#tw: divorce

[apersonwholikeslotus]

USA: Do you know what it's like, to have England and France as your parents?

Canada: we have the least stable home in the history of mankind.

USA: They've been divorced and remarried four times just in our lives.

Canada: You think your parents custody battle was 'war'? ours was the Seven Years War

USA: and the American revolution, if we're being honest.

Canada: Entente Cordiale came around, we thought it was great.

USA: Then suddenly Brexit happens.

#hws canada #hws america #hetalia #hetalia incorrect quotes #tw: divorce #someone help them #they went to family therapy and england and france made it five minutes before they both stormed out

[holylulusworld]

Barnes vs Barnes (15) - 365 - FIN

Summary: The unavoidable happened. What will Bucky do now?

Pairing: Mobster!Bucky Barnes x Wife/Ex-Wife Reader; Mobster!Steve Rogers x Reader

Characters: Lloyd Hansen, Jake Jensen

Warnings: angst, mentions of past cheating, Lloyd being Lloyd, arguments, mentions of delusional Nick, strong reader, under attack, fighting, characters death

Barnes vs Barnes masterlist

<< Part 14

Lloyd shakes his ass at the music he’s listening to, “I like big butts and I cannot lie. Damn right, sunshine. I like them big and juicy too.”

“Lloyd, what are you doing?” Steve grunts as your friend is rolling his hips.

“Let’s see if these moves fuck,” you shriek when Lloyd twirls around to tackle Steve to the ground. He holds him there, smirking. “Never underestimate your enemy, Rogers. Fowler may be a lunatic with an obsession for my lil’ sugar ´plum, but he’s a wolf ready to rip all of us apart.”

“What the fuck? Get off me, Hansen.” Steve pushes against Llyod’s shoulders to get him off him. “We are on the same side. Remember?”

“I wanted to remind you that Fowler can attack any moment. It’s called training and staying sharp Rogers. You call yourself Y/N’s protector, but you are as dangerous as an ant.”

“You think so?” Lloyd inhales sharply when Steve presses a gun to his crotch. “I don’t attack people openly. I wait for my chance. And then. I hit them hard, fast, and without mercy. Don’t get in my way, Hansen.”

“Guys, are you making out or do you try to kill each other?” Jake looks down at Steve and Lloyd. “I’m getting mixed signals here. Stop fooling around. While you are busy cuddling, Y/N made sure Fowler’s allies left town.”

“Fine,” Lloyd pushes off Steve and gets back up. He sneers at his opponent, curling his lip. “If you put sugar plum in danger, you are as dead as Fowler. I won’t let anyone hurt her.”

“I would never hurt her,” Steve snaps at Lloyd. “Stop acting like you are a saint or an angel. I’m her protector.”

“Her husband would object,” Jake throws in. “Can we all stop talking about Y/N as if she’s a damsel in distress? She’s the only one making sure our plan will work out. If anyone is the alpha in this team, it’s her.”

“What?” Steve and Lloyd grunt in unison.

“Lloyd, only because you bought a fucking rocking launcher you’re not the guy with the biggest balls. Y/N went to Marks and made him leave. She’s a mastermind, and tough. Stop underestimating her. Barnes did so for years.”

“One down. Only Fowler is left now,” you look over Jake’s shoulder as he watches the footage from the cameras at the abandoned building Fowler is hiding at. “Do I want to know how you managed to hack into the cameras?”

“I could tell you how I did it,” Jake dips his head and grins. “But I must kill you if I do. And that would be a waste. Don’t you think?”

“Keep your secrets, Jakie. We all hide things from the people we love,” you pat his head. “I trust you with my life. I don’t need to know every detail.”

“Unlike the alpha males crowding you most of the day, I don’t try to keep things from you. It’s just that I had to hack into serval servers and shit to get access. Highly illegal. I don’t want you to get involved in my crimes. This way you can always say you don’t know anything about the things I did.”

You wrap your arms around his neck from behind and peck his cheek. “You’re too cute, Jake. My sweet and smart best friend.”

Steve storms into the bedroom, yelling your name. He seems to be furious and panicked at the same time. “Y/N, come with me!”

He grabs your arm and drags you out of the room. “Steve, what’s going on? STEVE!”

You smell the gunpowder and blood before you hear the gunshots. You scream and cover your eyes when Steve pushes you out of the way when a gunshot hits the wall next to your head.

He shoots without looking, hitting the attacker straight in the chest.

“Stay behind me, doll,” he pants as he hands you a handgun. “Bucky said you know how to shoot. Aim for a kill, Y/N.”

You unlock the gun and follow Steve along the hallway. “What’s going on?”

“Fowler didn’t want to wait any longer. He drove a bus right through the gate. Lloyd and his men tried to keep them under control. It’s my job to bring you to the panic room.”

“Where are Jake and Bucky?”

“Jake is in the panic room, checking on the cameras. He’s giving us direction via earpieces,” Steve drags you around the corner. He presses you to the wall when another bullet threatens to hit you.

“Steve,” you tackle Steve to the ground. He can’t react. You aim your gun and fire at the man walking toward you, a shotgun in his hands. “Maybe we should’ve let Lloyd use the rocket launcher.”

“You are telling me,” Steve grunts when the man drops dead to the ground. “Stoop yelling, Jensen. I got that.”

“What?” you get back up and hold out your hand for Steve. “Why are you yelling at Jake.”

“He told me to move my ass and bring you to the panic room.”

“I love you too Jakie,” you grab Steve’s hand and start running toward the dancing room Lloyd showed you the first day you arrived at his place.

Jake unlocks the door and drags you inside. You look at Steve, holding out your hand for him.

“I need to go. Take care of Y/N. If they take all of us down, you must protect her,” Steve grabs your face to kiss you softly. “Stay here. No discussion, doll.”

“Steve. No!” you cry when Jake drags you inside the panic room and locks the room, leaving Steve outside. “No! Open the door. I must help them!”

“Lloyd, Bucky, and their men stand their ground,” Jake softly says. He guides you toward the small bed in the room. “Stay here, Y/N. We all agree that it’s for the best for us to stay here. I need to focus on the cameras to help them, okay.”

“Okay,” you sit on the bed, sniffling as Jake walks back toward the monitors on the wall. “Steve, to your right the path is clear. No one in the hallways. They try to take Barnes and Hansen down.”

“What?” you jump back up to look at the monitors. Lloyd fires at three men, taking two down. Your friend laughs like a maniac. He throws himself at one of the guys, running the next over to reach Fowler before Bucky gets the chance. “Lloyd, you fool! No!”

“He’s got this,” Jake pants. “Lloyd, to your left are at least ten more guys. Get to my car, I’ll unlock it for you. It’s bulletproof.”

Lloyd lifts his hand and gives Jake the finger. He smirks and runs in the opposite direction to get to his car. “Lloyd! No. Go back…”

Jake groans. “Fuck, what is he doing.” He gapes at the monitor. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” he exclaims as Lloyd gets a machine gun out. He runs back toward the enemies and starts firing at them. “He’s a lunatic, Y/N.”

“That’s…Lloyd…” You cover your eyes when the enemies fall. One by one by one. “He’s like that. You know it.”

“Fuck, he took them all out,” Jake huffs. “He’s got more luck than brains.”

“Where’s Steve?” you look at the monitors, desperately searching for Steve. “Jake? Where is he?”

“Uh-we should be more concerned about Fowler. He’s … fuck… forget it…” you gasp and clutch your hand to your chest as Bucky steps over his dead brother. “Bucky just killed him without batting an eyelash.”

“He did,” you watch your husband spit on his brother. “When we survive this night, I’ll call Matt. I want the divorce more than ever after.”

“Fowler was crazy, but Bucky is a cold-blooded bastard for killing his brother just like that.”

“Nick needed help,” you turn your back on the monitors. “His mother should’ve helped him by looking for professional help. Maybe he could’ve been saved.”

“Steve, to your left,” Jake yells. “That was the last one. Lloyd, your area is clear too. Barnes….Barnes.”

“He doesn’t answer. Right.”

“He’s walking away,” Jake sighs as you look at your hands. “I think it’s for the best. He made it out alive and…”

“We are over,” you say. “I slowly feel like myself again. If you know what I mean. Whatever this was between me, and Bucky should’ve ended years ago. When he doubted our relationship for the first time.”

“Well, shit sugar plum. My home is not my castle any longer,” Lloyd looks around his destroyed home, sighing deeply. “I need a damn good interior designer.”

You wrap Lloyd in a hug. “I’m so glad nothing happened to you.”

“It wasn’t my time, sugar plum. A bad day for Fowler, a good day for Lloyd Hansen. I only regret that I didn’t have the chance to use my rocket launcher.”

After you made sure nothing happened to Lloyd, Jake, and Steve you decided to find your own place. It was time to stand on your own feet and not let a man dictate your life any longer.

Lloyd insisted on checking on the neighbors. Jake insisted on taking care of the security. And Steve, well Steve rented an apartment at the apartment complex to be close to you.

Bucky, on the other hand, kept his distance. At least he signed the divorce papers.

“Steve, what are you doing here again?” you open the door only to find Steve standing in front of your apartment, a bouquet of lilies of the valley in his hands. “I told you that I need time on my own.”

“I gave you time and space, doll. Uh-please, give me the honor to have dinner with me tonight. I’ll try to cook for you.”

“You want to cook?” you grin. “Steve, you burn even water.”

“I’ll try for you…”

He gives you puppy dog eyes, melting your resolve. “If I say yes, you should know that I’ll never let a man tell me what to do and…” you sniff and drop your gaze. “You know that I cannot have children. I’m…”

“Perfect. Beautiful. Smart. Kind. Wonderful. The love of my life,” he goes on his knees. “I don’t care about anything but that my heart only beats for you. Please give me the chance that I can be a better man for you than James. I don’t want to spend one night but three hundred and sixty-five days a year with you.”

You cup his cheek and press a chaste kiss on his lips. “Let’s see if you can cook for me,” you whisper against his lips. “And you don’t have to prove that you are a better man than James. I already know you are…”

FIN - This is the end. I kept it open, but hopeful.

Tags in reblog.

#bucky barnes #steve rogers #mobster!steve rogers #mobster!bucky barnes #Barnes vs Barnes (15) - 365 - FIN #lloyd hansen #mafia au #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #tw: divorce

[hellfirestxnes]

Imagine Us

Chapter One

eddie munson x f!reader

word count: 3k+

warnings: 18+, female!reader, dad!eddie, eddie is in his 30’s, divorce, swearing, infidelity (if there’s any tags missing please let me know!)

notes: i didn’t edit this! but it’s the first part in this new fic. i haven’t written in ages and feel pretty rusty at it, so please be easy with me. i hope you like it!

Eddie rubs over his face, wishing the grogginess of a Monday morning would wash away as his alarm begins to sound for the third time this morning. It’s loud and sharp. The noise he’s always found to be obnoxious, shoots a pain through his skull with each ring, he reaches over to hit the snooze button once more before rolling out of bed. His bare feet hit the carpet of his bedroom before he takes a deep breath. Barely any sleep, but he’s gotta get the ball rolling. Moving with ease, he’s sliding into the cleanest set of coveralls and socks he has. Soaked in oil stains that won’t come out no matter how many times he’s washed them. A once over in the mirror hanging above the dresser has always been long enough to sort his bangs out. And then he’s off, padding down the hall, he stops at the second bedroom door. The only other occupied room in the trailer he’s been calling home since leaving his Uncle’s.

Opening the door as quietly as possible, he peeks inside, seeing the tops of two heads of dark brown hair cuddled up with one another. Both on the bottom bunk. He smiles, pulling the door shut as he works his way into the kitchen, turns on the coffee pot. He catches sight of the manila envelope with the papers he’s been itching to sign and return inside. And that might’ve pulled a smile to the corner of his lips. Soon he wouldn’t be tied to her. Soon he won’t be a married man. And he couldn’t wait— not to say he hasn’t been on a few dates here and there, but a single dad? his kids are only away from him two weekends out of the month, when does he have time to start anything new with anyone? He remembers ten years ago when he met her, a freshly turned 22 year old, getting out of Hawkins for the first time in his life. He remembers the way her hair fell in curls that framed her face, the way her sweater was worn and had a hole in the sleeve, how she yelled her name over the music. Laura. He remembers how she hung on his arm and whispered good luck to him and pressed a kiss on his cheek. A girl he’d just met, a girl he married a year later. A girl he settled down for.

He forces every pleasant thought of her away when he remembers just what tore them apart— Eddie pushing in the door of their trailer. Her dress on the floor, another man’s shoes on the mat. His daughter’s were asleep in the room next door when he caught them. His wife fucking someone who he couldn’t even remember the name of, he doubts that she does either, in his bed. Eddie saw red then. How could his wife, the mother of their children, let another man into their home for a quick lay with them asleep through the thin walls. He can admit, maybe he wasn’t the most attentive to her feelings, maybe he worked longer and harder than he should have. Maybe he didn’t love her the way he did in the beginning. Things got distant between them. But he always showed her he cared in the ways that naturally came to him. He sat a glass of water on her night stand every night while she was in the shower, he had her coffee ready every morning before they went to work. Always a kiss on the head, squeeze of the hand, and a rushed, “I love you.” as she would rush out the door to get their oldest to school on time.

Eddie’s eyes catch on the flashing green numbers of the microwave clock and he’s sighing, walking over to the girls’ bedroom. He leans down, his spine creaking with each move, reminding him just how much strain his job and age is putting on his 32 year old body. He shakes the thought and twists on the little pink lamp on the bedside table. “Girls? Time to get up.” His voice is softer, lighter than anyone in this town that had ever known Eddie could imagine his voice being. He smiles down at the brown eyes peering up at him— hair every which way. If he was any other parent, he might’ve gotten choked up at the thought of it being his five year old’s first day of school. “Jane.” He says again, the lightness of his tone beginning to melt away, replaced with something a bit more stern— with more urgency. They’d be late if they didn’t get a move on. And that’s the last thing he needed, to give her another reason as to why he shouldn’t have custody of them.

His eight year old, Jane, sits up slowly. Who he can soon hear a groan of annoyance coming from and he knows he’s done his job. He can hear Alice, his youngest, squealing as she gets dressed— too excited for her first day. He smiles at that. He quickly pops a few pop-tarts into the toaster, darting into the bathroom himself to finish getting ready for the day as quickly as he can. He reaches into the jewelry dish on the back of the sink and slides his rings on— except for the one he loathes to see but can’t bring himself to get rid of. He couldn’t throw ten years down the drain like she could. “Daddy, can you do my hair?” Eddie looks down next to him where he hears Alice’s voice. Her smile stretched wide across her face, revealing that she had lost one of her bottom front teeth. Eddie nods, setting her up on the edge of the sink. Her legs are folded neatly in the bowl as he grabs her hair brush and a ponytail holder. He brushes her hair quietly, seemingly lost in his own head. He can hear the quiet hums coming from Jane across the hall as he braids Alice’s hair quickly. It turns out to be a very messy end product, but the smile on her face tells him all that he needed.

The toaster pops up just as Jane stops at the counter. Eddie is ushering Alice to the table behind her. “All set?” He asks softly as he’s shoving his wallet off the counter into the back pocket of the coveralls.

Jane smiles, quietly eating her pop-tart as her sister tiptoes to reach the other. “All set, dad.” Her voice has always reminded Eddie of himself. Something he used to wish she would’ve gotten from her mother, but here he is now so thankful she holds a piece of him. Jane grabs her backpack, holding Alice’s up for her and Eddie’s grabbing the keys. He pauses at the door for a moment, as the girls climb into the car. His eyes fall on that manila envelope. He’s quick, stepping back into the house to swipe it off the dining table with a pen, pulling them out and scratching a signature across them. Deciding he’d rather get this done sooner rather than later. Climbing into the car, tossing the envelope into the passenger’s seat, he’s hoping that he’s got the energy to deal with his ex-wife at drop off.

*****

Jane is quick to find her classroom, not needing Eddie’s help. She’s as independent as they come, Laura used to say to him. But Alice? Alice holds onto his hand, begs him to walk her to class and he just can’t say no. Not even when he sees Laura and her newest beau standing outside of her classroom, waiting on them. Alice perks up, letting go of Eddie’s hand to run into her mother’s waiting arms. Laura lifts her up with a grin, eyes meeting Eddie’s. “you’re late.”

“It’s three minutes, let it go.” he sighs out, pinching the bridge of his nose. The man next to Laura extends a hand to him and Eddie pauses. His eyes flick up to his, dropping his own hand from his face to shake gently as he introduces himself. Eddie looks skeptically, he can hear and see the other parents inside and his blood is already boiling at the thought of this guy spending the first day with his daughter instead of him. But, he has to pay the bills— has to get to work. His attention turns to Alice and Laura moments after dropping the handshake, “are you good to stay with her?” he asks, the need to leave pushing at the base of his skull.

“No, daddy! Stay, please.” Alice pouts at him after her short shriek, hands starting to fidget nervously. Before Eddie can respond, a kind face is popping into the doorway. He isn’t sure what comes over him in that moment, he feels stupid and dumb, and 22 again. The back of his neck is hot, something he hasn’t felt like this in years.

“Well, you must be Alice Munson.” You smile at the little girl, taking in the appearance of the pale blue smock dress and black shoes buckled neatly. You introduce yourself to whom you can only assume to be her mother, learning her name to be Laura. You extend your hand to the man beside her, “and you must be Mr. Munson?”

Eddie clears his throat, reeling from the most innocent two words in this conversation, two fingers popping up with his slightly raised hand, “no, that would be me.” He gestures so casually you almost miss it, as he tries to push down the rising embarrassment. But Laura can, and maybe she has an eyebrow raised as Eddie shakes your hand to be polite. Alice is quiet, shy, reserved, and sticks next to Laura as she and Beau walk her into the classroom.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Munson, I just assumed—” you start to explain yourself, feeling that hot rush of embarrassment beginning to take over.

“Oh, please. It’s just Eddie.” He replies with a kind smile, silver clad hands shoving deep into his pockets. “Pickup is still at three, yeah?” You hear his question as you study how deep the dimples of his cheeks are, how there are a few strands of hair that curl just under his jaw.

You finally manage to respond, nodding your head, “I’m sorry, excuse me, didn’t mean to zone out on you there.” you clear your throat. “Yes, pickup is at three, Mr. Mun— Eddie.” Your smile is just as kind as Eddie’s was, something that sent a shockwave through Eddie’s core. He nods, afraid to say anything else. He peeks into the classroom, waving at Alice before he’s turning on his heel to walk down the hall and out of the front doors. You take a deep breath, collecting yourself. You’ve never felt so shaken simply by someone's presence. You catch your eyes drifting to Alice and Laura throughout the morning as they settle in. She seemed to need a little extra help in opening up, feeling comfortable in her own space, but she easily bids her mother farewell when they stand to leave. Something you weren’t expecting after noticing how she reacted to Eddie having to leave.

Laura stops at the door where you were standing to thank parents for coming and she passes you a small sheet of paper. “This is all of her emergency contact information. Eddie sometimes forgets to add me to the forms.” You nod in response, “if he’s late for pickup, which I’m sure he will be, please give me a call?” She smiles again and you try to keep your expression calm, collected.

“I’ll pass this along to the secretary. She handles all of the emergency forms.” You fold the paper, holding it in your hand as Laura sends on last wave to Alice before leaving. You take a deep breath, already putting together that she’s going to be a handful to deal with throughout this school year. With a turn on your heel and a chipper call to your students, you file the emergency contact information with the things to take to the school’s office on your planning period. Today is the day where you’re determined to learn all of their names, to see their faces light up when you remember the fun facts they’ve told you. But with each activity you do and game you play, you notice little Alice Munson off to the side, watching with a smile as big as her father’s, but not interacting with the other children. And no surprise to you, you find her eating her lunch alone at her desk instead of the scattered tables around the back of the room.

You decide to take a seat at the desk in front of her with your own lunch, offering her some silent company. And she appreciates it, you can see the way she straightens up, smiles. You watch as the gears start turning in her head, wanting to start a conversation with you. “How is your first day going, Alice?” You ask, taking the pressure off of her slightly.

She picks at the sandwich in front of her before looking up at you. You see so much of her father in her eyes— and you start to reprimand yourself. You don’t think about other student’s parents this much? Why is Eddie Munson so different? “It’s okay. I miss my daddy.” She shrugs a bit.

“Yeah?” You can feel the way that one sentence starts to tug at your heart strings. “I know that can be hard. But, you’ll see your daddy soon. Yes?” You reassure her, eating a bit of the oatmeal you had brought. You notice how she sinks back in her seat, embarrassed for the moment of vulnerability. “You know, sometimes I miss my dad too.” You push the oatmeal around, pausing to check her reaction. And fortunately for you, it’s a positive one.

“Really?” Alice grins, enthusiastically.

“Yeah, really. It’s good to miss the people we love. I’m sure your daddy misses you just as much.” You explain to her, just as the bell rings for recess— with the recess monitor lining up the class by the door. You smile, nodding your head at Alice to go on and she listens.

*****

You spend the rest of the school day chasing after 28 5-year-old’s, smiling as they give you flowers and rocks they had found outside on the playground. You display them each proudly on the edge of your desk, knowing by the end of the year, if this keeps up, you’ll have many dried flower bits and rocks to add to the basket in the bottom drawer of the cabinet. When your eyes drift to the clock and see the time getting closer and closer to three, your stomach starts to turn in knots.

The last bell of the day is right on time at 2:55. Parent after parent filing in to fetch their small children, smiles on their faces and rambling all about how fun their first day was. But at 3, Alice sits in her seat, quietly coloring on a page in her journal— almost like she thought she’d be sitting for a while— as another little girl peeks into the room. You share a confused look between the two of them, but realize with how much they look like Eddie, they must both be his daughters. You stand up, offering her a seat next to her sister.

Eddie’s really trying. He pushed around his schedule, he made sure he covered the rest of the work that needed to be done. He had to be there on time. He can’t just give her anything to use against him on a silver platter. His eyes flick from the speedometer to the clock on his dashboard. He’s got ten minutes. If he can make it in ten minutes, he’s got it. Nothing to worry about. He can just hear Laura now, telling the court just how much he doesn’t deserve them— just how big of a screw up he was. How she wished she picked literally anyone else to procreate with. Eddie’s heart stings. He remembers that fight, how she attacked the one thing he’s proud of. The one thing he’d give everything in his life up for. The moment he became a father was the moment everything changed for him. When he checks the clock again, he’s got five minutes to get there. Then three as he whips into a parking space away from the line of cars waiting to pick up their kids and he bails out, barely getting the car in park before he’s running inside. He comes running up the hall, chest heaving as he breathes heavily, “I’m here!” He’s got oil stains drenching the coveralls, oil smudged onto his cheeks.

And before you can say anything to him, Alice grins as she stands, abandoning the journal as she runs to greet her father. Eddie leans down to hug his daughter tight, neither of them worried about the oil stains or smudges. You notice the older of the two gathering Alice’s things and Eddie presses a kiss on her head gently. “Did you guys have fun on your first day?” he asks softly before he notices you watching them. He feels his cheeks starting to turn red and he nods in your direction before he ushers the kids out to the car.

As he climbs into the driver’s seat, his forehead hits the wheel for a moment. He takes a deep breath and breathes out slowly. He’s trying to get a grip. No one has ever had that kind of grip on his emotions. Not even Laura. Eddie has never been one to believe in soulmates, but he thinks he can get behind love at first sight. It’s happened to him twice. Twice. Jane is the first to speak up, “Allie’s teacher seems nice.” All he could do is nod as he sits himself up, puts the car in drive and takes them back to the comfort of their home.

————————

Chapter One || Chapter Two ||

*****

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tags

@peachyproserpina

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #tw: female reader #tw: cheating #tw: divorce #dad!eddie munson #dad!eddie x f!reader #girl dad!eddie #tw: swearing

[notjohnlinnell]

yall. this fucking ass playlist is so good. sometimes i do wanna feel like a divorced dad fighting for custody in the year 2002. guy who plays “Stay Together For The Kids” by blink 182 while he drives his daughter Casey to middle school and has to pull over because he’s about to start crying and get into a car accident and then when she asks what’s wrong he just says “Case…….. dont let your mom do this to us” and then wipes his face and keeps driving. and this playlist just captures that essence perfectly

my parents are happily married

#tw: divorce #divorced dad rock #playlist #2000s rock #blink 182 #take off your pants and jacket #Spotify

[masterwords]

too much to ask

Summary: Derek shows up on Hotch's doorstep needing to talk on a night when they're both needing a little extra comfort. (Coda to 3x05 - Seven Seconds)

Pairing: Hotch/Morgan

Words: 6k

Warnings: discussion of child abuse past and present (the case & Derek's, and Hotch's), divorce, depression

Notes: For @yearoftheotpevent Year of the OTP event, this is my January entry using the prompt "first kiss". These two are a shit show, and this first kiss is anything but ideal, but it's a good jumping off point.

**

Tonight, Haley asked him if he'd started searching for an apartment yet. She didn't even wait. He walked in the door, and as she followed him down the hallway to the room Jack was staying in, right on his heels. “Have you even tried?”

If Jack hadn't been sleeping, if Jessica hadn't been right there, it would have started an argument. As it was, his blood boiled and he just said not yet through clenched teeth before entering Jack's darkened room and watching him sleep for what felt like ages. It was all he could think to do, just stare at his son and wonder where it all goes wrong.

“I had hoped we could take some time to cool off and reconsider our options,” he said, re-entering the hallway after all the time in the world had passed inside of that room only to find that no time at all had passed for her. She laughed a little too loud before clapping her hand over her mouth. Jessica slapped her arm for that one.

“Play nice,” she hissed. Hotch could tell how much she hated being in the middle of this. “I don't care how mad you are, we are all adults who love one another, no matter what else is happening. Act like it.”

“Aaron, I have given you more than enough time to reconsider your choices and nothing has changed, so why should my mind have changed? I'm not the one who walked out on my family for a job.”

“It was that job that provided for our family...” he reminded her with a little more vitriol than he'd intended. Oh well, he was in it now. The guilt would eat him alive in minutes.

"Yeah. But I asked you to stay, and Derek asked you to go...you made your choice. I'm finished trying to compete."

“Enough. Both of you.” Jessica was furiously pushing them down the hallway, toward the front room...away from Jack's door. She knew it was about to get ugly. She'd heard about the phone call, about what Haley was doing too. There was only one innocent party in this mess and he was sleeping soundly in the other room. “You're both being assholes now knock it off.”

“I'm sorry,” he said quietly. “I should leave.”

Jess almost felt bad for him. She knew that Haley was completely finished, and she hated to see the way he held on to some flicker of hope when he really just needed to let it go. “Aaron?” Jess asked, touching his shoulder. “Would you join me in the kitchen for a moment before you leave?”

Haley narrowed her eyes at her sister but said nothing. She knew her sister was playing both sides here, it was no secret that they'd always been close and that this separation was almost as hard for her as it was for them. Hotch followed her to the kitchen where she put on a tea kettle silently, her back to him, taking a full minute before she turned and looked at him. Gathering her thoughts. Trying to put out the fire before it consumed them all.

“What are you doing?”

He stared. “I'm trying to get my family back,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She shook her head, her arms folding over her chest.

“I mean no disrespect here, and I say this with all of the love I can muster...you can't get her back. She's gone. But Jack isn't...so just take a deep breath, admit your family is different now, and find a damn apartment so they can get the hell out of my house. Aaron, I want my house back.”

He couldn't think of a damn thing to say that wouldn't expose him for the fraud he was, standing there stoic and emotionless in her kitchen. Opening his mouth would destroy his defenses. He hadn't admitted to himself yet that Haley was gone, that this separation train was headed full speed ahead for divorce. It wasn't like he had anything he could hide from Jessica anyway. She knew.

“She's already met with a lawyer, Aaron,” Jessica said a little quieter, almost as if she was reading his mind. “The wheels are in motion. It's only a matter of time.”

His eyes welled with tears, and yet he remained silent while the kettle hissed and bubbled and finally screamed. She took it off the heat quickly, just shoved it to the side and busied herself with three mugs, three tea bags. As if he was going to stay.

“I should go,” he whispered, staring wide-eyed at nothing. “It's late.” He didn't see her turn around, didn't notice her walking toward him, not until her arms were around him and her head was against his chest.

“Call me tomorrow,” she said, holding back her own tears. “I'll help you find a nice place okay? I know a guy who gets all the good listings first. He got me this place when I moved back, it wasn't even on the market yet.”

He nodded, half listening, but he had no intention of calling her. Not really. He just had to get out of there. Fast.

So fast he walked right by Haley without saying a word to her on his way out.

- - - -

“How long have you been here?” Hotch asked, approaching his darkened porch slowly. He'd recognized the shadowy figure on his steps as Derek before he even put his car into park. He stopped short of the steps and peered at the six pack of beer sitting beside his friend, smiling at the coincidence. He was holding his own six pack of the exact same beer in his right hand.

The only difference was that Derek's was already missing a few.

“Long enough,” was Derek's somber reply in a rough, ragged drawl. “I'm surprised your neighbors haven't called the cops. I'm loitering.”

“Most of them know you by now. They watch things pretty closely. I am surprised Mrs. Sandoval didn't bring you out a blanket and some tea though.”

“She isn't home. She and her husband left in some pretty fancy clothes just as I was getting here...late night oldies dance, I guess. They looked pretty slick.”

“At least someone is having a nice night,” Hotch deadpanned.

His eyes met the darkness in his front window; he hadn't left any lights on. The last thing he wanted to do was walk in there, into that cavernous chill, the house that wasn't a home any longer. Haley had been coming by during the day while he was at work, while Jack was at daycare, and boxing up the things she wanted him to take – every day he comes home to more boxes with his name on them. He was, as Jessica put it, doing everything he could to ignore the inevitable but obvious thing: Haley was going to file for divorce. It was not a question of if, it was a question of when.

“I don't see your bike...” He looked around, breaking out of the trance he'd sunken into.

“Took a cab. I uh...” Derek cleared his throat, pushing up until he was standing. Until they were eye to eye, close enough that Hotch could smell the beer on his breath. “I couldn't settle down. Took Clooney for a walk but it just made it worse, so I got in a cab and came here hoping your offer was still good...”

“My offer?” Hotch asked quietly. He'd made plenty of offers over the years, all of which he believed himself capable of keeping. Lately he'd realized exactly how far he'd overextended himself, trusting his abilities that were currently in need of repair. But Derek was here and he wasn't about to turn him away, no matter where his head and heart were at. “You might need to be more specific.”

“That case tonight,” Derek started, already feeling that familiar breathlessness of panic creeping back in. “Katie's uncle, the look in his eye...the doll...”

“Oh,” Hotch said, nodding. “I...it's been a tough night, huh?” For them both, he thought bitterly. But focusing on Derek might help him forget about his own troubles. Derek's could be helped with a little tenderness, his couldn't. “Let's go out back.”

“You don't wanna just go inside?”

Hotch stopped, glancing at the front door with disgust. “No, I'd rather not.” Walking through the house would give him away. Piles of boxes with his name on them would let Derek know that things were moving along at a serious clip, and there was no longer any question as to whether or not Haley would be coming back. They could go through the side yard and put their feet in the pool, or he could pop inside for some trunks and they could get into the hot tub, but at least this way he could avoid discussing himself altogether.

“You seem a little...”

“It's fine. Nothing I can't handle. Let me put your beer in the fridge, we can start with mine. It's probably colder.”

Derek laughed. “Yeah. Guess we both had the same idea, huh?”

That kind of a case. That kind of a night. Hotch flipped through details of the case in his mind while he made his way to the kitchen to throw Derek's beer into the empty fridge. It looked worse now, the door empty save for the half used bottle of Tobasco sauce that Haley always put in there though he reminded her time and again it didn't need refrigeration. “Is it going to hurt it by being cold?” she would ask and the argument, snippy and rude, would escalate from there. If he really thought about it, he could name a hundred different ways they'd chipped away at their marriage over the years by being unkind, thoughtless, selfish. At their marriage and at one another. It was a miracle they'd hung on as long as they had.

He tripped over a new box on his way out and grunted as he fell to the ground in the dark, silverware crashing, spilling, clattering around him. He scrambled back to his feet, rubbing at the sore spot on his knee where he'd landed and kicked the box again. This time it was no accident, it was pure frustration that sent that cardboard sliding across the floor leaving a trail of silverware in its wake.

“Dammit,” he hissed, kicking at the silverware, each piece separately went flying as he connected with the toe of his shiny leather shoes, throwing what he knew was a pretty embarrassing little hissy fit right there in his pitch black kitchen. Thankfully, there was no one around to see him.

Derek had already peeled his shoes and socks off, rolled his pants up past his knees, and was sitting with his feet in the water. With just enough light to see thanks to the moon, the scene almost looked peaceful. He kicked out of his own shoes and socks and rolled his pants up before sitting down a careful distance away. There was already a bruise spreading across the top of his knee, it would be stiff and sore by morning. A delightful reminder of his performance in the kitchen.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hotch asked, leaning back against his hands. The water was a little cold for his taste, he wasn't going to be able to do this long. From beside him, he heard Derek draw a shaky breath inward, exhaling slowly to try and steady it. He stared into the water and waited, knowing that pushing wouldn't do any good. Derek would either talk or not, and there was no forcing it.

“I don't know, man,” Derek replied. “Why's it always someone you trust? Y'know? Someone your parents trust...that little girl probably never knew how to tell them what was happening. And every time they asked if she wanted to stay the night...”

Hotch knew he wasn't supposed to answer any of these questions. He couldn't even if he wanted to. His job was simply to listen. Until now, they hadn't spoken again about what happened in Chicago, what Carl Buford was and what he did, what Hotch knew when no one else on the team had a clue. What Derek had fought so hard to protect. He'd asked Derek to attend counseling but once he started going, Hotch stepped back knowing it wasn't any of his business. And the offer Derek spoke of, he recalled now with precision, was simply that if a case hit too close to home and he needed someone to talk to...he could find Hotch anywhere, and no matter what, he'd make himself available. It was that important to him, he'd said.

Haley had rolled her eyes when he told her that. “Anytime?” she asked, incredulously. She'd already been frustrated with him, it wasn't surprising.“No matter what? That doesn't sound like something a boss tells his subordinate, Aaron. That sounds like something a man in love says...”

“Haley, he's my friend.”

“No, Aaron, he's your co-worker.”

They never had been any good at figuring out where the line was between co-worker and friend and whatever else they might have slipped in and out of, carefully tiptoeing around boundaries like battlefields. Shared hotel rooms and nightmares, insomnia and fitness exams. They were tied together through years, bound in more than just badges and titles. Opening doors for each other, a hand placed at the small of the back or between the shoulders as a reminder that they're right there.

Only Hotch couldn't be there for this one.

He'd sent Reid and Morgan to Katie Jacobs' house, told them to get into everything, never suspecting...and when he got that call from Derek about the doll...

“He's her damn uncle,” Derek continued, pounding the last of his beer. It burned foamy and lukewarm down his throat. “The spittin' damn image of her dad. What's that do to her, huh? How does she come back from that? I told Reid she'd be okay, I told her cousin she'd be okay...but Aaron...”

“I know it's little consolation,” Hotch began, but Derek cracked the top off of his beer and raised his hand dismissively. He already knew what Hotch was going to say and yeah, it made perfect sense and it was undoubtedly good but...it didn't really make any fucking difference to how he felt right then. It really didn't make any difference at all because nothing could change the damage that was already done. Every single member of that family left the mall tonight broken. There was no happy ending, not even when they found her alive. Not even when Hotch, with his huge hands, performed chest compressions on that tiny little body while he held the fluid bag above her head and watched helplessly. Not when she coughed and gasped her way back to life, a moment that should have been blissful except for the knowledge.

There were no winners tonight.

“Yeah, yeah. We saved her life and we caught him. We put her aunt in cuffs for trying to kill her and we put her uncle in cuffs for stealing her innocence. And yeah, he's not gonna hurt her anymore and her parents know and she's got a lot of love and support...I know all that, and I hope you're right, man. I do. But I also know what it's like when the bad guy was supposed to be the good guy...when everyone looks at him like he's a fucking hero...and you know...Aaron, you know he's no fucking hero.”

It trailed off from there. Derek didn't have anything else he wanted to say, anything else he wanted to share with the moon and the stars and the crystal clear water. He felt Hotch's hand on his shoulder, fingertips pressing into muscle, and he relaxed some. Hotch scooted closer, closed the gap by inches, and took a deep breath.

“You are living proof that she can come through this,” Hotch whispered. He looked down at his feet in the water, the way it pushed over his icy skin in small waves, and sighed. “You had to do it on your own, she's got a lot of support and a lot of love. I have to believe that will help.”

Derek, staring now at Hotch's aquiline profile illuminated in silvery shreds of moon and pool light, realized something he'd been chewing on for years. He'd seen a look, some recognition, some connection in the interrogation room between Hotch and Vincent Perotta. It had been only he and Gideon watching the tape as they prepared for his trial, and Gideon sat enraptured by the discussion. Derek remembered wanting to ask Gideon a question – did you know about Hotch? But then, he thought maybe Hotch was just playing, he was an expert in the interrogation room, so he bit his tongue and helped Gideon prepare their evidence. And now, something in Hotch's silence, in the careful spaces he left between the words he chose...Derek knew there was some kinship here they had never spoken of. Would not speak of tonight. He could sense the weight of this moment, the way they danced closer to the line than ever before, one sideways glance or unsteady breath and they might just cross a line.

“Fuck. Is there anyone in the world that isn't broken?” Derek asked finally, lying back against the ground. Hotch smiled. It was a strange time to smile, he had to admit, but he couldn't think of anyone he'd rather be sitting beside right now and considering how completely terrible his day and night had been up until this point...that was saying a lot.

“I wouldn't call it broken. A little banged up, maybe, but not broken.” His smile turned a little sad. “You're doing better than I am.”

Derek pulled his feet out of the water, pressed them against the warm cement, and sat upright. “I'm getting in the pool.” Just like that, he'd flipped the switch. He was done wallowing. That hollow ache in his chest couldn't be talked out, but it could be drowned in moonlight chlorine.

“Now?”

“Now. I'm gonna go inside and grab those other beers, you can join me in the pool if you want but when I get back outside it's time to swim.”

Hotch forgot to protest, momentarily blindsided by the change in Derek's demeanor. He did that. One minute he was on the verge of tears, and the next he'd figured everything out, sorted his feelings, and wanted to walk away from the wreckage with something as close to a clean slate as he could manage. It was one of the traits Hotch most admired and envied in the other man. It made Derek's presence almost addicting, like he could acquire even a little slice of it just by being near.

It hadn't worked so far, but it didn't stop him from trying.

By the time Derek had let the screen door close behind him, Hotch remembered the box of silverware tipped and scattered on the floor, and all the towers in the next room. Every single one with AARON written in Haley's neat looping Sharpie scrawl on the side, as if anyone else would be coming for boxes of his things.

To distract himself momentarily, he started loosening his tie. He didn't really want to get into the pool, but some part of him had already made up his mind to do it anyway.

Inside, Derek walked with damp feet through the house, for the first time not terribly concerned about the little puddles he left behind. Haley had been very strict about tracking water through the house, and yeah he got it, but it was nice not to have to worry. If he slipped and fell on his ass on the way back out, maybe he'd think differently. The sight of the boxes stacked in small towers was a little jarring. Hotch had said Haley took Jack and he didn't know if she was coming back, but it looked to him like things had progressed in the short time since that conversation. This wasn't going to be Hotch's house much longer, by the looks of it, though he really couldn't understand why. Haley didn't work, no way she could afford a place like this and he felt a little guilty knowing that she was going to divorce his ass and he'd still keep paying for this house for them. Families were messy. Marriage was scary, huge and messy.

The upended box in the kitchen was in his way. Silverware scattered over the floor like a boobytrap right out of Home Alone. He dropped to his knees and scooped them back into the box. It wasn't neat, he didn't organize them, he just dumped them in to clear the floor. Whether this was accidental or intentional, he didn't plan to ask but it gave him pause. A moment to consider the volatile mindset of the man in the backyard. “Fuck...” he muttered to himself, grabbing a couple of beers. There was no sense feeling guilty for showing up needing Hotch to listen to him, though his mind tried to wade into those waters.

The walk back outside felt longer, and he hesitated at the backdoor, watching the way Hotch unbuttoned his shirt and draped all of his clothes neatly over the back of a nearby chair lawn chair. The state of the backyard was chaos, a mess of play toys and equipment, a dazzling array of things to entertain a child Jack's age and maybe even older. It was a kid's dream. But the way the toys were tipped on their sides and leaves had fallen all over the slide, grass unkempt and too long, it looked sad and deserted.

He hadn't even noticed.

Hotch showed up to work neat and tidy as ever, maybe he frowned a little faster now and it stayed a little longer, maybe he smiled less...but he never gave the impression that this was what he came home to. That this was where he was supposed to take some kind of reprieve from the day. From one nightmare into another.

“Hey,” he called, waving the beers in his hands at the man who was nearly undressed in the chilly night air. “You're joining me? Thought you'd chicken out.”

“Grab some towels from the cabinet on your way past, would you?”

“You're gonna freeze your balls off...” Derek warned. Hotch didn't deal well with cold. Everyone knew this.

“I don't think you need to be concerned about the state of my balls, Derek.”

Stars blinked in and out of existence above them, crickets and other night creatures sang their quiet symphonies and the sound of Derek's body splashing into the small pool broke the spell of the night. Just underwear, both of them. It wasn't ideal but it was better than wasting more time searching through those labeled boxes hoping to find his swimming trunks. She'd only left out his work clothes. The night wouldn't last forever, they were already chasing dawn and this was fine.

He forced his body down, down, sat cross-legged on the bottom until his lungs burned and he released the air so he could stay down longer. He ran his fingers along the rough bottom and turned his face upward, watching the still surface of the water for Hotch's entrance. He slipped in over the edge, there would be no jumping in for him, there never was. He just eased himself down like a bullet, propelled until they were face to face sitting there at the bottom. The world went silent and dark around them. Derek reached out, stretched his arm toward Hotch and waited for the man to reach back. To grab his hand. To anchor himself there for just a minute beneath the world. The moment was electric.

Breaking the surface, they stayed close together, treading water. It wasn't a deep pool, just a little over their heads, and it was cold. Hotch's teeth chattered almost immediately and Derek let out a wet laugh, sputtering as he wiped the water from his eyes and slicked it back over his head. Hotch's hair was matted to his forehead and dripping from his lashes, temporarily blinding him. But it was the goosebumps, the way he shivered in the water, that made Derek smile wide.

“Told you.”

“My balls are fine.”

Derek laughed, shaking his head. “Well the rest of you looks pretty damn cold.” They floated, caught up in a quiet moment, the gentle lapping of the water against the tile and the soft white light filtering up from the bottom.

“Hey...” Derek started quietly, slipping a little closer, maybe a little too close. “How long's this thing with Haley been going sour, huh? All those boxes in there...”

“A while.” He was purposely evasive, not eager to think too hard, too far back. A long while if he was being honest. Probably since before Jack, but the baby definitely hadn't helped. Love him as much as they both did, he wasn't enough to fix what was already crumbling. He knew Haley had hoped he would be able to fix what was broken, and maybe he had let himself get caught up in that too. It sounded so good. If they just had a baby, things would change. But that isn't really the way things work, and as she came to terms with that fact, a whole pile of others came to light. He was too busy with work to see her slowly come to terms with it all, and it came as a shock to him when it really shouldn't have.

“Yeah, and you don't say a damn word until she's already gone. By the looks of it, long gone. And I'm willing to bet if Gideon hadn't walked out on us the way he did, you still wouldn't have said anything to me. You haven't said two words to me about anything but work in too damn long, man.”

Hotch swallowed hard and felt his throat click. Gideon and Haley both left him at the same time, and he wasn't dealing well with either one. It was a careful game of avoidance, throw twice as much effort into work to avoid the suffocating feeling outside of his office. Pray for a case that would take them out of town, anything to put some distance between him and the carnage in his wake.

He was damn good at pretending, though, if you didn't look too close. No one really bothered to.

Except Derek. He was looking way too close to be fooled now.

“I'm sorry. I didn't realize how strained it had been between us. I've been...” he paused, not sure what he was even going for. “It's been difficult and I've dropped a lot of balls lately.”

“Oh please. It isn't like you haven't had your plate full being our one and only SAC. I know it was already your team but still having Gideon around was probably a load off. It's not your job to make my life easy, man. I managed just fine, but I'm not gonna lose any sleep over him hitting the road. I'm just glad we're here now. You remember when you told me that you'd be available anytime shit got bad? I bet you conveniently forgot that I said I'd do the same.”

There were tears in Hotch's eyes. “I can't do this alone,” he admitted, his voice thick and quiet. “I know Gideon was a lot to handle and he was deeply troubled, and after Bale you had trouble trusting him but...”

Derek reached up and took Hotch's jaw in his hand, pressing their foreheads together. Each of them was barely above the water, chins submerged so their toes could take hold on the rough concrete floor. “You're not alone. We're a team. You are our leader, but we've got your back. You gotta let us know when you need help though.” They're sharing breath a moment before Derek presses their lips together and then its all over. Hotch melts into the embrace, touch starved and desperate for affection. It has been so long since he's been touched like this. Part of his mind, the screaming realist, instantly began reminding him...very loudly...that this is Derek and this is going to get them into trouble. But some even louder part of him, the part that thundered wildly in his chest and pumped all the blood to his extremities screamed in a voice that drowned everything else out.

This is Derek and this is everything.

Box of silverware and bruise on his knee, inevitable nightmares and the creeping of dawn, box towers with his name scrawled over them and a date he really didn't want to keep with Jessica to hunt for a new home...none of that was louder than the way Derek's skin felt against his, the warmth of his hands pressed against Hotch's lower back, the taste of Stella Artois on his dancing tongue. This was heaven, or as close as a beggar like him could afford.

"Haley is going to fill in the pool," Hotch whispered against Derek's lips, tasting chlorine. "Now that Jack is more mobile. This all goes away soon."

"Well then I'm glad we're here now..."

There would be apologies dancing on their lips and towels to dry them off. Breakfast after no sleep would take the edge off with whipped cream on Belgian waffles and hashbrowns nestled beside a pile of scrambled eggs. Those apologies would die on their lips, unspoken because neither of them was sorry and that was the only truth they cared to admit. “I'm apartment hunting today,” Hotch said, dropping Derek off at his house after breakfast. The morning sunlight was golden and warm, his eyes were tired and yet he felt too electric to sleep even now. “But if you're not busy tonight...”

“You want me to keep you warm in the pool again? Soak up every last minute in that old thing?”

Hotch smiled and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “Yeah. Something like that.” He paused, giving Derek one last look before he closed the car door. “It was nice not being alone. It was nice being with you.”

“Cool. I'll call you later, see what's up.”

- - - -

“You're sorry?” Derek asked, a little louder than a hiss but still quiet. They were in Hotch's office, the door not entirely closed because that would cause a stir. Hotch didn't close his office door. But he'd called this meeting an hour after signing a lease for an apartment he didn't want and his heart was breaking in his chest.

“You came to me because you needed someone to listen and I'm afraid I may have taken advantage of that.”

“Taken...advantage? Do you even hear yourself?”

Hotch stood and frowned, folding his arms over his chest. “I'm your leader, and after some thought I feel that I may have crossed a line the other night.” What he meant to say was that there was beer and pool water and so damn many stars...and he'd been having a terrible night. He was out of sorts. And if he'd been thinking clearly he probably would have made better choices. Or, at the very least, not allowed himself to indulge in something so incredibly reckless no matter how much he wanted it.

But the problem with that theory was that he liked it. Loved it, even. Had wanted it for a long, long time. It had been a brief spot of light in his darkness. And the second night, while it didn't lead to anything more than devouring a whole pizza and combing through the verbiage in his lease agreement for the apartment he didn't want, he still felt that same electric feeling.

Jessica hadn't helped his anxiety. In fact, she was probably the reason he'd kept Derek at arm's length the second night. Probably the reason they read a contract instead of kissing until their lips hurt. The real problem was that even as mind-numbing an activity as it was...he still wanted more. He would do mind-numbing nights with Derek forever.

“You kissed him?!” Jessica had asked while exploring the third apartment of the day. It might be the one. Hotch looked like he didn't hate it, which was better than the others. He wasn't going to like any of them, but if he didn't hate it...well they could make it work. “You KISSED him?”

“Technically, he kissed me,” Hotch replied while opening a cupboard like he was even paying attention. He'd barely seen anything the whole day, but he did like this place. The basement was a fitness center with an indoor pool and some part of him was inexplicably drawn to the notion that he would still have a body of water to call his own. “But I did kiss him back.”

“Aaron, you dog!” She was smiling, but it faded quickly. “Can you do that? Are you going to get fired?” She hissed that last part so the real estate agent didn't hear them.

“It won't happen again. It shouldn't be an issue.”

“Won't happen again? You look happier this morning than you have in...well a long time. Why wouldn't you do it again?”

“Once is forgivable. Twice and...what if he doesn't feel like he can say no to me?” Given Derek's history, Hotch's face went pale at the thought. He might be sick. “I can't put him in that situation.”

“What, because you're his boss? That's absurd. Maybe if you'd kissed that little guy on your team...”

“Reid?” he asked, a little flustered. This conversation was getting worse by the minute. He chose the apartment more as a way to put a stop to one conversation and start another than anything else.

“Yeah. The kid. But you've worked with Derek for so long, no way he's not going to tell you exactly where to shove it if you do something he doesn't like.”

“Hotch...” Derek said, leaning a little closer, pulling him back to the conversation. “If you think for one second that you're actually putting me in a position where I can't say no, you're wrong. Now do I appreciate your thoughtfulness here? Absolutely. It's part of why I kissed you the other night and why I wanna keep doing it. But you gotta know I've never had a problem telling you to fuck right off if I think it's justified. Right now, JJ is about to walk through that door and tell us we have a case, I heard your phone buzz. So I'm gonna get outta here...and you can think it over. If you want to see where this kiss takes us...cool. I'm game. And if you don't? We never have to bring it up again. It never happened.”

Derek turned to walk out of the room, took a step and froze when he heard a small sound behind him.

“Derek,” came the voice, almost a whisper. He turned and found Hotch rounding the edge of the desk and approaching him cautiously. “I'm sorry. If you're certain...I am too. I don't know how to do this anymore; it's been so long. I never thought I'd feel like this again. I always assumed Haley was it for me.”

“Don't worry, boo, I got you. This is a two person sport.”

Hotch flushed and his face turned shadowy serious. He frowned and Derek knew exactly what he was going to say. “We should probably lay a few ground rules,” he started and Derek laughed and waved his hands in defeat before he had to continue. From the looks of it, they would have to move slowly. Very slowly.

Derek could do that.

He hoped, anyway.

“I won't call you boo again. At work or otherwise. I can't promise other pet names won't slip out on occasion...”

“Just not here.”

“Just not here.”

#aaron hotchner #derek morgan #hotchgan #criminal minds #hotch x morgan #aaron hotchner x derek morgan #mortch #fanfiction #tw: csa #tw: divorce #yotp 2023

[romanxmarkovic]

 Welcome to Aurora Bay, ROMAN MAROKOVIC! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like EMILIO SAKRAYA. You must be the TWENTY-SIX year old PRO BOXER. Word is you’re POISED but can also be a bit UNEMOTIONAL and your favorite song is NO PROBLEM by CHANCE THE RAPPER. I also heard you’ll be staying in AURORA BAY DRIVE. I’m sure you’ll love it!

BACKGROUND (@aurorabayaesthetic)

TW: mention of divorce

Roman was born on May 5, 1997 and raised in Aurora Bay alongside his twin sister. Was parented by his supermodel mother and notable heavyweight professional boxer father known as Noa the Knockout Markovic.

On the drive, is where his momentarily blissful childhood stemmed. Accompanying his father to boxing matches and his mother to fashion week, the twins were thick as thieves and a happy duo.

With his father’s success, it was Roman’s destiny that he would continue on boxing in honor of the family name. For his twin, it was being on the runway.

Wherever his father was, Roman was right there with him. His little mini-me and best friend. It was no surprise to anyone when Roman started training and learning at the local UFC gym at the mere age of six.

All was well in the Markovic household until his mother decided to divorce Noa after ten years of marriage. His mother, wanting to take both kids let Roman in a bind. Did he abandon his father and the dreams they had? He simply could not.

So, it was just to the Markovic men in the end, with his mother and twin sister moving back to Morocco. It was bittersweet and it only led to resentment being built over time. Thankfully, he had his outlet that was the ring and so Roman's trajectory began. His daily routine comprising of school, boxing, sleep, repeat.

Quickly he grew to becoming one of the fiercest amateurs in the. country, before debuting at twenty as a professional. Since then, he maintained an untainted 24-0 record with growing acclaim thanks to his engaging social media presence.

From his podcasts to weekly vlogs, Roman's relatability and authenticity has garnered favor from his fans and admirers. Deep down he's just another mellow, loyal and good-natured soul, despite his nasty left hook.

As for Roman, he's enjoying the harvest of his work and making sure that those closest to him are well taken care of and loved on.

#aurorabay.intro #about #tw: divorce

[duvalfms]

hello hello! i am lilah, i love sour sweets and i drink too much caffiene. i am obsessed with blueberry muffins. i haven't rp'd in a looooong time so y'all gotta bare with me kfjhdkfjh. anyway, here's cece!

full name: felicity leanne duval nickname(s): cece (preferred), fliss, basically anything you want pronouns: she/her sexuality: bisexual age: twenty-three (23) birthdate: 28th december occupation: activity instructor faceclaim: madelaine petsch

about felicity

grew up with a single father after a bitter divorce from her mother until he met his new wife when she was six (6). they got married a year later and she gained a step-brother, two years younger than her.

started attending cooper creek summer camp at eight (8) years old in order to make new friends, many of which she still keeps in contact with now. it also kept her occupied as she was a fairly hyper kid.

step-brother also attended but he never seemed to really get into it like she did, even with her encouragement. despite that, they’re very close and they have each other on speed dial.

currently, she works for a recreational centre back home in orlando where she stands by as an instructor for multiple activities such as the climbing wall and various sports. she often takes to doing the same thing at camp, especially the activities with specialist equipment like the climbing wall and its harnesses.

personality

+ friendly, energetic, enthusiastic- stubborn, lax, indulgent

felicity is very extroverted and easy-going, almost to a fault. her relaxed nature makes her easy to approach for many of the kids at camp but it may lead to frustration from her fellow counsellors who perhaps prefer to stick strictly to the rules. despite this, once her mind is made up, she is sticking to it and very little can change it. she enjoys being active and is one of those annoying people who wakes up at the crack of dawn to go for a run and chug a homemade smoothie as a treat. however, she does have her vices and she would sell her soul for sugar, so she’s not that healthy. 

some headcannons

she doesn’t like coffee but she will guzzle down five energy drinks if given the chance.

constantly has sweets and chocolate bars in her cabin and usually gives them out to kids who are upset or injured as a little boost!

always welcomes people to join her on an early morning jog if they so wish. she will never say no to company, especially on a particularly beautiful sunrise. 

she also enjoys stargazing so sometimes she’ll wander away from the campfire to look up at the sky for a while. doesn’t believe in horoscopes though. astronomy over astrology!

She is a girl's girl through and through, supports the feminist movement and lives to outdo the toxic men that wander into her workplace sometimes.

Her aesthetic is very oranges, reds, the occasional blues, amybe a green thrown in there sometimes. She takes a lot of inspo from "vintage" styles, especially the 80's or 90's.

#camp.intro #➺▪ 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨 #i hope the formatting works skjshdk #i might scream if it doesnt #tw: divorce #is that a thing i should tag?

[wildelydawn]

A few weeks ago, my friend told me that her husband of a decade was controlling and she wants to get a divorce. I didn't ask many questions because she seemed pretty guarded about everything to begin with and I told her no matter what, I would support her.

Today, she just disclosed how financially controlling he is, and without providing too many details, we were pretty much in tears by the end of it. She just left. To go grocery shopping for him because she wants to gut it out for a few months until she graduates.

It's such a terrible situation that my whole body is crawling at the idea of letting her go back but I made it clear that if he tries anything, she has to come back to my place or someone else's.

It's hard to focus on anything else right now even when there's so much to do.

#personal #tw: abuse #tw: divorce

[thetechypurpletwin]

This post talks about AFRID, an eating disorder. If you are not comfortable with this, I recommend you scroll on past.

I've been scrolling through the AFRID tags and I haven't seen anyone talking about this yet (maybe cause it's not a common experience) but

having AFRID and also divorced parents

At one house, we get yelled at and lectured about "how I need to start eating more food, this has gone on long enough". Our safe foods are stuffed into a fridge next to other icky foods, making us unable to open the fridge by ourselves or ducking in like there's a monster in there. Our dad has never eaten our three fruits we eat, so whenever he gets them they're usually not ripe or stuff like that, plus he goes to the store at weird times so we can never go with him. We have to eat at different times from our family because otherwise we'll be forced to smell the dinner he makes. Our mom tried to tell him that we might have AFRID but he dismissed it long ago and I highly doubt he'll listen to us now.

At another house, our mom is trying to help us. She's the one that got us our diagnosis of AFRID and Autism and therapy. If one food is too icky for us on a certain day she accepts it. She asks if we want fruit so there's no pressure on us to open the fridge. Plus, she got us our own little mini fridge away from the main fridge as it was our therapist's recommendation. Even before our diagnosis she was mostly patient to our food choices. We can eat at a separate table when the family is eating or in our room so we're able to connect socially if we want.

So you see, we would really rather be at our mom's instead of our dad's. But we can't make that choice. We're stuck in this cycle of being yelled at for eating and then given vitamins and help every week. It's starting to wear on us from lack of consistency and can affect what we eat every couple of days, making it hard to recover if we have a sudden urge to try something on a Dad Day.

But I'll stop there. Does anyone else have this similar kind of problem? Even if one of your parents isn't helpful, per se, but treats you differently based on your food choices every time you see them?

#afrid #Tw: AFRID #tw: eating issues #ed #tw: divorce #ableism #osdd system #donnie txt #leo txt #autism #actually autistic

[starandsims]

Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Thirty-Eight: It’s Not Me, It’s You…and Your Boyfriends

Teddy had finally made his decision, he had made the decision long ago in his head, it had just taken a while for his heart to catch up. During this period of tension in the house, he had begun recognizing more red flags about his soon-to-be ex-wife, the way she handled conflict, the way she ignored Zera and the way she spoke so dismissively to him. This was not going to work, as much as he wanted it to, and she had refused to hand over her second phone for inspection on many occasions. He suspected she was still using it, even now, and continuing her affairs.

He had Lilli take Zera for the day while he served Violet with the divorce papers. To say she was upset would have been an understatement. For as little as she seemed to care for their relationship, not owning up to her actions and being fine with the way Teddy slept on the couch and their non-existent romantic life the last few months, he didn’t expect her to be so sad and angry about the divorce. He tried to help her through her emotions but she slapped his hands away, yelling for him not to touch her.

She was turning from sad to rageful, if she could have, she probably would have broken some of his things, but he had wisely already moved his things out of the house and into a storage room. He didn’t have much, since he had sold his furniture to move in with Violet. At the time he had assumed they would last forever, so what was the point of keeping redundant furniture?

Teddy had hoped she could have been an adult about all of this and tried to make an effort to save their relationship, but it was clear to him now that she just did not care. She only cared about herself and how their relationship made her look to outsiders, marrying a much younger man like her ex-husband. It had always been about that, not him as a person. Not about love. And now similarly, she didn’t really care about the divorce or their failed relationship, she just didn’t like the way it would make her look in public to others. Especially when the reasons and her infidelity started the rumor mill.

#poche pokemon challenge #poche legacy #plpc #plpc g1 #plpc: teddy poche #plpc: violet hawthorne #simblr #sims 4 #sims 4 story #ts4 gameplay #the sims 4 #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 screenshots #ts4 #pokemon type challenge #pokemon type legacy #pokemon challenge legacy #pokemon legacy challenge #tw: divorce #cw: divorce

[albusgrindelwaldsexhusband]

We're divorced now due to you always shouting at me, have fun with your no love, no children, no husband life!

Depp Gellert is saddened by the news, he wants a second chance!

"No, please don't leave me, love! I'm sorry for everything, let me make it up to you! Destiny, come here, my Little Dark Witch..." Destiny Grindelwald-Dumbledore shakes no... "No, Grindelmads is my papa now."

#gellert grindelwald #do not reblog if you're not part of the thread #grindeldore #tw: divorce

[apersonwholikeslotus]

FrUk didn’t have love at first sight they had divorce at first sight.

“I just laid eyes on this man and I already know I love him dearly but In about 3-7 years Im going to want him out of my house, and i want half his stuff”

#aph france #hws france #aph england #hws england #fruk #tw: divorce #hetalia

[milliethesillie]

I may have a problem

#I should probably be nice and throw some tws and cws on here #tw: divorce #cw: divorce #divorce #tw divorce #cw divorce #there thats every possible one that is probably being used to filter out that #texts #idk maybe people will see this post but I have like 2 active followers to probably not

[hellfirestxnes]

Imagine Us

Chapter Two

eddie munson x f!reader

word count: 2.2k+

warnings: 18+, girl dad!eddie, mention of blood, flirting, divorce, custody battle, the girls call wayne grandpa (if there’s any tags missing, let me know please!)

notes: This isn’t edited! I also got some requests about people joining the taglist for this fic! You can fill out this taglist form here if you’d like to be added! Thank you for all of your support here on this ❤️

As the beginning of October comes and goes, you and Eddie share many lingering moments during drop off and pickup. You’ve discovered Laura only picks the girls up one Friday out of the month and every other day, Eddie is there between 3 o’clock and 3:15, ready to corral their giggling faces into the car and get them home for dinner. Usually, Eddie hangs around in the mornings if you’re helping another student. Not that he needs to, not that he should, and it’s only a few minutes… what’s the harm? He just wants to make sure he says hello every morning. If it doesn’t help start your day, it sure helps start his.

And every day you find your approach to teaching a big litter of 5-year-old’s seems a bit unorthodox to most. But, you’ve always found it easier to teach kids the wonders of the world around them while being immersed into it. So right before recess you gather jackets, spending time with each student to make sure they’re all zipped up and cozy. And you stop at little Alice Munson, her pigtail braids are punctuated with pink hair ties to match the pink jacket she had worn that day. “I picked pink today.” The dimples in her cheeks out in full force as she tilts up her chin, letting you zip the jacket up to the top.

“I think the pink looks very pretty, Alice.” You smile softly, giving her small hands a reassuring squeeze. She just giggles softly, her cheeks beginning to heat up as she turns her head away from you and down to the floor.

“Allie is okay.” Her voice is quiet, her eyes not directed towards you as she says it. They’re fixated on a spot on the ground in front of you. So you smile, squeezing her hand again to let her know you heard her before you’re standing up and leading your gaggle of a class out to the far end of the playground, letting them crowd around in the grass to find whatever treasures they could to use in their crafts after they’re back inside.

When you see the recess aide slip out into the crowd of children to relieve you, you thank her and quietly retreat back to your classroom. A quick tidy of everyone’s spaces and you’re ready to go when the kids return to you. And just as you sit at your desk you hear quiet sniffles outside of your door before little Alice Munson is peeking her head in. Immediately you can see the tears in her eyes, scraped bleeding skin, and swelling bump on her forehead. “Oh, sweetheart, what happened?” You’re quick to jump up, going over to her.

“I tripped on my shoe. Miss Dunn sent me inside for the nurse but I don’t know how to go there.” Her words aren’t as clear as they normally would be, through the tears and you sigh softly, reaching for her hands.

“Let's go get you cleaned up, okay?” You suggest and she just nods, holding onto you with her right hand as she rubs the tears away with her left. “I have to call your daddy, okay? Just to let him know what happened.” You give her hand a squeeze as you begin to walk her to the nurses office.

Alice just nods quietly in response. The silence settles for just a few moments and then Alice sniffles, “can my daddy come get me?”

“Oh… I dunno, sweetie.” You smile at her sympathetically, “I’ll talk to him okay? Let’s just get you taken care of first.”

*****

Eddie has worked with the same three guys at the shop for the last ten years and he feels like he knows everything about them. The way Leroy’s wife left him because of his drinking, he knows about Robert’s bouncing baby boy due in December, and even about how Dave’s moving back in with his parents. But Eddie? He tried for a long time to get his life out of prying eyes, but that plan flew out the window in the second year of his marriage. He remembers coming home from a particularly hard day to Laura crying on the couch, after lamenting to him about her visit with her doctor earlier in the day. The trill in his voice when he asked if she’s serious. He’s twenty-four. He’s not ready for this. What about her being pregnant is good news? He regrets it now, all these years later. The way he yelled, the things he’s broken. He remembers back then thinking he’d be just like his own father. He remembers the cops showing up on his doorstep, no doubt one of their other neighbors had called from the shouting— they were questioning his wife, asking if he’d hurt her. While he was still wrapping his head around the fact that he was going to be a dad. And going to work on Monday? You could sure as hell bet he was greeted with a pat on the back from Leroy, a smile on his face, “I promise you’re gonna do great, kid.” And he does. When he holds his daughter in his arms for the first time, he thinks he could cry.

The stereo cuts off, pulling Eddie from his thoughts and leaving the shop eerily quiet aside from the sound of tools clanking. “Eddie?” Leroy calls, Eddie never got many calls at work anymore. Those days were reserved for when his girls were little. Eddie wipes his hands on the rag in the pocket of his coveralls as he walks over, taking the outstretched phone from him quietly. He’s just as confused when he presses the phone up to his ear.

“Uh… hello?” He questions, unsure of who would be calling him here.

“Yes, Hi.” Your voice begins to fill his ears, sweet, smooth, and soft. He can just imagine the smile on your face right now as his own begins to turn a deep shade of crimson. Eddie glances out at the shop floor to where the guys continue to work quietly and he lets his guard down for just a moment, twisting the phone cord around his fingers and he smiles, flirting the best he can.

“And what do I owe this pleasure?” He hears the whistle before he sees any of their faces, which just deepens the color of his face by three shades at least.

“Wouldn’t say I’m calling out of pleasure, Eddie.” You retort, a small giggle threatening to escape before you compose yourself to deliver the real news. “There was an accident on the playground today, Allie’s got a pretty big goose egg on her forehead, the nurse checked her over and there’s nothing to worry about but, I’m required to call and let you know.” You explain, hearing the other men teasing Eddie on the other end of the line.

Eddie’s quiet for a few moments as his demeanor changes, maybe loving the way you so casually called her Allie, just as he and Jane did, “is she okay?” he asks, a bit of worry lacing his voice.

“Yeah, of course! She’s perfectly okay, she’s spending some time inside coloring.” Your eyes drift over to Alice sitting neatly at her desk, the bump on her forehead still angry and red. Otherwise, she seemed fine to you. “I’ll keep an eye on her and give you a call if it gets any worse, okay?” You settle his nerves, wishing this was anything but a work call.

Eddie just rubs over his face, the color leaving his cheeks. He leans back against the wall, phone still pressed to his ear as he thinks of what to say. “Thank you.” Is the best he comes up with, but he’ll have to beat himself up for it later. Embarrassing.

“Bye Eddie.” Your voice is soft again, no doubt that smile back on your face. It pulls his own out, dimples setting in deep and it brings out the tirade of teasing from the other guys as Eddie says goodbye and hangs up. He just rolls his eyes, flips the stereo back on, and continues to ignore the “who’s the girl?” comments he gets.

*****

It takes an hour out of the day, but the kids' monsters with all of their treasures are glued together and placed on top of their cubbies, waiting for them all to come back and see them Monday morning. You see each of their proud smiles as they begin decorating name tags for each of their freshly made friends. And you keep your promise to Eddie, watching Alice as closely as you possibly can when there are more than 20 other children in your care. The redness of the bump starts to fade and you can see her frown fading as well. She’s starting to relax which means the pain might be starting to subside.

Alice places her name tag in the bin with the rest of the kids once the bell rings, but heads back to her seat instead of to her cubby to grab her coat and backpack. You stand by the door, saying goodbye to each of your students as parent after parent comes to pick them up. Pausing when you see Alice begin to color another picture, smiling when you sit next to her after the class has emptied. “My daddy’s birthday is tomorrow.” She looks up at you, showing you the latest drawing she’d made.

You can only assume it’s Eddie, her, and her sister. But there’s another person standing next to Eddie that vaguely has the same hair color as you do, which is more than likely a big coincidence. But it still pulls a visceral feeling of warmth from your core. “Is this a card for your daddy?” You ask, genuinely curious.

“Yeah! This is daddy, and me and Jane.” She points at each one, grinning widely. The same smile you see amplified each morning on her father. “and that’s you!” She turns her head up to look at you, not sure what to expect. “My daddy likes you a lot. He told my grandpa.” she shrugs a bit, like it’s casual information in the household.

“He wanted to invite you to dinner this weekend.” Jane says from the door, walking over to gather up Alice’s things. “but he’s too embarrassed. So I’m going to.” She grins and Alice just begins to nod.

“Please, please, please?” She grins, standing up and stuffing her jacket on as Jane helps her with her backpack.

And you laugh softly, nodding. “Of course, kids.” You watch as Jane sorts a few flyaway hairs in Alice’s braids before grabbing her hand. “Is someone here to pick you up?” she frowns a bit, usually Eddie would come in, come say hello.

“Yeah, grandpa is. Dad had to work more.” Jane shrugs a little before she’s leading Alice out of the classroom. And you get up to follow, watching as the girls climb into the awaiting car at the front of the building talking and giggling with smiles on their faces.

*****

Eddie sighs heavily when he walks up the front steps of Wayne’s trailer. He leans his head against the door for just a moment as he takes a deep breath. He knew fighting Laura wasn’t going to be easy, but sitting the entire afternoon in court to have their case heard only to be told she was trying to go for full custody was exhausting. He’d sooner die than let her take his girls from him. They were happy here. He did all that he could so they could have a happy life, everything they want and need.

He can hear their laughs through the door with Wayne, smiling to himself. He had to put on a brave face, not let the emotion he was dealing with show. He wraps on the door with a knuckle just loud enough to get their attention before turning the handle and letting himself in. Wayne has dinner cooking, Jane is settled into the couch as she does her homework, and Alice is running to her daddy as quickly as she can. Eddie lifts her up and presses a kiss to her temple, settling her on his hip. “Did you two have a good day today?” He asks as he walks over to grab a beer and have a seat, Alice sitting on his lap. He’s exhausted mentally and physically and fully ready to indulge in dinner with his family.

“Yeah.” Jane nods as Eddie pops the top on the beer. His ears perk up when he hears your name fall out of her mouth. “I invited her to dinner this weekend.” She shrugs nonchalantly, “for your birthday.”

Eddie isn’t subtle about the way he chokes on his drink. It makes Wayne turn his head towards him, silently checking if he’s alright. Jane and Alice both laugh, grinning and giggling, they know they made him happy deep down. “you did, what?” Eddie asks softly, barely believing what he’s hearing.

Jane shrugs, “grandpa said it was okay.” and that’s when Eddie’s head whips towards Wayne, who just gives a carefree shrug, a knowing smile on his own face. One that Eddie never sees. “Are you happy?”

Eddie rubs over his face, shaking his head with a smile, as he sets the beer bottle down on the table. “Yeah, babes. I’m happy.”

————————

Chapter One || Chapter Two ||

*****

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tags

@peachyproserpina @munsonzzgf @latedawsonearlysunsets92 @eiffelmezarry @mcueveryday @bibieddiesgf @tlclick73

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x f!reader #eddie munson x female reader #girl dad!eddie #dad!eddie x f!reader #tw: swearing #tw: divorce #tw: custody #tw: blood mention

[mtgc858]

My take on Smilers backstory.

Not canon but it's in is my au/headcanon.

So for the short video Headcanon au lol.

Watch the video first lol.

Tw Divorce,Attempted smoking and Torchured mentio.

{Smiler didn't divorce his wife but she did cause she didn't love him anymore and inored his concerned on her trying to smoke or thinking about smoking even if she didn't.

Which they got divorced and she left while he got to be with Derpina, Later of course, He's grown protective as he lost his wife and didn't want Derpina to fall the same way or be like her mother which then lead to him thinking he kidnapped her Bf.

Which was some random guy that looked similar to him and Torchured him, the virus slowly taking over his mind as he felt he was doing the right thing like the voices told him to.

Which she found out by finding the guys Trollge body/him destroyed and got confronted by her father, which she yelled at him with bitter tears and ran away, running to Derps arms in tears as She cut almost all connection from Smiler out of fear, only leaving his phone number but turning it off where he couldn't call her unless she chose to un mute it.

Then he died as he was consumed by the voices and the urge to troll, as he became Smiler the one we know and love, which Derpina joined Derpy to work at the Trollge containment facility as she found out about her father and got reunited with him after Bf captured him.}

#tw: smoking #tw: divorce #trollge files smiler #my art #my video #my au #Derpina #my oc #Derp #oc: Random guy #Youtube #tw: torture

[thatsprettylane]

Sasuke and Sakura becoming better friends (and better parents!) after they divorce each other and start being honest with themselves about what they want <3

#sasuke uchiha #sasuke uchiha/naruto uzumaki #sakura haruno #sakura haruno/ino yamanaka #sasusaku divorce #tw: divorce #naruto #this is important to me #queer bonding is important to me #mlm wlw solidarity #is important to me