arctichotch

[arctichotch]

Bring Her Home | Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2

Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x f!reader

Summary: For once, everything was going right in his life. Now it's all gone to hell, and he'll be damned is he's not the one to fix things.

“Absolutely not.”

Simon’s path to the transport is interrupted with a firm hand on his shoulder. Price, geared up, gives him a pointed look.

“You’re not coming.”

“She’s my wife—”

“I know.”

“I figured this out. I found the place, I tracked her down, and she’s waiting for me.”

“We’ll get her, Simon,” he says softly. “But I need you to stay here.”

He shakes his head. “I can’t. I won’t.”

Price sighs as the Bravo and Delta teams start boarding. Soap and Gaz linger and wait for their direct superiors.

“Make it an order,” Simon insists, knowing it’ll go his way. “As my captain, order me to stay back.”

Price hesitates. He can’t do that to him. He wants to, he has to—but he can’t. He lets go of his shoulder. “You make one irrational decision and you’re done. You listen to me, do you understand? One person gets hurt or compromised because of you and there’ll be consequences.”

“Yes, sir.”

And then they join Gaz and Soap in boarding the transport. Simon’s been fidgety all day. He wants to feel relieved that they finally know where you are, but he has no idea the state you’ll be in when he finds you. If he finds you. No, when he finds you. 

He’ll find you. You’ll be fine. Maybe some cuts and scrapes but that’s all. He’ll find you, he’ll get you out, you’ll be examined quickly and cleared to go, you’ll both go home and continue on like nothing ever happened.

He’s not that naïve.

He, of all people, knows exactly what you could be going through. And it makes him want to claw his eyes out thinking that all the things that happened to him could be happening to you.

“Listen up!”

Every soldier in the transport lifts their head and tunes in when Price calls for their attention. He stands alongside Captain Lopez of Delta team.

“The Konni Group covered themselves up well,” Price starts. “They didn’t want us to know this was them, so we can assume they’re not anticipating us showing up at their front door. That said, they’re planning something we’re unaware of. They took one of our own two and a half months ago and have been completely off the grid since. That doesn’t happen unless they want us vulnerable, so you keep your eyes peeled.”

“There’s a chance this has to do with one of their captains, Igor Petrov,” Lopez chimes in. “We tracked him down and locked him up earlier this year. They may want him back and were looking for leverage when they infiltrated.”

Simon’s neck twitches at the thought of you being considered “leverage” in a fight that has nothing to do with you.

“Our two main objectives are gathering intel and hostage rescue,” Lopez continues. “Delta Team, you’re with me. We’re going in first and clearing as much of the area as we can for Bravo, who are locating the hostage.”

“Bravo, we move when we’re cleared to move,” Price says, eyeing Simon. “Getting in and especially getting out, we wait for Delta to give us the all clear.”

What if you’re dying? What if you’re bleeding out? What if there’s no time to wait?

Price is waiting for acknowledgement, so Simon nods his head once.

“Sit tight, boys,” Lopez says. “ETA is two hours.” 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Simon’s never been more fidgety in his life. He can see the warehouse from where Bravo team stands idly by, waiting for the signal from Delta that it’s safe to move in. You’re in there, and all he can do is stand around and wait while gunshots and screams of fear and pain and anger sound from every direction.

Finally, after what feels like a lifetime, the sounds die down. There’s still a shot here and there but it gets noticeably quieter.

“Delta 0-6 to all Bravo,” Lopez says over the comms. “You’re clear for entry.”

“Let’s go, boys,” Price leads the way.

Simon, Gaz, Soap and the rest of their team follow after him, making it across the clearing and into the building safely while a few Delta stragglers who hadn’t followed their team inside cover them. Once inside, they break off in the teams Price had laid out on their way over. Price leads Gaz, Soap, Simon and a few others as they begin breaking into rooms and searching them for any sign of you.

They have to take down a few Konni in the process, none of whom are willing to give up your whereabouts. It worries Simon that they won’t talk—it could mean that there’s no point, that they’re looking for a dead body at this point.

He won’t let himself dwell on that.

Gunshots pick up in the distance and Simon tries to see what’s going on, but they’re far away from the action.

“Keep with it, Ghost,” Price warns him. “We have a plan.”

He begrudgingly shakes off the urge to follow any sign of danger and make sure you’re not caught in the middle. They continue through the maze of the warehouse—room after room, long hallway after long hallway. Finally they come to a corridor with lines of rooms on each side. This looks much more promising.

Price and Simon take the rooms on the right while Gaz and Soap take the ones of the left. The rest of their team divides themselves between the two cohorts, doing most of the dirty work like knocking down doors and doing the initial clearing. The closer they get to the end of the corridor, the more Simon loses hope. 

Where are you?

“Ghost!”

He spins at Gaz’s voice and finds him and Soap standing before a room with their weapons drawn. A few other soldiers push in to clear but when they’re out of the way, he can see you. He doesn’t think, he just runs forward. But Price stops him with an arm across his chest.

“Let them clear it,” he demands. “What did I tell you?”

Simon can barely hear him, because you’re there. You’re splayed out on the ground in ratty clothes on the other side of the room, looking like a shell of yourself and he can’t tell if you’re awake. He can’t tell if you’re breathing. He can’t tell if you know he's here now.

His chest heaves and he can feel his nose sting. How long does it take to clear a room? He grabs on to Price’s wrist. He thought he’d push him away but he grips him like he needs to ground himself.

“Clear!”

Finally.

He surges between Soap and Gaz as he sprints across the room to kneel at your side. You’re not awake. Your skin is dull and bruised and bloody. Your clothes are stained. Simon’s hands hover over your fragile body.

“Oh, god,” he panics. “Oh, god.”

He needs to wake you up. He needs to know if you’re breathing. He leans in closer and gently turns your head toward him, cradling your face in his hands.

“Lovie, it’s me,” he urges. “It’s me, wake up. You’re all good now, we’re going home.”

Nothing. Gunshots pick up again in the distance.

“Baby, wake up,” he says, louder. He shakes you as softly as he can. When you don’t respond he lowers his right hand to check your pulse. It’s there. When he takes his glove off and puts his finger under your nose he can feel your breaths. 

He exhales shakily, only slightly relieved. He needs you to wake up. He needs to hear your voice. He needs to get you out of here. He calls your name over and over, telling you that you’re safe, that he found you, and finally you start to come to. You grunt, and Simon takes off his mask when your eyes start to open.

“Hi, lovie,” he cries, trying to smile but only feeling the urge to cry as you make eye contact.

“Simon,” your voice is so broken, so thick. But he hears you all the same. “You found me.”

“I did, I found you,” he nods, smoothing your hair down.

“I wanna go home.”

“I know,” he croaks. He looks up at Price. “We need to go.”

He’s already called for Kate and requested immediate MedEvac.

“Not yet!” Lopez calls over the comms. “Boatload of Konni just showed up. You’re not clear.”

Simon’s stomach turns as he looks back down at you. Your eyes are squeezed closed and you’re starting to writhe. “Everything hurts.”

“Tell me where,” he says, trying to stay composed. He’s falling apart watching you suffer and all he wants to do after being apart for so long is tuck you under his chin and run away so no one can ever find or hurt you again.

“Ev-everywh-where,” you sob.

“Ghost, her leg,” Soap says.

Simon looks from your face down to your lower half and sees one of your feet slightly turned the wrong way. He lets Soap get close enough to gently grab your pant leg and push it upward until you groan and twitch and he tells him to stop.

“Tibia looks broken,” Soap says as he moves back and crouches down on your other side.

“Price,” Simon urges.

“They’re working on it,” the captain responds.

“Hey trouble,” Soap gently grabs your attention, speaking to you like it’s just another day. “Can you tell us anything else that hurts?”

You weep, one hand clinging to Simon’s wrist as he continues to hold your face. “M-my arm.”

“This one?” Soap points to the one lying still at his knees.

You nod, tears streaming down your face and unable to keep your eyes open.

“I’m gonna look t’see if I can help, okay?”

“Okay,” your scared tone makes Simon want to curl in on himself and he leans down to press a kiss to your forehead. Soap reaches for your shoulder first, but you flinch as soon as his fingers make contact.

“Okay, it’s okay,” he says. “Can you move it at all?”

You shake your head.

He touches your shoulder again and you flinch, again. Simon reaches over you to push him away. “Stop it.”

“I think ’s dislocated,” he explains. “I can fix it.”

“Don’t touch her,” Simon warns.

“Ghost, she’s in pain.”

“She’s in more pain when you touch ‘er, don’t.”

“Simon, let him do it,” Price says. “It has to be done, might as well be now.”

“He’s not a medic.”

“We all know how to relocate a shoulder.”

But she’ll scream.

“Listen lass,” Soap catches your attention again. “Your shoulder’s out, but I can correct it. Just give me the word. It’ll hurt more for a second and then you’ll feel better.”

You sob, but you nod. “Yes please.”

“I need something for her to bite down on,” Soap says to the group.

“Get something to muffle her scream,” Price suggests.

“Jesus,” Simon cries. He leans down until his forehead is pressed against yours. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so, so sorry.”

You sob against him but your fingers dig into his hair. He’s here. He found you. He’s real. Too soon he’s being nudged out of the way so Soap can urgently but politely stuff a clean rag in your mouth.

“Look at Simon, lass.”

You do. You squeeze his hand as tightly as you can and focus on him until white hot pain shoots through your side and you scream until your throat is raw. Simon comes down to your level immediately, whispering into your ear that it’s over, that you were so good. You cry as he takes the rag from your mouth.

“Bravo team, you’re clear to move,” Lopez says.

“MedEvac on the way,” Kate says.

“Let’s get you home,” Simon says. “You tell me if you’re in too much pain, yeah?”

You nod and he leans down to properly kiss you.

“I love you so much.”

You sob wetly, feeling so much gratitude for the man before you. He found you. He saved you. He’s bringing you home. “Thank you, Simon.”

He kisses you again before pulling on his mask and gently lifting you into his arms. “You ready to get the hell outta ‘ere?”

You just tuck your face into his neck, keeping your sore arm close to your chest and not looking at your mangled leg.

“Let’s go, lovie.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Waiting for you to wake up feels like longer than it took to find you. Above all else, he wants to be grateful that you’re resting, safe in a hospital bed and being looked after by a medical team. He is grateful for that, but more than that, he’s desperate for you to wake up.

You’re broken. He didn’t want to hear how those bastards left you for him, but he had to. He already saw most of it, but hearing the details—learning what lurked beneath the surface—was worse than going through it himself.

When you stir, he gets up from his seat beside your bed and leans over you protectively. He lets you come to on your own, and you smile softly (tiredly) when you see him.

“You found me.”

“I found you,” he nods.

“It wasn’t a dream?”

“It wasn’t a dream.”

“You promise?”

He takes off his facemask and leans down to brush his nose against yours. “I promise, I’m right here.”

“Good,” you say through wobbly lips.

Simon shakes his head. “I shouldn’t have left you that day.”

“Si,” you say, voice breaking.

“I shouldn’t have left. They were waiting for me to leave.”

“You didn’t know,” you say. You’re trying to be strong for him, but it’s hard not to think back to the hell you went through simply because you were vulnerable without Simon home for 20 minutes. But it’s not his fault.

“I still shouldn’t have left, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything that happened to you, but I’m gonna help you through this, okay? You’re gonna be fine.”

You sniffle. “I don’t feel fine.”

“You’re not supposed to. Not for a while. But one day you will, I swear. And I’ll be here the whole time.”

You run your fingers along his cheek before softly pulling him in by his chin for a kiss. When you part, you turn your head to cough a few times, feeling how raw your throat is. Simon hears the roughness and jumps into action, turning away and heading for the glass of water on the far table.

“Don’t go.”

He pauses, his heart skipping a beat. You sound just like you did in every nightmare he’s had since the day you were taken. But this isn’t a nightmare. This is real. He’s awake and you’re here, reaching for him because he finally found you and you don’t want to be apart. He snags the glass of water and turns back around, lowering himself onto your bed beside your hip and helping you sip.

“I’m not going anywhere, lovie. I promise.”

#love #ghost x reader #fic rec

[arctichotch]

Love Language

Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x f!reader

Summary: Simon's oblivious and you just go along with it.

“What’s a love language?”

You frown, looking away from the near-finished deck on your laptop screen and to Simon, whose eyes are on the TV straight ahead. “What?”

“Someone mentioned it at work, seemed like a serious topic. No idea what they were on about.”

“They mentioned it to you?”

“No, I overheard.”

You close your laptop slightly. “It’s how you like to receive love. You can take a quiz to figure it out but it’s basically like getting presents or spending quality time together or verbal cues.”

“Did you take the quiz?” He quirks an eyebrow, looking at you now.

“Mhm,” you nod.

“And?”

“Mine is acts of service. S’why I was all over you last week when you did the groceries and laundry and made me a coffee without asking.”

“Tha’s why?”

“Yep.”

He frowns and looks back at the football game. “Should I take the quiz?”

“You can, but you don’t have to. Yours is pretty obvious.”

“What is it?”

“Physical touch.”

He tuts and shakes his head. “No it’s not.”

“Sure it is!” You laugh.

“I hate touching, s’not my love language. Mine’s like, food.”

“Okay, food is not a love language,” you set your laptop down on the coffee table, revealing your position on the couch. Simon’s facing the TV and you’re sitting sideways with your legs draped over his lap—a position he often maneuvers you into. Even now as he denies his love for physical touch and affection he’s playing with the hem of your sock with one hand and is feeling the smooth, freshly-shaven skin of your leg with the other.

He stares at your expectant expression. “What?”

You gesture to the two of you.

He shrugs and his face turns more confused. “What?”

You shake your head and grab your laptop again. “Oblivious.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next day you’re walking together through the park by your building, needing some fresh air. You’re hand in hand until you notice a bunny further up the path and you remove your hand from Simon’s to point it out excitedly. 

With no hesitation, Simon grabs your arm and lowers your hands so they’re back where they were before—between you and interlocked. He continues walking like nothing just happened—albeit with a slightly tighter grip on your fingers—but you smirk at the side of his face.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The movie’s only just started, but Simon’s already asleep on top of you. His head is resting against your stomach and your legs are tangled together. You continue to watch the action as your fingertips absentmindedly scratch at his scalp. Eventually you stop, opting instead to clasp your hands behind Simon’s back. He groans and you look down at him. He doesn’t move, but he groans again.

“What’s wrong?” You ask.

He grabs your elbow to lazily direct your hand back to his head. You smother your knowing smile and resume scratching at his scalp and playing with his hair until the movie’s over.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your grip is tight around the spindles of your headboard and your head is thrown back as Simon thrusts into you, until he pauses to unwrap your fingers from the wood and encourage you to wrap your arms around his neck instead. He does the same with your legs and his waist before carrying on.

You gently bite his earlobe with a smile.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Time for the shoe swap.”

You made it all night in your heels, but you won’t make the walk home. And that’s exactly why you brought a big purse to stuff your flats in for the inevitable. You dig your hand into your bag, depending on the streetlights to aid you in finding your shoes amongst the rest of your junk that you should really clean out of there. You feel them and are about to pull them out when Simon couches in front of you, facing away.

“What are you doing?”

“Get on,” he says from over his shoulder. “Acts of service, right?”

You smirk and nod like you fully agree. “Right. Acts of service.”

You hop onto his back and he adjusts you so your ankles are locked and your cheek is pressed up against his. “Good?”

You giggle and kiss his temple. “Good.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

“Sorry I’m late!” You huff as you rush into your office. “I uh…” was forced to make out for 20 minutes on my way out of the apartment and missed two trains because my boyfriend moped about having to be home alone on his day off. “I left my laptop and had to turn around.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Simon comes home exhausted, complaining about a group of young soldiers thinking they’re too good to take orders and clean up around base. You tilt your head in sympathy and grab his face to rub your thumbs on his flushed cheeks.

He snatches you up and runs you into your room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“I think it’s words,” he says one morning while he’s got himself wrapped around you in bed. You can barely breathe. “My love language.”

You roll your eyes and shove his hulking body off of you to reach over to your nightstand for your phone, pulling up the quiz and shoving it into his hands. “Prepare to have your mind blown.”

#fic rec #ghost x reader

[arctichotch]

Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness arriving to the Irish Film and Television Awards on April 20th 2024

#my video!!! #cillian murphy #cillian murphy awards #yvonne mcguinness #oppenheimer #peaky blinders #tommy shelby #cillian murphy video #idk what tags

[arctichotch]

a/n: i literally just remembered that sometimes business men wear suspenders under their suit jackets and it's only down from here!! ☺️😋

aaron knows that wearing suspenders under his suit jacket is a bit old fashioned and traditional, but he finds them beneficial. of course he doesn't wear them when he has to be in his vest, but he's clad in them most of the time.

you happen to find these suspenders incredibly sexy.

you like to tug on them when he's getting ready for work, pulling a strap back and watch it snap against his shoulder just to see him jump. you liked the way he'd glare at you from the mirror he was stood in front of, his own hands busy with tying his tie.

or there were moments where you'd pull him into your body, your fingers hooked under the tense material and tugging him in for a kiss or a hug. this was your equivalent to a belt hoop — though pulling on those got you into some pleasurable trouble.

my conclusion to this brainrot is that aaron's a little traditional and you're into your business looking boyfriend <33

#stop #men in suspenders is one of the hottest things ever #aaron hotchner

[arctichotch]

i love this picture. he captures mild disgust so well

H E L P MY BRAIN HAS ACTUALLY MELTED.

#cillian murphy #my guy

[arctichotch]

BARRY SLOANE as Eddie Wells in PASSENGER (2024 — ) Episode 1.04

#papa? papa?? papa #barry sloane

[arctichotch]

CILLIAN MURPHY as Jozef Gabčík in Anthropoid (2016) | dir. Sean Ellis

#pretty boy #cillian murphy

[arctichotch]

I've got you. Chicago P.D.

#i love them #i have loved them since i was like 11 #chicago pd

[arctichotch]

“you’re just so small :(“ “he doesn’t want to hurt ur tiny body” “his fist is bigger than your womb” “his hand is the size of your entire stomach” “:( small baby no hurt by big man soldier”-

eeughhhaa🤨

brotha eeughhhaa🤢🤢🤢👹👹🤕🤒🤒🤮🤧

#very true #i’m sorry but it painful 😖 #it’s an infestation with cod fics especially

[arctichotch]

©

din djarin playlist

#twenty one pilots visibility so iconic #the mandalorian #din djarin

[arctichotch]

the bodyguard

[status: in progress]

summary: after a series of terrorist attacks in new york, an article you wrote calling out the cowardice of the organization's leader causes you to become a target, and frank castle is assigned to be your bodyguard. the resurgence of former flames and shocking sinister revelations will test just how far frank is willing to go to protect you. divulgences of his mysterious and convoluted past will make you question just how much you can actually trust him. will frank be your savior? or the reason for your demise?

a/n: a HUGE thank you to my love @thyme-in-a-bubble for that incredibly breathtaking header. this series was inspired by the absolutely lovely @lowkeythor's genius request for a bodyguard!frank x reader fic. it is a slow burn-so get comfy. this is a punisher series friends, so there will be mentions of violence and gore, as well as other mature themes. (there will eventually be spiciness bc i can't resist) if you'd like to be added to the tag list for updates, please let me know!

»— anything marked with an astrik contains explicit content. minors dni.

»— all work is my own. please do not repost anywhere else without my consent.

chapter one: it's my job

chapter two: take the day off

chapter three: trouble

chapter four: it's like that

chapter five: conflict of interest

chapter six: invasion of privacy

chapter seven: checkmate

chapter eight: sorry

chapter nine: stakeout

chapter ten: pancakes

chapter eleven: we got a problem

chapter twelve: confession

chapter thirteen: desire*

chapter fourteen: i got you

chapter fifteen: teach me*

chapter sixteen: an adjustment

chapter seventeen: a favor

the bodyguard soundtrack

#to read

[arctichotch]

Updated Masterlist 

6/2/24

MOODBOARDS

WRITING CHALLENGES + CELEBRATIONS

ALL PEAKY CHARACTERS

ALFIE SOLOMONS

ARTHUR SHELBY

BONNIE GOLD

FINN SHELBY

JACK NELSON

JOHN SHELBY

LUCA CHANGRETTA

MICHAEL GRAY

POLLY GRAY

TOMMY SHELBY CILLIAN MURPHY

BEAU "CYCLONE" SIMPSON

BRADLEY "ROOSTER" BRADSHAW

JAKE "HANGMAN" SERESIN

JOEL MILLER

CARMY BERZATTO

#lots to read #so little attention span 😭 #to read

[arctichotch]

price’s secret wife…just some comfort and fluff tbh

john heard a small knock, then the sound of his door being opened slowly, as if not to disturb. he tried to quell the adrenaline rush in his body, the need to tackle an incoming threat. it could only be one person, the one person he kept his door unlocked for.

there you were, his old oversized tshirt and boxers serving as your pajamas. you only wore them when you needed comfort, and when you were off duty. you were the one concerned with how it would look to the other soldiers on base, a female officer wearing her coworker’s name on the back of her shirt. if only they knew it was your legal name too. you perched comfortably on his bed, too tired to properly acknowledge him. he turned off his desk light, abandoning his paperwork in favor of his wife. his first and only priority. john sat next to you, spreading his thighs to make his lap bigger as he left his hands at his sides. he knew you like the back of his hand, knew you needed to sit in silence sometimes. you drained your social battery all day, giving out orders and dealing with subordinates. john was your rock, your lighthouse in the sea of duty. you leaned your head on his shoulder, the top of it scratching his beard. he leaned his on top of yours, taking your calloused hand into his own. he traced the lines of your palm slowly, pressing slightly to massage it. you hummed and he placed a kiss on your head, glad you were warming up out of your trance. “john…” you whispered, tucking your chin. “love?” he was a bit worried now. you still hadn’t looked at him.

your hand left his in favor of his shoulder as you turned your body to straddle him, your favorite seat in the world. you crossed your legs around him as you tucked your head into his neck, your hands exploring the taut muscles of his back. “hi baby.” you said into his neck, placing a kiss into the juncture of his neck, where his beard met smooth skin. his hands finally settled on your waist, massaging the skin there. “rough day?” you nuzzled further into him, giving him small nods as you tried to disappear into your husband and his comforting touch, “lost our target. set us back 3 months.” he hummed thoughtfully, his right hand leaving your waist as he threaded his fingers into your hair. his thumbs pressed against your scalp as you let out a small moan, becoming putty in his hands.

“‘s not your fault.”

“i know. still feels like it.”

“i know.”

the silence was comfortable, a warm blanket on a rainy day. your husband was a strong man, always strong for his task force, for the duty required of him. he hid it well, disarming with his muttonchops and fatherly nature, but there was stone under him, a fortress. with you, though, he was just a man with his wife. selfishly indulgent and unselfishly caring, open in only places you could reach. “when are we retiring? getting that cottage where we always talked about.” he let out a small chuckle, kissing the crown of your head as he maneuvered to tuck you both in bed for the night. “whenever you want. you’re the one who keeps holding out.” he slipped you both under the covers. powerful arms able to keep you around him as he moved the blankets out of your way. “i know. seems like there’s always another mission. always another need to save the world.” his closeness wore you down, honesty running out of you like a faucet. “what about our world? where we’re just husband and wife?” you hummed thoughtfully. john price was a man of duty, of loyalty, but at the end of the day, he had a man’s wants and needs. all he needed was you, safe, with him. “soon, baby. soon.” you weren’t lying. the next mission was your last. you needed him to yourself too much to pretend anymore. john was laying down now, your leg thrown over his legs as you spread your arms on his chest. “i love you.” you said into the darkness, eyes already closing at the comforting scent of his sheet detergent. “love you to the stars, sweetheart.” john price found elusive, peaceful sleep, comforted by your touch again.

—

are there two captains on the same base? i don’t care!

my first time writing price…tried to show his maturity without giving grandpa lol

#peepaw price i love him #john price x reader #fic rec

[arctichotch]

Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller 07/??

#he unleashes something feral in me #like something no other man does #joel miller

[arctichotch]

Bonus:

Cillian Murphy 96th Annual Academy Awards Winner for Best Actor for 'Oppenheimer' (2024)

#watched live last night and cried a bit won’t lie #makes me proud to be irish #what a man #cillian murphy #oppenheimer

[arctichotch]

"And it came from a place nobody would've expected. That gives me faith going down the line forever. If I'm ever in a place where I don't know what's supposed to be or what's supposed to happen. Somewhere, somebody is working on the thing that you need and you may not even be aware of who they are. That was the most serendipitous experience I think I've ever had in my life." Tyler James Williams on Quinta Brunson bringing Abbott Elementary into his life at the right time and how the character, Gregory, was created by Quinta with Tyler in mind.

#this is so sweet #abbott elementary

[arctichotch]

Pencil You In

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader Summary: Bucky thinks you've been working too hard and need a break. Word Count: Over 1.3k Warnings: Fluff, crying, reader is tired, slight insecurities, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?). A/N: Partially inspired by an image the beautiful @bucksangel sent me and life stretching me a bit thin, here's a little ficlet. Lovelies, take breaks. You deserve them and you are more than enough! ❤️ Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

You slumped in your chair of your home office as you reread the sentence on the screen for what felt like the hundredth time. Weariness had already settled deep in your bones long before you looked over the document, the words blurring together the longer you stared. Blinking a few times didn’t help as you reached for your mug, only to remember that you had finished your extra helping of caffeine an hour ago. Begrudgingly, you set it down and huffed as if it was somehow the fault of the cup that it didn’t automatically fill itself.

“Almost done,” you whispered to yourself, straightening up so you could do one last readthrough.

It was a long week in what felt like a series of long weeks. Almost every minute of your schedule was accounted for lately and all you wanted to do was relax. People were depending on you though and you could relax over the weekend.

Hopefully.

“You should take a break.”

You didn’t turn around immediately at the sound of Bucky’s gentle voice, but you did manage a smile when you glanced over your shoulder a moment later. He didn’t return the smile, concern swirling in his blue irises. You were afraid to stare into the pool of his eyes for too long out of fear of drowning.

And, god, you were drowning. It would be so easy to reach out and take the lifeline that was his hand. To just admit that you need some time to rest because you were tired. Hadn’t you earned it? Didn’t you deserve a break after the hard work you put in?

But maybe you didn’t deserve it. What you did wasn’t as important as someone like Bucky. You firmly shut the door on that thought before the words could make their way out of your mouth. If he could’ve read your mind and known you thought that, it would’ve disappointed him. Not in you, but whoever made you decide that what you did wasn’t enough.

Because you were always expected to do and be more.

“I will in a few minutes,” you said.

He let out a heavy sigh as he crossed his arms, making you tear your gaze away. You didn’t comment on his disheveled hair, like he kept running a hand through it. Likely because he worried about you stretching yourself too thin. “That was what you said a few minutes ago,” he reminded you, his voice light instead of accusatory.

You shut your eyes in the hopes that the tears wouldn’t come and took a breath. “I really will this time,” you promised, giving the document one last readthrough once you got your emotions under control.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he said.

If you wouldn’t take a break for your own sake, you had to do it for Bucky.

“Okay. I think that’s at a good stopping point,” you said, making you saved it before you closed it out. If you lost all of that after everything you put into it so far, you would’ve lost it. Before you could move to the next task on your list though, an alert popped up on your screen. Your heart dropped to your stomach because you didn’t remember scheduling anything else today. You didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity for more. “What is this?” You mumbled before you opened it.

Reading the subject line, you did a double take.

CUDDLE WITH BUCKY

You covered your mouth to smother your giggles. “I don’t remember scheduling this meeting.”

“It’s a good thing I remembered, baby,” he said as you spun around in your chair, sauntering over to you with a smirk as you tried not to laugh again. “It’s a mandatory meeting in our bed. No rescheduling. And I expect it to go the full hour. Maybe longer.”

“How did you manage to set up an alert on my computer?” You asked as he grasped your hands and helped you to your feet, having to steady yourself a bit when your head spun.

At least you remembered to eat. Well, that wasn’t technically true. Bucky brought you your meal earlier because he was the best boyfriend you could ask for.

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” he winked before he brought a palm to your cheek, his gaze shifting to something more serious. “But it seemed to get your attention.”

Your cheeks burned as you averted your gaze. “I wasn’t…” you trailed off, an apology on the tip of your tongue. Had you neglected him this past week? Or the ones before that?

Did he think you were a bad girlfriend?

Bucky slid his hand to your chin so you’d look at him again. “Hey,” he whispered when your lower lip trembled. “I didn’t mean anything by that and I’m not upset with you. I don’t think I could ever be upset with you. But, baby, you’ve been working your ass off even more than usual. I’m so fucking proud of you, but you need to take a real break.”

Your eyes burned, but no tears surfaced as he searched your gaze. “But-”

“What is it you always tell me about work?”

“That it’ll be there tomorrow, but we may not be” you answered, sighing. He was right. You couldn’t let work and expectations others set for you take control of your life. “I told you that the last time you ran yourself ragged with missions.”

He brought his mouth to your forehead to kiss it, his scruff tickling your skin. “And now I’m returning the favor,” he said against your skin. “So, come to bed. Lay with me. Just…”

“Be present,” you finished.

No phones. No work. No outside forces interfering. Just the pleasure of being with each other.

“Exactly,” he said, tugging you by the hand. “C’mon. We’re both late for our meeting.”

“Yes, Sir,” you teased, smiling when he groaned.

“This is a cuddle meeting, but it’ll turn into gently fucking you to sleep if you keep talking like that,” he warned you, pulling you to bed a bit faster.

“You say that like that’s a bad thing,” you smiled, gasping as he gently pushed you onto the mattress.

He braced a hand on each side of your head as he leaned down, his breath fanning your face when you whimpered. “Sex after we cuddle,” he breathed, sending a shiver down your spine. “Then we can cuddle again.”

You leaned up to brush your lips against his. “Deal,” you agreed.

Once he maneuvered you to the middle of the bed, his large body spooning yours, you couldn’t stop the tears that came. You bit your lip so he wouldn’t hear your soft sobs, but he must’ve sensed them as he grazed his nose along your neck affectionately and pulled you closer in his arms. You didn’t realize just how much you needed to be held until then.

It was as if all the stress faded away.

“I really am proud of you. Hardest working woman I know and always taking care of me,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to your pulse as more tears hit the pillow.

“Because I love you, Bucky,” you whispered. Who wouldn’t want to take care of someone as amazing as James Buchanan Barnes?

“And I love you, too. So much,” he swore to you, turning you in his arms so he could kiss the tears away. The first kiss lingered on your cheek as he let out a shuddering breath. The sight of you crying likely broke his heart, but he didn’t say anything about it for your sake. “So let me be your personal hero today, okay? Let me take care of you and show that you’re more than enough.”

The words were so heartfelt and touching that you were surprised you didn’t melt on the spot. “You already are,” you promised before his lips met yours.

And he could pencil himself in for cuddles and more whenever he wanted.

I'll say it again, lovelies, you deserve breaks and you are more than enough. Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

#bucky barnes x reader #fic rec