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asgardianmagicman · 3 years

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No Safety in My Arms - chapter 9

A/N: I want to properly introduce everyone to a new character! her name is Michelle Daniels, she's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with healing powers, and is the OC to my lovely friend Abigail ( @hiscyarika -- check out her Mandalorian fics if you're into that, she's amazing!) who has graciously given me permission to include her in this fic. expect to see more of her in the future! now, with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

read it on ao3 here, listen to the playlist here, find previous parts here!

The familiar sensation of Aksel’s warm, wet tongue licking your cheek is what eventually brought you back to reality. Your hand came up to curl in the fur of his neck out of habit, and you opened your eyes a crack. Immediately you regretted the decision, groaning and closing them again; the light from your bathroom ceiling was only making the pain in your head worse.

“Miss,” you heard J.A.R.V.I.S. say, almost as soon as it was clear that you were once again conscious. “I just want to inform you that Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes, and Agents Romanoff and Daniels have just entered the tower and are on their way up here. I sent a message to Agent Daniels when you sent Aksel to fetch her, because she was not in the building at the time.”

You were silent for a moment then, just trying to process everything the AI has said to you. Eventually, you mumbled out a thanks, eyes still closed and your uninjured hand still buried in Aksel’s thick black fur. It wasn’t too much later that Steve practically burst into your apartment, and you physically cringed at how loud his worry for you was. You could hear Bucky, Natasha, and Michelle following after him, and while you could hear their emotions clearly too, they were generally much more muted.

“Hey! Are you alright? Can you hear me? Jesus, there’s so much blood, what happened?” The questions came from the captain rapid-fire, too quickly for you to answer even if you’d had the capacity to. Aksel, true to his training, made sure that Steve didn’t get too close or touch you, even though his intentions were pure, and you knew logically that the captain would never physically harm you.

“Steve, you’re only making the situation worse,” Bucky cut in, voice quieter and calmer, though his concern for you was still evident to you because of your abilities. “Take a deep breath, Michelle will be here in a second, and she’ll be able to handle it, alright?”

“Yeah…” Steve replied to his friend, softer than when he’d been speaking to you before, though he didn’t appear to move at all from where he was standing, blocking the doorway for everyone else.

At that moment, you heard the sound of Michelle entering your apartment, calling your name calmly, and you knew she was solidly in her “nurse mode”, which you were thankful for.

“Steve,” you heard Natasha say, trying to get the captain’s attention so he’d make way for Michelle, but it didn’t appear to accomplish that goal because, upon hearing Michelle’s footsteps stop outside the doorway, you heard her speak.

“Captain Rogers, I know she’s your friend and that you’re worried about her, but I’m going to need you to move so I can tend to her.” The healer’s voice was firm but not impolite as she spoke, and you could easily imagine the determined look on her face. Even this seemed to fail the task of compelling Steve to move, because you heard Bucky grumble to himself, then a stumbling of feet as you assumed he pulled his friend out of the woman’s way.

“Alright, sweetheart, can you hear me?” Michelle asked gently, now crouching down on the bathroom floor beside you. You cracked an eye open to look at her, watching briefly as she began to carefully remove her gloves.

“Yeah,” you said quietly, closing your eyes again. “My head hurts, looking at the light makes it worse,” you explained; you didn’t want her to think that you were on the verge of being unconscious again, because you knew if she thought your condition was that bad she’d make you spend the night in the infirmary, and you would much rather spend the night in your own bed.

“Okay, that’s fine. I’ve got to keep the light on for now, but as soon as I’m done I’ll turn it off and the four of us will get out of your hair.” The redhead’s words made your lips quirk in a small smile, and you agreed quietly. Truthfully, you didn’t mind Cap’s little gang (as you affectionately called them in your head) all being there, because you knew it was just because they wanted to make sure that you were okay, but being able to change into something more comfortable and finally go to bed was definitely an appealing thought.

You laid motionless as the healer took your injured hand in her own now-bare ones, examining the wound as best she could as it began to heal beneath her touch, the muscles and skin neatly knitting themselves back together, as if nothing had ever happened to them in the first place. It was a strange sensation, not exactly painful, but not quite comfortable, either; you weren’t sure you’d ever get used to it.

“That looked pretty nasty, but not bad enough to cause this much blood loss. What happened?” Michelle asked, releasing your hand and placing one of her palms on your forehead, making quick work of your headache, and any other damage you might have done on your way down.

“All I remember is slicing my hand on the broken glass in the sink, coming back here to patch it up, and passing out after I sent Aksel to get you because I was bleeding more than I thought.” You let out a sigh and thanked the healer as she removed her hand from your head, opening your eyes in time to see her exchange a slightly confused look with the rest of the group as she pulled on her gloves once again.

“That’s strange,” the redhead murmured, almost to herself. She was quiet for a moment as she helped you to sit up, then spoke again.

“J.A.R.V.I.S.?”

“Yes ma’am?”

“Can you tell me what happened between when you notified me of the situation and when we finally arrived?”

The AI was silent for a few seconds before he replied, which you knew was highly unusual. “I’m not at liberty to say, ma’am.”

“Why the hell not?” Nat snapped, looking up at the ceiling with an irritated expression.

“Because I was specifically instructed not to tell anyone. Mr. Stark has programmed me to keep any secret entrusted to me unless I'm explicitly given permission to share it otherwise.” All five of you stared at each other in confusion for several moments; none of you had known about this part of the AI’s programming, but it was a piece of information you tucked away for later.

“Well,” Bucky eventually broke the silence. “Everything’s fine now, except for the mess on the floor, and I don’t think we’d be able to bypass J.A.R.V.I.S.’s programming anytime soon. I say we leave it be for now.” The super soldier looked around at the rest of the group, and when nobody offered up an argument, he turned back to you, smiling ever so slightly at you and extending his metal arm to help you off the floor, which you easily accepted.

“C’mon, Tenderheart,” Natasha said affectionately, once you were steady on your feet and Steve was helping Michelle off the floor. “Let’s get you cleaned up and in something cozy. You can use my shower while the boys get everything cleaned up in here.” The look she shot Steve and Bucky left no room for any sort of argument, and you couldn’t help but laugh a bit.

“Thanks, Nat.” You walked slowly over to your dresser, still a little unsteady on your feet, and pulled your favorite pair of pajamas from the drawer. After you had everything you needed, you turned back to Nat and offered her a smile. “Lead the way.”

You walked across the common space and past the kitchen with the pair of redheads to get to the assassin’s room, passing Michelle’s room and bidding her goodnight along the way. You set your things down on the edge of her sink as you reached into the shower to start the water, but you looked over at your friend once again when you heard her speaking from the doorway.

“How long do you think until Steve finally gets the guts to ask Michelle out?” she asked, a playful smirk plastered on her lips. You laughed then, leaning against the wall opposite the redhead.

“He’s getting there, don’t rush him too much. He’s still rusty, it’s been over seventy years,” you replied, making the both of you laugh yet again.

“If he asks her out before the end of the year, I’ll make you cupcakes every day for a year.” You wrinkled your nose at your friend’s promise, remembering the last time she’d tried baking. You were pretty sure it was the closest anyone had come to getting the fire department called to the tower.

Natasha read your expression, knowing what you must be thinking, and quickly changed her statement. “Ok I’ll buyyou cupcakes every day for a year.”

“From Gina’s down the block?”

“Where else?”

The bathroom was beginning to fill with steam at that point, so Nat stepped out of the door frame and back into her living room, leaving the door cracked for Aksel just in case. You showered quickly, not wanting to use up too much of Nat’s hot water, but also because it was finally hitting you just how tired you really were. Soon enough, you were all dried off and comfortably dressed in your pajamas.

“Thanks for letting me use your shower.”

“Any time. That’s what friends are for, right?” You couldn’t help but return the smile she shot your way. “You want an escort back to your room? The boys should have everything cleaned up by now.”

You shook your head slightly, walking towards the door with Aksel at your heels. “No, I’m alright now. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Natasha nodded, stroking Aksel’s back lightly as he walked past where she was seated on the couch. “Alright then. Goodnight, don’t let the bedbugs bite!”

You rolled your eyes at the words, but your smile never slipped, “Goodnight, Nat. Sweet dreams.” Careful to close the door after Aksel followed you out of the room, you made your way back to your own room, beyond ready to crawl into bed and sleep until either your canine companion or your alarm woke you up in the morning.

As you approached your door, you paused for a moment, looking over at Loki’s apartment door. You wondered what he’d decided to do after dinner, but quickly shook the thought away; it wasn’t any of your business. It wasn’t like you were his friend or anything. A soft sigh escaped your lips as you entered your apartment, putting your dirty clothes in the hamper before promptly slipping into bed, blankets pulled up to your chin. Sleep came blessedly quickly.

#loki/reader #loki fanfic #loki fanfiction #marvel fanfic #marvel #marvel fanfiction #marvel reader insert #marvel x reader #nsima #My writing

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creepypastashavecomittedtaxfraud · 4 years

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Hey!Can I get some sfw headcanons for Masky with a s/o and Hoodie with a s/o?I don't know if you do nsfw but if you do make sure to throw in some of that good stuff😂🤭💕

Helloooo as it says in my description I do sfw Only so here’s some of that for you

Masky:

Masky may seem like kind of a hard ass to be around, when he’s not losing his shit anyway, but he’s a big softy for you. Just for you though

he’s pretty level headed and down to earth as long as he’s not in his work or kill mode. He’s actually managed to hold onto a little shred of humanity in that messed of head of his. some people find it weak, some find it very comforting. You fall into the latter for sure.

Your relationship with him is very gentle. He tries to make it seem as normal as possible. Takes his mask off around you as much as he can comfortably, brings you little gifts, tells you about his day while maybe tactfully cutting out the disturbing or gory parts of it. Not like he hides it from you, not like he really can especially if you live with him, but when he’s with you he likes to imagine your relationship as his little slice of pure stability and normalcy. You’re just his s/o, that he loves dearly, that makes him feel human.

It’s not that he hates living there or what he does, not at all really. He’s just not as well built for the lifestyle as some of the others, mentally i mean. you know. And he just wishes sometimes that you didn’t have to be apart of the unpleasant side of all of it. He wishes he could protect you and keep you away from it. He thinks you’re so ...Pure. which you might laugh at, but in his eyes youre at least somewhat pure and untouched by the evil and horrors he’s seen and done

when he comes home from having to kill someone he doesn’t like you to see him all bloody. Cleans up as fast as he can and showers before you see him. He’s all, frazzled and unhinged after doing it no matter how many times he’s done it before, so he’ll be all distant and quiet and severely jumpy all night.

Bring him into your arms gently and soothingly pet his hair and kiss his forehead and face and call him your preferred cutesy pet name, and he’ll calm himself. He’ll apologize for it, just hush him with another kiss. He calms down easier than some of the other guys do.

He’s a bigger guy so he’s probably the best cuddle partner of all of them. He’s also naturally very warm, again, making him a better cuddle partner than some of the others. He’s the type to keep clinging to you in the morning when you try to get out of bed. Going to have to really pry out of his arms hehe especially if it’s cold. Absolutely not a morning person.

Hoody:

I hope it doesn’t hurt your feelings he’s not very affectionate around other people. He’s about as far on the ‘dislikes pda’ scale as you can go. He of course would never reject you giving it to him, but considering he’s totally covered pretty much constantly thats limited to holding onto his arm and giving him hugs, though feel free to kiss his mask. he actually does like that. he thinks it is VERY very cute and gives you lil face bumps in return

but he’s wayyyy more sweet with you when you two are alone. He’s not super comfortable removing his mask very often but he’ll usually pull it up at least half way so you two can kiss. and if he’s having a good day he’ll take it off and let you see his face. not for the whole day or anything but just to make you happy. you get to see how much he actually smiles a little bit around you!

He’s actually very affectionate with you in private, it’s total night and day how he acts. He loves when you lay ontop of him or lean on him. he likes the pressure/weight of someone on him. He takes his gloves off and holds your hands or your face. he Really likes kissing just a heads up. very much a physical affection rather than verbal affection person by Far as long as he can do it in private only. he’s just a private dude you know

He’s not very talkative, pretty much quiet all the time around others unless theres an important reason for him to talk but he’ll have conversations with you. It makes you feel special that he’s comfortable enough with you to talk for semi-extended periods..!!!

But he does say he loves you. Usually when you’re about to fall asleep or when you least expect it. His voice always sounds even quieter than normal when he does. It’s sweet. usually followed up by a small kiss to the cheek

He also does killing but he never really seems to get affected by it like some of the other guys, like masky, do. You really don’t see that much of a difference in him whether he comes home clean or comes home dragging a bloody pipe behind him. He changes into clean clothes and spends some time on the bathroom floor scrubbing most of the blood stains out of his mask and clothes. you can sit with him if you want or leave him to it. Doesn’t have anything to say about it really, to no ones surprise. It’s extremely whatever to him the whole thing.

though honestly...the unaffected cold brutal killer thing? kind of hot. shout out to that

#masky x reader #hoody x reader #creepypasta x reader #i hope you like these !! sorry for any mistakes i am very tired #Anonymous

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justjessame · 4 years

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A Little Ass and A Lotta Sass: Chapter 7: Pulling Out All the Stops...Did He REALLY Think That Would Work?

Seriously, I was locked in the terrifying gaze of Negan’s eyes and I was very, very curious as to how I’d NEVER really allowed myself to contemplate how fucking scary he could be. I must have made some sort of noise, or maybe I flinched, all I know is that I did SOMETHING without realizing it and it broke the fierceness of his attention on me. It did not, however, remove the rampant hard on that he was STILL sporting. Shit.

I felt the breath come back into my lungs, had I been holding my fucking breath? When he cupped my cheek, after he yanked the glove off his hand with his teeth, I found myself leaning into his touch. I should be biting him, a part of me screamed, anything to get away from him. The other part of me, the one that actually controlled my body, didn’t agree apparently. I felt his sigh, and his lips kissing my forehead. I felt his entire body begin to relax, and let out another long breath.

Rule Number 1: Laughing at Negan during sexy fun times is a NO NO. Huge no. Let’s not play with that version of fire, at least not yet.

He finally pulled away from me, and I realized that Dad had wandered off during the standoff. I found myself curious as to how long it had lasted. “Rick has the worst timing in the entire motherfucking world.” He leaned against the wall beside me, watching my profile. “Come back with me, Callie, and we’ll never be interrupted again.” He was laying the temptation on thick now.

I smirked. He truly didn’t know me. Really, truly had no fucking idea how bad my luck was at getting caught and being interrupted. Seriously. “And if we were interrupted, I’m sure someone would be punished for it.”

I closed my eyes, realizing that it was more true than I could have allowed myself to believe. The man beside me, so close I could still feel the heat pouring off of him, was exactly the type to kill or maim someone who got between him and his wants. I wondered if that included me, if I had the audacity to walk in on him and one of his other women? Would I be punished so severely that I’d wish I were dead? Or would he mark me, a more permanent reminder than a love bruise on my neck? I’d seen the man who had worn Daryl’s vest with his half ruined face. I heard from Carl’s story of his tour of Negan’s abode what made a face look like that.

“Callie,” it was a cross between a groan and a sigh. “I’m willing to give your people their freedom, or at least most of it. I’m willing to give them peace. For you. Hell, I gave back the redneck because your dad seems so attached.” I knew he was being honest, but to me, it just wasn’t enough of an incentive. “Do you want me to be completely fucking different? Want me to fucking give up my entire life for you? Cause you’re hot as shit, baby doll, but that’s a bridge too fucking far.”

I rolled my eyes, still not looking at him. I didn’t want him to change entirely. There were definitely some very attractive parts of him that I was becoming more than slightly accustomed to. Yet, there were a few things that I couldn’t live with being a part of. ONE huge one, actually. “If I wanted a man to bend completely to my will, I think I would have picked Spencer Monroe.” I huffed out a breath. “You know, the weak and trainable type?” I heard him give a snort. “I don’t want you to be COMPLETELY different, Negan. I just don’t want certain aspects of your lifestyle to be included in mine.” There, I thought, a rational argument for why I couldn’t just pack up and go.

I felt his fingers touch my neck, brushing the skin and feeling the goosebumps develop from his touch. “One part,” it wasn’t a question, so I figured he was coming to the right conclusion. “The others?” Or not, I realized when he ended that part with the question mark dangling.

I finally turned my head to look up at him. “The others.” I answered. “It’s probably not fair, in your mind, that I disagree with your current relationship status. Especially since I’m basically a bartering tool. But it does. And I can’t, no I won’t go there knowing that if I piss you off, or if I’m not in the mood, you’ve got a pack of skittles worth of others to divert you until I become more accommodating.” He was studying me, listening to what I was trying to say. “Look, I know how women act, especially if there’s one alpha male that is releasing ALL the pheromones in the fucking place. They can be more fucking hateful and spite filled than you, your little bat there, and all the guards you have running around like a biker version of the Secret Service.” Vicious, that’s what women like those he was collecting could be, or were, judging by the way he seemed to get exactly what I was saying. “I’d rather piss you off a million times by saying ‘no’ to going back with you, than have to put up with a bunch of possessive bitches who got there first.”

He chuckled, not without a hint of mirth, but also not as boisterous as when he found me funnier than usual. “I can’t deny that they are a handful.” He seemed to be recalling some of their less attractive moments. “They serve a purpose, Callie.” Seeing me roll my eyes at the purpose I imagined, he took my hand in his to get my attention refocused. “Not just fucking, Jesus woman. Most of them I offered to join me to get their men in line.” I noticed he said ‘most’ and not ‘all’ He clearly saw my glare forming. “Yes, the others propositioned me. I won’t deny it, it’s nice to have variety.” My glare was becoming more furious by the minute. “Hey, calm the fuck down. What I’m saying, and clearly fucking not getting through to you, is that not a single one of them is you. I didn’t give up a single fucking thing to get them. Not one. I may keep them in the lap of luxury, but that shit doesn’t really cost me a fucking thing. You, Callie? I’m willing to fucking give up all THIS.” He gestured around us, at the house we were standing in, and knew he meant the entire community. “For you. To take you back and get fucking lost in you.”

I considered what he was saying. I sort of understood. I still didn’t fucking like it. “I’m going to have to-”

“Take more fucking time.” He finished for me, running a frustrated hand down his face again. “Of course you are. It couldn’t possibly become fucking simple now could it?” I stared at him. He truly looked, was that, no. He looked tortured by it. Well, fuck, that’s a new power for me to add to the growing list. I could fucking torture Negan without laying a finger on him.

“You know,” I turned my entire body to him and gave him a small smile. “I’d fucking LOVE to be able to send you off with a bang, on my bed, upstairs.” I saw his dimples come out to play at the mere thought of it. “But some raging asshole with an ego the size of my house stole the bed, and the mattress. And not just mine, every fucking one’s.” Cold water, without a drop of rain, right over top of his fucking head and hope.

He groaned, and reached down for the bat. “I guess I’m gonna have to have a talk with that asshole.” He looked at the bat, almost lovingly, and I wondered if I’d start to feel jealous of a piece of fucking wood. “Lucille and I will go, I guess.”

Wait, did he name his fucking bat? “Lucille?” I choked out, trying desperately not to laugh. “The bat has a name?”

He smiled down at me. “Fuck yeah, she’s got a name.” He held ‘her’ out for my inspection. I was fucking thankful that she was clean, with no noticeable part of my family still showing. “Lucille, meet Callie. Callie, meet Lucille.” I glanced up at him, hoping he wasn’t so fucking crazy as to expect me to actually talk to the fucking thing. “My two dirty girls.” He winked and then whistling he left.

What the literal fuck? He had to be crazy. Had to be a fucking certifiable lunatic. And of course ,I, Callie Grimes, mistress of logic and reasoning, had to find him sexy as hell. Shaking my head, I wandered back upstairs, thinking about the latest meeting with Negan and what he’d told me. And tried, beyond reasonable doubt, to convince myself that going away with a man who thought women were bargaining chips to keep others in line and that a bat had a personality, was actually a good fucking idea.

How much time did it take for the Big Bad Wolf to come calling again? Two days. Seriously, I had to wonder if he drove back to home base, showered, changed his fucking clothes, and drove all the way back to Alexandria.

Judith and I were rocking on the porch when he approached this time. I nearly laughed at the absolute certainty that Judith would be a far more effective cock block than Dad had been. Especially since she’d be here from the first moment he locked eyes on me.

“That is a fuckin’ picture I want framed.” He greeted me, taking in me and my baby sister. “Fuck, you’re going to be an amazing mama, Callie.” A mother? Well that escalated quickly.

“I think you’re putting the cart way before the fucking horse there, Negan.” I answered, bouncing Judith as I rocked. “Unless you’re thinking of me and some other guy, YEARS from now.”

I saw his eyes squint at the mention of me and someone else, but then his smile was back, like he knew something I didn’t. “Actually, I’m pretty fucking certain that there’s already a chance that you’re possibly halfway, or already there, darlin’.” His dimples seemed to deepen at what I could only imagine was my confused expression. “Think about it, princess, think about it.”

What the fuck was he-shit. Fuck. Well, god-fucking-damn it. I huffed out a sigh as I heard his laughter. The boisterous one. That fucking asshole. Although, actually it had been both of us to absolutely fuck up. Shit.

“How do you know I’m not on any-” I started and his laughter grew. Dickhead.

“Callie, didn’t Carl tell you why he tried to fucking shoot us that first day?” His eyes were actually fucking twinkling at me in amusement. “Must have missed that story, huh? Your sweet baby brother was trying to stop us, me from taking your medical supply.” Shit, fuck, damn it. “Do you really think my fucking guys don’t know what birth control looks like? I mean, they may look stupid, but they’re not.”

“That doesn’t mean-” I considered which way to go with my statement. It doesn’t mean I didn’t have a secret stash of birth control. It doesn’t mean I don’t have an IUD that I got years earlier. It doesn’t mean that there’s the spawn of the spawn of Satan growing in me after one fucking time.

“It doesn’t mean that you’re not, either.” He offered. And I swear to fucking hell he looked like a cat that ate a fucking canary. “When you find out you are, I HAVE to be with you when you tell Rick. That’s a fucking given. I HAVE to see his face when he realizes his first fucking grand-baby is mine.’

I rolled my eyes. “You’re going to be disappointed.” I said, noticing that Judith was watching him with rapt attention. Dear lord, he was like her new favorite toy. “You’re just trying to confuse me with this bullshit, the odds are truly not in your favor.”

He held out his hands to Judith after carefully putting Lucille (did I honestly just use the bat’s name?) down against the banister. And my baby sister, like a true traitor nearly fucking jumped into his arms. He chuckled and kissed her soft hair. Then he took the rocker next to mine, almost like that second time he’d come to Alexandria. “I won’t lie,” his voice was careful, careful to keep Judith feeling warm and fuzzy toward him. “It’d fucking tickle my balls for you to be pregnant with my kid. Like really fucking tickle them. And not just to piss dear old Dad off.” I felt his stare as I was looking over the street in front of us. “You and me? Fuck, that kid would get started off fucking right.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that had built. Jesus. My mouth and his, on a child. That poor kid. Or rather, anybody who had the misfortune to meet that fucking kid. “I think I’ve just been terrified out of ever wanting kids. With anyone.” I smiled at him and his grin held firm. “Dear God, just imagine that.”

“Oh, I have.” He kissed Judith on her tiny nose. “I fucking have.”

#negan x ofc #the walking dead #Smut

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djindigoz · 7 years

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Here, have a glimpse into my new novel

He's all alone. It's quiet, and the lights begin to flicker.

"Dammit! I told them to bring me a new bulb before they left!" He glanced up at the light, which suddenly gave up. Blackness enveloped him, broken only around the emergency light. The lab was too small to have more lights. It only had the two. One bulb had already been out in the ceiling light for a few weeks now. He just never had the time to change it. Sighing, he realized he had to make time, now. He stepped out of the room carefully, sliding off his gloves and tossing them into the trash bin by the door. "This is what I get for working late, huh?" He skidded to a stop, remembering it's more sanitary to leave the lab coat in the room. He stepped back inside, sliding free from it. The nameplate reading "Gabe Hostas, Forensics" flickered in the light and shadow as he hung it up. "Nobody else wanted to stay late. I had nothing to do, though. I volunteered. I took one for the team, man!" Gabe hustled over to that floor's supply closet, flicking on the light and digging through boxes, some labelled poorly, some lacking labels, until he found a new bulb. He grabbed two while he was at it, carrying both back to the lab. Of course, his hands were full with the large bulbs, and he couldn't also bring the ladder.

Once in the lab, he clambered on top of the side of the counter he wasn't using. He removed the panel and replaced the bulbs, then returned to work. Analyzing was what most of his job was. Tests, running things through the system. Sometimes, he got to go out into the field when a body was found, and arrived with the detectives. Usually his senior did, but lately the woman has been letting Gabe do it. She had just had a child, and seemed to prefer finally sitting all alone in the quiet and getting to work. Gabe wouldn't complain. It meant more time with an old friend of his. Scott Marshalls had been his roommate for three years. They both were crime-solvers, though Scott became a detective. He'd been his best man at Scott's wedding just last month. Needless to say, they are close, and have always kept in touch.

Gabe finally locked up the lab and headed home sometime around one in the morning. He figured that'd be a good place to call it quits, as he still had work tomorrow morning.

He didn't live anywhere extravagant. He never had. Gabe wasn't on good terms with his parents, and never really knew most of his family. They weren't there for him at all through school, so Gabe fronted the bill for everything. His apartment was good, but nothing great. It was horribly small, too. No room for a roommate, pet, or anything but Gabe, really. And even then, he tried not to be there often, as there wasn't much room. He mostly came by to sleep. Sometimes, he'd sit around and read on days off. Or he'd watch the news, maybe some cool online video tutorials about computers and technology. Tonight, he'd go straight to sleep, though.

Awoken from a dreamless slumber by his radio, as it sounded so much better than a blaring alarm, Gabe rolled out of bed. He let the music play as he headed into his bathroom to shower and clean up. Pale skin, dusty blonde hair, and hazel eyes faced him in the mirror. He could tell how tired he still was after a measly four hours of sleep. He fluffed up his hair. He kept it shorter than he liked, wanting to look professional at work. Gabe was three years younger than Scott. He had graduated high school early. He was one of the youngest people employeed in his building. His short stature and youthful appearance didn't help him earn any respect. Those who knew him and his work gave him proper credit, but new fresh meat never paid him any mind and often underestimated him.

Following getting dressed, he had time to make some coffee and a quick breakfast and lunch to bring to work. He locked up his room and headed out.

Gabe always walked to work, never having a car, though he had a license. It was money he didn't have, and the city was constantly controlled by traffic., anyway, so he avoided ever buying a car. Sometimes, Scott would pick him up, but that meant getting up even earlier, and Gabe knew he needed the extra minutes of sleep.

He walked in to be greeted by those he knew and those who knew of him, saying hello back to everyone he could. However, he was stopped by Scott and his own boss, Lilla. Poor woman looked like she didn't get anymore sleep than Gabe. Hell, maybe even less. She had said before that her daughter seemed to have colic and couldn't usually sleep through the night too well.

"Hm? What's up?" Gabe sipped at his coffee. Lack of sleep or no, he didn't have bags under his eyes like Lilla did. By comparison, he seemed like he regularly got ten hours. Ha. He didn't get that much rest unless it was a day off.

"Put your stuff away, Hostas. You're going out into the field first thing. New body got reported. Might be tied to the last." Lilla set her cup down, pulling her dark hair into a ponytail. Gabe nodded and looked at Scott.

"Ew, with you? Do I have to?" He smirked and Scott grinned, rolling his eyes.

"And you wonder why people undershoot your age. Hurry up. I won't wait long." Scott shook his head. Despite what he said, he walked with Gabe, giving him any info he had found out, making sure Gabe was caught up. Shutting his food in the fridge, he paused and removed his breakfast.

"I'm eating on the way." Gabe threw the bag and his thermos into his locker, slammed it, then followed Scott out.

"You and Rachel enjoying the whole newlywed lifestyle?" Gabe asked to make small talk once they were on their way.

"It honestly doesn't feel any different. We'd been dating for four years, and living together for two and a half. If it wasn't for the ring, I'd probably forget that we're married." Scott laughed and Gabe just smiled. Gabe wasn't into dating. He just never really cared to have a relationship. That didn't mean he wasn't happy for his friend. Scott was constantly proud of his wife, and so happy whenever he talked about her or she was brought up. And Scott didn't rub it in Gabe's face. He didn't ask Gabe if he was ever seeing anyone, and the blonde appreciated the brunette's understanding. Besides, he knew that Scott was considerably handsome. He had stubble, a tan, and blue eyes. That's what women liked, right? Maybe some men did, too. Scott was also super sweet and good with kids. He and Lilla got along well, as he'd always try to babysit for her when she needed it. Gabe never really knew what to do with children. They were all always so different, and you couldn't treat them all the same. It was confusing and troublesome, so he avoided Lilla when he knew she needed a sitter, instead throwing Scott's name into the conversation, suggesting she check with him.

They pulled up to the scene. There wasn't much activity there, yet. Just the usual caution tape and officers keeping the public away. The crowd was small. It must not have even hit the news or anything, yet. Gabe sighed in relief. He knew it was more trouble when more people tried to get a look. Or when the news crews came by. They likely would soon, so they quickly got to work.

It didn't take Gabe long to confirm that the body was poisoned the same way the last was. However, while the past victims were found in their homes, this guy was outside in an alleyway. Scott let Gabe look over the body, along with the coroner. The older man instead checked around the scene, ensuring there wasn't any obvious evidence. Gabe got up to report to Scott anything he and the coroner noticed.

"Poison, likely the exact same kind as last time. I took a sample from his blood so I can make sure when we get back. The symptoms are identical. No external injuries, didn't seem to put up a fight. Everything except the location is the same as before, as far as we can tell." Gabe flipped his notebook closed, slipping it and the blood sample into his bag. He glanced around, tilting his head. He noted that a window across the street was open. Something gleamed in the sunlight. But, wasn't that building abandoned last year? Did someone buy it? The gleam kept his attention, and he suddenly realized what it might be. His eyes widened, and he shouted for everyone to get down. He shoved Scott, as the man reacted by drawing his gun and looking for whatever Gabe saw instead of listening to his command.

The shooter must've known he was seen, because the shot hit Gabe directly. An attempt to eliminate him first. Gabe felt it, felt himself stumble and fall. Everything went out of focus, but there was a lot of noise. He could still think straight. He covered the wound with a hand, applying pressure. The officers were shouting at the people to move. Scott shouted for an officer to watch Gabe and call an ambulance. He heard him call for backup. Knowing his friend well, Gabe assumed Scott's eyes never left the building. He'd be waiting and watching, knowing he can't go off on his own.

Gabe returned to himself when the pain pulsed through. It took a moment, but now it hurt. Bad. It was in his chest. Did it hit anything vital? Swaying, Gabe tried to look for the exact location of the wound. Blood covered his shirt. He quickly put the hand back, pushing as hard as he could, willing it to stop bleeding. The paramedics could worry about the location, whenever they get here.

Sirens? Were they here, or was the back-up? Both? Gabe moved his eyes to check, and everything spun and darkened. Breathing hurt. Sitting hurt. It felt like his brain couldn't breathe. Then everything was swallowed up.

Noise. He could still hear. Scott was yelling at Gabe. Why? What did he do wrong? It was all just chance. Gabe happened to see what was happening. If it had been Scott, wouldn't he have done the same? Sounds became muffled. Open your eyes, he thought. Make sure everyone is okay. Make sure you're okay. Then the sound went, too.

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#diamond thief #Radiant #My writing #novel #teaser

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