#detective marshall | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ellethespaceunicorn · 8 months

Text

Touch and Go: The Morning After

Rating: Explicit, 18+, Minors - DNI

Pairing: Walter Marshall x Detective!Female!Reader

Fandom: Night Hunter

Word Count: 2.2K

Summary: You and Walter try to navigate the morning after. You both have a few lessons to learn.

Warnings: touch starvation, awkward conversation, unprotected p-in-v sex, creampie

A/N: This is a sequel to Touch and Go - A Detective's Romance. Thank you @peyton-warren for your help with this story. Unbeta’d, we die like people who tried their best.

Dividers by: @firefly-graphics

Support/Reblog banner by me

Cover Art by me

My Masterlist

You’re awoken by the soft snores of the man next to you. And it’s less the sound of the snoring, but more the tiny puffs of air that escape his mouth and skate across that sensitive area of your neck.

His arms encircle you from behind and his warmth enfolds you like a blanket. If you weren’t sure that last night happened, what’s poking at your hip would surely remind you of a few moments. And oh, what solid images there were.

As you turn around in his arms, he shifts a bit in his sleep but doesn’t fully wake. His arms manage to tighten around you, and you didn’t think that was possible given how close you were. Not that you’re complaining. Far from it. You couldn’t be happier.

This man could literally squeeze you like a stuffed animal, and you would thank him for it. You decide to throw a leg over him and soak up his intimate embrace. Laying against his chest, you tangle your hand in his chest hair for good measure.

A low rumble in his chest and his arms tightening ever so gently signaled to you that he was awake finally. When he mumbles something close to ‘Good Morning’, you are surprised to hear that his voice could get any deeper than it already was normally.

He leans down to kiss the top of your head and you try and hide the smile it gives you, but he sees it anyway and kisses your forehead this time. His lips linger there for a second and soon you hear him chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” You stop yourself from listening to your anxious mind telling you that he is somehow laughing at you.

He leans back and looks into your eyes. “I thought I was dreaming that you had stayed. I don’t normally sleep well. You might be my lucky charm. I feel rested.”

“Good. I was a little worried that I wouldn’t get any sleep. But I liked being held all night. I could get used to that if I’m not careful.” You look down and away from Walter’s gaze, piercing right through you.

“I understand your apprehension about all this, but may I suggest something that I promise to listen to myself?” Walter puts a hand over yours and you look up at him.

“Sounds ominous but continue.”

“Let it happen. Whatever this is, just let it happen. And we can worry about our vulnerability later, deal?” His thumb strokes the back of your hand, and you feel safe in his arms.

In a single breath, you push down about a thousand negative thoughts before even listening to them and simply say, “Deal.”

Walter moves to put you on your back, leaning over to cage you between his arms. You allow him to kneel between your legs, wrapping them around his waist and pulling him into you. He never takes his eyes off you as he reaches one hand down to line himself up with your opening.

As he pushes in, he lowers his forehead to yours and groans, lightly pecking your lips. Once the soreness from the night before subsides, all you can feel is the perfection of Walter inside you as he pulls out and slams back in. He swallows your whimpers as his kiss becomes hungrier.

Turning your head to keep up with his kiss, you slide one hand into his curls, and the other glides down to grab a handful of that plump ass of his to encourage his movements. He seems to relish your coaxing if his grunting is anything to go by.

Soon, the sounds of your flesh meeting from Walter's powerful thrusting fill the room. One of his giant paws comes to rest on your hip, the grip sure to leave bruises in the morning. You are at his mercy and his cock pounds into your cunt at the perfect speed to get you off.

You get a thrill out of how your orgasm comes down on you like a bolt out of the blue. Your walls squeeze around his dick and your grasp on reality starts to shift as stars appear behind your eyelids. Throwing your head back, you let out a series of wails that your body has never made before.

With your neck exposed, Walter latches onto it with his mouth. He nips, bites, and sucks until his resolve also falters and he reaches his peak. As his hips go still against yours, you can feel every twitch of his shaft as he empties inside you. Sinking to collapse on you, his arms cocoon you and as your chests connect, the dizzying tempo of his heartbeat can be felt.

You lay in silence for a while, tangling your fingers in Walter’s sweat-slicked curls. It's only the sound of your stomach growling that breaks you both out of your shared lull. His grumbling chuckle follows, and he unwinds himself from around you, finally sliding out of your tight heat. He doesn’t miss your whimpers; he just chooses to ignore them as he pulls you up and into the bathroom for a quick shower.

After some time spent under the hot spray, mostly spent with stolen kisses and forgetting to get clean, you both dress in some comfy clothes. Walter gives you a pair of his boxers, sweatpants, a T-shirt, and a hoodie that still smells like him. You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and you smile thinking you look like a perfectly comfy girlfriend.

Walter just watches you and smirks before laying a kiss atop your head and suggesting you two eat something. You follow him out to the kitchen and are swiftly turned around and told to go sit while he cooks for you.

Yeah, you could get used to this.

Once breakfast is over, you rise from the table to take the plates into the kitchen with the intent to wash dishes to repay him for a lovely meal. Instead, Walter empties your hands and gives you a stern look.

“Come on, let me help with something?” You whine, not at all being coy about it.

“No. You don’t have to repay me for feeding you. Just let me pamper you. Act as though you deserve to be taken care of, please? Because you do deserve it. Now, go sit down on the couch, and don’t make me ask twice.” If it wasn’t for the wink he sent your way, you would have melted.

You try to reply but the sound out of your throat is a mix between a moan and a whimper. It shocks you and makes Walter smile. You open your mouth again to speak but think better of it and just go sit down.

Walter joins you on the couch, sitting close enough that his warmth spreads over you like a blanket. He turns to face you and you do the same.

“So, I—”

“Are we—”

You both go to speak at the same time and then share a bit of nervous laughter.

“You go first.” Walter urged, his hand running through his hair before settling on the back of the couch.

“Um, so, you know I’m no good at this. That’s why we work so well, I guess,” You pause to get your words together while gathering a bit of courage, “I just...feel like I should be completely honest with you.”

Walter tilts his head and furrows his brow, nodding for you to continue.

“I like this,” You admit, gesturing between the two of you, “I like spending time with you. That being said, I would be upset if you invited another woman here and cooked for her and fucked her instead of me. I know it’s soon, but I want you to know how I feel.”

Seconds pass like hours before Walter takes your hand in his.

“I like this, too. I like cooking for you and spending time with you. I’m sure you can tell I like fucking you. But just so you’re sure, I’m saying out loud that I like it.” He finishes, smiling at you and raising your hand to his lips.

The giggle that escapes your lips gives no warning and it startles you before you give in and let it float on.

“So...I have a question. And it may seem rude, but I don’t mean it that way, I promise.” You start, trapping your bottom lip between your teeth in apprehension.

Walter uses one thumb to free your lip from its confines before speaking. “Duly noted. Ask away.”

“Why are you always so grumpy? I mean, you’re such a different person outside of work. You are fun to be around, and I did not expect that." You playfully poke his chest and are rewarded with a genuine grin on his face.

“Well, firstly, thank you for the compliment. Secondly, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but I’m not a big talker usually. When I wear my grumpy pants, fewer people come up to me. Less talking. Although now that I think about it, I enjoy talking to you. I think because we both struggle a bit with conversation, we don’t press each other. We just, sort of, work well together. I like that.” While he talks, his hands play with yours. You’re not sure if that is a nervous thing or if he just likes the way your hands feel in his.

You both seem to take pleasure in idle touching, so why question it?

“That makes a lot of sense. It’s easier for men to be grumpy as their resting mood. The number of times I get told to smile or ‘cheer up’ daily could fill a swimming pool. So instead, I have this fake enthusiasm with a matching artificial coy expression to go with it. It can be so tiring, and not to mention it makes my face hurt at times. It fucking pains me to be so falsely sweet all the time. But that’s the joy of the feminine mystique, I guess.” You sigh, letting out the breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

“Wow. How long have you been holding that in, girl? I think a bit of steam came out of your ears just then.” He smiles and throws a wink your way and you can’t help but smile back at him.

“Well, since I’m on a roll with this stuff, I’ll just keep going. You’re the first person I’ve had sex in about a year. Just, bad breakup...and all that kind of killed my appetite for close human contact.” You babble, your hand going to the back of your neck.

“I’m sorry to hear that. If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you. And I also hope last night and this morning were to your...liking? That’s weird to say. But it’s already out. Sorry.” His adorable rambling ends and the tips of his ears are pink to match the blush across his cheeks and nose.

“Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Trust me. But my anxiety is going a mile a minute, trying to convince me that good things don’t happen to me. And I’m fighting it really hard. But you are starting to seem a bit too good to be true.” Your breathing picks up a little, but you control it quickly.

“I can start listing off all my bad habits?” He sits forward and begins to count his fingers, “I snore. I hog all the blankets. I leave the cap off the toothpaste. I spend too long in the shower,” He pauses when you climb into his lap, “I can keep going.”

“I bet you could. But let’s save a bit for me to discover later. Keep the rest a mystery, detective.” You wrap your arms around his neck, and he smiles up at you.

“So, you still want to stick around, huh?”

“I mean, our arms fit so well wrapped around each other. Also, you smell nice,” You lean in to sniff at his neck that still smells of woodsy soap, “And I'd be lying if I said I didn’t want to see where this goes.”

“I’d like to see where this goes as well. In fact, I have a feeling this is going back into the bedroom any minute.” He rises from the couch, taking you with him as you wrap your legs around his waist.

He walks you to the bedroom, kissing your neck along the way. He kicks the door shut before laying you down once again in his bed. You both take your time with each other, not caring about when things happen or if they happen. You get lost and find each other over and over.

While you catch your breath, you are curled up in each other’s embrace. Your hand is tangled in his chest hair while his hand draws shapes on your shoulder. Companionable silence lies between the two of you, like a quilt connecting you.

And it’s moments like these that you both find that you enjoy. The quiet moments where nothing needs to be said. There are no perfect words. While it felt touch and go for a while, sometimes all that is needed is the positive outlook that uncertainty can be a good thing.

A/N: I felt like this story needed another part. I hope you enjoyed it!! "Let it Happen" by Tame Impala helped so much while writing this!!!!!

**Tag List**

@cakesandtom @brattymum96 @ambinxe @avengersfan25 @kebabgirl67 @thabiddie23 @sweetandgentlecreature @astheskycries @enchantedbytomandhenry @rebelangel1102 @peyton-warren @geralts-yenn @raccoon-eyed-rebel

Let me know if you wanna be added (or removed) 😁

266 notes · View notes

superdcchick · 1 year

Text

Tell me I'm not wrong about this

#henry cavill #august walker #detective walter marshall #august walker x reader #walter marshall x reader #walter marshall

495 notes · View notes

athenepromachos · 1 year

Text

Curly haired bear in his wooly pully ♥️♥️

#henry cavill #all man #walter marshall #detective walter marshall #night hunter #wooly pully #the curls #play with those curls #beardy boi #cavill bde #🍌🦑🍌🦑🍌🦑🍌🦑🍌🦑🍌🦑

199 notes · View notes

sweetdreamsofgelato · 1 year

Note

about the kiss prompt 3, 7, or11 with either Sy, Walter, or August. or Charles if we are feeling Tudory. lol

The #7 “I’ve missed you” kiss screamed Walter to me. This is slightly angsty, but I hope you enjoy it!

(gif from google, if it's yours pls let me know so I can properly credit)

Pairing: Walter Marshall x Reader (You)

Rating: T for angst; hurt/comfort vibes

Word Count: 667

It was no secret that Walter was a gruff man. His oft-sullen and monosyllabic nature were rather notorious, and whilst no one ever appreciated being on the receiving end, most colleagues made allowances for something they deemed personally beneficial. His apparent ability to emotionally detach meant he was routinely saddled with the worst of the worst: the cases no one else wished to touch because of the inescapable knock-on effect on one’s mental health. Most assumed he was impervious to the foulest dregs of humanity and the horrific emotional gamut he ran each day. Believed that as if by some innate magic, he was able to simply absorb the repeated exposure to an endless parade of tragedy and defuse it all away into nothingness.

How wrong they were.

Walter felt everything and the trauma was acutely visceral. It lived in the permanent dark smudges under his haunted eyes, made its home in the unyielding tension in his every muscle, and burrowed into his soul where it inevitably metamorphosed into the existential exhaustion he continually suffered. His very essence was scarred, and it was a burden he bore without complaint so that the abysmal darkness never touched those closest to him.

His stoicism was how he survived and protected his peace.

It was how he protected you.

And whilst some took exception to his compartmentalisation by accusing him of being unnecessarily cold or distant, you understood and accepted it because you knew one thing with the utmost certainty:

No matter how far gone he may seem to be, Walter always came home.

It wasn’t easy, and the latest case had been particularly gruelling. Most evenings he stumbled in well past midnight and immediately collapsed on the sofa without touching the food you’d left wrapped on the kitchen worktop or taking a shower. Sometimes without even bothering to undress. After a paltry bit of sleep, he awoke before the sun and did it all over again. Days went by without seeing each other, let alone speaking, and it wasn’t for lack of wanting on his part. You knew it was because he was in the thick of it and processing that left him feeling tainted in many ways, and he never wanted that anywhere near you.

But you kept on making meals he could eat in passing and leaving extra cosy blankets and fresh clothes in the spaces he most frequently dropped. Held his hand in companionable silence when words were all but impossible. You continued to ease his burden the best ways you knew how because:

Walter always came home.

Just as he did that night. You were stretched out on the sofa enjoying a bit of television and a warm drink when Walter swept into the house on a wave of energy unseen in recent weeks.

You caught sight of his coat and hat flying through the corridor. His bag quickly followed, the lot chucked and forgotten at the bottom of the stairs. He finally came into view, hopping on one socked foot whilst desperately tugging at the boot on the other. He gave a triumphant whoop when he finally got it off. You made to rise, but he motioned for you to stay put and beelined for the sofa.

He collapsed into your open arms with a contented groan, and even though he was a beast of a man, you relished the weight of him. So solid and reassuring and real.

He enveloped your body with his and cradled your face in his hands. His fingertips sank into the soft column of your neck and yours dragged through his dark curls. Foreheads met, and in the barest moment of mingling sighs, his nose gently nudged yours before taking your mouth with his. His overgrown scruff scratched and stung with every drag of his lips but you cared nought. He was here, and that's all that mattered.

Neither desperate nor impatient, this kiss was slow and deliberate. By pouring himself into you and allowing you to return in kind, it was a recharging of the soul. Checking back in.

He reluctantly broke away, breathed into your neck and whispered, “God, I’ve missed you.”

“Welcome back, Walter.”

#henry cavill #walter marshall #detective walter marshall #night hunter #walter marshall fan fiction #walter marshall x reader #walter marshall x you #sweetdreamsofgelato writes #fic: kissing prompts

299 notes · View notes

marveldcmistress · 2 years

Text

Henry Cavill’s Characters’ Zodiac Signs

This is (in my opinion) the zodiac vibes I get from each Henry Cavill character. I am not an astrologist, this is just based off my observations of each sign and the energy I get from these characters. If there’s a character I missed or you wanted to see on this list, let me know!!!!

So it’s basically canon that Sy is a bull, and understandable. He gives HELLA Taurus energy. He’s strong, sturdy, a little cocky, but only because he can back up all the hype. He can be stubborn as all hell, which is to be expect from the bullheaded Taurus (my brother was born in May and the boy will never budge in a fight). Negotiations during deployments is hell for his fellow comrades. And just like the grounded earth sign it takes awhile for him to soften up, but when he does, he would do ANYTHING for those he cares about, and that passion can be overwhelming to some. He’s a hard worker, but when he’s not overseas he’s DEFINITELY take some leisure time to himself, he deserves to be lazy! And don’t get started on a Taurus’ appetite. Just like the bull, I see Sy as a grazing type, munching on little snacks throughout the day, but will not hesitate to tear it up at dinner time, and his desert ;)

August is a Scorpio. I feel like this doesn’t need an explanation, but I’m gonna give you one anyway. As a CIA Agent/Terrorist, the man can’t trust anyone. Ever. Just like how a Scorpio takes forever to trust, he makes sure to know every detail about anyone he encounters. Scorpios also shroud themselves in mystery and secrecy. He’s proved time and again in the movie that he would kill to keep his secret diabolical plan from getting out. And it’s also cannon on tumblr that he’s obsessive. God help you if a Scorpio catches a liking to you, cause once they do, you are theirs FOREVER, whether you like it or not. Oh, and don’t even THINK about trying to have the control around August, it’s just not gonna happen.

Charles is a Leo, through and through. Those who meet him think he’s arrogant, self-centered, and in those first couple seasons, they were right. He’s definitely full of himself, but we do get to see little peeks at the insecurity he feels deep down at being born lower class. Leos are very insecure, though they try to hide it (trust me, all of our confidence is fake, coming from a Leo herself), but the way his face falls when his title (or lack of) is brought up in the first season, not to mention in the later seasons when he starts to contemplate his own actions and morals after doing what he did on Henry’s orders. Now, I know what some might say, “but Tay, Leos are so loyal!” And they are! His infidelity to Margaret was born of his own ego and arrogance. But his loyalty to HENRY?? After all the bullshit he put Charles through? Only a Leo could have a heart so big as to still love and advise a friend who treated them so. And the way he lights up a room! Much like the sun, Leo’s ruling planet, Charles lit up court. He always looks good, outfits pristine and his hair always so perfectly groomed. I can go on forever, but Imma stop here.

Walter just ooooozes Virgo energy. Work-aholic, perfectionist, never relaxes. Sometimes a little blunt, but only because they don’t have time to sugarcoat shit. But also like the earth sign, he’s consistent. You can always trust he will do the right thing and be there at the right time. Can also smell bullshit from a mile away, which is a wonderful skill set for his job. I also feel like he’s really good at budgeting and money management.

Mikey is a Sagittarius, there’s no changing my mind. His wild and care-free personality really shines through in the movie. And just like Walter he’s blunt. “He’s dead Chelsea, time move on.” Only a Sagg has the audacity! And the entire movie all he is concerned with is having a good time and hooking up. In my limited interactions with Sagittarius men, that’s really all they cared about. I feel like if he wasn’t killed off in the movie, he could have definitely evolved into a more defined character.

Geralt just gives Capricorn energy. So focused on his work, and very stoic in his emotions. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel them, he just buries them, deep, deep, DEEP down. And just like Scorpio it takes ALOT for him to open up. But when he does, BOYYYY. Fuck with the people he loves. I’ve also never met a Cap that isn’t determined to do EVERYTHING on their own (my sister is the best example. Full time vet student on top of two full time jobs, constantly refusing help when offered). He’s definitely an over-thinker. He stays up at night thinking through every scenario and preparing for any situation. But he’s sturdy and strong and loyal, if a little abrupt and abrasive at times. Hates people and gets along so much better with animals, and again, I’ve never met a Capricorn who like human beings over dogs, or in his case, Roach.

Sherlock is an Aquarius. It just makes the most sense to me. Not good with emotions at all, and this is coming from experience of having an Aquarius mother and dating an Aquarius man for three months. He’s an intellectual, and individual, and values that individuality. Not to mention the job that is very outside of the social norms. Aquarians are uninterested in being like the rest, which is a perfect description for Sherlock. Also doesn’t miss a single detail, can pick up on the slightest change in energy. Most people see Aquarius as strange, almost alien-like, and Sherlock for sure stands out. He values his solitude and alone time. I feel like if he were to be in modern times, would hella ghost someone if he felt like they were getting to close and encroaching on his privacy.

Clark Kent. My sweet baby, my Kansas farm boy. He’s a Libra, absolutely. His sense of justice and constant battle for balance wouldn’t allow him to be anything else. His need to use his powers for good to save people shines just as bright as the sunlight he gets his strength from is sometimes overshadowed by his darker side of just finally snapping and becoming the GOD he knows he is. And have you ever seen a pissed off Libra? Those red eyes are not just for show. Momma Kent did a good job of raising our boy to be a good-hearted man, but that Kryptonian blood will not relent so easily. But he loves deeply and won’t hesitate to make decisions when it comes to those he loves. Making sure they are well and safe and happy is not something he has to make a pros and cons list for.

I know I’ve made a post saying I think Napoleon is a Leo, and I still kinda feel that way. But I can also see him being a Gemini. Now the big stereotype surrounding Geminis is that they’re two-faced. But in reality they’re a mirror. The energy you give them is the energy you are gonna receive. Being a spy, he has to learn to be a chameleon, he changes with every environment but can also blend in and be unseen. He’s only loyal to the CIA because he has to be, you can bet your lucky stars when those chains are gone he can flip the script on them in a heartbeat. But also like a typical Gemini he’s charming, knows exactly how attractive he is and uses that to his full advantage.

#henry cavill #henry cavill fanfic #henry!sherlock #captain syverson #captain sy #august walker #detective walter marshall #Napoleon Solo #Henry!Holmes #geralt of rivia #hellraiser mike #zodiac signs #astrology #fan fic #fan fiction

202 notes · View notes

tytoalbion · 5 months

Text

Detective Leo is here to commit acts of tewwowism help solve crime and fight evil throughout the land!

Commission by Johnny Wire

#pathfinder #detective Leo #poppet #fantasy art #TTRPG #rogue #marshal #P2e #paizo

19 notes · View notes

detectivewaltermarshall · 1 year

Text

Happy valentines day ❤️❤️❤️

#detective marshall #happy valentine's day

9 notes · View notes

rmtndew · 2 years

Text

Come Home to Me

Summary: A weekend with Walter, Fiona and Faye as their little family grows closer.

Pairing: Marshall and OFC Fiona

Word count: 6,802

Rating: PG

Warnings: Mentions of a panic attack

I wasn’t sure what had happened. The day had started out fine. Walter and I had gotten to see each other for a little bit before we both left for work, which wasn’t always the case. We had coffee and breakfast together. I snuck extra snacks in his lunchbox while he was out warming up my car. It was a good morning. So where it went wrong, I couldn’t quite say. All I knew was that at some point in the afternoon, my anxiety started getting the best of me.

I ended up locking myself in the bathroom at work and having a panic attack, then feeling bad that I wasn’t actually working and the guilt just made the attack worse and last longer, which just continued to fuel the guilt. It was a cycle that kept feeding itself. I finally managed to get myself under control enough to go back to work but Darcy knew something was going on and she sent me home.

When I got in my car, I was feeling like garbage and needed to hear Walt’s voice, so I called him. I knew he might be busy and not be able to answer, but he did after just a couple of rings.

“Hey, love,” he said, his voice instantly making me feel better. “Is everything alright?”

I leaned my head back against the headrest of my seat. “I’m having a rough day.”

“What’s wrong?”

My teeth sunk into my lip as I chewed on it for a moment. “I don’t know,” I finally admitted. “A panic attack hit me out of nowhere. Darcy’s sending me home but I feel terrible that she has to do without me just because my stupid brain decided to have a random meltdown on Friday afternoon with literally no trigger.”

“Hey, do not talk about yourself like that, young lady. I won’t have it,” he said, his voice taking on a very fatherly tone that he’d never used with me before. “Your brain is not stupid. Do you hear me?”

I smiled. “Yes, bear, I hear you.”

“Good. Now I want you to come home.”

I raised my head up from the headrest. “Come home? Not go home?” I questioned. “As in, you’re already there?”

I could faintly hear him laugh. “I’m meant to be the detective in this family, Miss Sparks. Not you,” he teased. “But yes; I’m already here.”

“What are you doing home so early?”

“We were able to connect our murder to similar ones in different states so we had to hand it over to the FBI. We’ll work it alongside them but for today, there’s nothing else I can do. Not until they review it. So for now I’m at home. I was going to surprise you with dinner when you got off work but I’ll have to find something else to surprise you with, unless you want dinner at two in the afternoon?”

I laughed. “No. I just had lunch not long ago. I’m good. But you don’t have to surprise me with anything. Getting to spend the day with you is a good enough surprise.”

“Then come home to me, darling. Let me hold you.”

I felt myself grin. “I’m on my way now. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Fi. Be careful.”

When I got home, Walter greeted me outside on the doorstep. He was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants with socks. His perpetually tired look seemed packed away for the moment and strangely enough, he looked actually, well…rested. It wasn’t something I saw very often.

“Hiya, handsome,” I said, smiling at him as I walked up the steps.

He returned my smile. “Hey,” he said as I reached him. He pulled me in for a short kiss. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright.” He gave his little grunting-humming sound as if he didn’t believe me and I laughed. “I am alright,” I said. “I’m tired from my panic attack but just because it feels like I’m dying at the time, it doesn’t mean they can actually hurt me. So I’m okay.”

“Would a cuddle make you feel better?” he asked, the corner of his mouth ticking up in a slight smile.

My own smile couldn’t be bothered to play it cool. It spread across my whole mouth as I nodded. “Yeah, a cuddle would definitely make me feel better.”

“Good.”

He kissed my forehead, then took my hand and led me into the house. Inside, I stopped short in the entrance as I was greeted with the sight of the biggest blanket fort I’d ever seen. It was in the living room and made from the couch and kitchen chairs. Sheets were held to one another with heavy duty plastic clamps and draped across the whole thing, and inside I could see that it was stuffed with blankets and pillows.

“What’s this all about?” I asked.

He shrugged a shoulder as he looked a bit bashful. “I couldn’t surprise you with dinner but I thought this might turn your rough day around,” he said. “If it’s too childish -”

“Shh,” I said, cutting him off. “Sometimes childish is good. I could definitely use a break from being a grown up for a little bit.” I kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

As much as I wanted to crawl right into the fort, I wanted to get comfortable first. I changed into a pair of leggings and one of Walter’s shirts, happy to do away with my bra. Then I pulled on some thick, cozy socks and padded back out to the living room. Walter was already inside. I could see his feet sticking out and noticed that there was a hole in the bottom of his sock. I made a mental note to toss it and buy him a new pair. He must have heard me because he started moving around, then pulled back one of the sheets that was draped down over the front.

“There’s not quite so much room as I thought there’d be so it will be a bit of a squash and a squeeze in here,” he warned.

I smiled. “I was planning on squashing and squeezing you anyway, so that’s fine.”

I bent to my knees at the ‘doorway’ and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back as he laid down. The sheet dropped, covering the entrance to the fort and dimming the light inside. I gave Walt a final kiss, then lay my head down on his chest and wrapped my arm around his thick waist. He rubbed my back and ran his fingers through my hair, playing with strands of it.

“This is exactly what I needed and I didn’t even know it,” I said, rubbing my cheek against the soft fabric of his shirt. I could feel the texture of his chest hair beneath it. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, my love,” he said, then kissed my forehead.

My hand strayed from his waist, making its way under the hem of his shirt. “Can I touch you?”

He hummed. “Of course. But if it goes past that, we’ll have to take it out of the tent.”

“Afraid you’ll pull a muscle in here without more leg room?” I joked.

He laughed. “No. I ran out of blankets to put down under us so I borrowed Faye’s. I can’t do that to her stuff,” he said. “But also…pulling a muscle is a possibility.”

“I’ll behave myself then. On both accounts.” I slid my hand under his shirt and ran it across his stomach. He hissed and sucked in for a moment. I looked up at his face. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright. It just always surprises me how cold you are.”

I smiled. “That’s because you’re always so warm. Everything and everyone feels like an ice block in comparison.”

He laughed, his fingers dancing up my spine. “That’s true.”

I buried my fingers in the patch of hair on his stomach and let my hand warm up before moving it up to his chest. There was something so comforting about touching Walter. About feeling his skin against mine. He was warm and his hair was soft and I felt safe with my hand laying against his heart, feeling it beat underneath my palm. I kissed his chest through his shirt. “Thank you for loving me, bear.”

“Hey,” he said softly and I looked up at his face. “You never have to thank me for that. I’m honored that I get to love you.” His hand stilled at the back of my head, cradling it. “I never thought I’d be in love again. I thought I screwed it up with my marriage and that was it. But you gave me a second chance. And I know that I’m by no means perfect, and I know that I’ll manage to screw things up down the line somewhere, but now I know how important it is to try everything I can to make it work.” He brought his hand around to my cheek and stroked it with his thumb. “I’m not an easy person to love. I know that. But you never let me see how difficult it is, Fi. You don’t know how much I appreciate that.”

I smiled. “I find you exceptionally easy to love, Walt. I’ve been in relationships before and I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you,” I said. “It breaks my heart to know that you have felt this way and you had to watch it fall apart even while you were trying to fix it. It hurts me to know you thought you’d never feel this way again.” I lightly scratched his skin through his chest hair. “But I am so happy that I get to be your second chance.”

That weekend was Walt’s weekend to have Faye. Typically he’d pick her up in the afternoon and bring her home. But on Saturday, I picked her up instead. My cousin Mel had invited the two of us to go to the mall with her and her daughter Juniper. One of Faye and Juniper’s friends was moving soon and she wanted to buy her a going away present and asked Faye to help. I was tagging along just to spend time with them. And to also get a cookie from the cookie shop.

“Didn’t this place used to be like, a big deal when you were our age?” Juniper asked Mel and me as we walked through the very empty shopping center.

“Oh, it was hopping back then. Saturdays were crazy and it would have already been packed by now,” Mel said. “But Fridays?” She looked at me. “Fiona and I were mall rats on Friday nights.”

“Ew. What’s a mall rat?” Juniper asked.

Mel and I both laughed. “It was someone who spent a lot of time at the mall,” Mel answered.

“What did you do here?” Faye asked, looking around at the closed stores.

“We’d just hang out,” I said. “We’d eat at the food court and walk around. Back then, there was a store in every part of the building and sometimes there were booths and kiosks set up in the center or walkways, too. It’s hard to picture but there was a lot more to look at than there is now.”

Mel nodded. “Which was good because Fiona and I had very different tastes at the time so there were stores for both of us.”

“Different how?” Juniper asked.

“Well, I was more concerned with buying push up bras from Victoria’s Secret and tube tops from Wet Seal, and she was wanting to buy American Eagle jeans and tank tops from Aeropostale,” Mel said. “We always agreed on the music store, though. We’d hit up F.Y.E. and look at CDs for hours.”

“What kind of music did you listen to?” Faye asked.

“At your age? Boy bands,” I said. “There were a lot of arguments over who was better: Backstreet Boys or NSYNC.”

“You listened to boy bands?” Juniper laughed.

“Yes, squirt. We listened to boy bands on our Walkmans while skating around the neighborhood together. And it was the best,” I said.

“It really was,” Mel agreed. “If we’d only known then.”

We walked through the mall, letting the girls take their time as they tried to decide what to buy their friend who was moving away. Nothing seemed to spark their interest until we came to the Build-A-Bear store. There was a cute stuffed penguin in the window that they seemed to spot at the same time. I guess their friend Lexi was a fan of penguins and collected them and making one for her seemed like the perfect gift to them. I thought it was sweet. And it reminded me that they were still young. Still innocent enough to want stuffed animals and to want to give them to each other. That time didn’t last long. With high school, boys, stress, anxiety, and everything that came with growing up, it would eventually wear that thread down and separate them from the things people deemed childish. But right then? Right then a stuffed penguin was the most genuine thing they could buy their friend to remember them by.

They wanted to do it on their own so Mel and I bought coffees and sat at a table just outside the shop where we could see them inside but they had the freedom to do it on their own like they wanted. As they moved to a different part of the store, Faye saw me and waved. I smiled and waved back, then she and Juniper disappeared behind the big machine with all of the stuffing inside it.

“She’s a good kid,” Mel said. “And you both seem to get along really well.”

“We do. I never thought this is where I’d end up. You know that. When did I ever picture myself with a guy who had a kid? Especially a teenager?”

She shook her head. “Never. And honestly, it was a surprise when I found out you were dating him.”

“It could have gone so bad. She could have hated me. I mean, I remember being fourteen. I remember how angry I was at that age. And I had basically a perfect life. If Mom and Dad had gotten divorced and I had to watch some odd, gangly lady hit on Dad? I would have hated her.”

Mel laughed. “You’re not an odd gangly lady,” she said. “And I know for a fact you weren’t ‘hitting on’ her dad in front of her. You don’t even know how to flirt so you definitely weren’t forcing that with his daughter around.”

“You know what I’m saying, though. She really could have hated me and no one would have blamed her for it.”

“I’m sure she was worried you might hate her, too. Juniper has friends who’s step-moms want nothing to do with them. Faye probably knows the exact same girls.”

“That’s something I never understood and I understand it even less now that I’m with Walt,” I said. “Why would you ever get into a relationship with a guy who has kids if you don’t want anything to do with them? And why would you want to be with someone who could abandon their own kid that easily? I just…” I shook my head. “I don’t get it. Honestly, I don’t.”

“I don’t get it, either, Fi. Some people are just selfish, I guess.”

It took the girls close to an hour to do their thing. Mel and I talked and people watched while they did, occasionally catching glimpses of them in the store. Finally we could see them get in line to pay. Once I saw they were nearly done, I drank the rest of my coffee and took my and Mel’s cups to the trash. I was walking back to the table when Walt called.

“Um…listen,” he said with a sigh after we’d greeted each other. “I know we both loathe socializing but…my cousin called. He lives out of state and we rarely get to see one another, but he’s been away for holiday and he’s having a layover here and wants to visit. I told him he could.”

“A cousin? I finally get to meet another branch of the Marshall tree? I’m very intrigued.”

He did his grunting-humming thing. “Before you get your hopes up, he’s not like me. He…talks. A lot.”

I laughed as I joined Mel back at our table. “Are you saying your brooding nature may not be genetic?”

He chuckled. “No. That’s the English coming out in me. But you’ll see soon enough. I’m heading to the airport to go get him now,” he said. “I thought instead of cooking tonight we could go out for dinner. Do you and Faye want to meet us when you’re done?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Just let me know where you’re going after you pick him up and we’ll meet you.”

“Thank you, love. See you soon.”

I hung up as Faye and Juniper were coming out of the store. Juniper was holding the traditional Build-A-Bear gift box that looked like a house and Faye was holding a plastic gift bag. They came and sat at the table with us and Juniper showed us the stuffed penguin they made. It was pale blue and wearing a scarf and ice skates. It was adorable. I didn’t know their friend Lexi but I couldn’t see how she wouldn’t love it. When she was done, Faye showed us what was in her bag. I had assumed it was something that would go with the penguin, but I was wrong. She pulled out a teddy bear with dark brown fur that was dressed in jeans and a blue sweater.

“Aw, how cute!” I said. “Did you make it for yourself?”

“Actually I…made it for you,” she said, her mouth twisting off to the side in a worried look that reminded me so much of Walter. She held the bear out towards me.

“For me?” I asked, taking it from her. She nodded. “Faye, that was so sweet! Thank you!” I didn’t know why she’d made it for me but I couldn’t stop smiling as I looked him over. After a moment, I saw that there was a police badge clipped to the side of his pants and suddenly it all clicked for me. “Wait…” I looked back to her, grinning. “Is this your dad?”

She nodded again but smiled properly that time. “The sweater looked like one of his and when I saw the police badge I thought it would be fun to make him for you. You know, since you call him ‘bear’.”

“It’s perfect. I love it! My own little Walter Bear for when he’s not home.”

“I thought maybe he can be friends with the monkey and hedgehog that Dad won you at Naples.”

My face hurt from smiling so wide. “Yes! He’ll make an excellent friend for them. Thank you.”

She leaned over and hugged me and I hugged her back tight. I couldn’t imagine trying to push Faye out of the picture. She was an extension of Walter and if I loved him, then I had to love her. She wasn’t a burden in our relationship; she was a bonus.

Once they had their penguin, the girls were done with the mall. Faye and I said bye to Mel and Juniper and then we went to my car. Walter texted as I was getting it warmed up and said that he and his cousin were going to a diner that was about midway between the airport and the mall and sent me the address. When we got there, I saw Walter’s truck. He and his cousin were standing at the tailgate, waiting for us. There wasn’t a parking spot beside it but there was one directly across from it. As I parked, Faye turned her head to look at Walter.

“Wait, who’s that with Dad?” she asked and I realized that I’d forgotten to tell her about her cousin. She unbuckled so she could peer through the back window better. Then she gasped. “Is that…? It is!” She flung open her door and started clambering to get out.

“Watch for cars!” I told her.

I watched her go across the short distance to Walter and once she was safely there, I turned off the car and grabbed my purse, then joined them. Faye was being swallowed up in a hug by their cousin who I was surprised to see was bigger than Walt. They seemed to match each other height wise but he was broader. After he released Faye, he looked at me and I could see the family resemblance. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought they were brothers. Walter’s cousin had shorter hair than him but they shared the same brown curls, they sported the same thick beard, and their eyes were practically identical. And when he smiled at me, he even had the same lines that crinkled around them just like Walter’s.

“You must be Fiona,” he said, his voice surprising me with the thick southern accent.

“I am.” I held out my hand and he shook it. “You must be one of the Texas cousins, right?”

He laughed. “Yes, ma’am. I’m Sy. It’s nice to finally meet you,” he said. “Walter ain’t much of a talker but I knew you had to be something special because he won’t shut up about you anytime we do talk.”

I smiled. “I hope he doesn’t bore you too much.”

He shook his head as he let go of my hand. “Not at all. I’m happy for him,” he said. “And I appreciate y’all letting me visit. I know it was last minute but I hadn’t been planning on coming this way until my flights got mixed up heading back from vacation and I ended up here. Then my layover got extended until later tonight and I figured if I didn’t come by now, it’d be a while before I got the chance to again.”

“Of course. I’m excited to meet you. Walt has already met a lot of my family but Faye is the only one from his that I’ve gotten to meet in person so far. I’ve spoken to his parents and Charlie on the phone a few times but that’s it. So it’s nice to put a face to a name now.”

“Same,” he said. “Although, for me it’s putting your voice to your face because Walt sent me your picture not long after y’all started dating. Told me he was going to marry you.”

“Stop,” Walter ordered as I laughed.

“What? You don’t want her to know how love sick you are?” Sy teased. Walter gave him a stern look but Sy just grinned at him before clapping his hand on his shoulder. “I bet you wished you’d ignored my call earlier, huh?”

“I can still send you back to the airport,” Walter said.

Sy laughed. “Yeah but you won’t.”

“You have far too much faith in that.”

“If you do, I’ll call your momma and tell her what you did.”

Walter crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ll call Mum and tattle on me?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Like we’re twelve again?”

Sy gave another laugh and nodded. “Yep. Just like that. I ain’t got no shame about it.”

“You don’t have shame about anything.”

I saw Sy’s face do the same frowning-smile that I’d seen Walter do before. “You’re not wrong.”

“I rarely am,” Walt said

“Can we go inside? I’m freezing and I want a milkshake,” Faye said.

Sy laughed. “That makes sense. You’re cold, so let’s drink something frozen.”

“It makes as much sense as drinking coffee when it’s hot outside. It’s like a hundred degrees in Iraq in the summertime and you were there for ten years, did you not drink coffee at all in the summer?”

“Coffee is what keeps people alive. It’s different.”

“And milkshakes are what makes being alive worth it.”

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I can’t really disagree with you on that one, kiddo,” he said. “So let’s go get us a milkshake.”

“Banana and peanut butter?” she asked, looking up at him.

“You and your daddy can keep that one for yourselves. I’ll take chocolate.”

Walter grabbed my hand and gave it a light squeeze before he began walking towards the diner, leading me with him. I turned and pressed a quick kiss to his shoulder and before I could move my head, he kissed the top of it.

Once we were inside, we didn’t have to wait long for a table. Walter and I sat together and Sy sat next to Faye. She borrowed a pen from me and flipped her paper placemat over and started doodling on it. “You said you were coming back from vacation,” she said to Sy. “Where did you go?”

“I went to Florida with some of my old army buddies.”

“Was it fun?”

“It was alright. They seemed to enjoy it,” he said. “Me personally? I’ve seen enough sand in my lifetime, I don’t have any desire to ever set foot on it again.”

“Are you still in the army?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I retired a few years ago. I felt like I needed to be closer to home,” he said. “I’m a firefighter now.”

I smiled. “Did you and Walter ever consider jobs that weren’t superheroes?”

He laughed. “There was a minute where I thought I might want to be a chef, but that was it. I was stuck on being in the army since I was a little kid. As a matter of a fact, when Walt and his family would come visit us, me and him would usually be out in the woods playing army men or SWAT team. It didn’t surprise anyone when we both ended up going that way with our careers.”

“Walt went on his first SWAT raid since we’d been together last week and I was a nervous wreck until he called me and told me he was safe after it was over. I don’t know how your families handled you both being in dangerous fields like that.”

“We put them through a lot, that’s for sure,” Sy said.

“You longer than me,” Walter pointed out. “I’ve stayed relatively safe in homicide. You jumped out of the frying pan into the fire with your job change. Quite literally.”

“I did but you know I couldn’t have done anything else. I mean, can you imagine me in a suit every day going into an office and selling…insurance or something?” Sy shook his head. “There’s not a lot of civilian jobs that would’ve worked for me,” he said. “Same for you. If you left homicide right now, tell me that you could take a job where you didn’t have a gun on you twenty-four-seven.”

“You know I couldn’t.”

“Exactly,” he said. “Coming home didn’t have nothing to do with being safer or not putting my life on the line for other people. It just meant doing it closer to my family. I get to see them more. I don’t miss out on stuff like I used to. And if I die doing this, they don’t have to wait for a casket to be sent home so they can bury me.”

“That’s depressing,” Faye said, looking at him.

“But it’s the truth.” He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair. “We won’t talk about it anymore, though,” he said. “Tell me what’s been going on with you? How’s school?”

“It’s…meh.”

“I heard it was a little more than ‘meh’. I heard you broke a boy’s finger a few weeks ago.”

Faye looked at Walter. “Dad, you told him?”

“Did I tell him that my daughter stood up for herself when a boy put his hands on her? Yes.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because he was proud,” Sy answered for him. “In our day, girls were taught that if boys were mean to her it meant he liked her. The moment your daddy found out you were going to be a girl, he was determined to make sure you knew that wasn’t true and you knew how to take up for yourself. Not just as a kid but when you get older, too.”

“Especially when you get older. It doesn’t get better, it’s just different,” Walter said. “Because no matter the age, men are -”

“Pigs, yes,” Faye said, shaking her head. “I know.”

“He’s right. And he should know all about it,” Sy said to her. “Because cops are pigs, too.”

I didn’t mean to laugh but I couldn’t help the snort that came out. Walter looked at me. “Really?” he asked, with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized.

“If they call cops pigs, what do they call firefighters?” Faye asked Sy.

“Heroes.”

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing that time. Walter watched my face and shook his head at me before looking back to Sy. “You’re paying for this meal,” he said. “And I’m getting pie afterwards.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

I liked having dinner with Sy. He and Walter playfully bickered throughout the whole meal and it was nice to see Walt joking around with someone. And Sy wasn’t intimidated. Even when I thought Walter may have said something that crossed the line, Sy would just laugh and dish it right back. They clearly loved each other, even though it didn’t necessarily always sound like it.

After we ate, Walter and Faye went to the front of the diner to look at the dessert case and I stayed with Sy. “You’re good for him,” he said. “I haven’t seen him this happy since…well, I don’t know when. But it’s been a long time, that’s for sure.”

I smiled. “He makes me happy, too.”

“I wouldn’t say this in front of Faye but Walt never had with Angie what y’all seem to have,” he said. “I know he loved her at the time but that’s not always enough.”

“Despite what the Beatles say?” I joked.

He laughed. “Yes, ma’am. You need love but love isn’t all you need,” he said. He was quiet for a moment but I could see it was because he was thinking so I waited. “He told me how you said you were proud of him. Proud of what he does, who he is.”

I felt a little taken aback that he would mention that but I nodded. “I am. I’m incredibly proud of him.”

“See…you’ve got to understand that Walt doesn’t hear that much. He never has. His father is the typical Englishman and keeps all his emotions buttoned up. He didn’t brag on him or Charlie ever. Not out of meanness but just ‘cause that’s how he was raised. And his mother, my aunt, she’s sweet and she made sure Walt and Charlie knew she loved them but it was still done with her husband’s English mentality of only a few words,” he said.

“Then when he met Angie, she never liked him being a part of SWAT. She wanted him to change to something less dangerous. He held his ground until she had Faye and then he changed over to being a detective, but it still wasn’t what she wanted.” He let out a breath. “The point is…he’s always tried hard and it’s never really been acknowledged. At this point, he does it because that’s just who he is. He runs himself into the ground to do his job. And you are the first person who’s just flat out told him you’re proud of him like that.”

I remembered the night I’d told Walter how proud I was of him and he’d cried. I’d just thought he was exhausted but hearing Sy talk about it brought a new light to it. Especially knowing it had meant enough for him to tell Sy about it. “I’ll make it a point to tell him more often then.”

“Whether you know it or not, that man takes everything you say to heart. The amount of times we talk and he says, ‘Fiona said this’, ‘Fi said that’, is more than I can count, honestly. And I don’t have a problem with it. Because everything he tells me is something good. I just…I know he’s not great at opening up so I know he probably hasn’t told you what it meant to him but…it meant a lot.”

“Thank you for telling me,” I said. “I’m glad he has you to talk to.”

“I’m glad I’ve got him, too,” he said as Walt and Faye began walking back towards us. Sy shook his head at me. “Just don’t tell him I told you that. Far as he knows, I only like to call and agitate him.”

I smiled then mimed zipping my lips. “I won’t say a word about it.”

We stayed at the diner probably longer than the staff would normally be happy about but despite Walter’s quiet, introverted nature, Sy was loud and outgoing and made friends with our waitress fast. He explained the situation about catching up with family while killing time - two birds with one stone, he said - and the woman, who looked old enough to be his grandmother, told him to take all the time he needed. For every ‘sweetheart’ and ‘honey’ she called him, he flashed her a grin and made sure to use all of his manners. I could hear Walter quietly groaning at his antics, but I found it fascinating. They looked so much alike and were clearly close but they were so different from one another.

When we finally left the diner, it was dark out. The already cold air had grown almost frigid and even with my coat on, I was shivering. So we didn’t linger with goodbyes. Faye gave Sy a hug, then huddled next to Walter for warmth. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. Sy turned to me then.

“You alright with a hug or is it too soon?” he asked.

I smiled. “No, I’m alright with it. I feel like I’ve known you longer than four hours.”

“It feels like six at least, right?” he joked.

I laughed and nodded. “At least, yeah.” He opened his arms and pulled me into a big bear hug and I noticed that he ran warm just like Walter. I hadn’t realized that ‘human space heater’ was an inheritable trait until then. “It was really nice meeting you, Sy. If you were going to get stuck somewhere with a delayed flight, I’m glad you got stuck with us.”

“It was good meeting you, too,” he said. He released me from our hug and took a step back. “And I definitely could’ve gotten stuck somewhere worse. Like the airport Quiznos.”

“That would have been much worse,” I agreed with a laugh. “Next time you’ll have to come back on purpose and we can cook for you at the house instead of you paying for us to eat out.”

“That sounds like a deal.” He looked at Walter then tilted his head towards the truck. “We better mosey on down to the airport.”

Walter gave Faye a hug, then gave me a kiss goodbye, then he watched the two of us get into the car and leave the parking lot. Once we got home, Faye and I both changed into pajamas then made hot chocolate to drink while we watched a show about baking fails in the living room while we waited for Walter to come home. But she fell asleep about half an hour into it. I did my best to make her comfortable there, carefully placing a pillow under her head and covering her up with a blanket and tucking her in. Then I made sure the doors were locked and sent Walter a text telling him that I was getting ready for bed and to try to be quiet as he came in because Faye was asleep on the couch.

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I went to our bedroom. I saw Walter Bear in his bag and I took him out, spraying him with some of the real Walter’s cologne, then put him on his side of the bed before turning out the lights and laying down. I had a hard time sleeping on my own anymore so I was awake when Walt came home. He was trying to be quiet but he was so heavy that his boots made a clomping sound as he came down the hall towards our room. He carefully pushed the cracked door open, allowing himself inside before closing it completely.

“Hey,” I whispered to him.

He froze by the bed. “Hey,” he whispered back. “Did I wake you?”

“No. I was too lazy to get my weighted blanket and without it or you, I can’t sleep,” I said. “Did Sy get on his flight okay?”

“Yeah. Thank you for letting him join us, by the way. I know it wasn’t what we had planned for this evening.”

“We were planning on having dinner with Faye to celebrate your weekend off, that’s what we did. We just had an extra guest,” I said. “One, who, is quite entertaining, by the way.”

My eyes had adjusted to the dark and I watched him shake his head as he walked to his dresser. “Don’t ever tell him that. He will take it and run.”

I smiled. “I like him. He’s nice. And really funny. I loved the stories he told about you two as teenagers.”

He groaned as he began emptying his pockets. “He embellishes things, by the way. Not all of those were true,” he said. “But he liked you, too. Though you are far more likable, so that makes sense.”

“So I have his seal of approval?”

He turned towards me as he pulled his sweater over his head, followed by his t-shirt, then tossed them in the clothes hamper. “You do.”

“Did you really tell him that you were going to marry me after we met?”

He let out a sigh as he kicked off his boots. Then he unbuckled his jeans and tugged them off. “Not that soon but…yes, I told him that I wanted to marry you fairly early on,” he said. “Does that bother you?”

“Bother me? No. I think it’s sweet.”

He came to the bed and pulled the covers back but stopped short of climbing in beside me. I didn’t know why until he held up my teddy bear. “And who is this?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

I smiled as I took it from him. “This is Walter Bear,” I said. “Faye made him for me today.”

He looked confused as he finally lay down beside me. “She made you a stuffed animal version of me?”

“Yeah, because I call you ‘bear’,” I said. “It was really sweet of her. They’re not cheap. So I’m tasking you with somehow funneling money from me back to her without her knowing that I’m paying for it.”

He laughed and shook his head. “No you’re not.”

“She paid for it with her own money.”

“And I will give her an extra allowance or something but you’re not paying for a gift that she gave you.”

“I can bring her extra cookies home.”

He did his frowny thought face as he squinted. “You could bring me extra cookies home and I’ll funnel the money.”

I laughed. “You’re easily bought, mister.”

“Only by you, Miss Sparks.”

I reached out and put my hand on his cheek. “When we get married, are you still going to call me Miss Sparks or will you call me Mrs. Marshall?”

“You still want to marry me?” he asked, his voice quiet.

I smiled and nodded. “You’re the only man I’ve ever wanted to marry.” I brushed my thumb against his skin softly. “Most girls dream about their weddings - my cousin Mel even had this big binder full of things that she ripped out of magazines that she wanted for hers - but I never did that. I never pictured myself in that position,” I said. “Even now, I don’t think in terms of a big wedding. I don’t see colors or a cake or a reception. I see you and me. Exchanging rings, or having a first dance, but that’s it. Everything else is hazy and in the background. The only thing I see clearly is…you.”

He was quiet for a moment then softly nodded his head against his pillow. “I see you clearly, too, Fi.”

#Henry Cavill #Henry Cavill fan fiction #Walter Marshall #Walter Marshall fan fiction #Night Hunter #Night Hunter fan fiction #Nomis #Nomis fan fiction #Detective Walter Marshall #Detective Walter Marshall fan fiction #Come Home to Me

193 notes · View notes

ellethespaceunicorn-masterlist · 8 months

Text

Touch and Go Masterlist

Rating: Explicit, 18+, Minors - DNI

Pairing: Walter Marshall x Detective!Female!Reader

Series Summary: What happens when a touch-starved detective who isn’t well-versed in human interaction meets their match?

Dividers by: @firefly-graphics

Support/Reblog banner by me

Cover Art by me

Parts: (possibly ongoing)

A Detective's Romance

The Morning After

My Masterlist

42 notes · View notes

musubiki · 9 months

Note

m34th: please guard the ball against witches

lime: okay *brings his hot witch gf*

SHDHFJFJ CASUAL LIME ACTIVITIES

#HE REALLY DOESNT GIVE A SINGLE FUCK HUH #them: report any suspicious/magic activity #lime: ok. *reports sulluvan as soon as he shows up trying to get mochi to dance with him*#i wonder how many people know at that point #probably marshal and lime bribes him into helping him cover for mochi #lime: can you just mark her as a mistake on your magic detecting device during your shift anf ill give you 20 res potions #marshal: done.

31 notes · View notes

ellethespaceunicorn · 9 months

Text

Touch and Go: A Detective's Romance

Rating: Explicit, 18+, Minors - DNI

Pairing: Walter Marshall x Detective!Female!Reader

Fandom: Night Hunter

Word Count: 3.3K

Summary: What happens when a touch-starved detective who isn’t well-versed in human interaction meets their match?

Warnings: touch starvation, awkward conversation, unprotected p-in-v sex, creampie, crying during sex

A/N: It’s apparently winter in this story, damn Minnesota weather. Honestly, I was watching the movie while writing so it ended up being snowy. Unbeta’d, we die like people who tried their best.

Dividers by: @firefly-graphics

Support/Reblog banner by me

Cover Art by me

My Masterlist

It’s not like you never noticed your fellow officer. Of course, your attention has been pulled to Detective Walter Marshall once or twice, or several times throughout your time working together. Damn, ok the man was a presence. His very existence should have a warning label on it.

Not that he’s a bad person. Far from it, in fact. You thought the world of him. Not that you’d admit it, but you found his grumpiness endearing. His monosyllabic responses to questions made it a bit hard to get to know him. You weren’t exactly an open book yourself. But you forced yourself to try and get to know him.

You didn’t make it a habit to get to know people very often. You had trust issues, and rightfully so after what your ex-partner left you with. A broken heart and a fractured view of your self-worth. You hadn’t even let anyone touch you in so long. A handshake here or there, maybe a pat on the shoulder but nothing more.

And now here you were, a touch-starved mess who had grown to be a bit more than interested in another detective. You wanted to make him smile and that was a foreign feeling to you. So, you started with an olive branch.

Asking if he wanted a coffee on your way to the break room. After the fifth time, he relents, requesting a cup of black coffee with three sugars. While you’re there, you pick up a granola bar from the cabinet. Handing him the paper cup of coffee, you also pull the treat from your back pocket and toss it on his desk.

He tilts his head like a giant puppy at the snack.

“Humor me and eat something. I’m curious if you’re eating enough if I’m being honest.” You bite your bottom lip unconsciously, and the beginnings of a smile appear on his face as he rips open the bar and takes a bite.

Chewing slowly and staring at you, he seems to look right through to your soul. You look down at your feet to break eye contact and he clears his throat, getting your attention back.

“You know, I actually love food. I love to cook almost every night.” As the words come out of his mouth, it’s like they’re fighting their way out. As if each syllable is a punch to the gut.

“I love food, too. But I hate cooking,” You suddenly had a very dry throat, so you sip a bit of coffee before speaking again, “I’m not inviting myself over or anything, but if you’d be up for it sometime...I, uh...yeah.” You look everywhere but him as you trail off.

“Yeah, that’d be nice. I normally eat alone. Be nice to have someone...there...to eat with.” It’s like speaking makes him physically nauseous, the way his jaw tenses like that.

“Well, I’m free most nights, so...just let me know.” You move to turn and leave his office, but he stops you with an offering.

“You wouldn’t happen to be free tonight?” He’s even surprised by his question but plays it off by folding his hands on his desk and maintaining eye contact.

“Yes. I’m free.” You know you sound desperate but at this point, this is the most contact you’ve had with the man since you’ve been here so who cares? Well, you do, but you can worry about that later.

“Good. Yeah. So, uh, I guess come and grab me when you’re ready to go. You can follow me to my place. Sound good?”

“Yeah, that sounds great. Um, I’m gonna leave so I don’t say something embarrassing. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I just—”

Walter cuts you off, saving you from yourself. “Don’t do this a lot?”

“No, I don’t. Been a long time and I don’t want to fuck this up, ya know? Not that playing it cool was ever my style. Why start now, right?” You surprise Walter by laughing at your self-deprecating joke and he follows suit.

The little duck of his head doesn’t stop you from seeing the way his eyes crinkle at the corners. When he picks his head up again, a broad smile is painted on that normally glum face. If you had 1% less control over your face, you would have drooled.

This man should smile more.

And you know you hate being told to put on a smile but fuck, his face was made for it. You realize you’re still looking at him and a faint rose-tinted blush dusts across his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

You should not be allowed to be that adorable.

“What?” Walter’s question brings you back to where you just said that sentence out loud.

“I think I just called you adorable. So, I’m gonna see myself out and try not to throw myself into traffic on the way to my desk. I’ll be back when I’ve calmed my brain down a bit.” You wave awkwardly and exit his office before you can notice the smile inching back over his features.

You spend the next two and a half hours hoping you didn’t make a complete ass out of yourself in front of the only man you’ve talked to in the last few months that wasn’t a delivery driver or your boss. The only person who you’ve talked to for more than a few minutes about something other than work.

When 5:30 p.m. comes around, you gather your things and drag your feet to Walter’s office. He’s already standing, putting away some files in his desk drawer, looking up when he hears your polite throat clearing.

“How do you feel about Spaghetti Bolognese? I have a recipe from Jamie Oliver that I’ve been meaning to try out.” He says, putting on his parka and moving toward you where you stand in his doorway.

“Um, pasta is life. Pasta with meat sauce? Even better.” You brighten at the mention of a familiar dish, your previous nerves all but forgotten.

“Great. Shall I help you with your coat?” He hinted once he realized you weren’t moving toward the exit.

“Uh, yeah. Thank you.” You set down your purse and handed over your fluffy overcoat.

Walter holds it out for you as you back your arms into the sleeves. As it comes to rest on your shoulders comfortably, his hands smooth over the fabric that covers your forearms, your hands ending up in his for a moment.

You freeze at the sudden contact but if Walter notices, he doesn't make a big deal out of it. He just squeezes your hand quickly and hands you your purse so you can walk out together. You are grateful to be among the stragglers leaving the office so that you don’t draw too much attention.

Walter walks you to your car and has you put in his address to your GPS, ‘just in case you get lost’ he jests before heading to his truck. As you watch him walk away, one thought comes to your mind.

Is this a date?

You park behind Walter’s truck in his driveway, climb out of your car, and crunch through the snow behind him. In your clumsy state, your foot slips, and strong arms catch you so that you don’t completely bust your ass on the unforgiving ice below.

This time when he touches your arms, you are beyond grateful to be able to pull yourself upright again. Once you’re stable, Walter keeps one of your hands in his until you make it to his front door. He lets you walk in first, turning on the light to the short hallway after you chuckle in the darkness.

Walter takes your coat and hangs it up with his, your wet boots left by the door. Walking into the kitchen, he pulls out a bottle of red wine and two glasses. Opening the wine, he pours each glass and brings them out to where you are standing in the living room. Handing you a glass, he raises his own.

“Shall we toast to something?” Walter smiles softly, expectantly waiting for you to suggest what to salute.

“To...being pleasantly surprised that you still wanted to cook for me despite every awkward moment I’ve had since earlier today. You are a gentleman and a scholar and I'm gonna shut my mouth and drink this wine before I just...keep talking.” You cringe inwardly before looking back up at Walter.

He is watching you with rapt fascination, a slow smile forming. “Let’s toast to practicing human interaction. I’d say we could both use some assistance in that area. We’ll help each other, deal?”

“Deal.” You tap your glass to his and take a sip of the now-aerated wine. Your cheeks warm at the blackberry finish of the cabernet sauvignon.

Maybe there is something to the whole liquid courage thing.

Dinner turned out lovely. You were pleasantly surprised that Walter could cook. There were moments watching him cook where he didn’t have to measure things, or he added a little extra of this or that. He didn’t use a recipe while making the garlic toast like it’s a staple of his repertoire or something.

Sitting on his couch with your feet tucked up under you, you look around the living room at the lack of family photos or little touches that scream Walter Marshall. Not that you would have any idea of what those little touches would be. It just doesn’t feel like a home. It feels like a house, just a house that someone lives in.

When he comes back to the couch with freshly poured wine, you accept your glass with a smile, and he returns it.

“It is a Friday night. We are enjoying our second bottle of wine. You made me a delicious dinner. And I still can’t figure out if this is a date, Walter.” You fiddled with the glass in your hand, looking into it as if the answer was inside the wine.

Walter’s thumb and forefinger on your chin have you looking up at his face. “I’ve used almost every excuse to touch you tonight. I kept talking to you earlier when you thought you’d lost me. I feed off your awkwardness because you say what’s on your mind without a filter. I’m not exactly one to speak a lot but I enjoy talking to you. Because you make me feel like I’m not alone.”

Unshed tears gather at the corner of your eyes. You swallow the lump in your throat, clearing it loudly before you speak. “Can you tell I’m touch-starved because you are too?”

At his quiet nod, you take his wine glass and set both of your glasses on the coffee table. You lean forward, your elbows on your knees. He watches as you have a silent moment with yourself, going over different scenarios before you reach a consensus with yourself. You look back up to him and your face softens.

Reaching out your hand, you intertwine your fingers in his curls. As he turns his head to push it further into your hand, his breathing picks up. He grabs your fingers as they migrate to his jawline.

“I want...I need more than this. I'd like to say I could wait, but all I can think about is kissing you until you can barely breathe.” Walter forces the words out, his breathing in time with yours. Erratic.

You climb into his lap, one hand still in his, the other hand fisting his wool jumper. “Then kiss me until I can barely breathe. Fuck breathing. I just need you.”

No sooner are the words out of your mouth, than Walter’s lips are on yours. It’s like he was starving and the breath from your lungs was the only meal he’d had in weeks. You could feel his hunger as he licked the seam of your lips, letting him in was the only option.

As your tongues fought for dominance, he took the lead in a way you couldn’t ignore. His arms wrapped around you, pulling your torso flush to his. You felt so small yet so special as he held you. So new yet so treasured as you broke the kiss and rested your forehead against his to calm your nerves and catch your breath.

A moment passes between you where you both just breathe. Until you lean your head back, locking eyes with Walter again, and you nod. He understands your non-verbal request, picking you up and walking toward his bedroom. Kicking the door behind him, he lays you down in bed and gets to work undressing you.

You lift your hips as he pulls your jeans and underwear down your legs. You remove your top and bra, and he watches as your body is exposed to him. He stands to make quick work of his jumper, and you salivate at the sight of his hardness through his boxers when his jeans are pushed down his legs. His hefty dick springs up against his abdomen as his boxers are removed.

Your hands roam over his hairy chest as he climbs onto the bed. With a hand under each knee, he pushes your legs back as far as they will go. He admires the shiny wetness that your pussy leaks. Shifting closer, he pushes the head of his dick through your folds and groans.

He looks up into your eyes and asks silently if he can continue. When you nod, he enters you and your body accepts him fully. Allowing you to get adjusted to his size, he wraps your legs around his waist and pulls out until just the tip remains inside you before he slams back into you. This time you both groan, you at the fullness, him at the tight squeeze.

“Fuck, you feel amazing. But please, keep moving.” Your words are all he needed to begin an all-out assault on your cunt.

If it had been a while for him, you’d be none the wiser with the stamina this man possessed. He held your legs open while he fucked into you. He allowed you to just take it as he did most of the work. You could hardly keep up with his thrusts as you melted beneath him.

“You’re so fucking close, just let go for me. I can feel you squeezing my fucking cock. Be a good girl and come for me.” While he whispered in your ear, he ground his pelvis into you to stimulate your clit and G-spot at the same time.

When your resolve finally breaks, you try and hide your face in Walter’s neck to no avail. He tangles a hand in your hair and pulls you back so he can watch your orgasm play out on your face.

“Don’t hide from me when I’m making you come. I want to watch you fall apart under my hands. You are so fucking gorgeous when you come for me, girl.” He talks as you come down from your orgasm and the warmth that spreads over your body is palpable.

“Thank you,” You blurt out before you can stop yourself.

Walter all but runs with it. “Fuck yes, you fucking thank me for your orgasm. That’s my good girl.” He pulls out, turning you on your side and sliding in behind you. Entering you again, he reaches a hand around to play with your clit. Circling your nub, then flicking it to keep you stimulated enough to come all over his fingers.

You come for a second time within a few minutes, and he fucks you through it. Your words are clipped while you try to thank him once more and it just comes out as breathy whispers.

Your moans are music to his ears and he pistons in and out of you. As your walls massage his cock, he starts to falter in his movements. You reach back to grab his hand, lacing your fingers together before pulling your hands to your chest.

Getting the message, Walter wraps his other arm around you to pull you even more impossibly close to him. He slows down his pace, dragging out your moans as he unhurriedly moves inside you. He leans into your ear and speaks softly.

“You have no idea how much I needed this. How much I wanted you. I didn’t know how to talk to you. Fuck, you feel amazing. Need you every day, girl. Just like this, wrapped up in you. I won’t last much longer. So perfect.” He babbles near the end, whimpering your name. He latches onto your neck as he stills inside you.

His teeth nip at you and his tongue soothes your skin as you feel his cock twitch and paint your walls with his spend. You can hear him groan in your ear as his arms hold you tight. You haven’t felt this safe in someone’s arms since you were little. You don’t notice you’re crying until Walter wipes away the tears that fall down your face.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“If you’re about to apologize for crying in front of me, please don’t. You deserve to express your emotions no matter who is around. Least of all, me.” He places a kiss on your neck, attempting to soothe you.

“Fair. I haven’t been held or even touched in so long and it’s a little embarrassing that my first reaction is to cry.” You sniff, rolling your eyes at yourself.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I know that’s easier said than done. But trust me, we just experienced some intense sex. And it was emotional for both of us. Trust me. Can’t you feel how fucking hard I am still inside you?” He moves his hips just slightly and is rewarded with a shiver going down your spine.

“Walter...please.” You let your whimpers be heard and you get what you want.

He moves to his knees while keeping you on your side. He pushes your leg up to a 90-degree angle and leans forward to fuck into you. The sound of slapping flesh fills the room as well as Walter’s grunts as he buries himself deeper inside you than before.

“I’m gonna...please, don’t stop!” You reach up to hold his cheek in one hand and he shuts his eyes at the contact. When they open again, his pupils are blown wide.

“Not stopping until you come again for me, girl.” The hand on his cheek migrates to his forehead to wipe away sweat-slick curls from his brow.

“Come with me, Walter!”

“Ugh, fuck!”

The hold you have on your orgasm falters and your walls flutter around him, his hands curl around your thigh as his hips pound into you one last time. As his cock spurts inside you, your cunt continues to milk him until he softens and is released from your hold on him.

He collapses next to you, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you close. You reach an arm across his chest and settle in to catch your breath. Looking up one last time to Walter’s face, you’re pleasantly surprised to see a smile on his normally grumpy face. His eyes are closed, and you feel at peace knowing you are the cause of that serene expression.

“Stay with me tonight.” You’re startled by his words, but you can’t deny the smile that crosses your face.

Leaning up to kiss his stubbled neck, you revel in the grunt that follows. “Good night, Walter.”

You feel him kiss the top of your head, nosing at your hair. “Night.”

You fall asleep with your hand in his chest hair, your legs tangled together. You are held, you are safe, and you couldn’t be happier. Talking about what all this means could wait until the morning. For now, you bask in the feeling of warmth that this man and this moment give you.

Touch and Go: The Morning After

A/N: Shout out to @sillyrabbit81 for her Detective Grumpypants Spotify playlist which helped me so much in writing this.

**Tag List**

@brattymum96 @ambinxe @avengersfan25 @kebabgirl67 @thabiddie23 @astheskycries @enchantedbytomandhenry @rebelangel1102 @peyton-warren @geralts-yenn @raccoon-eyed-rebel

Let me know if you wanna be added (or removed) 😁

335 notes · View notes