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thethief1996 · 7 months

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Israel has cut water, electricity and food to Palestinians in Gaza. They are buying 10.000 M16 rifles and plan to distribute to civilian settlers in the West Bank to hunt down Palestinians. They're bombing the only way out of Gaza through Egypt, after telling refugees to flee through it, and have threatened the Egyptian government in case they let aid trucks pass through. Entire families, generations, are being wiped out and left to wander the streets hoping they don't get bombed.

Palestinians are using their last minutes of battery to let the world know about their genocide and are being met with a wall of "What about Hamas? What about the beheaded babies? Killing children on either side is bad!" even though the propaganda claims have been debunked over and over again. How cruel is it to ask somebody to condemn themselves before their last words? Or before grieving the loss of their entire families? When there's no such disclaimer to Israelis even though their government has shown over and over genocidal intent? Like who are you even trying to appease? What will your wishy washy statement do against decades of zionist thought infiltrating evangelical and Jewish stablishmemts?

Take action. Israel will fall back if public opinion turns its tide. The UK fell back on its bloody decision to cut aid to Palestine under public scrutiny. The USAmerican empire spends $3.8 billion dollars annually solely on this proxy war while its people suffer under a progressively military regime as well. News outlets are canceling last minute on Palestinian speakers while letting Israelis tell lies unchecked. Palestinian refugees are being targeted in ICE establishments and mosques are already being hounded by the FBI. France and Germany have banned pro-Palestine protests, while Netherlands and the UK have placed restrictions . You have the chance to stop this from turning into repeat of the Iraq war.

I want to do something but there's hardly anything for me to do from Brasil besides spreading the word and not letting these testimonies fall on deaf ears. I'm asking you to do this same ant work from wherever you are.

Follow:

Eye On Palestine (instagram / twitter)

Mohammed El-Kurd (instagram / twitter)

Decolonize Palestine (website with a chronological explanation of the occupation and debunking myths)

Muhammad Shehada (twitter)

Plestia Alaqad (directly from Gaza. Many of her videos are interrupted by bombs)

If there's a protest in your city, please attend. Here's an international calendar of events:

Friday, October 13

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (US) – Fri Oct. 13, 3 pm, UNM Bookstore, University of New Mexico. Organized by Southwest Coalition for Palestine.

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA (US) – Fri Oct 13, 6 pm, Sproul Hall (Vigil), University of California Berkeley. Organized by Bears for Palestine.

DOUAIS, FRANCE – Fri Oct 13, 6:30 pm, Place de’Armes.

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN – Fri Oct 13, 5:30 pm, Brunnsparken. Organized by Palestinska samordningsgruppen Gothenburg.

GREENSBORO, NC (US) – Fri Oct. 13, 4 pm, Wendover Village, 4203 W Wendover Ave, Greensboro, NC. Organized by Muslims for a Better NC.

LONDON, ENGLAND – Fri Oct 13, 5 pm, Keir Starmer’s Office, Crowndale Center, 218 Eversholt St, London. Organized by IJAN UK.

MEANJIN/BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – Fri Oct 13, 6 pm, King George Square.

MIAMI, FL (US) – Fri Oct 13, 4:30 pm, Bayfront Park. Organized by Troika Kollectiv.

NAPOLI, ITALY – Fri Oct 13, 4:30 pm, Piazza Garibaldi, Napoli. Organized by GPI and Centro Culturale Handala Ali.

NGUNNAWAL/CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – Fri Oct 13, 5:30 pm, Carema Place.

PERTH/BOORLOO, AUSTRALIA – Fri Oct. 13, 5:30 pm, Murray Street Hall, Boorloo/Perth. Organized by Friends of Palestine WA.

PORTLAND, OREGON (US) – Fri Oct 13, 3 pm, 1200-1220 SW 5th Ave, Portland.

PORT RICHEY, FL (US) – Fri Oct 13, 7:30 am, Route 19 and Ridge Road, Port Richey. Sponsored by: Florida Peace Action Network; Partners for Palestine; CADSI

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – Friday, Oct. 13, 7 pm, UP Main Campus, DSA Building opposite Thuto. Organized by PSC UP.

WITSWATERSRAND UNIVERSITY (SOUTH AFRICA) – Fri Oct 13, 1 pm, Great Hall Piazza, Flag demonstration. Organized by Wits PSC.

Saturday, October 14

ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND – Sat, Oct. 14, 2 pm, St. Nichlas Square. Organized by Scottish PSC.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – Sat Oct 14, 2 pm, Aotea Square, Queens St, 291-2997 Queen St. Organized by PSN Aotearoa.

DETROIT/DEARBORN, MICHIGAN (US) – Sat Oct 14, 2 pm, Ford Woods Park, 5700 Greenfield Road. Organized by SAFE, PYM, SJP, Handala Coalition, more.

DUNDEE, SCOTLAND – Sat, Oct. 14, 2 pm, Place TBA. Organized by Scottish PSC.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – Sat, Oct 14, 2 pm, Princes Street at Foot of the Mound. Organized by Scottish PSC.

FRANKFURT, GERMANY – Sat Oct 14, 3 pm Hauptwache, Frankfurt am Main. Sponsored by Palestina eV, Migrantifa Rhein-Main and more.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – Sat. Oct 14, 2 pm, Buchanan Steps. Organized by Scottish PSC.

HOUSTON, TEXAS (US) – Sat Oct 14, 2 pm, City Hall, 901 Bagby St. Organizd by PYM, PAC, USPCN, SJP and more.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Sat Oc 14, 12 pm, Church St. Organized by FRFI.

LONDON, ENGLAND – Sat Oct 14, 12 pm, BBC Portland Place, London. Organized by a broad coalition.

MILANO, ITALY – Sat. Oct 14, 3:30 pm, Piazza San Babila. Organized by Young Palestinians of Italy, UDAP, Palestinian Community, Association of Palestinians.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Sat Oct 14, 3 pm, Lake Eola at Robinson and Eola, Orland. Organized by Florida Palestine Network.

TORINO, ITALY – Sat. Oct. 14, 3 pm, Piazza Crispi. Organized by Progetto Palestina.

VALPARAISO, CHILE – Sat Oct 14, 6 pm, Plaza Victoria, Valparaiso. Organized by Comite Chileno de Solidaridad con Palestina.

WASHINGTON, DC (US) – Sat Oct 14, 1 pm, Lafayette Square. Organized by AMP.

Sunday, October 15

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – Sun Oct 15, 2 pm, March from Dam Square to Jonas Daniel Meijer plein.

NAARM/MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Sun Oct 15, State Library Victoria.

TARDANYA/ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – Sun Oct 15, 2 pm, Parliament House.

AUSTIN, TEXAS (US) – Sun Oct 15, 3 pm, Texas Capitol. Organized by PSC ATX.

GADIGAL/SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Sun Oct 15, 1 pm, Sydney Town Hall.

SANTIAGO, CHILE -Sun Oct 15, 11 am, Plaza Dignidad, Santiago. Organized by Comite Chileno de Solidaridad con Palestina.

#save palestine #free palestine #save gaza #save sheikh jarrah #save silwan #ask to tag

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themovieboards · 1 year

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youtube

#albuquerque #bugs bunny #turn left #city #words #word humour #fun #Youtube

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jojomiwbvb6 · 3 months

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Author's note: I thought this blurb up tonight and knew you guys will eat it up bc bitch, me too. (Yes the title is inspired by INK, but it fits)

The Shower Scene

Warnings: this is a work of fiction. NSFW, MDNI. Smut (18+) Swearing, voyeurism, descriptive, masturbation

Part 2 / Part 3

You had a long day on tour. Load-in was exhausting. Every time you turned around, at least one mechanism had a glitch or a cable went haywire. At least 2 malfunctions during the concert that they spent 10 minutes fixing. By the time load-out commenced, you were flat on your face and crawling to the bus.

The Bad Omens bus was as homey and fun as they could make it on the road. Tomorrow they had a day off in Denver, Colorado, and decided to venture the city for the day. As the bus pulled up to their nightly hotel, the crew, including you, and the band gathered their bags and got ready to depart the bus.

"Dude, I'm so ready to lay in that goddamn bed, I'm so fuckin' tired," Ruffilo commented.

"Fuck yeah, Albuquerque fucked me up." Folio responded.

"I'm gonna take the hottest fucking shower. The devil himself wouldn't be able to take the heat." You said.

This earned a chuckle from a few of the guys around you.

Noah walked up behind his bandmates. His face was calm, devoid of having any idea of what he could be thinking. He briefly ran his eyes over you, quickly looking away into the shadows.

Noah was always so cool, calm, and collected. He was so talented and funny and so, so fine. Of course you would never tell him how much you would say yes to him bending you over if he asked for it.

Holding your key in hand, you walk down the stale smelling hallway until you reach your door. You slide the key card into the slot, the door clicks, and you let yourself in.

You're looking at the floor before observing the room, rolling your suitcase into the door. You notice the light is already on and-- "oh my fucking god dude, you scared the shit out of me!"

Noah smirks and gives you a laugh. "Good,"

You blush, and quickly look for something else to look at.

"I know that normally we wouldn't room together," he paused, maybe noticing I was holding my breath. But he continued, "But the hotel was short a room, and we got stuck together last minute." He stopped again.

You nodded, trying to act like you normally do.

"If you're uncomfortable..." He began to say, unsure.

"No, Noah. Not at all. We bunk in the same bus. It's not like we're sleeping together."

There was a small silence that carried on slightly too long.

"Mmm. So, Imma take a shower," you said, ending the conversation with the man you were desperately trying not to want for the sake of your job.

You enter the bathroom, stepping out of your clothes. The door locked behind you, you stare at it and begin to overthink. The tension in your stomach gets you hot when you get the idea. You slowly unlock the door, slowly and silently turning the door handle and leaving the door cracked just a little.

The hot water hits your skin, steam rising into the air. You look at the door, there's nothing there. You shrug. It wouldn't work anyway, there's no way he's even gonna notice.

Noah looks down at his phone.

Hey, come get a drink downstairs, we at the bar.

The text from Davis lights up his phone. He texted back,

Yup be down in a minute dude.

Noah gets up from his bed and makes his way to the door, approaching the bathroom. He slows his tracks. Noticing that you had accidentally left the door cracked, Noah reaches out and goes to close the door. He looks up and just by accident, he gets a glimpse of the whole side of you.

You're closing your eyes, caressing yourself with the soap running down your breasts and to your hips. Everything all on display.

He knows that he should look away from you, but my God, the way your hands rub at your skin, his breath hitches and he's glued to his position.

After a few minutes of showering, you'd given up the small ounce of hope you had that your nasty fantasy faded and you began to really take a shower.

You applied the soap to your chest and stomach, rubbing the loofah against your skin. You scrubbed at your legs, and then when you glanced up, you almost didn't catch the tall silhouette in the shadow of the hotel room behind him. You did a double take, to make sure he was what you were seeing, and he was.

Your breath picked up. Smirking, you bit your lip and turned away from him. He didn't need to speak, and neither did you. He didn't have to know that you saw him, if he couldn't tell you did. No one in the band or crew needed to know he was in that door frame looking at your wet, naked body. And it's what you wanted.

You began to make every movement you made sexually charged. Pulling your hands over your breasts, you tugged on your nipples. Your fingers caressed and played with your breasts, rubbing the soap into them.

Dragging your fingers down to your navel, you squirmed. How much of a show did you want to give Noah? You decided you wanted him to remember just how hot you got with him standing there.

Not yet looking at him, you turn your back to the door. Rubbing your hands into your ass cheeks, gripping and spreading them only slightly. You bent over as you did this, sure to give him a little sneak peak of what you want him to see very soon.

You see his silhouette shift in the door over your shoulder, just knowing you have him right where you want him.

You turn around, finally letting your hand slide further down, and leaning against the back shower wall, you raise your leg to the ledge of the bath. You finally allow him your gaze and look at him completely as you spread your legs and sink your fingers into yourself, letting a small moan fall from your mouth.

You hear a quiet "Fuck," from the doorway and see his long, tatted fingers grip the door frame, revealing his presence from the shadows.

"Mm. I knew you were there," you said very quietly. He gave no response. You didn't look at him, continuing your movements into your pussy and letting Noah drink in every stroke and buck into your hand.

You continued to fuck onto your hand, gaining confidence under his silent watch. You turned your back to him again, bending over and putting your entire pussy on display for his viewing pleasure. Reaching underneath you, you begin rubbing yourself at a fast pace, small moans falling out of your mouth. You buck back on your hand again when you sink two fingers into yourself. You see Noah's fingers gripping the trim and more of his hand appears from the dark.

You gave him another treat by moaning "fuckkkk," and crying out. You swear you hear a growl from the doorway. The hand falls, palming a desperate hard on, but there's no way he wants what he is seeing to stop.

This was way too hot.

You took your fingers from your heat and placed them in your mouth, looking directly at the doorway. Dragging your hand over your pussy again, you finally lock eyes with his dangerous glinting eyes in the dark.

You insert a finger. "Oh, fuck," you smirk and tease as you talk. You look away, and pretending Noah isn't even there, you put in another finger. "Mmm..." And one more finger, you're brave enough to sigh, "Noahhh..."

At that, he storms into the bathroom. It's no longer a "secret" that he was standing there. His eyes are wicked and wild with a starving desire and he doesn't even hide the hard rise in his sweats. You're so hot and wet already, but it makes you tremble that he's here and has his eyes on your spread heat.

"Fuck..." You trail, gasping through your self assault that you didn't even stop when he surprised you with his barging in. You gasp, a moan coming out through your sentence. "Don't speak. Don't do anything. Just watch me, Noah. Fucking watch me... Please."

He does as you ask. He latches and locks the bathroom door, leaning back on the sink. Noah doesn't say a word. He doesn't touch himself, but his eyes feast on every single inch of you that's available to him.

You continue to touch and tease your body. Your fingers move faster and your heat is wetter with his presence in the room. Your moans are quiet but just loud enough for his ears. You see him run his eyes down your body with a slow lick of his lips.

Under his gaze, your fingers begin to move faster and your gasps come quicker. You're curling your fingers against that spot inside you, arching your back and giving him the best show possible.

"Ah, ah, ah," you chant, "Noah, fuck," you give to him, earning a small and satisfactory "mm." From Noah.

Your eyes roll back. Your hands are making your head spin and your stomach clench under his eyes as you rub your clit and bite your lip. His eyes never give way and stay locked on you. Sparks shoot through your body and your gasps never end. You see stars, your juices flowing down your legs. You're crumpled against the wall and panting.

Noah doesn't speak. He gives you one last burning, hot look, soaking the whole sight and everything that just happened into his mind.

He smirks at you, unlocks the door, and without saying a single word to you, he leaves the bathroom.

Noah. Dude. Thought you were coming down?

Text from Davis again.

Sorry man, I accidentally passed out for a minute. Be right there.

#noah sebastian #bad omens #bad omens cult #noah sebastian x reader #noah sebastian smut #nick folio #jolly karlsson #nicholas ruffilo #The Shower Scene Noah

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sourmiguel · 4 months

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Left Turn at Albuquerque by yodasyoyo (wc9035, teen)

Summary: “Oh no!” Stiles yelps, springing back in alarm, and then, once he gets a better look at who he’s just doused, he whines, “Nonononononooooooooo.” Because he has just thrown coffee over the hottest guy he’s ever seen: Tall, muscular and dressed in what must have been, pre-coffee, a white tank-top, and what are still, coffee stains notwithstanding, excruciatingly tight jeans. The guy has dark hair, piercing eyes and the sort of scruff that Stiles just wants to rub all over himself.

Stiles is a MESS. And who knew, but maybe Derek loves that mess. This is so cute.

#fic rec #sterek #sterek au

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smoshysimp · 3 months

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how it should have gone

shayne x reader

warnings: it’s kinda a sad one

“just, shut up and listen to this.”

shayne rolled his eyes, already obeying with a wordless reply.

you pressed play on your phone and put it down on the center console. soon after, the car’s speakers filled with hepburn’s moon river.

hardly satisfied with your feat, you turned your body toward your door and stared out the window. you were mad at him, because he ruined the moment. the sun was perfectly set in front of the both of you as you drove on the highway. mountains became more prominent on different parts of the horizon. shayne had just finished driving through the majority of albuquerque and you felt the song was fitting for the view, at least, before you started to argue about something you didn’t even remember anymore.

dream maker, you heart breaker; wherever you’re goin’, i’m goin’ your way

you hated when this happened. you found yourself remembering every argument, all forming into one giant fight in your mind. about leaving on time, about family members making the trip hard, about each other making the journey unbearable; no matter how you went about it, you two had basically fought and jabbed at one another the entire time. and the damn song you put on made you feel worse, when it was supposed to romanticize the sunset.

two drifters off to see the world, there’s such a lot of world to see

sometimes, you felt so alone. you felt trapped, because he was with you when you found out about your parents. who else could you talk to about anything? you didn’t have your mentors anymore to help with relationship situations like these. you were too old to google the problem and search for answers. hopeless moments lasted forever, and branded the edges of your memories as if to remind you that you never truly enjoyed a quiet moment.

with a sigh, you placed your hands in your lap and picked at your nails. to your surprise, shayne’s right hand grabbed your left and brought it closer to him.

“i’m sorry. i’m sorry for arguing with you right now, and for arguing so much during the trip. i picked a lot of fights that i shouldn’t have, and i didn’t mean to do that to you. i know it’s really hard, going back after so long and around their anniversary, but i love you, and i know your parents would be proud of you.”

you gave his hand a squeeze as you fought back tears; your head and body still faced the passenger window. “i’m sorry too.”

his thumb brushed against your knuckles. no words were exchanged as the song ended, and it went back to playing whatever was on his playlist.

“can you play it again?” he asked.

you nodded your head, unsure if he saw it. not wanting to break the connection, you grabbed your phone with your free hand. the song played again, and this time, your body faced him as you both silently gazed into the mountainous sunset.

moon river, wider than a mile; i’m crossing you in style someday

#shayne topp x reader #shayne x reader #smosh x reader #shayne topp #smosh #smosh imagine #shayne topp imagine #shayne imagine

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gurumog · 11 months

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Ali Baba Bunny (1957) Warner Bros. Dir. Charles M. Jones

#bugs bunny #daffy duck #ali baba bunny #warner bros #merrie melodies #looney tunes #mel blank #chuck jones #that left turn at albuquerque

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fortheloveofwonderland · 7 months

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Midnight | Chapter 12 | SR

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Summary - after arriving in Crested Butte, things seem like they might finally be getting better between you and Spencer. But when Spencer meets a beautiful, young local, can he resist temptation?

Pairing - unsub! Spencer Reid / Fem! Reader

Category - dark angst | smut | very eventual happy ending

Warnings - brief mention of oral (m receiving) and brief mention of penetrative sex, a surprising amount of fluff, swearing.

WC - 4.4k

Chapter 12 - Better Than This

By the time you finally arrived in Crested Butte, Colorado it felt like an entire lifetime had passed since you left DC. You’d changed so much as a person in that time you weren’t sure you even recognised yourself anymore.

Somewhere along the drive from Albuquerque Spencer had detoured off into the mountains where you watched from the car while he dug a hole in the middle of the forest and buried the body of Duncan Green.

You’d made another stop at a pay-by-the-hour motel in which you’d showered and changed into clean clothes. And maybe during the course of cleaning yourselves up you’d found yourself on your knees for him, worshipping him with your mouth, despite the fact he didn’t deserve it.

Driving up through the small town of Crested Butte you found yourself in awe of the quaint little place. It was nestled right into the base of the town's namesake mountains, this time of year lacking their winter snow but they were no less breathtaking.

You drove down Elk Avenue, the town’s main street just as the sun was beginning to set. The dainty street was lined with wooden buildings of every colour of the rainbow, with eccentric signs promoting each business. Benches and trees periodically lined the kerbside and a few people meandered the street but very few cars were around.

Spencer slowed the Nissan so the two of you could take it all in. The place was free of any big corporate chains, opting for that small town charm you found in really rural parts of America. Boutique storefronts boosted names such as Townie Books, Milky Way Boutique, Scouts General Store and the Oh-Be-Joyful art gallery.

You spotted at least five coffee shops, with equally cutesy names, a breakfast diner called McGill’s, a surprising array of restaurants including Garlic Mike’s and Uley’s Cabin and Ice Bar and an even more impressive selection of bars. It was a small community, the kind of place where you assumed everybody knew each other’s business. Maybe not the best place for two criminals to hide out, but you could only hope Spencer knew what he was doing.

But as if reading your mind he inhaled sharply with a shake of his head.

“Jesus Christ, everyone is looking at us.”

“It’s like being under a microscope.” You agreed.

“We’ll just have to be on our best behaviour, Rose.” He shot you a sideways glance.

He turned up 4th Street which thankfully didn’t have as many onlookers and was soon taking a right onto Gothic Avenue. He pulled the Nissan to a stop outside the house at the very end of the road, shut off the engine and jumped out of the car. With a roll of your eyes, you followed him.

He grabbed your bags and led you to the front gate. Your heart swelled in your chest as you took in the facade of the newly renovated cabin, secluded at the end of the street.

A little cobbled path led to the house, with a neatly trimmed lawn either side. The house itself was made of rustic, dark wood, with a couple of stone steps leading up to the front porch with two rocking chairs side by side and a cute little window complete with a flower box with some beautiful red flowers blooming inside it.

There was a black metal lockbox next to the front door which Spender tapped a code into and fished out the keys sheathed inside. He handed them to you and motioned for you to do the honours. You felt a surge of excitement and couldn’t hold back the grin from your face as you took them from him and eagerly slotted them in the front door.

The door opened into the cosy living room with hardwood floors and an exposed brick fireplace which were strangely juxtaposed against the large flat screen TV hanging on the wall. All the furnishings were miss matched which you found extremely endearing, no two cushions were the same, let alone the couches and chairs.

To the right of the door was the open plan kitchen which was decked out with all new appliances, marble countertops and a huge double fridge. Out the back of the kitchen was the dining room with a low hanging chandelier over the table which you didn’t think would look out of place in an Arthurian castle. A bathroom was off to the side and another living room out the back, this one was much more modern yet still kept with the miss matched furniture theme.

You followed the staircase behind the dining room up to the first floor and quickly located the master bedroom. By this point your mouth was hanging open in awe. The bedroom was large and light and airy, all white painted wood with a sloping ceiling but was still tall enough for Spencer, at just over six feet tall, to stand without hindrance. The bed was a huge king sized, with the softest looking sheets and big fluffy pillows. The light grey carpet was plush and you couldn’t wait to run your toes through it.

On one side was a built-in wardrobe and a door leading to a very modern en-suite. On the other side was a large grey armchair and double doors leading out to the first floor patio area. You ambled forward, looking much like a kid in a candy shop and pushed open the doors.

The patio overlooked the garden and you estimated by the placement that it most likely got sun for most of the day, not that it was warm enough in Crested Butte in spring to sunbathe. It had a couple of wicker couches with more miss matched cushions lining them and a little glass coffee table. On the far side was a spiral staircase that led down to the neat backyard, which had a raised decking with more garden furniture and a fairly decent sized hot tub.

From the first floor you had the most perfect view of the sprawling Crested Butte mountains as far as the eye could see. Your heart yearned for this place, like for the first time in your life you could breathe easily. You immediately felt at peace here, maybe you had finally found your way home. It was as though someone had plucked your ideal home straight from your brain and made it a reality. It was a flawless recreation of all your hopes and dreams.

Spencer dumped the bags on the floor in the bedroom and watched you curiously from the doorway. He folded his arms across his chest and leant against the doorjamb while he watched the back of your head. Somehow he already knew you were smiling.

When you turned to him, the tears behind your eyes were immediately noticeable but your lips were turned up into the brightest smile you’d ever seen.

“How did you know?” You croaked, not daring to walk over to him.

“You’re kidding right?” He chuckled with a shake of his head. “For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve talked about living off the grid, in some backwater town where everybody knows your name. Quaint, you used that word a lot. Rustic. I remember once or twice you mentioned the Gilmore Girls?”

Your smile grew and you had to fight back the tears.

“You found me my very own Stars Hollow.” You felt so emotional that Spencer would do this for you. You’d genuinely started to think he didn’t care about you and that your presence was a burden to him. But how many men would do this for you?

“Yeah, well don’t read too much into it.” He rolled his eyes. “You know it's great for me too because it's close to a ton of other states so I have a wealth of targets and small town charm has its appeal.”

“You found me my own Stars Hollow.” You repeated as you started towards him across the patio.

He dropped his arms to his sides but his back went rigid, a frown forming on his brow.

“What are you doing?” He grumbled when you were suddenly throwing your arms around his neck and pulling him into your body.

“It’s called a hug, Spence.” You giggled, and god if he hadn’t heard you made that sound in so long.

It melted him, truly turned him into a puddle and he couldn’t help but wrap his arms around you in return and hold you close. He breathed you in, mesmerised by the way you felt tucked in his embrace like you’d belonged there all along. It felt so much like old times and maybe Spencer hadn’t completely ruined things with you after all.

This town, this cabin had been another way for him to show his gratitude towards you when he had such a hard time expressing it with words. And seeing how happy it made you caused his heart to explode in his chest. You deserved so much better than he’d been offering you lately. Something had to change.

When you pulled back to look at him, you both kept your arms around each other and the way Spencer was looking at you was different to anyway he’d looked at you as of late. His smile reached all the way to his eyes and if you weren’t mistaken, he looked almost bashful. It was a side of him you hadn’t seen in so long and so you couldn’t help but get up on your tiptoes and place a soft kiss to his lips.

He hummed into the kiss, large hands flush on your back and he used his tongue to tentatively part your lips. The kiss deepened but it wasn't so animalistic and frantic as usual, he was soft and almost shy, his hands not hungrily pawing at your body like you were used to.

You gently moved the two of you further into the room until Spencer’s legs hit the bed. He pulled away from your lips and looked down with a doe-eyes stare.

You smiled at him and nodded, motioning for him to get on the bed. He swallowed and bent down to remove the Colt from his boot, setting it on the nightstand before kicking his shoes off. He lowered himself to the mattress and shuffled up the bed until his back was against the pillows.

He seemed nervous, such a strange change in character to the way he’d been the other times you’d been in this position. He was giving over full control to you and for once he didn’t care.

You crawled on the bed and into his lap, knees either side of his thighs. You could feel his erection pressing between your legs but he wasn’t grinding against you or rushing you to get undressed. His hands found purchase on your hips but it wasn’t his typical firm grip, his fingers brushing lightly against your shirt.

His lips were slightly parted, as if waiting for another kiss. You bowed your head closer to him to offer him what he wanted, and once again the kiss was much less hurried than you were used to. Spencer seemed to want to explore every inch of your mouth with his tongue, languidly venturing to commit every corner to memory.

You placed your hands against his chest while his fingers started to knead your sides. You could feel his heart beating beneath your palm. It felt somewhat erratic.

“Are you ok?” You whispered against his lips.

“Very much so.” He replied just as softly.

“Your heart is racing.” You giggled again and felt his heart actually skip a beat.

“Because I want to tell you how much you mean to me, but I don’t know how.” He pulled back and looked deep into your eyes. “I’m…I…”

You noticed his hesitance, you knew what he wanted to say but you knew how hard it was for him. You cupped his face and stroked his cheek lovingly.

“How about, you’re my partner in crime?” You smiled softly at him. “That can be our own little way of saying it without actually saying it.”

He mused on it for a second, rolling his lip between his teeth before he started to nod.

“I like that.” His hand found its way to the back of your neck. “My partner in crime.”

Using his hold on your neck he pulled you close and kissed you again. Piece by piece your clothes landed on the floor until you were both naked and you were straddling his lap once more.

You ran your fingers briefly over the uncovered wound on his abdomen, the first time you’d seen his crude stitch work. He didn’t seem to mind, offering you a slightly melancholy smile as you did so.

This time when you had sex it was so different from the others. Spencer let you set the pace as you rode him and he looked at you with so much love in his eyes you thought you might burst. It was slow and sensual, like you had all the time in the world.

After you both came he immediately pulled you into his arms and placed tender kisses on your head muttering over and over again, my partner in crime.

Eventually you both fell asleep like this in your beautiful little cabin, wrapped up in a blissful blanket or adoration. Maybe you’d both finally found what you’d been searching for. Maybe together you’d found a home.

***

The following morning Spencer woke you up by placing kisses on your neck. The two of you had sex before you’d barely opened your eyes and it was equally as sweet and sensual as it had been last night.

You showered together in your en-suite and all the while he couldn’t take his eyes off of you and he had a dreamy smile on his lips.

After you walked into the town hand in hand. The sun was shining but it was bitterly cold, you’d need to invest in some big sweaters or something if Spencer planned on staying here.

He took you for breakfast at McGill’s. It was a tall, narrow turquoise building with large front windows which let the sun shine through. The two storey building was already packed with townspeople.

A friendly older man who’s name badge announced him as Fred seated you on one of the last free tables downstairs and took your breakfast orders. Spencer held your hand across the table and still the smile couldn’t be wiped from his face.

“This is how I pictured it.” He spoke after your coffee was brought over.

“Pictured what?” You used your free hand to pick up your mug and take a sip.

The coffee was like liquid heaven as it passed your lips, as if this place couldn’t get any better. It warmed your insides as it made its way down, the way Spencer was looking at you warmed your heart.

“This. Us.” He shrugged and you swore you saw a light blush creep to his cheeks.

It was a complete one eighty from the Spencer you’d come to know recently. Just yesterday he’d been violently fucking you over the hood of the car and today he like being with a different person. This was the sweet and dorky Spencer Reid you’d worked with at the BAU, the one you’d called your best friend.

“You thought about us? Like more than friends?” You dared to ask and his blush seemed to deepen.

“Sometimes.” He admitted. “Sometimes I wondered what it could be like. This is pretty close to how I imagined it.”

“Me too.” You agreed.

Your food was brought over soon after and you ate in relative silence while shooting each other the occasional smile. After breakfast you stocked up on supplies at Scout’s General Store which from the outside you thought looked more like a school or community hall.

According to the little hanging sign in the window it was only open Wednesdays to Sundays. It sold most everything the two of you could need for the time being, all your grocery essentials which were locally sourced, it even stocked clothes, gift cards and jewellery. The one thing it didn’t seem to sell was alcohol.

You filled up a trolley of goods, taking note of the high prices of the artisan goods and wondering if you wouldn’t have been better to drive out of town and find a Walmart. But Spencer didn’t seem phased.

When you ambled over to the single checkout, the girl in her twenties, with fire engine red hair, didn’t even notice your presence. She was sitting cross legged on the chair behind the counter, a magazine open in her lap which her eyes were trained on. You and Spencer and exchanged a glance and he shrugged and started unloading the groceries onto the counter.

Her eyes suddenly snapped up, bright green and large, and landed straight on Spencer. You watched the way those eyes grazed him up and down before landing back on his face and her lip quirked into a smile.

“Well hello there.” She pushed herself to her feet, not even so much as glancing at you. “You must be new in town. I’d surely recognise a face like that.”

Spencer pulled that tight lipped smile you knew meant he was uncomfortable as she started ringing up the items and he grabbed a few paper bags.

“Uh yeah, arrived last night.” He nodded.

“You look like a city boy. What brings you to a place like Crested Butte?” She kept her eyes on him and didn’t even glance down at the groceries.

City boy? You frowned to yourself. He looks like a teacher's assistant.

“Uh, just, uh…travelling.” He shrugged awkwardly.

“Travelling, huh?” The girl repeated like she’d never heard of the concept before. “Well welcome to our little mountain paradise. I’m Mary.”

“Sp…” he started but quickly corrected himself. “Andrew.”

“And I’m Rose.” You cleared your throat as you spoke. “His wife.”

Mary glanced up at you finally, scrutinising you a little before looking back at Spencer.

“Huh.” She shrugged. “Nice to meet you, Andrew.”

You rolled your eyes and decided not to let it bother you. If you let yourself get annoyed by every woman who was attracted to Spencer you’d spend your whole life frustrated.

Mary finished ringing up the items and Spencer handed her some cash, all the while looking a little like a deer in headlights. Sure Mary was cute, animated eyes, a little button nose and pouty lips. But she had to be almost half Spencer’s age, you were almost embarrassed for her.

“I, uh, noticed you didn’t sell any alcohol here?” Spencer took the change from Mary and pocketed it.

“You’ll have to go to Mountain Spirits just down the road.” She smiled at him and you saw Spencer swallow.

“Th-thanks.” He scooped up the bags but kept staring at the young redhead.

You rolled your eyes and pushed him by his shoulder.

“It’s time to leave, honey.” You spat, ushering him towards the door.

Maybe you should have been worried. Maybe you should have considered that just because Spencer seemed smitten with you now, it was only a few days ago you caught him making out with that blonde in Edwardsville. Would you even have a right to be annoyed? Your rings were simply for show and apart from being partners in crime, the two of you weren’t strictly partners in any other aspect.

You weren’t his girlfriend, you most certainly weren’t his wife, so what if Spencer dabbled in a little harmless flirting, if that was even what it was. Mary was not a threat, at least you didn’t think so.

But you didn’t take into account how rapidly Spencer was able to shift between his two personalities, and that just because he seemed like the old Spencer now, it didn’t mean it would last. And you’d find yourself on the receiving end of his darker persona once more, a lot sooner than you would think.

***

Townie Books, the olive green building just across the street from Scout’s General Store doubled as the Rumours Coffee and Tea House. Spencer had been thrilled to find they had a bookstore in town and couldn’t wait to check it out.

You’d opted to stay at the cabin, with a nice glass of red wine you’d picked up from Mountain Spirits on the first floor balcony while Spencer strolled back into town.

He was busy perusing the aisle, running his fingers along book spines and relishing in the smell of old books you rarely found these days. He was a little lost in the displays, and so he didn’t notice he was being watched until he turned from one rack towards another and found a large pair of startling green eyes staring back at him.

“I pegged you as a book lover.” Mary’s eyes sparkled at him as she leant back against the shelves, looking him up and down.

“You met me for all of five minutes, how could you have possibly pegged me as a book lover in that time?” He folded his arms across his chest, returning her scrutiny.

“I’m really good at reading people. No pun intended.” Her lip quirked at her own bad joke.

Oh sweetheart, you have no idea, he thought to himself.

He’d profiled her with ease the minute he met her. Oldest of many siblings, which was why she was able to concentrate so hard on her magazine and distance herself from what was going on around her. Daddy issues, that was a given in the way she was clearly interested in a man much older than her. Maybe an abusive father, certainly absent. Mother was emotionally unavailable, probably working long hours to try and make ends meet for all her kids, leaving Mary to pick up the slack and take care of her younger siblings.

Attention starved, she dyed her hair red in an attempt to get people just to notice her. The tattoo he could see peeking out of the top of her shirt on her collarbone only went to further prove that point. She projected confidence to hide the fact she was deeply insecure and desperately lonely.

“Huh, you don’t say.” He nodded.

“So,” she glanced around for a moment or two. “Where’s your wife?”

“At the cabin.” He tried to hide his smirk.

“If I had a husband who looked like you, I wouldn’t let him out alone.”

Spencer felt a stirring in his groin, he couldn’t help it, he was only human and she was beautiful.

“Duly noted.” He replied, the smirk starting to spread to his lips. “So you seem well informed, what’s there to do around here on a Saturday night?”

“There’s a surprising amount of bars around here, but my favourite is the Wooden Nickel.” She shrugged, puffing out her chest a little and causing Spencer’s eyes to glance down at her cleavage.

He swallowed and tried to focus himself.

“And why is that?”

“I work there.” She shrugged again.

“You work there and at the grocery store?”

“Sometimes I help out here too. I’m saving up to get my ass outta here.”

“Fair enough.” Spencer nodded, trying not to think too much about her ass now she’d put that idea in his head.

“So I’ll be working tonight, maybe you can come and keep me company?” She took a step forward and reached for him, her long nail grazing the under side of his stubbly chin. “With or without your wife.”

With a wink sent his way, she was suddenly turning and sauntering away and she knew he was staring at her ass as she went. Spencer fell back against the bookshelves, heart racing against his chest and a semi growing in his pants.

He owed you so much more than this and he knew it. But he also knew he was weak and he was almost certain, given half the chance he would most defintely fuck that beautiful, young red head into oblivion.

He watched her go, feeling light headed with arousal, knowing he was playing with fire. It was wrong for him to even be thinking such things and you deserved better than he was giving you. If he kept on like this it was only a matter of time before he lost you for good.

You were his partner in crime, he’d never forgive himself if he pushed you away but pushing you away was sometimes easier than loving you. He needed to make a change, he needed to love you better than this before he ran out of apologises and you walked away forever.

But fuck if Mary wasn’t so goddamn tantalising.

Wide awake on the couch,

Don't know what we're fightin' 'bout.

This isn't the first time,

Said some things I didn't mean,

Acting like we're seventeen.

I hate making you cry.

Running out of times to apologize.

I need to love you better than this,

What am I doin'?

One more slip and I'm gonna lose you,

I got to get my shit together and love you better, yeah.

Better before you change your mind and slam the front door,

Leave me behind,

And I think I'd hate myself forever.

I need to love you better than this,

'Cause there's nothing better than this, no.

Swear to God, I'll get it right,

Won't turn my best into a lie.

I'll pay more attention,

I don't want all of this.

To turn into what could've been,

A chance at redemption.

Runnin' out of times to apologize.

I need to love you better than this,

What am I doin'?

One more slip and I'm gonna lose you,

I got to get my shit together and love you better, yeah.

Better before you change your mind and slam the front door,

Leave me behind,

And I think I'd hate myself forever.

I need to love you better than this, ooh yeah,

'Cause there's nothing better than this, no.

Shadows on the ceiling,

Like I'm upside down and feeling.

Like I don't even know me at all.

Waiting for permission,

To be everything I'm missing,

Isn't the way I planned this at all.

I need to love you better than this,

What am I doin'?

One more slip and I'm gonna lose you,

I got to get my shit together and love you better, yeah.

Better before you change your mind and slam the front door,

Leave me behind,

And I think I'd hate myself forever.

I need to love you better than this, ooh yeah,

'Cause there's nothing better than this.

No, no, no, no,

I wanna love you better than this,

Ooh yeah, ooh, there's nothing better than this, no.

I need to love you better than this.

@muffin-cup @andiebeaword @measure-in-pain @takeyourleap-of-faith @ssa-uglywhore27 @bubblebuttwade @jay-2s-world @thebloomingeagle @daddy-dotcom @dreatine @this-is-doctor-and-its-calm @matthew-gray-gubler-lover @justreadingficsdontmindme @spencer-reid-wonderland

#spencer reid #unsub spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid smut #spencer reid x fem! reader #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x y/n #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction

91 notes · View notes

chaifootsteps · 4 months

Note

Angel dust's voice sounds like a bad bugs bunny impression.

This show should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque.

#Anonymous #viv stuff #actual blog post

37 notes · View notes

phantomjeanne85 · 30 days

Text

I knew I should've made a left turn at Albuquerque.

#my screenshots #gaming #the legend of zelda #tears of the kingdom #link #yiga clan #albuquerque #bugs bunny references #lol

22 notes · View notes

the-west-meadow · 1 year

Text

Nowhere

Kendall Roy x Reader

tw: suicidal thoughts, verbal abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, drunk driving

As you stood in the shade of Connor’s patio, watching Logan and his children walk towards the old adobe church, Kendall’s absence was painfully apparent. You had grown used to seeing him at his father’s side. But he had not come with his family to New Mexico. It was a shame, you thought; he would have liked it here.

Greg, standing beside you in a long peacoat, waved as they disappeared behind the wooden church doors.

“What do you think they’re going to talk about?” Greg said.

“Years of suppressed trauma, maybe.”

“Wow. You think?”

You shrugged. “They probably won’t get around to it.”

You strolled back towards the house, where the others were sitting by the pool. Anyone who was not a child of Logan Roy had been left behind. Marcia, Tom, and Willa eyed you as you entered the house with Greg.

Greg leaned on the kitchen counter as you poured yourself a shot of whiskey from the mini-bar.

“Getting right to it, huh?” said Greg.

“You want some?”

“I’m good. It’s a little early for my system.”

Tom strolled into the kitchen, hands in his pockets.

“Hey, rascals. I see you breaking into the liquor stash. You should have invited me.”

“Well, you’re invited now,” joked Greg.

Tom leaned on the counter and grinned at you both.

“Here we are. The outcasts.”

“I’ll admit, I do feel kind of left out,” said Greg.

“God, wouldn’t you give anything to be a fly on the wall in that room? The whole thing is so uncomfortable it makes me want to puke. I love it.”

Your phone buzzed in your pocket. The name on the screen made your heart jump: Kendall Roy.

“Excuse me a second,” you said, slipping out of the kitchen.

“Is that a new lover?” Tom called after you. You jogged through the house to the room where you were staying and shut the door behind you.

“Hey, what’s up?” you said, keeping your voice low.

“Hey, Y/N. How you doing?”

“Surviving,” you said. “How are you?”

“Can you come meet me? I’m somewhere outside of Albuquerque.”

“What? When did you get here?”

“I’ll fill you in. Are you coming?”

“I’m at the ranch right now. I don’t have a car.”

“Can you figure something out?”

You thought fast, rubbing your forehead. “Yeah. I’ll take care of it.”

“You’re the best.”

You hung up, heart racing. You hadn’t heard from Kendall in weeks. He texted occasionally to check in, but it had been a long time since you heard his voice. It was a painful reminder of how much you had missed him lately.

Tom and Greg looked up as you walked into in the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Tom asked.

“Just a family thing,” you said.

“Oh, come on. You can’t have a personal life. There’s only work, work, work!”

Tom tossed back the rest of his drink and set his glass down.

“Okay, I’ll fuck off. Both of you come sit by the pool and save me from Marcia and Willa. I mean it.”

You and Greg watched until he was out the door, then Greg turned to you in anticipation.

“Well?”

“That was Kendall. He’s here.”

“Are you serious?”

“He wants me to meet him. But I don’t have a fucking car.”

“Right.” Greg glanced around as if looking for an answer. “Okay, I’m not supposed to know this, but there’s a collection of old cars in Connor’s garage. And, stupidly, all the keys are hanging on a rack in the garage. So if someone wanted to take one of those cars out for a drive while everyone was in therapy, I doubt anyone would notice for a few hours at least.”

“Cover for me. Make up a story.”

“Okay, yeah-“

But you were already gone.

You felt like a thief, skulking around the sides of the huge adobe ranch house, past the refurbished church and towards the unlocked garage. Lined up in the cool darkness were half a dozen vintage cars. Spotless. Expensive. Fueled up and ready to ride. You slowed down, taking your time to choose your ride. This was a once in a lifetime chance, after all. When Connor found out, you’d probably be banned from the state of New Mexico.

You chose an aqua 1967 Cadillac de Ville convertible. Sitting in the smooth leather seat, you watched with giddy panic as the garage door opened. Then you gunned it, kicking up a cloud of red dust as you escaped down the long ranch road from Connor’s estate.

The roads in New Mexico were long, straight, and empty. Gnarled barbed wire fences emerged from the scrublands, and distant mountains rolled beneath white clouds. It was the antithesis of what you were used to in New York. Here, everything was low to the ground, wild, free. You flew down the roads, the wind roaring all around you.

It was an hour’s drive to Albuquerque. You kept driving until you reached a diner in a small desert town beyond the city. When you rolled into the parking lot, you saw Kendall standing outside, smoking. Your heart swelled at the familiar sight of him. He stared as the aqua Cadillac parked squarely in front of him.

You cut the engine.

“Hey,” you called.

“You’re fucking kidding me.”

Kendall strolled up to the car, looking it over. Then he shook his head and let out a short laugh.

“Alright. Not really what I had in mind. But it’s cool.”

As he came closer, you were able to take a good look at him. He looked different. He was tan from the desert sun, dressed in a denim jacket and black jeans. His eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses. There was also an edginess, a restlessness to his movements that you didn’t recognize.

He dropped his cigarette, stepped on it, and put his hands in his pockets. You could feel him taking you in behind his dark shades.

“It’s good to see you,” he said.

“You too.”

“Let’s figure out a game plan. I feel like I just landed on an alien planet.”

You sat across from Kendall in the booth, squinting in the hard sunlight that slanted through the window. The waiter brought two mugs of hot coffee. You sipped it gratefully, feeling it nudge against your dull headache. As the waiter stepped away, you took in the sight of Kendall sitting across from you.

“How long have you been here?” you asked.

“A few days. Just clearing my head.”

“You seem good.”

“I feel good.” He sipped his coffee, eyeing you over the rim of his mug. “How have things been for you while I was gone?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m not getting anywhere. I don’t have many allies.”

“You and Greg seem pretty tight.”

“I guess so. You cling to each other for survival when you have an insane boss.”

“Pretty bad, huh?”

“It wasn’t this bad when you were around. You’re like a path through the insanity.”

“Well, thanks. But I’ve done plenty of fucked up things, too.”

“It’s different. This borders on abuse.”

Kendall looked alarmed. “Hold on, you don’t mean, like—“

“No, no. Nothing like that. Just psychological shit.”

“Are you okay, though?”

“I’m coping.”

“Meaning?”

“I’m drinking a lot more.”

Kendall nodded, still peering at you intently. “Uh-huh.”

You gazed into the steaming coffee for a moment before voicing the question that was on your mind.

“Does this mean you’re back?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m still working up the courage to see my family.”

He didn’t say any more. The waiter brought your food; huevos rancheros. Kendall stuck with coffee. He watched you dig in with a slight smile.

“You seem like you’re thriving here. Big blue Cadillac. Local cuisine.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “It’s very different here.”

“Seriously. I feel like never get to see the real you. We’re always under the cloud of my dad. You know what I mean?”

You nodded. ”Everyone’s been on eggshells around him this week. I don’t know how you live with it.”

“It’s fucking torture.”

He was smiling, but you could see the pain in his dark eyes.

“Are you going to eat anything?” you finally asked.

“Not that hungry. I guess the desert’s making an ascetic out of me.”

He smiled again and looked down at his hands, turning his sunglasses over and over. He hadn’t stopped fidgeting through the entire meal. You set your fork down and slid your empty plate to the side.

“Hey,” he said, “How long can you be away?”

“At least until someone notices the car is gone.”

“Come on. Let’s go somewhere.”

You drove the Cadillac as Kendall leaned back in the passenger seat, watching the desert fly past. An orange glow filled the sky as the sun sank lower.

“How far do you want to go tonight?” he asked.

Your heart skipped. “What are you asking?”

He laughed. “Jesus. Not like that. I mean how far do you want to drive? Mexico?”

“Are you serious?”

“I don’t know. Am I?”

You looked at him, and you still couldn’t tell. The sun was beginning to sink, casting long shadows on the black road. The mountains grew darker in the distance. Kendall leaned forward, peering out at the desert.

“Let’s stop up here for a second.”

You slowed the car, pulling to the side of the road. Low music drifted from the radio. You cut the engine, suddenly surrounded by a deafening silence. Kendall went very still, listening.

“This is a good place,” he said in a soft voice. He opened his door and started out. “Come on.”

You followed. Small jackrabbits leapt out of your way on the path, which was surrounded by yellow-flowering creosote. A low breeze set everything in motion; the shrubs, the sand, the furtive animals.

You climbed a low plateau that overlooked the sprawling desert. Kendall stood taking it all in. He pulled a small baggy from his pocket and flicked it with his fingernail. You watched in alarm as he dispensed a small amount onto the flesh of his thumb and sniffed sharply. His body seemed to relax. His expression grew lighter. He looked at you almost apologetically, as if awaiting your judgement.

“Yeah. Sorry. This is what I’ve really been doing.”

It was all starting to make sense. The restlessness, the edginess. The fact that he had been here for days without telling anyone.

“Shit, Kendall,” you murmured.

“I’m okay.”

“Are you, though?”

“Not really. You?”

You looked at his hands, which still held the bag of coke. Without a word, Kendall tapped out a rough line of powder onto the flesh of his thumb and offered it to you. You leaned forward, pressing one nostril closed, and snorted it off his hand. When you sat up, the world was reeling. The sunset had turned everything to flame. You looked at Kendall and smiled.

“I’m glad you came here,” you said.

“I’m sorry I left you alone with them. I just didn’t want to bring you down with me.”

“I’d rather work for you. I feel like I’m going to have a fucking panic attack when your dad comes into a room.”

“Now you know what my entire life’s been like.” He smiled. “If you’re not careful, you’ll turn into me.”

You turned to look at him. “But I admire you more than anyone.”

Kendall laughed. Tears slowly rose in his eyes.

“Wow. Never thought I’d hear those words.”

He sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

“I’m serious,” you said.

“You know, my dad never praises anyone. But everything I do is for him, just hoping that one day he’ll look up and say that I did a good job.”

You sat for a long time watching the sunset until the sky grew purple and dark. Eventually you wavered to your feet, then held out your hand for Kendall. With a big heave, you got him to his feet. He stumbled forward into your arms, then leaned heavily into you. You put your arms hesitantly on his back, feeling the dampness of his shirt. He rested his forehead on your shoulder.

“I missed you,” he said.

You squeezed your arms tighter around him.

“I missed you too.”

He quietly withdrew from your arms. You began to scramble down the plateau, busting your asses several times. By the time you reached the bottom, you were cracking up, covered in dirt. Kendall doubled over with laughter, his hands on his knees, wiping tears from his eyes. Then he looked up and smiled: that big, heart-melting smile.

Your heart suddenly grew warm, despite the oncoming desert cold. As you drove, you snuck a glance at Kendall. His face was turned towards the red sunset, glowing with happiness. A false happiness, you knew. But he deserved all that he could get.

As you pulled up the driveway to Connor’s ranch, you saw a tall figure running out to meet you. It was Greg. Kendall hopped out of the car and pulled Greg to him in a hug.

“What up, Greg?”

“Hey man, I’m really happy to see you but I also have bad news. Turns out those cars are highly precious to Connor. Also, Logan is pretty unhappy about the situation.”

“Does he know I’m here?” Kendall said.

“Well, yeah. It was hard to explain otherwise.”

“That’s what he’s unhappy about. My dad doesn’t give a shit about the car.”

Kendall started towards the house with you and Greg following close behind.

“Is he okay?” Greg said quietly.

You just shook your head. “I don’t think he should be here right now.”

It was cool and silent inside the adobe house. Then, the unmistakable boom of Logan’s voice shook the air.

“Where the fuck are they?”

Kendall seemed to waver in his tracks, then forged ahead towards the kitchen.

Everyone stood together, waiting. They fell silent as you entered the room.

“Has everyone resolved their familial issues?” Kendall said as he strolled forward.

“Jesus, is he high?” said Shiv.

“Are you blind?” said Roman. “He’s completely fucking wasted.”

Logan made a beeline for you, causing your heart to drop steeply.

“I should have you fucking arrested. Car theft, drug possession. What else?”

“Hey, fuck off,” Kendall said, stepping between you. “She was just doing what I asked.”

Logan’s eyes pierced through you. You couldn’t move, couldn’t escape the vice grip of his gaze.

“Don’t you know him better than that? You’re his fucking assistant, no?”

“Actually, she’s my assistant,” Tom said in a low voice, but Logan didn’t hear.

“Yeah, she got loaded with me,” Kendall said, raising his voice. “That’s because she’s my only friend in this shitstorm of a life.”

Logan turned to Kendall, looking him dead in the eye. “You don’t deserve a life.”

Then, jabbing a finger at you: “And you’re fucking fired.”

Logan turned and walked away. Kendall was still reeling from the blow his father had just delivered. He looked like he was about to fall over from the force of it.

“She doesn’t work for you!” Kendall managed.

“Technically, she works for me,” Tom said, still unnoticed.

“Then you get rid of her,” Logan said to Kendall. “She’s not good for you.”

Logan turned and stalked out of the room. Kendall just stared after him, shaking. Finally, he seemed to snap out of it.

“Come on,” he said to you. You followed as he stormed away, painfully aware of the stares of his family as you left.

“You got the keys?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Get in that car.”

“Jesus, Kendall-“

“Then give them to me. They can say I stole it.”

You didn’t hesitate to toss him the keys. You hopped into the passenger’s seat. Kendall started the car, peeling down the ranch road with red dust glowing in the taillights.

Kendall tore down the straight desert road, headlights cutting through a thick darkness.

“I didn’t want my dad to hurt you.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not. It’s the worst feeling in the world.”

He was silent as he continued to drive, eyes fixed ahead. Finally he spoke.

“Y/N, I am so sorry. This is my fault.”

You couldn’t argue that, but you also couldn’t blame him. “It’s okay. I’m just trying to figure out what I’m going to do.”

“Work for me,” he said.

You looked at him, trying to gauge if he was serious.

“It’s either that or go back to my dad, begging for a job.”

“I’m not doing that.”

“I know. So I’m rehiring you as my assistant. Actually, I’m promoting you to senior advisor.”

“What does that involve?”

“Getting drunk with me until we both forget the pain.”

You bought a bottle of tequila at a nearby ABC store in the next town, then stopped at the first motel you saw, a cheap but clean place called The Desert Flower. You were both crashing from the cocaine. Kendall’s eyes were bleary and red, his face dark with stubble. He was going down fast. You sat in the car, taking turns with the bottle, unable to even make it to the room.

“I’m sick of wanting to fucking die.”

“Kendall…”

“You heard him, right? He said I don’t deserve a life. That’s how he makes me feel. Every day.”

You heard his voice break. Tears streamed down his face.

“What would it take? For him to smile at me once, to pat me on the fucking back? What do I have to do?”

“I don’t think there’s anything you can do.”

He stared at you, and for a moment it looked like his entire world was crashing down around him. You saw the loss playing out behind his eyes as he realized the truth of your words. Then he leaned forward, put his hand on the back of your head, and kissed you.

You didn’t hesitate to respond. Everything was falling apart, but at least you could feel the warmth of him, his searching hands, his desperate mouth. You squeezed his wrist as his hand gripped your thigh. Then you both suddenly pulled back.

“Fuck,” he said. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

He was still holding your hand tightly. You wouldn’t let go. You both caught your breath, reeling from the touch.

“I need to go inside,” he said.

He leaned on your shoulder on the way into the room. When you got inside, he collapsed onto his knees, sobbing. You got down on the floor with him, stroking his back, trying to talk to him. But he didn’t seem to hear. He curled up on the floor, totally unresponsive, rocking himself as he wept.

You didn’t know what to do. The Kendall you knew was suddenly gone. You could only think of one ally who could still help you: Greg.

Need help, you texted.

Where are you?

You sent him the address of the motel. He responded immediately.

I’ll be there as soon as I can.

You finally got Kendall off the floor and onto the bed. He huddled there like a frightened child.

An hour passed. You heard a car pull up and saw headlights flare through the curtains. When you opened the door, Greg was sitting there in a red convertible. You laughed, unable to help it.

Greg got out of the car, looking completely out of place.

“Yeah, I know…” he sighed, looking at the car. “There aren’t many Ubers in the middle of nowhere.”

“Does anyone know?”

“Just Tom. He said he’d cover for me. So we’ll see how that goes.”

He peered past you into the room.

“How’s Kendall?”

“Not good.”

“What about you? You don’t look so good yourself.”

“I just need someone here to make sure one of us doesn’t die.”

“Okay, yeah. We should definitely try and prevent that.”

You moved aside, letting Greg through. Kendall was still curled on the bed, his head tucked into his arms.

You sat beside Greg on the edge of your bed, talking in low voices as you gazed at Kendall.

“What have you guys been doing?”

“A lot of coke and tequila.”

“Wow. So a pretty serious binge, then.”

“I think I’m in over my head.”

You gazed at Kendall, who had withdrawn so far into himself that you didn’t know if he was aware of your presence.

“I thought I could help him,” you said.

“That’s more than anyone else has done for him.”

“Why don’t they try to help him?”

“Honestly, I don’t think his family knows how to see him as a person. They only think of themselves.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing I got fired. I don’t know why I even want to work for them.”

“I frequently ask myself the same question. But even though they kind of suck, I still like them.”

“They’re your family.”

“That’s true.”

Greg looked thoughtful. “Then why do you stick around?”

You gave a slight nod towards Kendall’s sleeping form.

“I want to see him win. Not for anyone else. For himself.”

You couldn’t see it in the darkness, but a tear gathered in the corner of Kendall’s closed eye and slid down the bridge of his nose, then was gone.

Greg slept on the floor between your beds. You gave him half of your pillows and the top sheet of your bed.

Sometime in the night, both Greg and Kendall began to snore lightly. You could feel their resting forms in the darkness, the hum of the air conditioner, the traffic slowly streaming by outside. Cars rumbled in and out of the parking lot. Doors open and shut. Everything moved slow in the late hours of the night, the early morning.

They weren’t your family, but you loved them. You didn’t belong among them, but you had made a place for yourself in their lives. And they had become an inseparable part of yours. You held onto this thought as you waited out the long night.

It was early, and you were just beginning to fall asleep, when you heard vague sounds of movement in the room. You felt someone crawl into the bed with you. It was Kendall. He drew himself close, facing your curled form, mirroring it with his own body. He pressed his forehead against yours and reached pleadingly for your hands. You twined your fingers around his.

“Hey,” he whispered. He sounded as if he had been crying.

“Hey.”

You felt his hands for the first time, stroking them with your fingers. He held tightly to you, drawing himself as close as possible.

“Am I going to be okay?” he rasped.

You put your hand on the back of his head. He was shaking, tears dampening the pillow.

“I promise.”

You held him for a long time, until his breathing calmed and he finally stopped shaking. He never let go of your hands, never moved. Your knees touched, arms intertwined. When you opened your eyes, he was looking at you. Neither of you said anything. He stroked your hand with his thumb.

Greg groaned from the floor, and both of you went still, listening. Then you started to giggle.

“Where the fuck am I?” Greg mumbled, rolling over in his sheets, still half asleep.

Kendall snorted, and you shushed him, still trying not to laugh. You could still see tears in his eyes. But he was smiling.

#succession #kendall roy #kendall roy x reader #kendall roy/reader #kendall in new mexico #jeremy strong #tw: alcohol #tw: drugs #tw: verbal abuse #tw: suicidal thoughts #tw: drunk driving #boss/employee relationship #daddy issues

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