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study-coffee-chicago · 3 years

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1930s AU (A Halstead Brothers + Halstead Sister + Upstead AU for AU-gust)

A/N: Hopefully this one pops up in the tags now! Sorry to the few people who already liked/reblogged this, but it’d really help me out if you liked/reblogged this one since I’m deleting the one I posted last night. Anyway, the italics at the beginning are essentially "present-day" for the characters (which, in my time frame of the story would be 1945) and the regular font would be a "flashback"...but since the flashback is essentially the whole story which takes place during the early 1930s, I wrote it in regular font. Just didn't want you guys to be confused! Here’s the playlist I listened to while writing this if you want to listen while reading (did not create the playlist myself, I found it): an old fashioned diner jukebox. Anyway, enjoy!

You walked towards the little house that had been your home since you were six years old. "Hey old girl," you said as you petted your horse's head. "I'll see you in the morning, okay? I know Jay and Hailey are awake waiting for me and are probably worried, aren't they?" Your horse picked up her hoof and gave it one good stomp. "I thought so. I'll feed you some sugar cubes in the morning. I'll even give you extra because it'll be Christmas." You gave her one more caress and then walked up to the door of the house.

You used your key to unlock the door and were not at all surprised to see Hailey and Jay in deep conversation.

"Hailey, if she's not here in the next hour, I'm calling the train station. She was supposed to be here yesterday. And it's not like it's that long of a ride."

"Well, luckily you won't have to call," you said as you sat your two suitcases on the floor.

"Y/N! You don't know how worried sick we were," Jay said as he hustled over to you and pulled you into a hug.

"To be fair," Hailey began, "he was more worried than I was."

"Aww, you still worry about me when I'm nineteen," you said as Jay pulled away and Hailey hugged you. "I'm flattered, Jay, really."

"How's betternanian school?" Jay asked with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Would you give that joke a rest? I was six and didn't know how to properly pronounce veterinarian."

"That probably won't happen."

"How's Natalie?" Hailey asked. "Is she doing okay that Will's away and all her kids are married or at college across the country?"

When you decided to go to veterinarian school, you chose one close to Will and Natalie and they let you stay with them. Then, World War 2 broke out and Will went overseas to work as a doctor in a combat hospital. Natalie's twin boys were both off at separate medical schools across the country, intent on following in their father's footsteps and becoming doctors themselves, and their daughter was married now and living with her husband.

"She's doing as well as expected," you told them. "It helps that Elizabeth and her husband, James, come over for dinner once every week so at least Natalie's seeing one of her children. And, I guess having me around helps mitigate the loneliness. The twins are home from college now for a month's break, so she'll have them there right now, too."

You looked around under the Christmas tree and you spotted a big object covered with a bedsheet.

"Is this what I think it is?" you asked as you walked closer to it.

"It is," Jay confirmed as you lifted the sheet and saw the old rocking horse you used to ride on. Jay had made sure to get you another one when you moved here as the one from Chicago you couldn't bring with you.

"I haven't ridden it since I was eight. You kept it all these years?"

"Right up in the attic," Hailey answered. "We figured it would be the perfect Christmas present for Lilly since she's six now."

"You want something to eat?" Jay asked. "We should probably get out of here and close the doors since all the gifts are wrapped in case Lilly or Anna come to find us."

You grabbed your suitcases and the three of you walked out of the living room and closed the doors.

"Mind if I eat a few of these?" you asked, pointing to the plate of cookies for Santa that Lilly and Anna had placed by the fireplace.

"Go right ahead," Jay told you. But then he heard giggles. "Wait."

You took a step away from the cookies and milk.

"I think we should go check on them," Jay said.

So, the three of you walked down the hall and to the bedroom that the girls shared. "I'll do the honors," you said.

You slowly pushed open the door.

"Now, girls, I thought you were supposed to be asleep."

Eleven-year-old Anna and six-year-old Lilly gasped. "Auntie Y/N!" they exclaimed and rushed out of their respective beds and you first gave Anna a hug and then crouched down to give Lilly one as well.

"Mommy and Daddy said you might not get here in time," Anna told you.

"They did? Well, I'm here now and tomorrow we can play all day with what Santa brought you. But right now, I think you two need to go to sleep so that Santa will come," you said.

"But you just got here!" Lilly complained.

"Yeah!" Anna agreed. Then she gasped. "Can you tell us a story, Auntie Y/N?"

You looked to Jay and Hailey, silently asking if it was okay to let your two nieces stay awake longer. Jay nodded.

"What story do you want tonight?" you asked as you sat down on the rug in the middle of the room and Lilly sat in your lap.

"How Mommy and Daddy met!" Lilly exclaimed.

"You already know that one, Lil," Hailey said as she and Jay sat down and Anna sat between her two parents.

"But it's so good, Mommy!" Anna said. "Please just one more time, please?"

"Oh, alright," Jay caved. "I don't know how much Aunt Y/N will remember since she was your age, Lil, but me and Mommy can definitely tell you the story."

Lilly leaned into you and you ran your hands absentmindedly through her blond hair while Jay started to tell his and Hailey's story of true love and hard times.

***

"Bye, Y/N, I gotta go to work," your big brother said as he woke you up.

"Is Miss Rosalie here?" you asked.

"She is. But, you can sleep longer. I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Why you gotta leave so early, Jay Jay? It's still dark out."

"Because I have to get the milk before the sun rises so the milk doesn't spoil when I'm bringing it to other people."

"Oh, okay." You yawned.

"Go back to sleep. I'll be back later tonight. Be good for Ms. Rosalie."

"I will. Love you, Jay Jay."

"Love you, too."

Then, Jay gave you a kiss on the forehead and grabbed his cap and satchel, said goodbye to Ms. Rosalie and thanked her as he always does, and left the house, the street lamps illuminating the way as he walked towards work.

As he was walking, Jay reflected how it had essentially gotten this bad. At least he had a job now, he used to not have one and you and him were living off of what little money your parents had left behind when they died...at least, the portion that the bank didn't keep.

He had essentially been your primary caretaker for two years. The stock market crashed in 1929, and your mom died a few months after when you were two years old. Not that she had a job though, so it didn't really matter money-wise. Your dad had died in 1931, the same year that Will had graduated from medical school and went to New York to look for a job as a doctor. Jay had worked in a factory at that time and had gotten laid off soon after. But, then he found a job as a milkman. He wasn't getting paid much, but it was enough to pay rent in the crappy and cramped apartment building you both lived in and put food on the table. But, sales were dropping now as no one had money to pay for as much milk as they used to. His sales were half of what they used to be. And, you were now five, six in two weeks, so you were growing and Jay knew that you'd be eating more soon.

When he started loading his company car with milk once he had arrived at work, his supervisor walked over to him and told him that he'd be picking up some of a coworker's route. Well, he was an ex-coworker now because they had laid him off. Jay was just glad he had a job and had enough money to support him and you...even if it was really tight. He hoped he'd be home for dinner like he promised you.

He started on his way and finally, after hours and hours, he was on his new portion of his route.

He made his way up the steps of a house on the corner.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," he said as he set the four bottles of milk down on her front porch. She was currently outside sweeping the porch, her wavy blond hair tied back in two braids. She was in a short-sleeved dress with an apron covering it.

She turned to him and stopped sweeping. "Good afternoon. You're not Jimmy, my usual milkman," the woman said.

"No. Jimmy doesn't work with me anymore. I picked his route. I'm Jay Halstead, ma'am," he replied while tipping his cap.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Hailey Upton."

"Well, Ms. Upton, pleased to meet you. I'm guessing you have kids just based on me delivering four bottles of milk?" he asked. God, was she pretty. He was getting tongue-tied just looking at her! He knew it wasn't polite to ask that, but it just slipped out.

"No, actually I don't. I'm doing some baking today and that's why I need it. And please, call me Hailey."

"Well, Hailey, I hope it goes well. Should I put you down for four bottles tomorrow as well?"

"No, only one should do for tomorrow, Mr. Halstead."

"Please, call me Jay, ma- Hailey."

"Alright, have a nice rest of your day, Jay."

"You, too. Again, I hope your baking goes well." He tipped his cap once more and headed off. That was his last stop of the day. You and Ms. Rosalie were back at home waiting for him.

***

Jay quickly opened his eyes the minute he felt your hand on his arm. "Jay Jay?" you whispered.

"I'm awake, pumpkin." Your mom had called you pumpkin based on the one time you picked up a pumpkin and dropped it and it splattered everywhere. And, this nickname just stuck.

"I- I know I'm not 'sposed to ask, but I'm real hungry," you said.

Jay didn't bother correcting you on how you didn't ask anything at all; you just told him that you were hungry. And, he was hungry, too. You were running out of food in the house and he needed to run to the market, but everything seemed to be too expensive, so he could only buy the necessities. And, you and Ms. Rosalie had made French onion soup for dinner last night, because that used very minimal ingredients.

Jay hated himself as he scooped out the soup after she left because he realized portions would only be 3/4 of what both of you were used to. He had toyed with the idea of giving you 1/4 of his, so you could have a full serving and he'd have half, but he figured he'd see what would happen. Tomorrow, he knew he'd be giving you a normal portion of whatever he had. After all, he could convince himself to go back to sleep, but you were just a child.

Your parents had always drilled into your head that it was breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And, Jay did his best to try to feed you enough to abide by that rule. But, it was getting harder and harder to do when the entire United States seemed to be going hungry.

"Pumpkin, it's late--"

Your stomach rumbled and Jay swore he felt tears prick his eyes. He couldn't expect you to go to bed hungry.

"Let's go get you something. I'm sure I can find something," he said as he got up.

You grabbed his hand and you two walked into the kitchen. He pulled the string to one of the dim lights, which barely illuminated the kitchen and dining area. Then, he opened the icebox and pulled out a hard-boiled egg and a bottle of milk. He poured half the milk into a glass and handed you the egg.

You went to stick it in your mouth when he stopped you. "No, you have to peel it." You held it out to him. "Do I need to start it for you?" You nodded and he took off a section of the shell and handed it back to you and you continued to peel it.

Normally, Jay would put salt and pepper on it, but you were very low on that as well. And, seeing how hungry you were, you started to eat it without asking for those two basic spices.

Then, you finished the glass of milk and Jay led you back to your bed and you fell asleep with a full tummy...well, as full as anyone in your position could get nowadays.

Unbeknownst to you, you had just eaten half of Jay's breakfast for tomorrow.

***

"How did the baking go yesterday?" Jay asked Hailey as he switched out her four empty milk bottles for one full one.

"It went well. Thank you for asking. I actually had a lot left, so here." She handed him a slice wrapped in tin foil. "It's strawberry pie."

"You didn't have to give this to me," Jay said, trying to hand it back to her.

"Nonsense. So many people are going hungry right now. I have no right to waste food."

"It makes sense when you put it that way. Thank you. My little sister will most definitely enjoy it."

"Oh, let me go grab you another slice so that you don't have to share."

Before Jay could protest, she ran back into her big house and grabbed him another slice.

"Thank you," Jay said as he took the other slice as well.

"You're welcome. No use letting it go to waste. How old is your sister?" Hailey asked.

"Y/N will be six in two weeks," Jay answered.

"Oh, I remember what I was like at that age. I was a little troublemaker, running around with my older brothers even when my mom and dad called me in. And then I'd always make messes in the kitchen."

Jay laughed. "I'd hope she's more well-behaved than that. But, I'd best get going. Thank you for the pie. Can I put you down for one bottle tomorrow?"

"Yes, please. Have a nice day."

Jay nodded at her and then reached down and grabbed the crate with the empty milk bottles. Then, he got in the company car and started on his way back to the factory and then home.

***

"Jay Jay!" you said as you jumped up from your seat at the kitchen table. "I missed you!"

Jay set his satchel, four bottles of milk, and the slices of pie on the counter next to the stove and picked you up and spun you around. "I missed you, too! Were you good for Ms. Rosalie?" He settled you on his hip.

You frantically nodded your head and Jay turned to the older woman. "She was an angel as always. I hope you don't mind, but I made French onion soup again for dinner."

"That's fine, thank you. Your two bottles of milk are right next to mine."

That's how he paid her: by buying her milk. He knew it wasn't a lot, but it's not like he could pay for a nanny. And, she was the one with the cheapest rate in the apartment building. Plus, she had known you since you were a baby, so Jay knew that you trusted her and he trusted her to look after you.

"Oh, thank you, dear." She picked up the two bottles and started towards the door.

"Oh, and tell Mr. Edward I say hello," Jay said, referring to her husband.

"Will do. Enjoy your evening."

Then, she left, and Jay put you down on the floor and moved to start dishing out dinner. When you were both at the table with the food in front of you, a smile spread across his face.

"Pumpkin, after dinner I have a surprise for you."

"Really?" you squealed.

"Yes, really. But, you have to finish your food first and then I will give it to you."

Jay chuckled at how fast you ate your food. He was usually done before you, but tonight you both finished around the same time.

"What's the surprise?" you asked as you set your bowl and spoon on the counter near the rusty sink by Jay's bowl and spoon.

He reached up into the creaky cupboard and grabbed two plates and then two forks from the drawer that would occasionally get stuck.

"How about you go sit at the table and I'll bring you the surprise. How does that sound?"

"Okay!" you scrambled back into your seat and watched as Jay put the things on the plates. He must really have wanted this to be a surprise because he positioned himself so that his back was towards you and you couldn't see a single thing he was doing.

"Now, I need you to close your eyes and I'll tell you when to open them," Jay said, still with his back turned to you.

You quickly closed your eyes and also put your hands over your eyes, causing Jay to chuckle.

He first set his plate with pie and a small glass of milk at his place at the table and then did the same thing in front of you. He crouched down next to you and put his hand on the back of your chair. "And, open."

You threw your hands down at your side and snapped your eyes open. You gasped and turned your head to look at Jay. "We get dessert?"

Jay smiled. "We do. It's strawberry pie from someone who I give milk to. Do you need help cutting it?"

"No, I can do it! Who gave it to you?"

"Her name's Miss Hailey." Then, he went back to his side of the table as you started to eat your pie. He was glad he had given you the bigger slice because you enjoyed it so much; he'd be sure to tell Hailey this.

***

Two weeks later

Jay sighed as he counted out what little money he had saved up in a lockbox under his bed. He barely had enough to buy you a few sugar sticks from the market after thinking about rent that needed to be paid in another two weeks. At least he knew that Will had sent you something because he told Jay in his letter from last week that he'd be sending you a gift along with your birthday letter. But, Jay still felt bad that he barely had enough money to buy you candy for your birthday. He knew you'd prefer chocolate over hard candy, but he also knew that he had to save money for rent and groceries, so when you both went to the market later, you'd only be able to buy a couple of hard candies.

The change clanked back into the box when he heard the sound of little footsteps coming towards him.

"Happy birthday!" he exclaimed as he picked you up and spun you around. Then, he settled you on his hip and walked into the kitchen. "Does six feel any different than five?" You shook your head back and forth frantically, causing Jay to laugh. "Now, what do you want for your birthday breakfast?"

"Hotcakes!" you exclaimed. Luckily for Jay, you didn't notice how his smile flattered for a quick second when you said that.

"Okay then, hotcakes it is! Can you go put on a dress while I make these?"

You nodded again and then Jay set you down and you ran to your room to change.

When you came back into the kitchen after you got dressed--and got distracted by playing with your doll--your pancakes were sitting on the table. But, you noticed there was only one plate.

"Where's yours?" you asked your big brother as you sat down in your chair and he started cleaning the pan that he had cooked in.

"I ate while you were playing. I didn't want to disrupt your game, pumpkin," he told you, with a smile on his face.

"Oh, okay. Can I eat them now?"

"Of course you can. And then, we'll go to the post office to see what Will brought you."

But, Jay hadn't actually eaten any when you were playing with your doll. There was barely enough flour to make you pancakes, let alone him. So, instead of depriving you of pancakes on your birthday, he just went without.

***

"Mail for Jay Halstead, please," he said at the window of the post office while holding your hand.

"Alright, just one moment." The teller went to the back and grabbed a letter and then handed it to Jay.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Jay?" a voice behind him said.

Jay turned, only to be met with Hailey Upton.

"Hailey, good morning. Came to pick up your mail I presume?" he asked.

"You presume correctly." She stepped out of line to stand with him. "And who might this be?" she asked, stooping down to your level.

You blushed and moved to hide behind Jay's leg. Jay chuckled. "Sorry about that. She's particularly shy around strangers. Pumpkin," he started, addressing you. "This is Miss Hailey. She's the one who made us the strawberry pie a few weeks ago."

"It was good. Thank you," you said as you peeked your head out from behind Jay.

"You're welcome. And you must be Y/N?" You nodded. "Jay's told me a lot of good things about you."

You looked up at Jay as if asking him to confirm it. "I've got nothing bad to say about you, you know that."

"I know. If you did, you wouldn't make me hotcakes today," you said.

"Can you tell Miss Hailey what today is?"

You finally moved out all the way from behind Jay. But you still held his hand as you answered the question. "It's my birthday! I'm six!"

"Wow! You're such a big girl! Are you doing anything special today?" Hailey asked, stooping down to your level.

"I'm gonna get some chocolate!"

"Y/N, what'd we talk about on the way here?" Jay asked.

"Oh." You looked down at your feet. "I'm getting hard candy instead."

Hailey looked up at Jay and saw the sadness in his eyes, something that you didn't pick up on since you were so little. She knew what that statement meant. Chocolate was more expensive than hard candies, so she knew the reason that you weren't getting it was because Jay didn't have any money.

"How about we see what Will got you so that Miss Hailey can get her mail?" Jay asked.

You nodded excitedly and Hailey got back in line. Then, Jay opened the large envelope and handed you a small pouch.

You opened it and looked inside. There were these little metal x's and a red bouncy ball. "Jay Jay, what's this?" you asked as you held the pouch out to him.

He looked inside and smiled. "That is jacks."

You cocked your head to the side. "Who's Jack? And why do I have his things?"

Jay laughed just as Hailey started walking back towards them. "It's the name of the game, pumpkin. You bounce the ball and try to pick up one of the pieces before the ball hits the ground. Me and Will played it a lot, but he always won."

"You lost?" you asked as your eyes grew wide. Jay never lost!

"I lost a lot."

Hailey was next to you and your brother now. "Jacks, huh?" Jay nodded. "Me and my brothers used to play it all the time. I'm actually quite good at it."

"Can you teach me, Miss Hailey?" you asked excitedly.

"I'm sure Miss Hailey has things she needs to do today, pumpkin," Jay said, giving Hailey a sympathetic look.

"Oh, it's no trouble. I've actually got ingredients for a delicious chocolate cake at my house if you two would like to come over. I can easily whip up a nice lunch for us, too."

"Hailey, I can't let you do that."

"Please, Jay Jay? Pretty please?" you asked, looking up at him and clasping your hands together to make it look like you were praying. "It's my birthday. Please?"

He looked to Hailey and she nodded once more. "Just because Miss Hailey said it was okay. Care to accompany us to the store to get her some candy before we go to your house?" Jay asked her.

"I'd love to."

***

You were so full after a delicious lunch of turkey sandwiches, potatoes, apples, and chocolate cake, that you had promptly fallen asleep at the table while you were waiting for Jay and Hailey to finish the dishes.

Hailey said it was no big deal, that she could do them, but you mentioned that Jay always washed the dishes and you always dried them. So, then Hailey finally gave in and let him help with the drying.

"Not to be too forward," Hailey began as she handed a plate to Jay to dry, "but is it just you and Y/N? I've just never heard either of you mention your parents."

"Uh, it's just the two of us. Mom and Dad died a few years ago. Will, our older brother, went to New York to become a doctor, so it's been the two of us ever since."

"Well, that little girl really seems to love you."

Jay sighed. "It's probably because she doesn't know any different. Mom died when she was two, so she barely remembers her. And Dad died when she was four, so two years ago. She remembers him a little, but for most of the past two years, I've been the one taking care of her. Along with our neighbor who helps out by watching her when I have to go to work."

"That's very kind of her."

"It is. So, what about you? What do you do to have such a big house? Secret baking company you run? Because I've had desserts you've made so far and both were absolutely delicious."

"They were nothing fancy."

"Oh, but to Y/N they were. She was so excited when I told her we'd be getting dessert. But, how did you end up here, Hailey?"

"In Chicago? Or in this house specifically?"

"Both," Jay said.

"Well, I was born and raised in Chicago. But, my parents are gone, too...not that I was ever too fond of my father. But, they had this house because they used to own a bar, which pulled in some decent money. They left the house to me and my brothers. All of them have their own families and are scattered across the country, so I got it."

"Would be a bad time to be in the brewing business right now, wouldn't it? With prohibition and all," Jay mused. "That might contribute to the high unemployment rates...but, I'm pretty sure that was mostly because of Hoover." He paused. "I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be talking about the complicated politics of our country right now...especially not in front of a lady."

"I have the right to vote now, you know. And have had it for thirteen years," Hailey said.

"I know. I didn't mean it like that. I think it's great that women can vote. I just shouldn't be talking about it that first time I'm in your home is all." He gestured to you. You were still asleep at the table, your head resting on your arms which were resting on the table. "Glad that little rascal gets the chance to voice her opinions."

Your head popped up. "I ain't a rascal, Jay Jay!"

"Oh really now?" He walked over to you and picked you up and started tickling you. "How about now?" he asked with a giant smile on his face while you laughed big belly laughs.

"Jay Jay! Please stop!"

"Only because you said please." He set you back down.

"Aw, she's so cute," Hailey gushed.

"Did you hear that, kiddo? Miss Hailey thinks you're cute. What do you say?" Jay asked.

"Thank you." You blushed. "Can you teach me how to do braids like yours?" you asked, referring to her French braids. "They're real pretty. Jay can only do plain ones."

She turned to Jay while she raised her eyebrows. "You know how to braid?"

He opened his mouth to dispute what you said, but you butted in. "He does! He braids my hair every day when he doesn't have to work!"

You spun around, giving Hailey a view of your braids.

"Okay, birthday girl," Jay said. "I think it's time we head home. We can play jacks there."

"Can we play checkers, too? I like checkers!"

"I know you do. Now, can you say thank you to Miss Hailey for lunch and for the cake?"

"Thank you, Miss Hailey! It was really good!"

"You're welcome, honey." She stooped down to your height and handed you two slices of chocolate cake wrapped in tin foil. "These are for you and Jay to take home. And, you get the bigger slice."

***

A month later

You had been six for a month, and Jay had known Hailey for around two months. The weather was starting to cool down as summer was turning into fall and there was a slight chill in the air. Because of this, Jay was spending more money on more firewood to place in the wood-burning stove because you now weren't just using it to cook, but for heat as well.

Ms. Rosalie had come down with a nasty cold and didn't want to get you sick. Jay had tried to find a last-minute babysitter for you last night by knocking on nearby apartments, explaining the situation, and even offering to buy them a bottle of milk for their troubles. But no one agreed.

So, Jay told you that you'd have to stay home by yourself. You asked if you could go to work with him, but he said no...even though he desperately wanted to bring you. But, he couldn't risk his job; it was the only meager income the two of you had. Jay needed that job to keep a roof over your heads and food in your bellies. Because of this, he taught you how to lock the door and had made you a quick breakfast and lunch and stuck them in the icebox so that you'd be able to eat while he was gone. And above all, he told you not to answer the door for anyone.

"Bye, Pumpkin," Jay said as he gave you a big hug. "You remember what I told you?"

"Yes. Breakfast and lunch are in the icebox and no opening the door," you answered as you sat up in bed.

"Unless..." Jay prompted.

"Unless it's you, Miss Rosalie, or Mr. Edward."

"Exactly. Now, go back to sleep. I'll lock the door on my way out. I love you."

"Love you, too, Jay Jay."

Then, he left, leaving you alone to go back to sleep.

***

"Halstead!" Jay heard his supervisor yell as he was stacking the last of his crates back at the factory before he hurried home to you.

"Yes, sir?" he asked.

"My office."

Jay swallowed but followed his supervisor.

He entered and closed the door behind him.

"As you know," his supervisor started, "milk sales have been declining at a steady rate as families don't have enough money to buy as much as they used to."

"I'm aware, sir," Jay said as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"This means that we need fewer workers."

No, this cannot be happening, Jay thought to himself.

"I'm sorry to say, but I have to let you go, Jay."

"Please," Jay begged. He knew begging was unbecoming and most likely wouldn't get him his job back, but he had no other choice. "I have a six-year-old sister. I'm the only one who takes care of her. Please sir, I really need this job. If not for me, then please do it for her. Please."

"I'm sorry, son, but I have to let you go. I wish you the best of luck on finding other employment."

Jay wanted to beg for his job back some more, but he knew it was no use. So, he just nodded and left the office, not knowing what to do next.

And, to make matters worse, his rent was already ten days past due.

***

Jay was about to walk into his apartment when he saw a yellow piece of paper nailed to his door. He ripped it down and scanned the big, bold letters.

An eviction notice. He was going to lose the apartment.

If he didn't come up with some money fast, then he and you would have to be out of your apartment in three days.

He sighed and folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket, and then unlocked the door and went inside.

He began to panic when he didn't see you right away, but then he heard a sniffle coming from your room.

You gasped as you heard someone coming towards you and quickly buried yourself under your covers and tried to stay as quiet as possible.

"Pumpkin?" Jay asked. "It's just Jay Jay."

You carefully peeled the covers back from your head. "Jay Jay?" When you saw it was him, you jumped out of bed and quickly crashed into his legs, and clung to them for dear life. "Jay Jay!" you cried. "I was so scared!"

Jay tried to pry your little fingers from his legs, but your grip was so tight that he knew if he tried any harder, he might hurt you and he definitely didn't want that. "Why were you so scared, pumpkin?" he asked as he placed a hand on your head and ran his fingers through your slightly tangled hair.

"There- there were people at the door," you shuddered. "And they made really loud noises and kept yelling."

"What were they yelling?" he asked gently.

"They were yelling for you."

"Did you open the door?"

"No, you told me not to, so I didn't."

"Good girl," he praised. He knew what you were talking about: the men who had nailed the eviction notice to the door of the apartment had probably yelled out his name a few times very loudly, which is what caused you to be scared now. "How about I make us dinner and then we can play checkers, hmm?" he asked. "How does that sound?"

You looked up at him, a few tears still rolling down your cheeks. You wiped them away with your little fists. You nodded. "Can you braid my hair, too? I tried, but I couldn't do it."

That explains all the tangles, Jay thought to himself. "I can do that."

He grabbed your hairbrush and then sat on your bed. You sat on the floor in between his legs and allowed him to brush your hair and start to braid. As Jay was doing this, he was wondering what he was going to do. He didn't have a job, he had an eviction notice, and he had to provide for you. Even though he liked to think he had great problem-solving skills, at this very moment, he had absolutely no idea what to do.

***

"Where are we going, Jay Jay?" you asked as you held his hand and walked through town the next morning.

"We are going to see Miss Hailey," he answered.

"Why?" you asked as you curiously looked up at him.

"Because I think she'd like to spend some time with you."

"Where are you gonna be?"

"I have to go run some errands."

"Can I come? I wanna come with you, Jay Jay."

"I wish I could bring you, pumpkin. But, this is adult stuff. You'd be really bored. You'll have much more fun with Miss Hailey."

You sighed. "Okay."

About twenty minutes later, Jay took a deep breath as he walked up the steps of Hailey's front porch. He hoped he was making the right decision by doing this. He knocked a few times and then Hailey answered the door.

"Jay? What are you doing here so early?" Then, she saw you and stooped down to your height. "Hi, Y/N. Did Jay wake you up to come see me this morning?"

"Yeah," you answered as you rubbed your eyes. You were still kind of tired. Jay didn't know if that was from lack of proper nutrition or general tiredness. He hoped it was the latter. "Jay Jay said he had to do adult things and I can't come with him."

She looked up at Jay and then back to you. "Honey, how about you go run inside to the sitting area and grab a deck of cards or another game we can play while I talk to your brother, how does that sound?"

You looked up at Jay and he nodded. Hailey moved out of the doorway. "Okay!" you exclaimed and then quickly let go of Jay's hand and rushed inside.

"Don't forget to take off your shoes before you get to the carpet!" Jay shouted after you, which caused you to stoop down and take off your shoes on the hardwood before you got to the carpeted areas.

"So, you needed someone to watch her?" Hailey asked.

"Yes. I'm really sorry, but you're the first person I thought of since our neighbor got sick and I need to run to the bank before it gets really busy--"

"Jay, it's fine. She's a little angel. I can take care of her for a few hours." She studied his face and his very worried expression. "Is everything alright?"

Jay sighed. "Hopefully it will be after I go to the bank. Thank you for--"

He was cut off by someone yelling at Hailey from the sidewalk. "Hailey! Still on for tonight?" It was Christopher Hermann, a firefighter.

"Uh, no I'm not baking anything tonight," she quickly answered.

Hermann gave her a confused look but quickly recovered as he realized what she was saying. "Okay, thank you, Hailey."

"You're welcome." Hermann tipped his cap at her before he continued walking. "As you were saying?" Hailey asked.

"I thought you said you didn't own a baking business?" Jay asked.

"I don't," Hailey said quickly. "Sometimes I'll just make some pies for him, his wife, and kids."

"Sorry if I wrecked your plans of baking by dropping Y/N on you. I can try and find someone else."

"No, it's fine. Good luck at the bank and I promise I'll take good care of your little sister."

"Thank you. I'll see you soon."

***

"Sir, I'm sorry," the bank teller told him.

"Please." At this point, Jay wasn't opposed to begging. "I really need a loan. Just a small one so that I can keep a roof over mine and my little sister's head and food on the table. She's just a child. Please."

"If I gave every person in here who had a sob story a loan, I would be out of a job and this bank would be out of business. I'm sorry, but I can't. Best of luck to you and your sister."

He moved on to the next person, leaving Jay close to tears. He was out of options. He was out of a job and he was about to lose the small apartment you two shared in the next two days.

He walked out of the bank with his head held low and tears pricked his eyes. The only option he had was to beg Will to let him and you move to New York to stay with him. But, even though he was a doctor, he still had to feed himself, his wife, Natalie, and his three children. He might not be able to take in two more mouths to feed.

The other thing Jay thought about as he walked down the street back towards Hailey's feeling like a disappointment was moving to a Hooverville. Those were camps set up by the homeless where they lived in tents. Because, in two days, the two of you would be homeless. He could try and sell everything of value he had in the small apartment, but it'd only cover this month's rent, if that, and then he'd just encounter this same problem again next month.

Jay knocked on the door of Hailey's house and she quickly answered it, you right on her tail.

"Jay Jay!" you exclaimed and quickly hugged him.

"Hi, pumpkin. It's time to go home now."

"But, me and Miss Hailey are in the middle of a game!" you argued.

"I've got no issue if she stays to finish it," Hailey said. "Y/N, why don't you go and make sure the pieces are where we left them while I talk to your brother?"

You ran off to go check on the pieces while Hailey stepped outside and closed the door behind her. She took a good look at Jay and saw the tears in his eyes that he was frantically trying to blink back.

"Jay, what happened at the bank?" Hailey asked gently.

"It's nothing I can't handle," he responded coldly.

"Jay, please, just tell me. Maybe I- Maybe I can help. I can't do that if you don't tell me anything."

"I'm just your milkman, well not anymore because I got fired yesterday. Why do you care so much, Hailey?"

"Because that little girl in there needs her big brother. She needs you to be rational about whatever's going on because I will not let her get hurt."

"I would never hurt her," Jay said quickly. "Where is this coming from?"

"Don't worry about it," Hailey said flippantly. "Just, tell me what's going on. Please, Jay. Not just for me, but for that little girl who loves you so much. Maybe I can help."

Jay sighed. "I got let go yesterday. And now I'm getting evicted from my apartment. I even went to the bank to try to take out a loan, but couldn't. I don't know what I'm going to do, Hailey. I really don't."

"Come with me," she said and opened the door.

You were focused on something in Hailey's sitting room, so weren't paying attention as Jay and Hailey made their way to the kitchen.

"I may not have told you everything about myself," Hailey said.

"Hailey, not to be rude, but what are you saying?"

"The reason I have this big of a house when I'm a single woman is because my parents used to own a very successful brewery. My dad, let's just say he wasn't that great of a man, so when prohibition hit, he didn't know what to do. So, he sold the brewery and they moved to another part of the country."

"And you got their house?" Jay asked.

"Yes, but I have to work to make sure I can still pay my bills."

"Then what do you do?" Jay asked. He knew she couldn't make enough money to pay for this place by working in a factory or being a seamstress, which is what most women did to support their husband's incomes.

"You don't know anyone in the government, do you?" she asked.

"No. If I did, they would've been my first visit when I saw the eviction notice, not the bank. Where is all this going?"

"Jay, if I tell you this, I need to know I can trust you, that you won't tell a single person what I'm about to show you."

"You have my word."

"Alright." She walked over to her huge, white kitchen island and pushed, revealing a staircase. "Follow me."

She pulled a string and the staircase became illuminated and Jay followed her. Once they got all the way down the staircase, she pulled another string and then a few more, making the secret basement become illuminated in light.

Jay looked around. There was a bar with glasses behind it and bottles of whiskey and other liquors. On either side of the bar, there were two huge barrels of what Jay assumed had to be beer. There were also three high-top tables with two chairs at each table.

Jay's jaw dropped. "You run a speakeasy?"

"I do," Hailey answered.

"B-But this is illegal," Jay stuttered.

"I'm very much aware."

Jay continued to look around in awe. He knew of course that speakeasies existed and that people had ways of getting alcohol from Canada, but he had never tried it since prohibition happened. Well, he did a few times. But, the minute his mom died, he stopped what little bit he did drink.

"Why did you bring me down here? To drown my sorrows in whiskey?" Jay asked.

"No, I have a proposition for you."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "A proposition?"

"Yes, would you like to hear it?" He nodded. "Since people can't appear drunk on the streets because they'll face arrest and could possibly tell the sheriff about my speakeasy, I need people here to make sure that they sober up before they leave here at night. One of the two people I hired for this job quit last night because his family is moving out west."

Jay nodded, still very unsure where this was going.

"I was wondering if you'd like that job?" Hailey asked.

"You're offering me a job?" Jay asked, trying to maintain his composure.

"Yes. You can have it if you want it."

"I'll take it. Not to be rude, but how much would I be paid?"

"That's just the thing," Hailey began. "Liquor is getting more expensive to smuggle in and brewing supplies are getting more expensive as well because it's all illegal. So, I can't pay you." Jay's face fell. "But, before you say you can't do this, let me tell you one more thing: I have two spare bedrooms in my house. They're yours and Y/N's if you take the job."

"Hailey, I can't put you out like that. You'll have to feed us and I can't let you do that."

"Jay, I have money to pay for more food. Just not to pay for another worker because they always want their wages high since what we do here is so risky. It's no problem. And, think of Y/N. She'd have a roof over her head and she could even have that strawberry pie you said she liked so much," Hailey explained.

Jay couldn't pass up this offer, not when he would be kicked out of his apartment in two days. "Okay, I'll get mine and Y/N's things over here in the next few days. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"It means a lot to me, too. Sometimes men get a little rowdy down here, which is why I have to close when there's only one to help."

"So, that's what that guy was asking about when he asked if you're still on tonight?"

"Precisely."

Jay and Hailey walked back upstairs after Hailey turned off all the lights. Then, she pushed the island back into place and Jay headed over to you.

"Will you play Go-fish with me and Miss Hailey, Jay Jay?" you asked as you held a deck of cards out for him to shuffle.

"I most definitely will, pumpkin, " he said as he sat down on the floor and took the cards from you. "But, I have a question for you first."

"What is it?" you asked as you furrowed your eyebrows. Jay found it cute how concentrated you looked every time he said he had a question for you.

"How would you like to stay with Miss Hailey for a while?"

"What- What about you? You'll be here too, right? I don't want you to leave," you said as your lip started to tremble.

"Oh no," Jay quickly said. "I'll be here, too. I promise. We'll just be living here for a while. How does that sound?"

You nodded excitedly. "Can I bring my dolly, Emmy, here?"

Jay chuckled. "Yes, you can." He started shuffling the cards as Hailey walked back in. "Alright, time for a game of Go-fish."

As the three of you played the game on the carpet of Hailey's sitting room, Jay still couldn't believe it: Hailey Upton ran a speakeasy.

***

"What about this guy?" Jay asked as he held up an old stuff animal Dalmation that once belonged to Will that he found when he was cleaning out the apartment to move into Hailey's. "You want him on your bed, too?"

"Who's he?" you asked as you studied the stuffed animal.

"This was Will's, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you renamed him." He held the stuffed animal out to you and you took it and held it tight to your chest.

"I love him."

"What are you thinking for a name, pumpkin?"

You pursed your lips to the side, a telltale sign that you were in deep thought. "Spot."

"Spot," Jay repeated. "I think that's a perfect name. You think Spot and Emmy are going to be friends?" Emmy was the name of your doll.

"Best friends," you told him.

"Do you want to help me unpack my room or play in here?"

"Play in here," you answered as you picked up Emmy to play with along with Spot.

"Okay. I'll be right across the hall if you need anything."

Jay walked into his room where Hailey was already busying herself by making up Jay's bed.

"Hailey," Jay started, "you didn't have to do that. I'm perfectly capable of making my own bed."

"I'm not busy until tonight, so I figured I'd help you out. I can leave if you'd like some privacy while you unpack, though," Hailey replied.

"No, no, you're fine. This is your house after all. You're allowed to go wherever you want." Jay started busying himself with taking a few things out of a crate. "Can you tell me more about the job I'll be doing tonight?"

"So, tonight, people will knock on the back door. I usually let them in, but they have to say bakery because that's the secret word to be let in. If there's a new person, I'll grab you or Adam, the other guy who does the same job as you, to let him in because I don't know him personally."

"So, for your safety?" Jay asked.

"Exactly. Then, I make the drinks and one of you hands them to the customers. The other cleans tables once someone leaves. And, if the person still seems like a drunk before they leave, you have to stop them from leaving for a few hours until they're essentially back to normal. Typically, I'll explain this to them and it works fine, but sometimes I need some help because, well, I'm small and some of them think it's okay to get handsy."

"I won't let anyone lay a hand on you, Hailey. You have my word."

Hailey nodded. "Thank you. And, before you ask like Adam did about why I don't let you guys make the drinks, it's not that I don't trust you, it's that I know the proper proportions. And, if something happens and one of you is busy making drinks..."

"Something bad could happen to you. I get it," Jay said understandingly. "Being behind the bar is safest for you. You don't have to feel bad about putting your safety first, especially since what we are all partaking in is illegal."

"Thank you for understanding. Now, I'll let you unpack. Just yell downstairs if you have any questions. I'll be in the kitchen making something special for after dinner tonight."

"Please tell me Y/N didn't get a hold of you when I was outside and ask you to make strawberry pie."

"She didn't. And even if she did, I was already planning on making it. She's very polite, Jay. You don't have to worry about her not having manners. You've raised her quite well on that front."

"That means a lot, thank you. This all means so much, thank you."

"Hey, you needed help and I needed help. The feeling's mutual." With that, she left Jay alone to unpack and think about how he was staying with one of the most beautiful and kind-hearted women in the world.

***

"So how does this work?" Jay asked Hailey later that night after he had tucked you into bed.

"Jay, I already told you how it works. You just make sure I'm safe and no drunk customers leave or try to get handsy with me," Hailey answered as she was setting up the bar.

"I know that," Jay laughed. "I meant with Y/N. What do we do about her? She's sleeping in a place she doesn't know and I'm not in my room. I don't want her to get upset when she can't find us."

"Oh," Hailey said. "Guess I didn't think that far ahead." She paused as she thought about what she and Jay could do. "How about this: every fifteen minutes either you or I go upstairs to check on her."

"That works," Jay said.

There were thundering footsteps walking down the stairs.

"Hey, Adam," Hailey greeted when he got all the way down. "Jay, this is Adam. Adam, Jay."

Jay and Adam shook hands. "So you're the new replacement?" Adam asked and Jay nodded. "Don't worry, everything's pretty tame down here. There's just occasionally one or two rowdy newcomers because they haven't drank in a long time and forgot what their limits are."

"Good to know," Jay said.

"It's almost time to open, so how about me and Jay go upstairs for the first few customers so he can see how it's done," Hailey suggested.

Adam waved his hand. "Go ahead. Usually, I know most everyone's regular drinks, so I can handle bartending for a little bit."

"Thanks, Adam," Hailey said.

Jay and Hailey made their way upstairs and Jay went to check on you and then went back to Hailey.

"She still asleep?" Hailey asked.

"Out like a light," he answered.

There was a knock at the door. Hailey opened it a crack. "Bakery," the man said. It was the same one who asked a few days ago if they'd be open when Jay came over to ask Hailey to watch you while he went to the bank to see if he could take out a loan.

Hailey opened the door all the way and allowed him in. He came with a friend. "Christopher, Randall, welcome back," she said once they were all the way inside.

"Thank you," they both said.

"This guy new?" Christopher Hermann asked.

"Jay Halstead," Jay said as he stretched his hand out for Hermann to shake. "Pleasure to meet you."

"You as well. The real pleasure is being here where I can drink alcohol, am I right, Randall?" he asked as he turned to his friend.

"No doubt about it," he replied.

"Any stories from work today?" Hailey asked.

"No, just a simple cat caught in a tree. Nothing that caused somebody's house to burn and thank the Lord for that because of how hard it is to secure a loan for a house right now," Hermann answered.

"You two can make your way on in," Hailey said. "You know where to go."

"Thank you," Randall said and then the two walked away and towards the island that hid the speakeasy underneath.

"They're both firefighters," Hailey told Jay. "And, the one that Christopher kept calling Randall, well he told me that at the station they call him Mouch."

Jay furrowed his eyebrows. "Why? Why would a man want a nickname as silly as that?"

"Apparently it means half man half couch. But, just call him Randall. I'm not supposed to know about that nickname, but Hermann told me one night when he got a little too drunk."

"I'm sure Randall's wife is thrilled that he's a lazy bum," Jay said.

"Only at the station where he sits on the couch and listens to the radio until the bells go off. But, his wife, Trudy, can command a room."

Jay looked at his watch. "I should go check on Y/N again. Be right back."

He checked on you and you were still sound asleep.

After a few more customers came in, he went back downstairs and started his new job. It was hard not to like it when he got to look and talk to Hailey all night.

***

It had been a few months since you and Jay had moved in with Miss Hailey. Well, she was just Hailey to you now because she insisted you call her that. Jay insisted on you still calling her Miss Hailey, but Hailey had vetoed that decision.

Jay cracked an eye open as you excitedly pushed his door open. He quickly closed his eyes again and pretended to be asleep.

You pulled on his blankets. "Jay Jay! Jay Jay, wake up! It's Christmas!" He still pretended to be asleep. You pulled on his arm and he cracked his eyes open and rubbed them.

"Mhm, Y/N, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Jay Jay! It's Christmas! Do you think Santa came?" you asked excitedly.

"I think so," Jay said as he sat up and stretched. "Should we go see if Hailey's awake and then we can see if Santa came?"

You nodded excitedly and he got out of bed and you grabbed his hand, practically tugging him out of his bedroom.

You saw Hailey walking up the stairs with a tray with three mugs on it. "Hailey!" you exclaimed and quickly let go of Jay's hand and ran to her. "Did you go downstairs?" you asked excitedly.

"I did," she told you, letting out a small giggle at your excitement.

God, Jay loved that giggle. Hell, he loved everything about Hailey, her heart, her looks, how she wasn't afraid to run a speakeasy when it was illegal. For all intents and purposes, she was a little rebel and he loved it.

"Did Santa come? Did you see him?" you rushed out excitedly.

"I didn't see him, but he came. There's lots of presents and your stocking is almost overflowing."

You smiled widely and squealed in excitement.

"Here," Jay said as he walked up to Hailey. "Let me take that."

"Oh, sorry," Hailey apologized. "I figured I'd make us some coffee and for that little angel, there's some hot chocolate with whipped cream and a candy cane."

"Hear that, pumpkin?" Jay asked as he took the tray from Hailey. "Hailey made you hot chocolate with all the fixings."

"Thank you!" you exclaimed and then tried to reach for your mug.

"Pumpkin, it's hot. I'm gonna hand it to you when we get downstairs, how's that sound?"

"Okay, Jay Jay!"

When the three of you got downstairs, you gasped. Hailey wasn't kidding when she told you there were lots of presents and your stocking was overflowing. "Santa came! Santa came!"

"He did," Jay said as he set the tray on the coffee table. "Do you want to open your stocking while your hot chocolate cools down?"

"Yes please!"

Hailey walked over to the radio and turned it on to a low volume while Jay helped you get your stocking down. Then, he handed it to you and he and Hailey sat down on the floor next to you as you emptied it.

"Oranges!" you exclaimed as you pulled out two of them. "Chocolate...and candy canes!" You pulled out two more things, too, a new hairbrush and socks, but you were more excited for the chocolate and candy canes. "Your turn!" you told Jay and Hailey.

Inside theirs were only oranges, candy canes, and chocolate. They had both agreed to spend the money on you and not on each other.

You opened your presents and you had gotten a stuffed animal Mickey Mouse from Jay and a pack of cards that were specifically for Go-Fish. They had different color fishies on them! You also got a new nightgown from him.

"What's that?" you asked as you pointed to an object in the corner under the Christmas tree that was covered by a bedsheet.

"That, is my present to you," Hailey told you.

"Can I open it?" you asked as you clasped your hands in front of you as if in prayer.

Hailey laughed. "Yes, you can."

As you had been asking Hailey, Jay was wondering where this gift came from. He knew Hailey had been in charge of your stocking, but he didn't think she had gotten you anything else...much less something so big that it couldn't be wrapped.

You tugged the sheet off and gasped when you saw what was under it.

"A rocking horse!"

Jay's eyes went wide. She wasn't even supposed to get you anything and here she was with a brand new rocking horse for you.

Hailey walked over to you. "There's even a pocket on the side of the saddle so that Emmy and Spot can ride with you," she told you as she pointed it out to you.

"Jay Jay! Can you help me get on?"

Jay smiled and walked up to you and picked you up. "One...two...three!" He set you down on the rocking horse, but not before he threw you up in the air once and then caught you and placed you on the rocking horse.

You started moving back and forth on the rocking horse and singing the lyrics to Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. Jay and Hailey just watched you while they drank their coffee, enjoying the morning and seeing you so excited.

"Where's your presents?" you asked after a few songs. "Santa didn't bring you any?"

"He only brings presents to good little children, pumpkin," Jay told you.

"But you were good, Jay Jay!" you argued.

"I know," he chuckled. "But I'm a grown-up, so is Hailey."

You scrunched up your nose. "I don't wanna be a grown-up. It doesn't sound fun." Then you remembered something. "What about the presents I helped you with?" You looked down at the red tree skirt. "They're right there!" you exclaimed as you pointed to the two gifts that were still waiting to be unwrapped. You pointed to one. "That once's for Jay Jay from me and Hailey!" You pointed to the last gift. "And that one's for Hailey from me and Jay Jay!"

Jay got up and grabbed both gifts. "After you," he told Hailey, his eyes twinkling because he knew what was inside.

She gently took the wrapping paper off and then smiled and looked up at him. "How did you know this was my favorite book?" She ran a hand over the cover of a brand new copy of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. More importantly, she wondered how he could afford all this. She knew that she had started paying him a little a few months ago as prices for products dropped, but she knew it wasn't a lot.

"I noticed it on your bedside table one night when I brought you a cup of tea. I just assumed it was your favorite because of how worn the pages were. I'm glad I guessed correctly," he said.

"Thank you. This is- I love it," Hailey said. Her mom had given her a copy of that book once she reached second grade and her mom had helped her read it. She always remembered those good memories when she read it, which was why she's always read if she couldn't make it to the library, even to this day. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." His fingers brushed her hand.

Hailey turned to you. "Did you help your brother pick this out?"

"Yeah! I went to the bookstore with him! It was so big!" you told her as you continued rocking back and forth on your rocking horse. Jay had no doubt that that would be your favorite toy.

Hailey passed Jay his gift. It wasn't hard like her's had been, it was sort of flimsy as well.

"I wonder what it could be..." he trailed off, thinking that you would tell him.

"It's--" you clamped your mouth shut as you remembered what Hailey had told you. "Hailey told me I can't tell you yet! You gotta open it!"

"Okay, okay, I'm opening it." Jay also gently took off the wrapping paper so that it could be saved for next year's Christmas.

Jay removed the paper and saw what was inside: between two pieces of cardboard were two shirts. They were both made out of the same blue and white striped fabric, but one was short-sleeved and the other was long-sleeved. He held the long-sleeved one up to get a better look at it.

"Wow, Hailey, these are amazing. Did you make these?" he asked.

"I did. Y/N helped me pick out the fabric. She said you liked blue," Hailey said.

"Well, she's right. I do like blue."

"And, we figured we'd give you a long-sleeved one that can be worn almost any time and then a short-sleeved one for the summer months."

"You both made great choices. Thank you so much." He looked up at you. "Thank you, too, pumpkin. Now, can you get down and give me a hug or do I need to help you down?"

"I can do it!" You slid down off the rocking horse and then ran to Jay, barrelling into his open arms.

"Arghh, my favorite girls. No better way to spend Christmas."

Your stomach rumbled.

"I should get started on breakfast," Hailey said and stood up.

"I'll help," Jay offered. He let go of you and set you on the couch and then handed you your hot chocolate. "Can you do something for me?" he asked you.

"What is it?" you asked after you had taken a sip of your hot chocolate, getting whipped cream all on your upper lip.

"Can you not get on the rocking horse and stay here and listen to the radio until me or Hailey get back?"

"Okay!" You paused. "Can you put me on there now? I promise I'll be good," you pleaded.

Jay agreed, but only because it was Christmas. "Now, me and Hailey will be in the kitchen if you need anything. Merry Christmas, pumpkin."

"Merry Christmas, Jay Jay."

Jay handed you your hot chocolate to take one last sip and then you handed it back to him. Then, Jay and Hailey made their way into the kitchen to start on the Christmas breakfast.

Hailey opened the icebox as Jay began grabbing some plates...the fancy China ones that Hailey said she'd only get out for holidays.

"So, I'm one of your favorite girls?" Hailey asked while she took the cinnamon roll dough, which she had made a few days ago and rolled up, out of the icebox and set them on the counter.

"I mean, you are, but if you're uncomfortable with that...you know, I think I just meant to say favorite girl to Y/N, but I made it plural and--"

"Jay," she cut him off. "You're one of my favorite boys."

"Only one of them, huh?" he joked. "Who else is there?"

"The firefighters," she answered nonchalantly. "They were the ones who helped me with the rocking horse."

"I was wondering who made that."

"I just told Hermann one night that I thought Y/N would like a rocking horse, and he offered to build it with help from some of the other firefighters. All it took was a night of free drinks for each of them who helped."

"How'd you get it inside? It wasn't there last night."

"Hermann and some of the other firefighters stopped over early this morning and dropped it off. I just threw the bedsheet over it."

"So that's why you had coffee and hot chocolate all made up. You had been awake."

"Exactly right."

Jay opened the oven door turned the dial, then moved out of the way to allow Hailey to put the cinnamon rolls in the oven.

"You don't have to help me, you know," Hailey pointed out when she closed the oven door. She had never met a man so keen on helping her in the kitchen or with daily household chores before she had met Jay.

"Hailey, you tell me this every day. I've been used to cooking and cleaning for the past two years since it was just me and Y/N. I'm not going to wake up one day and stop doing that. Besides, I'm helping you out. You shouldn't have to do everything around here."

Hailey nodded and smiled. God, was Jay sweet and very handsome, too! "Well, in that case, do you want to get started on the eggs while I whip up the icing for the cinnamon rolls?"

"Uh, I was wondering if maybe you'd make the eggs?" Jay asked.

Hailey shrugged. "Okay."

"It's not that I don't want to do it," Jay backtracked. "Y/N just told me she prefers your eggs over mine."

"I think I know why," Hailey laughed.

Jay's eyes twinkled with humor as he looked at her. "Is that so?"

"It is so. It's because you whisk the eggs in the pan and not in the bowl before."

"So she likes the whites mixed with the yolks, got it," Jay replied and reached into the cabinet and grabbed Hailey a bowl. "In that case, care to pass me the icing recipe?"

She passed him a piece of paper and they worked in comfortable silence, the only noises to be heard were the sounds of whisking and sizzling and the faint sounds of the Christmas carols coming from the radio in the living room.

Hailey began plating the eggs and placed them on the counter. "I'll pop them back in the oven to keep them warm once the cinnamon rolls are almost done."

"Good idea. I'll go check on Y/N. Icing's finished as well."

Hailey nodded and then began filling the sink with warm water to start washing some of the dishes.

"I'll be back to help you dry in a minute, don't you worry."

"You'd never miss that," she joked and Jay shook his head as he walked over to go check on you.

When he saw you, he held back a laugh. You were still on the rocking horse, but your head was leaning against the horse's head, the reins loose in your hand, as you quietly snoozed away to the Christmas carols.

He thought about waking you up but thought that Hailey would like to see how adorable you looked as well. So, he walked back to the kitchen.

"Back so soon?" Hailey asked. "Where's my little angel?"

"She's asleep on the rocking horse. Guess waking up early and all the excitement of the presents really tired her out. She's adorable."

Jay waved his hand, signaling for her to follow him and she did.

Hailey cooed at how cute you were as the two of the them stood in the open doorway to the sitting room.

"She really is the cutest little girl alive," Hailey said.

"I'd do anything for that kid," Jay said.

"You're a good brother, Jay. Raising her to have manners and know how to behave, you did really well with her."

"Thank you. I just tried to do what my mother did for me and Will." Since their time together, Jay had told Hailey stories about his childhood and his parents. These were mostly told downstairs in the speakeasy when Hailey had allowed Adam to go home and it was just the two of them cleaning up together.

"Well, she'd be proud of you."

She looked up at his green eyes, which were gazing at her gently. Then, she looked up at the doorway and laughed softly.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's nothing."

Jay looked up and spotted the mistletoe. They had hung it up there a week and a half ago when they had decorated for Christmas. But, they never really did the tradition of kissing under it; it was solely for decoration purposes.

"I don't think we can avoid it now since it's Christmas," Jay said. Hailey furrowed her eyebrows. "Hailey, we've been avoiding the tradition since we hung it up." He took a step toward her and grabbed her hand. "You're beautiful and I've never met anyone as kind-hearted and sweet as you and we're underneath the mistletoe." He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"That we are," Hailey agreed and smiled a toothy smile.

They looked into each other's eyes and all they saw was love and affection. So, Jay did what he wanted to do since they hung that piece of mistletoe: he leaned in and gave the most beautiful girl whom he had ever laid eyes on, a kiss and a Christmas kiss at that.

***

Winter had come and gone and spring was finally in the air. Jay and Hailey had finally admitted their feelings to each other and whenever they kissed, you always giggled...which caused Jay to pick you up and tickle you.

You were sitting in the garden with Hailey working on planting new flowers and vegetables, while Jay went inside to grab the three of you glasses of lemonade.

"Are these tomatoes, Mommy?" You asked as you picked up a package of seeds.

Hailey froze. Mommy. She most definitely wasn't your mommy.

"They are, baby. They'll be tomatoes once they get lots and lots of water and sun."

Jay was walking back at the same exact time you started to reply to Hailey. "Okay, Mommy! I can't wait to see them! I hope they're good."

"Hey, pumpkin," Jay said as he walked up to you and squatted down next to you. "You thirsty?" He sent Hailey a look that read that he had no idea what was going on with those names either. He held the glass of lemonade out to you.

"Thank you, Daddy!" you exclaimed as you took the glass of lemonade from him.

Jay's eyes widened and he looked at Hailey once more as you took big gulps of lemonade.

"Pumpkin, who are you calling Mommy and Daddy?" he asked gently, trying to word this as easy as possible so that you could understand it and so that it wouldn't upset you.

"You're Daddy and Hailey's Mommy!" you told him.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought I was Jay Jay."

"You are. But you're Daddy, too," you told him.

"Pumpkin, me and Hailey love you so, so much, but we aren't your mommy and daddy. Mommy and Daddy died when you were little," Jay told you as he took the empty lemonade glass from you.

"I know that," you said as you started digging another hole for more seeds, not grasping how important this conversation actually was.

"Then why are you calling us that?" Hailey asked as she twirled one of your braids between her fingers.

"Because Annie told me all about her mommy and daddy and you and Jay Jay do the same things as them. So you're like my mommy and daddy." Annie was one of the neighbor girls you'd play with outside occasionally. Her dad also came to the speakeasy every Saturday night...but you obviously didn't know that. You didn't even know what a speakeasy was, let alone that there was a speakeasy in the basement of your house. You moved the dirt from the hole and to the side of you.

"Y/N, we love you so much, but you..." Hailey trailed off, not knowing how to tell you that you couldn't call her and Jay Mommy and Daddy.

"You can't call us Mommy and Daddy, pumpkin," Jay told you.

Your lip began to tremble. "Why not? You are my mommy and my daddy."

"Why do you want to call us that?" Jay asked as his heart broke when he saw the tears forming in your eyes.

"Be- because you do Daddy things like pick me up and spin me around. And wake me up and tuck me in and let me sleep in your bed when I'm- when I'm scared."

"And Hailey?"

"She does Mommy things like tuck me in and wake me up, too. She helps me with my hair and you guys always give me bedtime kisses and stories."

Jay looked at Hailey. He really didn't know how to tell you that you couldn't call them that.

"Is there anything else, Y/N?" Hailey asked, looking directly at you as she started to rub your back to hopefully stop you from crying.

"I don't 'member Mommy and Daddy!" you cried and hurled yourself into Jay's arms. "I don't 'member them and I want a mommy and daddy!"

"Oh, pumpkin," Jay said. He never really thought about the fact that you wouldn't really remember your mom and dad and how you might call him that because that's what he seemed like to you. He knew you'd have questions, but he didn't think you'd try and call him and Hailey those titles. "You do have a mommy and daddy. They're just in heaven, remember?"

"But I don't 'member them!" you cried again.

"I know, I know. Would it help if I show you pictures of them?" Jay asked.

"You have pictures of 'em?" you asked, removing your head from Jay's chest.

You had only seen a few pictures of them that Jay had in his room in frames and those were the ones that used to be in your old apartment, too.

"I do. What do you say we all go inside and look at them?" Jay asked.

"Okay."

He helped Hailey to her feet and then placed you on his hip and the three of you made your way inside.

You stayed with Hailey on the couch in the sitting room while Jay went upstairs to grab a box of old pictures.

"This is our mommy and this is our daddy," Jay said as he pointed out the people in the picture when he sat down a few minutes later. "See, you have a mommy and daddy. You just can't see them right now."

"When can I see them?" you asked.

"Not for a long time until you go up in the sky to heaven," he told you.

"Like all the old people?"

Hailey laughed. "Yes, like all the old people," Jay answered.

He pulled out another picture. "There's Mommy, there's Daddy, there's Will, and there's me," he told you as he pointed to the people in the picture.

"Where am I?" you asked as your fingers brushed the black and white photograph.

"You are right here." He pointed to your mommy's belly.

"But that's mommy's tummy, Jay Jay. I'm not there!"

"Yes, you are. You had to grow big and strong and then one day you just came here," he explained.

You placed your hand on Jay's belly. "Where's your baby, Jay Jay?"

Hailey held back laughter while Jay placed his big hand on top of your small one. "I can't have babies."

You cocked your head to the side. "Why not?"

"Because..." he trailed off, looking to Hailey for support.

"Y/N," she began. "That's a talk for when you're bigger." She grabbed a deck of cards from the table in front of you. "Do you want to play Go-Fish? I'll even get you some more lemonade."

That piqued your interest. "Yes, please!"

You slid off the couch and Jay breathed a huge sigh of relief. He had no idea what he'd do without Hailey Ann Upton.

***

"Wow," Jay mused as he looked at the morning newspaper while he and Hailey were sipping their morning coffee.

"What? Shocked that Y/N's still sleeping? Maybe she fell asleep late because she was so excited to go to the fair today," Hailey said.

"No, no," Jay said. "It's not that, even though I am shocked that she's still sleeping when it's eight o'clock already. But, no, they're thinking about ending prohibition."

"What?" Hailey gasped.

"Right here." Jay passed the newspaper to Hailey and pointed to the heading which is what told them that the US only needed one more state to ratify the 21st amendment, which at this point looked like it would be Utah.

Hailey skimmed the article. "Wow. You're right. I mean, I think we kind of knew this was coming, but I didn't think it would actually happen."

"Me neither. Do you know what you're going to do if it does become legal?"

"I mean, I've obviously thought about it, but not all the way if you know what I mean. I kind of wondered about it, but I never made a plan." Hailey tried her best to explain how she had been thinking.

"Do you want to stay in Chicago?" Jay asked.

"I don't know. I love the city, but I'd also like to have the country air. Give Y/N a big yard to run around in instead of the small one we have now."

"Jay Jay! Hailey!" you exclaimed as you ran into the kitchen.

"Speak of the devil," Jay laughed. "We'll talk more about it later." He turned to you as you pulled yourself up on a kitchen chair. "You excited for the fair, pumpkin?"

"Yeah!" you exclaimed. "I can't wait to see all the animals!"

"Which ones do you want to see the most?" Hailey asked.

"The piggies!"

"The piggies, huh?" Jay asked. "Why are they your favorite?"

"They're pink and they're fat and they're cute!"

"Pink, fat, and cute," Hailey repeated. "Great description of pigs. How about me and Jay Jay get started on breakfast and then we can get going. How does that sound?"

"Yay! Piggies!"

Jay laughed and got up to help Hailey with breakfast while you were practically vibrating in your seat with the excitement at the thought of seeing all the animals at the fair.

***

"Piggies!" you exclaimed as you saw them in their pen and tugged on Jay's hand to make him walk faster. "C'mon, Jay Jay!"

Jay laughed. "They'll still be there in a few minutes when we get there."

"There's chickens, too!" Hailey told you. "Maybe you'll see some babies, do you remember what those are called from the book we read about animals at the library?"

"Chicks!"

"Great job!" Hailey praised.

By now you had made your way to the pen and tugged Jay's hand when you walked into it.

"Piggy!" you exclaimed as you ran up to one.

"What sound does a pig make, Y/N?" Jay asked as he crouched down next to you to make sure you didn't put your hands near the pig's mouth.

"Oink oink! Mr. Piggy says oink oink!" you said, quoting the book you and Hailey read the other day.

"She must've really liked that book," Hailey said.

"Obviously," Jay agreed as you kept petting the pig. The pig made its snorty oink oink sound which caused you to pull your hand away and giggle loudly.

"Can we get a piggy, Jay Jay?" you asked.

"Not while we're in Chicago, Y/N," Jay told you.

"So if we go out of Chicago, we get one?" you asked hopefully.

"Maybe, pumpkin, maybe."

***

"So, what are you thinking?" Jay asked a few days later when it was he, Adam, Hailey, Hermann, and a few others in the speakeasy late at night.

"I don't know," Hailey said. "But, you saw how Y/N looked with those farm animals and how she loved petting all of them."

"So, you want to move out of Chicago?" Jay asked.

"I don't know, but it sounds like you've thought a lot about it. Care to enlighten me?"

"Oregon, Wisconsin, New York. Those are all options," Jay shrugged.

"I thought we were getting out of the city and not going into another one," Hailey joked. "So why New York?"

"Upstate New York, where there'd be all the forests and wilderness. Obviously, we wouldn't be living out in the middle of nowhere. I don't think either of us would enjoy that."

"No, not in the slightest," Hailey agreed.

Hermann walked up to them. "So, if you two leave with the kid, what's gonna happen to this place?" he asked.

"Didn't your mother ever teach that listening to others' conversations is actually quite rude?" Jay asked.

"Well, sorry. But all us firefighters will have to find a new place to blow off some steam," Hermann replied.

"We'll only be leaving if prohibition actually ends," Hailey explains. "Still waiting on one more state to ratify the amendment."

"So, if it does end, what are you thinking?" Hermann asked.

"Alright, spit it out already," Jay joked. "What are you thinking, Hermann?"

"Well, I'm thinking about retiring soon and if it ends, I'd love to have a business endeavor to throw myself into. If I don't have anything to work on, the missus will not be happy with me."

"So, what are you saying?" Jay asked.

"Hailey Upton, if prohibition ends and you and Jay decide to leave, would you allow me to buy this place and turn it into the most booming bar in all of Chicago?"

"I--"

"Excuse me?" A man asked rudely as he leaned over the bar. "I've been waiting on another drink for minutes now!"

"Sir," Hailey began, "I can only give you so much because we need you to be sober enough when you walk outside to leave."

"I'm paying for this! You can't tell me how much I can and can't drink!"

"Sir--"

"Make me my damn drink, bitch!"

He reached out a hand to grab Hailey's wrist, but she jumped back so she was out of his reach.

"Reach over that bar one more time and I will lay you out where you stand," Jay told him sternly.

"I highly doubt that," he scoffed and went to reach over the bar again.

But, Jay was too fast and landed a solid punch to the man's jaw.

"Son of bitch," he muttered as he grabbed his jaw.

"Believe me now?" Jay asked smugly. Then, he turned to Adam. "Care to take care of this?"

"Yeah, I got it." Then, he turned to the man who was still grabbing and massaging his jaw. "You need to go take a seat, buddy, while I get you some ice. Because, hate to break it to you, but we're not letting you leave for at least another hour."

The man groaned but reluctantly went to take a seat while Adam got him some ice...mostly because he didn't want another punch to the jaw from Jay.

Jay walked behind the bar. "Are you okay?" he asked Hailey.

"I'm fine. He didn't even touch me," she replied.

"Still," Jay said. "I'd really prefer if you went upstairs and went to sleep. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Jay, I'm--"

"Hailey," Hermann cut her off. "I can make the drinks. You just go upstairs and get some rest."

"Hermann, I can't pay you for this. And, do you even know how to make all the drinks?" Hailey asked.

"I'm fine with not being paid, Hailey. I just want to help you out and make sure you're safe, just like Jay here. And, I've been here enough and seen you make the drinks that I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

"Okay," Hailey relented.

"I'll walk you upstairs," Jay offered. "Can you two handle it if I'm gone for a few minutes?" Jay asked Adam and Hermann.

The two said they were fine and Jay and Hailey went upstairs.

"If prohibition ends," Hailey began when Jay and Hailey were almost to her bedroom, "I think we should take Hermann up on his offer."

"Hailey, that's a big decision. Are you sure you don't want to think about it?" Jay asked as he grabbed her hand.

"Tonight opened my eyes. Late nights, the possibility of being in situations I don't want to be in. If we have kids, I'm going to need to be there with them."

"Hailey, I'd love to have kids with you. But, I'm lost. What does this have to do with selling the speakeasy to Hermann?"

"If we have kids, I want us to be there for them at night when they have nightmares, not one of us going upstairs every fifteen minutes to check on them like we do with Y/N. And, if it's all legal, we'll have more rowdy customers. I don't want either of us to get hurt and I also don't want one of the kids to walk downstairs, if we have kids, and see angry customers," Hailey explained.

"I understand that. It's your decision, though. You own the speakeasy. It's your decision. I'll be with you on whatever you decide to do."

"Jay, I love you so much and I never want to be without you. And if you want to move, I'm going with you. I'm going where you go."

"I love you, too. And, you're gonna have to put up with me for a long time because I'm not leaving you."

***

"We've got everything, right?" Jay asked as he and Hailey looked on to the house. Jay held suitcases in his hand and so did Hailey. You held Spot and Emmy close to you.

"You sure about this?" Hermann asked. "You still have an hour before the train comes to back out."

"We're sure, Christopher," Hailey confirmed. "Everything is ready for us in New York."

"My brother had a lot to do with that," Jay supplied.

Prohibition had officially ended a month ago and when Jay had told Will over a quick phone call what was going on, he was shocked, to say the least. But, he agreed to try and find a place for them in upstate New York. So, he took Natalie and his three kids on a day trip there where they looked at some houses and went through the shops and got ice cream. Then, Will told Jay he had found the perfect place. So, Jay and Hailey sent him the money and Will bought the house for them.

"Bar have a--" Jay was quickly cut of by you asking a question.

"What was Mommy's name?" you asked.

"It was Molly," Jay answered. "But, we don't interrupt, okay?"

"Sorry. But, Hailey told me she'd get me another dolly when we get to New York and now I'm gonna name her Molly."

"That's great, pumpkin, really great. Anyway," he started, turning his attention back to Hermann, "Bar have a name yet?"

"You know, I think Molly's would be a good name," he answered.

You gasped. "You're gonna name the restaurant after my mommy? Did you hear that, Jay Jay?"

"I did. Hermann, you can't. It's your bar."

"I know. But, if your mom didn't have you, then you wouldn't have fallen in love with Hailey, and I wouldn't be getting the most important thing to me: the bar," he told him.

"I'm telling Cindy you said that," Hailey joked.

"You wouldn't do that. You're too nice for that, Hailey."

"So, it's Molly's?" Hailey asked.

"The bar's Molly's."

"Well, take good care of it. I didn't run it illegally for years just to have it be destroyed by a regular."

"Don't you worry. And, if all else fails, at least the firefighters will come to it."

***

"This is our house?" you asked excitedly when Will picked the three of you up from the train station. Apparently, he and Natalie made enough money to feed them and their three children and still have enough money to afford a car.

"It is, pumpkin. And look over there." Jay pointed outside the car to a pen...well two pens and a chicken coop.

"Piggies!" you exclaimed. You gasped. "We get to keep them?"

"We do," Jay confirmed.

"There's even a horse that you can ride," Hailey told you.

"Like my rocking horse?"

"Just like that. But you can feed him and brush him. And we have hens, too. Those are the girl chickens."

"They lay the eggs?"

"That's right," Will said. "You sure know a lot about animals, pumpkin. Are you gonna be a veterinarian when you get bigger?"

"What's that?" you asked as you furrowed your eyebrows.

"So, I'm a doctor for people, but you'd be a doctor for animals."

You gasped. "Yay! I wanna be a betternanian!"

Everyone laughed at your pronunciation of the word veterinarian, but you were too excited to realize you had said it wrong and to even care.

As Jay grabbed a few things out of the car and made his way to the house, he reminisced on how he got here. If he hadn't had his route changed as a milkman, if he wouldn't have gotten fired and gotten an eviction notice, then he wouldn't have met the love of his life, Miss Hailey Anne Upton...even though he hoped he'd be able to change her title to Mrs. Hailey Anne Halstead in the next few months. And, even though he had to go look for a job tomorrow, he had a home with you and Hailey, you were happy with all the animals, and he was closer to the rest of his family in Will, Natalie, and his nephews and niece, and that was all that mattered.

A/N I hope you liked the first AU of AU-gust! I think the next one I will be writing will be a high school AU. If you have any ideas for AUs, feel free to comment or send me an ask! As always, thank you for reading! Don't forget to reblog/like and comment as notifications always make my day! And, if you like my writing, you can support me at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Kayela It's only a dollar and it's through Paypal and any currency can be used, no subscription required! (I write these fics for free, so I figured I'd try this out!) Finally, if you want to be added to my taglist, just comment and I’ll add you!

taglist: @theambracer88 @virtualreader @kelelas-life @celyndavies @brookerz122493 @musicismyescape27 @anotherfan07 @thexplosivegirl @dreamingwithlens @xoxmariaxox @onechicago18 @iamasimpingh0e @i-like-sparkly-things @herecomesthewriterwitch @liampayne88

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javajunkieao3 · 4 years

Text

Being Alive: Beth/Benny Fanfic

It’s six months after Russia and nearly that long since her last drink. All those months ago, sitting across Borgov with her face tilted up to the paneled ceiling, she learned that she didn't need alcohol to quiet her mind. The chess board still appeared, the pieces moving with a grace that Beth still hadn’t witnessed elsewhere. But, it didn't mean she didn’t want the drink, and Beth had bore witness to a casual alcoholic for enough years to understand that both the need and want weren’t pre-requisites to addiction. Because while she didn’t need a drink, she also knew that once she started she wouldn’t be able to stop.

She’s at the US Open Chess Championship in Chicago and she keeps walking past the bar, her pacing taking her steps closer to the wooden counter with each pass. It was all because of damn Gorsky. He was new. An up and comer out of Bloomington, Indiana and he almost beat her. She faced off against the giants in Russia, and yet somehow, this Midwest nobody threw her. Dimly, somewhere between her fourth and fifth pass in front of the bar, she reminds herself that she had once been that nobody, but she quickly dismisses the thought.

At her sixth pass, she almost gives in, her mouth already anticipating the heady combination of the gin and vermouth tempered by a refined pearl onion (Mrs. Wheatley had been right about that part), but then a young girl recognizes her and asks for her autograph. The girl holds out an old copy of Life magazine with Beth’s face on the cover. The magazine was about two years old, and Beth thinks about how this girl must have seen the Open was taking place in the city and made a special trip just for her to sign the magazine. Her face burns with shame as she recalls the one to three Gibsons she had been on her way to consume, and she makes a point to strike up a conversation with the young girl, trying to replace her guilt with a good deed.

When she's finished, she heads back up to her room, but she can already picture the room service menu and she can feel her finger moving the heavy dial of the rotary phone, and so she makes a detour, ending up at his room. She doesn't know if he’ll be there, but he answers after one knock. He’s shirtless, his striped pajama pants slung low on his hips, but it’s nothing she hasn't seen before.

“Hi Benny.”

“Beth Harmon, to what do I owe this honor?”

The tone of his voice reminds her of the distance between them. While he helped her in Russia, she was well aware there was still damage between them to be repaired, but all the calls she meant to make didn’t happen, and then her phone didn’t ring, either. She hasn’t seen him since before Russia.

“Can I come in?”

“If you’re here to take more of my money with speed chess, you’ll be disappointed.”

Attempting levity, she says, “Does that mean you got better, or we’re not playing?”

He smiles slightly and steps back to let her in. Behind her, he flips open a suitcase and she turns around just as he’s pulling a worn grey t-shirt over his head. “So, what are you doing here?”

She doesn’t answer, suddenly feeling foolish for going to him at all, and he says, “It’s Gorsky, isn’t it?”

“I still beat him,” she returns sharply.

“Yeah, well, you almost didn’t.”

She bites the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood and sits on the edge of the bed.

“Do you want something to drink?” Benny asks, and while she knows he doesn't mean alcohol, she says, “I want a Gibson. I might as well, right? You warned me that if I kept drinking like I was, I’d end up washed up by my twenties. But, it looks like that may be happening, anyway.”

“Beth, you’re not washed up.”

“I didn’t see the move, Benny.”

She had gone through various phases while analyzing the game previously. Anger. Blame. But now, she is just tired. She considers excusing herself to go back to her room, but if she were being honest with herself, she doesn’t trust herself alone.

“Sometimes you don’t, but then you’ll see it the next game. Just because you’re good doesn’t mean you’re infallible.”

"I shouldn’t be this thrown by it. I beat Luchenko, Borgov. I beat you.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” he returns drily.

She rubs at her eyes irritably and when she opens them again, he’s walked toward her and he sits on the bed next to her. There is still a sizable distance between them, but she takes comfort in the way the mattress dips. It makes her feel less alone.

“You are not washed up,” Benny says for the second time that night. “But, you’re going to have games you lose. It doesn’t make you any less of a player.” Beth scoffs at that and he continues with, “Did beating Borgov make you think any less of him?”

“No,” she admits. She looks over at him, “And it didn’t make me think any less of you. Although, you could improve your endgame.”

Benny smiles slightly. “I’m going to choose to ignore that last part.”

Beth looks down at her shoes. “I came here because I wanted a drink.”

Benny is quiet for a moment. “Do you still want one?”

“Yes,” she answers immediately. “But it’ll pass.” She looks over at him, her nerves pulled tight, and asks, “Can I-”

“Yes,” he says. “You can stay here. As long as you need.”

They order room service - burgers with extra pickles for him and cheese for her - and she tells him she’ll be going back to her room soon, but that doesn't happen. Instead, they play a few games of chess and then she stretches out on the bed, ignoring his offer for her to change into one of his oversized shirts to sleep in, and he settles in the bed next to her. He shuts off the light, and she turns onto her back. The darkness emboldens her to say what she had never been brave enough to tell him in the light.

“I didn't choose drinking over you.”

He doesn’t answer for a long moment, and when he does his voice is gravelly. “It sure seemed like you did.”

“I chose being numb.”

“Is that supposed to make it better?”

“No,” she says honestly. “But, it’s the truth.” Staring up at the blank ceiling she says, “When my mother killed herself, she told me to close my eyes. I think, in some way, I’ve been trying to do that ever since.”

She hears the rustle of his hair against the pillow as he turns his head to look at her. “Shit, Beth-”

“But, I don’t want to be numb anymore. I don’t want to close my eyes.” She turns her face toward him. In the pitch darkness of the room, she can just make out the outline of his face, but his eyes gleam bright.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you,” she says.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t go with you to Russia.”

“You were still there when I needed you,” Beth returns, recalling the immense sense of relief when she heard his voice on the phone.

“I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to beat the Russians.”

His voice is light and teasing, like it used to be, and she doesn’t know what to say next, but then he reaches forward and smooths her hair away from her face. Without hesitation, she reaches up and grabs his hand, keeping it pressed against her cheek. She doesn’t know if she leans in first, or him, but they meet in the middle, the kiss gentle and unhurried. Her body yearns for more, but then he pulls away, pressing a kiss on her forehead as he says, “We should get some sleep. We both have games at seven tomorrow.”

She knows that he’s right, because he’s an addiction in his own way, and if they started something she knew they would get little sleep. She turns on her side, her mind wonderfully blank as he blanketed her body with his. She falls asleep within minutes.

The next morning, the twins catch Beth leaving Benny’s room to change for the day, and one of them does a low whistle while Beth jauntily responds with her middle finger. She changes into one of her favorite dresses, a checkered number with a high neckline that dipped to a lower “v” in the back, and she proceeds to win all of her games, even achieving a new personal record for time. Benny does the same, and then it’s just the two of them, facing off at the top table. There’s a break before and he presses her against a wall in a back hallway, his mouth against hers.

“If you’re trying to distract me, it won’t work,” she says, fingers caught up in his hair.

“Don’t worry, I know better than that.”

Fifteen minutes later, they are seated opposite each other, attention finely tuned to the action on the board. Benny has improved since Beth last played him, but then again, so has she. Both of them nearly run out their clocks, but in the end, it is Benny who extends his hand across the board. She knows how much he hates to lose, but there is not a trace of ill will on his face when she shakes his hand. Instead, there is admiration, respect, and something else that she is hesitant to name.

Afterwards, they go directly to her room, and they don’t even make it to fully undressed before she takes him in, breathing a sigh of relief against his neck. When they are finished, his fingers languidly run along her side and he says, “You should come to New York.”

“I can’t,” she says, looking up at him. “I’m coaching at one of the high schools and they have a major tournament next week”

“Okay,” he says. “Then what if I come to Kentucky?”

While this isn’t exactly a surprise, it still thrills her to hear him say it. “Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“Okay,” she says, trying to keep an impending wide grin at bay. She runs her hand along his chest and Innocently says, “I think I have an air mattress in the closet.”

#the queen's gambit #fanfiction #Benny Watts #Beth Harmon #Beth Harmon x Benny Watts

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thatesqcrush · 3 years

Text

Neighbors, Pt. 6 (Conclusion)

Rafael Barba x Reader. CW: smut (vaginal fingering), language, tiniest smidge of angst and then all the fluff. Like sugar rotting. Slight mention of Chicago PD and medical talk. Also filling the square holiday movie for my naughty & nice holiday bingo.

WC: 1491

Eventually you were healthy enough to be discharged home. You were grateful that the apartment building had an elevator. You bemoaned how you would need to reorganize the apartment in the cab ride home.

“We all took care of that for you.” Rafael explained, looking over at you. You furrowed your brows as you looked at him.

“Who’s we?”

“The squad. Me. Turns out Carisi broke his leg playing hockey in high school and was quite the expert on how to make your apartment more comfortable since you’ll be home for awhile.”

You let out a sigh of annoyance. “Don’t remind me.”

The corridors of your apartment were cleared, and furniture was moved to leave plenty of space to maneuver. Doors were kept open with wedges, your bathroom was fitted with a handicap bar and a stool was installed into your shower. Your bedroom looked a if a pillow factory exploded so you could sit up comfortably. Rafael insisted that he stay a few nights to help you acclimate and with him living across the way, it made total sense. Rafael sent your laundry to be cleaned, ordered dinner out, and essentially made sure everything ran like a tight ship. Flowers and get well packages inundated your apartment and your fridge.

When Rafael arrived at your apartment that night, he heard the shower running. He set the brown paper bag of takeout on the counter. A muffled sound came from the bathroom. “Y/N? Do you need help?”

You came out of the shower in a tank top and sweat shorts, your hair tied up in a bun You were holding onto your crutches. Your eyes were puffy. “I almost slipped – I caught myself.”

“I could look into someone coming by to help.” Rafael suggested.

“I don’t need help!” You snapped, pushing past him on your crutches.

“I brought dinner. Your favorite – beef with broccoli and egg rolls. Extra hot mustard.”

You mumbled a thanks as you made your way back to the living room and to the couch. You hadn’t mastered sitting gracefully with crutches so you still kind of threw yourself onto the couch. You grimaced once more.

You heard the fridge open and the sound of beer bottles opening. Rafael came over with a bottle and you took it from him, a look of remorse on your face.

“Sorry for earlier. I… I am just going stir crazy. I thought I’d make more progress by now. I have long road ahead of me.” You replied, stifling a yawn.

“Don’t worry about it. One day at a time. No need to rush things. There’s plenty of time.” Rafael continued. “Everyone will understand. Your work will always be there. Liv isn’t going to permanently replace you.”

Rafael called out as he busied himself with serving dinner. “I thought we could watch a movie.”

“Yeah, that would be nice.” You replied before taking a bite out of your egg roll. “Umm ‘Remember the Night.

Rafael inserted the DVD and pressed play. You leaned over, resting your head on his shoulder.

“What’s this about?” Rafael asked.

“It is a romantic comedy about a shoplifter who gets arrested right before Christmas and Fred MacMurray is the D.A. who saves her.”

Rafael cocked his brow looking over at you. “Sending me a message?”

“Actually…” You began, slowly, unsure of what exactly you were going to say. So instead, you wrapped your hand around his neck and brought his lips to yours. Rafael groaned, and opened his mouth, returning your kiss. His hands ran up and down your sides before moving to the front of your chest, squeezing a breast as you hungrily kissed each other. His tongue danced with yours and you could taste a combination of his beer and mint and something that was uniquely him. Rafael lowered his mouth to your neck, placing feverish kisses down to your collarbone, where he sucked gently, causing you to let out a soft moan.

Rafael broke the kiss and the two of you faced each other, out of breath. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

It was your turn to shake your head. “You could never.”

“Never is a strong word Y/N.” Rafael replied.

“When I was laying in the middle of the woods… certain I was facing imminent death… you were all I thought about. I was so upset with how we left things. You have always been more than just a neighbor.”

“What about Adam?” Rafael asked, his eyes narrowing.

You dropped your head. “What Adam and I had – that was the past. He is not my future. He was … comfort. I was hurting. He was easy – predictable. I knew he would not reject me.”

“I didn’t really reject you.” Rafael began and you rolled your eyes.

“I know. But… but in that moment, it felt like you had.”

“Never.” Rafael whispered. “I love you. From the moment I met you. And I was so scared that I lost you – at first to Adam and then forever.” Rafael’s green eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

You look at him earnestly, your eyes also wet. “I love you too.”

At your returned declaration, Rafael kissed you once more. Dinner was long forgotten by the two of you. You felt all tingly, arousal shooting to your core. You hated that you were immobile when all you wanted to do was more – and it involved a lot less clothes. Rafael must have read your mind. “Let me take care of you.” He rumbled. His hand moved to the waistband of your sweat-shorts and it is to his delight that you’re not wearing underwear.

“Y/N, what do we have here?” Rafael husked.

“Just easier to go without.” You explained. Your breath hitched as his fingers encircle your clit, teasing and then move to stroke your folds. You’re already so wet, so needy. His long fingers slid in easily and he stroked you from the inside out. You let out soft, breathy moans as you close your eyes letting yourself give into the sensations. Rafael captured your mouth once more, swallowing your moans. You used your good arm to grip him, as his fingers stroked in tempo with his thumb over your swollen bud. Rafael feels your walls start to flutter and he knows you’re so close. Finally, he strokes that one spot – the one spot you’re unable to reach on your own and you come hard, crying out Rafael’s name.

“Oh cariño, that’s it… come for me… come for me.” Rafael rumbles. You shudder as your climax ends and you come back to reality. You watch him with heavy lidded eyes as he withdraws his fingers and licks them, causing you to shudder once more.

“Tan dulce.” Rafael comments. You kiss him softly and then snuggle on his chest. Rafael wraps his strong arms around you.

“What about you?” You question, eyeing the hard bulge between his legs. Rafael shakes his head.

“I’m fine – don’t worry about it. When you’re all healed up.” Rafael replied, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

One Year Later

“So what does this mean?” Amanda asked you, as you both walked into the courthouse.

“It means, officially, we own the two apartments. There is a wall that actually divides our apartments – we’re going to knock it down and it’ll become a four-bedroom apartment. We’re going to keep Rafael’s original doorway. A lot of renovation needs to be done, with removing my kitchen and turning that –”

“Rollins! Y/N!”

Rafael called out, walking towards you both. Rafael waved off the colleague he was originally with and when he approached you, pressed a kiss on lips. “I thought I was meeting you at the precinct for dinner.”

You nodded your head towards Amanda. “She needs a warrant.”

Rafael chuckled. “Of course.” He reached for your abdomen and rubbed, smiling when he felt the baby kick. “How’s my girl?”

“Hungry. So this warrant better not take too long.” You teasingly warned. After Amanda got her warrant, you left the courthouse hand in hand.

“So where to mi amor? What should we do for dinner?” Rafael asked as you both waited at the corner for the light to change.

You looked at him and smiled. “Lindsey sent us a few deep dishes to congratulate us on the apartment. I figured we could recreate that first night.”

Rafael let out a laugh as the memory replayed in his mind. You scrunched your nose and clicked your tongue with your teeth. “You know, I am suddenly not hungry for pizza anymore.”

Rafael grabbed your hand as you both crossed the street. “We shouldn’t – we’re neighbors.” He teased.

“Quid pro quo.” You teased back.

At the other side of the street, Rafael pulled you into a deep kiss. Snow began to flutter.

Rafael broke the kiss and ran a gloved finger along your temple to your jaw line. “Pretty sure that’s quid pro hoe.”

FIN.

Tags: @madpanda75 @tropes-and-tales @delia26 @mgarner1227 @beardedmccoy @youreverycolor @neely1177 @the-baby-bookworm @mrsrafaelbarba @skittle479 @ottosuricato @sass-and-suspenders @mommakat32 @dreila03 @beccabarba @garturbo @lovebennycolon @imjustreallynosy @sweetsummertime99 @whyissvuruiningmylovelife @annabelleb49 @scarletsoldierrr @cesarofangirl78 @redlipstickandplaid @redlipstickandblacktea @zoeykaytesmom @differentshadesofgray @misssirenlove @esparza-army @bananas-pajamas @mishaissocoolike @thefanficfaerie @theenchantedgalleryofstories @catnip987 @choppedgalaxynerd @pieceofshittytitty @ktiz90 @evee87 @itsjustmyfantasyroom @detective-giggles @rampantmuses @jazzyjoi @caked-crusader @rachelxwayne @prurientpuddlejumper @lv7867 @permanentlydizzy @bisexual-dreamer02 @madamsnape921 @averyhotchner@teamsladsandgents

#rafael barba #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba imagine #rafael barba and reader #rafael barba smut #thatesqcrush holiday bingo

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rubix-writings · 3 years

Text

Punisher Pt. 3

Third part of Punisher. I apologize it’s taking me so long to post these, but want to make sure they’re good for you all. Thank you for the support so far!! This is a Chicago PD/Fire imagine with an original character. I don’t own any of the plot points or characters from the show. Also, it doesn’t follow any particular season or sequence in the shows.

Series Summary: Josephine (Jo) never expected to find support and pure love when she left Los Angeles. She ran away to Chicago and was content with living an insignificant, hidden life. But everything changes when she walks into Molly’s to get a job.

Josephine (OC) x Jay Halstead

The italicized lines are internal thoughts of the character.

Warnings: language, mentions of drinking, long (!)

Things are going really well at Molly’s. It’s like falling into step during a choreographed dance. It feels odd to say that I’m comfortable and confident when it’s only my second shift. I’m working with Stella tonight, who to say the least had a lot of fun the night before. When she first walked into the bar she looked as if Casper made a stop in Chicago. At the start of opening she kept her jacket on and slammed down cups of black coffee. Her body seemed to stay in a permanent state hunched over the bar top while she only communicated through slow movements with her fingers. I couldn’t watch her pain any longer, so I used my break to grab a cheeseburger and fries so greasy the oil soaked the paper bag.

“You need to put something solid into your body,” I announce as I plop the white, greased bag on the bar top in front of Stella’s practically limp body. She slowly lifts her head with a deep groan and analyzes the bag.

“I’m a firefighter Jo, my body is a temple. I can’t eat this,” I can’t stop the laugh that escapes my lips.

“Are tequila shots a part of your ‘temple’s’ regimen?” she sniffs the bag and sighs.

“You see, the tequila actually kills all the bacteria in the stomach,” Stella examines the golden fry before taking a bite.

“Be sure to tell your theory to the doctors that come in later, I’m sure they’d love to hear that.”

“I will,” she says with a mouthful of cheeseburger.

Just like magic, Stella is back to her bouncy self. It amazes me how much like Hermann she is, she practically floats around Molly’s. She talks to everyone and makes sure they’re having a good time. Stella sets the tone of the entire bar, bringing life to every inch of the place. It’s nice to watch her interact with others, a part of me is envious of how natural it comes to her. A part of me is, also, envious of her relationship with Kelly. His eyes when he looks at her are filled with unconditional love and the way Stella looks at him when he’s not looking confirms that she feels the same. I’ve never had that… or will have it. The bar top serves its purpose as a closed door to the patrons on the other side, I open it as much as I want and they see what I want them to see. I’m in control.

It’s a busy Friday night, the bar filled quickly. The firemen I met last night stroll in with the same vigor as the night before, obviously hurting a lot less than Stella was a few hours ago. Stella plays it off as if she didn’t have a raging hangover, but Kelly quickly throws her under the bus. Cruz yells as he claims he’s known the truth all along, but Mouch steps in to deny it, leading to Cruz listing out facts about how he knew. I place a few beer bottles in front of the guys, trying not to get involved.

“I’m sorry about them,” Matt says.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. They’re funny,” I smile.

“You don’t have to hear it all day long,” Matt grumbles as he takes a long sip from his beer.

“This is true. I get them in concentrated doses,” I excuse myself to collect empties at the tables scattered around the room. With my hands full I turn to head back to the bar top, but crash into a hard body. I stumble back from the blow and the mystery man swiftly grabs my arms to keep me from falling. Once I get my footing back, he releases my arms.

“Sorry about that. Are you okay?” His voice is like velvet that draws my eyes up to look at his face. Wow. My mind fell into a haze barely registering his question.

“Um, yeah. Thanks,” he smirks at how long it took me to answer his question. Really smooth Jo. “I should get back to work, sorry about running into you,” I walk backwards a few steps, he immediately steps forward keeping the same amount of space between us as before.

“Let me at least help you with those, I’m heading to the bar anyway,” before I could object, his large hand cradles the numerous beer bottles that were once in my hand. Before my brain can spiral about his large hands, I spin and head back to the bar. I silently weave through the customer’s of Molly’s, I needed to get back to my safe zone to hopefully make his charm less effective. He gently places the bottles on the bar top for me to discard, I smile and thank him. Before I can ask for his order, the firemen and Stella welcome him to the bar.

“Hey Jay, haven’t seen you around here in awhile,” Stella mentions.

“Yeah I know. Um have you seen my brother anywhere?” Stella shakes her head no. Brother? I try to seem like I’m not listening while cleaning up behind the bar and get any excuse not to look at him again. One embarrassing moment for tonight is enough. Out of nowhere, Will pops up and slaps Jay on the back. They go in for a quick hug before Will says hi to everyone.

“Hey don’t kill me, but I invited Nat. I know it’s supposed to just be us, but she had a really rough day,” Will whispers, Jay shakes his head to let him know he’s totally fine with it. “Great, thanks man.”

I put two glasses of red wine on the bar top for two women that definitely want to take a firefighter home tonight. After how many women these men turned down the night before I highly doubt they’ll have any luck, but I’m kinda rooting for them.

“Hey Jo,” Will smiles.

“Hi Will,” I say in monotone to mess with him.

“Have you met my brother Jay?” Will slaps Jay’s chest which startles Jay a little, making me smile. Geez, these guys must have gorgeous parents. Will is handsome of course, but Jay...

“We kinda ran into each other actually.” I smirk.

“Oh that’s great, he’s a really good guy. He’s a cop, detective, sorry,” Will corrects himself, Jay is glaring at him.

“I’m not making you a manhattan,” he slaps his hand against the bar top.

“Worth a shot. Can I get a glass of chardonnay and a beer, oh and whatever Jay’s having,” I nod and grab Will his drinks. He slides me his credit card to open a tab then walks off to see Natalie at the table.

“I’m definitely missing something, why does my brother want a manhattan?” Jay finally asks.

“Oh Jay it was great!” Stella jumps in to tell a very colorful version of the events that happened between Will and I. As she finishes up she is swept to the end of the bar to take an order.

“She was drunk last night” I mumble under my breath. Jay smirks, knowing Stella’s retelling was probably fabricated. “What can I get you?” I try to change the subject.

“A beer please,” I nod. “You’re new here Jo?” He phrases it as a question, but it's definitely more of a statement.

“Yeah, started yesterday,” I hand him his beer.

“Thanks. Are you from Chicago?”

“No, LA actually, lived there my whole life,” I lean my forearms on the bar top in front of him.

“Wow, big change.” “Yeah, I don’t know if I thought it all the way through to be honest,” he smiles.

“Well let me tell you if you haven’t figured it out already, snow and winter are incredibly overrated.” “Ah yes, that’s exactly what I needed to hear. I can go back to LA now.” “Glad to be of service,” he shrugs. Jay stayed on the same stoll at the bar for the rest of the night. It was strange how easy it was to talk with him, he offered stories about his job and funny stories about him and Will growing up. It’s so beautiful to have those stories, that he’s gone through life with someone that deeply and come out the other side. I tell him that I don’t have siblings and mostly spent time with my mom when I was young. Jay was quick to offer up Will to fill the void.

“I’ll keep you updated on that,” I laugh.

“Are you and your mom still close?”

“Um no, she… she died about ten years ago,” even though her death happened so long ago it still felt so weird saying it out loud.

“I’m sorry Jo. I lost my mom to cancer a few years back.”

“So you get it,” he nods and offers a somber smile.

It wasn’t till Will and Natalie announced their departure, that Jay made any moves to leave Molly’s. The bar was slowly emptying out as last call was already declared.

“I should head out, it was really nice talking with you Jo,” Jay stands.

“It was really nice talking with you too Jay,” I say sincerely. He smiles wide before making a beeline for the front door. I can’t help but stare until he’s fully out of sight, my cheeks start to hurt from fighting the smile on my face. I tuck my loose hair behind my ear and start grabbing the empty glasses from the bar top.

“Have fun?” Stella questions, I jump slightly not realizing she was standing there.

“Another good night for tips, yeah,” she looks at Kelly who’s the last of the firefighters at the bar.

“Sure, doesn’t hurt that Officer Handsome was here all night either.” “I… I’m going to wash the glasses,” I pick up the large plastic crate with dirty drinking glasses and head to the back where Hermann showed me where the sink was. Stella didn’t mention Jay again, but it didn’t matter. The damage was done, Jay’s blue eyes and the way he got so passionate during a story were ingrained in my mind for the rest of the night.

***

Hermann asked if I could open Molly’s for him the next day as he was running late with paperwork at the firehouse. I had a short shift that night anyway and could use the extra money no matter how little. Hermann told me to meet him at the firehouse to give me the keys since they haven’t been able to cut me my own yet. The firehouse isn’t far from Molly’s, a couple blocks on foot. I prepared myself with my warmest coat for the trek since the wind chill makes Chicago brutally cold. I focus on the sound of my shoes against the wet pavement to take my mind off of how cold I really am.

The firehouse is a ball of color on this cold, dark Chicago day. The plain brick buildings surrounding it emphasize the reds and yellows. It somehow feels untouched by the rest of the city, a true sign of purity. As soon as I walk through the doors of the firehouse I’m met with the sweet smell of food cooking. It’s as if my feet have a mind of their own and take my body towards the magnificent smell’s source. The kitchen was buzzing with people cooking, talking, and playing card games.

“Jo!” Stella yells, “what are you doing here?” she walks over to me, leaving her conversation with Matt and Kelly, who both wave at me.

“I’m here to get the keys from Hermann, do you know where he is?”

“Yeah, he’s in the garage let me take you to him,” I try to argue that it could wait, but Stella insists. “Hermman!” she yells once we get into the garage.

“What?!” he snaps back. She giggles as we both walk towards the outburst. As we turn around the big fire engine, I see why Stella was so insistent about not waiting. “Oh hey, Jo,” he says calmer.

Jay is standing tall with a notepad in front of Hermann. Stella silently excuses herself from the conversation and makes her way back inside. Hermann pays no attention to his surroundings as he’s searching for the three keys I need to open Molly’s.

“Hey,” Jay smiles.

“Hi.”

“Here you go, I labeled them for you so you know what lock they go into. Once you get inside, lock the front door, just in case,” I nod and take the keys from him. The silver keys have thin pieces of masking tape on them with dark blue sharpie stating what they open.

“Thanks, I’ll see you there,” I back away from the men to head back to the bar. Hermann nods and waves.

“Hermann we’re done here right?” Jay asks.

“Yeah, let me know if you find anything,” Hermann states somewhat hopeless. Jay puts away the notepad in his back pocket of his jeans and jogs to catch up to me. The sound of Jay’s thick boots hitting the cement fills the sound of the garage. When he finally catches up to me, he moves ahead to open the door to outside for me.

“So you’re stalking me now?” He jokes.

“Um how did you get to that? Hermann asked me to come here,” Jay quickly fell into step with me, not that it was difficult as he’s much taller than me.

“I was here first,” he says plainly.

“Oh well, with that bulletproof logic…” he laughs.

“You headed to Molly’s?” we stop walking once we get to the sidewalk.

“Yeah, I’m opening today,” Jay slips the keys to his car from his jacket pocket.

“Let me drive you.” “Oh no, you don’t have to do that. It’s only a couple of blocks and you’re working,” I spew out trying to find an excuse that’ll stick.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m parked right here,” he brushes off quickly. I roll my eyes at his back and get into the car. Jay puts the car into gear and sets off towards Molly’s.

“So, is Hermann okay?” I ask since I couldn’t get his hopeless tone out of my head.

“His house was broken into, they didn’t get a lot, just some jewelry and a few Alexa’s. His wife came home which freaked them out and they bolted before they did any real damage.” “Jesus. Poor Hermann. Do you think you’ll find his stuff?” “Probably not, that sort of stuff is so small that they may keep it for themselves instead of pawning it, but we’ll try,” the car is silent for a little while till Jay pulls in front of Molly’s.

“Thanks for the ride.” “Course,” I get out of the car and make my way onto the sidewalk. “Hey Jo,” Jay says out of his rolled down window.

“Hey Jay,” I say while playing with the keys Hermann gave me.

“Are you working late tonight?”

“Not too late, I have a short shift.”

“How about I meet you here later and we get a drink?” Jay says casually. I bite my lip and look down the street in hopes to take my mind off of what he just asked.

“Maybe,” I say as I make eye contact with him again. “See yah Jay.”

“See yah Jo.”

I’m losing control.

#Chicago PD #Chicago Fire #chicago one #chicago fire x reader #chicago fire imagine #chicago pd x imagine #chicago pd imagine #chicago pd x reader #jay halstead #jay halstead x oc #jay halstead x reader #punisher

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toomuchtv95 · 4 years

Text

My Savior Part 6

Characters: Jay Halstead x Reader, William Miller (OC), Other One Chicago Charters

Word Count: 2.8k+

Chapter Warnings: Fluff, Swearing, Medial talk (Badly lol)

A/N: Okay, I tried to do some research on it the medical stuff so don’t judge.

Enjoy! :)

A/N: Excuse any major grammar mistakes hopefully Grammarly caught most of them.

Series MasterList

You and Jay were definitely were in the honeymoon phase of your marriage. The two of you have been married 4 months and the two of you could barely keep your hands off your each other. Every chance you two got, you were at each other like rabbits, not that either of you were complaining. Recently Jay was sent undercover and has been gone for about a week. Jay was not able to keep in contact with you, but he promised you that Hailey would keep you updated as much as she could. Of course, you were worried about him and the possibility that something could happen to you, but this was his job.

“Hey Y/N, somebody by the name of William Miller called asking for you.” You stopped dead in your tracks when you heard Maggie say that name. You have not heard that name in 6 years. “He left a phone number.” Maggie handed you the piece of paper with the number scribbled on there.

"Thanks, Maggie." You walked into the doctor’s lounge and sat down at the table. This cannot be happening. William Miller was your father who was a drug addict, alcoholic and gambler all mixed in one. He had gotten your mother pregnant and then disappeared for a while. Then he reappeared when you were about 5 and ever since then he had been in and out of your life. He would show up out of the blue asking for money to help support his ‘needs’.

“Hey, you alright?” You looked up from the piece of paper to see Will grabbing a cup of coffee.

“My father is in town.” You whispered as you shoved the piece of paper into your pocket.

“What? Are you serious?” Will and Jay were the only ones that knew about your father, and you wanted to keep it that way. You wanted nothing to with him and what he was associated with. If he’s in town its probably to gamble all his money away, drink his problems away and looking to score some drugs. He comes and goes as he pleases. The only time he actually bothers you was when he needed money. “What does he want?”

“Probably the same things he always wants.” You muttered to yourself. “Look, Jay is still undercover. So, just don’t say anything if you see him. I just need time to figure this out before I tell him.”

“Okay, I won’t say anything, but you will have to tell him.” Will stood in front of you before reaching over and squeezed your hand for reassurance. “Do you have any idea when he will be home?”

“No. All I get out of Hailey is that he’s okay.” You ran a hand through your hair before looking down at your wedding ring.

"Well, I'm here if you need me for anything." You gave him a soft smile as he patted your shoulder before leaving you alone. You took your phone out from your pocket hoping that there was a text update from Hailey, but unfortunately, there was nothing. There was a knock on the window alerting you that you were needed.

It was lunchtime and you already felt like you have been here a whole shift. You saw at least a dozen patients and to say you were tired was an understatement, you were exhausted. You decided to take your lunch at the food truck to get some fresh air and get your mind off missing Jay and your father looking for you. As you grab your sweater, you check your phone again, but still no word. You told Maggie that you were going on lunch if see need you for anything. Zipping up your sweater, you started to head to the food truck but stopped in your tracks when you saw him.

A smile spread across your face as he crossed the street. "Jay." You whispered as you ran over him basically jumping into his arms. The moment you were in his arms, you wrapped your arms around his neck and attached your lips to his. Once Jay set you down, you lightly punched his arm causing him to let out a grunt.

“Ow. What was that for?” Jay rubbed his arm in the spot you hit him.

“You could have called! I have been worried sick. You know how many times I check my phone a day?” You weren’t really looking for an answer just making a point.

“Look I’m sorry. I literally just finished the job and I came straight here to see my wife.” Jay reached over and cupped your face before pulling you into for another kiss. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” You kissed Jay once again. “Well, your just in time. I’m on lunch and your buying.” Jay chuckled as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder. Once the two of you got your food, you sat at the table and he gave you a small summary of the undercover he was doing. He wasn't allowed to talk about it, but he told you what he could.

“Something on your mind?” Your mind kept wandering back to your father. You wanted to enjoy Jay's company and that he was finally home, but you couldn’t help it. You thought maybe you should call him and tell him to leave you alone. Or maybe you should just tell Jay, but if you tell Jay there a chance that he will go overprotective husband/detective, and who knows what he’ll do.

“I just got some information that wasn’t expecting. That all.” Jay reached over and laid his hand on top of yours. “I’m good. I promise.” You smiled at him just as your pager went off. Grabbing your pager from your pocket, you saw that you were needed back in the ED. “Okay, I get back.”

The two of you gather up the garbage then Jay walked you to the entrance. “Look I’ll be home early. Probably before you. I just have to get back to the district finish up a few things.” Jay turned to fully face you. “I’ll have dinner and no I’m not telling you what it is.”

“You really know how to charm a woman don’t you?”

“Only one woman.” You shook your head as he kissed you. “I love you and I’ll see you at home.”

“I love you too.”

You were not sure why you waited this long, but you did and now you were paying for the pain. This morning you woke up to a sharp pain in your upper abdomen and you were pretty sure you pulled a muscle of sorts considering that you do jog when you get the chance and you did go for a jog last night before dinner. You popped some over the counter pain meds and went to work. The meds, of course, did not do anything as the pain still came and disappeared. You stood at the nurse’s station holding your side and rubbing it gently.

"Hey, you okay?" Will came up behind you laid a hand on your shoulder.

“Yeah, I just pulled a muscle.” With that said you felt like you were going to vomit. You ran over to the nearest trash can and empty the contents of your stomach.

“Woah, Y/N!” Will came right behind you and held your hair back. Will leaned over and glanced in the trash can. “Y/N, that blood.”

“Will’s something wrong.” You held your stomach as the pain was unbearable.

“Okay, let’s get you in a room.” Will placed a hand on your lower back and guided you into a room. "Okay, let's hang an IV with morphine. And get me the ultrasound machine.”

“Will! What the hell happened?” Jay walked into the ED 20 minutes later and approached his brother with a worried expression.

“She has a stress ulcer. It's a sore in the small intestine caused by stress.” After being admitted, Will ran some tests to determine what was wrong. The ultrasound machine wasn’t clear, so he decided to send you upstairs to get an endoscope done and then when the results came back.

“Stress?” Jay looked at Will like he had two heads. “Okay, I’m lost. What going on?”

“Jay, it’s not my place to say.” You still haven’t told Jay about your father being in contact with you. Maybe that how all this started. With you trying to hide the fact about your father has been putting a lot of stress on you and it doesn’t help that you have been working a few extra shifts lately. Pulled muscle my ass. You should have just gotten it checked this morning, but no you wanted to suck it up.

“Will," Jay spoke with a stern voice in hopes that would get Will to talk. Jay figured something was bothering you since he came back, but he thought it was just you working extra hours. But now he can clearly see that wasn’t the case and Will knows what's going on.

“She’s going kill me for this.” Will placed his hand on his brother’s upper arm and pulled him to the side so that they were away from people. “William Miller is back in town. She got the call a couple a weeks ago. She told me she was going to tell you when you got back but by the looks of things, she didn’t tell you.”

Jay was couldn’t believe that you would hide this from him after everything you two have been through. Even though Jay was angry and upset, he was still your husband and he needed to know if you were okay. "How is she?"

"She's okay. I got her on some medicine that that will help the ulcer heal and then got on her a mild pain killer for the pain. But other than that she will be fine. She upstairs in recovery. I just want to keep here a little longer to make sure she stable.” Will patted his brother on the shoulder. “Go see her. Just don’t stress her out too much. She could have another episode.”

As Jay walked past his brother, he headed towards the elevator and as he rode the elevator up, he couldn’t help but think about you and this secret you have been hiding. Once he arrived at the floor you were on, he walked over the nurse’s station and asked for your room. The nurse directed Jay towards your room which he then thanked her and walked over to the room. As Jay approached the room, he saw you lying there with an IV in your arm and an oxygen tube. You slowly opened your eyes when you felt someone in the room. Looking to your right, you saw Jay standing there with his hands in his pockets.

“How are you feeling?” Jay slowly walked into the room before approaching the bed and sitting down on the edge.

“I’m okay.” There was an uncomfortable silence in the air, and you had a feeling that it wasn’t because you were lying in this hospital bed. “Jay…”

“Why didn’t you tell me that your father is back in town?” Damn it, Will. You should have figured he would tell Jay, even though he said he won't tell Jay. You removed the oxygen tube from your nose and slowly sat up.

“I thought I could handle it on my own and I was going to tell you, but I just didn’t know how.” Tears formed in the corners of your eyes. You never wanted Jay to find out like this. “I’m sorry.” You whispered as you looked everywhere but him.

Jay placed two fingers underneath your chin and forced you to look at him. “You know being married means you tell me these things so that we can work them out together.”

“I know and I should have told you.” You leaned forwards and rested your forehead on his shoulder. Jay rubbed your back for a moment before you pulled away. “When can we go home?”

“Will wants to keep you here for a little longer just to make sure everything is okay.” You sighed as you laid back on the bed. Jay chuckled as he stood up from the bed and motioned for you to move over which you did. Once Jay laid down, he wrapped his arm around your shoulder which you laid your hand on his shoulder.

Since telling Jay about your father things have been radio silence from him which led you to think that Jay had something to do with that, but he promised that he had nothing with it. Maybe he gave up and moved on to his next victim. On a positive note, your ulcer was healed, and you were pain-free. Having an ulcer made you realized that you were no longer going to hide any secrets from Jay. Today, was your day off and you had gotten a text from Jay saying that he was able to get away for lunch. The two of you agreed to meet at your favorite Mexican restaurant at 1 pm which was in about 20mins. Once you had changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, you grabbed your phone, keys, and purse and headed out to meet Jay. As you arrived at the restaurant you notice that Jay hasn’t arrived, yet which gave you a moment to glance in the mirror to check yourself and that’s when you saw him.

You closed the sun visor, grabbed your stuff, and hopped out of the car. "So now you're stalking me?” As he approached you, you could clearly see that he was intoxicated which you were not surprised.

“I just wanted to see my daughter.” William took a step closer to you causing you to step backwards. “You’ve been ignoring me.”

“You are not my father. You are a drug addict, alcoholic gambler. You only show up when you need money.” Anger rose in your voice as you secretly pray for Jay to show up.

“It’s different this time. I’m trying to get clean. I just need a little money to help me get through it.” He took another step reaching out to grab you.

“Don’t touch me.” You backed away again and this time you ran into someone. You instantly turned around and sighed in relief.

“You heard her. You need to leave.” Jay stood slightly in front of you in a protective way and flashing his badge at William. “Or I can arrest you for public intoxication along with assault.”

“This is none of your business. We are just having a friendly conversation.” William tried to step around Jay to get to you, but Jay stood completely in front of you blocking William in case he decided to make things worse.

"It is my business. She's my wife." Jay placed his hand on his gun ready to draw, feeling the situation might escalate.

“Yeah, I did. Not that it’s any of your business. It’s not like you care. You aren’t my father. You impregnated mom and left her high and dry because you were too busy to be a real father.” You step a few inches to the side so that you could see William eye to eye. “You need to leave, or he will arrest you.”

“Look you owe me.” William once again tried step around Jay to grabbed hold of you and that’s when Jay grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Jay pushed William up against the car and pulled out his handcuff and cuffed him.

“Told you he would arrest you.” You weren’t going to lie, seeing Jay in action kind of turned you on.

“You bitch. I am your father!” William tried to get out of Jay's grip but of course, Jay was strong than him.

“You’re under arrest.” Jay read him his rights as he shoved him into the backseat of his truck. “You okay?”

You nodded your head as Jay shut the door of the backseat. “Not going to lie. Kind of turned on.” A small smirk formed on your face as Jay shook his head with a small on his face.

“I was really looking forward to lunch.” Jay grabbed your hands pulling you closer to him.

“Tell you what. I’ll make us a romantic dinner. Set some candles and we have the night to ourselves." You whispered so that only the two of you could hear. “And then we work our way to the bedroom to have dessert.”

“Babe, you can’t say those things to me and expect me to stay focus at work for another six hours.” Without a word, you placed a small kiss to his lips before pulling away and stepping away.

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#jay halstead #jay halstead imagine #jay halstead x reader #Chicago PD #chicago pd imagine #chicago pd x reader

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thatwhumplife · 4 years

Text

It’s All Coming Back

Whumptober 2020 Prompt 26: If you thought the head trauma was bad...

Fandom: Chicago PD/Med

Summary: After-effects of Jay’s military service come back to haunt him. Will gets his eyes opened to some of what Jay has been dealing with.

Words: 2441

Will approached the apartment and knocked enthusiastically. He had been pulling a lot of extra shifts at Med recently and hadn’t had much time to spend with Jay. But finally – finally he had a night off and they had plans for a Hawks game and a couple of beers.

Several seconds passed with no answer.

Will knocked again. “Jay, buddy! Quit puttin’ that makeup on; it’s just a night with your brother!”

Again, he was met with silence. Will hesitated but the worry took over. He grabbed the doorknob and turned it slightly. It was unlocked and gave way immediately. The door swung open revealing a dark apartment.

“Jay?” Will called.

A soft voice cried out in response. “Agh!”

Will rushed forward and flipped the entry light on, flooding the living room with bright light.

“AH! Turn it off!” Jay moaned from the couch.

Startled, Will flipped the light back off and stumbled forward as his eyes readjusted to the darkness. He found his way to the couch and put a hand on Jay’s shoulder.

“Jay? What’s going on?”

“Hurts,” he whispered. “Too loud.”

Will brought his voice down to a whisper. “What hurts? What happened?”

“Head,” he breathed out, heaving as he pushed the palms of his hands against his temples.

“Did you get hurt? Did something happen at work?” Will was growing more concerned by the second. He didn’t see any blood though that was hard to know for sure with the two of them shrouded in darkness.

“Migraine…bad one…” Jay finally said.

Will took a calming breath. A migraine was something he could deal with. “Did you take anything?”

“Imitrex. A while ago. Hasn’t touched it.”

Jay suddenly pitched forward and reached for a bowl on the floor that Will had just barely missed with his foot. He leaned halfway off the couch and began dry heaving.

“How long since the pain started?”

“I don’t know,” he gasped once the gagging subsided. “What time is it?”

“Almost 7:30.”

“Oh god. Right. The game. Aw man, I’m sorry, I should have called you.” Jay rolled back onto the couch and covered his eyes with his arm.

“No, no, no, don’t worry about that. When did the pain start?” he asked again.

“Around 3?”

“Is that when you took the Imitrex?”

Jay nodded silently.

“God, Jay, you should have called me. When did you start throwing up?”

“I don’t know. A while ago.”

Will put his hand under Jay’s shoulder blade and started to help him up. “C’mon. You’re going into Med.”

Jay moaned and tried to push him off. “No, no, just let me try and sleep it off. I can try another Imitrex.”

“Nope. Not negotiable. You’re dehydrated from throwing up and the pain is way out of hand. You need to get it under control.”

Will made another move to pull Jay into a sitting position. He obeyed this time but kept his hands over his eyes and laid his head back as soon as he stopped moving.

“Are you dizzy?”

Jay shook his head. Will didn’t believe him but figured it wasn’t worth arguing about.

“Wallet in your pocket?”

Jay nodded, trying to conserve his energy for what he knew would be a very uncomfortable walk to the car.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Will pulled Jay to a standing position and took his right arm to guide him. He opened the door to the hallway and the hall light hit Jay like a Mack truck.

“Agh,” he moaned, trying to cover his eyes more thoroughly with his left arm.

Will slipped his sweatshirt off and pushed it against Jay’s hand. “Use that instead.”

Jay balled up the sweatshirt and pushed it against his eyes as they made the slow trek to Will’s car. Once inside, Will buckled him in and shut the door as softly as he could.

Jay used both hands to hold the sweatshirt over his eyes and curled up, leaning against the window.

The ride was uneventful and quiet. Will left the radio off and tried to avoid any sudden jolts.

Pulling up to the entrance, Will whispered to Jay to stay in the car, that he would be right back.

Will arrived back a few minutes later pushing a wheelchair with Natalie in tow. He tapped on the window, which alerted Jay to his presence, before carefully opening the door.

“Jay, I’m here with Natalie. We have a wheelchair here to make it easier.”

“No, no I’m good.”

Will suppressed the urge to chuckle. “Just ride in the wheelchair. It will be easier to keep your eyes covered. The lights are going to be bright.”

Jay took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, allowing Will and Natalie to guide him into the seat. Will placed his feet on each of the footrests before nodding to Natalie.

“I’m gonna go park the car, I’ll be back in a minute.”

Jay grunted a noncommittal reply and Will took that to mean he’d better hurry.

Natalie guided Jay into the ER and into a waiting treatment room. She immediately turned down the lights as low as they could go and helped him up onto the bed.

“Halstead?” he heard a voice ask.

Natalie turned and saw Maggie standing in the doorway.

Natalie nodded. “Migraine. Can you send a nurse in?”

Maggie nodded and turned around to flag someone down. “April, need you here in treatment two.”

April walked over and nearly ran into Will who was rushing to get back to Jay’s side.

“Jay, I’m back, I’m right here.” Will put a hand on Jay’s thigh and squeezed gently. Jay continued to keep the sweatshirt over his eyes but visibly relaxed at Will’s touch.

“Jay,” Natalie said cautiously, trying not to speak too loudly, “Will filled me in on most of it. Sounds like your migraine med isn’t working. You have a history of migraines?”

Jay nodded and Will felt a stab of guilt in his stomach. He had no idea.

“Since my TBI,” he said, painfully, “Overseas. But I haven’t had one for a long time.”

Will realized again how absent he was when Jay needed him most. Jay didn’t tell him much of anything about what happened in Afghanistan or what happened when he got back stateside.

“Let’s see if we can get that pain under control. How would you rate it right now?”

Jay was quiet for a few moments. “Six,” he said simply, then after another second, “seven.”

Will shook his head and mouthed to Natalie, ‘no way’. Natalie smiled and shook her head back at him.

“Jay, I’m going to have you get in a gown and then we’ll get you some medicine to help with that pain and nausea. April? Start a line and give 30mg of Ketorolac and 8mg of Zofran. And run a bag of saline.”

“You got it,” she replied with a smile. “I’ll be right back, Jay.”

They left the room leaving Jay and Will together. Will tapped Jay’s leg. “Let’s get you into this gown.”

“Don’ wanna,” he complained without missing a beat.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But do it anyway. For me.”

Will helped Jay out of his clothes and into the very unflattering hospital gown. Getting him back into bed, he grabbed a thin blanket out of the cabinet and covered him up before trying (and failing) to snap the bed rails up as quietly as possible.

“Will-“ Jay said suddenly, “sick.”

Will grabbed a small basin out of a cabinet and rushed it under Jay’s chin as he started dry heaving again, spitting a mixture of saliva and bile into the bowl.

“I gotcha Jay. Take some deep breaths,” Will whispered, rubbing his back. Jay finally stopped gagging and laid back against the bed, holding the sweatshirt back to his eyes tightly.

“You okay now?”

Jay nodded wordlessly.

Will took a seat next to the bed. As much as he wished he were treating his brother, he was secretly relieved that he could just be here for him. Especially since he wasn’t there for him before.

April returned with the medication and an IV kit.

“Jay, I need to turn the lights up a bit so I can see to get this IV in you, okay? You can keep that over your eyes, I just need to borrow your arm.”

Jay took a deep breath and offered his left arm to her while trying to keep the sweatshirt over his eyes with the right one.

Will watched carefully and noticed his breathing becoming slightly more rapid.

“Jay, I’m going to put the bed back just a little further so we can wrap this around your head and you won’t have to try and hold onto it.”

Will did his best not to jostle Jay’s head too much. Once the sweatshirt was firmly in place, Will grasped Jay’s right hand and squeezed. He leaned forward and whispered in Jay’s ear. “I’ll tell you everything before she does it, I swear.”

April looked on and waited for Will to signal to her that she could start. He looked back at her and nodded.

“She’s going to put that elastic band around your arm and feel around a bit, okay?”

With no response from Jay, she continued.

“Now she’s going to wipe your arm down with an alcohol pad.”

April continued working quietly and readied the needle.

“Okay, Jay, you’re going to feel a big stick here in just a second but it will be over so fast.”

Will squeezed Jay’s hand in his and placed his other hand on his shoulder. “Ready?”

Jay gave a slight but hesitated nod.

April slid the needle in and Jay’s body tensed for a moment before relaxing. She pulled the needle back out, leaving the cannula in place, and taped it down securely.

“That’s it, it’s in,” Will said, rubbing Jay’s shoulder. “You’re gonna start feeling better soon.”

April pushed the medication and then hooked the line up to a fresh back of saline before turning the lights back down and leaving.

Silence stretched out between them. Will knew Jay was still in immense pain and didn’t want to make it worse by talking. So he opted for holding his hand and occasionally running his fingers gently through his hair.

A half hour or so passed before Natalie reappeared.

“Jay,” she whispered, “how are you feeling?”

Jay took a deep breath before cautiously pulling the rolled up sweatshirt off of his eyes. He cleared his throat before mumbling, “Better.”

“How would you rate your pain?”

Jay pondered the question for a moment. “Like a two?”

Natalie smiled. “Good, good, I’m glad to hear that. Keep relaxing for a bit longer so we can make sure that pain stays under control. Do you need anything?”

“Water? Can I get some ice water, please?”

Will immediately jumped up. “I got it. No problem, Jay.”

Will followed Natalie outside as his anxiety for his brother’s well-being finally calmed.

“I had no idea he had lasting migraines from a TBI,” Will admitted.

“He didn’t tell you?”

“No. He hasn’t told me much of anything from his time overseas or his time after he came back home. And I wasn’t exactly around when he got back. God, I feel awful. I haven’t really ever been there for him. Not since we were kids.”

“I’m sure he understands. You’re here now and that’s what matters.”

Will shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Just go get that water and be with him.”

Will hurried back to Jay’s room with the Styrofoam cup and straw. “Here Jay, I got you that ice water,” he said, pulling the bedside tray closer and setting the cup down. “Do you want me to raise the bed back up?”

Jay nodded and wiped a hand down his face, trying to get rid of the sudden grogginess that had appeared once the pain subsided.

Jay sat up a little straighter and gripped the cup tightly before taking a long sip. “Thanks, man.”

“Of course.”

An awkward silence fell over them. Jay took a couple of more sips before putting the cup back and laying his head back against the pillow.

Natalie appeared again at just the right time. “Still doing alright there, Jay?”

Jay cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. “Yeah, yeah I am. Thanks.”

“Do you still have a neurologist that you see regularly?”

“Uh, no, not really. I haven’t had a migraine this bad for a long time. I didn’t really feel like I needed to keep going. I had the Imitrex which was working.”

Natalie nodded. “Maybe it’s time to consider going back, just for a cursory check in and to maybe see if your Migraine treatment plan needs to be modified.”

Jay didn’t really respond other than a slight nod.

“Before we kick you out of here, I’m going to give you a dose of Decadron – it’s a steroid that will help make sure your migraine doesn’t come back in the next day or so. Sound okay?”

“Yeah, absolutely. That would be great.”

“Just so we’re clear, this will not exempt you from seeing your neurologist. This should cover you for tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have another one next week,” she warned, hoping that Will would at least be able to get him to follow through.

“Neurologist. Got it,” Jay said reluctantly.

“Good. I’ll send April back with the Decadron and then we can get you out of here.”

“Sounds great. Thanks, Natalie.”

The room was silent again for several seconds before Will finally spoke up.

“Look Jay, uh, I know I wasn’t a great brother to you back then. Back when you came home, I mean. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I should have been here –“

“Nope, don’t even go there,” Jay cut him off. “Water under the bridge, man.”

“But it’s not. I didn’t even know you still had symptoms from your TBI. And I was just off in New York doing my own thing while you were back here alone.”

“I wasn’t alone; I had dad.”

Will scoffed. “Yeah, I’m sure that was a grade A support system.”

“It is what it is. And honestly, I don’t get the migraines very often. I can’t even remember when my last one was. It’s just a fluke that I had one today and that it was really bad. I’m managing just fine otherwise.”

“Which I’m thankful for. But please, Jay, please, for me. Take care of yourself. Call your neurologist and make an appointment.”

Jay smiled and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I will.”

#whumptober2020 #no.26 #if you thought the head trauma was bad #fandom #fic #chicago pd #jay halstead #will halstead

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bechloeislegit · 4 years

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25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2019

DAY 20 - WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE THIS CHRISTMAS?

Author's Prompt: Beca is making good money and moves out of the tiny New York apartment she shared with her best friends Chloe and Amy. Set after Pitch Perfect 3.

A/N: Sections in Italics are flashbacks.

It was the week before Thanksgiving, and Beca had completed her second full week working for DJ Khaled. She couldn't believe that just one short month ago, she had been singing with the Bellas and was chosen to get the contract to work with Khaled.

Beca was looking over some songs that Theo and Khaled had recommended she consider for her first album. She looked up when there was a knock on her door; Theo walked in.

"Here you go, Beca," Theo said as he handed her an envelope.

"What's this?" Beca asked, holding the envelope in her hand.

"Your first paycheck," Theo said. "Oh, our Payroll Office wanted me to tell you that you need to fill out direct deposit forms. Since it's your first one, they cut you a paper check. They usually do everything electronically."

"I'll take care of that this afternoon," Beca said, opening the envelope. She smiled when she saw the amount. "Wow! This should cover everything I need for rent and still leave quite a bit left. Two checks like this every month, and I'll have enough to move in no time."

"What? No," Theo said. "We get paid every week."

"What?" Beca said, sitting up straight in her chair. "But I've been here for two weeks. Isn't that what this check is for? Two weeks' pay?"

"What are you-?" Theo said, furrowing his brow. "No. This check is for your first week; the next check will be for this week, etc. You'll be one week behind with each check. That way, if you quit, you always have one week's pay still coming to you. It's all spelled out in your contract."

"Oh," Beca said. "I should probably read that. My lawyer said it was a good deal, and I had no reason to doubt him." She looked at the check again. "So, you're telling me I'll take home this much every week?" At Theo's nod, she added, "This is more than double what I made in one week as a junior producer."

"You're in the big leagues now, Beca," Theo said. He laughed and said, "Don't spend it all in one place."

Theo left Beca alone in her office. She continued to stare at the check.

"I can start looking for my own apartment," Beca muttered. "If I'm lucky, I can be moved out the first of the year."

Beca went to the Payroll Office and completed the direct deposit forms. She also asked for a copy of what her yearly salary would be. After getting everything done, Beca left so she could deposit her check at the bank. She kept some cash back and made her way to a realtor's office, whose sign she saw on a bench.

"Hi, may I help you?" a perky blonde asked as Beca entered the office.

"Um, yeah," Beca said. "I'm interested in renting an apartment closer to my job. Is there someone I can speak with who can help me?"

~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

Beca woke early the next morning and quietly slipped out of bed. She had made an appointment with the realtor for nine a.m. She was going to check out four available apartments, and she didn't want Chloe or Amy to know anything until she had a place.

Slipping out of bed was easier now that Chloe stopped cuddling Beca. Beca was glad because now that Chloe was with Chicago, she felt it was inappropriate. Chloe was hurt when Beca kept pulling away from her when they were in bed together, but Beca was adamant about keeping her distance. Chloe didn't know she had broken Beca's heart by falling for the soldier, and it killed Beca a little more each time she'd hear Chloe gushing on the phone to him. She needed to move out, or she'd never get over Chloe.

Beca grabbed her keys and wallet before quietly exiting the apartment. She met the realtor and was impressed by the apartments she was shown. Based on the rents, she realized she might have to wait a few extra weeks to have enough money to move.

Beca fell in love with one of the apartments she looked at. It had two Master Bedrooms, each with its own full bath, a decent-sized kitchen with a separate dining room. And, it was being rented fully furnished.

"I like this one, but I'm sure it's out of my price range," Beca told Kayla, the realtor.

"Give me a minute," Kayla said and put her phone to her ear.

Beca continued to look around while Kayla was on the phone.

"Okay, see you in fifteen," Kayla said and ended the call. She turned to Beca. "The owner will be here shortly. He wants to meet with you."

"Um, okay," Beca said.

~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

Chloe woke to her phone ringing and felt around with her hand until she found it.

"What?" she answered tersely, her voice gravelly from having just woken up.

"Good morning to you, too, Chloe," Aubrey said. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah," Chloe mumbled.

"I didn't wake Beca and Amy, too, did I?" Aubrey asked, checking the time.

"Um," Chloe said, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. She looked around. "What the hell?"

"What's wrong?" Aubrey asked.

"Amy hasn't been home in a week, and Beca's not here," Chloe said. "How did I sleep through her getting up and leaving?"

"I don't know," Aubrey said. "But, I'm glad you're alone."

"Why?" Chloe asked as she got out of bed. "What's up?"

Chloe put a coffee pod into the coffee maker and pressed the button.

"I want to know what your plans are for Christmas," Aubrey said. "Are you going back to Spain to be with Chicago? Or is he coming to see you?"

"Neither," Chloe said. "That was a one and done thing."

"What?" Aubrey asked. "Then what was with you staying longer so you two could get to know each other?"

Chloe took the cream out of the refrigerator and added some to her coffee. She spooned in some sugar and stirred. The then took her cup and sat at the table.

"Chloe?" Aubrey said through the phone. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Chloe said, running a hand through her hair. "I didn't stay with him. I flew out the next day and went to visit my folks for a few days."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Aubrey asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Chloe sighed and took a sip of her coffee before answering. "I was embarrassed. I went on and on about what a great guy he was and how he could be the one. And all I was to him was a booty call."

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Aubrey said. "But I'm also glad. I called to tell you the girls and I have been talking, and we're going to do Christmas in New York. We already have flights and rooms booked."

"Why did I need to be alone for you to tell me that?" Chloe asked.

"We want to surprise Beca and take her out to celebrate her signing with DJ Khaled," Aubrey said. "We didn't really have much time with her in France once she signed. She was running around with that Theo guy getting ready to fly to New York to start working. We want to have our own celebration with just the Bellas and Beca. Plus, Stacie will be able to be there to celebrate with us. We'll need you to get her to the party without giving away the surprise."

"You should talk to Amy about that," Chloe said. "If you can find her. She left a week or so ago and said she had places to go. I haven't seen or heard from her since."

"Well, she has the money to do whatever she wants to do," Aubrey said. "But, the bigger issue is, why can't you make sure Beca gets to the party?"

"Beca and I haven't been talking," Chloe said. "I've been home for almost three weeks, and she's been pulling away from me. I don't even know how things are going at the studio."

"Have you asked her?" Aubrey asked.

"I have," Chloe said, a bit defensive. "The only answers I get are, things are fine, or sorry, I have to go. She hardly spends any time in the apartment. She hardly spends any time with me."

"She's probably busy," Aubrey said. "It's her big break, and you know how focused she gets, forgetting everything and everyone around her."

"She always made time for me," Chloe said sadly. "And, now, she's stopped cuddling with me when we sleep."

Aubrey could hear the sadness in Chloe's voice. "She's probably trying to respect what she thought was your new relationship status."

"That's what she said when I asked her about it," Chloe said with another sad sigh.

"Wait. Why does Beca still think you're with Chicago if you're not?" Aubrey paused a beat before saying, "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"No," Chloe said blushing. "She thinks we're still together because I've been pretending to talk to him on the phone. My mom and my sister think I'm insane because when I'm talking to them and Beca comes in, I start whispering and laughing as if I was talking to him. When I hang up, she asks if it was Chicago, and I tell her it was. That's usually when she puts her headphones on or leaves."

"Chloe, why don't you just tell her you aren't with him?" Aubrey asked. "You know Beca would never judge you. Why keep up the charade?"

"I don't know," Chloe said softly.

"Yes, you do," Aubrey said just as softly.

~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

Beca was both excited and scared as she rode the train back to her shared apartment.

She was excited because the owner of the furnished apartment liked her and gave her a great rate on rent if she promised she would stay in the apartment for two years. The owner was moving to England while his boyfriend studied at Oxford. They didn't want to sell the apartment and decided to find the right tenant to rent and take care of the place. Beca fit all the criteria they were looking for.

Beca signed the lease and promised to have the first month's rent paid before she moved in on December 1.

Beca was scared because now she had to tell Chloe she was moving out in a couple of weeks. And she knew Chloe was going to ask her why.

~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

Beca reached the top of the subway steps and stopped for a moment to think about what to tell Chloe. She slowly started walking the few blocks home when her phone started ringing. Almost afraid to see that it was Chloe calling, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Stacie's name on the caller ID.

"Hey, Stacie," Beca said, answering the call. "I was just thinking about calling you."

"Really?" Stacie asked. "Why were you going to call me?"

"I, um, I'm moving into a new apartment," Beca said. "And I have to tell Chloe and Amy. I know Chloe is going to ask why, but I can't tell her the truth, so I need to come up with something that sounds legit."

"Why can't you tell her the truth?" Stacie asked.

"Don't make me say it," Beca said quietly.

"Come on, Beca," Stacie said. "It's been years; you need to tell her how you feel."

"She has a boyfriend," Beca said. "One she's really into. One she stayed in Europe to get to know better, so I'm pretty sure me telling her how I feel about her is only going to end up hurting me more than I'm hurting now. It's better to distance myself from her and let her live her life with Chicago. And I'll try to move on with mine. I can't get over her if we're constantly around each other."

Beca had stopped walking and was leaning with her back against a building.

"I'm sorry, Beca," Stacie said. "I won't bring it up again. Just make sure you send me your new address."

"I will," Beca said.

"Good," Stacie said. "Now, tell me about the new place."

Beca chuckled and told Stacie about the apartment.

"And it's only two blocks from the studio," Beca said.

"That's it," Stacie said. "That's your answer when Chloe asks you why you're moving."

"That might work," Beca said. "Um, before I forget, you called me. Why?"

Beca pushed off of the building and started walking again.

"Oh, right," Stacie said. "Do you know where Amy is? Aubrey's been trying to reach her."

"Sorry, I don't," Beca said. "All I know is she left about a week ago and said she had places to go. I've tried texting and calling, but she's not answering."

"Is that why things are so tense between you and Chloe?" Stacie asked. "You don't have Amy there as a buffer?"

"I never thought of it that way," Beca said. "You might be right. I thought it was because I didn't want to hear Chloe gushing and being giddy over Chicago. If Amy were home, she would have made some inappropriate remarks which would have made things easier and less tense."

"What's Chloe going to do if Amy doesn't come back?" Stacie asked. "Can she afford to stay there by herself."

"Probably not," Beca answered, trying not to think about it.

"Beca, I-" Stacie started to say something but stopped. She thought about it for a moment before continuing, "I need to tell you something. Aubrey's going to kill me, but I think you should know."

"What is it?" Beca asked.

"Chloe and Chicago are not together," Stacie said.

"What?"

~ Day 20 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~

It was two days before Christmas, and Beca had been in her new apartment for three weeks. She was getting water from the refrigerator when there was a knock at the door. She was only wearing panties, so she grabbed her shirt from the floor and threw it on before opening the door.

She jumped when the Bellas yelled, "Surprise!"

"Stacie. Aubrey. CR!" Beca yelled out. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to surprise you," Jessica said.

"And to really celebrate you signing with DJ Khaled," CR said.

"And, also Christmas," Emily said.

Stacie smirked and said, "From what you're wearing, I'm guessing we really did surprise you."

"Oh, um, come in, come in," Beca said, hugging each girl as they came in. "This is quite a surprise."

"It's good to see you, Beca," Aubrey said. "Do you know where Chloe is? We stopped at your old place to pick her up, and she wasn't there. She's also not answering her phone."

Beca didn't answer and started walking backward toward the bedrooms.

"Um, I'm just going to go get-"

"Babe, what's taking so long?" Chloe asked as she came into the living room wrapped in a sheet. Beca blushed and looked at Chloe, noticing how the sheet was barely covering her boobs.

"Chloe!" the girls all squealed, shocking Chloe as they rushed over to hug the redhead.

"Um, hey," Chloe said, looking over at Beca, who gave her a shrug.

"Looking good, Chloe," Stacie said as she looked down at Chloe's chest.

Chloe pulled the sheet up more, and Stacie gave her a wink.

"Chloe, what are you doing here?" Aubrey asked.

"Hold up," CR said. "Did you just call Beca babe?"

Beca laughed and walked over to Chloe and took her hand. "My, um, girlfriend can call me anything she wants."

Chloe smiled and kissed Beca.

"Wait," Aubrey said, trying to wrap her head around what was happening. "I talked to you last week, and you never said anything about you two being together."

"We wanted to surprise everyone," Chloe said.

"Well, you did surprise us," Aubrey mumbled. "Could you two put something more on?"

Beca and Chloe looked down at what they were wearing. "Um,"

"How? When?" Ashley asked. "I'm happy for you, but last I heard you two were barely speaking to each other and Chloe was with Chicago."

"Everyone take a seat," Beca said. "We'll get changed and then tell you what happened."

The girls sat, and Beca and Chloe were back in a few minutes, fully clothed. Beca and Chloe sat between Stacie and Aubrey on the sofa. Beca took a deep breath and started talking.

"Just before Thanksgiving," Beca said and then looked at Stacie. "Can I tell them everything you said during our phone call?"

Stacie nodded, and Beca continued. "I was talking to Stacie."

"Beca, I-" Stacie started to say something but stopped. She thought about it for a moment before continuing, "I need to tell you something. Aubrey's going to kill me, but I think you should know."

"What is it?" Beca asked.

"Chloe and Chicago are not together," Stacie said.

"What?"

"Yeah," Stacie continued. "She thought he might be something special, and he only wanted to get in her pants."

"That can't be true," Beca said. "I've heard her talking to him on the phone. It certainly sounded like they were together."

"She wasn't talking to him," Stacie said. "She only pretended she was."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Beca asked. "Things would be so different if she had."

"She was embarrassed," Stacie said. "And what do you mean, things would be different?"

"I, um, was going to tell her how I felt about her," Beca said softly. "But, I saw her kissing Chicago and knew I lost my chance. I've been kind of a bitch to her since she came home. I didn't mean to, but the thought of her with him just...I don't know."

"I get it, Beca," Stacie said. "So, now that you know she's single, what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," Beca said. "I'll have to decide if I want to do anything about it."

"It took me about ten seconds after that call to decide I did want to do something about it," Beca said. "I had rented this apartment and was moving in on the first of December, so I called Amy to find out what her plans were. When she told me that she was moving out and taking a year to cruise around the world, I came up with a plan."

Beca stopped and smiled at Chloe. Chloe smiled back at her.

"So, what was the plan?" CR asked, causing Beca and Chloe to look at her.

"Well, I went to Tampa for Thanksgiving and came back to New York on December second," Chloe said, picking up the story. "I went to the apartment, and Beca was sitting on the sofa. She jumped up when she saw me."

"Hey," Beca said.

"Hey," Chloe said.

Chloe threw her suitcase on Amy's bed and let out a sigh. She ran a hand through her hair and looked around.

"Where's all your stuff?" Chloe asked, looking around more furrowing her brow. "Where's all my stuff?"

"Okay, so, um, hear me out," Beca said. "I, um, have something to tell you and I need you to listen. Can you give me five minutes? Please?"

Chloe sat on the end of Amy's bed and nodded her head. She felt the sting of tears; she had a feeling she knew what was coming.

"Okay, so, I got my first paycheck a couple of weeks ago," Beca said. "All I could think about was now I could move out and into my place."

Chloe scoffed; she knew it. Beca didn't want to live with her anymore. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to appear as if her heart wasn't shattered.

"Things were weird between us, and I thought you were with Chicago," Beca said. She walked over to Choe and knelt in front of her, causing Chloe to look at her. "I called Amy to tell her I was moving out, and she told me that she wasn't coming back at least for a year. I, uh, paid the rent for December so you could stay while deciding what you wanted to do."

Chloe pushed Beca aside and stood. "I can't believe this," Chloe said, turning to Beca. "I can't believe I mean so little to you that you'd sneak away and move out like a coward."

"Wait, no!" Beca said, closing the distance between them. "I suck so bad at this!" She took Chloe's hands in hers. "I, um, I love you, Chloe. I do. That's why the thought of you being with Chicago was more than I could bear. I knew in order for us to be okay, I had to leave. But I found out you weren't with Chicago, and I knew what I wanted and needed to do."

Chloe looked at Beca, waiting for her to continue.

"When you left for Tampa, I started packing our stuff. I moved everything to the new place yesterday. I have been sitting here waiting for you since this morning."

Beca cleared her throat and looked up at Chloe. Chloe was silent as tears fell down her cheeks.

"I've been waiting here so I could tell you that I am in love with you, Chloe," Beca said. "And, if you don't feel the same way, that's fine. We can continue to be roommates, only in a bigger, better apartment. Or, you can stay here, and I'll help you with the rent until you find another place. The choice is yours."

"Does your new place have two real bedrooms?" Chloe asked. At Beca's nod, she said. "So, I could have my own room?"

"Yeah, you, uh, you can," Beca said with a hint of sadness, her eyes filling with tears. "If that's what you want."

"What if I wanted to share a room with you?" Chloe asked softly.

"What?" Beca asked. "Do you mean…?"

"Yes," Chloe said, smiling through her tears. "I'm in love with you, too, and I don't want to stay here by myself. I want to live with you. And just to be clear, I don't mean as roommates."

Beca let out a small sob as she pulled Chloe to her. Chloe hugged her back, and they stood like that for a few minutes.

Beca pulled back and looked at Chloe. She took Chloe's face in her hands and gently kissed her; Chloe deepened the kiss.

They pulled out of the kiss, smiling at each other. Chloe grabbed her suitcase and said, "Let's go home!"

"And, we came here," Chloe finished. "We talked some more, and now Beca's my girlfriend."

"And you share one bedroom?" Stacie asked with a grin.

"Yeah, we do!" Chloe said, enthusiastically, causing Beca to blush.

"Way to go, Beca!" Stacie said, laughing.

"Leave her alone," Chloe said, pulling Beca to her.

Beca stuck her tongue out at Stacie, causing Stacie to laugh.

"Aww," Emily said. "You guys are so cute together."

The rest of the girls chuckled, and Beca glared at them.

"Where's Fat Amy?" Aubrey said. "I never heard back from her about spending Christmas together."

"She'll be here tomorrow," Beca said, thankful for a change of subject.

The girls sat quietly for a moment until Jessica spoke.

"Can we get a tour of your fancy new apartment?" Jessica asked.

"Sure," Beca said as she stood. "Follow me."

Chloe went to stand, and Aubrey grabbed her arm, stopping her. Chloe sat back down; Beca looked back and saw that Aubrey and Chloe were still sitting.

"Let's, um, start with the bedrooms," Beca said, leading the Bellas down the hall to give the two best friends some privacy.

"Why didn't you tell me about you and Beca?" Aubrey asked, searching Chloe's face.

"It was all new," Chloe said, playing with her hands. "I wanted us to have some time in our private bubble before we told anyone."

Aubrey chuckled. "It's a good thing you two figured it out because we had started formulating a plan to have you two together by the time we all left New York. How's everything going so far?"

Chloe's face lit up. "It's better than I could have imagined. Beca is so sweet and very attentive. She's everything I want, Brey. And I swear I'm going to marry her one day."

"I'm happy for you, Chloe," Aubrey said, pulling her into a hug. Aubrey pulled back from Chloe and chewed her lip a bit. "Stacie and I are engaged."

"What?" Chloe asked.

Aubrey held up her hand and showed off her ring.

"OH, MY GOD!" Chloe squealed.

Beca came running into the living room. "What's wrong? What the hell happened?"

"Brey must have told her we're engaged," Stacie said, smiling.

"Seriously?" Beca asked.

Stacie nodded, and the Bellas grabbed Stacie and started squealing and jumping up and down.

"Oh, my gosh," Ashley said, once everyone settled down a bit. "We have BeChloe together, and Staubrey engaged. What more could anyone ask for this Christmas?"

#bechloe fanfiction #bechloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale

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sierraraeck · 4 years

Text

Dancing, Drugs, and Lies (Pt.1)

BAU x OC Aundreya

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

(This is my gif so please give credit if used)

Summary: Morgan’s cousin is in danger. Aundreya decides to use some of her ‘special talents’ to help the team find her. Story seven.

Category: Working a case with the team. A bit angsty, I guess.

Warnings: Cussing. Drugs. Implied drug abuse. Normal CM gore and situations.

Word Count: 3.1k

A/N: Just a reminder that this is all fiction and I don’t actually know about drugs or exotic dancers. Also, I didn’t want this to be 3 parts, but Tumblr told me that I can’t have more than 250 text blocks so … here we are.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

It was 3am. Three. Fricking. AM. And I was getting a call. I had finally gotten my brain to shut off for the best quality sleep of which I was capable not even two hours earlier, and I was getting a damn phone call.

“What?” I answered, my voice groggy and annoyed.

“We need you here, right now. Morgan’s cousin is missing.”

That was all I needed to snap me right out of my complainey mood. I was already out of bed and felt wide awake when answering, “I’m on my way.”

# # # # # # # # # # # # #

When I got to the office, everyone except for JJ and Rossi were there waiting.

“Aundreya,” Penelope said.

“Hi, I came as quickly as possible, what’s happening?”

“Morgan’s sister came to him saying that his cousin never returned home last night. She went to check her apartment and called her several times and nothing.”

“What about her phone? Can you track it?”

“I already tried but it was left at her apartment.”

“And there are no other places around that she spends a lot of time at?” I asked.

“No. If there are, no one knows about them,” Penelope answered. I saw Morgan standing a few feet away and I walked over to him.

No one wants to be asked how they’re doing, so I opted for, “Hey, we’re going to do everything we can to find her, okay.” He was clearly distressed, a hand on his head and he was slouching, something our big brave Morgan hardly ever did.

He met my eyes. “I don’t know what to do. Sarah and I split up and looked for her, Garcia tracked her phone, and none of us know where she was or should have been, or what she was doing.” He was trying to keep it together, but I could hear the panicked undertone.

“Okay, good to know what we can rule out. Do we have a picture of her that we can put out?”

“Yes,” JJ interjected. She and Rossi had just arrived. “I’m going to have Garcia get one out.” I nodded.

I placed a hand on Derek’s shoulder and looked straight into his eyes, “We’re going to find her.” That was a promise I intended to keep. No matter what. I walked back toward the rest of the group to see if there was any new information.

“Hey, how’d you get here so fast?” Rossi asked.

“I came as quickly as possible.”

“You live farther away from here than I do.”

“I said I came as quickly as possible.” I shrugged and he raised his eyebrows at me.

“I’m letting this go, only because we have more pressing issues.”

“I think that’s a good plan,” I agreed. I love Rossi, but sometimes he felt like a parole officer. Leave it to him to put together that I sped about 30 over to get here in under 10.

“Okay, we sent out a picture of her to the media as a missing person,” JJ said, rushing back into the room. I checked my phone and all the air inside me abruptly escaped once I saw the picture. I know her.

“I know her. I literally saw her last night,” I blurted before I could even think about what I was saying.

“Wait what? You saw my cousin last night?” Derek asked, chiming into the conversation.

“Yeah. Morgan, what does your cousin do for a living?” I wanted to be sure that this was the same person before I let on any more.

He looked perplexed, but answered anyway. “She’s a finance consultant.”

“During the day,” I mumbled.

“What? What are you saying?” Derek was on a short fuse and I was going to have to remember that.

“I’m saying that at night, she works in a strip club.” Everyone’s faces contorted around me into a variety of different emotions.

“How do you know that?” Emily asked.

“I went out for a walk last night-”

“Last night as in 24 hours ago, or tonight as in 5 hours ago?”

“Last night. I went for a walk because I couldn’t sleep and needed some fresh air. I walked by a strip club and saw her exiting it in a nice robe and I could tell she was wearing some dancing outfit underneath,” I said. It actually sounded like a pretty plausible story, but I still got skeptical looks from people.

“That had to have been just before she went missing,” JJ said.

“How do you even know it was her?” Morgan asked.

I held up my phone with her picture as if that was the answer. He was looking for more, though, so I simply stated, “I recognized her photo.”

“So if she’s been working at a strip club, that makes her a higher risk victim,” Prentiss said.

“Sure, but there are specific rules outlined for dancers. They do what they get paid for, and only what they get paid for. I don’t know a single dancer that would allow herself to go home with a customer,” I said. I gained more weary looks.

“So you don’t think there is any chance that she got abducted from the club or from outside of it maybe?” JJ asked.

“It’s highly unlikely.”

“But it’s possible?” Morgan asked.

“Yes. It’s possible. But if that is the case, this guy is super sophisticated. He’d have to get around all of the security cameras,” I answered.

“I’ll go check those now. What club?” Penelope asked.

“The Camelot,” I answered. She nodded and rushed as fast as she could in her nearly six inch heels to her bat cave.

“I can’t believe this,” Morgan said. It was Rossi’s turn to console, and I turned to follow Garcia to see if there was any way I could help her go through the footage. On my way, a familiar hand grabbed my arm and spun me around.

“You weren’t on a walk,” Spencer stated, confusion and, even a bit of anger, in his voice.

“Yes, I was.”

“What time did you leave?”

“11:25ish.”

“How far did you walk?”

“Down a few blocks and back.”

“What time did you get home?”

I did some quick math. “12:10.”

He studied my body language, trying to spot anything that would indicate otherwise.

“Why would you go walking by yourself at midnight?”

“I told you. I couldn’t sleep and needed some fresh air. Don’t worry, I had my gun with me,” I said. That part wasn’t a lie. I did in fact bring my gun.

“Fine.” He released my arm and stood there staring at me. I returned his gaze for a couple of moments before continuing my path to Garcia. Of course Spencer would decide to fact check my story for any inconsistencies.

The FBI hired me, which was great and all, but it wasn’t exactly like they were paying me. Kind of, but not really. I was as close to a volunteer as the FBI could manage. However, I needed extra money, just a little something that I could have for a rainy day. The best way I could think to achieve that goal, was to revert back to my old ways. My really old ways. Before I was thrown in prison, while I was in the gang and running the ring, I was dancing. I had been since the moment I landed on the streets. My stage name, and the one the ring came to call me by, was Alionth. I became one of the most well known dancers in the entire Chicago area, and even got prospects from clubs all around the nation. Once I got out of prison, it wasn’t that difficult for me to persuade the owners of certain clubs to let me ‘guest star’ here and there when I was available. One of those clubs was the Camelot. They allowed me to pop in on short notice (since I never knew when we’d close a case), and shift around their dance schedule. Of course, having me back drew more attention to that club, but my sketchy schedule actually worked in their favor. The manager said that they had more guys coming in, hoping to land on the right night that I’d be there. It kept customers in suspense and coming back for more. And they paid me really well.

Morgan’s cousin, Cinthia, or Thia as we knew her, was one of the girls that I worked with. She was there the night before and I saw her walk into a private showing room. After that, I don’t remember seeing her. I assumed she had just finished the dance and went home. Based on what Garcia found, or more like what she didn’t find, that wasn’t the case.

“Riiiiiight … there! Did you see it?” she asked me. There was a portion of the outside security footage that started over. The scene barely faltered, but with someone as good as Garcia, barely wasn’t enough to protect them.

“Yeah, I do,” I said. “This is not good.”

I returned to the rest of the team to give them the information.

“So this guy is sophisticated enough to hack into the feed and set it on a loop before he abducts the women,” Emily confirmed.

“Or worse. Someone on the inside is helping him change the footage,” I offered. Neither one was a good scenario.

“Chambers, Prentiss, why don’t you go down there and see if you can get anyone to talk,” Hotch ordered. Prentiss nodded at me and I followed her lead out to the elevator. Hopefully, without my wig and elaborate outfits, the girls wouldn’t recognize me.

# # # # # # # # # # # # #

We entered the club and it was strange being there at 4am. I was usually out of there at 2 or 2:30 at the latest, so I never knew how it looked when it was more calm. There were about a third of the people there than during the busy hours, but luckily I still saw some girls that we could talk to. We approached them and I recognized them immediately. They were the two new girls who unfortunately had to work the crappy hours until they moved up the ranks. Steph had huge, curly blonde hair and Heidi had short black waves.

“Hi, I’m Emily and this is Aundreya. Could we speak with you for a moment?” Preniss asked. I was definitely going to let her take the lead on this one. I wanted to stay as inconspicuous to both parties as possible.

“What for?” Steph asked.

“We were just wanting to ask you about a woman who works here, Cindi Burns?” Prentiss held out the photo to them.

“I don’t know a Cindi, but the girl you’re showing me is Thia. She works here,” Heidi answered.

“Okay, well have you seen Thia recently?” Prentiss pressed.

They both just shook their heads. “Why?”

“She’s been reported missing.”

“Missing? By who, I thought Thia didn’t have anyone,” Heidi asked.

“Her cousin.”

“Oh damn. We didn’t see her last night. Sorry,” Steph said. Both of them turned to walk away and that’s how I knew something was up. Most of us stuck together, and were concerned when we heard about something happening to one of us. Not only because we cared, but because we knew there was a likelihood that we could be next.

“Was she with someone?” I asked.

They slowly turned around to look at me, sizing me up.

“Don’t think so. Sorry, we don’t know anything.” Lies, more lies. I shot Emily a look. She’d caught it too. I tilted my head in the opposite direction of the girls, asking her to let me talk to them alone. She arched an eyebrow.

“Trust me,” I said. She complied and walked away. I chased after the girls.

“Please,” I called after them, “She is in trouble and I know you know what’s going on.”

They ignored me.

“Look, we don’t have a problem but we could depending on if and how you answer these next questions,” I threatened. That’s when they heard it. The sass in my voice that was always more amplified when I was here, playing my character.

Both of their heads whipped around. “There’s no way.”

“Steph, Heidi-”

“Alionth?” they screeched and tossed their arms around me.

“It’s me,” I confirmed.

“What the hell are you doing with the police?” Steph asked.

“I know the cousin who reported Thia missing. Somehow I never put together that they were related,” I said, avoiding their real question.

“Oh wow. Small world,” Heidi said.

“Yeah. So she didn’t show last night?”

“No. She was supposed to, but she never came,” Heidi answered.

“Do you have any idea what happened to her?”

“I mean, I saw her go into the private room with that guy, but after that, nothing.”

“Have you ever seen that man before? Could you describe him?”

“Not really. It was dark,” Heidi said.

“No, but I’ve seen him before. Well, I didn’t recognize his face, but he was wearing a long trench coat that I’ve seen before,” Steph said.

I was about to ask if there was anything about the coat that stood out when a girl came stumbling out of the bathroom. “Help,” she croaked.

Prentiss and I rushed over to her.

“I tried to stop it,” she said. Her breathing was labored and she didn’t look familiar.

“Tried to stop what?” I asked.

“I tried. I tried. He did it again.” She wasn’t making any sense and she looked high.

“Who? Who’s he?” I pushed.

“The guy in the coat.” She started coughing, then collapsed.

# # # # # # # # # # # # #

She woke up in the hospital dazed and confused. I stayed with her while Prentiss went back to report to the team and assist them with whatever else they needed.

“What happened?” she asked.

“You collapsed after we found you in the Camelot. You were high,” I told her. Once we got her to the hospital and she was stable, we looked through her clothes and found a small bag full of a white powder. The lab was running it to figure out what it was. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Amanda. I dance at the gentlemen’s club a few blocks away. Who are you?”

“I’m Agent Chambers-”

“Agent?”

“Yes. We are investigating the disappearance of-”

“Multiple women in the area?” she finished eagerly.

“No, actually. Just the disappearance of Cindi Burns, also known as Thia.”

“What? No,” she quickly became irritated. “This has been happening to exotic dancers all over the city.”

“What? How do you know this?”

“I’ve been tracking it. I bounce around a lot between clubs, and that’s when I realized that I kept seeing the same man. That doesn’t seem like a big deal, men go to multiple clubs, right? But it is weird if he wears the same exact coat each time he comes, and each time, he asks for a private dance with one of our girls, and then that very same girl goes missing the next day.” I was impressed at how observant she was. There’s a lot going on in a club, so most girls just tune it out and only focus on what they’re doing.

“Wow. How long has this been going on?”

“Probably four or five months. No one is looking for these girls because most of them don’t have people who are looking out for them. I tried telling the police but they brushed them off as run-aways.” She was very passionate, and I respected her dedication.

“Do you want to do something in law enforcement when you graduate?” I asked. Her eyes went wide and I knew I was right.

“Yes. How did you know that?” she asked in wonder.

“I’m with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. It’s part of my job,” I smiled. These girls didn’t hear it enough that needing financial help to get them through college was acceptable, that what they were doing was an acceptable form of secondary income to get them a higher education. “You seem like you’d be a great addition to the system.”

“Thanks. You’re literally my age, how is it possible that you are already working in a top unit of the FBI?” Her excitement quickly diminished. “You’re probably looking at me and wondering what in the hell I’m doing.”

“No, actually. I’ve been where you are. Actually, I still am where you are. I dance at the Camelot occasionally.” Amanda looked at me bewildered, but it brought light to her eyes.

“You work for the FBI and dance?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Must be. What are you going to do about this?”

“Can I ask you a few more questions?”

“Absolutely. What do you need to know?” It gave me hope that this woman was so invested in helping.

“Walk me through what happened and what you remember.”

She told me that she’d gone for a ‘smoke break’ around midnight because that’s when the man usually showed up at the club. She looked around for him but never saw him. Amanda had only ever seen him at three of the five clubs she worked at, so she called the other two to ask them if a man like that was there. When the Camelot told her that someone there matched her description of him, she hailed a cab and drove over. When she arrived, she went straight to the private rooms, and found him forcing a girl to take drugs. When he saw her, he panicked and yanked her into the room and forced her to take the drugs as well. They immediately kicked in, she recalled, but she had enough wits about her to keep hold of the bag because the drug was nothing she recognized. She finally came-to in the bathroom, but by then, Thia was already gone and Prentiss and I had arrived.

I called Aaron and relayed the information.

“She messed up his routine and he panicked, causing him to get sloppy,” he told me.

“Yeah, but that means he might accelerate, which means …” I didn’t want to say it.

“I know. Hopefully we’ll get the toxicology report back soon so we can narrow down our search based on whatever drugs are in that bag,” he said, still trying to stay positive, even though deep down he knew this didn’t look good.

“How’s Morgan?”

“As expected. See if Amanda remembers anything else, then head back here.”

“Will do.”

Part 2

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cyn-00 · 4 years

Text

Moreid one shot, 16 - "light of his life"

This isn't inspired by any episode, although it is kind of a sequel to my One shot 6 (around seasons 7/8). For those of you who haven't read it/don't remember it, in that fic Morgan's sister Sarah mentioned to him that he should ask Reid to come over for dinner. It isn't an actual sequel - this is a one-shots series after all ;)

Also: in my magic, fictional world where Moreid is real, there's no such thing as hetero-normativity. I'll never spend time writing about Morgan and Reid's past coming out, or the others' reaction, or whatever. Sometimes you'll find references to the fact that they're hesitant to show affection in public but that's about it - and I imagine it's because they don't feel comfortable doing so in a working context, not out of being afraid of discrimination :)

This is the longest one I've written so far lmao bear with me ily. (future me says: wait until u read number 20. Oh, little did I know...future me also says: I added a couple dialogues and other stuff)

Read it on AO3

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

"Boy Wonder." Garcia's equally teasing and scolding voice came from the other side of Reid's phone.

"Hey Garcia" he greeted her, trying to sound as non-chalant as possible.

"Were you not gonna tell me? Was I supposed to find out from JJ??"

Spencer sighed. He should've known better than to tell JJ about him going to Derek's family home for dinner. He took a wild guess probably everyone on the team knew now.

"I'm- I'm sorry, alright? I have no excuse."

"No you don't! Especially not the cliché excuse where you say 'I forgot' because your eidetic-memory-cute-little-butt would never forget about such a thing!"

Spencer chuckled shaking his head. "Fine but, now that you know, please don't tell me you called to say how 'cute' it is or whatever, because JJ thought of doing that already."

"...well...ok then, plan B. You genius managed to burst my little bubble of "aww how cute"s in a fraction of second."

"...sorry ? again." he said in a confused tone.

"Nuh-uh don't think for a minute that you got rid of me so easily. I have another million yet un-burst little bubbles of topics you and I HAVE to discuss before you meet your in-laws."

"My wh-"

"FOR INSTANCE your outfit." Penelope raised her voice to interrupt him before he could tell her not to call Derek's family his "in-laws", because it freaked him out.

"...well for that I could actually use a little help." Spencer replied, staring helplessly at his half unpacked go-bag.

"Wait...you DID bring something NICE, didn't you?"

No response from Spencer.

"Oh. My. God. I can't belive this. Spencer, could it BE more obvious? Derek being totally in love with you + mentioning that his family wanted to invite you over to dinner + case in Chicago?? So much for being a math genius, huh"

Still no response from Spencer. "Derek being totally in love with you". He was smiling so hard he thought Penelope could FEEL it through the phone. His brain got stuck to that point in her phrase - he didn't even bother wondering how she knew that Derek had already mentioned it a month or so before.

"...uhm, hello? Earth to Doctor Spencer Reid?"

"Yeah- I'm- I'm sorry Garcia it's really late I have to go, thank you for your precious advice, you're the best." he finally answered in a rush.

"Wh- but I didn't even GET to-" he hung up before she could finish the sentence.

That phrase from earlier triggered a sudden realization in Spencer's mind: Derek could probably not care less about what he was gonna wear. The important thing to him, was that he'd show up. And it was late, so he had to get it out of his head - it wasn't like some kind of breaking news that Derek loved him, anyway. Spencer knew it, deep down. Even if it was still hard for him to wrap his mind around the fact that SSA Derek Morgan, the hot chocolate, the hunk, the ladies' man - pfft, yeah, right? - was in love with him.

That very thought escaped his brain only to make space for another one, just as paranoid, inconclusive and time-consuming: Penelope was right, wasn't she.

Derek always made time to visit his family everytime they had a case in Chicago, before going back to Quantico; it was a known fact amongst the team. Plus, the others didn't mind spending an extra half-day in the city to go out or - more realistically - crash in their hotel rooms.

So if you take that, and add the fact that Sarah had hinted to Derek to invite Spencer for dinner sometime; you get that Penelope was right. EVEN if Derek could've asked with a little more advance - instead of that same morning - and EVEN if, at the time Derek had told him about that conversation with his sister, Spencer hadn't really said a clear "yes". He hadn't said "no" either, to be fair.

Also, one would guess Spencer should've just been prepared for it, sooner or later, right? After all, Derek and him had been dating for... well, he wasn't quite sure. Not because he didn't remember: of course he remembered their first kiss, their first "date" - or whatever you call it when two people see each other outside of work - the first time they had kinda-but-not-really expressed their feelings for each other, the first time they had slept together. So, which one of those should he take in consideration to determine how long they'd been dating? Or maybe it was a matter of guessing an average out of all those parameters? Spencer had always had troubles trying to pinpoint that.

Anyway. None of those thoughts were helping him to decide which one of the 3 shirts displayed on the mattress he was going to wear that night. If not a whole "nice" outfit, he could've at least packed Derek's favorite shirt, just to be sure. He didn't even know why that was his favorite: it was just a pale lilac button-up. He said that the fact that it hung a bit too loose on his shoulders and arms, and had to roll up the sleeves once or twice, gave him permission to fantasize that it was his shirt, worn by Spencer - which, by the way: he could simply say he'd like Spencer to wear his shirts. He definitely wouldn't mind doing that. And ultimately, aside from this whole reverie of Derek's: it was still a damn pale lilac button-up a couple sizes too big.

Spencer checked his watch for the fifth time in the last 20 minutes: 7:15 pm. Derek was gonna knock on his hotel room door in 15.

He chose to keep it elegant but subtle, finally picking a blue-ish grey shirt, to pair with black jacket and slacks, trying to go with his gut - whatever that meant. Derek always told him to "feel" stuff. He probably didn't mean him to apply it to such a shallow thing like picking which fricking shirt to wear, though.

He quickly got out of his sweats and put the outfit on, looking at himself in the mirror.

Shit. The tie. The question wasn't even WHICH tie, rather: with or without tie?

Spencer came to the most logical and well-thought decision he'd made during that whole outfit-picking process: if he'd chosen to wear a tie, he would've had to spend another 15 minutes choosing which one. So, no tie. However, he wasn't used to not wearing one, so he tried not to stare too long in the mirror observing how strange he looked - and felt - without it.

He left the first two buttons of the shirt undone, and tried to un-mess his hair up - "c'mon I love your messy hair!", Derek's words popped into Spencer's head, making him giggle as he proceeded to put his shoes on.

He didn't even have the time to take one last look at the whole situation in the mirror, that he heard a knock on the door.

"Fuck." he gasped to himself.

"Coming!" he said as he quickly made his way to the door, jogging back and forth every 5 seconds to pick up pieces of clothing spread out on the floor and go back to squeeze them into his bag.

Derek waited in front of that damn door for what felt like 30 minutes.

He kept his eyes down at his feet and his hands in the pockets of his pants, as he tried to decipher the sounds coming from inside Spencer's room.

Much to his frustration, he spent the waiting time regretting having asked only that morning. He had actually done it on purpose to ask with little to no advance, so that Spencer couldn't say "no", knowing he'd be afraid to sound rude if he didn't accept. He didn't force him to do anything, though: Derek was 100% sure that he wanted to meet his family as his actual boyfriend - because he had met them a few times before, first as his co-worker, later as his best friend.

He was just trying to make the decision-making easier for him, coming to terms with the fact that he DID want to meet them a little quicker than he would have if Derek had asked him days and days before, hence had way too much time to think and rethink and go all paranoid.

Anyway, as it turned out, even that tactic had a couple of downsides: first of all, Spencer would've felt tenfold more nervous because of the lack of time to process the thing; second - which was a direct consequence of the former - it would've taken him a million years to get ready, leaving Derek out in the hallway for 5 minutes straight.

"Hey!" Spencer finally opened the door, nervously running his tongue in between his lips and adjusting his hair behind his ears. He also looked slightly out of breath.

"Hi" Derek greeted him back, smiling warmly. It took him a few seconds to realize what was standing in front of him. His man, looking handsome in those clothes.

He walked inside the room and turned around, watching Spencer as he closed the door. He gradually got closer and closer to him, forcing him to pull back until he was caged in between his broad body and the door, with no way out.

Derek placed a hand on his own hip and leaned against the door with his other forearm, just above Spencer's head. He bit his bottom lip in the attempt to stop smiling, staring carefully up and down at every inch of his boyfriend's fineness.

"How dare you" he murmured, knowing that Spencer understood perfectly that he was referring to how outrageously and disrespectfully good he looked.

"W- what are you talking about?" Spencer asked, playing dumb, courageously staring back right into Derek's deep eyes and not even making the slightest effort to contain his furious blush.

Derek didn't answer, instead he reached a hand toward Spencer's jaw, teasingly stroking his bottom lip with his thumb. He was inching closer definitely too slowly for Spencer's liking, to be completely honest.

Derek finally pushed his body against his, making Spencer's back produce a light smashing-like sound against the wooden door. He gasped in all the air he needed before making their lips collide dangerously, forcing a surprised moan out of Spencer's lungs.

"Mmhh...now... t's clear what you're...talking mm'bout" Spencer mumbled teasingly against his lips.

He wrapped his strong arms all around Spencer's body, as if it was threatening to fall on the floor, unravelling his hot tongue inside his mouth at last.

Derek's lips ran down to his jaw, allowing Spencer to catch his breath and his arms to finally grab onto him as his head fell back, hitting the door.

The second his mouth reached his ear, slightly biting his lobe, Spencer realized he couldn't take anymore of that without risking to rip off with his bare hands every single layer of clothing Derek was wearing.

"Ok w- wait, Derek wait a sec" he breathed out, unable to keep his eyes open and aware.

"Mhmh" Derek hummed unbothered, as the tip of his wet tongue brushed on the warm spot beneath Spencer's earlobe, before sucking it into his mouth.

"Ohw fuck- no s- seriously we're already late"

Derek suddenly stopped like Spencer had pushed a "OFF" button. He'd totally forgotten the reason why he got there in the first place, being so distracted by making his boyfriend's head spin and his body squirm uncontrollably.

"Holy shit. You're right." he said checking his watch, without pulling back from Spencer's body even a quarter of an inch.

After a few seconds of silence, while they rested their foreheads against one another to catch their breaths, Spencer spoke up.

"Believe me, I wouldn't have stopped you if it wasn't so important to me."

Derek distanced his face a little in order to look at him. "It is?" he asked with a sparkle in his eyes. "It's important to you?"

"Yes. I really want them to see us together like this." Spencer said smiling softly, caressing Derek's cheek.

"...well maybe not like this " the other answered chuckling, breaking the romantic mood Spencer's words and demeanor had set.

"Yeah right- you know what I mean!"

"I know." Derek concluded nodding, pecking at Spencer's already flushed lips one last time before letting go of him.

"It took me 30 minutes to come up with a decent outfit and you messed it up in 5, that's rude to say the least." Spencer said after a while, adjusting his hair and tucking his shirt back inside his pants.

"I'm sorry pretty boy, but you kinda asked for it." Derek justified himself, shrugging mockingly at him.

"...could say the same thing of you, though." he replied murmuring, not sure if he wanted Derek to hear him or not.

"What was that?" the other asked, even if having heard crystal clear, in fact.

"What?"

Derek snorted, inching once again very, very close.

"Baby, you're only making it worse, you must know that right?" he whispered with a smirk.

Spencer didn't answer, too busy looking at Derek's lips as he ran his tongue in between his.

"And, you're standing in my way."

Spencer frowned and shifted his gaze down, noticing Derek's hand was on the doorknob behind him: he was, indeed, standing in his way. He shot him a glare and stepped aside, so they could finally get out of the room.

The realization that they were about to have dinner with Derek's family as a couple fell onto him once again, out of the blue, easing whatever bit of heat was left inside his pants.

30 minutes later or so, they got to Derek's house. The car ride was strangely silent, probably because they were both nervous - even Derek was, a bit. He was just better at hiding it.

He parked the car and turned it off, deciding to wait a little before getting out. He looked over to Spencer, whose eyes were staring blankly at the small house outside.

"Hey," Derek spoke softly, placing his warm hand on his thigh in the hope to calm him down a little.

Spencer turned his head toward him as soon as he felt his touch, revealing quite an anxious look.

"It's gonna be great. And I bet I'm gonna find myself saying something like 'I told you so'." Derek tried to lift the mood, not needing him to say anything to gather what was troubling him. Still, he paused right after, letting him have the time to say it nonetheless.

"...what if they don't like me?" Spencer finally asked, his voice small and a little trembly.

"They already love you. I can guarantee you that."

"Yeah but I mean, what if they don't like me... this way? With you?" Spencer explained further, trusting that Derek understood what his main concern was. Which wasn't the possibility that they wouldn't like him as a person - because they did, as Derek said and as he already knew. It was the possibility that they wouldn't like him as his romantic partner. As his boyfriend.

"Spencer... they know already that we're together, you know that right? It's not news to them." Derek said furrowing his brows. "and they're not just 'ok' with it, they love it. This. Us." he added reassuringly, pointing between the two of them with his finger.

Spencer simply nodded in response, getting back to looking down at his knees.

Derek shifted in his seat to lean closer, moving his hand from Spencer's thigh to his chin to lift it.

"Baby look at me." he murmured. His heart swelled when Spencer followed the order, giving him puppy eyes.

"I love you. And they love you as much as I do. So they will love us too, for sure. Alright?"

"Alright." Spencer finally spoke, a shy smile on his pretty face.

"...I partly take that back though. Not possible for anybody else to love you as much as I do." Derek concluded on a cheesy note, winking and giving him his signature smile.

Spencer chuckled, refraining from face-palming and choosing instead to simply shake his head.

They finally got out of the car, after that 10 minute pep-talk. Derek made his way around it to reach Spencer, holding out his hand toward him.

Spencer looked at him, shifting his eyes back and forth between Derek's hand and his smiling face. He sighed, acting annoyed, when actually he thought it was very cute of him to decide they'd get to the front door holding hands.

He took it and crossed his fingers with Derek's, clenching it tight to try and lessen his anxiety.

When they arrived at the door - standing beside one another, but Derek a few inches ahead of him - Spencer inadvertently squeezed his hand even more the moment Derek rang the bell.

"Derek! My boy!" Fran opened the door only a couple of seconds later - she'd been probably waiting on them for quite a while - with a wide, shiny smile on her face. Each time he'd seen that smile over the years, Spencer got more and more convinced of whom Derek must have got it from. And he could only thank her for it.

A few moments after, Sarah and Desirée joyfully came to the door as well, the younger one clapping her hands and squealing a loud "yes!" as soon as she saw the couple holding hands. Spencer's whole body was blushing, but he was genuinely happy to be there, with Derek.

"Hey mama!" Derek greeted back entering the house, letting go of Spencer's hand to hug his mom and kiss her forehead, with a smile just as shiny as hers if not more.

"Oh, Spencer, it's so good to see you! Come here," she said closing the door, right before spreading her arms to hug him. She was so small even compared to his skinny frame, Spencer could only imagine how tiny she must have felt in Derek's strong arms.

"It's good to see you too, Mrs Morgan." he smiled back, a little embarrassed because, even if it was from his boyfriend's mother, it was still a hug after all.

"Oh please, don't call me that. You make me feel old!" she pleaded arching her brows, while the two greeted and hugged Derek's sisters as well.

"Old? You look younger than your own son!" Spencer joked.

"Uh excuse me, what side are you on now??" Derek replied, playfully messing Spencer's hair by untucking a strand of it with his fingers to let it fall over his face, causing him to scrunch his nose in that way. The others laughed affectionately at them.

The three women led the way toward the dining room, enveloped in a warm, homely light.

Spencer waited a second to sit down, letting the others choose their spots. Desirée and Sarah sat next to each other, asking that him and Derek mirror them; while their mom - who had temporarily excused herself to check on the food in the kitchen - was of course entitled to the seat at the head of the table.

Dinner proceeded serenely, between some small talk about their tough job and a lively laugh at some joke Derek or Desirée said. Anyone who had spent even just as little as 10 minutes in that house, could tell with zero doubts that those two where the pranksters of the family.

The food was so good, the company even better. No one had brought up any embarrassing topics, nor had made Spencer feel out of place or looked at him weirded out, whenever he'd thrown some of his beloved facts and infos in the conversation: he was struggling to believe it wasn't all a dream.

He used to always remind Derek how lucky he was to have a family like that, but he'd never stood by that statement so much like in that moment. And Derek had clearly noticed it, by how much he was enjoying himself.

At a certain point though, after God knows how many half hours had passed, when they had finished eating and were enjoying the faint inebriating effect of the wine, Sarah asked the question.

"So...since Derek has never really answered this clearly, and since your memory is kind of a big deal right? I'm gonna try and ask you..." she started, staring at Spencer with a grin on her face, keeping both him and Derek on their toes.

"...how did it happen?? Like, who confessed and when?"

"Sis we already talked about this!" Derek said face-palming, dramatically leaning back on his chair resigned to the fact that she would never stop asking until she was fed every teeny tiny detail.

"Shush! She's right, you never gave a legit answer!" Desirée added, coming to her sister's aid.

"Well, it's just fair that he hasn't given a clear answer because it's not easy to determine exactly when the 'confession' happened, cause there have always been a lot of...let's say mixed signals from both parts through the years, for lack of a better word" Spencer started. "but first of all I can safely say that Derek was the one who confessed first, and I guess that's kinda obvious being the confident, cocky kind of guy I think we can all agree that he is." he paused his narrative, turning his head to look at Derek's reaction while he accused him of being those things.

"Alright alright, I'll give you that. Keep going." Derek nodded smugly, shifting in his seat closer to Spencer to stretch his arm on the backrest of his chair.

"What's ironic though is, that it actually happened while we were FIGHTING, about a thing that happened on the job - which I'm not gonna elaborate cause I feel like 4 years, 1 month and 21 days later, he's STILL mad at m- hey! " Spencer got interrupted by a light hand-smack on his nape from Derek.

" 'Course I'm still mad at you, smartass!!"

"Alright, fair enough, point is," he cleared his voice in the attempt to stop chuckling. "point is, we had a big fight, and then Derek just...he just said it, out of nowhere." Spencer shrugged in conclusion to his story-telling, lowering his voice on that last bit, while drawing circles on the empty wine glass with his thumb.

There were a few seconds of complete silence, during which Derek stared at Spencer's perfect side profile, absorbed in that... life-changing memory he'd just brought back. "Life-changing" was the right adjective because he remembered very well that it hadn't been all good. But - seeing how things were now going between Spencer and him - certainly not even all bad. It sure as hell had changed their lives, though.

"See? It's not like I came dressed in white with a carriage and asked him to dance, lemme tell you we were fucking MAD at each other!" Derek broke the silence, speaking to his sisters.

"Alright, you could've just told us!" his mom replied among a choir of laughs, too amused by the comment to bother about the cuss that had slipped out of his son's mouth.

"Well I don't exactly strike as the dancer type, so with all due respect you guys could've easily ruled that out from the beginning!" Spencer added jokingly, supporting his boyfriend's thesis.

"You don't- what?? You asked me to dance just about a couple weeks ago at JJ's wedding, who're you tryna fool, genius??" Derek loved to joke around about that episode.

"But that's different! Slow dancing at weddings isn't dancing per say, that's common knowledge."

" 'common knowledge', blablabla, a'ight, we get it, you're the smartest in the room." Derek kept mocking him, rolling his eyes and air-quoting the words "common knowledge".

He reached his hand out to place it on the back of Spencer's head, affectionately running his slim fingers through his soft curls. "I'm still convinced you're a pretty good dancer." he added softly.

Spencer finally shifted his look from the glass to Derek's eyes, trying to hide his smile.

"That's not an unbiased opinion, though"

Derek's brows shot up. "Oh you're right, I forgot that you're my handsome, smart boyfriend for a second there. I do have a couple bias."

Spencer shot him a look that said: Jesus Christ, Derek. His cheeks could've easily melted like candle wax and he was about to fall off his chair from hearing that answer, so the stabbing glance was only fair - Spencer was clearly not yet worrying about the 100% worth probability of Derek later mentioning how "cute" and "adorable" his reaction and expression were in that moment. "You're lucky I didn't sprinkle that face of yours with kisses in front of everyone, pretty boy" he always said.

The three women didn't even try to interrupt that moment, absolutely struck by their chemistry. If anyone was still wondering how in the world two people so different like them could be a couple, it must've been because they hadn't yet seen a playful banter between those two like the one Desirée, Sarah and Fran had just witnessed. It was like watching a movie.

"Oh my! It's so late. You two should probably get back if you wanna get some sleep before your flight tomorrow." Fran pointed out half-heartedly, checking the clock hung on the wall in front of the table.

"You're right ma'. Though it's not like we get much sleep with this job anyway..." Derek added dry-wittingly and with a deep sigh, as he checked his own watch, too: it was around 10 pm. Not even so late if it were a normal day of work in Quantico, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. They had to drag their asses on the jet at 5 am the next morning.

Spencer was brought back to reality when they mentioned work, but mostly when Derek's warm fingers until then drawing patterns on his scalp abruptly pulled back; leaving him mentally complaining.

"Do you need help in the kitchen?" he asked Fran politely, seeing her standing up from her chair and starting to pile up the dishes.

"No baby c'mon, that's my job." Derek immediately dismissed the other's offer, before his mother had even had the time to do that herself; getting up too while subtly caressing Spencer's cheek with his knuckles.

The two managed to gather all the dirty dishes and glasses and cutlery in one run, and headed to the kitchen, leaving there a blushing Spencer - calling him "baby" in front of his family? Dear God - alone with Derek's sisters, in what he anticipated to be an awkward situation.

After an unsettling amount of seconds, Desirée's almost whispering voice breached through the silence, as if afraid of being heard from the other room.

"Ok so, the most important question now is-"

"Desi, come on!!" Sarah tried to stop her from asking what she was about to ask, lightly hitting her forearm with her hand.

"What?? You wanna know too, don't play innocent all of a sudden!" she lowered her voice once again, shifting her attention back to Spencer in front of her.

"As I was saying, question is... has he proposed yet? "

Spencer's brain stopped working - if that was even possible, for the genius with an IQ of 187. He should've expected such a question - should he, though? Really?? What the hell.

"No! No he- we've never talked about it, I don't- I don't know what he thinks of it, I don't even know what I think, to be honest" Spencer was having the hardest time putting his words together. If the topic had been marriage in general, he would've undoubtedly started blurting out statistics until everyone's ears were bleeding. But they were talking about Derek and his hypothetical marriage: he hadn't rehearsed for that one.

How was it possible that in all the years they'd been together, the thought of getting married hadn't even brushed his mind? Or Derek's? Was it a bad sign? Or maybe Derek HAD thought about it but was afraid of rejection? Wow. Yet another paranoid thought to haunt him now. Thank you, Desirée.

"But how's that possible?? You're literally the light of his life, I don't understand..." Sarah shared her thought out loud, crossing her arms and staring at an undefined spot on the table cloth, as if the lace embroideries could give her tangible answers to the question.

Spencer's smile was impossible to control now. He tried, he really did, but that night it seemed like they were all daring him to melt on the floor.

"Girls, don't steal him! I know he's pretty but he's MY pretty boy alright?" Derek's loud voice came from the kitchen, from where he could hear his sisters' bickering but couldn't decipher what they were saying - luckily.

Derek's comment was probably about the twentieth proof of what stated before - they were literally RACING on who would get Spencer's face to catch fire first.

Fran laughed at Derek's scolding, shaking her head.

"Well, for what it's worth, he really is gorgeous if you ask me." she said, finishing to wash the last fork and passing it to him so he could wipe it dry with a cloth.

"That makes two of us." Derek replied. "Actually a lot more than two, so I'm very lucky." he added, after being distracted by that thought for a few seconds.

"He's lucky too, you know? To have you in his life." his mom assured, affectionately stroking her son's shoulder with her small hand.

Derek sighed, finishing to dry the dishes out and rolling the sleeves of his button-up shirt back down to his wrists. "I don't know mama. Sometimes I feel like he's getting tired of me."

"Oh baby that's not possible, trust me. I've dated a bunch of guys when I was young, and the ones who looked at me like Spencer looks at you were the ones I had to dump because they never would have in a thousand years." she paused. "...until I met your father, and then we both looked at each other like that. Just like you two do." she concluded in a nostalgic tone, forcing a sad smile out of him.

"...have you asked him yet?" she changed the topic, after a long silence.

"Asked what?" Derek answered with a question, frowning.

"...to marry you? "

"What?? Mom, I don't know if- we've never even mentioned it- Jesus mama we don't even live together yet!" he replied, even more confused than before he got asked, trying to keep his voice low.

"Alright! No need to fuss like that! Take your time. But you should at least think about it, if you really wanna know what your mother thinks." she winked, before finally getting back to the other room, leaving Derek full of questions he didn't even know he had in the first place.

Spencer entered the small kitchen, holding Derek's leather jacket in his hand.

"You done?" he asked, handing it to him as Derek turned around to face him.

The man nodded in response, putting the jacket on.

"I wanna hear you say it." he then said, grinning at him with his arms folded on his chest.

"...say what?" Spencer asked, as if he didn't know what Derek wanted to hear, non-chalantly leaning against the counter.

Derek made a step closer, grabbing his jaw in one hand and trapping him between said counter and his hips.

"Just say it" he repeated, this time murmuring a few inches from his face.

Spencer tried to avoid his eyes, but it was almost impossible. Considering how he'd been kissed senseless against the door earlier in his hotel room, Spencer should've known better than to stand between Derek's body and whatever other vertical surface. He would never admit he didn't want to learn that lesson.

"...you were right." he finally confessed in a sigh, trying to contain his smile.

"Yes." Derek let out a whispered exult, before ultimately erasing that bit of space left between their lips. He cupped the back of Spencer's neck to prevent him from hitting the crown of his head against the metal handle of the cabinet above. Or to prevent him from escaping his mouth, whichever option one deems more realistic.

They kissed slowly and secretly, both struggling to stop the giggles and little smiles from interrupting it every 5 seconds, making it impossible for their tongues to keep prolonged contact.

The moment Spencer was starting to get carried away just enough to wrap his arms around Derek's neck, they heard an intentional fit of coughing coming from the threshold of the door.

They quickly and embarrassedly took their hands off of each other and turned around to face Sarah.

"Uhm, guys, it's starting to rain..." she said with a slight cringe on her face.

"Nice." Derek sighed. He took Spencer's hand and led the way out of the room and toward the front door.

They hugged and said their goodbyes to the three women, and Derek opened the door, letting Spencer out first.

His mom grabbed his arm before he could close the door behind his back. "Think about it." she mouthed, winking at her son.

Derek snorted and rolled his eyes in response.

When he stepped out and turned around, he saw Spencer looking blankly in front of them, sheltered by the porch, righteously frozen in spot and gaping: it wasn't simply "starting to rain". It was like someone from up there was literally pouring the whole Lake Michigan over their heads.

They exchanged a resigned look, before deciding unanimously to run toward the car, luckily parked only 30 ft away from the house.

"Shit." Spencer cursed under his breath when they finally got into the car, soaked from head to toe.

"Yeah" Derek agreed. "Maybe we can wait a lil until this mess calms down before heading back, what do you say?" he asked rhetorically.

"Most definitely." Spencer replied chuckling, tucking his wet hair behind his ears.

They stayed silent for a few minutes, listening to the relaxing sound of the water running down the windshield, making it absolutely impossible to distinguish the shapes of whatever was outside.

"So, uhm" Spencer broke the silence, interrupting himself immediately after to sigh annoyedly at his failed attempt to wipe dry his drooling-wet forehead with the sleeve of his equally wet jacket. He wanted to talk about that thing before he could lose any sleep over it.

"...your sisters asked me a question that left me...honestly, I don't even know if there's a word to describe my reaction in that moment." he continued, now pinching with his fingers the pants sticking to his thigh.

Derek's heart rate started to increase uncontrollably. He didn't say anything, letting Spencer finish, to have actual proof that he was gonna say what he thought he was gonna say; and just then, could legitimately freak out.

"Desirée asked if you had proposed yet." Spencer said straight up, still struggling to believe that he'd actually received such a question. "I didn't know how to justify the fact that neither of us has thought about it yet. I mean, should we have thought about it? Is it- is it an option? I don't even know I just- I don't know. I don't know what to think about this so please tell me that you have a vague idea of what to do with that question." Spencer finished talking, leaving Derek speechless. Now, he had the right to freak out.

Derek let his forehead drop on the steering wheel, chuckling to himself - he didn't even know where to start.

"A'ight, uhm...mom asked me, too." he finally confessed, pulling himself together just enough to sit up straight again. "I don't know if it was all calculated, but it wouldn't be surprising if it was, now would it?"

"Definitely not." Spencer replied laughing.

Derek cleared his voice and got a little more serious. "Of course I told her I didn't ask you to marry me... yet. I guess. Dammit, I don't know, am I supposed to know?"

"I don't know!"

"How are we even gonna talk about it if we don't know? She told me to 'think about it', think about what??" Derek was freaking out way more than Spencer was, which was the most unexpected turn of events ever.

"Ok Derek stop for a second." Spencer said in a soothing tone, turning slightly to his left to look at him better as he grabbed his hand. Derek quieted down and stared deep into his boyfriend's gentle eyes, entwining their fingers together.

"It's hard to picture it because of our job. That's literally the whole point. The only point, to be fair, cause- look, I don't know if I wanna get married, what I know is that I...I think I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with you...you know? It sounds cheesy I know, but there's no other proper way to say it..."

Spencer's words calmed Derek down. He let go of his hand to caress the back of his neck, staring silently at him as his smart brain formulated the next things to say.

"and- and maybe, in the future, when the job and everything else falls into place...maybe we could consider signing a piece of paper, I guess. But the point is that if you asked me in this exact moment I'd say yes because- because yes, I want to be with you- but there's no pressure what so ever cause this is what I think and maybe I'm not making any sense to you right now and you don't ever wanna get married or...or be with me forever and- and it's ok, I'm just tryna figure my thoughts out-"

"Kid. It does. It makes sense to me, too. All of it." Derek was the one speaking sensibly now. He leaned closer and started to run his fingers through Spencer's damp hair to relax him.

"...do you want me to give you statistics about divorces within the first 3 years of marriage in homosexual couples?" Spencer asked after a few seconds of silence, though it wasn't so much a question rather an excuse to put a halt to the gears overdriving in his mind.

Derek burst into such a glee, beautiful sounding laugh, Spencer was on the verge of swooning. He swore if saying lame jokes was the way to hear that laugh 24 hours a day, he would've recorded himself saying them and played them to him non-stop. That was husband material, no doubt.

"Baby, you know I'm always here to listen to your ramblings, but I really don't think we should be discussing divorces before even having got married, what do you think?" the man said eventually, once his laugh had quieted down.

Even having predicted such an answer, the words Derek said and the way he said them didn't fail to make Spencer giggle and flush - a downside to his attempted teasings he'd found himself fall into a quadrillion times during the years. Another of many lessons he wasn't quite willing to learn.

After that, they stayed in silence for a while, staring into each other's eyes. From the sound of it, they noticed the rain had almost completely settled down.

Spencer timidly inched forward and laid a kiss on the corner of Derek's lips.

"I love you." he whispered, before placing his palm behind his neck to push him deeper into his mouth.

The moment Spencer pronounced those words and blessed him with one of his sugar-kisses, Derek started to contemplate that if spending the rest of his days with that man meant wet-making out in the car; and cozy family dinners, awkward questions included; and that sweet voice of his endlessly pouring his smart - oh, so smart - brain out to him at 3 am; and velvet tongue healing his bruised skin; and slow dancing even if it wasn't "dancing per say"; and feather-like fingers drawing goosebumps underneath his clothes; and being unable to stay angry at such a gorgeous face for too long - then he could've signed that piece of paper right there, right then.

When he woke up from that thought, Derek realized that the gap between their car seats that was keeping their bodies apart was starting to bother him. He pulled out of that tongue-melting kiss.

"We should get going now that it's not raining anymore." he said breathily.

Spencer nodded, swallowing the rich taste Derek's mouth left into his. "Yeah." he shivered. " 'm starting to get cold..."

Derek started the car, smirking as Spencer's words prompted a very specific thought to crawl its way into his head.

"We could keep warm actually doing that thing we were about to do earlier in your room."

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thevelvetseries · 5 years

Text

The Halstead’s (Part 1)

Overall Summary : This story will follow Will Halstead, Jay Halstead and Y/N Halstead. We all know Will as being a Third-Year Attending Physician in Emergency Medicine at Gaffney Chicago, and Jay Halstead as a detective at the 21st district. Y/N Halstead is a 17 year old girl about to start her senior year of high school. She is a grade A student and always does the right thing. One night her friend hosts a party and Y/N loosens up and get a little drunk. What consequences will follow?

Pairing : Jay Halstead x Sister Reader / Will Halstead x Sister Reader

Warnings : Fluff, Angst, Implied Smut, Pregnancy, Brotherly Love, Natalie Bonding, Passing Out

Series Masterlist / Main Masterlist

Chicago. The Windy City. The home of the bears, and where I have lived my whole life with my two older brothers Jay and Will Halstead. I’m there little sister Leah Halstead. I’m currently in my last coming weeks of junior year before summer vacation and I head face first into my senior year of high school. At this moment in time I’m living with my older brother Will in his house, and spend weekends round Jays apartment, since I have a room at each place. I stay with Will during the week since it’s closer to school, longer time to sleep.

It’s an early Friday morning. I can hear a loud ringing by my head. I know its my alarm clock, its time to get up. With my eyes still close I blindly. After a few minutes my eyes start to open. The glare of sunshine starts to burst through the window and blinds me, I shut my eyes and rub them. Once my body has adjusted I remove my duvet from my body and slip on my slippers that sit by my bed, and starts to walk downstairs to the kitchen. The smell of waffles feel my nose. Will was making his famous blueberry waffles which I’ll admit everyone loved.

“Morning Will” I say while thinking about the science test I have to take today during 3rd period. Will turns around with a plate full of food and places it down in front of me and does the same for himself.

“Morning kiddo, you ready for today” he asked while eating his own breakfast. I nod.

“Yeah, I’ve studied. I think I’m going to do ok.”

10 minutes pass and I’m now done with my breakfast and headed upstairs to get ready for the day. While I was doing my hair my phone goes off and it’s a text from Veronica. ‘Hey, we are all going to get ready at Shay’s tonight for her party. Meet me after school at the gate, bring everything you’ll need’

I finished getting ready and get out the outfit I had already got together for the party. It was a simple red maxi dress and some black heels. I placed them in my bag and added my makeup bag as well for retouches. Jay and Will already said I could go, when Shay came up with the idea, we never normally would host the party’s but this time we were. Since I was driving myself to school today, I’d just leave everything in the boot of the car to keep everything safe.

Once I was ready I collected everything I need for tonight and that I needed for school and made my way downstairs. Where I found Will in the front room getting his shoes on, getting ready to leave for work himself.

“Hey Will, instead of come home after school and getting ready here, we’re just gonna go straight to Shay’s from school to save time. Oh, and don’t forget I’m staying over after so I’ll be home sometime tomorrow morning, early afternoon.” I tell Will

He got up from the couch and out his coat on. “Yeah ok, just text me or Jay so we know you are safe and sound please.” I smile and nod and say goodbye before heading out and going to school.

On the way to school I stop by and pick up Veronica and Shay like normal, Shay was going on about how she was really excited about tonight since it was her first time throwing a party and she couldn’t wait. While Veronica was reading over her science notes so she could ace this test. Once we finally arrived at school we all head to our home room. I go inside and sit at the back of the classroom like normal. I’m scrolling through Instagram while the bell rings and Mrs Boden walk through the doors. She take all our attendance gave out important messages for the day before we all headed off for our first lesson of the day.

Once the school day was over, we all gather up our things and head towards the school gates, I turn left towards the parking lot and wait for Shay and Veronica in my car since it was cold. Suddenly a loud bang came from the passenger side window, I jumped 10 ft in the air and looked and saw Shay and Veronica laughing there heads off, and getting inside.

“OMG! Guys you’ve got to stop scaring my like that. I’m going to die from it one day.” I say while starting the car up and headed out the school parking lot.

When we got to shays we all gather around in the kitchen eating the left over pizza Shay had from last night and talking about random things. When it got to around 5pm we all thought that we should start to get ready for the party tonight before setting up everything. We each took shower and redid our hair and makeup before getting dressed. Around 7pm Jeff, Dean, Spencer and Chloe arrive with the keg and some extra snacks. The boys tap the keg and place it in the backyard while the rest of us finish getting ready. I started putting chips into different bowls and ordered some different pizza’s for everyone to enjoy.

The party was now in full swing, people dancing, drinking, talking just having fun. Relaxing. I’m currently sitting outside by the pool talking to Jeff and was on my 4th drink of the night. I’m starting to feel a little buzz from the alcohol that I’ve consumed in the past few hours, but was still alert to know what was going on around me. I was feeling happy. The cool breeze hits my body and goosebumps arose on my skin. I’m wearing a maxi dress in Chicago, of course it’s cold but I didn’t care, the alcohol was definitely taking affect.

Me and Jeff kept talking, laughing and just having fun like we always do. After about 30 minutes me and Jeff start to kiss, it wasn’t the first time either. Me and Jeff have had a sexual relationship for a year now but we aren’t dating. When things start to get a little heated we headed upstairs and found a vacant bedroom and locked the door behind us. Next things next we are both naked on the bed, what I didn’t know was that this decision would cause a huge bump in my life later down the road.

I was awoken by daylight coming through the window. I was in Shay’s bedroom laying next to Veronica on the floor surrounded by pillows. While Shay and Chloe and Spencer where in the bed. I look up and see Spencer on he phone and Chloe watching TV on mute. I sit up and put on my hoodie to warm myself up a little, since the window had been left opened all night long. “Morning Y/N/N” Spencer said while getting up to use the bathroom.

“Morning Spenc” I yawn as I head over to Shay’s vanity and brush all the knots out of my hair. Bit by bit all of us girls wake up and head downstairs to Shay’s kitchen to find something that we wanted for breakfast. Shay and Veronica decided to get McDonald’s for breakfast so why the rest of us where waiting for them to come back with breakfast we starting watching a movie in the front room and talking about the party last night.

After breakfast we all got cleaned up, and watched a few more movies before all heading home. I dropped Veronica back at her house and continued until I reached mine. One I turned down my street and got closer to the house I notice that Jay’s car is parked out, he’s probably came over to have breakfast with Will before work. When I finally I entered the house it was 10am and I came home to the sound of the TV, and found Jay and Will eating waffles and watching the news.

“Hey guys” I say while taking my shoes off and hanging up my coat on the hook by the door.

“Hey” they both say in unison. “How was the party? Hope you had fun.” Jay said while taking another bit of his waffle.

“Yeah, I had fun. It was nice to just relax for once.” I say while taking a seat between will and Jay and taking part of Will’s waffle. He gave me a little looked, like he was annoyed but he couldn’t hold it and smiled.

An hour later Jay left for work and me and Will stayed relaxing on the sofa watching the horror movie channel. At some point in the movie I feel asleep and woke up with a blanket covering me and no Will in sight and hearing the front door close.

“Will?” I voiced loudly to see if her was still home. I heated footsteps coming closer Jay and Will both came in into the front room.

“How long was I asleep?” I say while sitting up.

“4 hours, you must have been really tired from last night? How much. Did you drink?” Will asked. I rubbed my eye and started to sit up.

“Errrmmm. I didn’t have a lot. 4 drinks altogether.” I say even though I know I had about 6 by the end of the night. I know it may not seem like a lot, but for me someone who doesn’t drink that often it was. He looked at me suspiciously and nodded.

I placed my head on Jays lap and continued to watch the TV. After about an hour and Jay tells me it’s time to leave. Since it was Saturday I stay with him. I get up and pack some things I need and put on my coat and shoes, say goodbye to Will and head down to Jays car.

“Jay can we get Chinese for dinner?” I ask while trying to look as innocent as possible to try and get my way. He looked at me with raised eyebrows.

“Fine, only because I want an egg roll.” I giggled at his response.

We got to Jays around 6pm with dinner in our hands. We go inside and eat and relax in the front room watching Netflix. I’m sitting on the other end of the couch to Jay, I can see him thinking things in his head. Everything since I was little Jay has always been the brother I go to when I want to talk about my feelings or when something was bothering me ever since I was little and Will was more the one who would help me out with my problems, so I could always tell when something was bothering Jay like he could with me.

“Jay, what you thinking about?” I said while looking at him.

“It’s nothing sweetie, it’s just a case I’m working on. Nothing for you to worry about” he says. I move up the couch and cuddle into him. He stokes my hair and I start to get tired and end up falling asleep in his lap.

The Halstead’s Tag-List

@ms-reader @thatwrestlingfan91 @shootingcosmos @graziapetrova @graciecliffx @myhre99 @novelty-keeper @wdwiskey @gushinim @immis95 @jellyfish-0fficial @fwirwin @aspiring-fangirls-world @qualitypolicelady @livibrendlinger @angelreyesgirl100 @scatchia @angie1djonasgg @vxxn128

#chicago med #chicago med imagine #chicago med fanfiction #chicago med fanfic #chicago med series #chicago pd #chicago pd imagine #chicago pd fanfiction #chicago pd fanfic #chicago pd series #will halstead #will halstead x reader #will halstead x sister!reader #jay halstead #jay halstead x reader #jay halstead x sister!reader #the halsteads

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dbhtychou · 4 years

Text

Keep Me Warm

This is theoretically part of the “Deviant City” universe, the true sequel to “Chicago”. I just wanted to experiment with a scene that had both the Chicago Connor and Detroit Connor in the same room, and see how it would work juggling two characters with the same name.

Extra heavy on the Hot Android side with this one.

************

Connor felt the soft body stir before Samantha sat herself up in bed. It was still the middle of the night: fully dark outside. She soundlessly walked out, but Connor didn't follow. Normally, she would be in the bathroom for a few moments and then come right back to bed. He would wait for her return. Usually it earned him a good snuggle before she dozed off again.

This time, after a trip to the bathroom, he heard Samantha wander off down the hall. Connor still remained where he was. Over a year of sharing the same spaces together, he knew she didn't need or even like him to constantly trail her. She'd come back to bed eventually.

Samantha wandered out to the main living area. She kept the lights off; she always did. Haunting the night like a silent specter. She wandered the open space trying to figure out why she felt so off. A little feverish maybe? A little shivery. Her stomach kinda hurt. It could be her medication. It had made her not feel well in the middle of the night before. She walked to the kitchen, the fridge spraying the area with light for a moment as she poured herself a glass of milk and drank, hoping that would set her right.

She went back to wandering when she heard the front door unlock. In came Connor. Not her bodyguard. Not the one that was probably still in bed. The Connor they met when they came to Detroit. The other RK800 that had become just as much a part in her life as the Connor she had known from Chicago. When the two identical androids were together, their friends called them Connor D. (Detroit) and Connor C. (Chicago) to differentiate the two. Here at home, they were both just Connor to Samantha.

The Connor from Detroit was the stray cat of the family. He had a key to let himself in, but he came and went as he pleased at all hours. This wasn't the only place he considered home, but he was always welcome there.

“Hey,” Samantha greeted quietly, as if there were people still sleeping. “So great to see you.”

Connor's expression softened at the sight of her, the side of his mouth pulling up into a smile. She always looked happy to see him, her face brightened, no matter how little or how much time it had been since their last greeting. It always made him feel warm to bask in her presence. He was aware he was slowly becoming addicted.

“You are up late. In the dark,” Connor observed. The only source of light was the glow from the band on his jacket and his LED.

“Woke up feeling a little weird. Just walking it off.”

He looked concerned and she knew he was going to ask why she was in the dark alone. But the other RK800 was already walking up the hall toward them. He was a shadow in the night in dark sweats and a t-shirt, no LED. It had taken a lot of work on Samantha's part to get the Connor from Chicago to be comfortable in casual wear. If it were up to him, he'd wear a three-piece suit 24/7. But comfy clothes were better for snuggling in bed.

“You're still up,” said Connor in casual. He pressed his fingers to the side of her neck. “You feel a little warm.”

“I actually feel kind of chilly.”

Connor the detective took his turn to touch her forehead. “A few degrees higher than normal,” he confirmed.

Both RK800s were now were touching parts of her skin, commenting on her temperature. Samantha took it with quiet tolerance, eyes closed. Sometimes, when the identical models were too close, their thoughts too much alike, they went into mimic mode: copying dialog and gestures from each other. Lieutenant Anderson said it was like watching two Furbies talk to each other, and twice as creepy. The two androids were never quite aware when they were doing it.

In the middle of the feedback loop, Samantha's stomach churned. She walked away and back to the bathroom. The androids, immediately silenced, followed. They found her sitting on the side of the tub, shivering. She tried to smile when they came in, but wasn't entirely appreciative of them following her around.

“You guys can go hang out. I'm just letting my tummy settle, then I'll go back to sleep.”

The two RK800s looked at each other. They were having a conversation she couldn't hear, she was sure of it. The two talked like that all the time, not realizing it. They were too synced. Two systems from the same network that joined far too easily.

She was about to press again that they should go do something else when her stomach clenched. She threw herself down by the toilet, just managing to get her hair out of the way before she threw up. A few more heaves and she fell back against the tub, panting. When one of the androids reached for her, she brushed him away and forced herself up to the sink. After rinsing her mouth, she moved past them, announcing she was going back to bed. They heard her body flop onto the mattress in the dark bedroom across the hall. Then all was still.

I feel like she's mad, Connor D. said over their link.

She's not. But she likes to take care of herself. She doesn't like to be overly doted on or babied. Connor's LED flickered as his brow furrowed. Then...what should we do?

Connor C. looked at the bedroom doorway and then down the hall. Let's go out for a while. I think she'll like if we leave her alone.

Clearly, Connor D. didn't agree, but he followed the older RK800 down the hall and watched as he put on a pair of sneakers. When they left the house and Connor C. locked the door, Connor D. spoke aloud this time.

“You are sure we should leave her if she's not well?”

“I can tell when she gets to that point where she wants her own space.” Connor C. started down the pathway to the sidewalk. “We'll let her sleep for a while and come back at dawn. She'll probably be feeling better by then. And Samantha likes it when we spend time together.”

Connor D. looked at him with a brow raised.

“She thinks of the two of us as family. Brothers, I suppose.”

Connor D.'s mouth turned down slightly. He was still grasping this concept of family, but the Other Connor didn't feel like a family member to him. More like they were two parts of the same network; a hive mind, working independently, but ultimately as one.

Connor C. gave him a quirked smile. Let's just humor Samantha for now.

*************

Dawn was peering over the horizon when the androids returned. Inside, they entered to the sound of retching down the hall. They found Samantha practically hugging the toilet as she continued to heave into the bowl.

“Sam?” Connor C. asked as she spat out the last of the bile.

With low coordination, she managed to flush and turned in their direction. There was no color to her face. “Okay, I think I'm sick,” she admitted with a dry throat.

The androids looked at each other. Hopefully she was done having her own space now and ready to accept some help.

Connor C. stooped to offer her a hand, but she waved it away.

“No, I'm going to stay here. I don't think I'm done with the barfing yet.”

If he still had his LED, it would have been flickering in the yellow. “Then what can I do?”

“Get me a blanket and some water please?”

He left with his task. Connor D. remained, carefully sitting on the bathroom floor beside her. She still knelt in front of the toilet, arms folded on the seat, waiting for another wave.

“That looks like it hurts,” he said sympathetically.

“Weirdly, there's a part of it that feels good. Your stomach hurts so bad, you would give anything to get rid of it. Then you have that one moment of relief when you've puked it all out. Tummy's okay again. But then it starts all over.”

A blanket dropped over her shoulders and Connor C. handed her a cold glass of water. She sipped it gingerly, then groaned when her stomach roiled again.

“What else can I do?” Connor asked, hovering.

“Nothing. I've got a stomach bug. There's nothing to be done but ride it out.”

He kept hovering. He touched her shoulders. “Just let me--”

“I don't need your help puking my guts out,” she cut him off with a cranky tone. “I just need to be left alone. Go do something else for a while.”

She motioned to Connor D. as well to get himself out of her bathroom and the RK800s grudgingly left. It was another twenty minutes of dry heaves and retching out the water she drank before Samantha decided it was safe enough to leave the toilet for a while. Directly outside the bathroom, an identical android sat on either side of the door.

“For the love of crap,” she grouched at them. “I promise, you two can go do something else. I'm just going to stay in bed--” She paused as she suddenly felt light-headed and her vision flickered black for just a second.

Both androids were on their feet as she swayed, catching her between them. For a moment, the three of them hung there. Two firm, strong bodies pressed against her, holding her up. Another time, if this happened when she wasn't so sick, something like this would have sent her heart racing, a healthy flush to her cheeks. Instead, she felt the thud of their thirium pumps. They were worried about her.

She let out a heavy sigh. “Please put me to bed. I'm going to rest.”

Happy to have a task, Connor C. picked her up as gently as he could and set her under he blankets. Samantha then told them both to leave her alone so she could sleep.

The disgruntled androids hovered in the hall, not at all satisfied with their situation.

She is not being very cooperative, Connor D. complained.

I know, his counterpart agreed with a frown. She's acting like she doesn't trust us to know what to do.

She's right. We really don't know anything about taking care of sick humans.

Connor C. looked thoughtful. What if we contacted someone who does? Who do we know that knows more about humans than anyone else?

The two androids thought hard about all the different individuals they knew.

*************

There was a soft knock at the door. It was opened to reveal the blonde countenance of a PL600. He looked less than thrilled to be there.

“Alright, where's the patient?” Simon asked.

The two Connors pointed him down toward the bedroom, but were hesitant to follow him inside. Simon stepped in brazenly. The little human didn't hold the same sway over him.

“Samantha.”

She groaned and raised her head. “Oh my God. Did they call you?”

“I'm afraid so.”

“Don't you have more experience taking care of children?”

“In my experience, all humans are children when they're sick.”

She huffed at the implication as he walked over to her.

“Why did those two call you of all people?”

He smirked. “Because you and I both know they are idiots when it comes to things like this.” She snorted as he sat on the bed next to her. “But they're your idiots and they care about you very much. That's why I came.”

She sighed. “There's still nothing you can do.”

“There's some things I can do. First we're going to set you up on the couch. It will be harder to sleep tonight if you've been in the bed all day.”

With great effort, Samantha pulled herself out of bed, draping one of the blankets over her shoulders. She shuffled out and began to sway as she entered the hall. Simon was there, an arm around her shoulder to steady her.

“You've got it pretty bad.”

“I've never been this sick. I've only had it this morning and it's already knocked me out this much.”

The RK800s comically kept their distance as Simon set her up in the living room. They seemed afraid of earning the human's wrath after calling for reinforcements and waited for him to approach them after he was finished.

“So what can we do?” Connor C. asked.

“I have a whole list of things you can do. To start, one of you can clean the kitchen while the other goes out for groceries.”

Both Connors frowned at him.

“That's not what I meant.”

Simon raised a challenging brow. “You're saying you expect her to clean this house after she recovers? And when she's able to keep food down again, she should do her own shopping before she can eat? You two make terrible boyfriends.”

Connor C. looked offended. Connor D. was surprised. Yes, he was over all the time, her cared about her—about them both—a great deal. But...boyfriend? He wasn't like that to her...was he?

“I'll stay here and clean,” Connor C. said with a dark glare. Of course he would stay. Those bodyguard protocols wouldn't allow him to go too far when Samantha was vulnerable and weak. Even they were out walk earlier, thinking Samantha would be fine, the two RK800s just kept circling the block. “Connor will do the shopping.”

He didn't even have to ask Connor D. if he agreed to it. There were things the two RK800s just knew about each other through their shared network. Connor D. nodded to confirm.

*************

Samantha woke from her dozing when she heard the front door shut. Connor D. walked past them, grocery bags in hand. At some time while she slept, he had removed his android jacket and tie. Only his pressed white shirt remained, the top buttons undone and sleeves rolled up to the elbows. It was a good look for him.

“Did you send him to the store?” she asked.

Simon was on the couch with her while she snoozed. He picked a movie and then allowed Samantha to set a pillow on his lap so they could both fit.

“Yes, I put them to work,” Simon said proudly. “To keep them out of both our hair.”

“Where's the other Connor?”

“He angrily cleaned the kitchen and now I can hear him angrily cleaning the bathroom.”

Even from the living room, they could hear Connor furiously scrubbing the tub down the hall. Samantha found it amusing. She had never seen Connor clean before. Her philosophy is if you make the mess, you clean it up. She was the one who used the bathroom and kitchen. She never expected someone else to clean up after her.

“Why is he so mad?”

“Probably because I'm here with you and he's cleaning.”

She snorted, but gently. Her head was pounding something fierce.

“You should let them help you,” Simon suggested.

“I don't like Connor treating me like I need his help and protection every minute of the day. He's got that stupid bodyguard program in him and it makes him too obsessed. I don't want his entire life to just evolve around me. I want him to be able to go out and make friends, do things on his own.”

“He can still have all that and take care of you while you're sick. You're obsessive, too. You have to stop trying to protect him from what you imagine is bad for him. Let him make his own decisions.”

She sighed.

“I'm going to let them take care of you,” Simon said as he eased himself from under her.

“Must you?” she whispered as she saw Connor D. lurking in the doorway.

“I will leave them with instructions. It will be fine,” Simon said. “Call me when you feel better.”

*****************

Samantha dozed for a minute, then Connor D. in his pressed shirt came in. He set down a tray table with saltines and ginger ale, informing her to eat a little at a time when she felt like she could hold something down. Samantha ignored it. She had never felt this sick in her life. Death was preferable to feeling like this.

Connor then tried to finagle himself into Simon's old spot. Samantha closed her eyes, praying for patience as he lifted her and then set her head in his lap. She didn't feel like being moved or touched, but she also didn't want to get cross with him. He was trying. Then, when her head was settled, he began running his fingers through her hair and she forgave everything. This was the only thing that felt good on this day of misery. She was soon fast asleep.

***********

She woke up later to Connor still where he was, the TV still going. Connor C. was there now, too. Sitting on the floor, his back against the couch. He turned his head when she touched his hair.

“How do you feel?”

“Like shit,” she croaked.

He looked so lost. “How can I help you?”

She caressed his check. “My soft android.”

“You should try to eat something,” he responded sternly.

She sighed. He wasn't going to stop trying. And she loved him. More than anything else in the world. So she forced herself to sit up and nibble on some crackers. Soon after, she stumbled weakly to the bathroom and threw up again. She returned to the couch and pointedly turned her back on them and fell asleep.

Later that evening, she tried eating again under the androids' watchful eyes. This time, it stayed down, so she allowed them to warm some broth for her.

When when it was time for bed, the androids insisted she take a hot bath. Simon's orders, no doubt. Samantha didn't have the fight left in her and they took full advantage of her weakness. Standing in the pristinely cleaned bathroom, one RK helped her undress while the other ran the bathwater. She was so out of it, she wasn't even paying attention to which one was which. Sometimes, it seemed they were both just Connor.

Even though it was warm in the bathroom, she shivered violently when her skin was exposed. Her head still pounded. Android arms pulled her into a warm body. It felt nice, even though her whole body ached. And she knew both those silly androids would climb into the bath with her—fully clothed—if she let them. So she insisted she could get in herself.

The bath was deliciously hot and scared away all her tremors after a moment. She tried to shoo the androids away, but they didn't go far. Samantha closed her eyes for a while, and then opened them to find Connor D. sitting on the toilet lid reading a book. Connor C. sat like a silent guardian against the side of the tub. She ran her finger behind the shell of his ear and he looked her way.

“I'm sorry I am being difficult today,” she whispered.

“I'm difficult everyday, so I'll allow it,” he replied with gentle humor. Then he turned and dipped his fingers in the water. “It's cooling down, you should get out.”

She tried not to sigh at the newest order. “A little longer. I don't think I have it in me to get up yet.”

“You don't have to do anything. We'll do it for you.” He promptly pulled the plug and she shivered as the water receded.

“Just put in more hot water.”

“You need to get dry and go to bed. Being wet for too long is not healthy.”

She didn't say anything. Samantha decided to give them this. She could practically see the two RK800s go into Tandem Mode. Connor D. was the one to step up and brazenly lift her nude body out of the water.

“You're getting yourself soaked,” she pointed out.

“It's fine,” he assured her. “Clothes dry.”

Connor C. wrapped her in a towel and carried her back to the bedroom where she was placed on the bed and quickly dried. As she began to shiver again, Connor D. returned with a large, plush sweater.

“I put this in the dryer for you,” he announced proudly.

“That's my sweater,” Connor C. protested.

Trust me, Connor D. transmitted as he tugged the overly-large material over her head.

Samantha instantly snuggled into it. “It's like a warm, fluffy cloud,” she crooned. It was the best mood they had seen from her all day. She stayed in sweeter spirits as they dressed her in warm socks and plush sleep pants. Connor C. had to concede that it had been a good idea.

She was promptly put to bed, the lights turned out. It was a bit before her bedtime, but Samantha was ready to go. Still dressed in the T-shirt and sweats from the night before, Connor C. slid under the covers with her. There was finality in his actions. He would abide no discussion on this. Samantha had no argument left. She was silently quite satisfied with cuddling up to his warm body for the night.

Behind her, the second body slipped under the covers. His shirt and pants were missing.

“My clothes were wet,” Connor D. said at her questioning look. “Is that alright? I can put something on.”

“You do what makes you comfortable,” she replied. Something she had told their stray cat of an android many a time. He was allowed to be a part of their lives in whichever way suited him best.

In the dark, the two bodies caged her in, limbs draped all around her. Samantha was too exhausted and out of it to really process it all. But it was comfortable and warm. Her head still hurt, but she managed to drift off.

In the middle of the night she awoke, hot and sweating. The two androids were practically smothering her and she squirmed between them with a whine. When they figured out what she was trying to do, there were helping hands removing the sweater and pants.

“Won't you be cold?” one of the androids asked.

“Keep me warm,” she murmured, snuggling in.

She was already dozing off again as she felt hands check the temperature of her face and neck. Then the two forms settled in around her once again. She sighed, skin to skin was always better. Even more than fuzzy boyfriend sweaters. She fell asleep to the gentle thrumming of two RK800 thirium pumps pressed against her.

#cute girls and hot androids #of course I did the sick prompt too #I'm a sucker for these stories #Two RK800s is better than one #Double your pleasure #With Bonus Simon #dbh

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aaronhart93-archive · 4 years

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what happened in chicago ll eden & aaron

Discord thread featuring: Aaron and @wtf-eden

Mentions: @romanbeckett @davieslandon @alison-haynes

When: July 3-4, 2020

Description: Aaron goes with Eden to her mother’s funeral in Chicago

Trigger Warnings: death of a parent, funeral, nsfw

Eden.

Eden had arrived in Chicago on Thursday morning, and had spent the day at the hotel that Aaron had gotten for her. Her father knew she had arrived, but she hadn't reached out to see him yet. Her mothers services were on Friday and truthfully she was unprepared for them. She didn't know how she was going to face her father, yet alone the rest of her family members who hadn't seen her in years. Now, it was Friday morning, and she had sprung out of bed quickly, and knew Aaron had arrived that morning. She was going to need his support to get through the day, that was for sure. She spent an hour, changing from black dress to black dress, trying to pick the perfect one to impress her family. So her family would know she was doing just fine on her own. She took a deep breath, before walking to the room next to hers and knocking on the door lightly, waiting for Aaron to open up.

Aaron.

the businessman had gotten into town very very early and had time to take a solid nap before getting ready for the services. These sucks. He hated funerals. They always reminded him of his dad. Not to mention, they were just unpleasant in general. But Aaron was determined to stay strong today for Eden's sake. He knew she needed him, and he understood that completely. He had brought three suits; because he wasn't quite sure haw many he'd actually need. He took a quick shower, shaved, and changed into his suit just in time for Eden to knock on the door of their conjoined rooms. Marissa had set them up in a gorgeous hotel. He opened the door and looked down at the petite woman. He hadn't seen her since the reception. He could tell just by looking at her that she was nervous; and she looked fucking stunning. "You look great." he told her. "You ready?" he asked apprehensively.

Eden.

Eden was appreciative that Aaron had agreed to come to Chicago with her. She didn't want to face her father alone. Even though the two were split, it was nice to have a familiar face by her side. It was something she knew she was going to need for this weekend. She pushed a stand of her brunette hair behind her ear as she stood in Aaron's door way. "Thanks," A small blush appeared on her cheeks. Even though he had hurt her, he could still get her going with three simple words. Eden awkwardly shifted her weight on her feet, "Honestly? No. I don't think I'll ever be actually ready." She told him, gently linking her arm onto his. "How does someone prepare themselves for something like this?"

Aaron.

Aaron made a line with his lips as he watched her shuffle her feet nervously. He wished he could take some of her nerves away, but he wasn't sure how. Aaron gently squeezed her towards him when she wrapped her arm in his. He felt like she needed a strong grip to carry her through the day; literally and metaphorically. He shook his head and took a big deep breath before answering. "I don't think anyone is ever prepared for a death of a parent...not like this." he said, referring to how her mom died so suddenly. "I dunno, it's like...you grow up with your parents being there to support you and you think they're invincible. Then one day when you're older, you realize they aren't. And that feeling's a fucking bitch." he told her.

Eden.

Eden felt a bit of relief when Aaron gave her a squeeze. She knew that Aaron had lost his father, so he knew what she was feeling, though the only difference was he had seen his dad. She hadn't seen her mom in three years, she could barely remember how her mothers voice sounded and she would never get a chance to hear it again. Maybe she would make up with her father, but she doubted it. She wanted too, as this was far too painful. "I fucking hate it." She told him, as they walked out into the Chicago air. "After the services, --you'll get dinner with me, yeah?" Aaron had come out here with her to support her, but she didn't want to overstep anything, and she wasn't sure she'd want to see her family anymore then she had too.

Aaron.

“of course.” He assured her. With one hand in his pocket, and the other tightly gripping her to his side, they somehow managed to get through the service. It was weird. Meeting Eden’s family that she hadn’t seen in a while. Most people assumed Aaron was Eden’s partner, to which they just shook their heads. No sense in explaining the whole story. He held her when she cried, was a buffer when she was speaking to her family members...He was charismatic and used that to take a little bit of the pressure off of Eden. He stuck by her the entire time; never leaving her side once. “I’m starving.” He said, as the funeral-goers dispersed. “I’m only doing this because we’re in Chicago and i want to cheer you up, but how about some of that deep dish pizza you drool over?” He mused, leading her away from the crowd. He smiled down at her then stopped once they were far enough away from the crowd. “You okay?” He asked with a sympathetic smile.

Eden.

The services were awful, for every reason why a service would be awful. It was closed casket, as they said there was too much damage in the accident for an open casket. Eden felt bad everytime someone asked Aaron if the two were partners, as they weren't. If it had been a week earlier, the answer would be different. It had become clear to Eden that her extended family never got the story on why she had disappeared from the families life, but she knew this wasn't the time or place to explain it. As it came to an end, Eden felt relieved. She had been dreading this day all week. Eden sadly nodded at his question, "I'm fine. Just glad that it is over with." She admitted, rubbing her hands together quietly, "I can tell everyone was expecting to not see me." She admitted. It seemed as though her father was the only one expecting her, which made sense, as he purchased her plane ticket. "But, yeah, deep dish pizza would be great." Eden said, "You're going to love it." The girl did her best to push a real genuine smile.

Aaron.

it was hard for Aaron too, but he was trying not to think about it; just trying to be there for Eden. Still, Aaron found it hard to keep a straight face. He kept thinking about the last time he stayed at a funeral and wake the entire time; everyone expressing their condolences like the were to Eden for hours straight. Exhausting. The businessman thought several times that it would be easier to tell her family that they were, rather than leaving them wondering who he was. But he wasn’t sure what Eden wanted. Aaron frowned down at her and pulled her in for a warm hug; something he was good at. “I think you did great.” He told her confidently. “You’re really brave for going in there.” He told her. Aaron had support from the family he loved at at his dad’s services. this, however, was a completely different ballgame. The time time she had spoken to many of her family members wasn’t...well, pleasant. “Yes pizza.” He said, taking a deep breath and giving her a big grin. “What’s the best spot?” He asked.July 4, 2020

Eden.

Eden felt out of place at her own mothers services. It was something no child should ever feel, she should have felt welcomed and family should have been offering her casseroles to help her her over the pain, but instead they had been shoving questions about her own disappearance down her throat. It hadn’t been a pleasant situation, for anyone. She was sure it was probably worse for Aaron, being a bystander, so that made her extra appreciative of him being here now. She wrapped her arms around him in the hug, “Thanks, I tried. Not going to lie, I wanted to punch almost every single person we spoke to.” She mentioned, as she pulled from the hug. “There’s a local pizzeria called Donnys, it used to be my favorite.”July 5, 2020

Aaron.

Eden's family did kind of seem like the asshole he had pictured them to be. Then again, his family wasn't perfect either. When his family found out that Ali was pregnant, they weren't initially happy with their 21 year old having a child but they didn't react in a way that would cause him to run away from them. "Yeah, some of them seemed like real assholes." he agreed. "It's over with though." he reminded her. "Lead the way." he began. "You should document this, but me offering to get deep dish pizza is never going to happen again." he mused.

Eden.

Eden wished if for just a moment the people in her home life could show a bit of compassion for the girl. Sure, her mother and here hadn't been on speaking terms for the last few years of her mothers life, but that didn't mean she didn't love her mother. She did. It hurt that not a single person could seem to find it in them to care that she had lost her mother. "They are all assholes. Their too good for me." She said sassily. "I'm not the doctor my parents bragged I'd be, so I'm just a piece of trash now." She mentioned, grabbing onto Aaron's wrist lightly and pulling him down the street. "Oh, I'll be sure to take a picture of it when we get there."

Aaron.

Aaron shook his head. He wondered what his family would think of him if he decided to go down a different career path; the one he wasn't destined to have. He was entirely sure of what it would have been like but he knew it wouldn't have been like this. "That's the spirit." he said, forcing a smile. Aaron didn't know why, but when she grabbed onto his wrist, he slid his fingers between her's so that they were holding hands the entire way to the restaurant until they were seated. Aaron was truly shocked at how much he actually liked the pizza. "Nothing compared to New York." he would say several times throughout their dinner, but really did enjoy it. He hoped showing her that he was enjoying a little slice of her life would cheer her up.

Eden.

It had surprised Eden when he had slipped his fingers into hers. There was a good chance that he was just doing it to comfort her, but she was in no state to not enjoy it. She needed life to be simple, like it had been just a couple weeks ago when the pair was in Paris. This reminded her of that, and she would take what she could get. Of course he liked the pizza, it was delicious. Still Eden's favorite, so she enjoyed every bit of it. After dinner, she slid out from the booth, thanking Aaron once again for the day. She felt a lot better after eating pizza, though still there was a dark damper over her shoulder. "I'm glad you came out here with me."

Aaron.

Aaron had forgotten how easy things were with Eden. Their conversation flowed easily and he felt that they still had a connection. On top of that, no one seemed to be against them like people were with him and Roman. Aaron knew he made the mature choice but breaking up with Eden, but this was a little reminder to him about why he had wanted to be with her in the first place. “Me too.” Aaron said, wrapping arm around her petite shoulders. “I’m exhausted though.” He told her. “You cool if we call it a day?” He asked her as they started their walk back to the hotel. It was a gorgeous night for a walk.

Eden.

Eden leaned into Aaron slightly as the two headed for their hotel. Under other circumstances, Eden would want to show Aaron the best local places in Chicago. She was sure the businessman had been to Chicago before and seen tourist things, but sometimes there was only some things locals could show you. But tonight, she just wanted to go back to the hotel. The day had felt long. “I’m ready to call it a day.” She agreed, leaning into him as they walked. “Maybe later this weekend I’ll show you the best places of Chicago.” She said, figuring he wouldn’t want to stick in the hotel all weekend. And she knew she’d need to be out and distracted.

Aaron.

he was relieved she agreed. Aaron smiled. “I would be honored if you showed me all the best local spots tomorrow.” He mused. When he traveled, he loved living like a local. It was just the best way to travel. His flight out didn’t leave until Sunday morning and he had a local with him so there was no excuse not to enjoy his Saturday in Chicago with her. The pair sluggishly made their way up to their conjoining hotel rooms, chit chatting as they went. He walked her into her room, and said goodnight as he started to his room. He paused. “You sure you’re okay?”

Eden.

Eden: “I can show you the best places.” She told him. She knew when she first moved to New York, it had been nice to have Aaron to show her the best local places there, so she would do the same here. Eden started to unzip her dress, even though Aaron was in the room. It was nothing he hadn’t seen before, “I mean — no. But I’ll try and be okay.” She mentioned, heading towards her suitcase to find some pajamas. If they were in Paris still, the two would be sharing a room, so it was disappointing he would be leaving her for the night.

Aaron.

Aaron leaned against the door that connected their rooms as he scanned her body when she got undressed. “Okay. Goodnight.” He said, looking away to give her privacy. He went back into his own room and put on comfy clothes. He didn’t want to be lonely tonight. He was hurting. He had put on a brave face for Eden all day, but between his fights with Roman, Alison and Landon, he was hurting so deeply. He just wanted to be held. He slowly made his way to the door between their two rooms and knocked. What was he doing? “Would it make you feel better if I stayed with you?”

Eden.

“Goodnight.” She said as he headed out of her room. Eden slipped out of her uncomfortable dress, and threw on a big shirt. She pulled her long hair into a ponytail before heading into her bathroom to take off the makeup on her face. To her surprise, there was a knock on her door. Hearing Aaron, a small smile appeared on her face. She walked over, opening the door, “I would like that.” She mentioned softly.

Aaron.

the night was a lot better with Eden by his side. He was still restless and it hadn’t stopped him from going out to the balcony when she was asleep to text Roman like an idiot. But he knew deep down he was going to do that regardless. “Morning.” He said with a smile as she stirred awake and he turned over to face her.July 6, 2020

Eden.

Edens eyes flickered open when the room was filled with sun. She smiled when she heard Aaron’s morning voice. She turned over, smiling at Aaron. “Good morning.” She mumbled.

Aaron.

It was almost like there was no time lost between them at all. Like they were waking up again while they were in Paris together or at his penthouse in Kingsboro. It was weird because a lot of the feelings he had had waking up next to her all those times came flooding back. He knew he was feeling these things because he was heartbroken over Roman and trying to pushing those feelings down inside of him and replace them with happier, less painful feelings. He didn’t know he was leaning in to kiss her until their lips had connected and Aaron’s hand was on her waist.

Eden.

Things were easy when Aaron was around. And Eden had come to realize she was in love with Aaron and that was why it pained so much when he broke it off with her. But she had pushed those feelings aside as much as she can. But suddenly, his lips were on hers and she had no urge to fight it. Instead, she leaned into their kiss.

Aaron.

Aaron knew that he and Eden had once had potential to be in a serious, committed relationship. He could tell that that was where that was going with Eden before he chose Roman over her. Now, he kind of remember why. The businessman brought her hips in to meet his when he felt her deepen their kiss. He found himself grazing his tongue along her lower lip, begging her for entrance. Okay, so was this actually happening right now? He knew it was wrong. He knew that doing this would only end up hurting her even more, but he didn't actually have the desire to stop.

Eden.

Eden hated that Aaron had broken up with her, and how abruptly he had done so. She had fallen for Aaron, something she had never let herself so in the past, so why did he capture her so easily? She wasn’t too sure. But now, as she allowed his tongue to enter her mouth, she could feel all those feelings flooding back in. Her tongue playfully made her way around his, before she pulled away. Eden licked her lips before climbing on top of him gently.

Aaron.

When she pulled away, Aaron bit his bottom lip and watched her crawl on top of him. A coy smile covering his face. The businessman rolled over onto his back as Eden crawled on top of his. His arms wondered down her side to grab at her waisted. He pushed her hips into his, causing a little moan to escape his lips. "Hmm..." he hummed as they made out. He was suddenly really fucking horny; things had escalated so quickly.

Eden.

This wasn't what this trip was supposed to turn into, but this felt right, so Eden wasn't going to stop it from happening. "Mmm," She mumbled as he moved his hips along her. After another couple minutes, she found herself peeling his shirt off his body and pressing kisses to his bare chest. It was just like Paris, if you could forget the whole breaking up part - and well, them being in Chicago.

Aaron.

Aaron knew he would probably regret this. He knew what this would do to him...and Eden. The friction between their hips caused Aaron come to life as he made out with the other woman. He was relived when she finally started peeling off his clothes. He loved the foreplay, but he needed to get fucking naked. “Fuck, Eden...” he gasped at the touch of his lips against his bare chest. He gripped her shoulders, pressing fingers into her skin.July 7, 2020

Eden.

There was nothing stopping them now, as she felt him bulging up in his pants. She groaned quietly as she pressed her lips along his chest. After another moment, the girl got off him just enough so she could help him out of his pants.

Aaron.

Aaron made an attempt to undress the woman while she was sliding his pants down. Tugging at her shirt until he got half of it off. He sat up to finish peeling off her clothes until they were both completely naked. He brought her in for another sloppy kiss before kissing and sucking her skin down her neck.July 9, 2020

Eden.

Eden loved the feeling of being naked with Aaron. The feeling of their bare skin touching was exactly what she needed this morning. A small moan escaped her lips as he sucked down on her neck. Her lips smacked against his skin lightly, as her hand cupped him, moving her hand around his thickness. The last time they had sex, she hadn't expected it to be their last, so this time, she wanted it to be the best sex the pair had ever shared.

Aaron.

Low hums escaped the man's lips when he felt her hands around his hard. He ran his hand down her thigh and slow inserted two fingers into he dripping core, pushing them against her G spot. "You like that?" he whispered. Fuck, the wetness dripping onto his fingers felt fucking amazing. "Jesus, you're so wet." he beamed.

Eden.

Eden could feel herself get more excited than she had already been as his fingers made their way into her. A moan, louder than her last escaped her lips. "Fuck, Aaron." She mumbled, as her hand sped up around his hard.

Aaron.

"Fuck, babe." he moaned at her touch. The businessman took his fingers out of her slowly then flipped her over to that she was on her back. Because he just couldn't take this anymore. He was too eager to be inside of her. He hands fumbled over the bedside table, reaching for a condom before he realized that he was in her room. "Eden, do you have a condom?" he paused, looking down at her and raising his brow.

Eden.

As groaned as he flipped her over. She was desperate to feel him inside her again, she had been desperate for that feeling since the two had broken it off. A condom. Of course she had a condom. She hadn't been planning to have sex on this trip, as they weren't together, and they were in town for her mothers services. But she always had condoms, "Mmmm, yeah--." She pushed him off of her for a moment, jumping out of the bed and running over to her suitcase and tossing a condom over to him, before getting back into the bed.July 10, 2020

Aaron.

He watched at the piece of rubber landed next to him on the bed. He crawled back on top of her when he finished stretched the rubber over his length. He teased her again, running his hands up her thighs as he kissed her. He stuck two fingers inside of her to open her up to him again - fuck, she was wet. When he felt she was ready, he slowly slid himself inside of her moving in and out of her slowly and letting out a low moan.

Eden.

Eden craved him, she usually did when he was around. She had a lot of sex with different people in her life, but having sex with Aaron was great. A small moan escaped her lips as he ran his fingers along her, but the second he pushed into her, the moans got louder. "Fuck," She mumbled against his lips, her tongue sliding against them.

Aaron.

The businessman put his body weight on his forearms as he moved in and out of her, slowly at first but he picked up his pace when she felt her opening up to him even more. His lips moved from her's to her neck, letting hot breathes melt onto her skin. He moved his hand to her thigh and wrapped his around her thigh, pulling it up towards his shoulder so he had more access. Fuck, she felt so good.

Eden.

The sex was good. It was always good when it was with Aaron. After the two finished, she laid beside him, wrapped up in the blanket. “Thanks again for coming to Chicago with me.” She said after a moment of catching her breath.

#discord #aden #eden #this old but hehehe

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cuthian · 4 years

Text

Dancing in the Rain Chapter One

Welcome to the piece you've all been waiting for so very patiently!

This piece /can/ be read as a standalone piece, but should you have any questions if you do, be sure to ask in the comments, I'll reply as soon as I can :)

This entire work has been written and edited already, and will be updated on Mondays :D

As always, much thanks to Juulna for putting up with me!

Lots of love, Annaelle

Dancing in the Rain

Life is not about how you survive the storm It is about how you dance in the rain —Unknown author

Chapter One

REBECCA BARNES RESIGNS AS EARTH’S AMBASSADOR TO ASGARD AFTER PREGNANCY LEAK

Move comes only days after The New York Times published an article ‘outing’ Rebecca Barnes’ pregnancy, based on the say-so of Barnes’ former obstetrician, who says she was fired after Barnes filed a baseless complaint about the care she provided.

In a move that was predicted by several political experts following the tell-all article, Rebecca Barnes confirmed today that she would be resigning from her post as Earth’s Ambassador to Asgard—less than a year after her initial appointment. […]Ambassador Rebecca Barnes’ decision today came after several politicians from across the globe expressed their concern about Barnes’ ability to remain impartial and to represent Earth.

Barnes released a pre-recorded statement, in which she confirms that she is, indeed, pregnant, and that she will be stepping down from her post as ambassador. […]also distances herself from the statements made by her former obstetrician, confirming she chose to switch to a different doctor due to irreconcilable differences in opinion.

“I have always taken [her duties as ambassador] very seriously,” Barnes said in her statement, “and it is with a heavy heart but a clear conscience that I now resign from those duties. My relationship with the Aesir now runs far deeper and more intimately than anyone thought it would, and as such, there would always be a fear that my opinions and actions would be biased. This can be a very good thing, but it’s also only right that we do the correct thing and have an Earth-focused ambassador. Someone focused on the big picture instead of… well, instead of the small, the personal.”

[…]mixed response to Barnes’ announcement and resignation. Various media outlets have latched onto the story and have begun spinning various iterations of the same question: now that Barnes is—most likely—expecting long-term boyfriend and Prince of Asgard’s first child, will the couple finally be tying the knot? And, if so, does that make Barnes the first human princess of Asgard? Will their child(ren) be recognized as an heir to the Asgardian throne?

“[…]must be something in the water over at the Avengers Tower,” talk show host Jay Leno also joked during his latest broadcast. “First Potts, now Barnes—what’s next, Captain America going for his daily Central Park run with a stroller?”

Leno’s remarks were likely partially inspired by recent pictures of Captain America reading “What to Expect when You’re Expecting” and other varied baby books in several coffee shops and parks across Manhattan and Brooklyn, and tweets by Pepper Potts detailing the Captain’s dedication to helping her out however he can, more so than even her own partners.

[…]not clear when a replacement ambassador will be elected. There is much discussion amongst the various governments of the world about which government, if any single one, should be allowed to elect one of their own, or if the many governments of the world should form a council of representatives not unlike the European Union or the United Nations solely dedicated to communications and relations with extra-terrestrial nations.

—Max Colchester and Jason Douglas, The New York Times, “Rebecca Barnes Resigns as Ambassador”, January 2016

——————

Chicago, Illinois, United States of America April 12

, 2016 Steve

“Captain America!”

“Captain America, a statement, please?”

“Captain America, anything to say to reports that the Avengers orchestrated this attack to be able to save the day again, to get good press going for them?”

“Captain, any word on why Thor hasn’t joined the fight today?”

“Captain, captain, is it true Thor has threatened to cut ties with Earth if Rebecca Barnes’ child really is yours instead of his?”

There were a passel of shouting reporters standing by the barricades, barely held back by several police officers in—somehow—pristine blue uniforms, cameras flashing and microphones held out as far as they were able to reach.

Steve heaved a sigh, unclipping his helmet and running a hand through his dirty, sweat-soaked hair before he chanced a look at himself. He was covered from head to toe in fine dust and dirt, splashes of blood streaking across his thighs and chest—that seemed about right.

The giant insects that some wannabe supervillain had set loose on an unsuspecting Chicago had been hardy and mean, and it had taken him and the other Avengers—minus Becca, who’d been benched as soon as they all learned she was pregnant and was now holed up in the Tower with Pepper, shouting at them over the comms, and Thor, who had been called back to Asgard—well over seven hours of constant fighting to exterminate them all, even after Natasha had gotten her hands on said wannabe supervillain.

He was tired, he was sweaty and covered in dirt and blood, and all he wanted was to go home to the Tower and take a hot shower and then sleep for twelve hours—but someone had to talk to the media, and it looked like it was going to be him.

He sighed again and trudged towards the reporters, mentally trying to brace himself for the vastly inane questions he’d be getting about his supposed love affair with Becca that had now culminated in her pregnancy and his passionate tryst with Pepper, that had somehow also resulted in pregnancy.

Because apparently, in the twenty-first century, it seemed entirely implausible to the reporters that people actually remained faithful to their partners, rather than sleep around with the first reasonably attractive person in the near vicinity.

It was ridiculous.

Pepper had told him to ignore the rumours, that they’d go away as soon as the next big news broke, but it bothered him nonetheless. He didn’t like that people thought he was the kind of person that was okay with cheating on his friends, didn’t like that people thought him capable of something like that—and he hated most of all that the media still insisted on pairing him only with women.

It wasn’t like he was being subtle, or that his bisexuality was a secret.

He went to Pride parades dressed in a Captain Bi-merica suit every year, volunteered at several LGBT+ shelters and donated almost half of his Avengers income to various charities dedicated to at-risk LGBT youth. Everyone in his life knew that he and Bucky had been together, and everyone in the war had known too—even Peggy had known.

It’d been the worst kept secret in the U.S. Army—Captain America and Bucky Barnes were queer for each other, and entirely unapologetic about it too.

He wasn’t sure how that tidbit of knowledge had gotten lost over time when they remembered the fucking song.

The shouting got more frantic the closer he got, and he narrowly resisted the urge to turn on his heel and run the other way as fast as his serum-enhanced legs could carry him.

“Everybody,” he said, raising his voice just enough to be heard over the din. “I don’t have much time before I’m needed back, but I can tell you that we have successfully contained the threat and have taken the culprit into custody. We are currently coordinating relief efforts for affected families with local authorities. We expect displaced families to be able to return to their homes sometime tomorrow.”

“Captain,” one of the bottle-blonde women with far too much make-up caked on her cheeks demanded, “Is it true this attack was orchestrated by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers to round up more sympathetic press in the wake of your scandalous affair and love child with Rebecca Barnes and Pepper Potts?”

Steve blinked at her.

“Tell me you're shitting me,” he deadpanned, barely even registering the way all of the reporters gasped. “Fifteen people lost their lives today,” he continued, maintaining direct eye contact with the woman who’d asked this fucking stupid question. “Fifteen people. Do you even know their names? I do. And I’m going to remember them for the rest of my life, because we didn’t get here fast enough—and not because of some imaginary sex scandal that exists absolutely nowhere but in your imagination, but because we’re only human too. We’re not here for better press, we’re here to make sure that those fifteen people are avenged. We’re here to make sure that no one else falls victim to one person’s greed, one person’s anger. Not because you’ve somehow got it in your head that I’ve been sleeping with the girl that may as well have been my own niece, if Bucky hadn’t died and if I hadn’t gone in the ice, and if I’d been allowed to keep the love of my life.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in, even for him, and though he wanted to groan and curse himself for losing his temper, he stood by his words.

He'd pretended to be their perfect little soldier—a dancing monkey—long enough.

He was fucking done.

He shot the wide-eyed, stunned woman an icy glare and said, “No further comment,” before he turned on his heel and walked away the way he’d come.

——————————

Cuthian:

Uuuhhhmmm… So tell me someone else saw this interview with Cap today?!?! @juuls, @betheflame ARE YOU SEEING THIS?

juuls:

YES @cuthian, I’m definitely seeing this. HOLY CRAP. We called it—we SO called it.

betheflame:

I SAID he’d slip it in during an interview! I WIN THE BET!

KlaudiaForPresident:

I’m so glad that we have someone as good and morally strong as Steve Rogers to represent us finally, but can we please talk about the way he was basically bullied into coming out of the closet?

There’s no way he felt comfortable sharing something so personal like this—just look at his face at 4:33, he said it in the heat of the moment, not because he was planning to tell us; and why would he?

It’s not like the media has been kind to him about his personal relationships since he’s been in the future. He’s been linked to nearly everyone he’s ever had a conversation with, and we need to acknowledge that that’s not cool.

Imagine how UNCOMFORTABLE it must be for him to constantly have to defend that he’s not sleeping with a girl he sees as a little sister, or a cousin—family.

Let’s just let him have his privacy, okay?

Even if we’re all ecstatic that he’s admitted his—potential—bisexuality, let’s not forget that he still lost the person he saw as the love of his life. He’s probably still grieving.

Let’s allow him to grieve and not push.

#Captainbimerica #stucky #totallycalledit #birepresentation #thisismycaptain #captainamerica #psa #leavethepoormanalone #mediasucks

——————

Lagos, NigeriaApril 15

, 2016 Steve

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he told Becca after he’d switched his comm to their private channel, watching as Wanda, Nat, and Pietro moved into position on the small square between the Center of Infectious Diseases and the local police station. “Feels too easy.”

Becca hummed in agreement, and Steve didn’t need to see her to know she was sitting cross-legged on one of the extra-wide, extra-comfortable desk chairs Tony had designed especially for Pepper and Becca, frowning at her screen, keeping an eye on the security footage the same as him. She’d been on desk duty since she’d hit twelve weeks in the pregnancy, when the small but unmistakable baby bump became visible to everyone.

Thor had—understandably—been entirely unable to focus on the battles they fought while Becca was still in the field with them, and after he’d taken a harpoon to the arm because he’d been too busy covering Becca to cover his own ass, the rest of the team had voted unanimously to have Becca on desk duty for the rest of her pregnancy.

Becca, while grumpy, had not put up much of a fight about it.

“I’ve ran all the background checks imaginable on our informant though,” she replied calmly. “Nat and I went over all of the intel with a fine-tooth comb. It’s legit, Steve, you know that.”

Steve harrumphed grumpily and crossed his arms over his chest. “That doesn’t mean it’s not a trap,” he retorted, watching as Wanda ordered a cup of tea, keeping her—by now recognisable—face covered with the clever sweep of her hair and the slightly dramatic make-up she and Natasha had spent almost an hour applying. Pietro was hovering just out of sight in the alleyway, nearly vibrating out of his skin, as he always did when he had to stand still for longer than a few minutes.

“Oh, it’s definitely a trap,” Becca said in his ear cheerfully. “But that just means we’re making them nervous—means we’re closer than we thought we were.”

Steve sighed.

She was right, of course. The intel had come rather unexpectedly—while they’d been able to clear Sharon of the murder she’d been accused of, it’d been more by chance than by design of any kind. They’d stumbled across footage of Sharon at a gas station nearly forty miles away at the time of the murder, and through the footage several witnesses who swore she’d been there.

The matter had been dropped relatively quickly after that.

Still, whoever was running this show was good—good enough that Tony’s various algorithms and even J.A.R.V.I.S. hadn’t been able to pick up on much more than the vague pattern that Natasha had initially noticed. There were more cases like Sharon’s, and though the investigation against her had been dropped, and she had clearly had a lot of fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and all of the Avengers in her corner, there were a lot of rumors still flying around about Sharon’s supposed involvement with her informant’s untimely and rather gruesome death.

Steve still wasn’t sure how it’d benefit a shadowy terrorist organisation to discredit one agent—no matter how good Sharon was—but he assumed there was a reason.

There were at least half a dozen other cases that J.A.R.V.I.S. and Nat had flagged as suspicious that hit mysterious dead ends: one former A.I.M. scientist turned S.H.I.E.L.D. informant who’d been on the verge of revealing something big vanishing off the face of the Earth; a STRIKE team getting massacred after being given faulty information on an infiltration mission that should’ve been easy; and a U.S. senator who’d been known for her progressive style changing her tune entirely seemingly overnight…

Even the sudden suicide of a popular, if somewhat reclusive, wealthy murder mystery writer had pinged on their radars—the man had been researching the inner workings of police stations and its politics, and had, one week prior to his apparent suicide, rewritten his will to leave his entire family out of it, donating his entire estate, worth an estimated 60 million dollars, at least, to assorted police stations in his home state, and several police officers specifically.

Something was going on, on a large and likely unprecedented scale, and Steve wasn’t sure they were ready to figure out just how big this thing was.

They even had a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D.

One relatively high up the chain of command too, if the sort of information they had access to was any indication—Sharon’s real identity had been classified to hell and back for years. Her deep-cover missions were more intense than Natasha’s half the time, and she hadn’t gone by her own name for longer than a few weeks since she’d joined S.H.I.E.LD.

“All set,” Becca said quietly, breaking him from his musings, drawing his attention back to the security footage, showing Natasha having moved into position too.

“Okay,” Steve nodded. “Here we go.”

He switched back to their shared comms channel and watched as Wanda added a sugar packet to her teacup with calculated, graceful movements, stirring the spoon in the hot liquid before she sipped, taking the time to glance around the square surreptitiously as she did.

He barely suppressed a proud smile as she clocked several hidden gunmen—two of which he hadn’t noticed himself—and whispered their location to her brother, who moved to get them out of the way before anyone could so much as blink.

“Alright,” he said into the comms as soon as Pietro had taken the men out of commission. “Good job, guys. Wanda, keep going; what do you see?”

“Standard beat cops,” Wanda said slowly, talking into her cup so no one would see her lips move. “Small station, quiet street. Pretty good target, I can see why they picked it.”

Steve nodded. “There’s an ATM in the south corner, which means…”

“Cameras,” Wanda finished, glancing briefly towards the aforementioned corner before she returned her attention to the building in front of her. The info they’d gotten pointed to either the little police station or the Center for Infectious Diseases being hit by the as-of-yet nameless terrorist group they’d been chasing for the past six or so months.

Steve personally thought it’d be the CfID, not the little police station, but since the intel hadn’t been clear on it, they couldn’t risk losing their only chance to get their hands on whoever was planning this.

Especially considering they couldn’t find anything more concrete than a vague suspicion that things weren’t adding up. They—Pepper—had negotiated their presence there with the Nigerian government, keeping their interference on the absolute downlow.

Not even S.H.I.E.L.D. had been told.

“Both cross streets are one way,” Becca added over the comms, and Steve watched as Wanda and Pietro, once again hidden in the shadows, checked the street reflexively.

“Compromised escape route,” Pietro muttered, accent thicker still than his sister’s.

Steve nodded along. “Yep. Means our guy doesn’t care about being seen—not afraid to make a mess on the way out. A big departure from their usual M.O.”

It was true—these guys seemed to operate entirely from the shadows in every other way, and Steve wasn’t sure what it meant for them if they decided they were ready to step out of said shadows.

“It’s suspicious,” Becca insisted. “See that Range Rover halfway up the block, Wanda?”

“Yeah, the red one?” Wanda sipped her tea again. “It’s cute.”

Nat chuckled across the comms and said, “It’s also bulletproof. Probably private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for someone—probably us.”

“Plates aren’t registered,” Becca piped in. “J.A.R.V.I.S. is hacking into a few more databases to see if he can find that make and model listed anywhere, but it’s slow-going.” She huffed in annoyance. “There’s way too many red Range Rovers in Nigeria, what the hell.”

“Eyes on the target,” Steve reminded them sternly. “This is the best lead we’ve had in months. I don’t want to lose it.”

“Aye aye cap’n,” Natasha quipped semi-seriously, and Steve laughed along with the others despite himself.

“Tony’s almost there, in case you guys need him,” Becca reminded them, “and he’s being whiny about not being on the same comms channel, so if I let him in, will you play nice?”

Steve gasped playfully. “Why, Becca, I’m offended by the implication. I always play nice.”

“You’re a little shit, Rogers,” Becca told him, before something clicked and Tony’s voice became audible. “—and I mean, I can totally dig the seriousness of this mission, I’m cool, I’m just saying a little AC/DC never hurt anyone.”

“A little AC/DC would definitely hurt now,” Steve replied, eyeing the street before him again.

“Capsicle!” Tony exclaimed. “Congrats on the coming out! Papers are all over it. The U.S. is losing its shit. I applaud you, my good man. I’ll order you a cake when we get home. Bi-pride colors and everything. We can invite Aunt Peg and Aunt Becky. Also, I think FOX News is having a meltdown. Or going on lockdown. Not sure which would be more entertaining, honestly,” he hummed happily.

Steve stopped short. “What?”

“What?” Natasha and Wanda and Pietro echoed.

“Right,” Becca said slowly. “You left right after Chicago.”

Steve’s stomach sank. “Oh, fuck,” he said empathically.

Tony gasped theatrically. “Captain, language.”

“Shut up, Tony,” Steve bit out, before sighing and rubbing a hand over his forehead. “How much of a headache is this gonna be? It just kinda slipped out.”

“Eh,” Tony said, surprisingly gentle. “I’ve caused bigger headaches. I think the conservative, racist part of the country is having a meltdown, because they can’t use you as a poster-boy for their ass backwards shit anymore, but most people are cool with it. Applauding you for being brave enough to come out for who you and Barnes were—and talking shit about the reporter that bullied you into making that grandiose speech in the first place.”

Steve groaned.

“Steve,” Becca said quietly. “You’re fine. No one is going to judge you, and people that do are really not worth your time or your consideration.”

“Uh,” Tony said. “While I totally agree, and hate to break up the moment… There’s a large group of people moving in the CfID—like abnormally. I can only see heat signatures, but I’m willing to bet these guys are armed. I’m thinking our terrorists might already be here.”

“Becca,” Steve barked, moving out the door and down the stairs of their look-out apartment before Tony had even stopped talking.

“Hacking into security cams now,” Becca replied immediately.

“Pietro, get Natasha and Wanda inside,” Steve ordered. “Then come back for me. Don’t be seen.”

“Yep,” Pietro said shortly, and Steve heard the slight rush of fast-moving air as the boy started moving.

By the time Steve’d reached street level, the other three were gone, and he barely had time to blink before Pietro blurred back into sight before him, grinning wildly. “Ready, Captain?” he asked, before putting his hands on Steve’s shoulders and moving.

The world blurred and moved, and his head spun wildly before Pietro came to a stop, hidden behind a large pillar, only a few feet from where Nat and Wanda stood, readying themselves for a fight.

Nat’s Widow’s Bites were sparking, and Wanda’s hands were already encased with that tell-tale ominous red energy. Steve checked that the straps of his shield were tight enough on his arm, and then nodded at the two women. “Definitely body armor. Possibly AR-15s—likely hand guns and knives too. I make seven hostiles,” he whispered, glancing towards the men dressed in black tac gear.

Natasha huffed and moved forwards, launching herself into the air by a graceful jump off a chair—she landed on two of the men, taking them down in a tangle of limbs and electric current, their choked off screams echoing eerily in the building.

Steve moved before the other men had had the chance to react to Nat’s sudden attack, lobbing the shield towards two of the other men, who had raised their guns to Nat immediately, knocking both of them clean off their feet. The man that stood next to them shouted in alarm, but before he could do so much as raise his gun, he was tackled to the ground by a blur of movement, and then fastened in place by an eerie red glow that spread, quickly, to encompass all other men, freezing their limbs in place.

“Good job,” Steve told Wanda when she appeared from behind the relative safety of the pillar, eyes glowing as red as the mist encompassing her hands.

“I can’t hold them long,” she told him calmly. “Natasha, you should cuff them so I can let go.”

Natasha was already moving, pulling handcuffs from wherever she managed to stash them in her skin tight outfit, when someone let out a strangled, “Stop!”

Steve spun around, finding one of the men had managed to move enough to pull his helmet off, revealing—

“Brock?” Steve said incredulously.

“What?” Becca demanded in his ear, as Natasha stepped up beside him, eyeing Brock Rumlow, who was held immobile by Wanda’s red magic in what looked like a very uncomfortable position, with a considering expression.

“What the fuck?” the other man demanded when Wanda released him after Steve nodded at her, collapsing on his knees before he managed to steady himself. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” Natasha countered. “No one is supposed to be here.”

“We got a tip,” Rumlow spat. “Jesus, Romanoff, we’re meant to catch some terrorist group that the higher ups are really interested in. You better fucking hope you didn’t scare them away! Now fucking let my STRIKE guys loose.” He glared at Wanda, who bit her lip and looked at Steve first, waiting for his approval before she did as Rumlow said and released the other men.

A chorus of groans and muffled curses followed their release, and a small part of Steve felt a little smug that Wanda had been able to keep at least ten guys—a full fucking STRIKE team—down without visibly breaking a sweat.

Take that, every asshole who ever dared imply she didn’t deserve her spot on the team.

“He’s telling the truth,” Becca said hesitantly. “I’ve got the paperwork here. J.A.R.V.I.S. just hacked into the S.H.I.E.L.D. servers. Orders came straight from Maria—probably from Fury or Pierce before it came to her. It looks legit, Steve. They got the same tip we did.”

Steve exchanged a glance with Natasha, who had her arms crossed over her chest, staring down each of Rumlow’s STRIKE guys with a blank expression that he knew was tailor-made to scare the shit out of even the bravest of men. Judging by their expressions, Rumlow’s guys may not be the bravest of men.

She just lifted one eyebrow at him, and Becca suggested, “Maybe tell him some of the truth?”

Steve exhaled slowly.

“We also got a tip,” he told Rumlow. “Couple of hours ago. It came directly to us, seemed urgent. We contacted the Nigerian government directly and flew in. We didn’t want to risk losing these guys.”

Rumlow scoffed. “So urgent you couldn’t notify S.H.I.E.L.D. at all?”

“Tell him we told Fury,” Tony butted in. “Becca, J.A.R.V.I.S. will make it happen.”

Steve didn’t question their decision to fudge the truth. They’d established Avengers Black Op on this entire mission for a reason, and much as Steve enjoyed beating the man up during his mandatory hand-to-hand combat sessions, Brock did not make the cut for trusted individuals.

Not even Sharon had made the cut.

“We notified Fury,” he said, shrugging. “Didn’t hear back from him, and the Nigerian government had already given us permission to be here, so…”

“Damn it. They should’ve run it through us, man,” Brock grumbled. “Could’ve saved us this whole thing.” He glanced toward the two men Steve had knocked to the ground and the man Nat had tased with her Widow’s bites, and groaned. “Paperwork’s going to be a bitch.”

Steve hung his head.

He hated to say it, but Brock was right, damn it.

“Get them out,” Rumlow told Rollins, who Steve had worked with on occasion, and a fresh-faced kid who was likely a new recruit, gesturing to the three men that were still on the floor. “Make sure they get medical attention and that you’re not seen.” He glanced towards Steve and the others and heaved a sigh, “tell Hill we got back up from the Avengers.”

“Actually,” Becca drawled, “Hill just sent me an Avengers Assemble alert. Looks like there’s… something going on a couple of miles from where you guys are. Some guy called…” she hesitated and then snorted, “Killmonger? I dunno, he’s American special ops, but he called in for help not even a minute ago, something about a crazy man with voodoo powers taking out his whole team. We’re the closest back-up he’s got.”

Steve groaned. “Alright. Tony, fly ahead, scope out the situation, see what’s what. Pietro—”

“Aye aye, Cap,” the young man quipped, before pressing a lightning quick kiss to his sister’s cheek and blurring out of sight.

“We got an Assemble alert,” he told Rumlow reluctantly. “Becca’s informed S.H.I.E.L.D. you need more back-up, but if anything goes sideways, hail us, yeah? Pietro or Stark can be here before you can even blink if you need them.”

Rumlow nodded. “Yeah. Let’s hope we haven’t managed to chase away our mark.”

“Let’s hope not,” Steve agreed, before turning to Nat and Wanda, nodding his head towards the exit.

He wasn’t sure how they’d managed to get their wires crossed so intensely, because he could’ve sworn J.A.R.V.I.S. had checked S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database for similar tips beforehand, but there wasn’t anything for it now. There was possibly something more going on, someone playing them all, pulling on their strings like they were nothing but puppets, but he didn’t have time to figure it out now.

Someone needed their help.

Rumlow, S.H.I.E.L.D., and everything else could wait.

———————

Fox News (@FoxNews) 36 min.

BREAKING: Captain America comes out of the closet? Has this national hero been lying to the country, or did he simply misspeak? Surely @captainRogers will clarify this misunderstanding soon.

Steve Rogers — Captain America (@CaptainRogers) 2 min.

@FoxNews Did I fucking stutter?

———————

Brooklyn V.A. Medical center, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America

April 20

, 2016Steve

Steve just barely managed to squeeze himself into the tiny little bathroom stall of the V.A. center with Becca, gamely holding his breath as well as Becca’s hair as she retched into the toilet after an unfortunate incident involving the snack table for the meeting and a stray sandwich with blue cheese.

“Ugh,” Becca groaned miserably, leaning back and wiping her mouth on a wad of toilet paper before dropping it in the toilet and flushing it. “I thought this part was supposed to be over.”

Steve smiled lightly and tugged her close so her head could rest back against his shoulder.

“From what I remember,” Steve said slowly, keeping his voice level and calm to help Becca calm down—because he remembered how much throwing up triggered Becca sometimes, and he knew how difficult the first few weeks of the pregnancy had been for her, how relieved she’d been when the morning sickness had finally abated—rubbing his hand over the swell of her stomach softly. “It can come up any time. My mom used to say it was because your senses are heightened, primed to notice anything that could be a danger to the baby.”

“That’s a nice thought, actually,” Becca nodded. “I don’t think I mind being sick if it keeps the baby safe.”

Steve smiled and leaned his cheek against Becca’s temple. “Well, I hope for your sake that you don’t have to be sick anymore.”

“Me too,” Becca hummed.

They sat quietly for a few more minutes before Becca gasped, suddenly, looking down at her belly with wide eyes. “Look,” she told him urgently, tugging on his arm urgently until he moved, and they were sitting opposite one another with their backs against the walls of the stall, Becca’s legs curled underneath her and Steve’s awkwardly stretched out.

Becca pulled up her shirt a little, revealing the pale expanse of her stomach, littered with little silvery stretch marks and a few dark, puckered marks that she tended to hide otherwise. Today, though, the marks seemed the last thing on Becca’s mind, because she grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach again, just next to her belly button. “Look,” she insisted.

Steve dropped his eyes to her stomach as well, and he couldn’t really stop the gasp that fell from his lips when, suddenly, the outline of what was clearly a tiny foot pressed out into Becca’s skin just above his fingertips, remaining there for a few seconds before it disappeared again. “Shit,” he laughed, looking up at his friend with a grin, “that’s so weird. And cool.” He looked down again, but the little foot did not make another appearance. “You’re actually growing a person in there,” he added breathlessly.

Becca snorted and shoved at him. “What, did you think I stuffed a watermelon under my shirt before now? You’ve felt them kick before.” She elbowed him in the side and chuckled, “You’ve read more of the parenting books than any of us have.”

“Well,” Steve spluttered, a little embarrassed, “yeah. But this is different.”

Becca laughed again, but it wasn’t mean or mocking, and Steve grinned too, despite himself.

“Steven? Rebecca?”

Thor’s voice was loud enough to drift through the walls even when he was clearly trying to be quiet, and Steve grinned at Becca when she perked up immediately.

“In here,” Steve said, raising his voice just a little—Thor’s hearing was just as good, if not better than Steve’s—as he moved to help Becca back to her feet.

Thor pushed open the door to the bathroom and leaned on the doorjamb, smiling at them lightly, although his forehead was creased into a slightly concerned frown. “Everyone alright?” he asked casually, reaching out to Becca as soon as she was within reach.

Becca grimaced but nodded, leaning into Thor’s touch gratefully. “Blue cheese,” she said, nose wrinkling in disgust, and Thor made a small sound of comprehension, needing no further explanation after the last time Becca had encountered blue cheese in the common room of the Tower, and instead rubbing his hand over her back in a soothing gesture.

“You ready, Steve?” Becca asked, turning back to him with a grin.

“Born ready,” he said confidently.

——————

Steve was absolutely not ready.

He fidgeted, his hands trembling just shy of imperceptibly when he took the microphone from Sam. The room was about as filled as it usually was for the Thursday V.A. meeting, but the thought of ‘sharing’ still reminded him of the feeling he’d had when Senator Brandt had first thrust him into the spotlight on a stage somewhere in Philadelphia, when he’d wanted nothing more than to run away, to hide so no one could see him ever again.

He’d been wishing to be seen for most of his life at that point, had wished that people would see and notice him, but it’d been nothing like he’d thought it would be.

He’d made a promise to Sam though, and he wasn’t going to back out.

Becca and Thor were tucked into a corner of the room, Thor’s hands absently rubbing across Becca’s belly while Becca smiled encouragingly. She’d shared with the group the previous week, and it’d broken Steve up to hear, first-hand, the things people had done to her—before, during and after her capture—but she hadn’t been the only one.

There’d been a young man, too young to have the same kind of shadows lingering behind his eyes that they all seemed to, who came up to her afterwards, who thanked her for sharing, and for reminding them that… that it was possible to build a life afterwards.

That it was possible to learn how to live and be happy again.

Steve had diligently pretended Becca wasn’t crying when they walked home, but he’d held her hand and hugged her close when she’d asked him to anyway.

He’d told himself that sharing what had happened to him might help someone else. He’d told Sam the same, and Sam had held him to it, inviting him up to speak after everyone who’d volunteered had had their chance to speak, because “No one wants to follow your act, Rogers.”

Steve swallowed thickly and glanced at the expectant, curious faces of their group. “Hi,” he finally said, voice cracking with nerves. “I’m sure all of you know who I am.” He grinned lightly and added, “I usually lurk in the back with my friend, eating all of the donuts, like the creepers we actually are.”

That got a couple of scattered laughs, and Becca shot him a thumbs up from her corner.

Steve exhaled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the lectern that stood at the front of the room. “I’m Steve,” he began. “I’m thirty-two, and I went to war when I was twenty-four, and sometimes it feels like I’ve never left it behind. Sometimes it feels like I never will.” There were a few understanding murmurs, and something loosened slightly in his chest.

He could do this.

“I went to war because I had to,” he continued, chewing on his lower lip. “Because there were good, healthy people dying on the front lines every day, fighting to defend us, our families, and I was dying anyway, so what right did I have to do any less than them?” He swallowed thickly. “I was dying anyway, and I wanted my death to have more meaning than my life had.”

The room had gone utterly silent, and Steve didn’t dare look up, for fear he’d lose his nerve.

“It’s a funny thing,” he continued, “to be so aware of your own mortality. I wasn’t even very angry about the unfairness of it anymore. Buck—my—the love of my life,” he admitted, still a little shy to be so public about something so private, “he was angry. He was the sweetest guy you’d ever meet, charming and handsome and kind, but he was so fucking angry at God and the universe and whatever else there was, because I was dying, and there was nothing anyone could do about it… and then they called him to war too.”

Steve blinked back a tear, a little startled by how emotional he felt, by how hard recalling the memories was. “And he went,” he said. “He went, and what else could I do than everything I could to either follow him, or to die trying?” He looked up, briefly catching Becca’s shiny eyes before his gaze fell to Sam. Sam, who’d supported him, who hadn’t let their rough start at a friendship get in the way—who understood in a way even Becca never had.

“The machine they used to give me all of this—” He gestured vaguely at his body. “It looked like a coffin.”

There were a few gasps from the group, but no one interrupted when he continued, “And I thought it would be mine. There had been seventeen test subjects before me.” He looked down. “I was the only one to ever survive, but I didn’t know that when I went in. I thought I was going to be number eighteen, the one they could hopefully learn from, so they could help people.”

“Obviously,” he said with a weak smile, “it worked. And I went, and I fought, tooth and nail, for the life I’d been real eager to leave behind, for Bucky and his sisters, for his family—my family. I fought for everyone that couldn’t, for everyone we’d already lost, and for once, I felt like a hero.” He stopped and looked down, noting that his hands were shaking so bad he could barely hold the microphone without hitting himself in the face.

“When Bucky—the mission we were on—” He shook his head and lowered the microphone, breathing in deeply to regain some measure of composure. Because, while no one here would judge him, he wouldn’t be able to finish if he let himself cry now. “He saved my life, like he always did, like he’d been doing since we were both four feet tall and getting into fights with people twice our size. I got knocked down and he picked up my shield, and—” Steve choked lightly, tears running down his cheeks despite his best efforts to hold them at bay. “We were both nearly blown off the side of the train,” he said hoarsely. “I thought—God, for a second, I thought I had him. He managed to hang on by a railing, and I was so close. His—his fingers brushed past mine when it broke off and he fell.”

The room was deathly silent, and when he looked up, he saw that several other people were nodding, crying, knowing. “I almost fell,” Steve admitted. “I almost fell too. Sometimes I wish I had.”

He was quiet for a few seconds before he whispered, “Grief… Grief is a funny thing. Grief shatters something inside of you that you didn’t know could shatter, and it seeps into the cracks, like water that slowly freezes, slowly expands into ice until it’s all you can feel—until you can’t even remember what it felt like to live without the cracks, without the grief filling up that space. I didn’t… after Bucky fell, I lost my mind a little. I froze… long before I put the Valkyrie in the ice. I fought, and I killed, and I didn’t care that I was doing it, because every single Hydra soldier was one that was responsible for the love of my life dying alone at the bottom of a ravine. The Valkyrie…” He shook his head and sighed. “Putting down the Valkyrie was a relief, because at least it meant that whatever was going to happen, Bucky would be waiting for me on the other side.”

He swallowed. “And then I woke up here. And whatever soul, whatever heart I had left, it shattered further; the grief, the ice spread further, because everyone was gone. Everyone I’d ever known, everyone I’d ever loved—even the country I’d died for. Everything.”

He exhaled shakily and looked up, meeting Becca’s teary gaze, and managing a weak smile.

“I made it through. I made it through because I still had family that needed me, that missed me, that knew me, and that refused to give up on me even when I had.” He deliberately looked at every member of their group. “Including the Valkyrie, I tried to take my own life six times. I tried to leave, tried to give up what Bucky had died to give me—and I still think about it sometimes. I’m not always okay. I sit out missions that I know will trigger me, I have three different therapists, and I have an unrelenting support network. I’m lucky—so many of us don’t have all of that. But I want you, at least, to know that you do as well. I’m just one man, even with my name and reputation, and there’s only so much I can do—but when any of us, any of you need support, even if it’s just a shoulder to cry on…”

He shrugged one shoulder and smiled. “They’re a lot bigger and stronger than they used to be. I promise there’s room to help you shoulder your burden. I want you to know that you have that support. I thought I had no one for the longest time, even surrounded by friends and family, and I don’t wish that feeling on anyone.”

He looked down again and sighed. “The ice… the grief doesn’t go away,” he admitted. “Not really. But you learn. You learn to breathe with it, rather than against it, you learn how to cope, even when you can’t understand, and that’s all anyone can ask of you. Even on days when it feels like you’ll never leave the war behind, even when things are at its bleakest, there’s going to be better days. There’s always people that’ll care, that’ll miss you, that’ll need you.”

He squared his jaw and promised, “And when you have no one, I’ll be your someone. We will be your people. We’ll miss you. We’ll need you, and we’ll drag you through hell, to show you how good life is on the other side. You’re never alone.”

——————

Start from the beginning:

In Hell We Stand By You:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

Never Feel Alone:

(1) (2)

Decisions: (1)

Dancing with a Limp:

(1) (2)

Chances:

(1)

Starting Over:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

Or read it HERE on AO3 :D Find the next chapter HERE on Tumblr :)

#IHWSBY sequel #Dancing in the rain #DitR #Stucky fanfiction #stucky #Steve Rogers #Bucky Barnes #Thor #Rebecca Barnes #Tony Stark #Natasha Romanov #Pepper Potts #Avengers Family #my writing #Lisa writes

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