#I also have to say I just love Teresa's pink shirt

[calliopecalling]

QOTS Rewatch - 1x02 - Cuarenta Minutos

Well folks, my recap thoughts on this episode are looong. So I won’t say too much else except that I fucking love this episode. Easily in the top 5. I mean, what’s not to love about what became my OTP of all OTPs crashing full-force into each other for the first time (and literally, among other things, getting into a car crash together, lol).

I’ve written extensively about the dynamic this episode sets up between James and Teresa in a previous meta, so I won’t go back over all that again here, but go read that if you haven’t. Then you can come back for my other Random Thoughts as I rewatched this episode for the umpteenth time:

Teresa wakes up in the warehouse, disoriented and dirty. The first thing that happens to her? Tonto clocks her with the butt of his gun when she asks to speak to Camila. And according to Aveline, he’s the nicest one there?! What does that make James, does that mean he’s supposed to be meaner than that??!

I never really understood what the purpose of the “pros” was (i.e., the sex workers). It seems incongruous at least with what we eventually learn about James’s scruples. Not that Camila would’ve had issues with the sex trade necessarily, but it seems a little odd to me that James would’ve gotten in-step with a woman who was involved in kidnapping women to sell them for sex. Or am I missing something? Is this an actual thing and the show is just trying to present this world somewhat accurately at this point?

God I remember watching this episode for the first time and feeling increasingly like something sinister was about to happen with Aveline. So intense. Also... not exactly realistic that she’d just fall over dead in a split second from a coke overdose of that magnitude.

Little could I have fathomed that Tonto and Charger (who digs through Aveline’s guts before she’s probably even fully dead) would eventually become Teresa’s soldiers and that I’d feel fondly towards them.

Not unlike Pote I guess?

Teresa’s first escape attempt! Hon what did you think you would accomplish by running UP the stairs? This part kind of tears me up. She was so desperate and scared. But tough as a nail. And ends up in a crumpled heap on the cement 🤯

Still has that black nail polish. Not even chipped!

Six and a half minutes in… and HELLO JAMES!! That loose strand of hair, that black leather jacket over a black shirt, that necklace. Skinny and scruffy-faced. I’m also partial to skinny-faced James and round-faced Teresa of this season. Anyway, I knew HE was trouble as soon as we saw him, just like he knew Teresa was trouble.

Because the first thing he does is dig even deeper into Aveline’s guts to rescue the last packet of coke. Literally getting blood all over his hands.

Reminds me of the scene later (episode 1x08?) after the shootout with the Miami dealers and Teresa is washing the blood off her own hands at the same sink, and he says, “I know what you’re going through.”

And while James is washing that blood off his hands, he looks up and catches his first glimpse of Teresa, waiting restlessly for her punishment for trying to run. I’d never noticed that this was actually the first time he laid eyes on her until Annie pointed it out to me. But look at those intense eyes. It’s like some kind of sign from the universe, that as he’s trying not to feel troubled about digging through a dead woman’s guts, he notices this almost feral, untameable bundle of raw energy in front of him. And in true Jeresa fashion, she doesn’t notice him looking at her.

Brenda to Tony: “your father went six days without eating the first time he escaped from jail” hahaha how have I missed this line before? I wonder how many times Chino escaped from jail total 😂

Ok, no matter how many times I watch this episode I don’t understand the purpose of the scenes showing Camila at her goddaughter’s quinceanera. It feels like a waste of space? Does anything important happen here? We learn about Isabela and that she’s 14. That Camila used to be a dancer herself. That her business is growing. That she supposedly values family (or at least gives lip service to it). But I’m not sure we needed this scene to tell us these things?

Then we get James’s first acknowledgment of Teresa, via text to Camila that she tried to run.

“He’s the old chemist now” lol Camila gets some great one-liners.

I also just fucking love Camila and Teresa’s dynamic in this episode. Camila is a master manipulator. The scene where she calls Epifanio on speakerphone. She doesn’t even need to say anything to Teresa. Her leverage now is crystal clear, all just via the perfect performance of this phone call with Epifanio. You see Camila watching Teresa’s face and listening to Epifanio’s forced nonchalance and coming to understand that there’s way more to the story than either of them is revealing.

Teresa’s whole demeanor in this scene and the ensuing struggle with Camila’s men is so great, so well-acted. Really the whole episode. Again with that almost feral quality.

Notice that James is standing there during that whole struggle. He walks in right as she starts screaming “no no no” as she’s getting pinned down on the table. We don’t really get to see his face but it looks like he’s facing away, like he can’t watch the struggle.

Then his face as she says “I’ll deliver the drugs.” He turns towards her for the first time and looks down slightly. Looks slightly uncomfortable. I’m dying to know what’s running through his head as he watches this struggle (and of course she’s headed for the “pros” which, again, I’d love to know what’s going through his head as he processes that). I need like, a James interior monologue of this episode in fic form.

Then of course the famous last words, “I don’t care about her, I care about getting the drugs to Han.” LOL. We’ll see about that James. We’ll just see about that. He wasn’t even being totally honest, even at this point, what, less than an hour after seeing her for the first time? It was already a fib, I think to try to protect Teresa from harm, even if he wasn’t entirely aware he was fibbing. We know it’s a fib because in the car, he tells Teresa unequivocally that he’s “not having that again” (with respect to another girl dying).

And Camila makes it very clear it’s his responsibility to make it happen and if Teresa dies, it’s on him.

That passport photo, lol. Sporting the same shirt and same cut on her face as she appears at the airport security in. Must’ve been a pretty tuned-out TSA agent.

James’s face watching her deep-throat, I mean swallow, the coke packets. LOL. I mean there IS something sexual about it, right? Especially when she just stares across the table at him as she’s shoving one down her throat. You can’t convince me the parallel doesn’t cross James’s mind. I almost feel like he interprets it as a challenge? Like a challenge to not look away?

I appreciate how Teresa basically adopts silence as her number one survival strategy. Like don’t say anything unless absolutely necessary. Don’t reveal anything. Just look blank. Exhibit 17,374: when Camila asks her if the patron saint Malverde trinket gives her faith or comfort. Teresa: ::silent blank stare::

Then her first words to James: “you’re religious? That’s a laugh.”

The sunglasses coming offffffff. And the whole physical struggle. I DIE every time I watch that part. And I definitely died like four times in a row watching it for the first time.

“Well then I’m gonna die too, because I’m not gonna throw that shit up” AND HIS FACE. HIS EYES. He can’t control the “who the fuck is she and what the fuck is she doing” expression of baffled awe and concern that passes over his face at that point. Look, James is not going to win in the “who holds their cards closer to their chest” contest against Teresa, and it’s because his eyes are always a dead giveaway. They don’t mask a thing. That’s why he’s always gotta wear sunglasses 🕶

And the sunglasses go back on before he says “you’re gonna die.” Gotta make sure he’s got his mask on before he says that. As much to hide any possible emotions from himself as from her.

“She’s always so last minute” to the TSA agent. Comedic gold—acting within acting. And one of the few times in the ENTIRE SERIES we see James smile?? Meanwhile Teresa just looks like a traumatized porcupine.

I love the wrist grab trying to run into the bathroom. She grabs him first and then he pulls her to the right door.

God the tension in the storage closet scene. It’s so good. Her weak “I can’t” does me in. His look of panic as he grabs for the soap. And incredulity once she gets the last one up. It’s now been made abundantly clear to him that, if they weren’t before, now they’re definitely in it together.

I think this scene is the first time he says her name? “C’mon Teresa” [ta-ray-zuh]

No time for dallying though, still gotta get the drugs to Han

THE ESCALATOR SHOT. Enough said. I’ll rb a gifset of that and say more lol.

Then the cab ride back. I reblogged a gifset of this here. Buuut I’ll rb another one too because there’s so much to say about it.

Camila meeting Teo. “Speaking of life, I like life.” Poor Teo. And his line to her, when she says she’s good at handling her husband: “it’s always the best swimmers who drown.” The two of them are good at speaking in metaphors. But this conversation is also some terrific foreshadowing! Both for Teo’s storyline and Camila’s (though hers took a few seasons to get there).

Teo SHOULD stay away from Camila. But he won’t because Camila always uses her sex appeal to get what she wants out of her men. Except James—she never goes there with him. Of course, James would never fall for it, or respect her for doing it to him. He respects her because of her strength and intelligence, not because of her sex appeal. It’s an interesting parallel to his burgeoning respect for Teresa for those same qualities.

Camila: “I’m just supposed to keep looking for this girl that means nothing to you, whom you need alive, preferably, and who needs to be made an example of?” Epifanio: “Thank you, I knew you’d see it my way.” Hahahaha. Season 1 was the best for Camila and Epifanio repartee. It started to drag a little in season 2 in my opinion.

James visits Camila in the warehouse. “You know this Mendoza girl. Keep an eye on her. I think she might be more useful than I thought.” And James does that nose wrinkle and twitch he always does when he’s feeling uneasy. And when she tells him to talk to her and get her to trust him, he starts smoking his second cigarette of the scene (nervous habit? lol) and doesn’t make eye contact with Camila. He does a thing with his tongue against his teeth as if he’s lost in thought and trying to mentally brace himself for something. Again, I need a James interior monologue of this episode!! But you can tell that he’s already compelled by Teresa at this point. Her nerves of steel, her composure, her wildness. And I feel like he already knows at this point that she’s going to change things. If not in a personal way, at least the dynamics of his workplace.

And the episode ends with a queenpin vision. “It looks like you’re all settled in. Sweet dreams.” Sweet dreams indeed. The actual love of your life has entered, stage right.

Running tally of how James pronounces Teresa:

1x02, 25:50, “ta-ray-zuh” (with a hard American “r”)

Queenpin Visions:

Beginning: “I said, welcome to America. I never said it was going to be easy.”

End: “It looks like you’re all settled in. Sweet dreams.”

#queen of the south #qots #qots s1 #1x02 #2021 rewatch #txt post #qots reaction post #this episode is just solid gold all around #I also have to say I just love Teresa's pink shirt #maybe that shirt can make a comeback in her new life #it looks like it could be a good beach cover-up #also wow this recap got way longer than I thought #don't expect this much text for all of them lol #or else I won't finish the rewatch until 2023

[toxicbubblegum212]

Maze runner ~When the boys compete for you~

Minho: " Hey feel free to touch my biceps, their really strong. " *Minho flexes Biceps*

Headcanons

- Minho would act cool but still be very flirtatious.

- It doesn't matter where you are or who you are with.

- Some Gladers say he's all over you or he's being a try hard.

- Don't be surprised if Minho take his shirt off whilst in your presents.

- He wont force you into anything but he will defiantly try to tempt you too.

- Minho would also stand quite close to you. His chin would either rest on your head or your shoulder.

- At the Camp fire Minho might try to some how convince you to come sit on his lap cause its "warm".

- Minho would do cute little things like pat your head, play with the ends of your hair or cut your check.

- Minho would also tease you a hell of a lot. He knows it get's him the attention he wants.

- Minho might also try and bribe you into something with kisses, cuddles and his hotness.

He would cuddle up to you like this😍🥰

- You and Minho always have good fun together no matter what.

- He will always be there to pick you up if you fall, he just wants you to be happy and he hopes it's with him.

- Minho would gradually gain the confidence to touch and play with you hands.

- When Minho holds your hands in his. He can feel how small and soft they are.

- He always thought of you as his baby flower.

Newt: "You just keep smiling beautiful cause thats all I need."

- Newt would never force anything on you unless you sexually tempt him of course.

- You and newt would do this cute thing where you would blow kisses to each other.

- Its cute seeing Newts reaction he's got cute pink rosy checks.

- Newt would also make an effort to make sure that your never uncomfortable.

- He will tell other gladers to back off. And ask you if your ok.

- Your safety is his number 1 priority.

- Newt would pick flowers for you.

- He would either stuck it behind your ear, make it into a flower crown or present them to you with a kiss to seal the deal.

These are the sunflowers in the glade that remind Newt of you ❤️

- Newt would always kiss your head/for head and sniff your hair.

- He hugs up to you nice and close on those cold nights.

- Newt would also brush and braid your hair, commenting whilst telling you all the things he loves about you.

- Newt lifts up his hoodie and lets you curl up underneath. On his bare chest. It makes he feel wanted and you feel safe.

- When it comes to other guys Newt usually gets flustered, he tries not to but he can't help it.

- It just comes with the job of being in second command.

- Newt would support you regardless of who you choose.

- Newt wants you to be happy even if its not with him.

- He knows that there are some things in life you just can't have.

Thomas: "You know I can give you the world"

- Thomas plays hard.

- Thomas as we all know is a very determined person and if wants something he will not give up easily.

- Thomas isn't afraid of competition.

- Thomas would give you anything and everything you could ever want.

- Perks of being basically the chosen one.

- Thomas would tell you about all the beautiful place he remembers and offer to take you to all them.

- Thomas would tell you about the long horse rides on the beach, where the sand and the sky a line perfectly. And the vibrant sunset that would highlight all your eyes and give you a heavenly glow.

This is the beach you would ride along together 🥰😍

- The mountains where the snow shines like diamonds, the soft snowflakes and the snowmen you could make.

The snow you would visit in spring ☃️❄️

- He would tell you about the northern lights that would dance in the sky. Saying "That just like you and me..up there."

The beauty of the moment you would share ❤️💚❤️

- He imagine's sitting in a field looking up at the sky and asking you about your dreams.

- Thomas would give you piggy back rides or pick you up in his arms and carry you home.

- Thomas would risk it all for you, cause your worth it.

- He not afraid because he has faith in you, he believes in you.

- Thomas wants to create these memories with you, he never head the chance to do the same with Newt, Chuck or Teresa.

- Thomas can see his future in your eyes.

Gally: "I just want you to be safe and the only place thats safe is in my arms."

- Gally wouldn't trust anyone being alone with you for a second.

- Gally would always put a protective arm around your shoulder.

- He would also put you into his chest when ever you upset.

- Gally will stay for as long as it take till your tears dry and you smiling once more.

- You very thankful for Gally, the boys leave you alone and you've never had any problems.

- Gally would always have you sleep next to him. Wether you like it or not.

- He would never force anything on you but he's got eyes on you 24/7. Day and night he's watching.

- He would have a got at anyone and anything that threatens you.

- You would always wear his shirts, his hoodies and anything else you can get your hands on.

- Gally expect to have at least 1 cuddle a day, if not he becomes very feisty.

- Something you always loved about him.

- Gally would carry you on his shoulders.

- He loves when you give him jump hugs right into his arms.

The hugs you share ❤️

- He would always dance with you at the bomb fire, watching your hair fly as you spin around and around.

- Time always slowed down when he was with you.

- For the first time Gally could actually be himself.

-He love you because you gave him freedom he never knew he had.

#the maze runner #the maze runner x reader #the maze runner x you #tmr x reader #tmr #tmr thomas #tmr minho #tmr newt #tmr gally #fluff #maze runner fluff

[givemearock]

Tmr Girls Studying With You

Requested by @mockingjaykatnisshungergames

A/N: sorry this was super late I had a bunch of hw then I got sick but I woke you like! I tried to make it longer to make up for it :D

Brenda

she would probably only study the subjects she likes

like if your struggling with science she’ll pull out a whole study plan and you’ll ace your next text

‘Brenda, did you take this from the teachers office?’ ‘No these are my notes’ ‘...you write down everything the teacher says?’ ‘You don’t?’

She’s dedicated

but for the things she couldn’t be bothered studying for she has way of sneaking the answers in that she’s more than happy to share with you

‘Alright so be sure to wear a long sleeved shirt so-.’ ‘Brenda are you sure you don’t wanna just help me with math?’ ‘🤨but this is easier?’

if you ever convince her to help you study something else she’d probably end up just as confused as you

50/50 chance but you’ll probably leave having learned something

Harriet

a whole mom

she brings star stickers so whenever you get something right she can put a star next to the problem you did

‘Harriet you know I have to turn this in right?’ ‘Mhm, and they’ll know how much of a star you are’

it was supposed to be a study date where you help each other but she’d just end up helping you with your problems, claiming her stuff could wait

even if you said you didn’t need it she’d insist on helping

‘ I’m really fine, let’s do some of your work’ ‘But you’re struggling’ ‘I’ll be fine let’s focus on you-‘ ‘But you though’

the only way you’d get to help her is to finish all your work

she probably wouldn’t need much help but would definitely pretend like she did to not make you feel bad

‘Didn’t you ace Econ last year?’ ‘Yes, but I forgot everything over the summer’

Note: she in fact did not forget everything

Great study partner

Sonya

she definitely picked up some tips from Newt and decorated her notes like he does, just probably not as organized

like she has cute paperclips and stickers but they just go wherever she thinks they’d look nice rather than to help her memorize things

‘Sonya, why did you highlight last month's assignment just now?’ ‘Because this page had a bunch of blue stickers on it so I added a pink one’

loves explaining things but will probably get confused somewhere along the way

‘So that’s how you solve for x!’ ‘Sonya we’re solving for y’ ‘??’ ‘There’s no x in the equation’ ‘...must’ve missed that’

In the end you’ll end up on the right track

will share her stickers and highlighters so you can make notes in your books and such

also will leave notes in the margins of the notes she shares with you

like you’ll be reading about a historical event with a little ‘skim this part it’s boring!’ on the side

overall will help you get better

Teresa

very set on helping you get good grades

like neither of you are leaving until she’s confident you’re confident

also very aggressively supportive

‘Teresa it’s fine we can do something else’ ‘No! I want you to succeed’ ‘it’s really ok I just can’t get it-‘ ‘NO you will get it’

takes being your study partner very serious and will bring the notes for whatever class your struggling dating back to the beginning of the semester

is genuinely proud when you get things right

however if you ever succeed but the teacher gives you a bad grade for no reason she will confront them on your behalf

you will get good grades because of her if it’s the last thing she does

This was actually really fun and I’m gonna try to revive this acc by posting at least once a week

Have a nice day and night !! 🌸

#maze runner #the maze runner #tmr #tmr teresa #tmr brenda #tmr harriet #tmr sonya #fanfic writing #writing #writers on tumblr

[bqstqnbruin]

Always be my plus one - part 3

Ok, look, it's 4 am, there are going to be typos, and we're just going to have to deal with it. I also tried to find a gif that was Tyson and Cale but I couldn't find one in the gif insert thing on here so I just went with this one (it feels weird to change it up but like, oops)

I make no promises that you aren't going to be mad at me for this part so have fun !

This is shorter than the last part, coming in at around 5k words.

The only warnings I have here are implied sex.

Translations for the Italian in here: "tu sei uno stronzo" - you're an ass(hole)

stronzino - little asshole

Also want to thank @justjosty @zinka8 @hockeylvr59 @hockeywocs anons and I'm sure I'm forgetting people for helping me write this part but ily all I'm just dumb and tired

Read the previous part here!

Series masterlist

____________________

Valentine’s Day

The Feast Day of St. Valentine is traditionally celebrated in the Western Catholic Church on February 14, to honor the patron saint of love. Though not traditionally celebrated as a Catholic holiday, millions of people celebrate the day of love with those who mean the most to them. While pessimists of the day say it’s a ‘holiday made up by greeting card companies,’ approximately 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent in the United States alone, not including cards given by school children to their classmates. Couples enjoy the holiday with a romantic night out, presents, flowers, chocolates, etc., while those who don’t have someone or don’t care do whatever they want without the pressure of living up to a holiday that doesn’t mean very much in the grand scheme of things.

=============

February 12, 2022

“Where are you going tonight?” Matthew’s voice came through his younger sister’s phone. He had called early in the week to see if Anne could babysit Harper so he and Stephanie could do something for Valentine’s Day without having to shell out an extravagant amount of money on a sitter.

“I’m, uh,” Anne hesitates, “going out with Tyson. Sorry.” She hears Matthew let out a sigh on the other end. “Hey, stronzo, why don’t you ask Lucy? Her and Jason never do anything on Valentine’s Day.”

Matthew starts talking about how the last time he asked Lucy last minute to watch his daughter, despite their girls being best friends, she ended up going on a fifteen-minute rant. While Anne gets her heels on, staring at herself in the mirror and admiring the floor-length, red dress she had on the slit going up the side for no one but herself, Matthew continues to tell her about how his twin goes on and on about needing a schedule at all times, how she can’t just drop everything in a moment’s notice because he wants to do something with his wife.

“Hey, Matthew,” she cuts him off, trying to shrug her coat on, “Why didn’t you ask Lucy or Sebby after I said no earlier this week?”

“Because I didn’t think you actually had plans.”

“Again, tu sei uno stronzo.”

“I am not an ass!” he detests.

“Fine, you’re a stronzino, happy?” Anne hears him stammer again, not letting him get a word in, “I have to go, I’ll talk to you later, ok? Ask Ma, Dad’s off in Florida right now so she would probably love to have Harper for the night.”

He lets out another sigh, Stephanie’s voice coming through in the background despite Anne’s inability to understand what she was saying. “Fine. Have fun with Tyson. I don’t need another niece or nephew around Halloween, though, ok?”

“Don’t be gross,” she says, hanging up and finally heading out the door.

Her cousin Adriana was getting married to her soon-to-be wife, Izzy. Her family had no idea that she was the only one who still talked to them, her mother having a fight with her brother after their parents died when Anne and her siblings were younger and vowing to never talk to him again. So far, the stubbornness that seems to run through her mom’s blood going strong since it had been over a decade since she had last seen her brother. Anne was invited to Uncle Frankie’s daughter’s wedding, but no one else in her family.

Adriana and Izzy had this Valentine’s Day-themed wedding, everyone asked to wear red or pink in theme with the holiday, Anne not doubting that there would be paper hearts and cut-out cupids as the decor. The wedding gift she bought them, one of the first things she found on their registry that Anne could afford, was shipped to the apartment they already shared two weeks ago, Anne just needing to remember the card.

She was fully prepared to just sit in the corner with a bunch of people she didn’t know and watch as her cousin got married to the love of her life. Anne wasn’t sure that that side of her family would recognize her after how many years, guaranteeing her to spend her time on the sideline.

Anne slips into the back of the church, seeing no one she knew or recognized to even go up to and sit with them. Everyone was dressed in red, pink, and black. A bit too much for her own taste, but at least she looked good in red and would have worn the color anyway. ‘Note to self, no themed weddings,’ Anne thinks, not particularly fond of the lack of color or real choice that everyone had in figuring out what to wear.

A blonde boy in a red suit walks by her, too far past her to get a good look at him. There was something about him that caught her attention. Anne knew that walk, but she had no idea where she knew it from. It didn’t stop her from admiring him from afar, though, the short blonde hair and the obviously fit physique under the suit captivated her for whatever reason, leaving her practically unable to pay attention to the ceremony in front of her. Not that she cared, at this point she was just there to enjoy the free food she knew would be good at the reception later.

Anne sat at the table against the wall, her cousin not bothering to make a seating chart and just leaving it up to the guests to sit where they pleased. That meant she didn’t have to talk to anyone she didn’t want to, being virtually left alone at a wedding where she knew no one.

“Anne?” a familiar voice snaps her out of the trance she fell into watching Ana’s sister and brother-in-law, Catie and Danny dancing with their two daughters, remembering seeing their pictures on Facebook when they were born, not realizing how much they had grown.

She turns to the man in the red suit who had her attention throughout the ceremony. “Cale?” she smiles at him, not sure how the two had missed they would be at the same wedding this weekend. Since New Year's Eve, the two of them had been texting, calling, FaceTiming, they had hung out, spent the night with each other, Cale insisting he buy her dinner at least once a week. The only reason they weren’t dating each other was because neither of them had said they were. They both said they were busy this weekend, but who would have thought they would end up at the same place. “What are you doing here?”

“Izzy’s brother and I grew up playing hockey together. I grew up with her. What are you doing?” he asks her, taking the seat next to her.

“Ana’s my cousin. Her dad is my mom’s older brother.”

Cale smiles at her, Anne’s heart racing at the sight of it. “So I get to meet your family?”

Anne shakes her head. “I’m the only one here,” she tells him, explaining the family drama that went on between Frankie and Teresa.

Cale looks down at his lap, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his suit jacket. The red bowtie, red pants, red jacket even against the black shirt were so much Anne couldn’t tell if his cheeks were red because of the reflection of his clothes or for another reason. “Tyson’s met your family, hasn’t he?”

She nods, taking his hand in hers. “I told you, Tyson and I are just friends. I needed someone to come with me to a family thing, so he came with me.” Cale nods, not entirely sure that something wasn’t up with her and Tyson. Something was off, there was something he was sure Anne was leaving out, but he wasn’t sure. “Hey, I’ve seen Tyson, what, three times since New Year's? All of them when I was with you. I like you, Cale.”

Cale leans over for a kiss, his hand grazing Anne’s thigh, sending a shiver down her spine. “How about we dance like we did on New Year's?” he asks, standing from the seat, shrugging off the red jacket before he extended his hand out to her.

She rolls her eyes, getting up with him anyway. “I told you then, too, that I don’t like dancing.”

“And yet,” he says, pulling her close, his hand finding the small of her back while he presses his forehead against hers, gazing into her eyes, “you danced with me all night then, and you got up to dance with me tonight.”

Anne laughs, knowing he was right, burying her face in his shoulder, swearing she heard some camera’s clicking, probably the wedding photographer hanging around somewhere and taking pictures of the guests dancing.

“I know I have to say this about the brides when they come in,” Cale whispers in her ear, “but you are the most beautiful girl here.”

Anne could feel herself blushing, her mind flashing back to New Year’s Eve when Tyson told her she looked beautiful. He seemed so genuine saying it, Anne thinking back and not sure if he meant it or was actually pretending. But with Cale, she knew. Cale meant it. “You’re not so bad yourself,” she tells him, ghosting his lips before kissing him.

Being with Cale felt fine. Not perfect, but fine. It was right, but not correct, and Anne couldn’t figure out why.

Everyone starts clearing off the dance floor, the bridal party getting ready to come in. Cale takes Anne’s hand and leads her back to the table where he left his jacket, some other people finding their home base at the same table. Cale knew one of the men at the table, probably from their little hockey group that involved Izzy’s brother. The bridesmaids and bridesmen, as the DJ put it, started coming in, Cale leaning back with his arm slung around the back of Anne’s chair. She leaned back into him, his fingertips dancing up and down her arm as they watched everyone come in.

They watched Ana and Izzy dance their first one as wives, Anne’s stomach starting to make noise as they waited for the food to come.

Cale leans over, nervous about what he was about to whisper in her ear. “Are you hungry for food or maybe something more?”

Anne felt her entire body go numb at his words. They had been seeing each other for a month and a half already, so was what he was insinuating really that strange of an idea? “That depends.”

“On?” he asks, nibbling on her ear before kissing the skin right behind it, losing any sense of care over who at their table was potentially watching.

“On how long you think we need to wait before we can slip out without it being rude?”

Cale inhaled sharply, wishing he could say right now. “At least until they cut the cake. Unless,” he says, his hand moving up her thigh, slowly in case she decided she wanted it to stop, “Unless you wanted to try to find somewhere to sneak away to now.”

“Not for our first time,” she tells him, reaching up to cup his cheek. “And not with my family around,” she laughs.

“I’m fine with that,” he tells her, kissing her. “Your place or mine, though?”

“Well, I drove myself here.”

“And I got a ride.”

Anne smiles, crossing her legs in hopes that whatever she felt would be stifled by that simple action. “So it looks like it’s going to be mine.”

They spent the rest of the night waiting for the moment the cake was cut so they could leave as planned, Cale’s hand never leaving her leg unless he really needed both hands to do something.

Anne could feel her heart racing as she watched Ana and Izzy smash their cake in each other’s face, Anne looking over to Cale and smiling. “You wanna go?” she asks, her keys already out of her bag and in her hand.

Cale drags her out without saying a word, Anne leading him to her car. He walks over to the driver’s side, his arms wrapped around her waist with her back pressed against her car. “You’re sure about this?” he asks her, his eyes flicking between hers and her lips.

“Yeah,” she says, kissing him before he opens the door for her. She couldn’t wait to get home, sure she broke a few traffic laws as she sped back to her apartment with Cale sitting next to her in the passenger seat, his leg shaking the entire time.

They got to the elevator, Cale leaning against her against the wall with his lips pressed against hers, Anne’s hands already working to unbutton his shirt. Cale’s kisses trailed down her jaw to her collarbone, his grip tightening on her waist.

Anne pulled away to lead him down the hallway, practically running, partially due to anticipation for what they were about to do, and because Anne could feel a breeze on her back, indicating that Cale had already unzipped her dress. That, coupled with the fact that Cale’s shirt was already open, his jacket in his free hand, Anne had no desire for any of her neighbors to be given the chance to see her and however Cale was to her already getting naked before closing the door.

As soon as she unlocked her door, Cale had her turned back around, kicking the door closed as he carried her to her bedroom, Anne able to feel everything about him against her body. Cale laid her down on her bed, his lips never leaving hers as he positioned himself over her, sliding her dress off while she did the same with his shirt. Anne’s breath hitched at the sight of him, his body perfect while he stared her down, the first time she saw the typically innocent boy she had been seeing with a mischievous grin covering his face, his eyes darkening at the thought of doing what they had both been wanting to do all night.

“You’re sure about this?” he asks one more time.

Anne nods, taking his face in her hands. “Yes, Cale. I’m sure.”

=============

February 13, 2022

Anne woke up the next morning, the events of the night before rushing back despite finding the space he had occupied in her bed empty. Her dress was on the floor, Cale’s red bowtie somehow having ended up on her night stand. Maybe he left it there as an excuse to see her again, making a mental note to put it in the living room so she would remember it the next time she saw him.

He had slipped out at some point that morning, Anne playing the voicemail that he left her while she slipped on a t-shirt to cover herself. “Hey, Anne. Sorry, I couldn’t stay, but morning skate was calling. I,” she hears him sigh, knowing he had a stupid grin on his face for whatever it was he was about to say, “I can’t wait to have another night like last night with you.”

It was her turn to have the stupid smile on her face as Cale continues, “Um, anyway, I’ve got something going on with JT and some of the other guys tomorrow for Valentine’s Day, a, uh, charity thing? I think? So would you be free this weekend for a proper date for the holiday? You know, not as crowded, not as much pressure, ideally the same outcome, if you’ll allow it? Oh, hey Tyson,” she hears him say, figuring that he was calling her on the way into the rink despite her being unable to hear Tyson. “Yeah, I’m planning Valentine’s Day with Anne. No, not tomorrow night, this weekend. Uh, Anne, I’ve gotta go, but let me know about, say, Friday night? Alright, talk to you later. Bye.”

Valentine’s Day date with Cale? Part two, more like, but still. Anne liked the sound of that.

“So, uh,” Tyson starts, already dreading what he was about to hear from his teammate given what he had heard him say into his phone. “You and Anne?”

“Yeah,” Cale breathes out, chuckling at the thought of what happened last night. “We, um,” Cale couldn’t even get a full sentence out, acting like a child who just got the toy he had been begging his parents for on Christmas morning. He couldn’t remember the last time he was that happy. “We spent the night together last night. I left from her place this morning.”

More of their teammates were filtering into the locker room, looking at Cale’s face turn bright red while Tyson stood there with him looking like he just about wanted to die. “Ok, but did you spend the night, or spend the night?” Ryan asks.

Cale started to stammer out nonsense, not really wanting to divulge the private details of his and Anne’s night despite the guys teasing him and congratulating him for what he wasn’t saying.

“Guys, keep it civil. Anne wouldn’t want us talking about any of this,” Tyson pipes in, Cale letting out a sigh of relief as the guys disperse to get ready for morning skate.

“Thanks,” Cale tells him, going off on his own to get his gear on.

JT appears by Tyson’s side, a stupid smirk on his face. “Would Anne not want us talking about anything, or would you not want us talking about anything?”

“Well, Anne definitely wouldn’t.”

“Oh, come on, we both know Cale would never.”

“Doesn’t mean I want him to have the chance.”

“You’re treading in deep water, dude,” JT sighs.

Tyson looks at him, hating that he knew what he meant. He had barely seen Anne, despite her brother’s texts from the night before asking if Anne really couldn’t watch Harper because of the two of them going out, Tyson going along with the lie just in case. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

“It seems like you don’t know what you want from Anne, either,” JT shrugs. “But Cale does, and he got it.”

=============

February 14, 2022

12 hour shifts were the only shifts Anne knew. And they were the shifts that Anne detested the most. She was fine the first ten hours, but the last two always seemed to suck more than anything, leaving her exhausted for the rest of the day, into the night, depending on when she got home in the first place.

All she wanted to do was order dinner from the Thai place down the street, having it delivered despite her really not needing to since it was within walking distance, plop herself on her couch and watch whatever reality TV Lucy had texted her that she thought Anne would like. Anne knew she would turn it off after a single episode and switch to Food Network, but at least she could tell her sister she tried.

Anne walks to her apartment, dragging her feet to her door when she sees someone sitting on the ground, his head down looking at his phone. “Tyson?”

He gets up, grabbing the two bags he had with him as the smell of food filled her nose. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my fake girlfriend,” he says, raising the bags while Anne opens the door to let him in.

“I’m confused,” she tells him as he sets everything down.

“Well, Matthew called me on Saturday asking if the two of us were sure we couldn’t watch his daughter, and I figured he might as well have some sort of photographic evidence as proof of us spending Valentine’s Day together,” Tyson explains. “So, I figured I’d go all out: flowers, dinner, and a present. You know, really convince them that we’re together.”

Anne stares at him for a second, not sure why her heart was racing at the thought of him going out of his way to keep up this facade with her family. “I don’t think I like that you and Matthew are so ‘buddy-buddy.’ Or that fact that he didn’t believe me the first two times I told him I was busy on Saturday night. And I thought that you guys had a charity thing tonight?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Tyson asks, handing her the container of food as she joined him on the couch, the Thai food she was planning on ordering right in front of her. “We have a groupchat. Yeah, it’s me, Sebby, Lucy, and Matthew.”

Anne scoffs, rolling her eyes at his failed attempt at a joke. “And let me guess: you gossip about me the entire time.”

“Actually,” he says, his mouth full of food, “you never come up. They think of me as the fourth sibling. The name Anne means nothing.”

Anne laughs, Tyson admiring the way her eyes closed as her smile grew. God, he wished he had gotten to her before Cale did. Why did he have to leave her alone at all on New Year’s Eve? If he were by her side the entire night like he had wanted to be, then he wouldn’t have to pretend to be her boyfriend, he could actually be getting somewhere with her.

“Hm,” Anne hums, swallowing her mouthful of food. “You said flowers and a present. When do I get those?”

“You can get them now on the condition that I can take a video to send to your siblings,” he offers, pulling out his phone and pushing the bag with the flowers and gift behind him. Anne rolls her eyes, smiling and nodding while he starts the video. He hands her the card first. “Read it.”

Anne pulls it out of the envelope, glitter getting everywhere and making her cringe, knowing that it would be impossible to get off her scrubs later on. It was covered with roses and hearts, bringing her right back to the wedding that weekend. “No one has ever made me feel like this. To the woman I love: Happy Valentine’s Day,” Anne reads, feeling a lump forming in her throat. The card was so corny, a little too corny for her taste, but coming from Tyson, she didn’t know why she loved it. She shakes her head, laughing at Tyson. “I love you, too,” she lies.

Tyson swallows hard at her words, wishing she meant them, pulling out the flowers from the bag and handing them to her. She looks down at the flowers, trying to figure out what they are before looking up at him. “Queen Anne’s Lace?”

“Queen Anne’s Lace for my Queen, Anne,” he tells her, cringing at his own words.

Anne giggles, placing them in her lap. “And my favorite flowers, anyway. Thank you, Tyson.”

“Wait, I have one more thing,” he says, hoping that the camera wasn’t shaking too much while he reached for the gift he bought her.

He hands it to her, a small red box wrapped with a gold bow. She unties it carefully, opening the box and gasping at the sight of it. A golden necklace with a white enamel heart as the charm, a golden pattern outlining the heart. “Tyson, it’s,” she starts, unable to find the words, “it’s beautiful.”

He stops the recording, figuring he had enough to hit send to his ‘girlfriend's' siblings. “Let me put it on you,” he says, Anne turning around and moving her hair out of the way. “I thought you would like it.”

Anne studies his face, the smile plastered on it despite her knowing that he didn’t mean it. “You didn’t have to do this.”

He shrugs, grabbing his food off the table and staring at it now in his lap. “It was fun. I’ve never had a girlfriend who I could buy presents like this for. I mean, I still don’t, but I have you.”

“Oh, come on. You, Tyson Jost, have never had a girlfriend? Look at you,” she says, praying that she was careful with the words she chose. “You’re gorgeous, you’re sweet, you’re funny, you get along with everyone you meet.”

Tyson hated hearing Anne go on about him, knowing that she was just saying it as a friend instead of something more. He scoffs, trying to save face from whatever pain or other emotion he was feeling. “Come on,” he says, not believing her anyway.

“I’m serious!” she insists, reaching up and starting to fidget with her new necklace. “Any girl would be lucky to have you as her boyfriend. I’m lucky to even have you as a fake boyfriend.”

Tyson nods, turning his body to face the TV instead of Anne. “So what are we watching?” he asks, changing the subject and putting his feet up on the table, Anne doing the same.

“Whatever’s on Food Network?” she suggests, holding the remote in the air pointed at the TV.

The two of them settle in, Tyson not paying attention to the show she had turned on. “Hey, what’s that?” Tyson asks, racing over to the red fabric that was on Anne’s coffee table.

“Oh,” Anne blushes, taking it from Tyson. “This is Cale’s. He, um, let it the other night,” she explains, Tyson watching her turn his teammates bowtie over in her hands.

“So you and Cale are doing pretty well?” he asks. Anne looks at him, not sure if she really wanted to tell him about it. “Come on, we’re friends. You can talk to me about anything.”

“I mean,” she says, putting down the bowtie on the table, not taking her eyes off of it. “We’re together? I think?” Tyson already hated that he even offered to listen to her talk about her and his teammate. “I like him. A lot. And I know he likes me, but,” Anne lets out a sigh, not sure where to even take her sentence.

“But, what?” Tyson asks.

“I don’t know,” she shakes her head, looking confused. “Everything is great, but it’s, I,” she stammers. “Something is off, and I can’t figure out what.”

Tyson stares at her for a second, trying to figure out what to say. “It’s probably just that it’s new,” he shrugs. “Everything seems weird when you’re still figuring it out. You and Cale will be ok,” he tells her, hating hearing those words come out of his mouth.

=============

February 19, 2022

Anne stared at herself in the mirror, the black turtleneck she borrowed from her sister coupled with a beige skirt and black tights on her as she got ready for her date with Cale. He was bound to show up any minute, promising each other they weren’t going to do gifts due to a general lack of time on both ends. She didn’t believe that he wasn’t going to get her a gift, however, sneaking out to the bakery down the street and buying some pastries that the two of them would like, giving them an excuse to both show up back at her apartment. And if he didn’t give her a gift, then she got the pastries all to herself.

If not, she could share them with Tyson, who had been showing up at her place or asking her to go to his place any free chance they both had.

She heard Cale knocking at her door, Anne rushing as fast as she could in her heels to answer. Cale was standing there, a black crewneck similar to her own turtleneck, paired with dark jeans, black boots, and a grey coat. Cale kisses her hello, one hand behind his back with the other resting on her hip. “Every time I see you I don’t think you could get more beautiful, and yet, you do.”

“You’re cheesy,” she jokes as he kisses her forehead, Cale laughing against her skin. “But you,” Anne says, resting her hands on his chest, “get more handsome every time I see you, too. And, you’re hiding a present behind your back, aren’t you, even though we said no presents.”

Cale laughs, closing the door behind him. “Maybe I saw this and had to get it for you,” he admits, kissing her again and holding up the bag near her head.

“Should I open it now or should I do it later when we come back here?” she flirts, holding the bag in her hand.

“Oh, we’re coming back here?” he teases her, trailing kisses down her neck.

“I might have gotten some dessert for us so we had an excuse to relive last Saturday. Plus, you left your bowtie here,” she gestures to it, still sitting on her table, “And I was thinking maybe you wear that tonight instead of keeping it off?”

Cale raises his eyebrow at her, a silly smile on his face. “And what else would I be wearing?”

Anne shrugs, pretending to act innocent. “I was thinking only the bowtie,” she tells him, feeling his grip around her tighten at the thought.

Cale kisses her again, unable to keep his hands off the girl in front of him. If he could, he would forget dinner altogether and just go straight to dessert, but he knew Anne wasn’t that kind of girl, and he wasn’t about to force her into anything she didn’t want. “Hey, I like that necklace you’re wearing,” he says, twirling the charm around in his fingers. “The heart is perfect for Valentine’s Day.”

She reaches up and takes his hand in hers. “Thanks. My sister got it for me a few years ago for my birthday,” she lies. She couldn’t tell him that Tyson had gotten it for her for Valentine’s Day.

#tyson jost #tyson jost fic #tyson jost imagine #colorado avalanche #colorado avalanche imagine #colorado avalanche fic #avalanche #avalanche imagine #avalanche fic #tyson and anne

[sharkbait77]

The Singer (Marcus Pike x f!reader)

Chapter Three

Warnings: Mention of food/alcohol, language, pure fluffy fluffiness (I'm such a softie I'm sorry 😭)

W/C: 4.2k

A/N: Notes at the bottom! And I'm running out of gifs to use of scruffy faced Marcus. I'm gonna have to shave him soon 👀 I hope you enjoy our soft boi in this chapter! 🥰

Just as a reference if you need help understanding the different formats:

«Phone conversation on their end»

Thoughts

Text messages

Song mentioned:

Chapter Two | Chapter Four

The Singer Masterlist

Gif by me! Yes it's Teresa but it still fits & I only care that it's his hand lol

«Oh my god, I'm melting!» Celina yells in her phone enthusiastically. You giggle as you wait for her eagerness to calm down.

You had barely taken your shoes and jacket off after getting inside your apartment when you immediately dialed up Celina's number to tell her about the night. You feel like you're having an out of body experience. Sure, your heart is still guarded and unfortunately, you'll most likely have your doubts throughout the relationship, but you truly feel like this could go somewhere. You want to give yourself that chance and allow Marcus to help heal your heart, maybe doing the same for him in return.

"So he's picking me up on Saturday and I'm freaking out a little," you say and chew on the skin around your nail beds.

«Why? Don't be! Just treat it like how you did tonight!» She encourages.

"But it's a legitimate date this time, I have to do my hair and makeup perfectly and find the perfect outfit and-"

«Girl, have you seen your closet? You have nothing but perfect outfits!» She teases and you chuckle, lowering your fingers from your mouth.

«You don't need to try to be perfect hun, just be yourself! Be the girl he has already seen in front of him.» You smile at her heartfelt words. «I bet he's already in love with you!»

"Okay, you're not helping!" You laugh, placing your hand on your forehead. "I'll talk to you later, I'm going to try and get some sleep. I'll probably be calling you on Saturday so I can freak out some more."

You say your goodbyes and hang up, sinking yourself into your couch and smiling widely. Your head is buzzing from a sugar rush, but you can't tell if it's because of the pancakes or because of Marcus. You walk to the kitchen to make some sleepytime tea, hoping it'll relax your nerves enough for you to get some shut eye.

* * * *

You take a shower and climb into your comfy pajamas and the tea works its magic as you relax on your plush bed, surrounding yourself with pillows and your soft blanket enveloping you in warmth. Your eyes get heavy and you feel yourself on the brink of sleep when you hear your phone vibrate on the nightstand. You try to ignore it, but it vibrates again and you figure it's Celina probably sending you a funny video. Your curiosity gets the better of you and you reach over to grab your phone, the brightness from the screen stinging your eyes from the time they had adjusted to the darkness. You blink a few times until you can see the screen clearly.

555-9057: Hi Dulce :)

555-9057: Made it home. I had a great time :)

You bite your lip and smile at the messages on your lock screen, heat flashing through your head seeing him call you the nickname you gave yourself in his phone. And just like that, you're wide awake again. You unlock your phone and before you can type a reply, he sends another message.

555-9057: It's Marcus btw

Marcus groans to himself as he sends that last message. What the hell was that? Of course she knows it's you. Dumbass. He watches the screen and holds his breath when he sees the text bubbles pop up and he waits nervously for your reply.

Dulce💋: I'm glad you specified! Right after you dropped me off another guy took me out for dulce de leche pancakes and I also penned myself as Dulce in his phone 🤭

He chuckles out loud in the quiet atmosphere of his apartment, the sound bouncing against the walls and reverberating around the living room. Damn, she's good.

555-9057: Okay okay you got me, don't have to be so mean :P

So he's a classic emoji kind of guy, you smile as you make a note and file it in the little 'Marcus Pike' folder in your brain. You hit his phone number and tap the plus symbol to make a new contact in your phone. For some reason, you find yourself struggling as you try to figure out what to put his contact name as.

Agent Cutie

Nope, delete.

Agent Pike

What are you, his secretary? Delete delete.

Marcus

Should I put an emoji? Which one? Can't be a heart. You are seriously overthinking this.

Marcus Pike

Yeah, okay. I guess.

Me: Why did it take so long to get home? Do you live far?

Marcus Pike: It was about 30 min from your place :) not too bad

Thirty minutes?! Great, now I feel bad.

Dulce💋: Wth if I had known I wouldn't have let you drop me off! 🙄

Me: Don't worry about it! I was more than happy to ;)

Shit shit shit I didn't mean the wink! Why are they right next to each other?! Do I say something? Oh god, way to go, you ruined it.

Dulce💋: Then I'll give you gas money!

Marcus takes a breath of relief when he sees that you sidestepped his accidental wink emoji. After he catches his breath, his phone chimes again.

Dulce💋: And I won't take no for an answer 😉

Okay, there's no way she sent that by accident. Is she flirting with me? Do I flirt back? Why are my hands so sweaty?

Dulce💋: It's time for bed, those pancakes made me sleepy 😴 good night Marcus ☺️ See you Saturday!

Marcus smiles to himself and he anticipates seeing you on Saturday. He sends you another text and walks to his restroom to take a quick shower before climbing in bed.

Marcus Pike: Can't wait :) good night!

There's no way you can sleep now, but you said good night for his sake; he had a long day at work, plus he took you out and then had a long drive home. You know he must be tired. Your heart races as you scroll through your short text conversation, rereading the messages and giggling softly.

Did he mean to wink? It was probably an accident, considering he types out emojis instead of using the newer, more convenient ones. You just couldn't help but send one back, though; hiding behind the screen helped you to flirt openly with him. You roll onto your side to face the TV on your dresser, turning on a true crime documentary and letting it eventually lull you to sleep.

* * * *

Saturday comes around quickly, much to your delight, but as you wander around your room looking at the many outfits you laid out on your bed, your dresser, even on your couch, the nerves set in fast. You pray to whoever’s listening that you don’t seize up when Marcus picks you up. Which is in fifteen minutes. You already have your hair and makeup done, all you need is to pick an outfit. Simple in theory. Just pick one! You chew your lip nervously out of habit before stopping as soon as you realize you probably just messed up the red lipstick you had applied earlier.

You rush to the bathroom mirror and sure enough, there's a bare spot on your bottom lip and the lipstick has transferred to your front teeth. You groan in frustration and grab a makeup wipe to carefully remove the ruined lipstick and you brush your teeth again until it's all gone. You reapply the same shade of red, pleasantly surprised with yourself that it came out better than the first time. You take a deep breath and try to calm down, telling yourself that the first outfit you land your eyes on will be the one you wear. You count down from three in your head and enter your bedroom.

Okay, maybe not that one. You decide to close your eyes and try again. When you open your eyes, they land on a different outfit. Not that one either. You sigh harshly through your nose. Why is this so hard? You walk over to your nearly empty closet for the umpteenth time and your eyes catch on to a dress hidden in the corner that you had surprisingly missed before. This one.

It's a spaghetti strapped, black, bodycon dress with a lace overlay, flowers printed on the fabric throughout. It hugs your body in all the right places, reaching down to your knees, and you take a look in the floor length mirror next to your dresser as you put on your black, open-toed heels, smiling brightly as you feel confidence shooting through your veins.

Adrenaline gets mixed in as soon as you hear a knock on your door. Five on the dot. You grab your black cardigan and purse off the couch and open the door, your breath taken away by the handsome man in front of you. He's carrying a box of chocolates and it fumbles in his hands, nearly falling once his wide eyes see you. He looks at you from head to toe, making your heart race as you feel heat rushing over your body in line with his gaze and you shift your weight from side to side anxiously.

"Wow," he says breathlessly, unable to say anything afterwards.

"Wow yourself," you smile, looking over his own outfit: a navy blue suit and a black, button up shirt underneath, paired with black dress shoes. He slicked his hair back and cleaned up his beard slightly. He really is a gorgeous man.

"Uh," he stutters and glances to the box in his unknowingly tight grasp. "These are for you," he smiles shyly as he hands you the chocolates.

"Thank you," you say, giggling at the indents his fingers made on the sides of the box and you turn around to leave them on your entryway table.

You turn back to face him and see his eyes look up quickly and you wonder if you just caught him staring at your bottom. Your suspicion is confirmed when his cheeks flush pink. You laugh softly and he holds his arm out to you.

"Ready?" He asks and you can hear the nervousness in his voice.

You nod and link your arm in his, letting him help you down the stairs. You're starting to love the way his arm hugs yours as you walk and the warmth of his body mixing with yours. Your footsteps even sync up together in a slow cadence. He walks you to his car, letting you hold your weight with his arm as you slowly lower in the seat, your movement restricted by your tight dress and high heels.

You thank him once you're seated, buckling your seatbelt, and he walks to his side, sitting down and starting the car. You notice the radio is on this time, playing at a low volume, and you think to yourself that he probably only forgot to turn it on last time.

The aura is tense in the car, both of your nervous energies dancing in the air together to the music. You try to think of something to say, resorting to looking through your mental file of basic conversation starters. The weather? No, too basic. Say something about the music. No-

"You look really beautiful," Marcus finally breaks the silence. Your head snaps up to look in his direction and you share a smile, thanking him and returning the compliment.

He takes his eyes off the road for a couple of seconds to look at you with a soft smile and turns his attention back to driving straight. He would keep his eyes on you if he could, but he'd rather not get into a car accident and ruin the night. So he just waits patiently until the next moment he can steal a glance. He takes a peek at you while you're stuck at a red light and he sees you picking at your cuticles nervously. He rubs his clammy palm on his pant leg, hoping to dry up any sweat present as much as possible. Before he can think twice about it, he reaches his hand over to grab yours.

Your heart jumps in your throat from the action and you look down in shock at his large hand covering yours completely. The blood rushes to your cheeks; his hand is rough from work, but soft and gentle enough that it's not uncomfortable. And warm. So warm. You stop picking your cuticles immediately, now memorizing the fine wrinkles in his hand and the ridges on his knuckles.

"Are you okay?" He asks, not moving his hand from your lap as he starts driving again.

"Yeah," your voice makes an embarrassing harmony, splitting in two different octaves from disuse. You swallow some saliva to lubricate your vocal cords and try speaking again.

"I'm just a little nervous," you admit.

His hand is still resting on top of yours; you're not sure if you should open your hand up to face your palms together and hold his hand as well. Alas, you take too long to make a decision and he pulls his hand away to grasp the steering wheel, bracing for a left turn.

"Please don't be nervous," he smiles with his pearly white teeth and it only makes you more nervous. How is he this handsome?

"It's just me," he adds as he pulls up to the restaurant, putting the car in park and removing the key from the ignition.

"'Just you'?" You quote him inquisitively. He nods and you shake your head with a small chuckle.

"What?" He chuckles with you.

"It's not 'just you' though, is it?" You reply softly.

You wonder if he's uncertain of himself and his ability to make women — i.e. you — weak in the knees. He seems oblivious to it and it makes him all the more charming to you. You see his eyebrows furrow and before he can ask what you mean, you turn to open the car door.

"Wait," he tells you, rushing out of his seat and over to you to help you out.

You wanted to manage it yourself, but you know you must look ridiculous with how bad you're struggling to get out of the car. He chuckles at the sight once he's on your side and he holds his arm out. You hold onto his forearm tightly and pull yourself upward as he lifts you as well until you're firmly planted on your feet.

"Maybe this dress wasn't a good idea after all," you giggle.

"I think it was," he flirts and you look away as you smile shyly.

You walk together up the steps to the front of the restaurant and Marcus apologizes for not warning you about the stairs. You tell him not to worry and though you can feel the ache in the arches and heels of your feet, you don't complain. He holds the door open for you and you walk in, your eyes instantly catching on the glimmering, crystal chandelier hanging in the waiting area. The lights are dimmed in an amber glow and there are pillars with intricate carvings and vines wrapped around the stone throughout the entirety of the establishment.

You gasp to yourself; this place must be expensive. How did you go from pancakes at grandma's house to a fancy, Italian restaurant like this? Your ears catch the sounds of a violin, but it's too close to just be playing from a speaker. Sure enough, you look further into the restaurant and see a man in a suit playing a violin. A live violinist?! Marcus joins your side again and notices the look of astonishment on your face.

"What's wrong?" He asks and you jerk your head to look at him, not even realizing he was standing next to you.

"Marcus, this looks like it's going to be really expensive."

You whisper in his ear so you don't offend any of the staff members and the height from your heels allows you to reach his head a little better now. The hot breath from your mouth tickles his ear and a bolt of arousal shoots down his spine. He laughs it off and leans his mouth to your ear in return.

"I like to make a fuss," he says, the deep tone of his voice giving you goosebumps. "Don't worry about it," he says in his normal tone as he stands up straight again.

The maître d' greets you two as you walk up to the host stand and Marcus gives the man his name for the reservation. The maître d' informs Marcus the table is not quite ready yet, adding that you're welcome to wait at the bar. Marcus looks at you to get your opinion; you say yes and Marcus lightly places his hand on the middle of your back, guiding you as you walk over to the bar top together. You take a seat in the soft barstool; it's easier to sit on since it's basically at standing height. Marcus removes his hand from your back to take a seat, his fingers gliding against the delicate lace of your dress across your spine and you shudder. Thankfully, it goes unnoticed.

The back of the bar is riddled with an assortment of different liquors, both American and Italian, and they're resting on lit up shelves. You look at the drink menu and your mouth opens in horror at the prices listed. This is definitely too much money. The bartender comes your way and Marcus orders a campari and grapefruit juice, immersing himself fully in the Italian culture. You say you'll stick with water and excuse it as you not feeling like drinking tonight. Marcus doesn't question it further.

The two of you comment on the decor of the restaurant, mainly the paintings hanging on the walls, and you mention that you love the lilies resting in the painted, ceramic vases and Marcus takes note of that fact. A waitress walks up to you and Marcus to let you know your table is ready and he finishes the last of his drink and stands, offering you his hand this time instead of his arm. You smile as you take it, your heart thumping in your chest as you let him guide you while you both follow the waitress.

The restaurant is bustling; heavy sounds of conversation and cutlery clinking on plates as you walk through what seems the entirety of the restaurant until the waitress leads you to a small, private patio. A round table is seated there, covered by a red tablecloth and adorned with a single, tall candlestick, burning a light glow. There's a cylindrical basket full of bread sticks and two water glasses, condensation running along the sides and onto the cloth. Marcus pulls your chair out for you, helping you to sit and scooting you in and sits down across from you. You hang your cardigan and purse on the back of your chair and take the menu the waitress is holding out to you.

You both thank her and she leaves, stating she'll be back soon to take your order. You marvel at the privacy Marcus planned for you two and you take a sip of your ice cold water, reveling in the relief washing through your dry throat. You flip open your menu; the options are minimal and are all expensive. You immediately scan for the cheapest dish: a $30 plate of chicken cacciatore. You feel guilty; you never want Marcus to break his bank trying to take you on a date. You glance at him and wonder why he would do all of this just for you. Did he really think you were that special?

You find yourself missing that little pancake diner and the time you shared there. There, you only felt the budding emotions consistent with a high school crush, but in this moment now, it's real life and mature adult feelings and you feel it much stronger in this environment. Marcus senses your mood change and leans forward to ask if you're okay, but he's interrupted by the waitress. You order the 'cheap' chicken cacciatore and he orders the tajarin al tartufo. Whatever that is.

"Why did you order the cheapest dish?" Marcus asks once the waitress leaves.

"Because I wanted to," you give him a sly smile to convince him otherwise, but he sees right through you, giving you a look of disbelief. You sigh.

"Because Marcus, it's too much money," you say sadly. "I mean, how much was it to get this private patio set up?"

"That's not important to me," he shakes his head. "This is our first proper date and I wanted to make it special."

Damn it. Why is he so thoughtful? And so damn cute?

"It's not that I don't appreciate it, I'm blown away by this, but I'm just... I'm not used to it," you pull your lips into your mouth slightly, mindful of your lipstick.

"Is that why you didn't order a drink?" He asks. You give him a lopsided frown and shrug your shoulders, your expression answering him instead of your words. He sighs and tilts his head to the side.

"I don't want you to worry about how much everything costs when you're with me; let me spoil you. You deserve it."

Let me spoil you. You deserve it. His words float around in your head, your eyes filling with fondness at the thought. You didn't think you deserved to be spoiled; your ex made sure of that much. It's exhilarating to say the least; this man you barely know ready to do anything for you at any time. But you like it, and you think in time, you could learn to love it. Learn to love him. You blink wildly and you inconspicuously shake your head at that last thought.

It was definitely way too soon to be thinking like that and it scared you that it entered your mind at all. It must be the ambiance of the restaurant. You think about how you should protect yourself in case this takes a wrong turn and you debate on placing that in the priority spot in your mind. Marcus can see you fighting your own thoughts and he tries to lighten the mood.

"I also might be trying to impress you for real now," he smiles.

You chuckle and shake your head. Marcus thinks to himself how beautiful you look under the moonlight that's shining through the glass awning above your heads, face lit up by the glowing candle. He can't stop his mouth from saying what he wants to say, not in this romantic atmosphere.

"I think you're a wonderful, beautiful woman and... I really like you," he adds, reaching across the table for your hand and you let him hold it, tangling your fingers with his.

You're positive he can feel your pulse through your fingers or hear your heart pounding, the blood whooshing in your ears muffling any other sounds from coming in. As much as you want to protect yourself, the look in his eyes only draws you in and you can't hide the truth from him or yourself, your confession spoken out loud for the first time for you both.

"I like you, too, Marcus." He smiles happily at you.

There must be something in the water here.

"Do you think it would be okay to keep this up?" He asks, meaning the dates, and you can't stop your head from nodding yes and you give him a sweet smile.

Marcus lets go of your hand, letting his rest in front of him and you take a deep breath, trying to shake your nerves from the exchange that just took place between you. You grab a bread stick and attempt to take a small bite; you and Marcus laugh together as your small bite accidentally turns into a big one, the stick breaking in the wrong place and leaving a large chunk of bread hanging from your mouth. Of course, leave it to something awkward happening to you to break the tension. But anything to see his face come together in joyous laughter.

* * * *

"Thank you again Marcus, that was actually very delicious," you say while Marcus begins the drive back to your apartment. "I see why it was so expensive." He hums in agreement; his smile hasn't left his face since the restaurant.

You listen closely to the new song that comes on the radio, trying to make out the tune until it gets louder and you realize it's "At Last" by Etta James.

"I love this song," you say under your breath. Marcus hears you and turns up the volume slightly, earning a bright smile from you. You look back out the window and sing the lyrics softly.

At last, my love has come along,

My lonely days are over

And life is like a song.

Marcus's heart races as he listens to the lyrics being sung by you and they hit a little too close to his heart. You don't realize at first the meaning behind them, only enjoying singing along.

At last, the skies above are blue

My heart was wrapped up in clover,

The night I looked at you.

You now realize the words are identical to how you feel. You wonder if you're falling too fast for Marcus. This was only your second date and there is still so much to learn about each other. You have a whole past to open up about, which will be a defining moment for your relationship. But as you look over at Marcus and you feel the tender organ in your chest beating fast, you think to yourself that it can't get much better than this. What's the harm in trying?

Chapter Two | Chapter Four

The Singer Masterlist

A/N: Okay just wanted to explain what Marcus ordered if you're interested! *DESCRIPTION OF FOOD/ALCOHOL COMING UP* I'm not an expert so correct me if I'm wrong! According to Google:

Campari is an Italian bitters made of fruit & herbs & you usually mix it with juice or club soda (hardcore Italians drink it straight up) & it's a pre-meal drink

Tajarin al tartufo is an egg pasta, made with more egg whites than traditional egg pastas, & topped with white truffle. Idk it sounded fancy & expensive 😂

Also, here's their outfit inspos! Just a couple of things I described differently like his shirt being black & her dress having lace instead of mesh.

Ofc Marcus in this suit 🥵 I copied the description lol

TAG LIST:

@hnt-escape @winter-fox-queen @giselatropicana

#marcus pike x f!reader #marcus pike x you #marcus pike x reader #marcus pike #marcus pike fanfiction #the mentalist #the mentalist fanfiction

[barbasbodaciousbeard]

If You Love Someone, Let Them Go: Part 6

Summary: Since starting with SVU, Sonny hadn’t kept much terribly close to the chest. The squad knew about his family, growing up on Staten Island, the classes at Fordam. What was hidden was why he didn’t date. Sonny Carisi was also separated from his childhood sweetheart, a separation neither ever took to divorce. They had the same haunts. They’d grown up neighbors. Their paths crossed every few months, and divorce talks would turn into reminiscing would turn into a night spent together, sometimes sex sometimes just talking until the early morning. It always ended with one of them waking up alone however. How will that change when the squad finds out?

Pairings: Sonny Carisi x Original Character

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

April 2015

“You ready?” Sonny called as he came into her apartment. They’d agreed to skip the pretense and drive together, and Sonny had booked a hotel room within walking distance after confirming she’d be okay with it. His bag was in the trunk, and he grinned when she came out bundled up, the same Fordham sweatshirt she’d stolen under her coat and the little wheeled bag beside her. 

“Ready,” she grinned, stretching up to kiss him, and he felt like he could do anything. He took her bag despite her protest.

“I got us a room for the next two nights. We ain’t gotta stay both, but I thought it might be nice to go to dinner? I got both nights off, too.”

“That sounds real nice. I packed some real people clothes anyway.”

“Perfect. Now let’s get going. Bella said you guys got a make up artist coming.”

“Yeah. She got one and a hairdresser.”

“She’s definitely the one who wouldn’t wanna get herself ready.”

“Yeah. We gotta get there in time. What’re the groomsmen doing?”

“Playing video games and taking turns shaving and showering.”

“Not fair.”

“You look hot. You don’t need hair and make up.”

“You always think I’m hot.”

“That’s because you always are.”

“So are you. I got real lucky on the husband front.”

“You really think so?” She could sense the current under what he said. It wasn’t just Am I hot? but was also Are you lucky?

“Incredibly lucky. I got you.” He slammed the trunk shut, cheeks pink when he settled in the driver’s seat. It was familiar to drive with their fingers laced, and he smiled to see her wedding set in place. Bella had gone by the bakery to surprise her one day, and his sister was very pleased to let him know both rings were on her left ring finger. He’d told the squad the same day he told Olivia, and his ring had been on his hand every day since, the cross the only thing on the chain again.

“Think they’d notice if I do my own make up and hang out with you?”

“She really does have y’all going like two hours longer than Gina did.”

“Yeah. Gina was very ‘Let’s get down to business, get photos, and get married.’ Bella’s way more into the matching robes and face masks vibe. But she’ll be happy.”

“I’ll check in a lot, okay? I don’t like the video games Tommy does.”

“You just like Sims. It’s endearing.”

“It’s kinda fun.”

“You spent six hours building a house once.”

“I had t’make sure it was perfect. They were having twins, Tor.”

“I love you, you absolute nerd.”

“Your nerd.” 

“Damn straight.” Sonny dropped her off at the venue, checking them in at the hotel and dropping off their bags. He stopped by the bridal suite when he got to the venue, thankful the weather moved the ceremony inside now that he was out of the cold. 

“Dominick! No boys allowed,” Bella said, wagging her finger at him, hair in rollers. 

“I know, I know. I’m just bringing Tor the key and her charger, okay?”

“You got her key?” Gina asked, leaning back to look at him and lifting her brow. “That sounds like you’re sharing a room.”

“We are,” Victoria said plainly, taking both items gladly. All the girls had changed into robes, but she’d opted to stay in his oversized sweatshirt until the inevitable photos. A primal part of him liked knowing that.

“That sounds like a reconciliation,” the younger Carisi sang, and Victoria rolled her eyes. “And you two snuck out of the party early like you used to.”

“I’m real glad you approve of our progress, but if you put too much pressure on us, we might break again.” Victoria knew he didn’t mean it and just wanted them to drop it, which she was grateful for. They weren’t quite there, but she trusted he’d probably open up by the end of their weekend together. Even if he didn’t, she’d decided she wanted to start planning to see him more after the wedding. Several late nights with Margy and a bottle of wine had told her that much. If you prove you’ll be there and patient, he’ll probably feel less like he’s scaring you off, she’d told Victoria after another night analyzing their last four encounters.

“Fine. But just know I’m telling ma. Maybe she’ll stop being mean to Tor.”

“Ignore Bella. She’s been glaring, but I think Sonny talked sense into her at Thanksgiving. She’s mad at both of them now.”

“As she should be,” he shrugged, kissing Victoria. “See ya for pictures.”

“See ya,” she grinned, ignoring his sisters’ squeals. This marathon made her kind of tired. Her hair and makeup were done soon enough, and she was grateful the dress was a dusty, dark enough pink in person to look good on her. She liked pink on Sonny, especially since the sides of his brunette hair had started going gray, against the blue of his eyes. The bridesmaids, the two Carisi sisters, Victoria, and a couple of Bella’s friends, all posed together in the matching silky robes before slipping their dresses on. 

“And you thought that pink wouldn’t look good,” Sonny said softly against her ear before kissing her cheek. 

“You like it?” Her hands rested on his shoulders as she smiled up at him, and he felt giddy. It was official. This was how they acted before, no almost needed. 

“I do. Beautiful color on you. And damn, my wife got a figure.”

“You’re the best hypeman,” she hummed as she straightened his tie. “I ever told you how handsome you look in a suit? Or how pretty pink makes your eyes?”

“I can stand to hear it again.” There was the cocky smile he got sometimes. “I’m starting to look old, doll.”

“Nah. Getting hotter.”

“Even with the gray?” He’d been self conscious about it before, when the evenly dispersed gray in his dark hair could be mistaken for a dirty blonde. His temples gave him away now, but she loved it.

“Even hotter with the gray.”

“Stop being gross,” Teresa whined. “It’s like when you were getting ready for homecoming again.” She was rewarded with her brother and sister-in-law’s middle fingers, and Victoria was pleased with Gianna’s disapproval and the picture the photographer snapped. They took pictures, and Sonny was glad when they settled in the back of the venue. He could see the back of Olivia, Barba, Amaro, and Rollins’ heads, and the change in his dynamic with Victoria had him looking forward to showing her off at the reception. 

“Shoes off at the reception. I intercept ma?”

“How’d you know?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m supporting ninety percent of your weight, Tor.”

“Love you.”

“Do I need to hold ya until we walk?” 

“Not enough time to make a difference. But you’re a saint for offering.”

When Olivia saw Sonny with Victoria on his arm, it made sense why he’d been calmer the last two weeks. He’d been texting her more, though he thought he was sneaky enough no one noticed how he smiled at his phone throughout the day. She seemed to smooth his edges, and she and Amanda shared a look over the way the pair watched each other across the front of the venue. The ceremony was a quick enough affair, and Bella had decided to let her bridal party sit wherever they wanted. That led to Victoria stepping out of her shoes, pleased to be spared a big entrance. Heels in hand, she followed Sonny to the table his squad was at before dropping into her seat and giving a wave.

“Means a lot to Bella and Tommy you all came,” Sonny said, taking her shoes and tucking the wall by his chair. “This is my wife, Victoria. Tor, meet Rafael Barba, Olivia Benson, Nick Amaro, and Amanda Rollins.”

“Nice to meet all of ya. I’ve heard a lot.”

“Wish we could say the same,” Rollins said, and Victoria immediately recognized what Sonny had meant. No venom. Just protective of her occasional partner. And Benson was definitely the mother hen, shooting the blonde a look as Amaro and Barba concealed smiles.

“Get it all out now,” she joked, rolling her eyes. “Married into this family nine years ago.”

“Been putting up with Carisi that long? I’ll petition the pope for sainthood.” The three piece suit. The snark. Barba was just what she expected. 

“Think she deserves it,” Sonny chuckled, arm flung easily over the back of her chair. “I can be a pain in the ass.”

Conversation started to flow easily, and he was glad Victoria was tough enough to bite back at Rollins and Barba when they referenced anything touchy. Tommy’s family filled out the rest of the table, and he was glad to see the trial had brought them around to agree that what happened to Tommy was wrong. Teresa and Tommy’s brother gave the speeches, and he liked seeing the squad join in as Bella threw the bouquet and Tommy threw the garter. 

“Bella caught my bouquet, remember?” Victoria smiled up at him.

“Yeah. And Freddy Esposito got the garter.”

“Both of ‘em got married this year.”

“Was delayed for us. Our friends from back then are just now getting married.” 

“We’ve been married nine years and aren't even thirty. I think we were ahead of the curve.”

“But now my baby sister is married and pregnant.”

“Dom, you do know she and I are the same age?” Sonny blinked, squinting at her. 

“You’re fucking with me, right?”

“We’re both twenty-seven.”

“No way Bella’s twenty-seven.”

“I like how you can fully separate me and Bella graduating together.”

“I forget,” he shrugged. “You always picked me anyway.”

“Then married you. Duh. Long game.”

“I hear people making noise.”

“They’re cutting the cake. Amaro has the garter half in his shirt pocket, and a three year old caught the bouquet. The same age you think Bella was when she caught mine.”

“Shut up,” he laughed, pulling her to stand at the edge of the dance floor to watch the first dance. His arms slid around her waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

“He wouldn’t have to stoop so low if you’d wear your damn shoes, stellina.”

“Ma, leave her be.” Gianna rolled her eyes, but Sonny squeezed Victoria as the music started. “She’s coming back around. Called ya stellina instead of Victoria.”

It was kind of fun to watch the four members of his work family loosen up around the room. Amaro and Rollins were across the dance floor and not fooling anyone. Barba wasn’t sure what to make of any of the Carisis or Sullivans, but since they’d easily figured out that Olivia was not involved with him, the singles from both families had circled the man who was suddenly the most eligible bachelor. The best part was how hard Olivia ignored his visual pleas to be saved as she talked to one of Tommy’s uncles. It was nice not pretending work and personal life were separate; the squad had taken him in like he hadn’t anticipated, and now his family was taking the chance to accept his squad. 

When the first dance was over, Sonny pulled her onto the dance floor, holding her flush against him in a way he hadn’t been brave enough to before. They’d talked every day the last two weeks, and he’d realized they really had hit the turning point. The songs weren’t slow, so his chest was against her back as his hand splayed over her stomach as they swayed. Both their voices were off key as they sang along to each song with the rest of the guests on the floor. Nick and Amanda were wrapped up in each other, and Olivia and Rafael seemed perfectly entertained, so he didn’t feel bad slipping out after a couple hours. 

“I know you two. Go ahead and dip. You stayed for all the important parts,” Bella had grinned, bumping Victoria’s hip with her own. “I’m the only sober one here, so this is gonna wrap up earlier than anyone realizes. Baby and I gotta sleep.”

“You sure?” 

“Positive, Tor.” That was all it took for Sonny to lace their fingers, duck out of the venue, and start the couple of blocks to their hotel. At first, she wore the heels and walked,  but he quickly realized it was the shoes, not the wine, making her unsteady.

“That’s it,” he said, squatting in his suit. “Hop on.”

“My bag’s heavy.”

“I can handle it, babe.”

“You sure?”

“You don’t hop on, we’re going spider monkey front carry, and we both know that always ends in me tripping more.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and Sonny held her thighs, careful to keep the fabric under his palms to save her some modesty. When they were outside the room, she slipped the key from his breast pocket, helping him push the door open before he dropped her on the bed. 

“Thank you,” she sighed, toeing the pumps off and letting them fall. 

“Glad to be of service.” A little salute as he started to strip out of the suit and hang it. “Thanks for always ditching early for pajamas with me.”

“Glad to be of service.” She hung the dress and tucked the strapless bra away, and when Sonny turned from the closet, he saw her in the oversized sweatshirt again as she pulled the blankets back on the bed. He hadn’t bothered for two. They’d had that option every time but hadn’t used it when they were fighting. 

“Comfy?” He ran a hand through his hair, breaking up the gel before flopping beside her.

“Very.”

“It’s literally nine o’clock. Are we old, Tor?”

“Old? No. Codependent? Maybe.”

“We been living apart a year and a half. Maybe we’re just a clique.”

“Very true. We’re like if the plastics were millennials who had been married a decade.”

“We should write that script.”

“Forget law school. Teen movie parodies based around our marriage.”

“Perfect. I’ll drop all my classes tomorrow.”

“I missed you. It’s been nice talking all the time.”

“I missed you too,” he murmured, watching her with his cheek pressed to the pillow. 

“Regardless of if you’re ready to tell me, I wanna keep talking a lot.”

“I’m ready. I just was going to wait. Don’t wanna ruin our weekend.”

“I feel like you’re going to tell me and realize I don’t care as much as you thought. Unless you fucked somebody.”

“First, last, and only, Tor.” He rolled onto his back, taking a deep breath, and Victoria knew him well enough to know this really was going to be the moment. She sat up, legs tucked beneath her. Leaning towards him a little, she put her hand on his chest and rubbed what she hoped were soothing circles as he put his hands behind his head. When he was nervous, Sonny talked to the ceiling, just needing her to anchor him.

“Just trust me, okay?”

“I trust you, vita mia,” he murmured, and that particular Italian term of endearment let her know it was really happening. “You remember when my hours changed? End of 2011. Became a detective. Acted funny when you took me upstate. A year before I fucked up and forgot your birthday bakery combo dinner.”

“Of course.”

“I was working homicide.”

“Okay?”

“It really fucked me up, Tor. What I seen, it was so bad. The women. There were so many women, and they’d be so pristine. One of them was in a fuckin’ dumpster even. But he took all the time to give her a bath and do her make up and get her dressed. And you know what that always told me?”

“What?” she whispered, taking the hand that went from behind his head to rest on top of hers.

“It was their husband or boyfriend. The person who they trusted. And their faces were so peaceful, Victoria. They knew what was coming. And I’d go talk to people. You know what they’d say? They weren’t surprised. They’d seen it. They’d heard it. Those men hurt their wives and girlfriends. Took advantage of the fact they trusted and loved them. I started seeing you when I saw them, Tor.”

“Sonny,” she whispered, hating the way his voice sounded. It was thick with emotion, and he’d closed his eyes. She was well aware that if he opened them, they’d be rimmed red and tears would be falling. “This is what you couldn’t tell me?”

“You’re so proud of me. I didn’t want to disappoint you. I couldn’t sleep and it hurt so badly. I’d wake up freaking because I thought it was you. I’d never hurt you, but my brain just- I don’t know. And then you’re so good. You deal with cakes and fondant and cannoli and things that make people happy. I was so scared that if I talked about it, it would blot out the light in you. I felt like the only light I had was you. I think I pulled away because of that and it snowballed. When it got so bad, the last six months? It got to the point I thought all that darkness and the stuff I was seeing and the stuff my brain was picturing would- fuck- leak into you through osmosis or something. When I wanted to tell you, my brain would just change the words I wanted to say.”

“Sonny, I didn’t know it was like that,” she murmured. 

“You couldn’t have known. I wouldn’t tell you.”

“I should have figured it out.”

“Don’t do that, doll. If you’re willing to trust me to tell you moving forward, I just want to move forward.”

“I shouldn’t have left, Dominick. You were hurting, and I just abandoned you.”

“I was depressed. I should have told you or talked to someone. Being depressed doesn’t make it okay to neglect you. I need to take care of myself.”

“And I should have stuck with you. Figured out the why.”

“You did though. I’ve known that I can come to you for the last two years. I just couldn’t get past myself. Doc’s been working through it with me. Says I gotta learn that dad bottling it up wasn’t good. It works better for him and ma because she couldn’t read him when they met. I never had to tell you so I didn’t know how. And then dad doesn’t believe in men sharing their feelings. It’s easy to ignore that for the good feelings. I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t tough enough.”

“I didn’t know how to tell you how I was feeling. I knew you saw dark stuff and I was scared to make it worse. I didn’t want to pressure you.”

“Are we okay?” His voice was almost pleading, barely a whisper as his eyes finally opened to look at her. She laid against him, cupping his cheek as his hand flew to rest on hers. They were both crying, and she hated it. She hated to know that it was such a stupid miscommunication. If she’d pressed on it, taken guesses, asked around, maybe she could’ve helped him not hurt. This new squad seemed good for him, and therapy was helping. She probably needed to address their relationship more in therapy, learn how to ask for what she needed. They had to an extent, helping her hold out as long as she had for him to open up.

“We’re okay, Sonny. I’m so proud of you.” She was nudging his nose with her own, not dropping his gaze. 

“Thank you for being so patient.”

“I’d have waited for ya forever. First, last, and only, Sonny.”

“Come home.”

“We gotta consolidate now,” she teased gently. “But I’ll come home.”

“It’s in Brooklyn now. You’ll like it. I didn’t even get rid of that stupid dog statue.”

“He’s a very important dog statue.” 

“I love you, you weirdo.”

“I love you too, nerd.” He missed laughing with her, even when they were both crying. The relief that flooded him was suddenly exhausting. Not telling her had been heavy on him for a long time, but he didn’t expect his body’s physical response to the openness. He felt like he did before he went on this pointless journey to hide the bad parts of his field from her. She knew what he did. She kissed him, slow and sweet and loving, and Sonny’s arms snaked around her. They’d kissed plenty since she left, but there was always a hesitance behind it. Unsureness around their status. Now, he was kissing his wife, not his estranged wife. Even if it took time, they were working towards her coming back home. They hadn’t had sex since their ill fated first run in post separation. It was slow and sentimental, and afterwards, he had a half second of panic she’d disappear. Instead of pulling away like his gut wanted, he curled around her frame, nuzzled into the crook of his neck. 

“I missed that,” he murmured. 

“Me too.” She rested her hand on his, and he could feel that she was smiling in how her cheeks moved. He felt greedy, wanting to feel every bit of her skin he was able to before he fell asleep. When he woke to find her still there, he was relieved, and even better, she’d twisted in the night, leg hooked over his hip and her chest pressed to his. They’d spent most of the night talking or tangled together, so they’d slept in until ten o’clock. He checked his phone to be sure everyone had made it through the night before. Once he reminded his mom he was spending the weekend and really wouldn’t be at Sunday dinner, he settled back in to watching her. After a while, she started to stir, pulling him closer. She’d been right, everything had changed once he told her. He didn’t feel like he had to keep any space between them.

“Morning, beautiful,” he whispered, and she stretched her arms over her head.

“Heya, handsome.” She pressed a kiss to his lips, and it took all his attention not to take her again. He’d made plans for the day, and he was determined to stick to them. Even if they hadn't reconciled, she was a sucker for the beach, even when it was cold, so he’d planned to take her to lunch, take her to get her nails done, and take her to walk the little shops he’d found. It would make her smile, and he’d missed the little trips they’d taken before. Other than going to the cabin, something she’d planned, it had been years between work and school and money. For their tenth anniversary, he was already planning, even though there was just over a year to plan. He wanted to take her back to New Orleans, just the pair of them together now and no disappointment on her part that her mom was there but ignoring her. 

“I planned a day for us.” His hands trailed her spine, and he realized something else had shifted since he told her the reality. While he thought it wasn’t possible, he felt even closer to her. The men in his family, though well intentioned, had always told him it would be viewed as weaker to share his emotional world with anyone. They thought it was a little girly for him to be as sappy with her as he tended to be, tearing up at weddings and when he talked about how proud of her he was. But the bad things? Those were weaknesses that would drive her away. The realization that the depression and inability to separate work from her didn’t scare her off made him realize that letting her see it wasn’t going to break them. Hell, it seemed to bring her closer.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Lunch on the beach. Little walk on the beach after. Manicure- I know you, Tor. Don’t try to say you got one for Bella’s weddin. You love them but won’t take yourself ever- and then we can walk around some of the little shops and stuff.”

“That sounds like a real romantic day, Dom.”

“What can I say? I learned my lesson about not being romantic.”

“I’m excited to come home.”

“Me too, Tor.”

Tag: @cycat4077 @fear-less-write-more

#law and order special victims unit #sonny carisi #sonny carisi x oc #sonny carisi x reader #svu #writing

[thominho-incorrectquotes]

Touch-starved

This is my entry for Thominho Week 2020, Day 5 with the alternative prompt “Hands”

Characters: Thomas x Minho

1227 words

Tags: Canon compliant, part post-canon, FLUFF

Summary:  

“Wow, your hands are so cold” he had commented while covering the brunet’s hands with his own, warming them up. Thomas was too shock and busy trying not to blush to do or say anything. Besides, what could he have done? The tan skin on his just felt so good.

You can also read it on AO3 and ff.net

__________________________________

It had started one day, in the maze. They were eating their lunch and Minho had just handed him an apple. Their fingers had grazed and immediately, the Asian man had took Thomas's hands.

"Wow, your hands are so cold" he had commented while covering the brunet's hands with his own, warming them up. Thomas was too shock and busy trying not to blush to do or say anything. Besides, what could he have done? The tan skin on his just felt so good.

"Is it better?" Minho had asked, like it was the most normal thing in the world to just warm up their best friend's hands.

"Y-yeah… thanks…"

"Come on, we have to get going."

They had packed up their things and started running again with Thomas trying to hide his red cheeks.

                                                           ***

The second time it happened, it was because of Thomas who was about to take a wrong turn. Minho had grabbed his hand, pulling him in the right direction. But instead of dropping his hand after being right on track, the older boy just kept holding it. They had run like this, hands in hands, until they had reached the Glade. It had been so natural; the two of them, running in sync, as if they have been doing this their whole lives.

They had received some weird stares by the others once they had arrived, but Thomas had been too busy trying to calm down his racing heart. He could still feel the Keeper's touch on him and he had found himself disappointed when they separated. He wanted more and he didn't understand why.

                                                          ***

Minho started holding his hand more and more. Sometimes while running, other times when they were eating in the Glade – which earned them some looks from the Gladers, but nobody said a thing – and even once or twice when they slept next to each other.

Thomas, however, was still having butterflies every time they touched. It was really weird.

They were eating in the maze, once again, when the Keeper went and put his arms around the brunet's shoulders. He continued eating like this while Thomas was – again – blushing hard. He was starting to enjoy it way too much. Yeah, Minho was his closest friend, along with Teresa, but he never felt that way for the girl.

He wanted to be close to Minho. Physically close. And only to Minho.

He was so confused.

                                                         ***

It became even more important. Minho's hands were becoming so important for Thomas. They were always there for him.

Pulling him to his feet during the storm in the Scorch, making sure he kept running, making sure he was safe. Saving him from the cranks. Pulling him to the Keeper's chest when he got back to the Scorch after WICKED treated the gun shot. Holding him down when WICKED was controlling him.

Minho's hands were always there. They were comforting, reassuring and most of all, they made him feel secure. In Minho's hands, in Minho's arms, Thomas knew he was safe.

But… could he tell the older boy how he felt?

                                                            ***

In the Safe Haven, the habit kept going. When eating, when on a walk on the beach, sometime on a run the two runners loved doing together, and especially during the night… they were always holding hands. And honestly? Thomas loved it. He loved the contrast of the tan skin against his. He loved the warmth they provided him. He loved how they made him feel safe. He loved them.

Thomas heard other immunes commenting on it, saying things like "They make such a cute couple" or "They really love each other, don't they?"

Was it that? Were they in love?

While they were resting on the beach, like they often did after a long day, Thomas asked Minho.

"Are you serious right now?" Minho replied.

"What?"

"Thomas, I literally told you back in Denver!" the Asian said, sounding a little annoyed. "Yes, I love you!"

"B-but… I thought…"

"You thought what? That I didn't mean it? You really are a dumb shank."

Thomas was speechless. So many emotions were going through his body that he couldn't process them all.

"But now the questions is…" Minho said, now sounding nervous. "Do you feel the same?"

"I-I…"

Yeah? Was he in love with Minho?

He stared at him, trying to find the answer. The dark eyes were looking at him in hope, the beautiful bronze skin shined in the rays of the sunset and the pink lips looked so inviting. Had Minho always been this attractive?

The Keeper was the most important person in his live. He always has been. Of course, he cared about Frypan, Brenda, Jorge and even Gally now. And he cared about those he lost. But Minho? He was special.

His eyes trailed back to the Asian's mouth and a weird thought came to his mind.

He wanted to kiss Minho. Right now.

So he did.

Like their hands, their lips fitted perfectly together. Thomas grabbed the other boy's shirt as butterflies were threatening to burst out of him. Emotions he never felt when Teresa had kissed him were invading his body. It was overwhelming.

Minho took few seconds to recover from his surprise, but quickly responded to the kiss, cupping the boy's face in his hands to bring him even closer. At the warm touch on him, Thomas couldn't help but moaned. In any normal circumstances, he probably would have felt embarrassed, but right now, it didn't matter, it just felt too good.

Minho deepened the kiss and one of his hands went to run into the brown soft hair. Thomas immediately melted. Minho's hands were on him… Minho's hands were on him…

But it wasn't just his hands, Thomas realized. It was never really just about the hands. It was Minho as a whole. It was Minho who was always there, who made him feel secure, who helped him when he needed it, who made him feel… loved.

He was in love with his best friend. He was in love with Minho.

And right now, it was just the best feeling in the world. Nothing else mattered. It was only Minho. Just Minho. He couldn't think of anything else.

"I guess I have my answer" the Asian said after breaking the kiss. His breath was still uneven and he was looking at Thomas with so much tenderness. "Yeah" he replied shyly. "I love you too."

"I'm glad." Minho had the biggest smile ever on his face, showing of his dimples. Again, when did he become so attractive?

"So.. are we…"

"I guess.."

"Nice…"

Thomas smiled. He had a boyfriend now. He never thought it would have happened one day. And on top of it? His boyfriend was Minho.

"Cuddle with me?" he asked. He could never get enough of Minho's touches.

"Yeah, anything for my touch-starved shuck-face" the Keeper responded with a smirk. They laid down in the sand, Thomas curled up to his friend… boyfriend he corrected himself.

They stayed like this for a while, in silence, just enjoying this… connection that they had. The brunet took one of the older boy's hand and his and intertwined their fingers together.

"You know… you have beautiful hands" he said, absently.

"You sure you're okay Tommy?" Minho laughed.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

In your arms, I'll always be alright.

_____________________________

Hope you liked this one!

#Thominho Week 2020 #tmwd5 #hands #alt #fluff #canon compliant #tmr #tmr thomas #tmr minho #minho tmr #thomas #the maze runner #maze runner thomas #thominho #minho #maze runner minho #thomas and minho #thominho fanfiction #thominho fanfic

[cartoonfantic8]

Caleo Headcanons from @winryofresembool Uni AU!

Hey guys, so @winryofresembool made this story of a college AU, staring Caleo! Now I’m a real sucker for this ship as you can see, and it dosen’t get much love (it gets way to much hate). It’s honestly a really cute fic, I’m have a feeling there’s going to some angst later, but that’s my prediction. It’s written pretty well, and I personally like there writing style. There’s honestly not enough AU’s that are the other canon ships such as Frazel, Caleo, and Jiper, so it’s pretty refreshing to see an AU that isn’t Percbeth or Solangelo (which don’t get me wrong I love these two couples but there’s a lot of AU and fics about them and the other three are background relationships), so it’s refreshing. I’m American and not British so I use terms Americans normally use such as college or dorm, so I’m sorry if I say dorm or college. It’s a good fic so I’ll leave a link below, it’s on Ao3! This might not 100 % align with there headcanons or story on there page, this is how I imagine it. I recommend reading the fic before your read these!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25470196/chapters/61782343

Leo

Leo is a sucker for movies where a robot and human becomes friends. He watch them with his family and Jo will be like “why are you crying over a Disney movie?” And Leo will be like “because Baymax sacrificed himself for Hiro?!”

I feel like he sometimes like horror movies or thrillers. He likes murder mysteries, or movies with a mystery so he can solve them, which is fun for him. He also likes a few dystopian movies.

Don’t ask me how or why but he defiantly has or had a motorcycle and one of those leather jackets but in red.

He can make some really good taco, like that’s one thing Jason misses when he moved out because after a long day of school and work, Leo will make homemade tacos from a recipe he learned from Esperanza

I can imagine him wearing sweatpants mostly, or those baggy pants and like a sweater tucked in or sweater vest. Otherwise he’ll wear suspenders.

He lives off caffeine, when he works late on a big project, Starbucks is his home. At this point, he will go to a local Starbucks and they just know his order.

He listens to a lot of Hip Hop or upbeat music. Most of the time he’ll listen to what’s on the radio.

Dosen’t read much because of his dyslexia but he’ll read those old Marvel comics from the 90’s or something like that. He’s a sucker for Mavel and will watch all the movies, the day it comes out. Tony Stark is his favorite character, because he’s a genius and the most sarcastic piece of shit ever. When he was 7, he went as Ironman for Halloween. (Also I know the timelines won’t add up because Marvel didn’t come out till the late 2000, but screw it just pretend the movies came out in the early 2000’s)

He still flinches when an adult raises there voice or hand sometimes. When Leo first was fostered by Jo and Emmie, whenever they raised there voice or hand he’ll have a look of fear in his eyes, or even back away a few steps. Once they picked up on it, the three had a talk about it and they found about some of the more absuive homes such as Teresa. They also found out that Leo never told social services because out of fear of what those people would do to him. Jo and Emmie were in shock and instantly gave him a hug, Jo was literally planning murder plots which Emmie stopped. It’s gotten better over the last few year but sometimes he’ll still tense up. (Just your daily dose of angst because why not)

When Leo first was fostered by Jo and Emmie, sometimes he and Georgina would fall asleep on the couch after watching a long movie. Emmie dosen’t want to disturb them so she’ll carefully put a blanket without waking them up.

Calypso

Calypso is a sucker for all things 80’s or 90’s because that’s what she grew up with. She watches all the classics 80’s stuff like “The Breakfest Club”. She also listens to a bunch of 80’s or 90’s bands and music.

She listen to classical music when she’s sewing or gardening. After she moved out, she got into more pop like Pink or Taylor Swift. She also started watching some iconic movies like “Mean Girls”

Calypso hates horror movies like deeply hates them.

She’s very polite and has grown up to be prim and proper, she’ll be fancy at dinner sometimes and Leo will be like “why the fuck are you using manners”

She’s learned how to play piano and has got pretty good at it over the years. She also really good at cooking, more specially Greek style food.

She’s in to period dramas and really into classical books. Otherwise Calypso is into Greek mythology or even Fanstasy books.

She recently got into “Peter Johnson and the Olympians”, after she moved out. She ships Peterbell, the ship between the two main characters Peter Johnson and Annabell Cheese.

She will go in rants anout Greek mythology, like serious rants about how the Greek Gods are mostly jerks and there a lot of innocent people who got hurt or punished from them for no good reason. Sometimes she’ll rant to Leo and he has no idea what the fuck is going on.

She wears long, flowly white dresses. She wear jeans and nice shirts that are sort of fancy, and white sandals. She dosen’t wear makeup because she’s naturally just pretty.

She’s really chill when you get to know her. Like she’s pretty flowly and patient most of the time. She loves garderning and her favorite plant is moon lace.

Her dream is to grow a proper garden that’s full of Moonlace.

#percy jackon and the olympians #heroes of olympus #trials of apollo #pjo #hoo #toa #hoo headcanon #caleo uni au #leo valdez #calypso #caleo #jason grace

[rosegoldannie]

Secrets I (Elriel quarantine fic)

Here’s a lil Elriel fic, sorry it’s so short!

Masterlist

The sun shone brightly through the thin, gossamer curtain allowing buttery sunlight to shine through the curtains onto a tan, chiseled face. That warm ray of sunshine urged him to awaken and seize the day, to make the most of the springtime sunshine before it became gloomy clouds and morose raindrops.

He huffed out an annoyed sigh, shoving that silken pillow over his head to block out that light, and the birds that awoke and sang along with it, their cheery song both high-pitched and strangely soothing. He wanted absolutely nothing more than to go back to sleep and pretend that everything which had been happening for the last several days had been nothing more than some sort of a strange dream, from which he would soon awaken.

Somewhere distantly, he heard someone clattering and clunking around in the kitchen, pots and pans crashing loudly together with jarring clangs. Azriel sighed, as the beginnings of a migraine began pounding behind his eyes. Resigned, he began the long process of getting out of bed, taking a break between each step to reminisce about how much he would rather be asleep.

After a particularly loud crash, he half-stumbled, half-slid his way into the kitchen, both stunned and utterly unsurprised at the sight before him: Elain was mixing together several different suspicious substances in a large bowl, which was filled to the brim with foaming bubbles.

She glanced up, and instantly seemed to recognize the burning question in his dark eyes. “I promise I have a reasonable explanation for this.” She promised, those rosy lips curling into a warm, sweet smile even as her cheeks pinkened.

Azriel’s lips curled into a polite grimace, eyes wandering over the foaming substance, that was both somehow thick and runny. “Alright…” He muttered, keeping that bowl at an arm's length. “Do I want to know your explanation?”

A strange, wet slurp came from that bowl as a bubble rose slowly to the surface, then popped, and Elain let out a stiff giggle. “Heh...Would you believe me if I said I was making pancakes?”

“I think Gordon Ramesey might need a restraining order.”

She leaned over, slapping his forearm lightly. “It’s not that bad. Is it?”

His stomach gave a painful tug. “No offense El, that looks disgusting.”

Elain huffed a laugh. “None taken. Too bad we can’t just order pancakes from Rita’s.”

Azriel hummed his agreement, moving to help her clean up the mess, while mulling over the news wafting in from the TV in the living room. As he rounded the counter, he found that she was in one of her old gardening t-shirts, and a pair of sweatpants that looked frighteningly similar to a pair of his own sweatpants that mysteriously disappeared a few weeks prior.

They worked in quiet harmony together, both listening to the latest updates regarding the virus. “...Governor announced that the quarantine will last for a minimum of two weeks, though it is possible it could go on for as long as five. During this time, Governor Inslee has mandated that all non-essential shops and stores close their doors, and all non-essential workers be sent home. We also ask that those who have the resources to please work from home, or telecommute if possible to prevent the spread of COVID19. The governor will be giving daily updates on any new information that we receive.”

The doe-eyed girl let out a huff, watching as Azriel emptied her mixture into the garbage with a wet thwap. “I can’t believe this.”

He glanced up. “What? That we can’t order pancakes?”

“No, I mean the virus. This doesn’t feel real.”

Humming his agreement, he began washing the dishes. “Me neither. This feels like we’re stuck in some sort of a dystopian novel, or some bad dream that we’ll wake up from.” Making to open the fridge, to put away the milk and eggs, Azriel let out a groan, running a hand down his face.

Elain, seated on the counter, hopped down. “What’s wrong?”

He stepped aside, allowing her to see into the fridge. “We have to make a run to the store. We’re out of almost everything.” Indeed, the fridge was nearly empty save for a few beers, and a loaf of nearly-molding bread.

With both twenty-something adults muttering curses that would have paint peeling from the walls, they lumbered out of Azriel’s house, and down to his truck. Elain scurried back into the house, then re-emerged wearing a hoodie that was most certainly Azriel’s, and carrying two bandanas, One black, and one pale pink.

She slipped into the passenger seat, and buckled herself in. Azriel chuckled at his best friend as he pulled out of the driveway, and the car crackled down the gravel pathway towards the highway. He pretended not to notice as she connected her phone to the AUX, even when god-awful pop music began blaring through his speakers.

Letting out a squeal, she turned the volume down, and began shuffling through her albums. Again, he pretended not to notice when he glanced over, and saw her familiar disney playlist.

He finally caved when she began plating under the sea, and let out a loud and fake groan. “No way in hell am I going to listen to this.” He moaned, fighting the grin that tugged at his lips.

Elain grinned, a lock of wavy blonde hair slipping out of her ponytail. “Oh, really?” She teased, wriggling her phone in the air. “Seems like I have the AUX, not you.” She teased,

Azriel let out an offended sound, keeping his eyes on the mostly empty highway before them. “Come on!” He moaned, feigning being hurt. “Everyone knows that the driver gets the AUX. You’re not being fair.”

“Oh, the driver gets the AUX?”

“Yeah, he does.”

“Really?” His best friend teased.

“Yep!”

“Says who?” Elain grinned, turning sideways in her seat to fame him.

“Says me.” He stated, that grin at last slipping through. “My car, my rules.”

Elain let out a joking huff, but switched the songs.

Instantly, he recognized the melody, and began singing along. Once they reached the chorus, he began to belt it out. “Into the UnknOOOOOOOooooOOOOooown!” 

Elain squealed, covering mer ears. “You’re awful!” She teased, sending him a silly glare.

He only smiled. “Come on, Acheron.” He teased, nudging her with his elbow as they pulled into the grocery store parking lot. “You love it.”  Elain shook her head wildly, then tied her bandana around her face and slipped from the car.

Turning his truck off, he slipped the keys into the pocket of his hoodie, put his bandana on, and followed Elain towards the store. Once he reached the entrance, he glanced around. A strange feeling settling in his gut when it dawned on him that he couldn’t see her.

Suddenly, something warm and heavy slammed into his back, small arms wrapping around his neck. Azriel let out a winded gasp as Elain burst into joyous laughter. “Got you!” she sing-songed, skipping a short ways ahead, and leading him into the store.

“Nah, you didn’t.” He teased, stopping to pick out a cart, and rolling it into the store. 

“What?” She gaped, shoving her way against his side to help him push that cart. He gave in, wrapping one arm around her, the other still pushing the cart and ignored the fluttering in his chest. “I so, totally, got you.”

“Nope.”

“How?” She demanded, as they began to pick necessities off the shelves and tossing them into the cart.

Azriel sent her a wicked grin. “Because you’re short.” He teased, tossing in a few cans of soup. “I was only worried that you got run over by a caterpillar.”

She gave him a jokingly furious glare. “I’m short? Really?”

Leading them towards the produce aisle, he grinned. “Yep, I have to make sure I don’t accidentally step on you.”

Elain let out an offended gasp. “You’re one to talk, mister six foot six.”

“Hmm?” He teased, cupping a hand to his ear. “I can’t hear you down there.”

She harrumphed, and began loading in some more groceries. “I’m a perfectly normal height, sir.” She muttered, tossing in a packet of rosemary. “You, on the other hand, are freakishly tall.”

“Oh, please.” He muttered, placing a bag of apples into the cart. “I’ve seen garden gnomes taller than you.”

Elain froze, then turned towards him. For a split second, he turned cold, fearing that he had somehow hit a nerve and offended her. He waited several seconds for her to burst out laughing, but she didn’t, and Azriel’s stomach began roiling and knotting. “El, I-”

He was interrupted by her sticking her tongue out at him, and blowing a raspberry, and bursting into uncontrollable laughter, her eyes clenching shut as tears rolled down her pink cheeks.

Azriel turned the cart, and began moving towards the checkout lines. “You’re insufferable. You know that, right?” He muttered when she finally caught up to him.

“I know.” She chirped, beaming.

His stomach flipped painfully at the sight.

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#elriel #elain archeron #Azriel #acotar #acotar fic