comes through the phone, definitely not the cheerful voice of Penelope Garcia that Hotch has come to know.

“Garcia, can you do me a favor?” He speaks quickly into the phone, no room or time for nonsense.

“Does it involve me coming back into the BAU?” Hotch hears some rustling noises, and only now does he realize that he is calling at almost midnight.

“No.”

“Hit me with your best shot.”

“Don’t raise any alarms unless I say so.”  Hotch runs his hand over his mouth before asking his request.  “Can you get me a location on Prentiss?”

She immediately shoots out of bed and races to her laptop.  She skids to a stop, barely landing on her couch before frantically typing and shooting out questions.  “What? Why would I – why is she?  She’s not – “ Not again, not when we just got her back.

“Garcia!”  He interrupts her panic raise of questions hoping to keep her head on straight.

“Right, sorry.  Um, give me a minute.  You sure it’s nothing?”  She waits for a second, getting no response she continues to type on her laptop before it pings her location.  “I got it! I sent it to you.  Please bring our girl back home.”

“I will Garcia, and remember – “

“I know, I know, not a peep.”  As soon as the last word left her mouth, Hotch moved the phone from his ear and immediately went to his messages.  Letting out a sigh, he puts the car in reverse and makes his way down the empty streets.

His shoulders don’t sag in relief until he sees her car parked in the desolate lot.  Pulling into the space next to her, he glances at silver sedan hoping he’ll be lucky to see her behind the wheel.  Mentally groaning when the car is as barren as the parking lot he is in, he turns off his car and shuffles out into the chilly night.  It didn’t take a genius to know that she has been here for a while, if the buildup of snow on her car was any indication. The steady stream of snow flurries coming down has covered any footprints that could potentially lead him to her.  Although, none of that was necessary.  For the seasoned profiler he is, he knew exactly where she went once the coordinates led him here.

                                      Quantico National Cemetery

He stares at the sign, willing his feet to move.  A staring contest that even the famous Aaron Hotchner glare can’t win.  It’s not until a particularly strong gust of wind whips around him for his feet to catch up with his brain.  A shiver races through his body.  Either from the cold or from that sinister feeling of being alone in a graveyard at night. He silently moves through the sea of headstones, a walk that is second nature to him.  One that he frequented quite often for months.  He makes his way up to the tree that helped shelter the gravestone from the elements and finally sees the back of her head.   He knows that she hears him coming, the crunching of the snow beneath his feet hard to miss, even past the sound of the wind.  Stopping a few feet behind her, he waits a minute before speaking.

“What are you doing here?  It’s late.”  He’s expecting her to turn towards him, but she sits as still as a statue staring at the engraved stone.  She doesn’t respond right away, making him move closer to her.  He opens his mouth to ask again when he hears her soft voice reply.

“I come here to think.”

Curiosity got the better of him.  “About?”

“Life.”  Her soft declaration carries through the wind and wraps around him.  She reaches forward in a practiced motion and brushes the fresh snow away to keep the text visible.

                                                  Emily Prentiss

                               October 12th 1970 – March 7th 2011

                                        Fidelity Bravery Integrity

“It’s so precious.  You never realize how special it is until it gets taken away.”  He continues to stand behind her, keeping his mouth shut. This is the most open she’s been since her return and he’s not about to ruin it.  “I didn’t think it’d be this strange.  Basically coming back from the dead.  You know I came here the first time purely out of curiosity.  Taking my picture off a wall is one thing, but removing a whole grave?”  She lets out a humorless chuckle.

“With a click of her finger, Garcia could get it removed.”  He speaks before he could stop himself.  He holds his breath hoping that he didn’t just cause her walls to build back up.

“No.”  Her head tilts back towards the sky.  “I need the perspective.”

Furrowing his brow, he carefully walks next to her before slowly lowering to the ground.  He starts to reach for her before quickly retreating, remembering that she’s no longer his to touch. He starts to question what her fake grave can help her with before remembering something she said after a case years ago. I need to know that I can be human.

“Being reminded of your own mortality isn’t the right perspective to have.”  He spoke softly even though he wanted to scream.  

“Don’t you get it?  It’s a reminder of how fragile life is.  Logically speaking, I shouldn’t be here.”  She scrunches up her eyes, a tear streaks down her face as she pounds her fist into the ground.

His hand shoots out and covers her fist that is still resting on the snow-soaked grass.  His touch finally breaks her out of her trance with her eyes finally meeting his.

“But you are here.  Living, breathing.  Dammit Emily! Don’t you understand?  You can’t move on until you finally accept that you are meant to be here.  With me! With us.”  He is grasping at her hand like she will disappear any second while his shoulders are shaking with the intensity of his breath.  She keeps his stare for a second, before turning away back to the headstone.

“Am I?”  She whispers. He lightly grasps at her chin, moving her head to face him again.

“Forever and always.”  That little phrase breaks her.  In a second, she leaps from her spot into his lap, burrowing her head into the crook of his neck.  The reaction almost pushes him backwards into the snow, but he quickly settles himself. His hand moves and starts stroking the back of her head in a practiced movement before he gently starts rocking them consoling her quietly in her ear trying to overpower her chant of “I’m sorry.” They stay wrapped around each other until he spares a glance at his watch, telling him that it is half past one in the morning.

“Come on.  Let’s get you home.”  He whispers into her ear, helping her up to her feet.  He feels her shiver against him as a large gust of wind almost knocks the both of them from their feet.  Only now does he notice that she’s been in just a sweater this whole time.  

“Jesus Em, you couldn’t have brought a jacket?”  Shedding his coat, he drapes it over her shoulders before wrapping his arm around her waist guiding her to his car.

“Left it in the car.  Didn’t realize how long it’s been.”  She chatters out to him, leaning closer towards him for warmth.  He lets out a frustrated sigh before picking up the pace, trying to get her to shelter.

He helps her into the passenger seat of his car, passing off her concerns about her car.  “We’ll take care of it in the morning.”  

He quickly makes his way into the driver’s seat to turn the car on.  They sit in the warming car for a couple minutes in complete silence.  Neither quite knowing what to say to the other.  After another minute, Hotch figures it’s best to start to drive to her apartment.  It’s not until they are halfway there that she finally speaks up.

“Aaron?”  She says no more than a whisper.

“Hm?”  He hums out, sparing her a quick glance before looking back to the empty road.

“I – I, thank you.”

His lips start to curve up into a smile and he removes one hand from the steering wheel to grasp at hers, stopping her from the continued picking of her nails.  He squeezes her hand gently in response before leaving their fingers intertwined.  Neither of them speak until he parks back at her apartment complex.

She starts to let go of his hand to make her exit before his voice stops her.

“Em?”  With her hand still on the inside latch, she turns to face him.  “I know it’s not my place anymore, but please don’t be afraid to come to me.  If you’re having a bad day, let me know.  You mean so much to me.  I meant it when I said forever and always.”

She slowly nods her head, before leaning forward to give him an awkward hug across the center console.  Pulling away, she shyly gives him a peck on the cheek before whispering.  “Forever and always.”

She opens the door, and goes to leave his jacket on the seat, but he holds up a hand to stop her.  “Give it to me tomorrow.”  

Smiling softly, she nods before closing the door.  He patiently waits until he sees the light go on in her apartment. He waits until he sees her figure standing in the window, giving him a small wave.  Like before.  He slowly pulls out of the parking space, smiling to himself.  Yeah, things are starting to make sense again.

#prompts #prompt writing #allie writes #hotchniss fanfic #hotchniss #we love when inspiration strikes you #also love doing prompts way out of order #i apologize to the other prompts that came before this that i sidelined to write this one #very late tho #this is from my 350 celebration #which was at least 2 months ago?? #sorry besties #hope you enjoy

[theyreonlynoodlesmike]

Melting Wax, Crawling Vines: Part 2 (Vincent Sinclair x Fem!Reader)

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Warnings: panic attacks, fainting spells, implied past domestic abuse, implied intent to kidnap

Word Count: 2372

Vincent will make an appearance soon I swear

You figured you were slowing Lester down more than actually helping him, but he was a surprisingly patient and willing teacher. When the hubs were changed and you hopped back in the car, you were able to make it over the water with little to no problem. He drove you into the town, and stopped in front of an auto body shop. You watched as he got out, and quickly went to your side to let you out of the truck. You thanked him, before looking around the town of Ambrose. It was small, like you figured your new town would be. The only tourist trap it seemed to have was the House of Wax, but you didn't have time to look at it before Lester said,

"C'mon, Bo's probably inside." And nodded towards the auto body shop. You followed him, being able to hear music from outside the shop and passing some old fashioned gas pumps. Lester walked right in, yelling,

"Bo! You got a customer!" And you heard the sound of tools being set down before a tall man in his mid thirties stepped into the lobby of the shop. He had short dark hair, a blue cap, and a plain button down shirt and pants. He was wiping his hands clean of any grease, and he tossed you a smile right after he turned down the radio. Lester was quick to introduce you for you. He gave Bo your name, and the tall brunette held out one of his hands.

"I'm Bo. I'm the owner." He said, and you tried not to flush from the way he looked you over. You replied a small,

"Pleased to meet you." And you retracted your hand. You bit your lip, and Lester was quick to talk for you. You were grateful, as, for some reason, you felt slightly intimidated by the man in front of you. He seemed nice, charming, but a little sharp around the edges. But, hell, you brushed it off as plain paranoia.

"This young lady right here was having some car trouble up on the back road. I told her you'd be able to give her a tow." He said, and Bo nodded. 

"Yeah, we can manage that just fine." He said, and it seemed as thought this day was finally turning around for you. You'd have your car fixed and you'd be in your new town before nightfall. Well, you hoped. You added,

"Yeah, um, I couldn't figure it out myself, so Lester here was a real lifesaver to bring me to a, uh, professional." You said, and you watched the way the tallest of the two men smiled at you. He headed behind the counter, talking as the pair of you followed him. 

"Well, imagine that. Lester picked something up prettier than what he usually scrapes off the interstate. Should head by the back roads more often." He said, talking directly to the man besides you and cracking a small quip. You looked away and smiled to yourself. The man was handsome, and a flirt. If it wasn't for the situation, you were sure you would've walked away from someone so brazen. "Now, you headed anywhere important? Any time constraints?" He asked, throwing the rag over his shoulder. You were biting your thumb, and you pulled it out from between your teeth to say,

"I'm headed to a town about an hour out. Moving. Great day to get stuck." You said sarcastically, and both of them smiled at the joke. Bo shuffled some papers, looking down as he said,

"Yeah, it always happens like that, huh." He said, and you supposed he would know. You guessed that this was the part where you talked prices, but, after taking a quick glance at the clock, you realized just how much time had passed. Your stuff would be arriving, if it hadn't already, and you were still over an hour away. So, you said,

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be impolite, but could I use your phone? I have a moving truck that I'm supposed to meet." You were sure that if you didn't call, you'd worry the hell out of the people driving. You wanted them to know that you were safe, and maybe they could unload some of your stuff for you. You doubted they'd be so inclined, as you knew the men driving it. Bo gave you an easy smile, before agreeing with a,

"Sure." He handed you a cordless phone, and you quickly thanked him as you slung your backpack down to find the phone number to your new apartment complex. You pulled out a little planner you carried, found the number, and dialed it in. You stepped away from the two men as you waited for the person at the desk to pick up.

"This is Shandor Apartments. How can I help you?" An unfamiliar voice rang through, and you quickly said,

"Hi, this is," You gave them your full name and apartment number. "I was supposed to move in today, but I ran into some car trouble. I'll be up as soon as it's fixed, maybe in about," You paused to look over at Bo, and he held up three fingers. It was only a slight sight, but, for a moment, you saw what looked like scars on his wrist. You didn't stare, and instead took a step as you continued, "Three hours. I was wondering if you could tell me if the moving van has come yet." You said, and you waited for her reply.

"Yeah, it got here about fifteen minutes ago. You want me to tell those boys to wait with it?" And you grimaced at the thought of asking them to wait for three hours. You reluctantly said,

"No, no. Tell them they can head on back, and to just leave the keys to the unit with you please." Your 'moving van' was really just a small trailer attached to the back of a truck. You hadn't had much to take, and most of what you did had been left behind because of the memories surrounding them. Still, that didn't mean you were thrilled with the idea of moving everything by yourself. 

"Will that be all?" She asked, and you tried not to be offended by the indifference in her tone. You told her a quick,

"Yeah, that's it." And she continued with,

"Well, alright, miss. I'll tell 'em." And you half expected her to hang up. She surprised you by continuing with, "By the way, your boyfriend called and left a message." And you felt a shock go down the back of your spine. You tongue suddenly felt heavy and numb inside your mouth, and you stopped the small amount of pacing you'd been doing. You stared out the window of the auto body shop, blinking.

"What?" You asked. You hadn't meant to be so curt, but the woman didn't seem to mind. She kept going with,

"Your boyfriend, dear. He left a message and said," You listened to her pause, almost hearing the shuffle of papers. You didn't know if the room was spinning or if that was just you as she said, "He asked if you'd got in alright, and said he'll see you soon. He was such a sweet boy too. Very polite." And you almost couldn't make your mouth move. Horror had filled your veins, nearly suffocating you and tightly squeezing around your heart. Lester and Bo had been chatting behind you, whispering for what you assumed was the sake of your phone conversation, but they stopped when you leaned against the glass with a thud. Immediately your brain raced, trying to find any excuse to explain. It couldn't be. You'd been quick, sneaky. You'd even traveled separately from your friends, left at different times. You tried to force your mouth to work, but no sound came out. She continued with, "Oh, this part was a little strange. He said something about a bat? You left it at your sister's house and-" She hadn't stopped talking, but you'd stopped listening. In that moment, any stream of doubt left your head. You couldn't believe it, but, now, you had to. It was him. He had found you. He knew where you were going, and he would be there soon. He even knew what apartment complex you'd be in, and you didn't doubt the desk lady would tell him whatever he asked. He was always charming like that, able to talk into getting whatever he wanted. You'd seen him do it a thousand times, and you knew it wouldn't be any use to tell her anything. To tell your friends anything. It was too late. When you finally managed to force out a noise, your voice was thick and wet, like the tears you were trying to suppress.

"Thank you, ma'am. Have a nice day." And you clicked the end call button before the phone slipped out of your hand. You realized you weren't breathing, but it was like your lungs were frozen. You couldn't bring yourself to take in a breath. The night, that horrible night, was too busy replaying in your head. You heard the phantom crash of a window breaking, felt your heartbeat in your ears as you hid, saw the image of a crumpled body at the bottom of the stairs. You could practically feel his grip on your arms. Your knees had been just as weak then as they were right now, except there was no one to hold you up. No one to say those horrible words in your face, the ones that had given you nightmares ever since it'd happened. You think you can leave me? You think what she got was bad? When I'm done with you, you'll wish it was you at the bottom of the stairs. Those last five words replayed over and over in your head like a mantra. The bottom of the stairs, the bottom of the stairs, the bottom of the stairs. Your mind said. You couldn't hear Bo's question. Him asking if you were alright. Instead, your mind was asking you it's very own question. Who's the girl at the bottom of the stairs?

You fell to the ground, just like the phone besides you, and the world went black.

***

"What the hell." Bo said, standing over your body with hands on his hips. He picked up the phone, checking it for any damage before he looked to Lester. "What did you do? You give her something?" He asked, and Lester was quick to say,

"Me? No!" He'd placed his hands on his chest, as if he'd been offended. As far as Lester was concerned, Bo and Vincent were the weird ones of the family. He didn't judge, but he definitely didn't partake. Sure, he pointed people in the right, technically wrong, direction and dumped any bodies that Vincent didn't use, but anyone that wandered in with him was usually let go. As long as they didn't poke their noses where they shouldn't or see anything they shouldn't. "I was just tellin' you that I thought we should keep her! Y'know, so she can teach Vincent. I wouldn't give her nothing. She just," He paused, giving your foot a light nudge with his boot. "Fell." You stirred, but you didn't wake, and Bo was quick to push at his chest.

"Don't do that." He snapped, before he was fixing his hat with a sigh. At least they knew you hadn't just randomly kicked it. But, they couldn't just leave you in the shop and go tell Vincent about their plan. "Shit." He said, before he pushed the phone into Lesters hands. He leaned down. He picked you up, gathering you up and throwing you over his shoulder. "Let's get her back to the house." He said with a grunt, and Lester pushed open the door so he could walk through.

***

When you woke up, you blinked to try to clear your vision. You didn't know where you were, and you nearly launched yourself up before a hand caught your shoulder. It pushed you back down almost a little too easily, and you looked up to see Bo taking a seat on the corner of what you realized was a couch. You looked up at him, and then at the source of a low whistle.

"You took quite a tumble there, miss." The man said, and it took a moment for you to connect that it was Lester. You looked around, quickly taking in the sights of what looked like a living room. You guessed it must've been one of theirs, and you were leaning towards Bo at the sight of a pool-table. He seemed the type , you thought. You reached up to touch your head, which swam when you tried to lift it again. Finally, you fell back against the armrest in a defeated heap.

"Where- Where am I?" You asked, and Bo chuckled before he said,

"My house. You fainted back at the shop." He explained, and you tried to think back. Before your thoughts could head anywhere, you asked,

"What happened?" And Bo chuckled. You looked up, watching as he leaned forward and said,

"Well, we were hoping you could explain that one, darlin'." He said, his voice smooth and sweet like honey. You were too dazed to really notice how he was laying the charm on extra thick, and the moment you did think about it everything came rushing back. The fear, the horror, the confusion. You must've made a face because Lester added,

"And don't say heatstroke. I've seen heatstroke, and I ain't never seen someone look like how you did." And you bit your lip. You thought for a moment, wondering if you should lie. If you could lie. You weren't sure you wanted to get into it, but how else else could you explain your fainting spell? More importantly, how would you explain the worst night of your life? A night that only happened only a few short weeks before? Especially to two strangers. You looked between their imploring eyes, and let out a long sigh.

"Can I have a glass of water first, please?"

#house of wax #house of wax 2005 #vincent sinclair x reader #bo sinclair #lester sinclair

[deniigi]

So @petrichordiam and I are menaces and giggled over our ideal dinluke flower shop AU for like 4 hrs and then I wrote this.

Title: murderer next door

Summary: Din works as a florist and Luke works as a bookseller and they’re both assassins trying to keep the other off their turf.

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

Two times now, Luke had crashed past that flower shop, and two times now, the fucker inside had taken out his mark. Now all Luke had to say about the whole thing was that it was too bad that he was going to have to kill the guy.

Han told him not to turn back. The mark was dead; the mark was gone. They weren’t fast enough this time, but there would be others.

Luke just couldn’t let it go, though. He had rent to pay, and McFloristApron over there was smashing through all his targets and making that nigh impossible—regardless of how many marks there were in the area.

Luke waited until Han had closed up shop for the night and remained there in the dark with his arm slung over the back of the chair in the backroom, surrounded by books. He rolled his shot of whiskey in its tumbler. The sound against the old wood table offered no comfort.

He stood up and left the glass to get his laptop.

He wasn’t losing to some florist, Han, sorry. Only one family could take innocuous cover on this street, and it was them.

 ---

McFlorist’s name wasn’t listed on the florist’s staff page, but then again, none of the people on that page had names. In fact, the website’s whole vibe was all wedding-chic until you clicked on the ‘staff and contacts’ tab. Then, it may as well have been a line of mugshots.

Luke squinted along the row of increasingly involved headgear until he got to someone with a reasonably-sized neck with no tats. The ladies on either side of him appeared to have sapped all the ink out of McFloristApron. He wore a mask over the lower half of his face and gave a stoic thumbs up to the camera.

Under his picture was the number fifteen.

Damn.

Luke was only making eight per pop. Who the hell was this guy eating up all the feeder fish, huh? Them lower division folks had to eat too, you know.

Well.

‘Lower division’ in a sense of the word. Being two times undercover wasn’t super glamorous, Luke had to say. But when your dad fucked it up for the first family, sometimes you had to take what you could get.

Luke pointed at Fifteen on the screen.

“You and me, pal,” he said. “You and me.”

 --

 Step one was to get paid first.

Luke chased down three marks on the other side of town to pay the rent and the medical bills for now. His hand’s new sleeve felt like a dream. It didn’t overheat like the nylon black one did, and the hand was far less shiny now as a bonus. That had certainly reduced the number of people catching something move out of the corner of their eye.

Was it worth fifty grand?

No.

Was it worth the last nine that Luke had left to pay on it?

Yeah. It was definitely worth the nine.

 ------

 Step two was to go make it clear to Fifteen McFlorist that he and his folks needed to back down in the face of the established guard.

Luke put on his biggest sweater and the thickest glasses he could find. He stole Chewie’s messenger bag with all the pins on it. He slung it over his shoulder and rolled the hems of his jeans up just a smidge too much, then scurried over to the florist’s across the way.

Fifteen was off to the side of the register, fucking around with something in the refrigerator. Luke busily and noisily looked through the wall of foliage on the side of the shop nearest the window. He hummed. He hawed. He made anxious nerd-sounds until a voice asked, “Hi, can I help you?”

Luke glanced out of the corner of his eye and found that Fifteen was standing facing his way now. His mask was gray this time. His apron was orange. His boots were too heavy-looking for florist work.

“I’d love that,” Luke gushed breathlessly. “See, my mom just got engaged and I’m on the way to her house.”

Fifteen lifted his chin slightly.

“What’re her favorites?” he asked tonelessly.

Terrible customer service skills, dude.

“Roses,” Luke said.

“Ours are shit today,” Fifteen said. “How about dahlias?”

Luke didn’t know what those were but sure.

“That sounds great,” he said. “You have any in pink?”

 --------

 He watched Fifteen brutalize some pink, orange, and white flowers into a bouquet wrapped with a silver bow and was sure to smile every time the guy looked up.

“That’ll be $37.59.”

Sir, these are dead flowers. There is no need for that price.

“Can I put it on card?” Luke asked. “How long have you worked here, if you don’t mind me asking? I work just across the way is all.”

Fifteen’s dark gaze flicked up. His hair was covered by a gray beanie two shades darker than the mask.

“At the club?” he asked.

“The bookshop,” Luke corrected him with a shy, but widening smile.

Please be gay. Please be gay. Please be gay. Leia wasn’t going to want to cooperate. She thought it was beneath her to establish boundaries like this.

“Blue paint,” Fifteen said. “Yeah, that place. How long have you been there?”

“My brother-in-law’s place, actually,” Luke said. “I started there last year after I finished college.”

Or, you know, maybe even eight years ago when he’d finished college. No one had to know. Baby faces don’t kiss and tell after all.

“Huh. You must like it there,” Fifteen said.

“It’s fine,” Luke hummed. “You like it here?”

“The kid does.”

“Oh, you’re a father?” Luke asked. “How old?”

“He’s three,” Fifteen said. “Godson. His folks were in an accident; didn’t make it.”

“That’s terrible, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Luke said. “He’s lucky to have you.”

Fifteen handed him his card back. Luke’s hand didn’t close in time to catch it and it fell onto to the wooden counter.

“Sorry about that,” Luke said, reaching for it with the other hand. His knuckles bumped into Fifteen’s when he went for the card at the same time. They both paused and went for the card again with the same result. Luke laughed.

“Slippery, am I right?” he asked, flattening his fingers on top of the piece of plastic and snatching it away.

“Very,” Fifteen said. “I hope your mom likes them.”

“Me too,” Luke smiled. “I’ll see you around—What was your name?”

“You can call me Armando,” Fifteen said.

“Armando,” Luke sounded out. “It suits you.”

It was a falsie.

“And yours?”

“James.”

“It suits you.”

It didn’t.

“Bye now,” Luke said. “Thanks for your help.”

He let the door fall closed behind him with the tinkle of the bell.

 --------

 He informed Han that “Armando” had a toddler and received only a warning look and a scolding for all his effort. Han told him not to get jealous. If there was a kid in the balance, then Fifteen, for better or worse, was going to have to see each day after the next until there was no longer a kid in the balance.

Luke offered to call CPS and report “Armando” as an assassin.

“You do that and those folks across the street are gonna call the VA and tell them I’m an assassin,” Han said. “Lay low, Luke. Lay low.”

Never.

“Christ. At least until that thing’s yours then.”

Luke glared at his right hand.

“Gimme a double,” he told Han without looking away from it.

 ------------

 It was never easy to hunt in the daylight, but Luke wasn’t here to do easy things. He needed to get Mark No. 1 alone. The man took the train once a week to a gentleman’s club on his lunch break. Luke needed a change of clothes.

He had a rainbow windbreaker, white boots, and fishnets all ready to go.

He got on the same train as the mark and dropped his phone nearby. It clattered loudly and the case came off. Luke swore and squatted to drop it at the same time that two girls next to him decided to become good Samaritans. They crouched with him and one of them caught the phone first. They handed it back with a smile.

“I like your jacket,” she said.

Luke let his face struggle to find a smile at her kindness to him, a sweet little twink trying to find the pride parade that happened two weeks ago.

“Thanks,” he said. “I like your bracelet.”

He stood up. The girls were pleased with themselves. Luke glanced back to find Mark No. 1 turn his head abruptly away.

Come here, Markie.

Do you like what you see?

  Mark No. 1 didn’t make it out of his hotel room. A pity. Luke took the elevator down and huffed and puffed about a cheap date when he passed the front desk. He stopped abruptly and went back to ask the receptionist what the cross street was. She judged his go-go boots.

He told her she wasn’t his type. Her manager gave him the cross street.

Mark No. 2 had different parameters.

 ----------

 Mark No. 2’s parameters involved chasing him through a maze of boiler rooms and dumpsters. He was chump change towards a hand that Luke hadn’t wanted in the first place, but alas. The anger still roared.

Luke cornered him, still in go-go boots—no need to sacrifice style for speed—and watched those pale eyes look every which way as Mark No. 2 realized that there was no getting out of this.

“You got options, friend,” Luke said. “I can bring you in hot or I can bring you in—”

“—cold.”

His head snapped up and he lurched out of the way just as the crack of a bullet exploded in the alley. A car backfired around the corner in a sympathetic cough. Luke stared at the body then twisted around just in time for a thick glove to latch onto the back of his neck.

“Well, look who it is,” Fifteen drawled.

Luke glared out of the corner of his eye.

“Hands off, Armando,” he warned.

“I like your boots.”

“You’re gonna love ‘em when they’re on your dick,” Luke warned.

“Back off, Nayberry.”

Fucking hell, Han. This is why they should have set up boundaries weeks ago.

“I prefer ‘James,’” Luke said sweetly.

The glock levelled at his face didn’t care.

“You took my mark,” Fifteen said.

“Aw, poor baby,” Luke pouted. “Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you took mine.”

Fifteen’s orange apron was gone. He’d swapped it for an old leather jacket—something he could more easily wipe clean. He should’ve gone for patent leather. The brown really wasn’t working with his grey mask-beanie situation.

“Stay in your lane,” Fifteen warned.

“Only if you stay in yours,” Luke beamed.

Fifteen huffed.

“Bookstore,” he scoffed. “Who’d you give the flowers to?”

Luke tsked.

“Myself, jackass,” he said.

“Do you even have a mom?”

“What the fuck business is that of yours? You even got a kid?”

Fifteen’s stare was deadly—the cooling body before them notwithstanding.

“Take one step near him and we won’t be talkin’ so friendly, yeah?”

Mm. Yeah.

“You owe me four grand,” Luke informed Fifteen as the glock went down and Fifteen left him to go take a pulse.

The man’s back stiffened.

“Four?” he asked. “You took this job for four?”

Luke rolled his eyes.

“I got bills, Armando,” he drawled.

“How do you keep that shed open? Have you sold even one book?”

Rude. Luke was a great sales associate. If he actually cared to put his mind to it, he’d be worthy of a promotion to manager.

He pulled the rising legs of his shorts down and adjusted the weapon in his windbreaker. He couldn’t leave the alley the way he’d gone into it. Someone might have seen. He was going to have to take a side street. Hmmm, which one? Choices, choices.

“I’ll give you a Dad’s discount. Gimme two grand, and you can have him,” Luke negotiated as he thought.

“Two.”

Hey, no need for that tone. This was a great deal.

“What’re you gonna do with two?” Fifteen asked, already knelling down to heft the body over his shoulder as proof for payment.

“Buy some more tights,” Luke deadpanned. “Two, final offer.”

Fifteen stood up all the way and gave him a weird look. A long look. His beanie was pulled down low, but Luke got the impression that he was frowning at him.

“Take the four,” he said out of nowhere. “I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

Luke recoiled a step at first, then recoiled another when the reality of the situation hit him full in the chest.

“Forget it,” he snapped.

He spun around and started to leave.

“Wh—hey. HEY. Where are you goin’?”

“I don’t need your fuckin’ pity,” Luke called ahead of him as he set to climbing the chainlink fence separating him from the adjacent dead-end alley.

“You what?”

“You heard me,” Luke said.

He jumped down. His left hand found his right wrist and squeezed as he walked.

 -------

 The phantom pains kept him up all night, and it was definitely that and not the humiliation that made him call in sick. Han told him to answer his therapist’s emails. Luke told him to go do something useful and hung up. He rolled onto his back on his bed and focused on letting his body relax, his jaw unclench, his joints go limp.

There was sunlight finally streaming through his apartment windows again. It had been months.

Spring was almost here. He just had to hold out a little longer.

 --------

 He came in to work the next day and found an envelope on his chair in the backroom. It was thick.

“McFlorist dropped it off,” he said between aggravated sounds at his spreadsheets.

“Is it tax season already?” Luke asked him as he tried to burn a whole in the center of the envelope with his mind.

“Sure fuckin’ is.”

He stepped forward and snatched up the envelope, then deposited it squarely in Han’s lap. He made an unattractive noise of confusion and alarm.

“For the taxes,” Luke called as he went out to grab his lanyard and name tag. “Gotta keep this place open for another six months at least.”

 ------------

 There were new books in. A new shipment to shelve. Two kids’ displays to set up. And Luke was actually good at this stuff, thanks; he started stacking.

He got peace until he nearly got to the end of the second display, and then what he had was a heart attack. Two liquid brown eyes surrounded by an ocean of ringlets stared up at him from between his knees. The child curled a hand in and out in hello.

Luke jerked himself up to locate the thing’s parents immediately, and promptly found himself in deadly eye-contact with Fifteen.

Armando.

“You were gone yesterday,” Fifteen said flatly.

Luke looked between him and the kid. He was pinned between two enemy parties. How to escape, how to escape.

“Are you sick?”

How to escape. How to escape. How to escape.

“Are you hurt?”

H—what?

“I’m fine, stalker,” Luke snapped with more heat than this present cover allowed. He caught himself and pulled it back. “I’m fine,” he repeated. “Thank you for asking. Is this…?”

Fifteen blinked once. The child blinked once as well. It was creepy.

“He’s mine,” Fifteen said. “And apparently the only thing that will get us through the next two hours is a book.”

Dude.

“Kids are kids,” Fifteen said. “You got any books?”

Luke stared at him, then checked the shelves to make sure he hadn’t teleported into another dimension.

You always had to check.

“We’re in a bookstore,” he said.

“He can’t read,” Fifteen said, pointing.

The kid grinned. His teeth were gapped in that toddler sort of way. He was kind of cute.

“You can’t read?” Luke asked him.

“Hi,” Baby said.

Oh no.

Luke loved him.

“How much?” he asked Fifteen.

“Touch him and you’ll be permanently comatose,” Fifteen said.

“Not if I died out of spite,” Luke said.

There was a long pause. Then Fifteen started laughing? Kind of hard?

“Oh my god, that was so unprofessional. I am so sorry,” Luke blurted out.

Fifteen collected himself and shook his head. His little one giggled and reached for Luke’s fingers.

“Boo,” he said.

Luke couldn’t feel the hand, but he could feel all the heart.

“Book?” he asked, crouching down. “Do you want a story?”

“Mmmm.”

“I have the perfect one,” Luke told him. “It’s about a caterpillar. Do you know what a caterpillar is?”

He got a slow, exaggerated head shake back and forth, back and forth. He stood up straight.

“I’m conducting a temporary kidnapping,” he informed Fifteen. “Do I have consent?”

Fifteen looked from him towards the front entrance and mulled over the merits of leaving his kid with his rival assassin. Then he shrugged.

“Consent granted,” he said. “Luke.”

Luke’s heart stopped.

“James,” he said.

“Your name tag says ‘Luke.’”

Well, fuck.

“Luke Nayberry. It suits you.”

Hhhhhhh. This was karma, wasn’t it.

“Thanks,” he gritted out. “And yourself, Armando?”

“Din.”

Woah, look out. Mr. One-Syllable-Cool-Man had entered the building.

“Din, what?” Luke asked as his arm registered tension. Din’s kid had latched onto his fingers and started pulling incessantly with a chubby hand gesturing in the direction of the wall of children’s books.

“Don’t you worry about it,” Din said.

“Fine, go trip then,” Luke said.

He swore that there was a smile under that mask.

 ----------

#dinluke #luke skywalker #ficlet #fic #I can't take any trope seriously it turns out #perhaps I am simply too old now to appreciate them #the mandalorian