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#im going to scream put some RESPECT ON MY GIRLS NAME
I KEEP GETTING RECOMMENDED SO MANY DRAMIONE TWEETS HELP
I don't understand where they're all cOMING FROOMM why do they all HATE ASTORIA WHAT DID MY GIRL DO TO YALL BFFR LEAVE HER ALONE 🗣🗣
#i barely even use twitter man#but i keep getting them pushed towards me WHY#if you ship dramione then good for you idc‼️but i did not ask for all these tweets and why are half of them allergic to respecting astoria😭#the amount of dramione shippers who make astoria an arranged marriage who dies after giving birth and never mention her again is just 💀💀#im going to scream put some RESPECT ON MY GIRLS NAME#if youre gonna include scorpius in the fic or headcanon or whatever THE ONLY THING I WILL ACCEPT IS THEY HAD A LOVING MEANINGFUL MARRIAGE#‼️WHICH THEY DID‼️#and then she dies like canon 🙄🙄 and draco spends ages grieving BUT ALWAYS KEEPS ASTORIA IN THE PICTYRE TALKS ABOUT HER THINKS ABOUT HER#ESPECIALLH AROUND SCORPIUS THAT IS HIS WHOLE MUM OKAY#SHE IS THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE#and then 🙄🙄 i guess 🙄🙄 hes allowed to heal and move on BUT HE STILL BETTER KNOW SHE IS THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE AND SHE WILL BE MENTIONED AT#EVERY POSSIBLE MOMENT 🤺🤺🤺🤺#i saw one tweet which was like omg arranged marriage astoria she dies rught after giving birth and then HERMIONE SATRTS BABYSITTING!!! 😝😍#AND THEN SCORPIUS CALLS HER MAMA 🤭🤭🤭 AND DRACOS LIKE OMG SO TRUE SHE BASICALLY IS HIS MOTHERR#when i tell you i felt so much rage#AND ASTORIA WAS NOT MENTIONED AT ALL SINCE THE FIRST PART OF ARRANGED MARRIAGE GAVE BIRTH DIED LIKE EXCUSE ME#SHUT UP????????#im still mad can you tell#the treatment of women in hp both canon and fanon tbh is my roman empire i will never not be thinking about it#it makes me so so angry#and all the replies to it were like omg so cute 🥺🥺🥺🥺 hermiones his mum now!#dracos in love now!! 🥺🥺🥺#shut the FUCK UP#i know a lot of it is caused by the fact we know jackshit about astoria because her treatment in canon is not much better but plz 😭😭#yall made the marauders fandom outta nothing and you cant use a little imagination to make sure astoria isnt just a FUCKING INCUBATOR??#astoria greengrass you deserve so much better babygirl#astoria greengrass#hpcc#im scared to tag draco malfoy the stans might come for me#i am so god awfully sorry about the amount of tags here oh my days
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inahallucination · 9 months
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famous au but um dumb
@cowboylexapro
if the poets were on social media and famous this is what they'd be known for
(age somewhere between 19-21)
todd
tumblr blog name: toad.anderson
ao3 name: toad.writes
he's technically anon but not rlly
sexiest tumblr account known to man - he's a fanfic writer and an au poster with some occasional og stuff that floods his inbox with asks begging him to publish his og work too - what fandom does he write for? all of them.
his bf proof reads them all even if he's never been in the fandom
he writes fics for his friends when they get famous
in between his novel worthy fanfics are shitty fics of his friends
his followers get rlly confused
he wrote a neil x reader fic until straight girls started claiming it and he took it down becuz the reader was him
todd on his blog: guyss… im so sorry but im taking the neil x reader fic down… im sorry if i offend anyone but the reader was me ❤️ not you - i don't like you all claiming it
after taking down the x reader, he does a neil x oc but the oc is him but with green eyes
neil, after the oc gets described: todd the only person im seeing is u tho 😦 and u have blue eyes
eventually his relationship with famous tiktoker neil perry gets revealed and ppl realize he's not just an obsessed fan
after neil says the thing blog: toad.anderson: guys my real name is todd anderson everyone: omg we wouldve never guessed
after neil and him go public and ppl dont believe that neil is gay he alternates between seething and writing neil fics and taking joy from neil's confusion
todd points out comments that are obviously thirsting over neil and neil still doesn't realize he's being thirsted over
"neil be the father of my children!" "oh i think they meant that in a godfather type way"
todd, at a breaking point, suggests that neil and him post a kissing video but neil doesnt wanna be one of those shawn camilla couples - respect
what if he posted them kissing but he made a historians will call them bestfriends joke but then ppl did🧍‍♂️
"my bestie and I 🤩 " "NEIL PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THINK UR SERIOUS"
//
neil
tiktok name: neilliard.at.julliard
accidentally tiktok famous for pretty face, charming personality, acting abilities - the theater kids had a claim over him orignially but he's pretty mainstream now
comment section full of old grandmas trying to set him up with their granddaughters
everyones dream bf until he posted about his own bf
neil: my boyfie has a big tumblr and he writes a lot and he really likes frogs and he is also blond and heres his address
hes kinda oblivious about everything
"you want a close up of my collar bones? why ?"
reading comment "'show your abs?' its nice you think i have abs! only my boyfriend can see those tho 😉 "
the comments go wild
people are stitching it screaming for different reasons
all his fans r screaming into pillows bc HES TAKEN NOOO
people are trying to figure out who this mans boyfie is
"he has a boyfriend??" "he's been straightbaiting us!" "NOO HE'S TAKEN" "IS UR BF AS HOT AS U" "look at the way his eyes lit up when he said bf i love love" "this video shows an aspect of society that-"
"tell us about ur bf" and he makes a week worth of videos but its all random stuff
"my bf looks pretty in blue" "my bf likes to put salt and pepper on his fries" "my bf has hair"
the straightbaiting comments come after him posting about pride and having a pride flag in the background of his videos <- they say things like "he's such a good ally"
people attack others in the comments who ask him if hes queer "NO NEIL ISNT GAY NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE GAY HE COULD JUST BE A REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY FRUITY STRAIGHT GUY WHO LIKES GIRLS"
"are you gay neil???" -> "not everything has to be gay ppl can just be allys and btw by assuming every ally is gay, ur actually hurting the movement!!!" -> "i asked becuz he said he wanted to kiss his boy best friend on the lips in highschool" -> "he meant it heterosexual-ly"
someone asks him what his type is and he describes todd to the t and they think he likes a short haired blonde
"he likes girls in sweat pants not skirts" "his type isnt ppl in skirts" -- neil would love todd in a skirt but thats not the point
his type: "he's really shy, gorgeous, short dirty blonde hair, uhhhh, really smart, and So much more :))"
he could say my boyfriend is a man who i am dating because i am gay and they would still try to straight-ify him
a grainy video gets leaked of a short haired blond guy jumping into his arms and ppl say things like "its just a girl with short hair"
todd hate writes a neil x male reader fic
he asks his friends for help and they post todd's face everywhere on his recording set
he makes a video like "meet my toddy"
in the video todd says he's a boy and he's todd and he's neil boyfriend 3485757 times and neil is like "omg babe i love u too <33" becuz he doesnt Understand
some ppl r still in denial or think he's bi w/ a preference for girls
straight girls like him becuz he has a pretty face and a general respect for women
during prom season, he gets dmed a lot of websites for buying prom tickets
"don't worry guys! i know i said my high school time was rough, but i actually did go to prom with my bf!!"
//
charlie
twitter name: therealalpha
most popular podcast name: daltons intercourse
joke/bait account ppl took seriously
The Alpha that other alpha posters bow to
says stuff like "SIGMA MALES KISS ALPHAS ON THE MOUTH TO ASSURT DOMINANCE"
the twitter alphas buy into him so bad he's making podcasts and doign interviews and he has no clue how tf he got here but he's riding the high
he advocates for being alpha via kissing ur homies
when he gets famous he begs todd to write a fic about him
todd agrees pretty easily tbh
"ARE YOU EVEN AN ALPHA MALE IF PPL AREN'T WRITING GAY FICS ABOUT YOU"
charlie posts things like "no homo" "only the real make out with their homies" over those black and white pics of muscle-y dudes w/ no context after the neil video he posts "he homo" over one of them w/ no context
at first ppl try to attack him but then theyre like wtf is going on here and realize he's trolling the alpha community
when no one realizes neil is actually gay he makes a podcast episode talking about how he thinks neil is gay gay homosexual gay - he's holding a cigar and wearing a tight hawaiian unbuttoned shirt like "lets talk about this gay gay theater gay boykisser man"
made by @cowboylexapro
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//
pitts
youtube name: gerdoesstuff
joint youtube name: idkman
homework help and crafts videos youtuber - relaxed vibes only here to be calm
he gives study and concentration tips and encourages ppl to seek help and companionship and not suffer alone
he paints mugs and looks for bugs
he was on charlie's podcast and they discussed the alpha-ness of making pottery
todd wrote a pitts x reader fic becuz ppl begged him to
pitts printed it out and framed it and put it in his filming set up
he's a regular on meeks podcast too btw and meeks is a regular on his
but when meeks is around things explode so
he has a second channel with meeks where they do silly experiments
theyre posting schedule is non-existent and they also do streams but they never tell you so their viewers just have to hope and find out
knox and him are planning on making a movie review channel but its still not fully thought out so
he makes couple mugs for todd and neil when neil asks for help
he wakes up at 2 am and sends todd prompts
anytime he learns a fun fact he sends it to todd on the off chance todd may need it for a story at some point in his life
anytime he reads anything he's like damn neil will love to act like this character and lets him know about it
he sends charlie alpha podcasters to make fun of
at some point he exposes cam's shitty handwriting for the giggles
knox
instagram name: knoxious.ur.mom.ious
he posted a short on his instagram talking about how he just learned hair grows from the head and not the bottom and blew up for being a dummy - he doesn't know whats going on but he's having a blast
he stirs up drama but on accident
he was on pitts youtube before
out of everyone here he's the only one not making content he's just vibing
eventually he ends up posting background footage of everyone doing dumb shit
when it comes out theyre friends ppl stalk his instagram to find more proof
after that he starts to stir drama but more consciously
hmm what else - idk he's just chilling, getting called out for being dumb and watching his friends do dumb stuff
oh wait when he makes that short about the hair a bunch of commentary channels post about it and he takes it like a badge of honor
cameron
instagram name: cam.studies
pinterest name: cam.studies
one of those aesthetic studying accounts on insta and pinterest - takes nice shots of his homework and his pen collections and his study desk
except its only for the pics his handwriting is atrocious - he has like one page or paragraph of pretty handwriting to post and the rest is scribbled chaos - his pens are never organized by color, theyre just thrown in a box, and his desk is filled with papers and books and never looks clean but its fine he's just here for clout
he ends up sponsoring and reviewing businesses that make those cute study supplies so now he has a hoard - or at least he did until his friends started taking them
he groaned about the cam.studies x {random ass ppl} fics todd wrote but he thinks theyre funny and has them bookmarked
he went on charlie's podcast and the two argued for half of it and then explained how as two alphas they would settle their differences by kissing
his friends help him angle his aesthetic shots at cafes and shit
he got exposed eventually as a fake becuz ppl (cough) posted his real notes which were messy and disorganized
but he played it off as a commentary about how the internet is fake and got more sponsorships
he judges todd and neil but is eating popcorn at the front seat of the drama
meeks
podcast name: chameleon hotel
youtube channel name: idkman
meeks makes a podcast for very stupid intricate crimes. he has a cult following of bisexuals
its stuff like drama over a tree being taken down
"the locals even called their beloved tree 'ole alvin'"
charlie: todd write a meeks x ole alvin fic
he has standards, so he does
he went on charlie's podcast and convinced ppl that being with other men allowed u to suck in their alpha-ness and become the ultimate alpha
but generally he just makes his little silly videos and makes cryptic posts about the neil todd drama
has a joint channel w/ pitts
is up to date with the neil thing and is the one to send neil updates
he tries to convince neil to act out his podcasts (with a lot of success lmao)
he tries to convince todd to write fics based on his podcasts (also with a lot of success)
as payback for the ole alvin x meeks fic he convinces todd (very easily) to write a bunch of dumb charlie fics and todd agrees becuz he has standards
no one actually knows that the poets know each other
they eventually post a group photo
"we need to cancel neil perry for being friends with an alpha podcast guy" "nah thats just charlie"
"yall know hes bi, right?"
"he literally has a podcast about how sucking dick as a man makes u the ultimate alpha male"
it does explain why charlie's alpha podcast go from tiktok actor, tumblr fanfic writer, instagram study blog, fellow podcaster, hw help tiktoker in between his satire of normal alpha tiktokers
half of these things are like copy and pasted from our conversation btw so dont blame me for them
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catoslvt · 9 months
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Gally (tmr) x Reader
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You were the first person to come up. It starts with a girl and ends with a girl.
Not together.
I stand with furrowed eyebrows as I watch gally stand and laugh with everyone.
Out of an entire maze with forty-four gladers, it's safe to say I only hate one.
Gally.
But I don't actually hate him, I actually really love him, but for some unknown reason, we act as if we're sworn enemies, but we both know that's not true.
But today, our forty fourth glader came up, so I suppose I should act happy with everyone.
As I slowly approach the group, I watch as Gally quickly realises I'm approaching and straightens his posture and crosses his arms, he always does this and I'm not sure why, I normally just put it down to me being the leader here.
"Hey guys, has anyone seen the new greenie?" I quiz and everyone shakes their head.
"Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on him?" Gally asks as he raises an eyebrow at me.
"I thought Alby was, but he's clearly here." I say as I motion to Alby, who's stood with Clint and Jeff as they both advise him to stop drinking, usually at the bonfire for the new greenie, alby doesn't drink, but when we hit the forty mark he stopped caring, realising that we're probably not getting out of here any time soon.
Suddenly, my attention is snapped to screaming coming from the deadheads, and I take off in a sprint towards the screaming as it actually sounds terrifying, but I let out a groan of annoyance when I realise its just Minho and Ben pranking the greenie, who stands doubled over with a heart over his chest.
"We're having a meeting first thing tomorrow." I tell them all as I point at them before I walk back to the party and Newt and I shush everyone.
"So guys, after something that just happened there, I've decided that we'll be having a meeting tomorrow morning first thing after breakfast, which is perfect because us runners have the day off tomorrow." I announce, and everyone groans and sighs, but Gally just sort of stares at me with a proud smile. Normally, I'd beg Alby to do the meeting announcements, but then I thought why should I?
I was the first person here, so people should respect me.
As I stand in front of everyone, I clear my throat.
"So, I'd like to clarify that there will be no scaring of the Greenies until they're used to the glade and have remembered their names." I say to everyone, and the new greenie nods. He hasn't remembered his name yet, but I'm assuming he'll figure it out by the end of today.
"But how? That isn't fair." Frankie complains and I motion around the room which is full of people.
"You have tons of other people to scare, but scaring the newcomers isn't fair. Don't want them dying of a heart attack before they've even remembered their names, right?" I ask, which earns a wave of laughter from more than half of the room, but the other guys just groan, the sexist guys.
"Why should I be taking orders from a girl?" One spits, I'm not looking at their faces so I don't know who.
"Because im the first in command?" I say confused.
"And what did Alby have to say about this?" Freddie, frankies possible twin brother by how alike they look ask and I turn to them and just shrug.
"I don't give two shucks about what alby thought, I'm the leader here. I don't need to run past my rules to anyone apart from myself." I state, and they both just scoff.
"Yeah, they put a girl in charge and were still stuck in the maze. Maybe they should put Alby in charge. We'd get out of here much faster." Frankie growls, and everyone turns to him almost in shock.
"Okay, frankie, how would you feel if you were the leader here? You had all these responsibilities thrown on you, half of the things you don't even understand? How would you feel if you had to juggle being a runner and being in command? You couldn't handle one day in my shoes, so just slim it." I warn and they both laugh.
"Go ahead, put me in charge. We don't need some useless girl like you in charge. Makes sense on why there's forty-three of us and only one of you." He then adds and that's when I lose it.
"I said slim it, one more word out of either of you, and it'll be three days in the slammer with no food." I threaten, pointing a finger stern at them.
"She's losing the soon she's threatening us how scary." Freddie cries and I throw my hands up in anger.
"You know what? If you think it's so easy being first in command, then you can take my job. I don't shucking want it." I spit before I push through the group of boys and leave the meeting hut, walking towards the deadheads.
Once I found my usual spot where I sit to clear my mind, I hear footsteps approaching, and I expect to year either frankie or Freddie continuing the argument, but instead I hear newt let out a little laugh.
"You will not believe what gally done back there." He ushers as he sits next to me, and I look at him and raise my eyebrows.
"Hm? What did he do?" I ask and he laughs again.
"He punched both of them, but you weren't there to punish him, and Alby and I pretended we didn't see it, so he can't get punished." Newt says, and I let out a laugh.
"Did he say anything before he hit them?" I gasp, my stomach filling with butterflies at the thought of gally someone for me.
"He said,'Will you two just shuck off and leave her alone? She doesn't deserve any of your cruel comments she does everything for everyone, and you two do nothing. One day, when we get out of here, you'll realise how much we need y/n.' And then he just punched both of them and stormed out." Newt explains and my eyes widen.
"I should thank him. Where did he go?" I exclaim and Newt thinks for a second.
"Towards the builders area." Newt answers.
"Great! Thanks, newt." I happily gasp before I jump up and begin running towards where the builders work, quickly slowing my running speed to a normal walking pace when I see gally throwing bricks at the ground.
"Gally." I say as I slowly approach him, and he drops the bricks and stares at me.
"How long do I have in the slammer?" He grumbles, and I shake my head.
"You're not going in the slammer gally, I didn't see it, and Alby and Newt both turned a blind eye to it, so technically, it didn't happen." I say and he just nods.
"So gally, why did you do it? I mean, I thought you'd be on their side with how much you hate me." I then ask and he just stares at me.
"You know I don't hate you, and they had no right to say those things, I mean, we've survived this long because of you, we'd be nothing without you, and I could see that you were getting really annoyed. You shouldn't let those shanks get to you. They're just annoyed that you're the leader, and they're not." Gally says as he tries his best to give me a comforting smile.
"But what if I don't want to be in command anymore? I just want to be me." I say with a small frown.
"Then who would be in charge y/n? You're the best leader we could've asked for." Gally pushes and I shake my head.
"You're only saying that because I'm here in front of you, all the other times I was near you, you acted as if you didn't want me there gally, you're only saying all of this to get out of being put in the slammer." I tell him as I shake my head and he furrows his eyebrows as he steps closer to me.
"Y/n, I don't hate you." He tells me, and I just scoff.
"So what's with all of the glares? All of the mean comments?" I quiz, and he grabs my face and looks deep into my eyes, his stare sensing shivers down my spine.
"We both know the answer to that." He states and I shake my head.
"No, gally, I don't. I've never understood why you hate me, I've asked newt, but he doesn't know either, so why me? Why do you hate me." I exclaim, extremely frustrated and gally doesn't say anything, and instead, he leans in and kisses me, taking me by surprise, but I kiss back anyway my hands making their way around his neck as I pull him closer than ever, as close as we've ever been.
"That's why I acted as if I hated you y/n, because deep down I loved you, but I didn't want any of the other boys to know incase they got you before I did." Gally complains, and I stare at him, extremely confused. Before it hits me, gally would've been jealous.
"You should've just told me gally!" I exclaim as I then hit one of his shoulders out of pure outrage that he never told me.
"I didn't know you felt the same way. You returned the hatred feeling." Gally complains, and I let out a quiet chuckle.
"I was trying to make the feeling mutual." I argue, and he smiles.
"God, you're such a shank." He tells me before he kisses me again, my smile widening against his lips.
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cosmocup1d · 1 month
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Note : The reader is a child between 6-7 years old, blood, dead bodies, OOC Characters, Change the canon plot
Part 2
Whoo! 🥳my first one piece fanfic
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It was loud
It was so so loud
[Name] cough as she ran around didn't know where to go but she needs to find her dad, She felt tears in her eyes but quickly wipe them away with the back of her hand after all she's going to be marine to make her daddy proud. She smiled as she wipes her tears she can't wait to tell her daddy that she went to marine Ford all by herself! She then turn and the sight making her instantly sick
Blood
Blood was everywhere
But the thing that made her sick there was dead bodies everywhere; to many to count
[Name]cover her mouth so that she wouldn't puke, she's going to be a marine anyway she has to get use to dead bodies. She took a deep breath before running making sure to not step over the dead bodies out of respect
She then trip making me cry out in surprise as she fell down. She cough some more and sat up as she looks down seeing a dead making her scream and crawl away "I-im so sorry mr!" She cried out as she stood up and grabbing the dead Marines coat and putting it over his head as she bowede respectfully
She then turn around and started running trying to see or hear her dad. The said dad was busy fighting of the other pirates and trying to kill Portgas D. ace "ADMIRAL SAKAZUKI!!" A marine cried out "Do they really think they could escape!? There're fools" The said admiral scoff as he activate his devil fruit
"LOOK OUT! IT'S AKAINU!" A pirate cried out "You free ace then turn tail and run eh? The Whitebeard pirates are a pack of cowards" Akainu said as he continues "But considering who your leader isis, that's no surprise Whitebeard is a loser from a bygone area" He finish making ace stop "ACE!" Luffy cried out "A loser huh?" Ace mutter making akainu look at him. The two then begins to bicker making ace more and more furious as the other shouted at ace to stop and come back
"Ace!" Luffy gasp out as he fell down to his knees "luffy! You've reach your limit!" Jinbe said walking over to the boy "Hey... Ace's vivre card..." Luffy reach down at the vivre card unknowingly that akainu was ready to kill him with his magma fist. Luffy looks up seeing akainu magma covered fist heading his way
It happen so fast ace covered Luffy but then someone covered ace
Akainu eyes widen seeing poppy as his fist goes thru her stomach making every look at them with shock and horror "I-i found you daddy!" The little girl gasp out as akainu pulls out his magma arm and reverting it to normal. The other pirates grabs luffy and ace who were stand in shock then dragging them to the ship
Akainu felt his throat close up as he catches poppy who was about to fell down tot he ground "A-are you proud of me d-daddy?... I.. I made it here all by myself..." The girl cough out makibg akainu cradle her and standing up "DOCTOR! ANYONE! CALL A GODDAMN DOCTOR" Akainu order out as Marines scramble to find a doctor "Please don't yell daddy...." [Name] whined out making akainu shut his mouth
Akainu looks down seeing his daughter bleeding in his arms with a hole thru her stomach that he made 'I'm sorry I'm so sorry sorry!' He wanted to say but he couldn't form any words as poppy smiled weekly "D-don't be angry dadddy... It's was my fault.. I-" Poppy was cut off by her fought out blood making akainu panic as he wipes the blood off "I-i was in the way" She finish
"Where is the patient!" A voice said as akainu rush to the voice seeing adoctor, he then lower his arms making the doctor gasp out of shock "I... I'm... I'm so sorry admiral" The doctor bowed his head "The hell you mean 'I'm so sorry'!? Help my daughter!" Akainu snaps at the doctor "I can't help her! Even if I did she would die! All of her organs burnt!" The doctor felt tears in his eyes the girl was so young so innocent
Akainu shuts his mouth as he breath heavily before running "Don't worry we'll get you a doctor" He mutter to his daughter which made her smile "Daddy?..." [Name]mutter "Yes?" Akainu hummed "w-why is it getting dark?" She ask making akainu run faster he didn't know where was he going but he'll run around until he see a doctor or medic
"Daddy please I'm scared.." [Name] cried as she grips his red jacket "it's gonna be alright baby you're going to be alright" Akainu gave a kiss on her forehead while patting her head "Daddy why do I feel cold?" [Name] ask again "Daddy... Please help... I-i don't wanna go!" She cried making akainu grip her tiny body in his arms
She continues to let out sobs and cries making akainu fought hard against his tears as he tries to assure his daughter that she'll be safe and healthy but he knew what's gonna happen but just ignore it "Daddy... I'm sorry... I-i shouldn't have come here... I wanna make you feel proud because I was brave... I'm sorry for all the times that I distracted you from work"
Please don't
"I'm sorry if I accidentally drawn on your document"
I like your drawings
"I'm sorry that I broke your vase"
I never like the vase
"I'm sorry for being loud"
I love hearing your voice
"I'm sorry that I wasn't good enough"
You were perfect
[Name] smiled "Thank you for everything... Daddy" She close her eyes as her hand goes limp her body getting cold
It was quiet
It was so so quiet
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harryssslytherin · 8 months
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Halls of Illusions | J. Crane
Arkham stored the worst of the worst, batshit crazies and the ones who were just a menace to society. Especially the newest member of the nuthouse, Circe. Shes been in the asylum for now six months. Waiting for her release, that will never come.
Two strong guards opened the door to see the nut job on the ground, scratching with her fingers through the marks she made since she was thrown in the place. The two men scuffed as they heard her talk to herself in tongues.
“Get up, your shrink is arriving.” One of them said but Circe put up her shaky finger showing them to give her minute as she still speaks to herself. “Its your turn.” One of the men kicked her to knock it off and the other picked her up and dragged her away. She starts kicking so the other grabbed her legs and carried her.
Doctor Jonathan Crane scans through the files of his new patient that has been admitted to Arkham, and now just noticed. There was nothing, no name besides Circe, no address, no date of birth, nothing. As if she was created from thin air. He passes the screaming and begging of patients he admitted, making his way to the closed, windowless room. He watches the new patient trying to fight off the toughest and strongest guards in the hospital, screaming at them as they cuffed her to the table for Cranes safety. The boney woman hunched down, yet for being in here for six months, her hair looks too healthy and was unrealistically strong to fight back with their best stronger guards.
“All yours Dr. Crane.” The nurse smiles as the look on his face was in shocked. “Enjoy.” Crane fixed his tie and head inside to see the guards behind the woman and the woman’s hair all over her face.
“I would like to be with my patient, alone.” The two mumbled words and headed out. He noticed that one of them had blood dripping from his eye. “Im Doctor Jonathan Crane. Just call me Doctor Crane.” He sits down and waits for a response but nothing. “Circe, correct?” She hums. Okay, that’s something. “Like the god?”
“Im no man. Gods.” She snickered.
“What about last name?” He ignores her comment, he wanted to finish this meeting and just to be alone.
“What is that?” Jonathan pulls out his journal and starts to scribble down.
“Another name for you, like mine is Crane. Jonathan Crane.” Nothing. He sighs, this is going to be a pain in the ass. “Where are you from?”
“Somewhere.”
“Wheres somewhere?”
“Not from here.” Circe didn’t pick up her head, her hands cuffed to the table, in a awkward position.
“Why are you here?” He scans the file again but it wasn’t clear, meaning all it said was use of force, which is more of a police problem than his.
“Because using a sword on a man isn’t the right way to handle things.” Sword? Crane writes that he needs to see this supposed weapon next. “But your kind isn’t the best at being respectful.”
“My kind?”
“Men.” Great, Crane is in a room with a psycho who wields a sword and hates men. New one for the list. “I need to leave.”
“You and everyone who is here. Its not going to happen.” Circle finally picks up her head, hair slowly moving away from her face. Crane can see the bone structure, hate to say it but she looked like a goddess, sculpted by gods. She was almost too perfect. Not saying that she was perfect, but the way she was… no words can describe. Yes there are fairly good pretty girls out in Gotham but Circe took the lead. It was almost she wasn’t real. Like she wasn’t supposed be here.
“What can I do to change your mind, doctor?”
“How about you start from the beginning and tell me everything about yourself.” Circe scuffs.
“I will never trust a petty man.” Crane writes in his journal
HATES men
“You’re going to have to if you want to get out of this place.” Circe leans back on her chair. Her knees touching her chest as her bare feet had enough of the cold tile floor. He looks at her hands as they tapped on the metal table. Some were broken, short and some extremely long and sharp.
“I rather sacrifice my life than to say my life story to you.”
“Well I guess you stay here.”
“You have no idea what you are getting into.”
“Thats why I am here, sadly.”
“You’ll regret for keeping me here.”
“Don’t get too carried away with your thoughts on leaving. This is just the beginning Circe.” Crane snapped back as he had no patience to deal with her. Circe took this to heart. Her nose flared and her eyes widen. She snaps off the cuffs off her and Crane immediately calls for the guards, who rushed in and tackled her. Circe wickedly smiles at the doctor from the ground.
“I guess Ill see you again Doctor Crane.” She shouted as they took her back to dark holding cell.
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amalia-uwu · 11 months
Text
A New Friend
(¡REWRITTEN!)
An Undertale/ Horrortale fanfic
Undertale belongs to Toby Fox
Horrortale by Sour Apple Studios @horrortalecomic
Fanfictions by me
I don't own undertale or horrortale. The rights go to the respective owners! This stroy is for entertainment. If there is an issue please let me know in the asks or a messages or comments. Enjoy!
Warning ⚠️ : angst, horror, injuries, blood, death, angst, pain, major character death, description of violence, amputation. (tell me if you need me to add anything else)
She was just having fun with him. When all of the sudden the smile was wiped out of her face just like the ground disappeared beneath her feet. She stretched her hand.
Her lover caught her but he didn't manage to lift her up to safety. Her hand slipped from his. She fell down. Her screaming piercing the sky.
“AAAAHHH!!”
He could only see her falling down to her demise. All that was left from her was her bracelet, in his hand. He looked at it too shocked to speak. When he did spoke, he called her name but noone answered back..
“MELIIINNNAAAAA!!!”
....
She rolled down the cavern. The sharp rocks scratching her skin.
She landed on buttercup flowers breaking her leg. She fractured it really bad. Her bone piercing her skin.
She screamed in agony her screaming echoing in the cave. Some light from above illuminated the dark cavern.
She just laid there on the flowers.
She breathed fast trying to calm herself down. Melina groaned and rubbed her head. Her glasses had landed a few inches from her. She started patting the ground in an attempt to find them.
She winced in pain she could feel that her leg was badly broken. "Dang it" she swore under her breath.
She heard movement. She froze. Who on actual Earth could be down here?
Flowey had seen her. He went to inform Aliza before Toriel could land her eyes in her.
Flowey climbed Aliza's shoulder amd said "Another human has fallen down"
Aliza took some medicine and said "lead the way"
...
Melina heard movement. She couldn't move.
Aliza walked and picked up the girl's brown glasses. Aliza then walked towards her. Melina was tensed "who is there?" her voice trembling.
"Im not going to hurt you I promise! I just want to give you your glasses is all!" a soft female voice was heard. The voice was of a young girl. Around the age of 12.
Melina was helped up her feet or foot by this new feminine figure.
"Thank you!" Melina spoke. Aliza offered her hand "My name is Aliza" the girl with the purple dress said. "My name is Melina" The woman with the blue dress said. (Its a dark blue dress with tiny soft blue flowers, a black silk belt) They shook hands.
Aliza explained "I'll help you, but you must stay out of trouble. Down here is eat or be eaten. Things haven't been the same since the human before me came.. I will introduce you to the skeleton brothers and we will help you! Just stay out of trouble!" her voice firm, strick yet soft.
Melina gulped but nodded. What kind of shit did she put herself into?
Melina attempted to walk but fell flat on her face. "Argh!" she whined.
Aliza turned back and looked down at her with sympathy.
She knelt and tenderly poured some of the liquid on her leg "This will help, i can't give you much but it will do for now it's magic medicine".
Melina thanked her. Even tho the fracture was healed. Her leg was wounded and in pain but she could walk. Limping buy she managed with their help.
Aliza went home and she talked the brothers.
Melina saw the brothers. She saw the taller skeleton Papyrus with his bloody sharp teeth and his shrunken eyes. She saw sans with this terrible head wound and that frightening bloody red eye..
Sans and Papyrus indeed listened to Aliza. The brothers took care of the new fallen human.
Her legs were sore, full of bruises and scratches. Her blue floral  dress slightly torn in the ends. She had lost her shoes during the fall which made walking even more difficult.
Sans and Papyrus found a place to hide her. Melina was afraid of them. Something about them just scared her to the bone. Sending shivers down her spine.
Aliza promised that she will be with her at all times. Aliza could understand her pain, fear, agony... She knew about pain, loneliness, sorrow sadness etc.
Aliza was quite content that she will have a new friend. It was quite weird that she was the only human in this hellish place.
Melina gave them something to eat and drink. [She had some snacks so she thought that by giving them to the brothers she will be safe. She gave and some to the other monsters]
Sans and Papyrus seeing the snacks seemed to have calmed down a little. Aliza reassured Melina that everything was under control. Well almost everything.
For a few days she stayed hidden mostly from Undyne and her guards. If she wanted to go out she was disguising herself, or she will give some sort of food and walk away..
For days the brothers tried to keep Melina's and Aliza's true nature hidden.
Days passed and her wounded leg had started rotting. There was this nasty bruise. Gangrene.
.....
Sans and Papyrus tried to control themselves. Melina smelled delicious and judging the fact she was chubby.. she must be juicy too. These thoughts drove them even more insane.
Aliza wasn't home. Melina's leg was getting worse and she couldn't walk properly.
Aliza offered her some spaghetti but Melina refused to eat it. She refused to eat her own kind. So Aliza left to find something edible for Melina, (plants, fruits, anything at this point would be nice).
Hunger became too much for the two brothers.
Melina had left some snacks for the bros. She then managed to crawl to a room and close the door. She leaned her back on the door. Taking deep breaths. She uncovered the bandage from her leg.
The snacks she left outside will distract them a little.
She looked at her leg a morbid thought on her mind.
Using the knife her lover gave her as a decorations gift she proceeded to....
cut her leg....
She had wrapped a piece of cloth around the case of the knife and bit it.
Then using the knife she cut her flesh little by little. She screamed tears if pain ran down her eyes.
Chocked sobs of pain caught up in her throat. She tore her flesh and muscle.
Then, when she reached the bone. She took a stone and she broke it. She screamed bloody murder.
She took deep breaths, to calm down her dizziness. She used a little bit of medicine to stop the bleeding.
Her severed leg laid there in front of her. Blood and flesh scattered around the place.
At this moment the door opened Sans and Papyrus entered in. The snacks weren't enough. Not to. Mentions probably they smelled the blood and flesh.
She threw some other snacks she had saved. The brothers were a little unimpressed. Seems these stuff weren't enough.
The skelebros tried hard.
"Wait... He-here are s-some more snacks. Eat th-them-m I saved them for you! Just f-for y-you"  Tears rolling down her eyes, she still didn't know how she had tears after the previous incident.
Melina trembled. 
"*i haven't eaten in years.. don't i deserve a bite?" He grabbed her her shoulder and bit into her thigh "HUMAN WE ARE HUNGRY. DON'T WE DESERVE A TREAT!" Papyrus asked behind her and bit her shoulder  hard.
Being eaten alive was never in her to-do list. She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"ALIZA!?! PLEASE!! HELP ME!
I AM NOT YOUR FOOD! YOU FUCKING LUNATICS!
I HAVE A SOUL JUST LIKE YOU!
ALIZA??
SAVE ME!"
This heartbreaking shriek kinda brought them out of their madness. She crawled herself to the door while crying. Her shoulder and thigh bleeding.
She crawled herself in a corner clenching her body and sobbing.
Aliza came home holding some stuff she found from Grillby's pantry. They weren't much. He heard her screaming. Melina managed to escape. She saw Aliza and dragged herself closer to her. She sobbed. Aliza stood between her and Sans.
"I TOLD YOU! WE ARE NOT FOOD! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T HURT HER!"
Melina had managed to crawl closer to Aliza and started sobbing in Aliza's purple dress. She looked down at her with sympathy. She saw herself in her.
The agony.
The fear.
The pain.
This emotions were known to her... She could understand her all too well..
She looked at them sternly "Promise.! Promise me! That you will not hurt her or me ever again!" her voice firm, judging by the tone of her voice she didn't pick up objections. She could still feel Melina's tears staining her dress.
The brothers looked at her guiltily. They apologized but Melina wasn't going near them. Not yet. She was shaking like a leaf in the wind.
Sans and Papyrus tried to heal her injuries slightly. She moved away but Aliza reassured her that everything will be okay,by putting her hand on her uninjured shoulder.
Melina looked at her and Aliza smiled.
Melina smiled back and relaxed. She allowed the brothers to touch her. Their magic stopped the bleeding, however she will have scars.
Heh I guess the scars are a small price to pay for staying alive.. "Th-thank you!" her voice and entire being still shaken from the events that happened before.
The brothers nodded "WE ARE SORRY.." Papyrus said softly.
Sans just looked at them and spoke in a soft whisper "im sorry.." then they left for a while.
They promised to Aliza that they will try will try to control themselves.
Aliza looked at them sternly piercing their souls. The brothers said "We promise. We will not hurt her or you.. We will try! You have the right to attack us if we attack, if we lose control."
Aliza took some snacks, the ones Melina had given her and gave them to the brothers. That did the trick soothing their hunger. Aliza took some food and gave it to Melina which she shared with Aliza "Thank you Aliza".
Aliza then noticed in the dim light Melina's leg "Wh-?.. Did.. "
Melina followed her gaze.
She replied calmly "Oh It began rotting anyway. I cut it. It's behind the door over there. You may cook it and give it to them. It's not like I need it anymore hehe.."
Bitterness in her voice. Aliza said nothing. She took care of the wounds and fixed a wooden leg to move around. Melina was once again grateful and thankful!
.........
Aliza knew that Melina wanted to leave. Aliza got used to it. It's been... months? Year? down here.
While Melina was just some weeks?. So she didn't blame her.
She said that she will try to help her leave. "I know you want to leave, i will help you! Melina.."
Melina wanted to leave indeed but something inside her felt pity. She said "I want to leave.. But I also want to help. There are two of us and with the brothers we might be able to help the monsters. I can't leave you down here alone... They probably think I'm dead up there anyway.. And besides.. you are my only friend down here. The only one who understands me.. Aliza.. I can't just leave you down here all alone.. So I will stay here and I will help you! " Melina empathized and Aliza smiled. They weren't alone.
(Days passed)
Someone betrayed them. Yes.. Someone couldn't keep their damned fucking mouth shut.. So he betrayed then..
One of the monsters named Treacher the Coyote, had sneaked on them and followed Aliza. She was just taking some food to the poor human (Melina). It was that moment they weren't wearing a disguise or anything.. Yeah... Luck wasn't with them that day..
This treacherous monster  informed Undyne.
"two humans you say eh? Hm it's time to pay a visit in this forsaken town.." she gathered her guards and prepared her way to Snowdin.
Undyne paid a visit to the city, "I was informed that there are 2 humans among us. You don't happen to know where they are? Hm.." she asked showing her sharp spear.
The monsters looked down. The skeleton brothers had hidden them and tried to play cool.
Treacher the Coyote pointed to the entrance that lead to the core, saying "You're majesty they are this way!"
Undyne looked at him and threw some coins and a pear at his feet. He looked at it. He picked it up. She left to meet the intruders "A deal is a deal!"
"that's not what we agreed!" Treacher protested.
Undyne gave him the look and pierced his arm and leg with her spears.
"Know your place little monster.. You don't wanna know what happens to those who dare to defy me, my orders and talk back to me!" She took her spear very close to his neck just under his chin.
Treacher gulped "y-yes y-your ma-majesty!" he stuttered. She slapped him and walked towards the entrance that lead to the core.
Sans and Papyrus teleported away. "shoot.. come on paps we gotta go, we can't let her find the girls".
He grabbed Papyrus hand and teleported.
As of Treacher Coyote.. The monsters didn't take this betrayal kindly... "What did the poor humans do to you? Asshole!" one of them said.
The bunny monster spoke next "They were trying to help us! Even that one new human offered some of her food to us trying to help us and you just give her.. Them.. away?!"
"They would have helped us...! You Gave them away!" Dogaressa clenched her teeth.
She grabbed him by the throat and they all followed her behind. "THIS IS THE  5th TIME YOU CAUSE PROBLEMS AND I AM DONE WITH YOU! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" she pushed him. He fell down "You messed up really bad this time now buddy..."
He was laying face up. He looked at the monsters. Their shadows all over him. An expression of fear in his eyes. He screamed.
"No!"
.......
Back to Undyne.
Undyne walked into the core. Her thunderous steps echoing on the metal floor. "Humans? I know you are here! Now come to Undyne so she can take care of you! Come on little piggies!"
Aliza and Melina looked at each other and hugged. Undyne's voice was heard yet again "So.. You wanna play hide and seek? That's okay! I can smell you! Humans... Come out! Come out! Wherever you are!" her steps echoing in the entire place. Her eyes looking left and right.
They held their breaths. Their hearts at their throats. Undyne's steps seemed to be very distant. They let out a sight of relief only for two blue spears to appear out of nowhere right in front of them!
They were found. They jolted and let out a shriek of surprises and fear.
She found them behind a rock. "So... Here is where you little freaks are hiding..? Huh..? Fuhuhuhu... Papyrus and his pathetic excuse of a brother thought they could hide you from me? FuHuhuhu.. You.. really thought you could hide from me? You really thought you could escape from me? How foolish of them.. How pathetic! How utterly ridiculous of them! Now... It will be quick.  I'll start with you (points to Aliza) !!" Melina pushed Aliza out of the way.
Undyne grabbed Melina's soul. She shrieked.
Aliza could only watch as her body was paralyzed by fear and shock. She covered her lips with her hand, eyes widen heart beating like crazy.
What was she supposed to do? "MELINA!? NO!!" her hand stretched in an attempt to take her away from Undyne...
Undyne took the spear close to her neck. Melina moved her head and the spear scratched her colar bone.
Aliza and Melina saw an army of flying spears around them. All, spears at their direction.
Undyne threw her spears towards them. They closed their eyes waiting for the inevitable.
The attacks never reached them.
Sans and Papyrus came to save the day. Sans used his blasters and Papyrus his bones. Papyrus blocked the spears and protected the girls.
Then Sans using his bones he hit Undyne. Undyne groaned in pain and surprise. She let Melina's soul go.
Melina fell down. Undyne started yelling at Sans "HOW. DARE. YOU.?! YOU USELESS BRAT!". Sans stopped for a moment red eye shining brighter than before. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
Papyrus checked the girls for any injuries. Nothing serious just scratches and bruises. He stood protectively in front of them. Melina and Aliza hugged each other.
Sans attempted to hit Undyne using his thigh bone. Undyne dodged every attack that was sent to her.
However.
Even luck has its limits.
Sans's attacks scratched her arms and chest.
Sans managed to hit her face /eyes with his blaster. She was pushed back by the force she held her face "You fucked up my face! My eyes! Asshole!"  she spat angrily.
"Oh sorry, I though your face was already fucked up! Heh an eye for an eye.. Undick.. Now we are tie" he teased but she could discern the bitterness in his voice. He had never forgotten her and Alphys's betrayal.
She yelled angrily "NNNAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!
Her senses were strong enough to keep up the fight.
She started attacking Sans. He tried to dodge as many attacks as possible. He run out of luck too cause now she was the one who eventually had him cornered.
Using her magic she was squeezing his ribs making it hard for him to breathe. He attempted to hit her with his thigh bone. She grabbed his hand and broke his wrist. Throwing his thigh bone away.
*CRACK*
Papyrus ran to assist his brother "BROTHER?!" He ran towards Undyne.
She grabbed him by the soul using magic and pushed him back slamming him in the wall.
His armor cracked. He stayed there not moving. The girls were horrified.
Sans thigh bone landed in front of the girls. Undyne turned her attention to Sans.
"YOU INSIGNIFICANT IMPECILE!  YOU STUPID USELESS GOOD FOR NOTHING SKELETON! I WILL DUST YOU!! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOUR PATHETIC ASS WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!" he felt his ribs cracking and blood running down his lips and nose. Melina looked at Sans's weapon.
She then looked at Undyne who had her back turned.
She looked at Aliza who looked back at her knowing exactly what she was thinking.
They nodded to each other. Melina kicked the piece of thigh bone towards him "SANS CATCH!".
Sans took it and slammed it on Undynes head. She gasped. He twisted it.
Melina looked at Aliza who had managed to crawl closer to Undyne.
Melina took the knife, the one her lover gave her as a gift. She threw it at Aliza "ALIZA CATCH!" Aliza caught it mid air and thrusted it into Undyne's neck.
Papyrus had come around and using his bones attack he pierced her chest and abdomen.
Undyne gasped and gargled blood running down her lips. She looked at them. An angry expression on her eyes. She clenched her teeth.. Yet she sighed accepting defeat "Well played.. Humans.. freaks.."
Undyne slumped and turned into dust. The crown she had on her head fell on the ground with a *clack* sound. The crown rolled and stoppe at their feet.
They sighed in relief. Aliza and  Melina hugged each other.
"It's over.. " Melina's voice echoed.
She took the crown and gave it to the skeleton brothers. "I believe this belongs to the two of you" she said and handed the crown to the bros.
Sans looked at it. And played with it. Was it really over?
Undyne had caused wounds they didn't know how to mend. They can try. They are not alone anymore.
They have each other.
They took each other's hands and walked out of the cavern. Sighing in relief. The cold wind caressed their bodies.
Papyrus told the people of Hotland and Snowdin that Undyne was no longer alive.
He moreover informed them that they will rebuild the core.
The people were hesitant. But agreed to try after all they had nothing to lose.
They helped Sans rebuild the core. He did it right. He prayed that it will work.
Melina went to the surface to assure that she was alive and she was sending food from above till the core was ready.
Once it was finished. Sans took back most of his magic back and  let a little bit of it in there.
Just a little spark.
The trees, power and sources returned to normal. It took some time. But this hellish nightmare slowly turned into a better place.
Happiness was slowly returning.
Sans was crowned the new King. Although he never felt like a King. He was more of a Judge. That's why he passed the crown to Papyrus. Although they agreed to share the ruling.
Their appearance started changing as well... They looked friendlier.
Melina kept visiting them. After all she couldn't leave her new friends.
Things became like before. Well almost. Things turned for the best.
It was a new chapter.
A new beginning.
The end! 😘
Thank you for reading!💜💙
Please let me know what you think!
Have a great day!
I rewrote this fic.
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Text
Don’t forget who you belong to (Draco x Reader)
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SUMMARY ➠ Draco and Y/n smut. But they are enemies to lovers
WARNINGS ➠ arguing, simp draco, dom!draco, fingering, nicknames
WORD COUNT ➠ 1,2k
request from: @hi-im-ash-lol
Your body swayed gently in the motions of the Hogwarts express as it ran over the tracks underneath it. All summer you were looking forward to finally get back home.
You sat with the Weasley twins in one compartment. The talked about new products for their shop. You looked out the window. It was rainy, and you followed the raindrops on the glass.
The compartment door parted, you looked up, and meet a pair of gray eyes.
“What do YOU want, Malfoy.” You said, turning back the window.
The Platinum haired boy in front of you was stroking his collar with his large hand, decorated with his silver house ring.
“I heard a rumor Lee got expelled,” he raised his eyebrows, looking around to see Lee absent. “Ah, so I see!” He said rather excitedly
Now Malfoy got also the attention from the twins they looked angry, but before they could say anything you snapped “Shut your mouth Malfoy.” while standing up in anger.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Y/L/N. You better put a muzzle on this one, Weasley.” Draco nodded towards you.
You gritted your teeth.,“Learn to keep your mouth shut Y/L/N if you know what’s good for you.” He eyed you up and down.
You stood up and grabbed his suit collar.
“Get. Out.” You seethed through your gritted teeth. He brushed your hand off his collar quickly and straightened his suit, wearing a smug smirk.
“This isn't over, baby. You too weaselbee.” He scrunched up his nose in disgust and left.
A couple of weeks of classes went steady. You quickly grew a strong distaste for Draco.
You sat in potions class and Snape had now put a new, and unlucky, seating arrangement into effect. You were now seated at a small table with Pansy, Draco and Blaise. Pansy sat beside you but talked all the time with Draco and Blaise.
You sat studying your notes, trying to ignore them.
“I can’t believe this. Now we have to sit on a table with Y/n, the one who can’t keep her mouth shut. Brilliant. I swear when my father hears about this.” Draco mocked and rolled his eyes, as Blaise and Pansy laughed.
Your grip around the book grew tighter.
“Hopefully they will learn fast, how to respect their suppiours.” Draco continued with an overdramatic tug to his collar.
“I hope you don’t mean yourself!” You said not looking up from your book.
“How dare you talk to me.” Draco scoffed. You furrowed your brows, feelings his eyes burn on you.
He reached over the table and grabbed a fist full of your ponytail, so you would meet his gaze.“Clearly.. You need some help keeping that mouth of yours shut, darling.” He said lowly, letting go of your hair and falling back to his seat.
You quickly fled the potion's classroom, not even bothering to be excused. You made your way to the girl's lavatory and gripped the sink.
You began to splash cold water on your face, ‘Snap out of it. Merlin Y/N. Fuck.’ You cursed yourself, trying to get a hold of the sudden emotions pulsing through you.
The girl's bathroom was abandoned as usual, you were all alone.
You made your way to the last stall and gently closed the door.
You slipped your soaking panties off from under your skirt and decided it would be best to at least have a release, maybe it would help clear your vision.
You ran your soft fingers down to your core and began slowly rubbing the bundle of nerves. All that went through your head was thoughts of the idiot blonde, you tried to bring your thoughts to more pure things. But your thoughts always floated back to Draco and how you wished his large hands would choke you till you couldn’t scream his name anymore. The knot released, leaving your own cum dripping down your thigh slightly. You had to have guessed you were probably almost late for divination by now, so you pulled your soaking panties up and made your way back to the sink to clean yourself up.
You bent a little over the sink to get a better look in the mirror.
At first, you didn’t notice that you weren’t any more alone.
Draco was staring up your skirt, noticing the wetness darken your panties, and eyes following down to your damp thighs, a smirk plastered on his face knowingly. You felt eyes on you, so you turned around and immediately froze.
He walked up to you and used his index finger to gently lift your chin up to his gaze. “Got nothing to say now, do you Y/N.” He said.
“I do believe, I still need to teach you a lesson. Give that pretty mouth something to do. Understand?” He whispered the last part into your ear darkly.
You nodded frantically, the pool in your panties already flooding again.
He grabbed a fist full of your hair roughly and slowly lowered you to the ground till you kneeled in front of him.
A quick jingle of a belt and buttons, and his trousers and underwear pooled at his feet. You looked up at him wide eyed, and he chuckled at your innocence.
“Go on, darling, get to work.” He purred as he brushed some hair out of your face. You wrapped your little hands at the base of his shaft and slowly brought the tip to your mouth, kitten licking the pre cum off the head.
You began to take him in inch by inch. Your little lips wrapped around his cock snugly as you bobbed your head up and down off him slowly.
You felt every vein and twitch as you closed your eyes. Draco had had enough of the slow teasing and wrapped his large hand around your neck, and the other was still tangled in your hair.
He brought your head down and back over his cock while he trusted his hips into your face relentlessly.
Tears were poring down your face, taking the rest of your makeup with them. Your spit was dripping off your chin, as you rubbed your thighs together for friction desperately.
“I think I need to teach you a lesson more often, don’t I, pretty girl?” Draco said in between groans.
You felt him twitch in your mouth before shooting streams of his hot seed down your throat, then releasing your head.
You gasped, trying to catch your breath as he cupped your pink cheeks.
“You’re mine now, Y/N.” He panted, kissing your forehead lightly, and wiping the tears off your face.
You gave him a sheepish smile, he turned around and left the room without another wort.
You sat down on the ground. Thinking about everything that just happened.
Divination could wait.
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anastasiaskarsgard · 3 years
Text
A/n;So someone asked for smut for the perfect girl that decides she’s gonna have some fun before she dies. I’m A bit rusty. TW: sex, cursing, choking, 18+ NSFW
If you wanna read the first part it’s called perfect problem and is the last thing I wrote on here and posted...
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“So where are we going?” Bethany asked as they got into some ridiculously expensive sports car. Adjusting her clothing and hair, she glanced over at Roman to find him just watching her.
Smirking his signature smirk, he turned the car on and raced out of the parking lot like he has stolen the car. “It’s a surprise.” Roman said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
“Eyes on the road Speed Racer! Ok well at least tell me what we are going to go do.” She whined.
“Nope. No can do princess. You’re just going to have to have a little faith.” He grinned.
“Your reputation doesn’t exactly inspire trust. No offense.” She felt bad as soon as she looked over. He looked almost sad. “I’m just giving you a hard time. I’m not serious.” She lied.
“I thought you were supposed to be smart...”
“Oh ho ho! Someone bounces back quick.”she jibed as she turned to look out the window. She wasn’t exactly familiar with the area so she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. There was trees, and then some houses, and then businesses so there’s no way to tell if they were going somewhere Residential or commercial.
Grabbing her phone to send out some emails, she wasn’t paying attention when she noticed the car had stopped. Looking up from her phone she made an incredulous face at Roman when she noticed that they were in front of a large mansion.
“Really?” She quipped.
“Hey Before you jump to conclusions, I’m just coming here to get into some more comfortable clothes. I can’t exactly have fun in a suit, now can I?” He got out of the car and walked around it to open her door. “You can look around or grab a drink or whatever you like while I change.”
Stepping out of The car, Bethany followed roman inside his home. “ not even gonna try that old give me a tour excuse?”
Scoffing, he shook his head no, and made a crossing motion over his heart. “Scouts honor.”
“What if that’s exactly what I wanted to do?” She breathed out as she made her best attempt at sexy. Licking her lips, and winking, she nearly cried out when all of a sudden he was only inches away from her. “You’re very fast. I hope that’s not true for everything though.”
Smirking, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Pulling back to look at his face, she bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, as he walked them up to his room. Seeing the insecurity creeping in, He kept an eye open to watch where he was going but smashed his mouth back into hers, in a passionate, breathtaking kiss. Completely losing herself, she was startled when he dropped her on the bed and crawled over her body, pressing himself into her, making his intentions clear.
Sitting up as he straddled her waist, he ripped his shirt off, sending buttons flying, before aggressively attacking her mouth once more. Her nails dug into his bare back and he groaned into her mouth, before kissing down her neck and onto her chest.
Abruptly, he jumped off her and stood over her a moment longer than she assumed it took to take off his pants, so she lifted her head, cocking a brow at him curiously.
“Dress off.” He ordered, his smile fading.
Smiling a Cheshire grin, she shook her head no and looked up at the ceiling. Not letting curiosity get the best of her, she refused to look at him when he huffed impatiently. Even when he had stormed out of the room, and returned a few minutes later, looming over her, she refused to award his bratty behavior.
“Please take your dress off.” He finally bit out.
For a moment She pondered denying him-- and in turn denying herself. But the fact remained, she wanted him, whether contrived or genuine, She did. And She was done not doing what She wanted.
“Stand up.” His voice shocked her out of her head and She found herself standing at the side of the bed. “Good girl.” He purred, his hand brushing her back as he walked behind her and She shivered, as she turned her head to look at him. “Head forward.”
She did so, waiting for him to come back into view and see how far he’d take this little game. When she heard the bed sheets move, she fought the urge to turn around until She felt his fingers on her back, drawing letters or shapes; she wasn’t sure. Roman hummed quietly, lulling her into a peaceful calm, when suddenly he pulled her back into him. He was sitting on the bed, his long legs slightly spread and he spun her around, and placed her straddling over his one naked leg. Somewhere, somehow He’d removed his pants.
Gently he traced up her chest and wrapped one hand in her hair, pulling her forward so he could kiss her neck. Surprisingly, he bit her ... hard. Instead of pain, her senses exploded, causing her to moan wantonly, as she ground her core against his bare thigh.
When his other hand slid down her stomach, She Was almost embarrassed by how wet she had become.
“Stay still…” He said playfully in her ear as he slipped his fingers past the lace covering his goal. Plunging them within her, coating his fingers with her wetness, He gazed into her eyes lustily, as he Brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean. “So ready for me.”
She nodded dumbly, lost in the sinful way his tongue worked around his fingers. Biting her lip, she must of looked pitiful, because Roman dropped character a moment to chuckle and move a piece of hair behind her ear affectionately. Almost lovingly.
Unfortunately she was way too far gone to contemplate what these gestures might mean. She wanted to fuck and she wanted those fingers to go back down there, but this was Roman Godfrey. The man Was unpredictable at best, and uncooperative the rest of the time.
Roman was a predator, and predators like to chase. As much as she wanted to just throw herself at him and demand to fuck her into oblivion, she Still had enough pride to play the game.
“I knew I was right.” He growled, Standing, releasing her hair, so he could wrap his hand around her throat. She grinned, not really caring what he meant. “Now, Im going to fuck you. I’m not going to be gentle, but I’m going to make sure you come so hard that you forget your fucking name.” He smirked cockily, still holding her by the throat. “I can see it in your eyes, that you’re a fucking freak under all that polite perfection. You’ve never fucked up or disappointed anyone ever. You’re loved and respected. Americas sweetheart.... I wonder what they’d all say if they saw you right now, ready to be my little fuck doll, cuz that’s exactly what you are.” Two of his fingers dragged across her cheek, Forcing their way in her mouth. She could taste herself on him and it made her nearly mad with need. She’d never been this turned on in her life. “You have the most perfect lips.” He said as he examined the way they wrapped around his fingers, “I’m going to put so many things in your mouth.”
She sucked briefly, before humming around his digits, lightly biting them. Swiftly, he removed them for a moment, before getting a mischievous look on his face and shoving them in as deep as he could, choking her slightly. Slightly panicked, she reached for his hand, but he just tsked and Tightened his grip on her throat, before ripping his fingers out of her mouth and plunging his tongue in their place.
She really needed to breathe, but eventhough she could feel her limbs growing weak, She didn’t fight him. Completely surrendering to the most arousing experience in her life.
“That’s why I’m going to keep you.” Before She could comment or recover, he removed her dress and threw her down on the bed, standing over her a moment to look her over.
He yanked her underwear down and dove two fingers into her roughly, making her arch her back. His expert fingers were moving faster and faster, getting her closer and closer to the edge of orgasm. It’d been a long time since a man made her orgasm, and she was certain, she’d never come close to this intensity. He reached down and pulled her up by the back of her neck, holding her against him like a rag doll, as he brought her closer. , his thumb brushed over her clit and She opened her mouth, trying not to scream. Her limbs started to shake, as her pelvis started thrusting into his hand, flailing about as Her vision began to blur. She closed her eyes tight, ready for the climax.
“Look at me. Look at who is making you feel this way,” he said seductively.
She breathed, looking into his gorgeous green eyes, as He quickened his pace again and added a third finger, making her buck, as she grabbed his rock hard erection, causing him to hiss, and roll on top of her.
“Patience.” He teased, pushing her legs apart. She looked in between his to see his cock standing hard and long against his stomach, a new need screamed within her, demanding him inside her right fucking now.
“What do you want?” He asked innocently, three fingers diving into her again. She closed her eyes from all the sensations, trying to get control, but she was past the point of pride now.
“Please--” She gasped. “Please.”
“Please what?” He pressed down on her clit and She wanted to kill him, but first had to fuck him. His other hand came down and pinched her nipple, twisting it and making her cry out.
“Fuck!” She screamed as he did the same to the other. “Fuck! Fuck me Roman! Fucking fuck me now or I’m going to kill you!”
He didn’t need to be told twice and She felt the large head of his cock against her entrance, before he just forced it inside her with one powerful thrust.
He was big and it took her body a moment to adjust to him, the burn slowly fading as he gave her a moment to breathe and relax herself to accommodate by far the largest cock she’d ever seen, let alone was inside of her.
Somehow it felt divine when he began to move again, and she moaned loudly, his body pressing down into her as he started to move his hips back and forth. She could feel him driving into her with solid, sure strokes as She clenched around him. His lips crashed into hers again as he pushed his hand under her ass and pulled her hips up, sitting back so he could move at a quicker pace. Setting her nerves on fire. Every inch of her body sang in extreme pleasure. His thrusts massaged her inner walls, the tension roaring through her, as he bottomed out and touched a place she’d never felt before, but the intensity made her screech.
She could feel the tell tale signs of an orgasm swelling through her but She held it back, making it feel sweeter and richer with each passing moment. His fingers dug into hips hard enough to break her bones as he closed his eyes, focusing on his own pleasure. His pace turned more erratic and She gripped him around his torso, desperately trying to hang on so they could both orgasm at the same time. Pulling him down and attempting to hide her face in his throat, he stopped and leaned back looking at her beautiful flushed face.
“Ah--ah-- ah--” He held still. “Look at me.”
She did, letting herself melt into his gaze as he started again, harder and faster than before. Noises came from her, she didn’t know She could make and his hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing possessively. Each thrust sent shockwaves through her until She was right back to nearly cumming.
“Please--” It took effort to speak through his grip, but She was so close, she didn’t care if she had to beg. “Please, I’m so close--”
“Tell me how badly you want it.” He ordered, his own breath ragged.
“I need it-- please! Please, Roman!” She screamed like a desperate, shameless whore, before she exploded, tightening around him as his grip turned to a vice around her neck and somehow the lack of oxygen intensified the sensory overload to a new height. She drowned in the relentless, all encompassing sensations, that lasted far longer than She thought possible-- causing herself to completely release control for the first time in her life.
As the shocks rocked through her, she felt him stiffen and press into her as deep as possible, spending himself inside her. She couldn’t help but trip out a little about being so full of him. She’d never allowed anyone to finish inside her before.
“You really are good at everything,” he said playfully, as he rubbed his nose along hers, and held her a moment, before pulling out, and flopping down beside her. Brushing his fingers along her tight stomach, and full breasts, he decided she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
His mother was going to fucking hate her...
Perfect.
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thicksimpx · 2 years
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Prologue| Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 | Ch13 | Ch14 | Ch15 | Ch16 |
Summary:  Leaving the soul society for “research” - desperately looking to find answers, anything that’ll help him take down the Spirit king.. that is until he meets “HER” - She has him enamored, desperate and most of all curious… there’s something about HER
"Sometimes we do bad things for the people we love. It doesn't mean it's right, it means love is more important"
Warnings : 18+ , mature content, mature language, possessiveness , stalking , murder/gore, rough penetration, creampies , fingering, masturbation, cam girl y/n, Lots of Psychology lessons 😂, violence, public sex, unrequited love.
Tuesday August 24th_ 7:30Am
(Aizen POV)
I'm so glad I invested in tints. Carefully I watched as a big breasted woman and three small children in unforms exited the home numbered 41 pine st. Is that you Tashawna? I continued to watch as she ushered the children into the same black BMW that was parked outside of Y/n's home. She looks a little older, maybe she's his mother. I tried to be rational. There was no way my sweet y/n would go for a married man.
Just then , Devante comes running out behind them grabbing the woman by the wrist and pulling her in for a hug. From her body language, she didn't seem to fond of him. He whispered something in here ear, tilted her chin up and kissed her. What a dog. I frown and snap a picture of the kiss they shared. Once they split he smacked her on the ass and the both got into the car driving off.
Reaching into my pocket I pulled out the small envelope and double checked to make sure the pictures of Devante and my sweet girl were in it. Of course not showing her face. I could never get her involved. Once confirmed, I waited another 20 minutes just to make sure they were gone and not coming back.
Slowly I got out of the car and crossed the street to their home. I walked up the few steps and peaked through a window incase they had a dog. I didn't see anything. Going to the door I reach my hand out to grab the door knob to turn it but it wouldn't budge.
"Who are you?" I turned around to see an elderly woman standing in the yard next door. Must be the neighbor.
Putting on my best smile I turned to her "Good morning ma'am I'm Matthew. Do you know if this family is home?"
"Why should I tell you?" She said in a sassy tone.
Annoyed, I decided it would be best to keep my composure so I continued to smile "Well I am from Child protective services, just to ask some questions"
"Oh great!" The elder woman spoke "Those children are angels. It's the couple that bothers me. I hear them yelling and screaming at each other all times of the night. They have no respect." She sighed taking a seat on her steps. "But no they aren't home. They drop their kids to school and then go to work. Sometimes I bring them back if they're late to get them when I pick up my granddaughter"
"I see. " pulling out my phone to check the time. Fuck. I have a class to teach at 10. Im loosing too much time talking to this hag. "Thank you so much. I hope you have a great day ..."
"Mary.. my name is Mary" she smiled.
"Well then. Have a great day Mary" I turned to leave. As soon as I exited the yard the smile on my face fell. I got into my car and resting my head on the wheel. SHIT. SHIT. SHIT! I couldn't deliver the envelop with that hag watching. Mission 1 failed. I sigh as I pull out of the space and drive to my next location. — (Y/n POV)
8:00am
Fuck!" you yelled, tumbling out of bed  while accidentally dragging the covers with you. You quickly turned around to throw it back onto the bed, and you realized Devante was nowhere to be seen, "Big dick bastard."  You mutter to your self in the mirror. Shrugging it off you look at the time picking up your phone you play music on your speaker taking your time.
"And I feel like sometimes I cry 'Cause I feel so good to be alive And there's not a doubt inside my mind That you're still here, right here by my side," You sing along with the music. You were going to Atleast be 30 minutes late but you didn't care yojr apartment was only 10 minutes from the campus. Besides, You only had one 3 hour class on Tuesday and Thursday. Once it was over you could do whatever the hell you wanted.
— Finally making it only 20 minutes late, You took a deep breath before pushing the door open, and sure enough, the first thing you saw were your classmates. The lecture hall was filled, surprisingly not a head was missing.
"Take a seat, I'll deal with you after class."
For the last two and a half hours of class you didn't process shit your professor said. senior seminar had to be your most boring class. You spent the class time texting your friend group chat with plans after class was over. As soon as it ended you slipped out with a group of students before he can see you and penalize you for being late. —
(Aizen POV)
Finally done with this lecture I hear a ping from my phone. Glancing at it, it's a Instagram notification about Y/n. She just posted a picture at the green lady. She was five familiar faces, two guys and three girls. She looks amazing. The six of them having brunch together.
She won't be home for a while and I'm done with classes for the day. I have some time before office hours start... maybe even enough time enjoy some coffee from the Green Lady. I smirk packing my things up and heading out.
Casually walking in from the corner of my eye I spot her. She was talking and laughing with her friends. Her smile is so beautiful. I picked a booth not to close but not far enough to not hear their conversation. I close my eyes until the waiter comes. Just listening to her speak is breath taking.
"Oh hello professor Aldridge!" Said a squeaky voice blocking out my sweet y/n. Ready to snap I open my eyes and internally groan.
"Hello Kelsey.. you work here I see" I say eyeing her revealing uniform
"Yup, what would you like?" She asked leaning a bit too close.
Clearly my throat I give her my order and she smiles brightly skipping to the back of the restaurant. I look in the direction y/n's table was. She's not there. Where did she go?! I internally panic a bit. When did she leave?
Annoyed I rest my head back and run my fingers through my hair. From my peripherals vision I see a group walking past out the window. It's her.  There she was, looking so ethereal and angelic, an effect furthered by the sunlight radiating upon her. I wish I could take a picture. Staring out the window I notice there was a slight problem. I grit my teeth . It's getting annoying seeing other men touch what's mine. One of the fuckers she was here with grabbed her and put an arm around her waist.
I need to know where she's going...
I stand up to leave.  I don't have time to waste. Unfortunately Kelsey comes back with my coffee. "Oh did you not want this any more Professor?" She ask in a baby voice. I want to slap this chick. Defeated I sit back down and take the coffee.
"I'll be right back with your food" she winks and skips away again. I feel sick. This fool is flirting with me. Some god must be punishing me. Putting my face in my hands all I can do is think about Her.
Don't worry...  I reassure myself taking a sip of the coffee. you'll see her later.
"This shit is disgusting" I say putting the cup down.
------
Thicksimpx© 2021. Do not copy, claim, modify or translate my work without my permission. thanks 😘
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keilemlucent · 4 years
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long days for bad people
(r18+)
hawks | takami keigo x reader
ao3
word count: ~6k
Being a prized, adored possession was far better than you thought it would be.
warnings: light daddy kink (no age play, just the name in mostly jest), spit kink, crying kink, degradation, brief descriptions of blood + violence, kidnapping (consensual?? read a/n), brat taming, light sadomasochism, mind break, praise kink
------
here it is, mafia au, villain hawks, dom, brat tamer, soft(?!) hawks. what more could you want? 
there’s briefly described kidnapping at the beginning of the fic but it is reiterated throughout that this is consensual! no yandere/stockholm stuff in this fic. 
i’ve been working on this one for a while and i’m happy to finally share it. hope y’all enjoy!!
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You shouldn’t have fucked around with the League.
God, it was common knowledge in the parts of town and circles you inhabited. Of all criminal syndicates, mobs, to fuck with, the League wasn’t one of them. They were known for their complete cruelty and violent delights. The League had such a reputation due to the fact that they openly left bodies carved up and burnt as they pleased.
But, you were a fucking idiot and got involved anyways.
It was a small loan, Giran almost seemed to scoff when he gave you the cash. You and your almost-stranger of a roommate were just very late on some bills and were going to lose a lot of material items if you didn’t scrounge up at least two paychecks in about three days. 
You swallowed your pride and took the first and easiest loan you could get. That just happened to be with gap-toothed, wide-grinning Giran of the League. He, you knew from what you’d heard, was somewhat fair in matters like yours. 
You had two weeks to pay him back.
...
You didn’t make it in time.
You were close to the amount, notably. You scrounged and clawed your way into getting the cash back. You weren’t much of a pickpocket, but you snagged some odd jobs around the apartment building that you and your roommate were still fortunate enough to keep a room in.
After one particular job, a nasty carpentry gig that you weren’t qualified for, you returned home tired and worn.
Sure, you were a day late on payment. But with this last gig, you were so close. The League would have to pity two, stupid, stupid young girls?
They didn’t, you realized, as you stepped into your apartment.
Your roommate's slain corpse was laying over the arm of your cheap couch, eyes vacant and mouth dripping blood onto the old beige carpet.
You dropped to your knees, horrified and completely stunned.
“You should’ve known better,” it was a hum from across the room, from a figure you didn’t even know was in the room until then. “Really, you’d expect folks to be smarter.”
Your mouth dried as the figure moved from the nighttime shadows, flashing a dazzling smile and ruffling crimson wings.
Hawks.
You’d heard of him, everyone had. Terrifying, fast, precise, and cutthroat. He took orders and didn’t ask questions other than snark. He talked too much, fucked too much. 
“W-wait,” You didn't know why you were pleading, but you had to try, right? “I’m so close, wait—”
Hawks sauntered up to you wielding one of his feather blades, the red of blood mixing with the filaments of his feathers.
He crouched down in front of you, tsking, “I don’t like begging, angel. I’ll make this quick for you. Your friend there?”
Hawks jerked his finger behind to your dead roommate.
“She fought, pleaded, begged, all that normal shit I don’t like hearing when shitheads like you two don’t make payday,” his voice was slow, talking about death like some casual thing. “I’ll make this nice and fast if you don’t run your mouth anymore, how about that?”
You swallowed, nodding.
The small percentage of your brain that was fully functioning figured dying quickly was a much better way to go than whatever the hell had happened to your roommate. There was far too much blood for that to be quick.
Hawks hummed, the tip of his feather blade tipping up your chin so you were forced to meet his gaze. You vaguely heard the pitter-patter of your tears hitting the carpet below. Blood rushed in your ears as you stared death in the face.
Hawks appraised you.
You watched the metaphorical cogs and wheels turning in Hawks’ skull as he looked you up and down before flashing forward, gathering you in his arms and flying from the apartment. 
Your first thought was obvious as you clung to him in the open air:
He’s going to drop you and kill you.
When you screamed, tears growing thicker, he slapped a gloved hand over your mouth, “I’m giving you an out, kid. Trust me. You’ll prefer this over death.”
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 Your new existence was certainly better than death.
If you were ever caught and convicted of any of the illegal things you participated in, you’d be fucked, thrown into prison until you rotted, until you were just dust and bone.
But, until then, you worked for the League.
You had groveled at the feet of their leader, Shigaraki, hands clasped on your lap, claiming your worth, or maybe lack thereof. Not many attachments, not many people who’d miss you, a semi-useful quirk. 
With a boot shoved into your skull, he sneered that you’d be the League’s new errand dog. 
The real reason they accepted you was due to the threatening air Hawks was exuding and the fact that their old ‘errand bitch’ had died the week prior. They needed a new body to act as a civilian and do things that only an unsuspecting-looking ‘civilian’ could. You fit the bill, and Hawks had taken a liking to you.
 Oddly, working for the League was actually pretty okay.
You got your own room. It was small, but you only had to share a bathroom with the somewhat unhinged Himiko, but she was fairly nice once she warmed up to you. Everyone lived in the League’s HQ and went about their business, getting drunk at their bar front each night.
Most of the mess happened at night, but it was important to put on a nice veneer and keep spirits high. Not to mention that no one would dared to fuck with the League, anyways. The cops and federal government had long been paid off due to the resources that the League had acquired for them. 
You felt somewhat untouchable.
A lot of this confidence was due to the fact that you had become Hawks’s... Keigo’s...
‘Songbird’
As he liked to call you, anyway. 
Keigo was the general, loveable annoyance of the League, but his connections were invaluable and his skills were unmatched. Despite how he could grate on people (read: Dabi and Shigaraki), he was respected and feared just as much as everyone else was, if not more so. And being his metaphorical and literal pet had its perks.
Sure, the first time he had you come to his ‘office’ and he fucked you against the window until it was smeared with cum and blood was a bit surprising, but god, if you didn’t fucking love it. Being Keigo’s personal fucktoy came with protection, pleasure, and a surprising amount of genuine attention. The dude was lonely, and so were you. The two of you made a good ‘couple’, if you could even call yourselves that. The sadism he doled out was always counterpointed by affections that did seem genuine. 
Keigo was fond of you, and you of him. Maybe your brush with death had twisted something in your head, to even allow yourself to get close to a man like Keigo, but you couldn’t make yourself care. 
You were comfortable and content. 
...
[bird boss]: hey babe ;^) get to my office in the next thirty minutes 
[you]: what if i don’t
[bird boss]: do u really want to find out
[you]: ...
[you]: im just curious 
[bird boss]: don’t get cheeky songbird 
[you]: u make me wanna u know
[you]: i know it gets you riled up
[bird boss]: tread lightly kid
[you]: oooo i gave you some guff over text
[you]: what’re you gonna do about it?
[bird boss]: use your imagination
[bird boss]: 25 minutes now, songbird
[bird boss]: don’t make this worse for yourself <3
 You set your phone on your cheap duvet, quickly primped yourself to see Keigo. He wasn’t too strict about your appearance but wearing dark clothes and some of the more expensive gifts he’d gotten you over the months he’d been screwing you never hurt. Something about ownership with him always got him hot and bothered. 
You tried to remind yourself frequently that Keigo saw you as some sort of possession, but a possession with feelings.
Meandering through HQ was always a bit daunting, despite your protections. Your skimpy outfit choice and hardly-hidden lingerie made you feel a bit more like an object than you liked too. 
There were hardly hungry mouths around the League, they kept you all fed, but god, were there starving eyes. 
Dabi wolf-whistled as you walked past him through a common room, shouting something about how Keigo was collecting his pound of flesh for the day. Maybe a line or two about being a whore, but that was all flavor at that point. Keigo called you far meaner, more sinful things. And hell, it wasn’t like Keigo hadn’t... shared you on more than one occasion. 
Maybe you were a little fucked up for enjoying your lifestyle to the degree you did, but why not indulge where you could? Life was far shittier scraping paint off old fences and picking up cans to just scrape by. 
Opulence was a breath of fresh air. And if you were Keigo’s fuck toy? Then, god, you were Keigo’s fuck toy.
When you arrived at Keigo’s office, you knocked gently on the door, quickly adjusting your skirt and blouse. 
The door opened, though no one was behind it. Only a single one of Keigo’s feathers allowed you entrance. 
His office seemed daunting and extravagant for a man who did most of his ‘work’ in far-shadier, far-bloodier places. The walls were covered in mirrors and old paintings, something out of vanity and pride, knowing how Keigo saw himself. There were several black leather couches scattered around against walls, some stained by your various... activities. There was a broad desk parallel to a back wall made entirely of windows. 
Night had fallen, leaving the room lit by a few lamps and warm fixtures. 
“Hey, boss,” You hummed as you stepped in, shutting the door behind you just before the lingering scarlet feather flicked the lock on the door.
And the other one.
And the deadbolt.
You swallowed thickly. 
As much as you enjoyed a lot of the perks of your... position, it was also daunting.
Keigo was daunting, all bloody colors, vanity, and hunger. 
He sat behind his desk, wings puffed up, and partially extended over the back of his chair. The desk chair was massive, specifically acquired so that you would have enough room to properly straddle his lap for hours on end if he so wished. 
Keigo idly clicked around on his desktop computer. He leaned slack and back into the chair, legs spread wide and exuding casual confidence that reeked of his own ego. 
Keigo normally wore a mix of black and red, as edgy as it was. He liked to seem clean, hide the stains of sanguine that undoubtedly lingered on him no matter how he tried to cleanse himself. His black slacks were pressed, the seams pristine. The black shirt he wore was rolled up to his elbows, the buttons of his red vest undone as well. His black tie hung half-undone and limp around his neck. His tousled gold hair was mussed as normal, ruffled by his flights. His feathers might’ve needed preening, but you doubted that that was the reason he called you to his office. 
And based on the deep set of his brow and the sickly smile on his lips, he was already on edge and in a mood. 
“Songbird, come over here, will you?” Keigo sat back from his typing, watching you from across the room. He took you in the same way a parched man sucks down red wine, greedily and soon to be fucked. “On my lap.”
You complied, despite your earlier attitude. You padded across the room, going around his desk. 
As you moved to straddle his lap, worn hands gripped your waist. His amber eyes gave you a warning, crinkling at the edges, “Not like that, sweetheart. Do daddy right.”
Oh, so it was one of those moods. 
Maybe you were Keigo’s sexual punching bag so he could exert control on something he could later kiss better and patch up. 
Sure, he was going to fucking ruin you, but part of the fun with him was that the more it hurt, the nicer he was after. And, all things considered, with some of the... other folks the League brought in to satiate its member’s desires, you fared far better. Keigo cared about you, in his own particular way. 
You tried to lean over his lap yourself, but his hands and feathers positioned you perfectly as he wanted. With the tight grip he had on your waist and shoulders, dragging you just as he liked, it was easy to see his need for control. 
Your head hung off of one of his thighs as you squirmed in his lap. His bulge already pressed into your ribs, a wonderful reminder of the reward you’d reap later on. Keigo’s hands gathered your hand to the small of your back, a feather replacing their grip a moment later.
“Sit with me while I finish this shit,” Keigo grumbled, going back to clicking the desktop. His leg bobbed absentmindedly, his free hand rubbing over the curve of your barely-covered ass. “Be a good girl, (Y/N). If you can stand that.”
He laughed under his breath. 
You let your head dangle limply downwards, blood rushing to your cheeks. 
You’d thought you’d be in for more of an ass-kicking, but it appeared Keigo was taking things unusually slow. You knew better than to complain, but kicking up a bit of metaphorical sand couldn’t be that bad, right?
“I dunno,” You hummed, kicking your legs lightly. “I don’t think you like it when I’m a ‘good girl’, daddy.”
“Watch it.” A single, sharp smack to your butt was hardly enough to shut you up, but Keigo did so all the same, rubbing over the covered flesh a moment later, “I’m not in the mood.”
“Are you sure about that?” You wriggled, intentionally pushing up against his growing erection.
His breath stuttered, a smirk pulling at the corners of your lips. The hand on your ass didn’t rear again, rather Keigo kept thumbing smooth circles as he continued to click around on the computer. He might have been actually doing work. Or, he was ignoring you, egging your sass on. 
“If you didn’t want anything, why’d you call me in here?” You asked, way too cheeky for the way Keigo’s body was practically vibrating underneath you. Pissing him off had consequences, of course, but you weren’t in the mood to play ‘good girl’ that day.
“I told you, I want you to sit with me,” Keigo pinched your ass. “But, you’re too mouthy to do just that one thing. You’re usually better than this.”
“Am I?” You played innocent, craning to give him a wide smile. “Hadn’t noticed. What I am noticing, is your already-hard cock, dear.”
“Oh, ‘dear’?!” Keigo paused on the computer. “Cheeky. Cute.” 
Keigo would just dig in more, lean in, before ‘snapping’, if you could call it that.
You gulped as his hand swatted at upper thighs, his nails almost knicking your skin.
“Up and don’t get smart about it.”
Oh, you were going to be remarkably smart about it.
You rose but hardly stayed upright for long. Sliding down to your knees, you pushed at Keigo’s legs, “Wouldn’t you prefer me down here? Just for a treat while you finish your work?”
Keigo clicked his tongue, gaze flickering down to you, “Fine. Behave yourself.”
Yeah, right. You both knew that that wasn’t going to happen. 
You were already tucked underneath his desk, undoing the fly of his pants. 
You pulled his cock from his trousers, pumping his cock to full hardness. Smearing around preek for a bit of extra flare before inching forward.
Wrapping your mouth around Keigo’s dick was somewhat of a feat— he had a decent girth to him, so you usually took the opportunity to warm him (and yourself) up with a bit of tip-kissing and kitten licks.
But, you were feeling bold.
You spit on his dick, a move that normally would have earned you plenty of verbal snark, but anything Keigo could’ve said to you was swallowed as you took his cock down to the back of your throat.
You sucked around it, massaging the vein on the bottom with the flat of your tongue. Drool began to pool at the side of your lips as you let the head bump your throat, gag reflex be damned.
All the while, Keigo had stopped moving above you. The fabric of his trouser balled up in his ringed-fingers as he gazed half-lidded down at you. 
You smiled around his dick, looking up at him innocently as you began to slowly bob your head. His wings fluttered, twitches and air stirring around you. 
Keigo stifled a laugh, a hand tangling in your hair, “All that talk earlier and now you’re treating me to a blowjob without even me having to tell you to? Dove, you’re too much.”
You pulled off of him to reply, “I can only try.”
Before he could reply, you spit on his dick again, and went back to slurping around him.
You held the base of his cock in your hands, twisting and spreading spittle. It almost felt like your actions were for show, but Keigo’s eyes were rolling back in his head all the same.
You smirked.
A drool pool from your mouth, puddling in your lap and soaking your skirt. Not like you weren’t already dripping from the sinful sounds Keigo stopped trying to hold.
“A-ah, that’s it, angel,” Keigo fucked into your mouth with his hold on your hair. “Just like that.”
Your hand rose to play with Keigo’s balls, teasing at the sack as he cried out a high moan above you. 
Considering the performance you were giving, it was unsurprising to feel him tensing above you. You’d been on your knees for him hundreds of times; you’d learned to see the little twitches and puffs of breath he’d give when he’d get close to coming. 
You pulled off his cock with a pop, detangling the hand from your hair in the motion. It was all fast enough that Keigo couldn’t have stopped you in his hazy, pleasure-filled state. 
Based on the look of rapid disbelief he was giving you, your trick had worked well. Knowing Keigo’s... tendencies made you hesitant to push him too much in the past, but for whatever reason, you were feeling stupidly bold. 
Consequences.
“Sorry, daddy,” You wiped at your mouth with the back of your hand. “Didn’t feel like swallowing today.”
Keigo’s disheveled appearance was more than gratifying. Knowing how easily you made him come undone by that point was one of the perks of your position.
His hair was more than ruffled, strands and tufts chaotically curled around his cheeks and ears. There was a bright blush on his face, spreading from his nose to the apples of his cheeks, down his deck. At some point, he’d popped the buttons at the top of his shirt. He was covered in a sheen of sweat, half-panting and based on the darkness in his brow and the far-too peachy smile on his face, Keigo was fucking pissed.
His wings stood on end.
You gulped from below him.
Maybe you pushed your luck too far.
Maybe. 
“You’re playing real cute today, aren’t you songbird?” Keigo didn’t move, but his feathers twitched above him, wings flaring out even farther. “Real fucking cute.”
You were fucked.
Good.
A few feathers flew from Keigo, one snagging at your wrist, wrapping around it, and pulling you up from the desk.
You wobbled as you stood, dragged across the room as Keigo leisurely followed behind you. When you tried to set your own pace, Keigo swatted your ass with a huff, “You never learn, huh? I thought I’d trained you better than this.”
You opened your mouth to spit some dickish retort, but you were cut off as Keigo’s shoved you onto one of the leather couches.
“Don’t.” Keigo’s tone was acidic as he stood over your, wings still flared out. “I told you I wasn’t in the mood for your cute bullshit, dove, and you still decided to test your luck, huh?”
You kneeled on the cushions, sucking down air, shaking with anticipation.
“You don’t feel like swallowing today? That’s fine, I can work with that,” Keigo shrugged easily from above you.
Keigo had an... active sexual imagination, and you could tell by the crook in his lips that he had something devilish planned as retribution.
A sharp slap came down on your cheek, Keigo catching the opposite jaw and keeping you from recoiling too far. You blinked as the pain spread around your skull like licking flames against a frostbitten body. 
You wanted more.
A little grin stretched against your mouth as Keigo rubbed at your cheeks with his thumbs, “Aw, you always get so sweet like this, dove. You can be a good girl if you try, can’t you?” 
His actions carried candor and his words absolute torment. 
Despite how Keigo was trying to goad you into submission, you had a bit of spark left in you. 
Plainly, you spit on him.
The glob of saliva landed on Keigo’s cheek, under his eye.
He blinked at you. 
You continued to smile.
His own expression grew strained.
“Oh, songbird,” Keigo damn near lamented, wiping away the kind gift you’d given him. His voice was smooth without any bit of waver, all of the sexually-charged anger rolling just beneath the veneer. “You’re just being pain slut today, aren’t you?”
You were, absolutely. You could feel your arousal wetting your panties, the heat of the strike from your cheek beginning to boil something in your gut. 
“You just need a bit of special attention today, right? That’s all.” Keigo tsked, fully removing the tie from around his neck. “You just need a little reminder.”
“Reminder of what?” You asked, tilting your head quizzically. 
Keigo flipped you, feathers pushing and bracing you as needed while nimble hands tore off your clothes without reverie.
“Plenty of things, especially with this attitude you’ve got today,” Keigo’s tie looped around your wrists, binding them together at the center of your back. 
“You definitely need a reminder of who’s the boss around here,” Keigo shoved you forward, stomach flush with the back of the couch.
You reeled from the pace of it all, shifting your knees for any bit of stimulation you could get. Keigo’s feathers were slicing and pulling your clothes from your body faster than you could keep track of. It was overwhelming, making your mind swim in the best possible way. You throbbed. 
“Maybe a reminder about who fucking provides for you,” Keigo’s own clothes were shaken off, dropped to the floor and forgotten.
It was true. Keigo always made sure than you were taken care of, in more ways than one. Despite how fast-paced and laid back he could seem, he was always on top of making sure you had more than enough material and immaterial pleasure whether than be in the form of food, fucking, or otherwise.
You yelped as a smack fell across your ass. A feather caught the elastic of your panties, snapping a moment later, leaving you fully bare before him. 
Keigo’s worn hand came to press at your throat and jaw, tilting your head back as he climbed behind you, “Maybe, you need a reminder about who keeps you safe.”
This phrase was softer than the others, a sweet kiss pressing to your cheek and his voice a bit more gentle. It was jarring at the skin still stung from his earlier strike, but you cherished the heat besides. 
Once again, true. The folks in and outside of the League were greedy. There were plenty of unwanted souls that stole glances at Hawks’s prized songbird. There were starved eyes that tore into you whether you were dolled up for Keigo or not. There had been some... close calls, one could say, but Keigo always was there, in the end, unafraid to get his hands dirty. 
“You know what the most important reminder is, dove?” Keigo rolled his hips against you, cock wedging between your thighs.
“N-no,” You stuttered, brain turning gooey as Keigo’s arms snaked around your waist, sharpened nails leaving indents in your hips.
He nosed at your neck, leaving a few love bites in his wake.“‘N-no’, what?” 
“I don’t know,” You leaned back into Keigo’s chest, rubbing your thighs around his cock. 
 “Oh, songbird, you sweet thing,” He chuckled, all teasing and self-indulgent. “I’m the one who makes you feel good.” 
He was so right, wasn’t he?
With the way he’d learned your body over the last few months, he’d had some undeniable pursuit to make you feel the best. 
Keigo was inquisitive by nature. He had kept you on your back for hours while he finger-fucked you, watching every twitch and roll of your hips to figure out just the right ways to break you. He’d kissed and sucked and slapped every inch of you, sussing out the perfect ways to make you writhe and cry for him. 
Sure, you were an absolute terror to him sometimes. Not to mention that Keigo jumping you covered in the blood of that day's targets was as macabre and horrifying as it sounded. 
But, fuck, if he didn’t know how to bring you to ecstasy that fucking ruined you in the best way. 
Keigo got off on watching you shatter for him. It was the reason he’d torn you from that cheap, bloodied apartment in the first place. A kind, naive little morsel that he could play with as he wanted. You didn’t complain. Fuck, you reveled in his attention. You gave it back to him, like the fucked up, semi-divine being could be any more debauched than he already was.
Corruption spreads, but you’d never complain. If being plucked from struggling for pennies to being fucked stupid by a man who could kill you at a moments notice, a man who would kill for you, somehow poisoned you?
You’d die with a bitter taste on your tongue and a smile on your face.
 Keigo rubbed at your clit, nipping at your neck, and rolled his hips greedily. His cock was covered in a mix of your slick and his own preek, easily sliding between plushness of your thighs.
“You love pushing me, acting all tough,” Keigo chastised, clicking his tongue. “I mean it when I say it's cute.”
You don’t have any more quick retorts in you, not when his fingers are down your throat, gagging you as spittle dribbles down your chin onto the leather below. It was sure to leave a mark.
“Behind all that bark and snark, you’re just a good girl, aren’t you?” Keigo punctuated his words with a bite and nip to your neck. “Just needed a reminder, right, dove?”
You whimpered against his fingers at the praise, grinding against Keigo’s touch needily. 
His fingers pushed pinched your tongue, breath curling over the shell of your ear, “What are you?”
You mumbled against his fingers, “A g-good g-girl.”
It was humiliating in the best way. Keigo’s light laugh at your attempt. The way he nuzzled his nose into the sweat at the crook of your shoulder was just aloe on the burn.
“I misspoke, if you can believe that,” Keigo’s cock pulled out from your thighs. “Songbird, you know what I meant to call you?”
You squirmed at the loss, but he was quick to hush you. His fingers left your mouth with a thick trail of spit. 
“You’re my good girl.” 
You melted in his arms.
Falling back against Keigo’s chest, you craned your neck to lock your lips to his. 
Maybe that was it, why all the filth didn’t bother you. Because you had worth. Maybe it was insecurity, or maybe it was self-aware in the face of your lived experience. Before being taken, the life you’d lived made you just a rusty cog in a dying machine. You wouldn’t have amounted to anything, probably. 
But with the League?
You were the prized, beloved consort of an angry god. 
Keigo owned you, body, mind and soul, and you let him. That’s not even to mention how you had him wrapped around your finger. He adored you, under all of it.
Fighting with him was for sport, not blood.
Keigo licked past your lips, pressing his cock to your cunt teasingly. You whined against him, wriggling in his arms.
“What does my good girl want?” Keigo loved making you beg for him, claw for any bit of stimulation. He liked it even better when you were already soft for him.
Stray tears pricked at your eyes, “Y-your cock.”
He pinched the meat of your thigh, shaking his head, “Not good enough. Speak properly, dove. Clear and correctly.”
You swallowed, searching for the words in your own haze.
Your words were willed to be solid.
“I want your cock, daddy.” 
It was just enough.
Keigo pushed forward, the head of his cock already stretching your cunt. Consider the girth of it, the lack of preparation stung and burned more than you would’ve liked, as good as it felt to finally be filled.
Keigo cooed at your soft tears, keeping your face to his with a firm hand on your jaw. He shushed you, far too sweetly while licking the salt from your cheeks, “Relax, angel. Big breaths.”
You nodded, sputtering as he speared into you. Keigo’s free hand went back to toying with your clit, encouraging the tension to drain from your body.
As he bottomed out, you shuddered, falling back into his chest. Keigo’s wings fluttered, twitching in wait. Hot breath fanned over your face, Keigo groaning and locking his jaw. 
The stimulation was overwhelming. You had expected Keigo to be meaner, considering how mouthy you’d been. 
Yet, it made sense. Keigo had figured out one of the better ways to make you break was softness. 
(Truthfully, it made him crack in the same way, but he’d never tell.)
“Feel that?” He asked, just barely rolling his hips. 
Keigo released your jaw in favor of wrapping a hand around the front of your throat, tugging you as close he could manage.
“Uh-huh,” You panted. 
You could, the kiss of his cock head against your cervix was almost uncomfortable. The delicious pressure and sensitivity already had you reeling in his arms, unsteady and wanting.
“I fill you up so good, don’t I?” Keigo praised his own ego, his cock, but he wasn’t wrong. The curve of his cock rubbed against all the right spots. He stretched you just right, the burn ebbing away into a need for more, more—
“Please, Keigo—” You gasped. Your legs shook as Keigo slammed into you, shoving you forward and into the wall.
His pace was brutal. Hands and feathers kept your back in a harsh arch as he rearranged your insides to his liking. He was kind enough to keep stroking at your clit, bruising your hips and babbling filthy nothings. 
“I’m the one who makes you feel this good, only me, right, dove?” Keigo growled into your ear with a particularly hard thrust.
You nodded against the wall, aware of the drool slipping down your chin as your mouth lolled open. Your insides were hot like white flames, searing any ability to use coherent speech. 
Keigo snickered at your state. Slowing, he gripped your ass cheeks. You yelped, inside jumping as he pried them apart. You flinched, hole twitching as he spat down, the liquid cool against the flushed skin.
It was little moves like that, Keigo just subtly making your shudder and feel dirty that got you the most fucked up and fucked out.
You pressed back on his cock, panting against the wall and keening. You would’ve spoke, if you could, but anything that you had the ability to say would’ve been torn apart by Keigo’s sharpened, silver tongue. 
“My filthy little dove, huh?” Keigo sneered, watching you try to bounce on his cock the best you could. “Such a glutton when you get broken down like this, needy whore.”
The pleasure of Keigo’s cock tearing up your insides was all you could focus on through the fog of your mind, desperate and wanting and greedy.
“Y-your,” You corrected, the words bubbling from your lips, disjointed and messy. “Yours.”
Keigo may have been avian, but he purred like a damn cat at your admission. He held you like a possession, cock throbbing as he fucked you just right. 
“God, you’re sweet, angel,” He nipped at your jaw before wrapping his hand around your throat. “Even all fucked up, you know who you belong to so well, don’t you?”
You nodded, rolling your hips back. 
Keigo must’ve taken pity on you, squeezing at the sides of your neck. Cruel as he could be, he must’ve noticed the way your thighs and knees trembled against the leather. Keigo knew the cloud in your eyes well— how to get you hazy and how to fuck you perfectly through the fog.
He fucked back into your dripping cunt, pace harder and faster than before. You were helpless to do anything other than fall forward into the wall, cheek squished against the scarlet. 
“Who’s brat are you?” Keigo squeezed a bit harder at your neck as you swallowed against his palm.
“Y-yours—!” You squeaked out, mind going numb from the stimulation and pressure.
A wicked sneer curled against your ear as Keigo’s movements grew sloppier. His tongue lolled over your shoulder, messy kisses and slobbery bites and marks left in his wake. He was close, but you weren’t far off easier.
“Little bird,” It was sweeter, closer and hotter. “Can you come for me? Come all over my cock?”
You nodded.
“Not good enough.” Keigo bit down, nearly breaking the fragile skin of your neck. “You know I like words, angel.”
You gave him words, plenty of them. 
Nearly incoherent pleads and cries poured from your bruised lips as Keigo pounded into you. Each blabbering wail was met with Keigo groans and grunts, condescending little phrases spitting over you without release.
Your lack of leverage and use of your arms made you thumping against the couch and wall, vision darkening on the edges as the pressure in your gut and the hold on your throat remained. 
You were breaking in his arms, tears rolling down your cheeks as you held yourself from cresting. The exertion of it all was taking its toll, legs jellied and chest beading with sweat. 
Keigo sensed it, shifting his hips to hit the spongy spot in your cunt, “Come, dove.”
You let go.
A sob shattered in your throat as your climax crashed through you. Keigo released your throat, holding you by your bound arms as he bottomed out. His own harsh cry panged against yours as he stuffed you full. 
Surprisingly gently, he rocked his hips against your own, letting the ambient throb of your cunt milk him dry.
You came down, rolling and spinning as you sucked down air a bit too fast. Keigo panted behind you, though the sound seemed dull.
The pressure from your wrists released, soft thumbs rubbing at where the fabric had bitten into your forearms, “Hey, angel, you with me?”
You could only nod weakly, exhaustion and aches creeping in. 
Keigo repositioned the two of you, setting himself against the arm of the couch, wings up free to drape and splay over the floor. He dragged you with him, pulling you to lay on his chest. The stickiness of his spunk, your slick, and general sweatiness might’ve been uncomfortable, but you weren’t quite lucid enough to care.
“How are you feeling? Still feeling a little mouthy?” Keigo teased, already knowing your answer. 
You muffled a groan against his chest, shaking your head against the sweat of his chest. 
“Awww,” Keigo chuckled, fingers brushing over your cheeks, “Is my dove a little fucked out?”
“Keeeigo, b-be nice.”
Your voice broke, parched.
Keigo snorted, pressing a kiss to the side of your forehead, “I guess I can manage that. Just for you, though. Can’t let the others see me get all soft.”
You wouldn’t; seeing Keigo warm and gooey, both of you mutually fucked-out, was a pleasure only you got to indulge in. And you loved every moment of it. 
++++++++++++
taglist: @sinclairsamess (msg me if you’d like to be on it!)
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thegreatestofheck · 3 years
Text
dark of the night [A. Hotchner]
word count – 25,555 (its so long im so sorry) warnings - a lot, blood, torture, mentions (but no descriptions) of sexual assault/rape, murder, canon violence stuff, this is essentially a hurt/comfort fic so expect a lot of hurt to come before the comfort, also a slow burn. synopsis - an agent gets taken in the middle of an investigation. in a race against time, the team at the bau must find her by diving into her deepest secrets. when a video tape arrives with horrible images of the state of their friends, aaron hotchner realizes just how terrified he is of losing her.  tagging: @magicalbluepanther (i hope you don’t mind the tag lol) a/n – did anyone order an extra long aaron hotchner slow burn? Because here you’ve got one. so my mental health is declining again and that means I have to write a criminal minds one shot that involves a lot of hurt/comfort. also I gave y/n a name because i don’t really like y/l/n or anything, but you’re more than welcome to replace it with your own! please dont be mad at me. anyway, stay happy, healthy, safe, and groovy!
The moment Agent Hotchner realized that she wasn’t coming back, his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. It had happened once before, this feeling, the day he was in his car and he got that call from Foyet and heard Hayley’s muffled sobbing over the phone. Panic settled into his bones, unable to shake it away even as the terrified eyes of the rest of the team looked his way. 
“Did we just lose her?” Emily Prentiss asked, her words wavering ever so slightly as she tried to keep herself calm. 
At the sound of her voice, Hotch finally found himself able to look around the room. 
Morgan had shifted his eyes back to the door that his friend was supposed to come through. Reid stared at Hotch, wide eyed, lips parted. JJ was chewing on her thumb nail, waiting for Hotch to do something, say something. Emily was looking between the door and Hotch. Rossi was standing behind him, so he couldn’t see the look on his face, but Hotch couldn’t imagine he looked any different than the rest of his team. 
Agent Evelyn Caro had walked into the meeting, undercover, in hopes of baiting a serial killer into a quick and easy arrest. After three years of horrific killings, the BAU team was so close to catching him and Agent Caro was more than willing to be the one to take him down. 
Hotch knew this particular case was a sore spot for Caro, as all torture/murder cases were. But during this entire case, she had been far more on edge and far more eager to tear their suspect to shreds. He shouldn’t have let her go to the meeting, he knew it was too personal for her, even if she had never told him why. 
She had refused to take in a ear piece, said that the stories that would be told at the meeting were personal and their privacy was to be respected. Hotch trusted her. He agreed. They all stood outside and waited. The meeting should have been only two hours, Caro promised that she would be back with the suspect in less than three hours. 
But it had now been three hours and almost thirty minutes. The door hadn’t opened a single time since the last of the members of the meeting left, all except Caro and the suspect. 
She fit his physical appearance preference and possessed the confidence he appeared to have deep hatred for. It should have been an easy job. 
“What went wrong?” Hotch murmured out loud, more to himself. 
His words seemed to trigger something in Morgan, who pushed open the van door and unholestered his weapon before anybody could stop him. 
“Morgan!” Rossi yelled after him, but there was no slowing down, and once Morgan was running toward the meeting building, Emily and Reid were on his tail. 
“Hotch, what do we do?” JJ asked, turning toward him as Rossi hopped out of the car to go after his peers. 
Hotch ran through every single protocol that he knew like the back of his hand. They flitted through his brain like smoke, a flurry of useless words and numbers that meant nothing to him. Not a single one told him how to deal with this. Tightness squeezed at his chest as the rules and regulations he clung so tightly to began to fail him once again. 
“We find her.” 
Gun drawn, Hotch entered the building with JJ on his tail. His heart pounded in his chest, but he kept his composure about him. The same couldn’t be said for some of the others. 
“Evie!” Morgan called out, kicking down a door. 
“Evelyn?” Rossi’s voice echoed through elementary school. 
Hotch was seconds away from calling out her name himself, but he kept his jaw clenched tight. JJ followed every move he made. If he lost himself now, so would JJ. He needed at least one person on his side whose head was still level. 
They scoured the entire grounds, but they could find nothing. The room where the meeting had taken place was empty. Not even the leader was there anymore. This dark room was where the team met up after searching every inch of the grounds. 
There was silence for an eternity as they passed glances between each other, wordlessly asking if anyone had found anything. 
“There’s not even a footprint,” Morgan said helplessly, his eyebrows pulled together in concern. 
“I didn’t hear her scream.” JJ’s voice was weak and her eyes downcast. 
“None of us did,” Rossi replied. 
“We have to find her quickly,” Hotch said, finally trusting himself enough to speak. “He only keeps his victims for five days and if he knows she’s FBI, it’s probably less than that.” 
“I’ll call Garcia, track Evie’s phone,” Morgan said, pulling out his phone and turning away from the group. 
“We start from the ground up,” Hotch instructed. “Right now, Agent Caro isn’t our coworker but a victim and we have to treat her as such if we want to find her. Dig into her life, figure out what connects her to the other victims. Did he take her because she’s FBI or because she’s connected to the others. Morgan?”
“Her phone’s off,” Morgan said, pulling the phone away from his ear. 
“Tell Garcia to look for a connection between all of the victims. Dig and dig deep. Hold nothing back.”
Morgan paused for a moment. They all remembered when they had to do this very thing to him, when he was a suspect all those years ago. He knew what it was like to have his friends digging into a personal life he long wanted buried, how they looked at him differently after they knew, even if they didn’t mean to. He didn’t understand then, that they were trying to help, but he did now. There was no time to hesitate. This was Evelyn they were talking about. 
“Garcia, give me everything on Evelyn Caro that you can find. Dig deep. She needs us,” Morgan said. 
“Got it.” 
“Call me when you get anything.” 
“Yup.” 
She ended the call and Morgan turned back to the team. 
“Garcia’s on it.” 
“Okay, then we need to get back to the station and look at everything again. We have a name. We know it’s him. We just need to find them.” Hotch turned away from the team and started for the exit. “No one goes home until we find her.” 
___
Hotch meant what he said, but no one needed to be told twice. Red rimmed eyes scanned the same files over and over and over again as they waited for any amount of information from Garcia. 
“There has to be something here,” Morgan said with a frustrated sigh. “Something we’re missing.” 
“Why did he take her?” JJ asked as she set down her file. The woman rubbed her eyes before crossing her arms and looking up at the rest of the room. “I mean, what changed in that room that made him want her?”
“He found out she was FBI?” Reid suggested, leaning back in his chair. 
“How though?” Rossi piped in from his position leaning up against the wall. “Caro isn’t dumb enough to reveal herself, we were careful.” 
“She must have said something in that meeting that convinced him that she was a good target,” Hotch said. He could feel all eyes on him as he watched the ground, unable to meet any of their gazes. “Maybe this is how he finds his victims. At these group meetings.” 
“So we sent Evie into a death trap.” Morgan shoved his chair away from the table and stood, hands on his hips as he breathed heavily. 
“We have to figure out what connects her to the other victims,” Emily said. “Just like any other case.” 
“But this isn’t any other case is it?” 
“Morgan-” 
“This is Evelyn we’re talking about!” 
“Morgan, I need you to calm down,” Hotch said, standing from his place. 
“Don’t tell me to calm down, Hotch.” Morgan trembled with rage, his eyes glazed over with water. “You can’t expect me to sit here and-” 
“I expect you to do your job, Agent Morgan, seeing as that is the only thing that will get Caro back home.” Hotch struggled to keep his voice low. He curled his fists so the others couldn’t see how badly his hands were shaking. 
“You think we’ll get her back?” 
“If you do your job.” 
Morgan breathed in deeply and nodded his head. Before he sat back down, Morgan put his hand on Reid’s shoulder. The kid had his hand covering his mouth, his eyes glazed over like Morgan’s had been. 
Hotch knew how close Morgan and Caro were. Ever since she signed on to the team, the two had been nearly inseparable. Hotch wondered if it was something he needed to discuss with them. Every time that he seriously considered it, he had to question his motivations. Was it to keep complications out of their team or was it something else, something he wasn’t ready to admit? 
Turning his eyes away from Reid and Morgan, Hotch opened his mouth to address the team when Garcia stepped into the open doorway. They all turned to look at her only to see that her cheeks were streaked with tears as she clutched a file in her hands. 
“Garcia, what is it?” Emily stood and walked toward her, a hand out open for her. 
“You...you told me to dig deep so I did,” she stammered. “I...I did and I found...oh, God.” 
“Come in,” Hotch said, trying to smooth the furrow in his brows. 
Garcia took Emily’s hand and shuffled into the briefing room, sniffling through her tears. 
“Our poor baby girl,” Garcia said, setting the file gently onto the round table as if it was fragile. “She never told us-” 
“Garcia.” 
Garcia cleared her throat and nodded her head, flipping the file open. The team crowded around the table. Staring up at them was a picture of a young girl, her face purpled and bloody. Morgan clenched his jaw, Reid turned his face away from the picture. 
“Is that Caro?” JJ asked, her hand hovering over her mouth. 
Hotch had seen this picture before, attached to the file so covered in black redacted lines that he barely gleaned anything from it. But there were no more black lines. Everything about Agent Caro was there for him to read. Her life was an open book for him. This was his job, the only way to get her back, so why did he feel so dirty doing it? 
“When Evie-”
“Evelyn,” Hotch corrected. “She can’t be our friend right now.”
Garcia nodded, her eyes still glassy. 
“When Evelyn Caro was 12 years old, she was kidnapped from her front lawn. She was held captive by her...by her uncle for four years. He did...he did horrible things to her...I’m sorry-” 
Garcia choked, turning away from the file. Morgan put his hand on Garcia’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. 
“She was held by her uncle,” Hotch continued, eyes scanning the page, when it was clear that Garcia wouldn’t be able to. “There were clear signs of r-pe and physical violence, even though she never spoke about it afterward.” 
“She was held captive by her uncle?” Morgan asked. “How did no one know it was him?”
“Police talked to everyone in the family,” Garcia said, turning back into the conversation. “He was never on their serious list of suspects.” 
“How did she get out?” Rossi asked from his place near the back of the crowd.
“She broke out,” Garcia said, her voice like iron even as her lower lip trembled. “She stabbed that son of a bitch the moment she got the chance and she ran until someone found her.” 
“She killed him?” JJ asked. 
Hotch let out a heavy sigh. Something like pride blossomed in his chest. Maybe it was vindication. He would have killed the bastard himself. 
“Why wouldn’t she tell us?” Reid asked, looking up at Hotch like a lost dog. 
“We all have secrets we’ve kept from each other,” Hotch told him, even though he was wondering the same thing. “Now we need to figure out if this is somehow related to why he took her.” 
There was a moment of silence hanging over the room. 
“Garcia, look into the lives of the other women again,” he continued. “See if there is any kind of connection.” 
“I’m on it.”
There was a new kind of determination in her voice, like a fire was lit underneath her.
“Videos of the other victims were sent to the families of the victims,” Hotch said, looking back at the rest of the team. “JJ, contact her brother, see if he’s received anything and tell him to contact us as soon as he is.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What about the rest of us?” 
Once again, all eyes were on Hotch, expecting him to have all of the answers. But he didn’t. He didn’t know anything. 
“Do your jobs.”
___
When the video was sent to her family, it wasn’t her estranged brother who received it. 
“Hotch.” Morgan’s voice was shaking as he picked up the yellow envelope on his desk. “Hotch!” 
As soon as Hotch saw the package he knew what had to be in it. He had seen four of them before all from the previous victims’ families. His heart constricted in his chest. He knew what they were about to watch. Their team member, their friend. 
Grinding his teeth together to keep his face straight, Hotch took the package from Morgan and started back for the briefing room. 
“Do you want me to round up the team?” Morgan asked. 
“You guys shouldn’t have to watch this,” Hotch told him. 
“You’re not watching it alone.” 
Without another word, Morgan went to collect the others. 
Once they were all in the briefing room, Garcia put the recording onto the big screen. 
“You don’t-” 
“We’re staying,” JJ said, her fingers laced with Emily’s. 
Hotch nodded once before looking over at Garcia and signaling her to start the video. 
As soon as Garcia hit the play button, Morgan put an arm around her shoulder and she put a hand up to her mouth. Hotch leaned against a chair, his knuckles going white. 
The screen was black for a few moments. When it turned on, Agent Evelyn Caro was sitting half naked on a cot. Bruises littered her body, her ribs on the left side blackened. A cut ran across a purple cheek with dried blood running down her face. One of her eyes was black. But Caro stared straight ahead of her, eyes made of steal. 
“Oh, baby,” Garcia breathed. 
The room was small, bland. It looked cold. 
A man stepped into the frame. Caro didn’t even look at him, she just kept staring straight ahead. Before he even said anything, he raised a hand and slapped her across the face. Reid flinched, but none of them turned away. Their attention needed to be on this video, gleaning as much information as they could to get her home. Hotch refused to let her suffering go to waste. He would watch every second of it, no matter how much his stomach burned with hatred. 
Caro barely reacted to the backhand, her head snapping to the side, but the rest of her body stayed in the same place, her hands clasped together in her lap. When she straightened her head, blood trickled down from her lip. She lifted a hand to wipe the blood away before looking up at the man. Her eyes carried the heat of a thousand suns as she looked at her assailant, almost as if daring him to touch her again. That was the Caro that Hotch knew. She would never back down, never give in. 
“What do you want?” She asked. 
Hearing her voice so raw sent a chill down Hotch’s spine. Everything about this was wrong. 
“I know what happened to you when you were young,” the man said, walking in front of her. 
Caro clenched her jaw and turned her face forward once again, seeming to pretend that he wasn’t there. 
“Does this feel familiar to you?” the man asked, spinning in a circle. “The room, the bed, the chain.” 
Hotch’s eyes shifted away from Caro and he looked more at the bed. There was indeed a chain attached to the metal of the bed frame. Caro’s jaw tightened again and Hotch watched as she ran a finger over a scar he had seen on her wrist a million times before but never asked her about. He could only imagine a young Agent Caro, chained to a bed. She carried that scar around with her and he had never even cared enough to ask her about it. 
“It’s exactly the same,” Caro said.
The man sat next to her and still Caro didn’t flinch. Not even her breathing changed. Amidst his anger and his fear, Hotch felt pride. Damn right she would not even acknowledge him. Hotch expected nothing less from her. Though he wouldn’t fault her if she did. 
The Unsub put his hand on her knee and Hotch’s eyes went red. His ears rang, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. He watched Caro look down at the Unsub’s hand and Hotch noticed a slight tremble in her body. Her shaking was rage, not fear. He knew her well enough to know that. 
“What do you want?” The tremor reached her voice. Hotch could see her holding back from killing the unsub then and there. Her restraint told him that her captor was the only way out of her room. If she killed him now, she would be trapped. 
The unsub sighed and tilted his head to the side, his eyes fixed on the ground. 
“I want to break you,” he said.
Hotch clenched his jaw, but still Caro’s face stayed straight. She didn’t even blink. The words ‘I dare you to try’ never even passed her lips, but it was a clear challenge in her eyes. 
The image cut and Hotch almost thought that was going to be the end. But then it suddenly clicked on. Caro was slowly sitting up from laying on the bed. The unsub was halfway in the frame, buckling his belt. Hotch heard a quiet ‘oh’ come from Garcia and when he glanced over at her, he noticed tears in Morgan’s eyes. 
Caro seemed stiff as she sat up. The chain that had before been only attached to the bed was now shackled to her wrist. Hotch watched her grimace as she moved her feet to the ground. Her toes curled, telling Hotch that the ground was cold. The entire room must have been freezing. 
A silence hung over the team as they waited for something to happen. 
“You’re tough, I’ll give you that,” the unsub said. Caro refused to look at him. “The other girls gave in at this point.” 
“And then you killed them.” Caro looked over at him, moving slowly and clearly despite the pain that was obvious settling into her bones. 
The unsub shrugged his shoulders, a proud smile on his face. 
“Some girls seem to think that death is better than what I did to them,” he said. “But maybe you kind of like it.” 
Caro pulled harshly against her chain, shutting her eyes and turning her face away from him. 
“Son of a bitch,” Rossi breathed. Hotch refrained from looking back at him. 
“How does she not strangle him?” JJ asked. Her words were tight from the swelling in her throat. 
“He’s her only way out of that room,” Hotch told her. “She kills him and she starves in there.” 
“Not if we find her.” 
They fell quiet again, just soon enough to hear a low rumble of a laugh from the man. 
“I see I struck a nerve.” The unsub said. 
Caro steadied her breathing and straightened her shoulders. 
“I’m not surprised you’ve lasted longer than the other girls, being an FBI agent and all. I wonder how your friends are doing.” 
Caro pulled against the chain again, her eyes squeezing tighter. 
“Ah, another nerve. Should we poke at that one a bit more?” 
The unsub stepped out of the frame. For the briefest moment, with his back turned on her, Caro’s eyes flicked toward the camera. 
“She knows it’s there,” Reid said. “She knows about the camera.” 
Caro sucked in a deep breath and gave a short nod of her head. She knew her taker’s MO. She knew about the videos and the envelope. She knew they were watching her, and she was telling them that she was okay. 
When the unsub walked back into frame, he was holding something in his hands. With his back to the camera, they couldn’t get a good look at what he was holding.
“I am aware that your brother is the only remaining relative of yours who will speak to you, is that correct?” The unsub said.
Caro breathed deeply in once, her eyes staring straight through the unsub.
“This is him and his wife, their two daughters. Beautiful family. When was the last time you spoke to them?”
Agent Caro’s eyes moved from the unsub to the object in his hand and her eyes immediately welled up with tears. The unsub clicked his tongue.
“It’s the shame, isn’t it? It eats you up inside. You can’t bear the thought of tainting your brother and his perfect family with your past.”
She closed her eyes and turned her face away.
“This is Penelope Garcia, yes?”
Garcia straightened her back, surprised at hearing her name.
Caro opened her eyes and Hotch noticed a drastic shift in her breathing. Once steady and calm, her chest now rose and fell at an uneven pace. Her eyes darted between whatever the unsub was holding and his face.
“Jennifer Jareau?”
The unsub tossed something onto the bed next to Caro. And then another.
“David Rossi?”
For the first time, Caro flinched as he flicked what Hotch was starting to realize was a picture in her direction.
“Emily Prentiss. Spencer Reid.”
Two more pictures were thrown at her and Caro flinched twice more.
“Derek Morgan.”
A fire lit in Caro’s eyes as she stared up at him again.
“Aaron Hotchner.”
Before he could even throw the picture her way, Caro jumped up from the bed and charged at him, pulling on the chair.
“If you touch them, I swear I’ll kill you,” she seethed.
The unsub shoved her backward onto the bed, but she scrambled up again. He hit her across the face, sending her back with a yelp. Breathing heavily, she turned to look at him, like a rabid dog.
“That’s a hard promise to make seeing as you are chained to a bed and I am not.”
“She has to know that he can’t hurt us,” Emily said, looking to Hotch for answers.
“She’s panicking,” Hotch replied. His knuckles tightened over the chairs.
“You think I won’t go after them?” the unsub said as he dropped a hand onto her shoulder.
Caro turned her face away from him and shook her head.
“You can’t,” she said. Her voice was growing weak, shaking more. “They’re FBI, you can’t just-“
She didn’t get the chance to finish before the unsub threw a fist across her face.
“I won’t even have to hurt them though, will I?” The unsub sneered, bending down close to her face. “I bet by now they know every dark secret about your past. Every skeleton in your closet. They know about the blood on your hands.”
Hotch had read her file that Garcia dug up a thousand times over in the last few days since she found it. Something in him told him he had to, though another part of him wanted to wait until Caro was there to tell him herself. But she deserved better than for her story to go unknown. She deserved to have someone know.
“No,” Caro whimpered.
“You really think they’ll accept you after that?” The unsub let out a laugh.
“Evie, we love you,” Garcia said as she took a step forward. “Evie-“
“Garcia, quiet,” Hotch said, putting out a hand.
“Sir, she has to know, she has to know.”
Morgan put his arm back around Garcia and pulled her in for a hug.
“She knows,” he whispered to her.
“You lost your family once because of what you did to your uncle,” the unsub said. “Now you’ll lose another.”
“No!”
Caro threw herself at the unsub once again, her fists flying. Hotch had seen her fight before. She was well trained, and she was calculated, confident. But this was animalistic. This was pure instinct. Her punches were weak and light, hitting the places of the unsub where very little damage would be done. The chain prevented any real effort from her, though the bed shook and rattled as she yanked against the metal. It didn’t take him long to wrestle her onto the bed, pinning her down by her arms.
Her face was clearly displayed to the camera. She breathed sporadically, panting and gasping for air. Sweat beaded down her battered face. Her eyes were wide and flitting back and forth, terrified.
“How would you feel if I paid one of them a visit, huh?” The unsub asked, his nose brushing against her cheek.
Caro struggled, a growl of frustration strangled in her sore throat.
“That Spencer Reid lives alone, doesn’t he?”
Rossi put a hand on Reid’s shoulder, who had suddenly gone pale.
“Don’t touch him!” She thrashed again, trying to throw the unsub off of her. She tried to kick her feet, but they were effectively pinned under her by the weight of the unsub. She grunted and groaned in the effort it took to try and get him off of her.
“I doubt it would take much to strangle that skinny neck of his.”
Caro suddenly stopped struggled. The sweat that pooled down her cheeks suddenly started to look more like tears as her body went still.
“Please don’t hurt them,” she said, her voice quiet.
“What, you don’t want me creeping into Emily’s apartment tonight, pay her a little visit?”
Caro let out a quiet sound, something that was almost like a sob.
“Please.”
“What will you do for me in return?” He asked, pressing still closer to her face.
Caro rolled her head back and forth on the bed and Hotch could see the tears that pooled in her eyes.
“Anything.”
“Anything?”
She just nodded her head, lower lip quavering.
“Don’t give up, baby girl,” Morgan whispered. Garcia clung tighter to his hand.
“Well, well,” the unsub said with a sigh as he sat up, releasing Caro from his hold. Her body sagged even further into the cot. He stepped away from the cot and bent down to pick up some of the pictures that fell to the floor. “There isn’t really anything I want from you just now, so I might go and visit one of your friends just to keep you on your toes.”
“No!” Caro leapt from the bed and attached herself to the unsub’s back.
He threw her against back against the cot. Hotch could see him lift his hand to deliver hit after hit to his agent, but he was grateful that the unsub’s back blocked the view of the camera. He didn’t think he could stand to watch her get beaten.
Caro was surprisingly silent as the unsub hit her.
It was over relatively quickly. The unsub straightened himself out, squaring his shoulders. Without a word, he turned to the camera and walked toward it. Caro let out a quiet groan just before the unsub picked up the camera and shut it off.
There was a heavy silence that fell over the team.
“What the hell did we just watch?” Emily asked, setting her eyes on Hotch.
They were once again expecting him to have all the answers, but he had nothing to say. His hands were cramping from how hard he was clenching onto the chair. It took all the strength in him not to throw it across the room. Caro should be here with them, not in that room, not with that man.
“Garcia, can you play the end again and turn up the volume?” Rossi asked.
“No offense, sir,” Garcia said, teary eyed. “But I can’t watch that again.”
“Just the very end, as he’s walking toward the camera. Agent Caro said something.”
“Did she?” JJ asked, crossing her arms.
Garcia pressed a few buttons on her laptop and the video returned. Hotch was almost tempted to look away. The audio was louder as the unsub heaved out an exhausted sigh and started walking toward the camera. And then they heard it, the quiet groan. But it wasn’t a groan at all. She had said something, just a quiet name.
His name.
Aaron.
___
Sitting at his desk, Hotch couldn’t seem to lift his heavy head from his hands. The window, which was almost always closed, was wide open. His office was too stuffy, too hot. He couldn’t breathe.
He couldn’t get the sound of his name from her lips out of his head.
A knock came to his door and he finally lifted his head. Rossi was standing there with his usual “something is wrong and I’m going to fix it” face. Hotch wasn’t sure if he was in the mood for this conversation.
“What can I do for you, David?”
“We have to talk about what just happened,” Rossi said.
“I don’t really think-“
“Aaron, listen to me,” Rossi said, walking into the room. “Evelyn needs you right now.”
“There’s nothing I can do that the team isn’t already doing.”
“She said your name.”
“I know that. You think I don’t know that?” Hotch’s tone was a little sharper than he meant it to be. He let out a sigh and stretched out his fingers.
Rossi sat down across from him.
“Why? We all know that she’s closest with Morgan, so why say your name?” Rossi asked. Hotch squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. The exhaustion headache that was plaguing him wasn’t helping the fact that thinking about who Caro was and wasn’t closest with lit a fire in his gut. “And why your first name? She only ever called you Hotch, like the rest of us.”
“That’s not true,” Hotch said, memorizing the lines on his hands so he wouldn’t have to look at Rossi.
“What isn’t?”
“She’s called me Aaron.”
“When?”
“When she was angry with me,” Hotch said. The thought of it pained him. He could hear her sharp tone, the way she hissed his name like venom. When she thought he was too cold, too apathetic.
“Or….”
“Or what?”
There was another time when she called him Aaron. Three other times.
On the worst day of his life, when he held Hayley’s body in his arms, Caro had sat next to him on the floor. People were calling his name. “Hotch, Hotch, Hotchner.”
She sat there on the ground and whispered his name just once, “Aaron.” It was quiet, like a pin dropping during a storm. But still he heard her.
“Aaron, your son,” she said.
That decision, to stay with Hayley or go find Jack, tore his soul into pieces until she spoke again.
“I’ll stay with her.”
The second time was a few weeks after Hayley’s death. Hotch wasn’t handling it well, or at all. She saw right through the façade that he had put forward. He was at the office late one night and so was she. Even when he tried to send her home, she politely refused, saying there was a lot of work she needed to get done.
He spent hours in his office, the grief and the sorrow and the shame building and building and building until he was suddenly standing over his desk. Everything here reminded him of Hayley. The baseball, the picture of Jack, even the piles of papers that were stacked high, shaming him for not being there for her more.
The only way to keep himself from crying was to let the anger take over. Anger at Foyet, anger at the job, anger at the world, anger at himself. Forgetting where he was, Hotch had dumped everything off of his desk with one sweep of his arm.
Collapsing to the ground, Hotch didn’t remember how long he sat there, leaning against his desk, hyperventilating, until Caro walked in. She didn’t say anything to him. She just lowered herself to the ground next to him, letting out a long sigh. She just sat there, breathing louder than Hotch was used to her breathing, but he found after a few minutes that his breathing began to match hers. A calmness returned to his body, at least enough to breathe normally.
“Aaron?”
He turned to look at her, the edges of his eyes lined with red.
“Let’s get you home, yeah?”
Hotch nodded his head. He pushed himself to his feet before helping Caro to hers.
“I’ll drive,” she said, stepping around all of the things on the ground.
“What about-“
“We’ll deal with it tomorrow,” Caro had said. “Come on.”
She talked to him all the way back to the car. She asked if he wanted to talk about what made him dump all of his stuff on the ground. When he said no, she asked him about Jack instead. It felt comfortable to talk to her about his son, even though he tried to keep personal life and business separated. He had never really talked to her about anything other than work, except for the times when the team would go out to eat, back when Hayley would come with them. She would talk about her brother, his family, but very vaguely.
Now he supposed he knew why she was always so vague.
The third time she called him Aaron, they were on a case. Young girls being kidnapped, assaulted, and dumped. This was one of many cases just like it. Hotch couldn’t even remember what town they were in now. All he remembered was walking by Caro’s hotel room and feeling like he needed to go inside. Something pulled him to a stop outside her door that night and he couldn’t ignore it.
He knocked on the door, but didn’t wait for a respond before he opened in.
Caro was still up, even though they had left hours ago. She had skipped the meal they all shared together, which was unlike her. She sat at her desk, the lamp on but not the overhead light. The case that they were working was laid out in front of her. When she looked up at him, startled that he had come in, her eyes were red and he couldn’t tell if it was all of the reading or if it was something else.
“What can I do for you, Hotch?” Caro asked, one of her legs propped up on the swivel chair.
“I….” He hadn’t really thought this far ahead. “….wanted to check on you, see how you were doing.”
Caro’s lips pulled into an amused smile.
“You never check on me.”
“Maybe now’s the time to start.”
They were quiet for a few moments until Caro let out a sigh. She patted the bed, signaling for him to sit.
“These cases, the ones with the young girls, they’re hard,” Caro told him after he sat down.
Hotch felt like a foreigner sitting there and talking to her, awkward as he sat on her bed, like it shouldn’t be him here doing this. But she seemed so eager to talk, like she was just waiting for someone to ask.
“I understand,” Hotch said finally, looking at the carpet. “They’re hard on all of us.”
“Aaron.”
At the sound of his name, he looked back at her and he could see the tears in her eyes. He didn’t realize it then, but she had been begging him to understand so she didn’t have to say. She didn’t want to have to say it.
He couldn’t sleep that night and he didn’t know why.
“She called you Aaron when she was mad at you or….” Rossi’s voice pulled him back to the present.
“Or she needs me to listen.”
“So, what does she need you to hear?”
___
“He knows her,” Hotch said suddenly, startling the life out of the half sleeping agents.
“What?” Morgan asked, sitting up.
“The unsub knows her. There is no way that he learned all of this about her at the meeting they went to. No way he could have replicated the room that she was kept in when she was a child unless he had personal information.”
“He knew everything about her…and us…before he even took her,” Rossi said, his voice laced with awe. “Which means….”
“All those other murders were about getting her here.” Hotch felt his heart restrict in his chest. “This has all been about her. She was the piece we were missing.”
“Sir?” Garcia hurried into the room, meaning she had found something. “The link between all the victims, I think I found it.”
The team turned toward her.
“Evie is the link.” Garcia swiped up on her laptop, a couple different screens popping up on the big screen. “Sarah Jordans went to kindergarten with Evie. Paulette Bobin was the daughter of the police officer who found Evie after she escaped her uncle. Robin Everard was her high school drama teacher’s niece. Celia Hough was the sister of a woman she walked dogs for in middle school. They weren’t close enough to Evie for her to recognize them, but they were all a part of her life in some way.”
Hotch looked over at Rossi and shook his head.
“It’s been about Caro all along. All of it.”
“That means that the place she’s being held is about her too,” Morgan said. “More than just making the room look the same. He’s holding her somewhere that means something to her.”
“Garcia,” Hotch said, turning his attention back to the tech analyst. “Who owns the uncle’s house now?”
“You think he took her back there?”
“She said the room looked exactly the same. Maybe because it was the same.”
“The house passed onto his wife’s son when he died,” Garcia said.
“Where is the son now?”
“He is….” They all watched her carefully, waiting for the last piece of information. “…. He changed his name just after his father’s funeral to….”
Hotch turned back to the screen, where the picture of the unsub was plastered so none of them would forget it.
“Ralph Bennet,” Morgan said, venom in his words. “The unsub.”
“How did she not recognize her own cousin?”
“His father and mother got divorced when he was young. He didn’t even know he had a step-dad who was still alive until he was dead,” Garcia said.
“So, Ralph Bennet was the step-son of Caro’s uncle. He feels like he has to punish her for taking another father figure away from him,” added Reid.
“He wants her to pay. He wants to hurt her in any way possible.”
“He’s got her at her old house.”
___
Evelyn could barely see. Her eyes were weak and tired, partially from the crying and partially from the lack of sleep. She was terrified of letting her eyes shut, of letting her guard down. She needed to stay awake, to keep her guard up. But she couldn’t take her eyes away from the red stain on the floor.
The cot mattress was itching her skin. If she could ignore the itching, she would begin to feel the sting of the metal chain against her skin. She preferred the itching.
A thud from downstairs echoed to her room. The attic. Pretending like this wasn’t that room she had been kept in for all those years was the only thing that was keeping her from breaking down, but that wall between what she pretended was real and reality was growing thin.
Breathing in through her nose, Evelyn shut her eyes and imagined herself back in her apartment, safe and warm. In her hands was a cup of tea, chamomile with only one sprinkling of sugar. It was raining outside. Not too hard, but hard enough that she could hear it pattering against the window. Her dog slept at her feet, breathing softly. In her lap was-
Another thud from downstairs, tearing Evelyn from her fantasy. She opened her eyes and looked toward the door.
“Ralph?” She called out, voice hoarse. There was no response.
When the door burst open suddenly, Evelyn yelped and jumped backward, curling her legs in on herself.
Ralph stood there, his face red and sweat beading down his forehead.
“What’s going on?” Evelyn asked, curling up tighter.
Ralph let out a growl of frustration and started toward her.
“Ralph- no!” Evelyn kicked out at him, but he grabbed hold of her ankles and dragged her to the edge of the bed. “What are you-“
“Shut up,” Ralph snapped, unlacing the chains around her wrist. “We’re leaving.”
“What-“
“I said shut up!”
He tugged down hard on the chain, making it dig deeper into the wound around her wrist. Evelyn hissed in pain, but she quieted as he told her. There was another thud from downstairs and Evelyn snapped her head in the direction of the sound. Things were slowly starting to come together; Ralph’s shaking hands, his red face, the thudding downstairs.
Evelyn looked between Ralph and the door. She sat a still as she could while his trembling hands, waiting for the just right moment. As soon as the chains were loose, Evelyn slipped her wrist out of the chain, kicked Ralph over with as little strength as she had, and ran for the door.
“Aaron!”
Her cry echoed through the house just before Ralph grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand over her mouth.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” He hissed, dragging her back into the room.
“Caro?”
Evelyn gasped through Ralph’s hand at the sound of Hotch’s voice, trying to shout back. She struggled against Ralph as he pulled her back to the bed, thrashing her shoulders to try and break free.
“Agent Caro?”
I’m here, Hotch, I’m here.
Ralph threw the weak Evelyn onto the bed and backhanded her across the face so hard that her head started to spin. She stretched her jaw, blinking away the blackness in her vision.
“Evie!” From somewhere far away, she thought she could hear her best friend, Derek Morgan, calling for her. She opened her mouth to call back, but all she felt was numbness.
By the time she finally felt like she could see again, there was someone else in the doorway. At first glance, she thought it was Ralph, but he was still there in the room with her. The man in the doorway had a gun, the man in the doorway was Aaron Hotchner.
“Ralph Bennet, step away,” Hotch said.
Evelyn watched, head blurry as Ralph did as he was told, backing away from her. But he was going the wrong way. There was something wrong that way. Something she needed to tell Hotch about.
“You came for me,” she said, trying to smile.
“Are you okay, Caro?”
Evelyn could feel the headache behind her eyes begin to fade. She nodded her head once, letting her eyes close. There was something she needed to tell him, something really important.
“There’s something,” she said, shaking her head to try and clear it. “Over there-“
Before Evelyn could even finish, Ralph stepped forward and swung a bat at Hotch, the bat that Evelyn knew was in the corner. The bat that broke her ribs. That was what she needed to tell Hotch about. But now it was too late.
The bat knocked Hotch’s gun out of his hands and onto the ground. Hotch wasted no time in jumping into action, springing at Ralph without a second thought. Evelyn tried to shake herself out of her stoper. She would be no help to anyone weary. Even if malnutrition and the beating she got that morning were the cause of her exhaustion, she wanted to be of more help.
Hotch knocked Ralph backward, but Ralph held tight to the bat in his hands, using it to push Hotch backward. It was hard for Evelyn to follow the fight, her eyes not able of following every hit and swing. When her eyes finally caught up with what was happening, the ringing in her ears starting to fade, Evelyn found that Hotch was on the ground, Ralph standing over him with the baseball bat, ready to bash his head in.
Evelyn pushed herself off of the bed, her legs weak and shaking, and ran toward Ralph.
“Don’t touch him!” She growled, reaching up to grab hold of the bat.
“Let go, bitch!”
It didn’t take much for Ralph to throw Evelyn’s grip off the bat, but only by throwing the bat out of his hands as well. She hit the ground with a thud, the force rattling through her bones. Ralph immediately turned his attention back to Hotch, who was still on the ground but in a less vulnerable state.
On the ground with Evelyn were the bat and the forgotten gun, but they were all the way on the other side of the room. She didn’t know if she could make it there and back before her legs gave out.
She was laying on the ground by the edge of the bed, hearing Hotch and Ralph go at it. There had to be something that she could do. She had to do something. As she pushed herself up, Evelyn’s had grazed over the chain, the chain that had been used to keep her tied to this bed for days. Looking up at Ralph, Evelyn dug into all that bitterness and all the rage that she had been brewing for the past twenty years of her life and found some ounce of strength.
Strength enough to wrap her hands around the chain. Strength enough to pick to chain off the ground. Strength enough to stand.
With Ralph paying attention to Hotch, his back was left exposed to her. He didn’t think she had the strength left. He thought he broke her.
But she was unbreakable.
Wrapping the chain around one of her hands, she walked up behind Ralph and swung the chain around his neck. He let out a startled gasp, lifting a hand, but not before Evelyn grabbed the chain with her open hand and pulled. Ralph stumbled backward into her. He slapped at her hands. He tried to hit her with the back of his head.
But the adrenaline coursing through her veins kept her strong. She pulled tighter, tensing her hands.
Ralph gagged and Evelyn scrunched her nose. He let out a gurgling sound and Evelyn groaned as the muscles in her arms began to cramp from the tightness. But still she did not let go.
Hotch stood, his lip bleeding and his eye beginning to bruise. Ralph and Evelyn stumbled over; he fell to the ground and she landed on the bed, never once letting the chain go slack.
“Agent Caro,” Hotch said. “You can let him go.”
Evelyn only pulled tighter. Ralph smacked at her hands lamely, choking sounds gurgling from his throat. His legs kicked out, struggling in the same way that she had been. His legs kicked and his body twitched and his arms flailed out and he maybe felt an ounce of the terror that Evelyn had.
“Caro.”
Evelyn’s face twisted she breathed heavily, pulling tighter against the chain until Ralph’s eyes were rolling.
“Evelyn.”
She froze, looking up at him. All the tension in her face faded as her eyes met Hotch’s. She always used his first name when she needed him to listen to her, but now it was her turn to listen to him. Ralph gasped for the air that was slowly entering his lungs.
“You can let him go.”
Evelyn remembered that scared little girl she was all those years ago. There had been no other option then. It was just her, her uncle, and the knife in her hand. It was kill him or live the rest of her life in a prison. She felt like that again. Alone, terrified, trapped, cornered. There was no other way out.
“You’re safe now, Evelyn,” Hotch said. “You can let him go.”
She wasn’t alone anymore. Hotch was here with her. She wasn’t that terrified little girl with no way out. She was an FBI agent. She had grown and she had learned and she was no longer alone. Her team had come from her. Her family had found her.
She let go of the chain, pulling her legs onto the bed. Ralph heaved in lung fulls of air, but Evelyn kept her eyes on Hotch. He took a step toward them, pulling out his handcuffs. Evelyn flinched away, pulling her legs in tighter.
“These aren’t for you,” Hotch told her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Relaxing her muscles as best as she could, Evelyn nodded her head.
“I know,” she said. “I know.”
She sat there on the bed while Hotch roughly rolled a still coughing Ralph onto his stomach to handcuff him. Once the handcuffs were on, Hotch turned back to Evelyn, who was still staring at him. Her eyes were full of tears.
It was hard for Hotch to say that he didn’t enjoy beating Ralph into the ground. He shouldn’t want to keep beating the shit out of the man now that he was in handcuffs, but seeing those tears in her eyes made Hotch want to. He had been tempted to let Evelyn kill Ralph. She deserved that bit of closure. But he knew the guilt that she already carried, the guilt she would carry on top of that. He knew because he carried that same guilt.
Still, he wanted to see that monster dead. He wanted to wipe those tears from her eyes before they even had a chance to fall.
“Caro-“
“Evie!”
Morgan burst into the room, his eyebrows pinched together in worry. Evelyn tore her gaze away from Hotch at the sound of Morgan’s voice.
“Derek.” The relief in her voice as she said his name made Hotch’s stomach drop.
Morgan rushed toward the bed and dropped to his knees in front of it. He reached forward and pulled the tattered blanket on the bed up and around Evelyn’s shoulders, covering her. Evelyn just stared at him, the tears threatening to fall from her lashes. Morgan brushed hair from out of her face as a smile began to pull at his lips. His smile made her almost able to break a grin too.
When Morgan first put his arms around Evelyn, het body immediately tensed. She expected to be surrounded by Ralph’s smell, feel his clammy skin on hers. But it was Morgan’s smell; that expensive cologne she had bought for his birthday mixed with the laundry detergent he always used. He held her tight. Even when she opened her eyes, she wasn’t able to look down enough to see Ralph, which was probably Morgan’s intention. She would have done the same thing.
The adrenaline had succeeded in keeping her heart rate steady, but now that Morgan was holding her, her heart started to pound.
Hotch grabbed Ralph off the ground and hoisted him to his feet. Evelyn listened as he shoved Ralph down the stairs, Ralph grunting and groaning all the way down.
It wasn’t until they could no longer hear him that Morgan pulled away. She didn’t want to let him go, afraid that she would begin to crumble without him there. Morgan put a hand on her cheek and leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Let’s get you home.”
___
The first worst part about walking down those stairs was remembering the last time she had done this. That red stain on the floor had been there for twenty years. Evelyn had left her uncle bleeding out on the floor while she stumbled down the stairs, dazed, terrified. She knew the blood was the same because she had been covered in it too.
The second worst part was when everyone turned to look at her.
JJ, Emily, Reid, and Rossi were all in the downstairs of the house. They had holstered their guns, but Emily still had her hand on hers. The stairs were too narrow for Morgan to walk alongside her, so he held her hand as he walked in front of her. She was almost hesitant to take that final step, terrified of how the others would look at her.
When they heard the stair creak, they all turned their heads toward Evelyn. She froze, her blood running cold. She expected the concerned stares, the pitied eyes, it was all she got last time. Tightening the blanket around her shoulders, Evelyn couldn’t bring herself to look them in the eyes.
JJ walked toward her, stopping only a few feet away.
“Can I hug you?” JJ asked.
Evelyn looked up to see that there were tears in her friend’s eyes, but a smile on her face. There was no pity, only relief.
Slowly, Evelyn nodded her head. JJ didn’t need to be told twice. She closed the distance, wrapping her arms around Evelyn’s neck. Emily was next, pressing a gentle kiss against the side of her head. Reid’s hug was awkward, shaky.
“If you ever need to talk,” he said quietly.
Evelyn nodded her head. She knew that he understood what it was like, to be taken and held against your will. She gave him a gentle smile that he returned. Rossi was the last to approach her. He had teary smile on his face as well. He didn’t hug her entirely, but instead put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her toward him to press a kiss against her forehead.
“C’mon,” Morgan said. “Ambulance is out here.”
“I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Evelyn said, looking over at him and giving a shake of your head.
Morgan raised his eyebrows, a hint of a smile on his face.
“Same old Evelyn.” He put an arm around her shoulder, as he always did. The action was simple, but it was enough to make her smile, to make her feel normal. “But yes, we’re taking you to the hospital.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes but let him lead her outside to the ambulance. Hotch was already out there, talking quietly to the EMT. Ralph must have gone in a different police car. He was nowhere to be seen.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital?” Morgan said once she had a quick once over by the EMT.
“You’re not going to ride with me?” She asked. Evelyn hoped that the fear of being alone again that she was feeling didn’t show through in her voice.
“Hotch’ll go with you.”
Morgan dropped a hand on Hotch’s shoulder, who wore his usual scowl, his arms crossed. He turned toward Morgan, who raised his eyebrows and walked away.
“I’ll be right back,” the EMT said before turning and walking away.
Evelyn sat on the bed, still wearing the blanket Morgan had wrapped around her. Her stomach twisted as Hotch walked toward her. She kept her eyes at the ground, chewing on the inside of her lip. She could feel only shame as he looked at her. Maybe it was because he could see the bruises and the cuts and the blood. Maybe it was because she was at her lowest and he was her boss who should only ever see her at her best. Maybe it was because he had to talk her down from choking the life out of a man. Maybe it was some combination of everything.
“Are you okay?” He asked her, leaning up against the ambulance.
Evelyn nodded her head slowly. She would have responded with a decisive yes, but her mouth had gone too dry to talk.
“That’s a stupid question, of course you’re not okay,” Hotch muttered and looked down at his feet.
“I’m okay,” Evelyn affirmed. “I’m okay.”
When he looked back up at her, Evelyn was surprised to see his eyes were watery.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get you sooner.”
Evelyn shook her head as aggressively as she could manage.
“I knew you would come, Hotch,” she told him. “I don’t blame you. It’s not your fault.”
Hotch let out an almost bitter laugh.
“I should be saying that to you.” Hotch looked at her in such a way that made Evelyn’s stomach squeeze. “All this time, and you’re still looking after me.”
Evelyn gave him a small smile in return.
“Thank you for coming to get me.”
“Of course.”
The EMT returned, telling Hotch that they were getting ready to go. He pulled himself into the ambulance and the EMT followed after him.
“Lie back,” the EMT said. Evelyn did as she was told, feeling a suffocating feeling settling on her chest as she stared up at the white ceiling. The sting of tears returned to her eyes and she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to hold them back.
Her hands tensed at her side, clenching around the blanket of the gurney. Hotch, now sitting in the chair beside her, reached out and took her hand in his. She turned her head to look at him, sniffing in deeply.
“It’s going to be okay,” Hotch told her before giving her a sharp nod.
Evelyn nodded back at him, breathing in deeply. She let go of the blanket and shifted her hand around until her fingers were laced through his. She didn’t know how comfortable he was with holding her hand, but at the moment she didn’t care. She needed someone’s hand to hold. She needed his hand to hold.
She wasn’t in the hospital for very long, which she was grateful for. Garcia got there as soon as Evelyn was released and put a pair of shaking arms around her, already dissolved into tears. Evelyn laughed, grateful for her friend’s antics.
“I love you so much,” Garcia said, her tears watering Evelyn’s neck.
She had ditched the gross blanket and was currently sporting a wonderful hospital gown and Hotch’s coat.
“Are you staying somewhere? Do you need somewhere to stay? I’ve got some clothes and a warm bed and I can make you some tea-“
“I really appreciate it, Pen,” Evelyn said, “But Hotch offered me a bed already.”
Garcia stopped her rambling to stare at her, glancing behind Evelyn to where Hotch was talking to the rest of the team.
“Hotch offered-? Right, okay. That’s good. I still brought you some clothes to wear. Come with me.”
“O-okay.”
Garcia led Evelyn to the bathroom to put her in some clothes.
“As soon as they went to get you, I went home to grab you some clothes.” Garcia dropped her bag on the ground. Evelyn covered her mouth with her hand to keep herself from laughing. It was sweet of her friend, but Evelyn didn’t think she needed that many clothes for a few nights. “I hope it’s enough.”
“Thank you. It’s perfect.”
Evelyn stepped into one of the stalls and pulled a thin sweater on over her head and a pair of sweatpants. It wasn’t the cutest outfit, but it was comfortable, and it covered her ill looking body, so it would do.
Penelope was wiping tears away when Evelyn stepped out of the stall. Evelyn smiled at her and put her hands on her friend’s shoulders.
“I’m okay, Pen.”
“Evie-“
“I’m really okay. I promise.”
Penelope let out a heavy sigh and nodded.
“Can I have a smile? It’ll make me feel better,” Evelyn said in a sing-songy, letting her hands fall back to her side.
A smile tugged at Penelope’s lips and she turned away, letting out a little laugh.
“There you go. Now the world’s right again.”
Evelyn and Penelope left the bathroom and rejoined the group just as Hotch was finishing his little speech.
“Go home, everybody. Get some sleep. We’ll come back to work on Monday,” Hotch was saying.
“Thank you,” Evelyn piped up before they turned to go their separate ways. “For everything.”
___
Hotch opened the front door of his apartment. It was dark inside, only one of the lamps were on. It was silent, still. Part of it was reassuring, the stillness. Part of it was unsettling, the quiet.
She looked back at Hotch and he nodded his head, so she stepped inside.
It felt better once she was inside. It was warm, warmer than the attic.
She had never even imagined stepping into Hotch’s home. She expected it to be stiff and cold like his office was, impersonal. But it was lively, with pictures hung on the walls and décor covering shelves full of books. Evelyn wondered absent-mindedly how much of it was Hayley’s sister or if Hotch had a secret interior designer in him somewhere. The thought made her smile.
“You’ll sleep through here,” Hotch said, his voice in a hushed tone. Jack was probably already in bed.
“Your room?” She asked, keeping her voice equally as low.
Hotch nodded.
“I’m not going to displace you,” Evelyn said. “I can sleep on the couch.”
On the couch, there was already a blanket and pillow set up.
“No, Caro. I can’t let you sleep on a couch your first day back,” Hotch said, giving his head a shake.
“Hotch, seriously-“
“Agent Caro…”
Evelyn tilted her head down and raised an eyebrow.
“Now you’re using your boss voice on me.”
To her amazement, Hotch actually smiled. He was looser here, less uptight. Something about passing into his house must have been some kind of release. Domestic Hotch was very different than at work Hotch.
“Fine,” Evelyn said. “But only for tonight.”
“I’ll be out here if you need me.”
Evelyn nodded her head. She turned down the hall as Hotch walked toward the couch. Evelyn stopped, turning to say one last thing to him, but she decided against it. He sat with his back to her, taking off his shoes. She watched him let out a deep sigh and roll tension out of his shoulders. Evelyn couldn’t help but think that she was the cause of that tension and the sooner she was out of his hair the better.
It was strange, standing by Hotch’s bed. This would be the first warm, safe bed she would be falling in to and it wasn’t her own, it was Hotch’s. It felt wrong to touch. It wasn’t hers. Even if he had said she could, it wasn’t hers. This bed belonged to someone else. Hotch’s permission didn’t feel like the only permission she needed.
On the bedside table, there was a picture. Hotch, Jack, and Hayley, all huddled together and smiling. Evelyn felt herself smiling as she looked at it. Reaching out her hand, she ran a finger along the picture frame.
“I hope it’s okay with you,” Evelyn whispered, looking at the picture of Hotch’s late wife.
They’d met a few times in the past and she was just the gentlest woman. She loved Hotch and she loved her son. There she was, staring up at Evelyn and smiling. But the only image that Evelyn had of her in her mind was Hayley’s limp body, the blood that stained her shirt.
Turning away from the picture, Evelyn pulled the blankets back before she kept overthinking. She dropped the bag that Garcia had given her onto the ground, flicked off her shoes and socks, and crawled into bed.
The warmth of the blankets was strange to her. Even her own bed wasn’t as warm as this one was. Still trying not to over think it, Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut and rolled onto her side. She breathed in deeply and was overwhelmed by his scent. With a heavy sigh, she rolled back onto her back and opened her eyes.
“Get over yourself, Evelyn,” she whispered to herself.
Breathing in slowly and steadily, Evelyn let her brain relax. She went to that safe place in her mind, that place far away. She didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep, safe and warm in that room where no one could reach her.
It wasn’t until blood started to seep through the walls that she realized she was asleep.
She woke up to someone screaming. The sound echoed off the walls of the bedroom. Someone was crying.
“Caro. Caro.” Someone was calling her name. Someone close by. Someone far away.
“Evelyn!”
Her eyes snapped open, her heart pounding so hard she thought she might be having a heart attack. The room was still dark, but the bedside lamp was turned on. The blankets were half on the floor. She had been throwing them off when she kicked her legs. Hotch was sitting in front of her. Not just sitting in front of her, but holding onto her shoulders. He had been shaking her. There was worry on his face, his eyes wide. Behind him was Jack, tears rolling down his face.
He was the one who was crying. That must have meant she was the one who was screaming.
“You’re okay,” Hotch said. “You were just dreaming.”
Evelyn lifted her hands to her face to find that there were tears on her cheeks.
“I…I’m sorry,” she said, a scowl in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
Hotch shook his head. He looked tired. She must have woken him up.
“Is she okay?” Jack asked and sniffled.
“She’s fine, Jack, go back to bed,” Hotch said. When Jack hesitated, Hotch gave him a smile. “It’s okay. Go back to bed.”
Jack nodded and shuffled out of the room.
“I’m sorry,” Evelyn whispered again, pulling her knees up to her chest. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Hotch said again and dropped a hand onto her knee. “You’re safe here, no one can hurt you here.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean….”
Her hands were shaking too badly for her to say anything else. She already couldn’t remember the dream, but there was blood, so much blood. And she remembered she couldn’t breathe, like there was a chain wrapped around her neck.
Evelyn shut her eyes and put her shaking hands up to her head.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said.
Hotch let out a sigh. He was frustrated with her. The thought made tears sting her eyes.
“It’s not your fault.”
Even with her eyes closed, the tears still managed to slide down her cheeks. Hotch reached out his hand and rested it on the back of her neck. The contact only made her tears fall faster. She moved her hands to cover her face, ashamed of her reaction. Hotch pulled her in toward him and the closer she got to him, the harder she started to cry.
He put his other arm around her and she lowered her forehead to his shoulder, the sobs shaking her shoulders. But Hotch held her tight, one hand on the back of the neck, the other on her back.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
She wasn’t sure what she was really sorry for. Sorry for waking him up. Sorry for sleeping in his bed. Sorry for invading his space. Sorry for getting kidnapped. For getting in the way. For making his life harder. For setting them back from work for days.
“It’s okay, Evelyn. It’s okay.”
At the sound of her name, she stopped her apologies. She heard her first name come from his mouth so rarely, she didn’t want to talk over him. She just wanted to hear him say it again. Finally letting her hands fall away from her eyes, she let her hands fall into her lap.  
“It’s not your fault, Evelyn,” he whispered, hesitantly letting his fingers lace through her hair.
She sniffed.
“It wasn’t your fault and none of us are upset with you,” Hotch told her.
Slowly, her breathing started to return to normal, sucking in short, gasping breaths of air, but they were steadier.
He pulled away from her, brushing her damp hair out of her face and resting a hand on her cheek. She wouldn’t look at him, still taking shallow breaths, tears still rolling down her cheeks, body still shaking.
“None of us blame you for any of it,” he told her, leaning down to try and catch her eye. “And there’s nothing that could have ever happened to you or that you could have possibly done that wouldn’t make us come for you.”
He brushed a tear off of her cheek as it slid from her eye.
“Evelyn, look at me.”
It took her a moment, but she finally managed to lift her eyes to meet his. They were wide and terrified, trembling like the rest of her body. Hotch tightened his jaw.
“We’re not going anywhere. I know your last family left you after what happened, but I promise you, we are not going anywhere.” Evelyn let out another shuddered breath and nodded her head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
It took a few more moments to calm her down and by the time she had stopped crying, her eyes were getting heavy.
“Sleep now,” Hotch said, slowly standing up from the bed. She was still sitting up, her head hanging and her hands in her lap.
“Aaron?” He paused at the door and half turned toward her. “Will you….”
She scowled and cleared her throat, shaking her head.
“What can I do for you?”
She breathed out heavily and looked up at him again.
“Would you stay, here, with me?” She felt stupid, asking.
But he wasn’t looking at her in pity or loathing. He nodded his head before walking to the other side of the bed.
Evelyn laid back onto the pillow, pulling the blankets up to her chin. She closed her eyes, embarrassed to see him, as if her request was ridiculous and gross. But she didn’t think that she could have fallen asleep if she was on her own.
She felt the other side of the bed dip in and the blankets rustle.
“Do you want the light on?” He asked.
“You can turn it off if you’d like.”
The light flickered off and they were shrouded in darkness.
“Goodnight, Evelyn.”
“Night, Aaron.”
___
When Hotch woke up the next morning, the other side of the bed was empty. He got used to the empty bed a long time ago, but there was a pit in his stomach this time. Evelyn should be there. She should be-
There was a smell coming from the kitchen. A pleasant smell.
Sitting up and stretching, Hotch made his way to the bedroom door. He heard laughing coming from the kitchen. When he opened the door, he had a direct line of sight to the kitchen. Jack was already awake, sitting happily at the table. There were usually only two chairs at that table, but Jack had pulled up a third.
Standing in the kitchen with a smile on her face was Evelyn. Jack was saying something to her, barely incoherent through all his laughter. Evelyn was just laughing along with him. Hotch shuffled through the hallway, leaning his shoulder against the corner of the and crossing his arms.
“What is going on here?” He asked with a smile on his face.
Evelyn and Jack both turned to him, both smiling.
“Eggs, bacon, French toast,” Evelyn said. “Want some?”
Hotch couldn’t help the smile on his face. He nodded, walking toward Jack and sitting down at the chair next to him.
It was strange, seeing Evelyn this way. She was generally serious at work, like he was. She would laugh and tease with Morgan and the girls and Reid, but Hotch was so used to her being solid, so stoic, so ready. But here she was, smiling and laughing and making jokes with him.
Evelyn walked over to the table carrying three plates of food and set them onto the table. She sat down, the biggest grin on her face.
“Dig in,” she said.
Hotch and Evelyn both knew that this happiness on her face went only so deep. Her suffering and her pain were just starting to bubble to the surface. But for now, she could eat this breakfast, laugh with Jack, pretend everything was okay.
“Would you like to watch my soccer game today, Evie?” Jack asked as they took the empty plates back to the kitchen.
Evelyn looked over at Hotch, hesitant.
“That would be great, buddy,” she said before looking back at Hotch. “Would you mind?”
“No, of course not.”
Jack’s grin was the brightest Hotch had seen in a long time.
Hotch knew of course about Evelyn’s competitive nature. They had been working together for years. He had seen enough games between her and Morgan to know that she liked to win. He still somehow didn’t expect that much competition to come out of her during his son’s soccer match.
She yelled from the sidelines, cheering for Jack and shouting at the ref and even exchanging glares with other parents. It was hard not to be distracted by her as Hotch tried to coach his team, trying to keep his laughing to a minimum. When the game ended, after Hotch had a word with the players, Jack ran straight for Evelyn. He stopped just in front of her, remembering what his dad had told him about not getting too close, and grinned up at her.
Evelyn put her hand on his head and ruffled his sandy blond hair.
“You were great out there, kid,” she said. “You got the most goals on your team.”
“We, uh, don’t usually keep score,” Hotch said as he walked over.
Evelyn looked up at him with the brightest smile.
“Well, I did and your team did a great job.”
One of the other moms walked over, her daughter and Jack immediately engaging in teasing and chatting about the game as they tried to kick each other in their still guarded shins.
“My name is Mary,” the mother said, reaching a hand out for Evelyn to shake. Evelyn startled, her heart rate spiking at Mary’s sudden movement. She recovered quickly, shaking Mary’s hand.
“Evelyn Caro.”
“Are you and Aaron-“
“We work together,” Hotch said.
Mary nodded her head.
“That explains the….”
She gestured toward Evelyn’s face before pausing and forced a smile.
“Right.”
Evelyn had forgotten how horrible her face must look. She had been absently rolling the scab on her lip between her teeth all day. Her bruised and cut cheek was sore, her other eye throbbing every now and again. The battered shape of her face hadn’t even crossed her mind while she offered to go to Jack’s game.
Evelyn looked over Hotch for assistance. His smile was still there, but thinner.
“Mary, how is your husband?” Hotch asked, clearly trying to direct the attention away from Evelyn. She was grateful for it.
She listened to their conversation with a smile until Jack walked back over to them and grabbed her by the hand. She turned to look at him with a smile. He beckoned for her to bend down and she did. Jack even stood on his toes so he could whisper in her ear.
“Can you ask Daddy if we can get McDonald’s on the way home?” He asked, his voice so quiet that Evelyn barely heard him.
Still, she let out a laugh and straightened her back.
“I can do that.”
Jack grinned and ran back toward his friends. She couldn’t help but smile as she watched him run away. She had met Jack only handful of times in the past, but he was such a light. He meant so much to Aaron that it was impossible for Evelyn not to love him, too. The poor boy had been through so much already.
“What did he want?” Hotch asked.
Evelyn turned back around to find that not only was Mary talking to Hotch, but three other unaccompanied women were hanging around as well. She resisted the urge to tease him about it right there. Teasing Hotch was also something new. She never would have done it before. Their relationship was strictly professional.
“Jack wants to go to McDonald’s on the way home,” Evelyn told Hotch.
“Ah,” Hotch said, his hands on his hips.
“The kids always do,” a blonde mother said, no ounce of amusement in her tone as she glanced at Evelyn.
“I suppose he thought you asking would make the likelihood of me saying yes higher?”
Evelyn shrugged. The other moms stood there, laughing joylessly, but Evelyn didn’t even see them.
They did stop at McDonald’s on the way home. Jack happily sang a song to himself in the backseat, munching on his apple slices and French fries. Evelyn was sitting in the passenger seat with one of her feet propped up on the dash.
“This feels like cheating,” Evelyn sighed, staring at the fries in her hands.
“How?” Hotch asked with a short laugh.
Evelyn shrugged, shoving the fries in her mouth.
“Something about it. They’re too good, I guess. There’s gotta be a downside.”
Hotch opened his mouth to say something but she held up her hand to stop him.
“You don’t have to profile my eating habits, Hotchner,” she said.
Hotch simply laughed.
When they got back from the game, Jack went to take a nap, leaving Evelyn and Hotch alone in the apartment.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I invited the team over to watch the game this afternoon,” Hotch said.
“Of course I don’t mind,” Evelyn said. “This is still your home.”
“Right.” Hotch nodded his head.
She dropped herself onto the couch, her eyes tired, but she had no desire to sleep, especially if the team was coming over.
But her eyes were beginning to droop against her better judgement. The apartment was quiet, she could barely hear Hotch moving around until there was the soft sound of music flitting through the room.
Hotch sat down at the table, trying to be far enough away from the sleeping woman on his couch to help her feel comfortable. Light music floated through the room as he sat, flipping through a book that he wasn’t really reading. It seemed like every three seconds, his eyes would move from his book to where Evelyn was sleeping. He justified it to himself, trying to tell himself it was just to make sure she wasn’t having another nightmare. Last night had been hard on all of them and he didn’t want a repeat. But there was something else that kept drawing his gaze to her.
She just looked so at peace. Like none of the thousands of terrible things in the world could touch her. Her breathing was short, but steady and there was almost a bit of a smile on her face. His hands were tense around the book, just waiting for her breathing to change to signal to him that she was going to a place in her mind where she didn’t want to be.
He was almost tempted to ask the others to not come to allow Evelyn the chance to sleep. But Hotch thought it was best to allow her the time to socialize with the people she loved. She needed to be surrounded by support at this time and Hotch knew he couldn’t possibly provide enough of it to be any help.
An hour and a half later, fifteen minutes before the others were due to arrive, Hotch walked over to where she slept on the couch. Again, he was tempted to just let her sleep. But he put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a light shake in hopes of rousing her.
“Caro,” he whispered.
She woke with a startled gasp, her eyes snapping open. Hotch was prepared for some kind of emotional response. He was ready in case she needed his help, but after the initial shock of being woken up, she sat up normally. Rubbing her eyes, Evelyn let out a yawn.
“Are they here?” She asked.
“Not yet,” Hotch said. “Soon. I’m going to wake up Jack. Will you be alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” There was a little bit of a scowl on her face as she continued to try and wake herself up. “Anything I can do to help get ready?”
Hotch was already halfway to Jack’s room, but he shook his head.
“Everyone else is bringing food. We’re off the hook for this one,” he told her before slipping into Jack’s room.
Evelyn forced herself off the couch, even though her bones were still stiff and tired. She straightened the cushions she slept on before rubbing her eyes again. She didn’t think she had dreamed, which was the first time she hadn’t in a very long time.
She was rubbing tension out of her neck when there was the first knock at the door.
Evelyn started and reached for the gun that should have been there but wasn’t. Her heart pounded in her chest, her hand still on her hip where her gun should have been. She wanted to move, but her muscles felt frozen. Eyes wide and body tense, Evelyn struggled to breathe. There was a tightness in her chest she couldn’t shake.
There was a knock at the door again, but she still couldn’t move.
“Caro, you okay?” Hotch asked as he came back from Jack’s room. “Evelyn?”
He stopped on his way to the door. She saw him standing there, staring at her, but all she could do was watch the door. Her body began to shake ever so slightly from the tension in her muscles.
“It’s just the team, Caro,” Hotch said, slowly putting his hands out toward her. “They’re not going to hurt you.”
Evelyn heard what he was saying, but something in her bones told her that it was a bad guy, someone who wanted to come in and hurt her, hurt Hotch, hurt Jack. She wouldn’t let that happen.
“Caro, I need you to look at me and just breathe,” Hotch was saying, taking a step toward her. There was another knock at the door and she flinched. “Look at me. Breathe.”
Evelyn sucked in one deep breath in through her nose before flickering her watery eyes away from the door and toward Hotch. He titled his head to the side, taking on a non-offensive stance. Her eyes strained to look at him.
“I’m going to open the door, okay?” Evelyn gave a sharp shake of her head, her body jerking forward but her feet not going anywhere. “I’m going to open the door. It’s going to be okay.”
He took a step toward the door and Evelyn shook her head again. Hotch turned away from her and kept walking toward the door.
“Hotch,” Evelyn said, her words just barely above a whisper.
When his hand touched the handle, Evelyn shook her head again, staring at the door unblinking. The door unlocked and the handle turned.
“Hotch-“
The door opened. Evelyn’s eyes widened even further, waiting for Ralph to be standing there on the other side.
But it was just Penelope and JJ and Emily, all grinning wildly.
Evelyn blinked her eyes hard and shook her head, dropping her hands back to her sides and relaxing her defensive stance.
“Come in,” Hotch was saying.
Evelyn forced a smile onto her face and went to greet her friends as they came in. She helped them set up the table with the food and drinks they brought.
“How are you doing?” JJ asked as she tore into the chips.
Evelyn sighed, still trying to smile.
“I’m doing okay,” she said.
“I might not be as good a profiler as any of you guys,” JJ said. “But I know you well enough to know when you’re lying.”
Evelyn turned to face her, leaning her hip against the table and crossing her arms.
“I am doing as well as you can imagine I’m doing,” Evelyn said. “But most of the time I’m doing okay.”
JJ put a hand on her friend’s arm and offered a small smile.
“If you ever need anything-“
“I know you’re always there for me, JJ,” Evelyn said. “I won’t ever forget it.”
JJ nodded and they turned back to the table. It was only a few more minutes before the boys arrived. After greeting Hotch and Emily, Morgan came straight for Evelyn, who was still at the table rearranging everything for the fifteenth time.
“I swear I’m going to lose it if you ask me if I’m okay, Derek Morgan,” Evelyn said, moving the napkins off the plates where she had just put them.
Morgan let out his signature laugh before throwing an arm over her shoulders.
“I know how you’re doing, so I don’t need to ask,” Morgan told her. “I just came over here to give you a hug.”
Evelyn let out a breath and turned toward him, eagerly putting her arms around his waist. There was safety in his arms. Her muscles were still tense from her moment before, and it felt impossible for her to relax and fall into normalcy with her friends. But with Morgan there, everything seemed to be at least a little bit okay.
“Keep fighting,” he whispered in her ear. “That’s how you win.”
Evelyn nodded her head. She pulled away and quickly swiped away a stray tear before wiping her hands on her jeans. She back at Morgan briefly with a strained smile, glad to see him smiling back.
“Let’s go sit,” Morgan said to her.
Evelyn sat herself on the very end of the couch, knowing how much her team loved to cram in together and not really feeling comfortable being stuck in between Morgan and JJ as they shouted back and forth at each other about their opposing sports opinions. She sat with her feet up on the couch and her knees pulled up to her chest.
Reid sat next to her, still and quiet.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hey, Reid.”
He didn’t say anything else. Evelyn didn’t really want him to. Still, she leaned toward him and put her head on his shoulder. Reid tensed for a moment, but then he relaxed.
“It’s good to have you back,” he whispered to her.
“It’s good to be back,” she whispered back.
A few minutes before the game had started, there was already yelling going on between Rossi and JJ about something Evelyn couldn’t really follow. Jack came out of his room, hair a mess and eyes looking tired.
“Hey, buddy!” Hotch said. “Come for some food?”
The newly awake Jack shook his head and hobbled over to Evelyn. She dropped her feet to the ground as he struggled to crawl into her lap. He dropped his head to her shoulder.
“You okay, kid?” she asked him, rubbing her hand up and down his back. He nodded and yawned.
A chip flew over her head that Morgan had definitely thrown at Rossi who sat in the chair next to Evelyn. Penelope was watching the commercials eagerly, shouting at everyone to quiet down. JJ had roped Emily into her argument with Rossi and Reid was telling Morgan something about some sports statistic that Morgan was desperately trying to refute.
Evelyn looked over at Hotch, who was watching them with a look in his eye that she couldn’t really read. She was usually good at reading Hotch, but every now and again, he’d get this look that she didn’t understand. When he noticed her looking, he gave her a smile and nodded his head.
Part way through the game, Jack left her lap to go and grab some food. She offered him her seat when he came back so that she could go over to the table for some food and a breather. Hotch met her there, scooping cheese dip onto his paper plate.
“Intense game,” Evelyn said, popping a grape into her mouth.
“Very.”
“Oh, come on!” Morgan yelled.
Evelyn laughed quietly to herself.
“If you need to step out-“
“I’m fine, Hotch, really,” she said, turning toward him. “Everything’s good. What happened earlier-“
“Was a completely normal reaction.” Evelyn was startled by his rebuttal interruption. “You’re allowed to have bad moments or even bad days.”
“I know that.”
“You’re also allowed to have fun.”
“I know that, too.”
Morgan stood up quickly from the couch, letting out half a expletive before remembering Jack was there and switching it up half way through.
“I really missed this, though,” Evelyn said through a laugh.
Hotch looked at her and then looked over at Morgan and let out a sigh.
“He was really worried about you,” Hotch told her, his hands tightening around the poor paper plate in his hand.
Evelyn nodded her head, looking down at the grapes in her hand.
“I thought I’d never see him again. I thought I’d never see any of you again,” she told him.
“You didn’t think we’d find you?”
“Oh, I knew you would,” she looked back over at him. “I just didn’t know if it would be soon enough.”
“Evelyn-“
“Evie, come look at this!” Penelope called, waving her over.
“Pardon me, Hotch.”
Hotch watched her walk away and kneel on the ground beside Garcia. They laughed about something. Smiling looked good on her, but he knew that it only ran so deep. He couldn’t wait for the day that smile would be real again. He just hoped he was there to see it.
By the time everyone left, the sun was almost down. They stayed long after the game, talking and laughing and throwing things at each other like a bunch of children. Penelope was the last to go, always asking for one last hug while Morgan waited for her just outside.
“I’ll see you soon, Pen,” Evelyn laughed, trying to push her friend toward the door.
“I hate leaving you,” Penelope said.
“I think I’m in the safest hands I can be.”
Penelope pulled away at that.
“You’re right.” She looked over at Hotch. “Hotch won’t let anything happen to you. You’re perfectly safe here.”
Evelyn gave her a smile.
“Exactly. Now, go. Morgan’s waiting for you.”
Penelope straightened her jacket and nodded her head.
“Right.” She turned and walked out the door. “Let’s go, Derek.”
Morgan offered one last wave, tossing an arm over Penelope’s shoulders. He sent a look Evelyn’s way that she read perfectly. If she needed anything….
Hotch shut the door and the apartment was silent. Evelyn let out a heavy breath.
“That was fun,” Jack said, laying on the couch.
“Time for bed for you, buddy,” Hotch said.
The team was generally good at cleaning up after themselves and taking the food that they had brought with them, but there was always a mess to clean up afterward. The few times Evelyn had one of these gatherings at her own place taught her this well enough. Hotch walked Jack toward his room while Evelyn turned to start cleaning.
“You don’t have to do that,” Hotch said, emerging from his son’s room as Evelyn pulled the full trash bag out of the trash can.
“I won’t be able to sleep knowing this place is a mess,” she told him.
It was these quiet moments when it was just the two of them that Evelyn felt the most exposed, the most terrified. Not that he would hurt her because she knew he never would, but just knowing that all of his attention was on her made her almost sick to her stomach.
“I’ll take the trash to the can outside,” Hotch said, walking toward her.
“Alright.”
She handed the bag off to him, his fingers just barely grazing over her hand. Evelyn elected not to look up at him as electricity crackled up her arm. She breathed in deeply and turned toward the couch.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said. He took a few steps away from her and Evelyn just nodded her head.
She didn’t look at him as he left the room. With a pounding heart, Evelyn sat slowly onto the couch, shutting her eyes and breathing deeply until she dropped her head into her hands.
What was wrong with her? She had always been able to keep her emotions under control around Hotch. Always. Even when he was talking about Hayley, even when he cared so deeply about people it made him rage, even when he did that thing with his eyes that silenced even the haughtiest narcissist, even when he gave her a look that put all other looks to shame. She had always kept her cool because that was what she had trained herself to do.
But now her training was backfiring on her. Her training was making her think danger was there when it wasn’t. Her training was making her question the movements of everyone she loved. Her training was taking her sleep from her. Her training was crumbling and slowly revealing that terrified girl that lay underneath.
Evelyn opened her eyes, hoping to think of absolutely anything else than the heat in her cheeks and the pounding of her heart in her stomach.
Maybe keeping her eyes closed may have been better because as soon as her eyes were open, they landed on Hotch’s bag propped up against the coffee table. Someone must have moved it during the game. Sticking out of the top was a file. There was no name on the file, but Evelyn knew it was hers, or at least from the last job they’d done, which was hers.
Instinct took over and she bent down, snatching the yellow folding from his bag. It was thick, thicker than she’d have liked. Laying it on the table, her suspicions were confirmed as she flipped open the first page. It was this last case and the very first picture on it was the one they took in the hospital when she first arrived.
Evelyn didn’t realize how terrible she looked until just then. She was thin, trembling. Her hair was matted with blood. She looked dirty, covered in blood and bruises. Evelyn gagged, covering her mouth with her hand. That was how all of her friends had seen her that day. The thought made her shiver.
The picture just underneath it was the one they had taken when she was a kid. The similarities in the pictures made her even sicker.
She shuffled through the files, eyes scanning the pages just like Reid had taught her, until she found Hotch’s report.
She pulled it out, hands shaking as she held it in front of her. She had always wondered how Hotch managed to write these reports, summing up everything they went through during the case in just a few short pages.
Her throat swelled as she read through the beginning. She read about the women Ralph killed, how they were assaulted and murdered, how the team discovered it was Ralph. She read through them deciding to send Evelyn into the meeting to find Ralph and lure him in. She didn’t know then that he was the step kid of her uncle. If she had, she wouldn’t have gone in there empty handed.
Then she read how they had found out she was missing and what they did to find her. Her heart plummeted into her stomach, dropping from her chest like a ton of rocks. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth, hoping swallow the sob that was threatening to come from her mouth. Sitting in that attic, Evelyn had wondered what the point of killing those other women was. She had spent hours pouring over ideas. She thought him running into her was an accident, pure coincidence. This case already put her on edge, seeing as it took place in the very same town she grew up in.
But the team had solved it. They had figured it out. All those women that Ralph had killed….
Tears clouded her vision, but she refused to blink. A quiet moan of distress came from her. She didn’t even hear the door of the apartment open.
“Evelyn?”
She didn’t jump at the sound of Hotch’s voice. Instead, she turned toward him slowly, those same tears gathered in her eyes.
“It’s my fault,” she said, holding the report in her hands. The tears dropped from her lashes, hitting her cheeks with the strength of a butterfly.  
“It’s not.”
“It is!” Hotch let out a defeated breath. “It says right here that-“
“That report says Ralph Bennet made the decision to assault and murder those four women.”
“Because of me!”
Hotch walked over to her and sat on the couch beside her, but not too close.
“Did you kill those women, Caro?”
“No, but-“
“No, you didn’t.”
“Hotch, he killed them because I knew them. He killed them because he knew it would lure me in. If I hadn’t-“
“What? If you hadn’t what?” She was quiet. “If you hadn’t killed your uncle? You did what you had to do to survive, Evelyn. No one will fault you for that.”
“If I hadn’t….” she trailed off, staring at the paper with her teary eyes.
“If you hadn’t come with us to solve this case? More women would have died.”
“I fell right into his trap,” she whispered, her hands tightening around the paper. “I didn’t even know he existed, and he knew me well enough to set the trap and just wait for me to walk right into it. I can’t believe I was that stupid.”
“Do you want to know what that tells me?”
She looked up at him.
“You returned to a town where you had been traumatized to help bring justice to these women. You went into that meeting trying to catch a killer. You stayed alive long enough for us to find you using clues that you gave us.” Evelyn sniffed, wiping the underside of her nose with the back of her hand. “You’re not stupid, Evelyn. You’re the bravest person I have ever met.”
She looked over at Hotch again, her lower lip trembling.
“They died for me,” she said and took in a shaky breath. A tear slid down her nose. “How do I repay them for that?”
Hotch was quiet for a moment and heaved out a sigh, just allowing him time to think of a proper answer.
“You live,” he told her. “You survive this and carry on for them.”
Evelyn closed her eyes. She was hearing him and her brain was telling her that he was right, but her heart wasn’t believing him. She couldn’t believe him.
Without saying anything, Evelyn pushed herself off the couch and made for the door, hoping to escape before he could see the tears that were threatening to run from her eyes again.
“Caro, where are you going?” Hotch asked, standing after her.
“I need some air,” she replied as she struggled with the lock on the door.
“I’ll come with you.”
“I need to be alone right now,” she said, finally getting the door open.
Hotch put his hand on the door and pushed it shut. Evelyn froze, keeping her hand on the doorknob.
“You’re not going anywhere by yourself.”
Evelyn turned around slowly. Hotch was looming over her, his hand still on the door to keep her from opening it again.
“Let me out, Hotch.”
“You’re not a prisoner here, but you’re not going out there alone.”
She stared at Hotch unblinkingly. Evelyn’s breathing started to speed up, her chest rising and falling rapidly, but it wasn’t anger or fear that made her heart rate spike.
“Why not?”
“What do you mean, why not?”
Evelyn knew she was poking the bear, but she felt like she had to. Poke the bear yourself, make it roar on your terms before it decides to do it itself.
“Why can’t I go out there alone? You think I can’t handle myself?”
“No, I know you can-“
“Then why won’t you let me leave?”
“Because I want you to be safe.”
The calmness of his voice made her even angrier. It made her want to poke harder.
There was a gaping wound in her soul and it was still gushing blood. Hotch was trying to patch it up, help her to heal, but he was getting too close to the only thing that kept her breathing. He was getting too close to the wound and she was terrified of the idea of him seeing her, feeling her, so she recoiled. She would snap at him until he left her alone. Until he left her wound bleed in peace.
“Why did you come for me?”
“Why did we come for you?” Hotch repeated, astounded by her question. “You’re part of the team. Why wouldn’t we come for you?”
“I’m not asking about the team, Aaron. I’m asking about you.”
Hotch straightened at the sound of his first name. She knew why. She’d done it on purpose. She needed to convince him she was angry. That was the only way to keep him at bay.
“I couldn’t just let you rot there; the team needs you.”
“The team?” She let out a bitter laugh before pushing past him and stalking into the middle of the room. “It’s always about the team with you, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“I could have died in that house, Aaron, and all you can come up with is the team needed me and that’s why you came?”
She hated the taste her words left in her mouth. She hated saying them. But she had to. She had to push him away if she had any hope for surviving. She had tied her heart to his and if she didn’t severe it now….
There was real anger in his eyes at her words. Finally, an emotion. A chink in his armor.
“If you had died in that house, I would have killed that bastard myself!”
Evelyn sucked in a sharp breath. It was so rare to see an emotion on Aaron Hotchner. In the last few days alone, she had seen more from him than she had ever seen in all her years working with him; fear, joy, grief, anger, relief. And it was mostly because of her.
“Enough with the team needs me bullshit.” Evelyn dropped the tone of her voice. “I’m going for a walk.”
She turned her back on him and walked toward the front door. She made it all the way there, her hand on the doorknob before Hotch spoke again.
“I need you.”
Evelyn froze, her hand glued to the doorknob as if it was ice and her hand was burning hot. Her blood ran cold and her heart stopped in her chest.
“What?”
“You don’t accept that you’re a vital member of the team as a worthy reason for us to come and help you? Fine.” There it was again, anger in Hotch’s voice. His dark eyebrows were pulled together. “I need you.”
Evelyn had started this argument because she needed to keep his hands away from the wound she was nursing, the wound that every breath seemed to tear open a little bit more. His kindness and compassion were just insult to injury. But his sincerity in this moment punched through every wall around her wound that she had been attempting to build up in the last few minutes.
He said it like he would say any other truth. He said it like he would say anything during a case; without a hint of uncertainty.
She turned toward him. For the first time in a while, she felt no shame as tears glimmered in her eyes.
“You mean it?” She asked, pulling on the edges of her sleeve.
“Have I ever lied to you before?”
“I mean when, Emily-“ Evelyn stopped herself and cleared her throat. “No. You haven’t.”
Hotch stood there, clearly not wanting to say anything else that would set her off. Evelyn bowed her head, let her hand fall away from the doorknob, and she crossed the room, putting her arms around his waist before he even realized that she was coming toward him.
Hotch was frozen for a second, her change in mood so rapid that he almost couldn’t register it. Evelyn’s eyes were screwed shut as she prayed that he wouldn’t reject her embrace, though she could understand if he did. But, eventually, he put his arms around her, pulling her in closer and she could finally relax.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, letting the tears stream down her face, fast and hot. “I didn’t mean it.”
“I know,” he told her, his words just as quiet.
“Please don’t give up on me.”
“I won’t.”
“I’m trying.”
Hotch knew from the report what happened with her parents after she had escaped from her uncle. He knew how they turned their back on her in the following months. She had come back to them after four years, after killing her father’s brother, and she wasn’t the little girl they had lost anymore. They reported anger issues, lashing out, screaming and hitting and breaking things. They told authorities they couldn’t handle her anymore. They just didn’t know what to do.
But Hotch also knew that she was a child who was cut so deeply by someone she trusted and that she deserved to be loved and protected by her family no matter what. No matter how loudly she screamed, no matter the mess she made, they should have loved her. They should have fought for her just as hard as she was fighting to survive. He wouldn’t abandon her like they did.
“I promise not to give up on you if you promise me not to give up on yourself,” he told her.
Evelyn nodded her head.
“Promise,” she said.
___
The following months were hard. Moving back into her own apartment where it was quiet and the silence was deafening was the hardest part. When there was no one to wake her from her nightmares or hold her while she cried, when there was no Jack to make her laugh even when she wanted to cry, when there was just her and the mirror. She hated being back home. She wanted to back at the Hotchner’s, but she knew she couldn’t impose on them any longer.
There were days when her promise to Hotch was the only thing that kept her going. He had made her promise not to give up on herself and she would be damned before she disappointed Hotch again. So, she fought, tooth and nail, just to stay afloat. Some days, that looked like lying in bed and letting the tears fall. Some days, that looked like calling Morgan or Penelope and asking them to play a board game with her. Some days, that looked like running until she couldn’t breathe. Some days, that looked like dancing around her apartment at 3 am.
Slowly, she began to remember what it was like to feel alive. And she started to love it again.
The day she came back to work, the smile on her face reached deep into that wound in her soul. It wasn’t healed, but it was better. It didn’t hurt to breathe anymore.
The team acted like she knew they would on her first case. Hotch didn’t let her go anywhere by herself. Someone had to be by her side at all times. It was suffocating, but she knew it was for the best.
By the time the case was finished and the guy arrested, Evelyn almost felt like herself again. This is what she was meant to be doing. She wasn’t supposed to be sitting by herself in her room all day, wasting away. The field was in her blood. It was part of her.
They all went out to dinner that night and everything was right in the world again. Evelyn used to sit in her apartment, Hotch and Morgan and Garcia sending her updates as they went. She knew when she got the triple text that the case was over that they’d be going out to eat, celebrating, having a laugh to cope with everything they had seen. And she would sit in her dark apartment.
But now she was in the right place. They went to a pub downtown. She ordered fries and a coke with a little cherry on top. Morgan made fun of her for smothering her fries in ketchup. She stole a bite of Emily’s pasta as she talked to Rossi. Life had returned to normal, and it was just what she needed.
The next few cases went the same way. Hotch began to trust her being alone again, allowing her to have the space she needed to do her job. There were cases where she needed to step into the bathroom and cry. There were times when she stayed behind with the local police because she couldn’t even think about going in without panicking. And the nights in her apartment alone were the worst.
But as long as she was on a case with her team, things were actually okay. She could push away her fear and the anxiety that made her bones rattle and her muscles freeze. She could go back to be Agent Evelyn Caro, where she was at her best.
Almost a year passed. Evelyn knew that the anniversary fear was a thing, but she was determined to be fine. The case they came in for was the farthest away from anything that could remind her of what she went through. Men were being taken and killed. The pattern was easy to solve, the profile quick to figure out. Everything was going to be okay.
Until Hotch and Evelyn were hunting the killer on their own. Evelyn was walking through a suspect’s house with her gun drawn, knowing that Hotch was upstairs doing the same thing. There was a thud coming from the second floor.
“Hotch?” Evelyn called out. “You okay?”
There was no reply. Her heart started to seize.
“Hotch?”
Walking toward the stairs, her gun drawn, Evelyn told herself to breathe. She would be no help to Hotch if she was panicking. She took one step up the stairs before a sudden and sharp pain exploded against the side of her head, sending her into the wall, knocking her unconscious.
When Evelyn woke up, she was in a basement. Her head squeezed and ached, jaw stiff. She shook her head and forced her eyes open.
Sitting across the room from her, still unconscious, was her boss.
“Hotch!”
Evelyn scrambled over to him, barely standing at all before she dropped to the ground next to him.
“Hotch, hey, you good?”
She saw him breathing, so that was something, but he was unresponsive to her voice. She shook his shoulders, but still he slept.
“Please don’t fire me,” Evelyn whispered before pulling her hand back and slapping him across the face.
Hotch gasped and his eyes flew open, his body falling over to the side.
“Oh, thank God,” Evelyn breathed.
“Did you slap me?” Hotch asked her, sitting back up.
“You wouldn’t wake up.”
“So you slapped me?”
Evelyn shrugged as Hotch rubbed his jaw with his hand.
“Remind me to never piss you off,” he told her. Evelyn felt herself almost smile. “Where are we?”
Evelyn looked around the basement and let out a heavy breath.
“Not sure,” she said. “We got the profile wrong, didn’t we?”
Hotch nodded his head and used the support beam in the middle of the room to push himself upward.
“There was a woman. I thought she was hurt, but….”
“She got the drop on the mighty Aaron Hotchner? I’m impressed.” Evelyn teased, needed to joke about something before her brain exploded from the pain or the panic she felt growing in her bones took over completely.
Hotch looked down at Evelyn with a stern look that told her maybe joking wasn’t his favorite way to cope with being kidnapped. Evelyn pursed her lips and pushed herself onto her feet.
“Lions got me, I think,” Evelyn told him, using the support beam to keep her standing.
“So there are two of them and one of them is a woman.” Hotch breathed out a sigh. “How does that change the profile?”
“We know that the men were chosen because Lions wanted something they had.”
“Position, status, money-“
“A certain woman.”
Hotch turned to look at Evelyn, who was scanning the basement as if it would hold the answers. There were blood stains on the ground. This was definitely where the victims were killed. There was a door at the top of the stairs, but if these guys were any good at what they did, the door would be locked.
“You think his partner could have been the wife of one of the victims?” Hotch asked.
Evelyn looked back at him and shrugged.
“A wife, a girlfriend, a sister, a daughter. Maybe the person he wants to take her from isn’t even dead yet, but he’s the reason Lions is killing.”
“Why would she help him?”
Evelyn breathed out again.
“Maybe she feels trapped where she’s at and he’s got her convinced this is the only way to save her? If she feels completely dependent on him, she might just do whatever he says.”
“Even kill?”
Evelyn shrugged her shoulders again, but they both knew that the answer was yes. A woman caught in a corner was just as capable of killing as anyone else.
“Well, that’s good then,” Hotch said, putting his hands on his hips.
“How is any of that good?”
“It means I’m the one they want, not you,” Hotch said.
Evelyn’s eyebrows pinched together.
“That really doesn’t sound good, Hotch.”
“You can get through to the partner, Caro,” Hotch said, walking back toward her. Evelyn narrowed her eyes even further at him.
“Maybe, yes.”
“Good. That will get us out of here.”
He turned away from her again. He pulled off his blazer and loosened his tie and the temperature in the room raised about fourteen degrees. Evelyn had to shake away her imagination before responding.
“And what are you going to do?”
“What they brought me here for.”
___
“Please, stop!”
The female unsub, Rosalie, held tight to Evelyn’s arms, holding her back as the male unsub, Jeremy Lions, pounded his fist into Hotch’s face.
“You think you’re so strong,” Hotch laughed, taunting Lions. “Don’t you?”
Lions hit Hotch in the face again.
“You have to stop him,” Evelyn said to Rosalie. “No one else can get through to him.”
“He’s doing what he has to to keep us safe,” Rosalie whispered to Evelyn, but despite the strength in her arms, her voice was weak. “Your friend just needs to give in. It’ll be easier that way.”
Lions hit Hotch again and Evelyn cried out, pulling against Rosalie.
“Shut her up, Rose!”
“Shh, shh,” Rosalie whispered in Evelyn’s ear, holding her right from behind. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
“No!” Evelyn struggled against the woman holding her, jerking her shoulders in hopes of breaking free.
“You really think that any of this will earn you manhood, Lions?” Hotch said with a laugh, turning the unsub’s gaze back onto him and away from Evelyn.
Lions hit Hotch in the face again.
“Stop it, damnit!”
Lions whirled around and backhanded Evelyn in attempts to get her to quiet down. Rosalie gasped and let Evelyn fall to the ground.
“Jeremy! You said we wouldn’t hurt her!”
Lions let out a growl and grabbed onto Rosalie’s arm, dragging her out of the basement and leaving Hotch and Evelyn behind.
“You need to get through to Rosalie, Caro,” Hotch said as soon as she took a single step toward him.
“I am,” she huffed. Hotch raised an eyebrow at her. “She doesn’t want me to get hurt, that much is clear. If she associates you getting hurt with me getting hurt, she’ll push for Lions to hurt you less.”
Hotch nodded his head once, stretching out his jaw.
“You trust me, right?” Hotch said.
“Of course.” Evelyn’s response was immediate.
“Good.”
That night, they slept in the basement on opposite sides of the room, even though it was freezing cold. Saying they slept was an over exaggeration. Evelyn could barely even close her eyes. It was the cold that kept her eyes frozen open, but it was also the reality of it all. She was trapped, once again. She was a prisoner, once again. She was at the mercy of a man, once again.
And Hotch was here but she had never felt more alone.
The door creaked open and Evelyn sat up with a gasp. She shuffled backward, away from the door, but it was just Rosalie walking down the wooden stairs. The woman locked the door behind her, but still flinched.
“Hi,” Rosalie whispered as she neared. There was a cup and a plate in her hand. She watched the sleeping Hotch as she walked by, only turning her attention back to Evelyn once she passed him.
“Hi,” Evelyn whispered back, pulling her knees up to her chest.
“I…I’m not going to hurt you,” Rosalie said. She lowered herself to the ground a few feet away from her. Rosalie set the cup and the plate down and scooted it closer to Evelyn.
Evelyn looked between the food and the woman.
“You need to eat.” Rosalie’s voice was soft. Kindly.
Evelyn straightened her back and lifted her chin, giving a slight shake of the head.
“I’m not hungry.”
Rosalie let out a sigh and turned to look over at Hotch, who still slept soundly.
“Saving it for him won’t do anything for either of you,” Rosalie said, almost sadly. “Only one of you is making it out of here. I think you know which one it’s going to be.”
___
“Here, eat.” Evelyn pushed the plate of cold potatoes and toast in his direction, the cup of water sitting on top. Hotch raised an eyebrow at her. “Rosalie came in last night. Brought us some food.”
“Did you eat?” He asked her, sitting up from his sleeping position.
Evelyn nodded her head.
“Caro-“
“I ate, Hotch,” she said, a little more harshly than she meant to. “You need to keep your strength if we’re going to have a repeat of yesterday.”
Hotch almost laughed as he hooked his finger over the edge of the plate and slid it toward himself. Evelyn watched, her stomach gurgling as he took a bite out of the bread.
“Stale toast is just ravishing, isn’t it?” Evelyn asked as she leaned up against the wall he also sat against. Hotch hummed his response. He ate slowly, took a sip of water.
“How are you?” He asked.
Evelyn rolled her head against the wall to look over at him.
“Just peachy, Hotchner. How are you?”
“I’m serious. How are you doing?”
Evelyn let out a sigh, looked up at the ceiling, and closed her eyes.
“Taking it one breath at a time,” she said. “I’ll deal with the aftermath once we’re out of here.”
Evelyn looked over at him again and attempted a half-cocked smile. Hotch wasn’t smiling. He was staring at her, staring right through her smile and her outer shell of calmness and straight into her soul where her wound was, her wound that was slowly starting to heal.
“I’ll be okay, Aaron,” she said, dropping her smile. “Promise.”
Hotch nodded his head and turned away from her.
“Don’t do anything stupid today, Caro,” he told her.
“Do I ever?”
___
“I told you not to do anything stupid,” Hotch sighed as Evelyn let out a hiss of pain.
“I didn’t realize that trying to stop you from dying was considered something stupid.”
“It is when you get put in harm’s way.”
Evelyn held a strip of her shirt against her bleeding nose. Hotch rolled up his sleeves.
“We’ve got two days left here,” Hotch said, pacing back and forth in front of Evelyn.
“The team will find us,” Evelyn replied. She lowered the piece of her shirt and scrunched her nose before stretching it out again.
“I don’t doubt it.”
The sun went down sooner than Evelyn thought it would, meaning she had slept longer than she thought she had.
“You should sleep,” Hotch said.
“I’m not tired.”
“He won’t hurt you, Caro.”
The dark concealed Hotch’s face from her, even though he was only a few feet away. Evelyn shifted uncomfortably.
“I know.”
“If I don’t make it out of here-“
“Hotch, stop. We’re both going to walk out of here just fine.”
“But if I don’t, promise to take care of Jack.” Evelyn breathed in deeply, ready to shake her head and tell him again that they were going to both survive this. “Promise me.”
Instead of arguing, which she knew would get them nowhere, Evelyn nodded her head.
“I promise.”
Hotch didn’t say anything else. Evelyn didn’t sleep. The change in his breathing after a while told her that he had fallen asleep.
She didn’t know how long it was before the door creaked open. Evelyn startled and sat up straighter, gasping in a breath. But it was just Rosalie, coming down with more food. This time, she didn’t say anything. She sat right next to Evelyn and set the food between them.
“You have to eat,” she said finally.
Evelyn reached out and took the cup of water and brought it to her parched lips. She drank some, but set it down before it was finished.
“You don’t have to save it for him.”
Evelyn turned her head to look at Rosalie.
“He’s my friend. I’m not going to let him starve.”
Rosalie was quiet for a moment.
“I think he’s more than that.”
“How did you meet Jeremy?” Evelyn asked. She thought she saw a smile on Rosalie’s lips.
“I lived with my brother and his wife as their live-in nanny of sorts. Jeremy worked for them as a gardener. My father kept me locked up my entire life and when he died, my brother took over. His sister’s keeper or something. But Jeremy he…. he made me feel free and alive and seen. And so, so loved.”
Rosalie stopped there, her smile lingering for a few moments before falling.
“But he changed, didn’t he?”
Rosalie nodded her head slowly, her lower lip curling and tears starting to run down her cheeks. Evelyn just let her cry for a few moments, until the woman collected herself. She sucked in a sob and stuffed her hands full of her dress.
“He took me from my brother’s house, brought me here,” Rosalie said. “Said he needed my help.”
“He used you to lure in men that he saw as superior to himself so that he could kill them.”
Rosalie nodded again, tears still rolling from her eyes.
“I never wanted to…I tried to tell him that I love him as he is…that he doesn’t need to-“
“Rosalie, listen to me. Nothing you could ever do will convince him of that because his issues have nothing to do with you,” Evelyn said, turning to face her.
“I don’t….”
“Jeremy Lions may love you, Rosalie, but he is very sick. He is not killing people to be a better man for you, no matter what he has told you. He feels inferior so he thinks he has to kill to be superior. That’s why he wanted Hotch.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
Evelyn heaved out a breath.
“Hotchner is everything Jeremy thinks he’s lacking. Confident, strong. He’s got a high-ranking job. He’s respected by his peers. He’s good looking and has a nice home and great friends. Jeremy doesn’t think he has any of this and he wants it, which is why he wants to hurt Hotchner.”
“To take something he doesn’t think he has.”
Evelyn sucked in a breath and reached forward to take Rosalie’s hands in hers.
“No matter what you do, Rosalie, you will never be enough for him, do you understand? He has you, he has love, but that will never be enough for him.”
“No, no!” Rosalie stood up quickly. “No. Once we’re married, everything will be okay. We’ll buy a new house. Live a happy life.”
“Rosalie-“
“No! You’re wrong.”
“Rosalie….”
“You’re wrong!”
Rosalie hurried out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Evelyn shut her eyes again. With a growl, she pounded her knuckles into the hard concrete ground.
“You okay?”
Hotch was barely awake, his voice gravelly and tired.
“I’m okay, Hotch, go back to sleep.”
He grumbled something and was soon asleep again. Evelyn could do nothing but sigh. Still, she didn’t sleep.
The next day went no better than the last. It was night again before Evelyn knew it. She sat on the ground, head between her knees. Hotch stood, leaning up against the support beam in the middle of the room.
“You’re not sleeping,” he said. Evelyn didn’t move. “Talk to me.”
“I told you, I’ll deal with it after we get out of here,” she told him, her words muffled by her knees.
Hotch walked toward her and let out a groan as he lowered himself to the ground.
“You can sleep,” he told her, his words even quieter than they were before. “I won’t let him hurt you.”
Evelyn lifted her head finally to look at him.
“That’s not why I’m not sleeping,” she said, which was partially a lie. She didn’t sleep because she needed to be aware at all times. She couldn’t risk nodding off and letting her guard down. But there was another part to it.
“What’s bothering you?” he asked her.
“I thought I was going to die alone in that house, Aaron.” Her voice was thick with tears. “Twice. I stay awake because I can’t stand the thought of dying alone. And if you die while I’m sleeping-“
Hotch reached out and took her hand in his. When she looked over at him, he was staring straight ahead, not looking at her. She let out a shaky sigh and let him lace his fingers through hers. It was all the comfort that she needed.
“You’re not going to die alone,” Hotch told her. “You’re not going to die here at all.”
Evelyn nodded and let a few of the tears in her eyes fall, grateful for the darkness to cover her face. She lowered her head slowly to his shoulder, damning all protocol to hell, if there even was protocol for maybe dying in a basement with your boss. When Hotch didn’t immediately pull away from her or shake her off his shoulder, she settled in and shut her eyes.
“You’re not dying here either,” she said. “Not if I can help it.”
For the first time in days, Evelyn slept.
She awoke to someone grabbing hold of her hand. Her first thought was that it was Hotch squeezing her in his sleep. But when she gasped and opened her eyes, she found that it was just Rosalie sitting in front of her. It was still dark outside. She thought that the woman had brought her more food, but she turned out to be wrong.
“We have to go,” Rosalie whispered. “We have to go.”
“What?”
“Shh, shh,” Rosalie put a shaking finger to her lips and pulled on Evelyn’s hand. “You were right. We have to go now.”
Rosalie pulled Evelyn to her feet, dragging her toward the door before she was even fully awake.
“Wait, stop,” Evelyn whispered, trying to shake herself awake.
“No, now! This is the only chance you have.”
Rosalie dragged Evelyn out of the basement doors and up the stairs into the house above. It wasn’t the same house that Hotch and Evelyn had been searching before, she could tell that even in the dark.
“Where are you taking me, Rosalie?”
“You have to get out of here, now! Jeremy doesn’t want to kill you, but he will,” Rosalie said, pulling her through the rundown and dirty home.
“Stop. Stop!” Evelyn dug her heels into the ground and forced Rosalie to stop. “I’m not leaving Aaron.”
“You don’t have time!” There was nothing but pure desperation in Rosalie’s voice. “Jeremy knows I left. He’s coming here. You have to go now or you’re not going at all.”
Evelyn wrenched her arm out of Rosalie’s grip.
“I’m not leaving him.”
“Jeremy will kill you.” Rosalie sounded desperate, terrified.
Evelyn shook her head and took a step backward.
“I don’t care. I’m not leaving him.” Rosalie’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “Go. Call the police. Tell them where we are.”
Rosalie nodded her head.
“Go.”
Without another word, Rosalie turned around and ran from the house.
Evelyn watched her go. Her heart rate spiked when headlights flashed through the front window. All she could do for Rosalie was hope that she found some place to hide until Lions entered the house. If Lions was here, this was it. He was coming for Hotch.
Evelyn ran back to the basement as quietly as she could. She shut the basement door, hearing it lock with a heart wrenching click, just as the front door opened. She hurried down the stairs and dropped to the ground next to Hotch, startling him awake.
“What’s going on?” Hotch asked, still sounding stuck in sleep.
“Lions is here,” Evelyn whispered to him. “Rosalie is gone, she’s calling the police.”
“How-“
“We need a plan and quick,” Evelyn told him.
“We don’t know how long it will take for the police to respond,” Hotch replied quietly, his voice surprisingly calm. This might be his last few moments on earth, and he wasn’t terrified or angry or anxious. He was just calm. “All of his attention will be on me. You can escape then.”
She shook her head.
“I’m not leaving you here.”
“This isn’t a time for heroics.”
“That’s not what this is about.”
Before Hotch could argue, Evelyn pushed herself to her feet.
“What are you doing?” Hotch asked, standing after her.
“Like you said, Lions’ attention will all be on you. He won’t be expecting me.”
“Caro-“
She sunk into the shadows just as the door of the basement opened. Lions trudged down the stairs, grumbling to himself.
At the bottom of the stairs, he turned toward Hotch.
“Where’s the girl?” Lions asked, his voice low and gruff.
Hotch was silent.
“Doesn’t matter,” the unsub grumbled to himself. With his back to her completely, Lions started for Hotch. Evelyn would make sure he never reached him.
She crept out from her shadows, walking toward Lions. The ever present ache in her head from when Lions knocked her out didn’t even stop her. She was silent as she moved until she was right up behind him. In one quick motion, Evelyn kicked the back of his knee, dropping him to the ground before wrapping her arm around his neck.
Lions struggled against Evelyn. He was strong and she was weak from days with little food and water as well as the head injury. But she held on as tight to his neck as she could.
Hotch ran to check the basement door, but Lions had closed it, leaving it locked.
As he did so, Evelyn was so focused on keeping her grip on Lions, that she didn’t see his hand moving toward his pocket. He pulled out a knife and rammed it into her shin. She cried out, falling back and away from Lions.
“Evelyn!”
Hotch turned away from the door and ran back toward her as Lions stumbled away. Evelyn fell back against the support beam, lowering herself to the ground as she pressed her hands against the cut on her leg.
Hotch ran toward Evelyn, but Lions intercepted him. Fire spread throughout Evelyn’s leg, dark blood seeping through her fingers. She clenched her jaw in hopes of easing the pain. Hotch and Lions tumbled, a blur of bodies that Evelyn once again couldn’t distinguish. This scene was all too familiar to her.
Hotch was trained, but he was weak. Lions relied mostly on his size and strength, but lacked any formal training. Evelyn needed to get back into the fight, that was the only way Hotch would win this.
With a groan of effort and a sharp stabbing pain shooting through her leg, Evelyn forced herself to stand. Using the support beam as her support as well, she allowed herself a few moments to breathe through the pain before lurching forward.
Lions had Hotch pinned against the wall, his arm across his chest to keep him there. Evelyn hurtled toward Lions, pushing through the pain in her leg and barreled into him. This knocked him off balance. Being unable to stop herself once she started, she and Lions tumbled over each other until they were both on the ground. Hotch started forward to help Evelyn to her feet, but Lions had an arm around her waist and the knife pressed to her neck before either of them could really react.
“Back off,” Lions said, his voice even more gruff than before. Blood dribbled down from a broken nose and he wheezed, telling Evelyn that Hotch had hit him enough times near the diaphragm to knock the wind out of him.
The cool of the metal knife pressed against Evelyn’s throat didn’t scare her. Especially when she met Hotch’s gaze. That dead calm he always put forward she now felt flow through her veins. Everything was going to be okay, she could see it in his eyes. Evelyn breathed as shallowly as she could, trying to keep her throat from extending too far into the knife.
Lions pushed himself off the ground and brought Evelyn up with him. The knife cut into the first few layers of her throat and Evelyn flinched, feel the cool of her own blood dribble down her neck. Hotch put his hands in the air, trying to show that he meant Lions no harm.
“She’s not a part of this,” Hotch said. “You know that, Lions.”
“She’s a bitch is what she is,” Lions snapped, pressing the knife harder against Evelyn’s neck.
Hotch flinched forward and Evelyn shut her eyes.
“You want me, Lions, not her.” This was the calmness that Evelyn had never understood before. Her negotiation skills had never been good. Hotch said that she was too emotional. She cared too much and it was too easy to read in her voice. But Hotch was too good at pretending not to care at all. “Let her go and I’ll go with you.”
“No, Hotch-“
“Shut up,” Lions seethed in her ear. “You don’t get to talk.”
“Is that how you treat Rosalie, huh?” Evelyn asked, her hands on his arm that held the knife to her throat. “You call her a bitch and tell her shut up?”
“Be quiet!”
Evelyn could feel blood soak into her shirt, weighing it down.
“Lions, look at me,” Hotch said, pulling his attention away from Evelyn. “You can let her go.”
Evelyn felt her wounded leg start to grow numb and her balance shifted. In not too long, she wasn’t sure that she would be able to keep herself standing upright.
The door behind them burst open and Evelyn let out a gasp. Lions flinched and loosened his grip on her just enough that she broke free from him and stumbled forward, right into Hotch.
“Jeremy Lions, drop the knife and put your hands in the air!” Emily Prentiss said, her voice deep and commanding.
Evelyn’s leg gave out, every ounce of weight put on it causing a shooting pain up and down her entire body. Hotch held her up by her arms, her back pressed against his chest. He was the only thing keeping her standing and she could barely even do that.
Lions didn’t turn around, but he put his hands up in the air.
“Rosalie did this,” he said, his voice deadly low.
“Drop the knife, Lions,” Emily said again.
“You turned her against me.” Lions shifted his angered eyes away from Hotch and onto Evelyn. “You did.”
“I don’t want to shoot you, Lions, but I will.”
“You turned her against me!”
Lions took half a step toward them, the knife now facing her. Hotch turned Evelyn away, preparing to step between them, but Emily fired a single shot, the bullet tearing right through Lions’ shoulder. He fell to the ground with a cry of pain, the knife falling out of his grip.
Evelyn, still unable to stand on her own, turned to Hotch, her neck still bleeding.
“Are you okay?” she asked him, noting the bruises on his face.
“Are you guys alright?” Emily asked, her gun trained on Lions.
“We need a medic,” Hotch said. Emily nodded her head, her eyes flickering down the cut in Evelyn’s shin and neck.
Emily relayed the information through her earpiece, as well as saying the offender was down. Evelyn stayed leaned up against Hotch, his hands clinging to her arms to keep her steady, as Emily took Lions away in handcuffs.
Morgan and Reid came running into the basement along with the paramedics.
“Evie,” Morgan stepped toward her and she just smiled.
“We’re okay,” she told him.
“Ma’am,” the paramedic said. “Let’s get you to the ambulance.”
The paramedics stepped forward, one taking hold of Evelyn. The other moved toward Hotch.
“How are you feeling?” the paramedic asked him.
“Can you make it to the ambulance?” the paramedic asked Evelyn, who nodded her head.
“I can carry you,” Morgan said, stepping forward. Evelyn let out a quiet laugh.
“I can manage on my own, Derek,” she told him. Still, he followed her and the paramedic, his hands out just in case she started to fumble.
They helped her up the stairs and she looked back at Hotch, to find that his eyes were still on her. He nodded her head and she smiled at him.
The pain that flared throughout Evelyn’s leg was white hot, but with the paramedic taking most of her weight and Morgan just behind her, Evelyn was able to make it to through the house and to the ambulance without letting a single tear fall from her eye.
Hotch came out of the house a few minutes later, the paramedic still trying to get him to sit for a moment while Reid filled him in on everything they missed in the case.
“I’d like to speak with Rosalie,” Hotch said.
“She’s over here,” Reid said.
Hotch tried not to look over at the ambulance where he knew Evelyn was. He still had a job to do and he couldn’t focus on that if all he could think about was whether or not she was okay. He knew she was okay. She was always okay.
Rosalie sat in the back of one of the cop cars, her eyes closed and silent tears running down her cheeks. Hotch popped open the door, but she didn’t look at him.
“Is he alive?” she asked.
“He’ll survive,” Hotch told her. Rosalie let out a shaky breath and slowly opened her eyes. “Why did you help us?”
“I didn’t help you,” she said, looking away from him and toward the ambulance. “I helped Evelyn.”
Hotch scowled.
“She loves you, you know?”
Her words startled him and Hotch felt ice run through his blood.
“What?”
“She loves you. I gave her food at night but she’d only eat part of it, saved the rest for you. And last night I came to take her somewhere safe before Jeremy came back to kill you, but she refused to leave. I almost had her out of that house, but she ran back in. For you.”
Hotch looked down at his feet. He didn’t really expect anything less of Evelyn Caro. She always put everyone’s lives above her own. He shouldn’t expect her to act any different toward him.
But anger still bubbled up inside of him. She could have gotten herself killed and for what? She should have left him there and ran to get help. She should have….
“You better be damn sure you’re worth it.” Rosalie’s words were venom and Hotch could feel their sting deep in his blood.
Hotch shut the door, leaving Rosalie to her silence and grief. He turned to look at the ambulance, just as Morgan was stepping into the back. The paramedic shut the door, closing Hotch off from Evelyn. The siren started to blare, and the ambulance rolled out of the driveway.
“They’re taking her to the hospital,” Prentiss said, walking over to him. Hotch nodded his head. “Lost too much blood to just let her come back with us.”
“She kept antagonizing him,” Hotch said as he placed his hands on his hips. “If she had just let me go with him-“
“Caro was protecting you, sir,” Prentiss said. He looked at her, scowl deepening. “She knew that as soon as Lions had you, he would kill you. She had to make sure that didn’t happen.”
Hotch watched the ambulance as it drove away, the sirens ringing.
He never got the chance to ask if she was okay.
___
Evelyn lay back in her bed at the hotel, staring at the ceiling. A bandage wrapped around her leg and it itched, making it impossible for her to sleep. There was something else keeping her awake. Her mind reeled, the last few days playing over and over in her head. Trapped in a room with Hotch for days on end was the perfect time to talk to him about all the things that were bothering her, but even then, she couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t even know where to begin because she didn’t even know what she was feeling anyway.
Sitting up with a huff, Evelyn glowered into the darkness. She threw off her blankets that were making her too hot, lowering herself onto the ground and landing on her good leg. She hobbled over to her discarded clothes and threw them back on.
Air was what she needed. A breath of fresh air. And then she’d be okay. She could go back to pretending that everything was fine and normal, like she always did.
As she pulled a coat onto her shoulders, she opened the door and froze.
Hotch was standing there, wearing a broken down version of his usual suit. His tie and jacket were discarded, his shirt buttoned up sloppily. She wondered if he had ever even gone to bed. And he was standing in front of her door, his hand not even raised to knock. He was just standing there.
He looked at her with wide eyes, shocked to find her there.
“Um, hi,” Evelyn said, dropping her hand from the doorknob.
“I just wanted to check to see how you were doing,” Hotch said.
“Hotch, it’s like three in the morning.”
He looked down at his hands. He was actually fidgeting. Something had made him motivated enough to come here, but nervous enough not to knock.
“I know. I can go-“
“No, wait.” He froze. “I never got to ask if you were okay.”
Hotch nodded his head.
“I’m okay.”
“Good.”
They stood there in silence. Evelyn felt her throat tighten every time she wanted to say something. Hotch wouldn’t look at her. The silence seemed to drag on for eternity before Hotch finally broke it.
“I talked to Rosalie, after everything, and she said something,” Hotch said. Evelyn finally put her eyes on him.
“What…what did she say?”
There were a thousand terrible things that Evelyn could think of that the woman could have possibly said to land her standing in front of her boss at three in the morning.
“She said that you had a chance to leave that house and you came back,” he told her. Evelyn straightened her back. This was going to be a lecture, she could just feel it coming. She just didn’t know why it couldn’t wait until morning. “Why?”
Evelyn scowled and looked at the ground, her hand still on the door.
“Why?” She repeated. “Because I couldn’t leave you there.”
“You should have.”
Evelyn felt her temper begin to rise. What was it with this man?
“A ‘thank you for saving my life’ would suffice,” she said, her tone harsh. “If I hadn’t come back, Lions would have killed you. From where I’m standing, I made the right decision.”
“And got yourself hurt in the process.”
“I’ll survive.” Hotch fell quiet again. “Listen, Aaron, if you’ve come to pick a fight, I think it can wait until morning.”
Evelyn took a step back and started to close the door, but Hotch lifted his hand and stopped it from closing. She looked over at him, jaw tightened, and found him staring back at her.
“I’m not here to pick a fight with you,” he said.
“Then why did you come?”
She could see the question rattling around in his brain, as if he had been asking himself that very same question ever since he left his room.
“I’m sick of this, Aaron,” she said finally, when he didn’t answer. “I’m sick of neither of us being able to say what we really mean. I’m sick of running in circles around each other. Just tell me why you came here.”
“I came to make sure you’re okay.”
“Mission accomplished then. I’m fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She started to close the door again and this time he didn’t stop her.
“Rosalie also said you loved me.”
Evelyn froze, the door almost shut so she couldn’t see his face anymore. Which was good because it meant that he also couldn’t see hers and the fear that was etched into every feature. Her breathing became heavy, like every breath took so much more work. She closed her eyes, and slowly started to open the door again.
“Rosalie said that?” Hotch nodded his head once. “Did you believe her?”
He was quiet for a moment, letting out a long but quiet sigh.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re a profiler. Tell me, what do you think?”
He took a while to answer.
“I think you’re a deeply compassionate person who cares for the team. I think you would give your life for any one of us in a heartbeat.” Evelyn looked down at her feet and Hotch tried to follow her eyes with his. “I know that you would never do anything to jeopardize the dynamics of this team because we’ve become your family.”
“Okay.”
“So, I don’t know how much of what you say and do is because the team is your family and how much is because-“
“-I love you.”
The words came from her mouth like any other fact would. She had known it for so long, never said it, not even to herself, but she knew it. And she managed to say it so casually. She was just completing his sentence after all.
Hotch stood still, as if trying to decide whether or not she was finishing what he was saying or confessing. He searched her eyes, but she stayed motionless. It was time he figured things out for himself, she decided. They’d both spent so long trying to figure the other out, it was high time someone just made the first move.
“When you were at Ralph Bennet’s house,” he said finally, “I had these horrible dreams about finding you there already dead. I was too late to save you.”
Evelyn could have sworn there were tears glimmering in his eyes.
“You did though, Aaron. You did save me.”
“But was I too late?” He asked. “Did I wait too long for…everything else?”
“What do you want, Aaron?” Her voice was just at a whisper, her hand still on the door.
It was the last time she would ask. This was the last time and then she’d let it go, let him go. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life, however short that might be, pining after one man.
Hotch surprised her then. He didn’t say anything else, he didn’t try to talk. Talking was clearly getting him nowhere. Everything he said somehow came out wrong. Instead, he took a step toward her, closing the distance between them. Putting a hand to her cheek, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.
His answer was clear. It took her a few moments to over come her shock, but when she did, she reached out to grab hold of his shirt collar, pulling him in closer.
She pulled him into her room and shut the door, leaving the hallway empty and quiet.
Her room was still dark as he moved her backward, his hands never leaving her. He thought he had lost her. But here she was, with him, and that’s all he needed.
“You,” he whispered against her skin. “Just you.”
Every raging fire that made up Evelyn Caro met the calm seas that built Aaron Hotchner, burning and boiling and soothing in every possible way.
He kissed her lips, her bruised cheek bone, her jaw. His hands rested against the side of her neck, gently though, so as not to irritate her wound. She tugged at his wrinkled shirt, trying to pull him closer.
Hotch knew this was breaking protocol. But he left behind every rule in the book when he left his room two hours ago. Every inch of contact with her made his stomach twist, every time her teeth grazed his lip made his heart pound. For so long he had wanted her and for so long he had pretended otherwise. He was so, so tired of pretending.
He was pulling off her shirt and she didn’t stop him and he didn’t stop himself, but he couldn’t. He just needed all of her.
Evelyn gasped, her intake of breath so sharp that Hotch pulled away. She breathed raggedly, her chest rising and falling.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, his eyes moving to her neck.
Consumed by her, he had forgotten the shape she was in. He couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her.
“I’m not that fragile,” she told him. There was a smug look on her face, her lips twitched up into a smile.
Hotch leaned forward to kiss that smile, soft and gentle. His hands dropped to her waist and he kissed her again. He intended to pull away, leave her be for the night, but every time he tried, he came back to her like a magnet.
Evelyn had just as hard as a time keeping away from him. His calloused hands were grazing over her sides, her waist, her stomach, her back. Her hands were trembling as she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. Her heart pounded like a drum beat in her chest, so hard that she could hear it in her ears and it made her hands shake.
She expected him to stop her, to realize what he was doing and take her hands a politely decline, but when the last button came undone, he pulled away from just long enough to take the shirt off himself.
Hotch put his lips back on hers as soon as he could. Evelyn smiled against his kiss.
As if she had burned him, he suddenly stepped away, leaving Evelyn leaning against the wall, heaving for breath. He stared at her, his own breath ragged, his dark eyes smoldering.
“Is something…did I…?”
Shame pooled in Evelyn’s cheeks, making them burn. There she was, completely and utterly exposed, barely able to stand well enough on her own to scurry away.
“You’ve had a very hard year, Evelyn,” he said.
She tilted her head to the side and looked at the ground, locking her jaw.
“Hotch….”
“And I can’t take advantage of-“
“Aaron!” She said with a laugh, forcing him to look at her. “I’m fine. This is fine, more than fine.”
“Is it what you want?” he asked.
She gave a small smile and heaved out a sigh.
“Aaron Hotchner,” she said. “Have I ever done anything I haven’t wanted to?”
Lifting a hand, she curled her finger, beckoning for him. He stepped toward her until he was just a breath away.
“I’ll tell you if I need to stop,” she said to him, just above a whisper.
Evelyn reached up and kissed him again. It took him a few moments to respond, but once he accepted what she said, he leaned into her.
He placed a hand on her chest, right over her heart.
And for once, in a very, very long time, that wound in her soul didn’t feel so gaping.
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gingerthesimp · 4 years
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Heartless monster
Nate Jacobs x Reader
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Warnings: kinda toxic relationship, slight cursing, mention of rape, drug use, violence and some smut at the end
Summary: Nate and y/n have been dating for a few months. She´s the complete opposite of every other girl her boyfriend has dated before. And when she wants to make it public he doesn’t approve, so she decides to make him jealous. Seems like her plan worked...  
Nate <3: im a mckays right now. i will pick u up a bit later.
“Fucking idiot!”, I muttered under my breath after taking a hit from my mango flavored puff bar. A million thoughts coursed through my head, “Is he really at McKay’s? What does later mean? IS HE TALKING TO OTHER GIRLS?” This is the real me. Insecure, nervous and possessive. I’m not the cocky bitch everyone sees in me.
 I tried to call Nate a few times but of course he had other things to do. After lying on my bed and waiting for him to call for another 20 minutes I decided to get up and go to Fez’ shop since he is one of my best friends. I was sure at least he would be happy to see me. 
 “Mom? I’m meeting a friend of mine. See you later.”, I shouted after putting on my shoes. My mother was currently in a little midlife crisis and didn’t want to communicate with anyone and I respect that. 
 The walk to Fezco’s shop didn’t take long and I honestly really enjoy walking in the dark, even if I was risking getting raped or even worse. 
 “y/n! What are you doing here?”, Fez exclaimed after I opened the door to the little gas station and before coming up to hug me. “Oh you know Fezzie, I was bored again.”
 Fezzie. He absolutely despises that name but still lets me call him like that. 
”Well, feel free to stay here if you want then.“, he invited me. We then shared a little blunt and talked about random shit like always. After what seemed like an hour or so we saw a white truck pulling up in the driveway.
 “Wait....that’s Nate‘s car!“, I remembered. He picks me up sometimes with it so of course I would remember. But I didn’t say anything.
Instead one of the maybe dumbest but also greatest ideas came into my mind. I started kissing Fez on the neck. "Please, just make out with me. I know it`s weird but I need your help right now.“, I pleaded. The ginger haired boy looked like he wanted to say something but then decided to just play along. Fezco put his arms around my waist and started shoving his tongue inside my mouth. 
Suddenly I heard the door open. “Y/N WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!” , Nate Jacobs shouted while looking likes he’s about to explode. His jaw clenched and his fists balled. Me and Fezco stopped kissing and I turned to Nate, smiling innocently, “Why are you so furious? It’s not like I have a boyfriend or anything, right?” “Oh y/n, you are going to regret this very soon!”, he stated angry. And now Fez decided to speak up, “Calm down man, it’s not like she owes you anything.” “Don’t tell me what to do! Nobody asked for your opinion anyways.”, Nate exclaimed before punching my friend right in the face.
 I decided to step in before it could get worse, “NATE STOP! IT WAS MY FAULT! HE DIDNT DO ANYTHING!” Nate chuckled a bit before answering: “Well sweetheart, looks like you should`ve thought about that before practically fucking him in front of me.” Now I got really mad. FUCK HIM? We weren`t even close to doing that. Just as he wanted to hit Fezco another time I grabbed his arm. “Please stop hurting him. Do it for me, if you really love me.” Seems like my words made him realize he’s doing a mistake so he left Fez alone. Instead Nate grabbed my wrist harshly and I could only shout a quick, “I’m so sorry, I will explain later” to Fezco before getting dragged out of the shop.
 “Why did you make such a scene?”, I asked irritated. Nate just huffed clearly annoyed and didn’t speak to me until we reached his truck. “Get in.“, he ordered while opening the door for me.
 After a while he finally spoke up, “Why?“. “I don’t want to hide anymore, Nate. Why can’t you just tell the truth? Tell everyone that we´re in love?” I asked on the verge of tears and looking at my boyfriend for the first time today. “I do love you, y/n. I really love you. But I just can`t. We’re very different, you’re not like the other girls I’ve dated before.” “You can`t? Or are you just a fucking pussy? Scared of what daddy´s gonna think of you when it turns out you´re dating an outcast? Fuck you, Nate. I don`t need you anymore. You´re a stupid little spoiled boy who knows nothing about life.”, I screamed and when I tried to slap him he pinned my arms above my head with one hand and started choking me with his other one. “If I was you I would be careful with my words. I invented you. Nobody knew your name before me, so don´t be a ungrateful whore.”, my boyfriend whispered in my ear and just as I couldn´t breathe anymore he pulled his hands away.
 I pushed the passenger door open and exited the vehicle. “You´re a heartless monster, Jacobs!”, I cried with tears streaming down my face.
Then I ran home. 
-time skip 30 minutes-
I was scrolling through Twitter when I suddenly got a facetime call from Kat. I´m pretty close with her but she doesn´t know I´m dating Nate. 
When I accepted it I saw that she was filming my boyfriend, they were at McKay´s party and he was standing in the middle of the livingroom, talking about me. “I wanted to tell you all that me and y/n are dating.”, he shouted and clearly everyone in the room was as shocked as me when I heard what he said. “And we´re truly in love. y/n is an amazing girl and none of us actually deserve her. So if you can´t accept the fact that we are happy together you better shut up!, and with that Nate exited the room. 
Kat flipped the camera and looked more then surprised, “What the actual frick y/n? When did you plan on telling me that?”
I explained everything to her as fast as I could and then got up and ran to McKay´s house.
I felt the need to apologize to Nate for everything I did tonight. I was a real cunt.
-time skip 3 minutes-
When I got there I just saw him getting into his truck, “Nate wait!” He turned around and looked at me surprised, but I could see the little smirk that formed in the corner of his mouth. 
When I got to him I kissed my lover hard on the lips and he kissed me back. It was a long, passionate kiss. “I´ve been waiting to do that the whole day.”, he admitted and we got in his car. 
On the way to my house Nate put his hand on my thigh as always. But suddenly I felt it moving closer and closer to my clothed core and a moan escaped my lips. “You like that?”, he asked, giving me a playful wink. I could only nod when he put his large hand under my miniskirt and pulled down my red lace panties. 
When he stuck one of his calloused fingers in my tight hole and started rubbing my clit with the other ones I reached for Nate´s soft brown hair and gripped it as hard as I could. He quickly parked on the nearest free space and let`s just say it was a very long night.
———————————————-
omg guys! that`s the first fanfic i`ve ever written. i know it´s not the best but i still hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it! anyways, feel free to send me requests on what i should write next. :)
-nicole
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ecoamerica · 25 days
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youtube
Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared
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crybabyddl · 3 years
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I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO REITERATE SOMETHING
Yes, let’s circle back to the beautiful performance of Edge of Great. More specifically the BODY LANGUAGE, particularly Julie and Luke’s, which I will be analyzing with gifs.
Exhibit A
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Jealous Luke looks over at Julie and Reggie vibing
Julie is aware that she’s avoiding Luke, which she is doing so bc she realized her feelings for him thanks to Flynn earlier in the episode.
Since Julie has put the task of ignoring Luke upon herself even though she has no obligation to, she ends up failing her own mission. She sees Luke’s reaction to the lack of her attention.
She literally FREEZES. She’s emotionally worried to confront what she’s feeling and it’s beginning to manifest physically.
Exhibit B
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It gets better y’all. After Luke finally has even a crumb of Julie’s attention, he beckons her over with his signature head tilt. This is important bc he did this with his longtime bandmate during the soundcheck of what would’ve been their biggest performance. If he feels comfortable enough using that body language with a girl he’s only known for, what, a week and a half(?) then you know this puppy boy’s got it BAD.
Julie is well aware that Luke is getting jealous. But in classic Julie fashion, she will try to tune it out instead of addressing it. Our wicked beauty doesn’t like confrontation and would rather just deny and avoid than potentially make things awkward, especially when she knows Luke would ask her about it at a later time.
The look on Julie’s face. Her eyes widen and the classic tight-lipped awkward smile is present. She’s literally saying “ok enough of that let’s get back to work doo doo doo” with her face. The way her body SWINGS back into performance mode as she faces the audience again. It may have been a split second, but when you’re deliberately trying to avoid looking into the dreamy (dead) eyes of someone you shouldn’t be crushing on, any amount of time feels too long. Plus, she knows Flynn is watching and doesn’t want her to lecture her (but she does anyway bc Flynn is observant and knows her bestie too well to let any action slip past her).
Exhibit C
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Keep in mind; NONE OF THE GUYS KNOW WHY JULIE IS AVOIDING LUKE. Flynn, Alex, and Reggie have noticed the Juke chemistry, but it’s still too soon for them to get past the “we like each other but we’re too clueless to notice that we reciprocate” phase, so even though their respective besties know, they are still denying. Besides, Reg, Alex, and Flynn know better than to keep pestering if they want to keep their kneecaps. In reality they’re both smart enough to tell by this point, but for the sake of the plot and to make everything more adorably frustrating, Flynn has the collective brain cell under lock and key, leaving Juke to be like *dog tilting its head and making that “a-roo?” noise*
Anyway, Reggie notices Luke being snubbed after realizing that his extra dose of Julie time was slightly out of the ordinary. Luke is clearly concerned (look at his eyebrows and how his eyes travel from Reggie, to Julie, then to the audience to trying and get his mind off it and bring his focus back to the main goal; the performance.) If he can’t have the moment of connection with Julie that he so desperately craves, he’s gonna fill that void as best he can by connecting with the audience. >:’)
But Reggie’s trying to help Luke brush it off by conveying his reaction as ‘look at julie coming into her own! i told you she was a star! and you thought you were the lead singer? think again buddy this girl’s got you beat!’
But since Reggie isnt a master at hiding his feelings yet, especially around Luke, —who was able to get under his skin earlier (“girls, am i right?”)—Luke was easily able to see through that and interpreted what Reggie was saying as “look at julie go, she all in the zone. you’re literally making heart eyes at her get a grip you’re slacking lmao” (hence luke’s right eyebrow quirking at reggie like ‘dude seriously gimme a break u know i need attention like tinkerbell’) even though Reggie’s true message was a bit less harsh and more lovingly teasing, but it’s Luke, he sees things through his eyes and at his intensity, regardless of who it’s coming from. (This is one of the reasons why Luke comes off as selfish at times.)
Exhibit D
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Poor Lukey boi can’t seem to catch a break today! Not only does Julie ignore him, then has a cute lil (platonic but it’s luke so it still makes him jealous >:P) moment, but now she has the AUDACITY to interact with Alex? The guy who was out learning Ghost 101 with this Willie guy instead of rehearsing with the band? What gives?! What’s he got that your moody ghost bf doesn’t? >:’(
He literally just watches, and even glances back in a way that, to me, screams ‘did i see that right? did i just see what i just saw with my own dreamy (but dead) eyes? say sike rn.’ \_(*_*)_/
Meanwhile, Alex pays no mind. I like to think that Alex is fully aware that Luke is an angry boy rn, but has learned to ignore it, especially this bc literally NOTHING happened. Either that or Alex has no clue and just truly thinks nothing of it and is having too much fun to think about Luke’s moody and childish behavior. Either way, Alex is just straight chilling and we love to see it *^_^*
Notice how Reggie is right there vibing with Julie and Alex. Luke feels a bit betrayed like ‘not you too! i know you were the first to turn on me but i figured since you’re such a golden retriever you’d be loyal and come back to my side!😠🥲’
Also; Luke approaches the rest of the group, wanting to be included in at least SOME of the vibing, but when Julie starts dancing and smiling with her buddy Alex, he backs up like
“you know what? nope. nevermind. not doin’ it.”
and the group’s like “i mean hey it’s your loss, but luke we want you to-”
“no, bc you chose to piss me off right in front of my face so no luke time for any of you! no cuddles, no hugs, no nothing! you made your bed, now lie in it and perish.”
Exhibit E & F: This is where it gets a bit interesting and theorized hehe...
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Now we all know that this moment is just fucking ICONIC
WEOWH NEOW NEOW!!! WEOW NEHR NEHR NER-NER-NER NEHR NEHR NEOWHR!!! (wer nehr-nehr-ner-ner-nehr-nehr!!) WUEHNER-NEUHNER-NEHR-NEEOW-NEOWH! DLOOLOODDUH-DOODLAH-HOOBLUEH-NEOWHR-NEUEHR-NEEEEEEUOWRH!!!!
But hear me out– HEAR ME OUT!
What if... now don’t shoot the messenger who just so happens to also be the theorist... but what if...
WHAT IF!!! Luke didn’t!! plan this?!!!
Listen i know you’re probably thinking:
“Well uh Nicole, isn’t that kinda the whole point? It literally wasn’t planned until Charlie realized Madi was gonna be standing on the piano so he suggested the idea for the guitar solo to Kenny.”
And you’re right! But here’s the kicker:
What if Luke THE CHARACTER, just decided to do this as an “Alright that’s it! You wanna be like that? Well what if I just hit you with my super awesome radical totally cool wowza guitar skills & make a moment between us? Huh? What do you think about that? Hmm? HMMM???!!!”
He licks his lips & that to me read** like he was nervous (**read rhyming with bed just to clarify) so that means it could’ve been a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment thing.
In the second gif, you can see that Julie’s head is tilted, as if she’s a bit confused, but she’s also delightfully surprised.
Julie is quick to smile and scrunch her nose at Luke, something she does often. It tells Luke his impulsive action garnered a positive response from his favorite girl. Julie also starts to shake her head, but doesn’t go through the motion in full, which means she’s still a bit nervous to let her guard down. This is probably because she doesn’t know what he’s thinking or what he will do next. The lopsided smile mixed with the suave, gliding steps towards her probably brought her back to her daydream lol.
Luke’s happy bc Julie’s no longer ignoring him. He smiles like a GOOBER bc this chump is simping HARD for our Julie. So cute! :’)
Exhibit G
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And hear me when I offer this:
What if Luke poofed the guys out???
I know, I know. It’s a bold claim to make. But the boys are special, considering they are a threat to Caleb (3 gay-variant himbos vs. a gay magician that could’ve been on broadway but decided to make some sort of deal with a devil so he just entertains capitalists who most likely sold their souls to get into the hgc which i will probably elaborate on in a future theory so dont do that bc im gonna lmao idc we all have big brains) So it’s not too crazy to think that they could share some ghost powers.
We know Caleb transported the guys during You Got Nothing to Lose. And the guys have left a place at the exact same time on more than one occasion.
And you may be thinking “well what if the guys poofed out to give juke a moment alone together?” And to that I say...
Look at Reggie. He isn’t looking back at Alex like “dude let’s give them some space.”
The timing of him turning around, at least to me, makes me think Reggie was surprised by Luke approaching the piano. (But also he lowkey was waiting for Luke to prove him wrong by doing something to get Julie’s attention so Reggie isn’t mad. Neither is Alex but he doesn’t like being told how or WHEN to ghost) Luke doesn’t even give his bandmates a warning eyebrow quirk, a hand signal, nothing. Reggie turns to Alex like ‘dude what is he DOING?’ And before he can even really convey that, they go *POOF*
This man had a plan and he was gonna do it, so he did. Whether it’s the power of love, they stopped performing, or Reggie and Alex actually poofed out, the odds worked in Luke’s favor so he and Julie could have a super special moment, a moment special enough to make an actual living person (Nick) wonder if a “hologram” has a better chance at connecting with Julie than he does.
Again, regardless of who made them poof or how they poofed, they mf poofed so Luke’s a happy hamster. (Idk it just sounded fitting instead of happy camper lol wait what if someone had 3 pet hamsters and named them alex reggie and luke🥺 someone buy some hamsters and let me be their godmother or their aunt and i’ll love them from afar.) Anyway, Luke’s thriving, flourishing, his crops are going to grow in time for the harvest.
You can see Julie lean back as she turns to see Luke. It’s... almost as if... She. Wasn’t. Expecting. Him. To. Be. There..??
Honey badger Luke bc he DGAF <|:) Bitch, it’s Luke mf Patterson and he’s gonna,, GET! IN! YOUR! FAAAACE!!!
You CANNOT tell me he’s not doing the absolute MOST to try and seduce Miss Juliana Mariposa Rose Molina.
Yes I’m making a headcanon that Julie has TWO middle names and that one of them is the spanish word for butterfly and that the other is her mother’s name. Also yes, I believe (i believe that we’re just one dream away from who we’re– oh, that’s not what we’re doing? okay, sorry!) that Juliana is Julie’s full name.
In this house we love and respect Juliana Mariposa (Dahlia)** Rose Molina
**I’m just putting Dahlia there for fun bc I can. :) Whether I’d consider it a possible middle name of hers depends. Anyway I just thought it was a cute thing to add bc it goes along with the other middle names I gave her *^_^* Also, I feel like I made a post giving a bunch of the characters middle names lemme see if I can find it later)
Ok i’m done this took me basically all day from like 10am until 4:08. I obviously took breaks in between, but not long ones...😶
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Regained Passion - Harry Hook x Reader - Part 2 - proper meeting
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=
Harry let out a slow breath as he stared into the void in his history class, it had been a full week since he started the dance classes, and almost every day Bert mentioned putting him into a higher experienced class due to his flexibility and the fact that Harry was already a good dancer. But again, Harry wasn’t into the dance class that much, he liked dancing, it's just he didn't like being forced to dance.
His counselor had tried to ask about his first week but Harry was stubborn as usual, even glaring at her during it. She had sighed and rubbed her nose “I can't help you if you don’t open up to me Mr. Hook” Harry had only glared again, he didn’t want or need her help, yeah, he was a little fucked up in the head but if he wanted therapy or a consular, he would get it, not something FG forced on him.
After history finally ended, Harry grabbed his backpack and walked out of the room, sighing in relief as he realized he only had one class left, and it was his favorite, history of sailors and the seven seas. It talked all about pirates and sailors, particularly one of his favorite pirates, Jack Sparrow. One of the few pirates that had escaped isle imprisonment, due to him being pardoned of his crimes after it was discovered that his branding of a pirate had been connected to his freeing of hundreds of slaves.
Harry froze as a now very familiar face stepped into the hall he was walking in, she was looking down at her book, her black backpack hanging off her shoulder, bringing her denim jacket down with it off her shoulder, revealing her gray t-shirt. She suddenly looked up, her sparking (e/c) eyes once again locking with his.
Harry felt the butterflies flood his body again and he ducked into the next hall, away from his class, and pressed himself against the wall, sliding down as he closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands ‘what am I doing?’ he thought, gritting his teeth ‘hiding from a pretty girl? What the hell?’
“Are you hiding from me?” Harry jumped and slammed his head against the locker behind him, looking up to see the girl, who had covered her mouth in shock from Harry's sudden motion “Are you okay?”
“Me? Hiding? No-no I don’- I don’t hide” Harry laughed off his embarrassment, standing from the floor and rubbing the back of his head, wincing slightly “I don’ hide from anyone” the girl smirked and rose her brow as she tilted her head.
“I looked up and as soon as I made eye contact you leaped behind the wall, and then stayed there until I came around the corner, I think that classifies as hiding.” Harry pouted at her, his heart going crazy as she laughed. “Now why would you hide from me? Im, not my brother mind you” Harry rose his brow at that.
“Who’s yer brother?” Harry asked, smirking as she made a sour face.
“Chad” Harry grimaced, relaxing a bit as she laughed again.
“I’m so sorry” her eyes widened a bit and she laughed even harder.
“I accept your condolences, he’s not a fun person to be related to, it took me a month to convince half the school that Chad and I are very different even though we're twins” Harry looked at her up at down, she didn’t look like Chad? “I know, fraternal twins though”
Harry hummed, nodding along, he remembered a couple of sets of twins on the isle, and even when they were “identical” twins, they didn’t look exactly like each other sometimes. “You’re Harry Hook, right?” Harry nodded again, ignoring the flutter of his heart as she said his name “I’m (y/n), (y/n) Charming” (y/n) held out her hand, giving Harry a warm smile.
“Dinne think yeh would even say hi ta me, considering wha’ yer brother has probably told yeh ‘bout meh” he took her hand, stilling for a moment as he felt a small shock ran up his arm and through his body. Shit what the hell was going on with him!?
“Well,” (y/n) laughed, once again sending butterflies through his gut “after almost 18 years of dealing with his dumbass, I've learned to not trust his word, if he says you’re a ‘filthy pirate’ then you aren’t all that bad” Harry smirked and shook his head, not seeing (y/n) freeze for a moment and stare at his lips.
“Yer somethin’ else I’ll tell yeh tha’” he laughed, biting the inside of his cheek as (y/n) looked away from him and fixed her backpack strap. “What’s yer next class?”
“Um-“ (y/n) started, pursing her lips a bit as she thought “Oh! History of sailors and the seven seas!” Harry couldn’t help the smile that grew on his lips.
“Same ‘ere, shall I escort yeh yer highness?” (y/n) gave him a look, then smiled.
“You may” (y/n) laughed, taking his arm as he offered it and they chatted quietly as Harry walked them both to class.
-
Harry threw his pencil on his table as he finished his English homework, leaning back in his chair and sighing. “Hey, Harry?” Uma started, looking up from her magic homework (a new class that FG had made for the magic endowed vks that needed to learn how to control their magic safely)  “You made goody-goody with Chad's sister right?” Harry looked over his shoulder to her, raising his brow.
“Aye? Why?” a devious look overcame Uma’s face, and Harry sat up “Uma” Harry started, a warning tone to his voice, they had just gotten to Auradon two months ago, at the start of the school year, and he loved Uma with all his heart but if she was trying to plan to overtake Auradon by using (y/n) he would have to put his foot down (which he didn’t know why he would defend the girl so eagerly, even turning against his oldest friend like that)Auradon was a lot nicer than they thought and he’d rather not lose the comfy bed and fresh food he had just gotten.
“Oh chill!” Uma scoffed, waving her hand and rolling her eyes “I’m not planning any takeovers or whatever, I wanted to know if she gets along with her brother or not” Harry mentally sighed in relief and leaned back in his chair again.
“Um, no, I said sorry to her that she was his sister and she accepted my condolences, called him a dumbass too” Uma smirked again, a glint in her eye…he knew that glint, it was the glint of pranks “Oh! Do yeh want me ta-“
“Yes,” Uma interrupted him, rubbing her arms together as he saw a plan forming in her mind “ask her if she wants to help us prank Chad, fucker decided to ‘accidentally” Uma used finger quotes “spill grape juice all over my new jacket, and we all know that shit stains, didn’t even apologize either” Harry grit his teeth. Chad, one of the very few teens at Auradon prep that still harassed the vks, he was a bully and a thief, something Harry could respect on the isle but even on the isle you didn’t bully Uma without getting Harry’s hook to your face.
“I’ll ask ‘er when next time I see ‘er, we don’ have a lot of classes together, and her dance class ends after mine” Uma smirked at that, leaning into her hand.
“How are those going by the way?” Harry just let out a raspberry, and Uma fell back on Gil’s bed, laughing away.
-
The next day, after Harry's dance class, he waited outside (y/n)s room, standing awkwardly and out of place as others passed by him, some looking at him oddly while others ignored him or simply glanced at him.
There were one or two flirtatious looks but Harry ignored those, continuing to wait for (y/n). about fifteen minutes of waiting, the class finally ended, and as (y/n)s fellow dancers exited the room, many of them stared at him, whispering amongst themselves for a moment before one turned to him. “(y/n)s talking to Esmerelda, she’ll be in there for a moment” She had a strong French accent and Harry nodded in thanks, the group finally moving on as the girl who had spoken up pushed them away from the room.
After a couple more moments of waiting Harry got impatient, walking up to the door and peeking in, seeing (y/n) standing in front of Esmerelda, looking down at her feet “(y/n) your posture is perfect, your leg is always perfectly straight during the Penché, everything you do during practice is perfect but…there's just no…passion (y/n), where is it? You are only doing the steps, you aren’t feeling the music, where is the love, the sorrow, the yearning? This is a dance to convey two people falling in love (y/n), and I don’t see any of it coming from you” Harry felt his chest hurt as Esmerelda sighed, looking away from (y/n) who stayed silent. “(y/n) if you can't find the passion I need for the piece…I’m going to have to switch you out, I’m sorry” (y/n) looked up at that, and Harry couldn’t see her face but he could tell there were tears in her eyes “You are one of my best dancers (y/n), but without passion, you are doing nothing but following the steps.” (y/n) nodded slowly. Esmerelda smiled and took her chin “You just have to find your spark again, I know you can do it…I’ll see you tomorrow” (y/n) nodded again, turning to grab her bag.
Harry ducked out of the doorframe and went back to lean against the wall, looking down at his converse as he waited for (y/n). “Harry?” he looked up, (y/n) walking toward him from the door and tilting her head “What are you doing here?”
Harry smirked, it turning to a smile as (y/n) smiled back. Good, that meant she wasn’t super down from her talk with Esmerelda. “I was wonderin’ if yeh wanted ta help Uma n’ I prank Chad~” Harry had hardly finished his sentence before (y/n) grinned, stepping even close to him.
“Hell yes!” Harry shared her grin and offered his arm again, walking her out of the building and back to the dorms to Uma’s room, where Uma would tell them her plan.
-
Two days later, Chad’s hair was puke green. And he didn’t suspect a damn thing, even as (y/n) held her laughter as she stood next to him, sharing a sly thumbs up with Harry and Uma as they cackled at him.
“You’re definitely cut from a different fabric princess” Uma chuckled, Harry moving to the side of the bench he and Uma were sitting on as you walked over to them when Chad bolted off screaming after realizing his hair was green (for someone who stared at himself almost all day it took him a while to notice his hair) (y/n) grinned in thanks and plopped down next to Harry, not noticing Uma’s smirk as Harry scooted closer to (y/n).
“I’ll take that as a compliment” (y/n) laughed, leaning against the table and looking towards the door “How long do you think it’ll be before Chad suspects us?”
“Three days” Gil decided, suddenly appearing and sitting down next to Uma. And as usual, holding a bowl of grapes “I give it three days”
(y/n) hummed at that, tapping her fingers on the table “Well Chad is smart,” (y/n) laughed a bit at Uma and Harry's look of ‘really?!’ “I know shocking…well less smart more cunning, but I say he’ll either figure it out by the end of the day or he’ll bolt up in the middle of the night and then figure it out, can't say which or when, but it’s one of those”
“By the way,” Gil interrupted (y/n), pointing his finger right at her “who are you?” Gil had been out of the room every time (y/n) came over to Uma or Harry and Gil's room to plan for the plank, so oddly enough he had yet to meet (y/n) before today.
“Gil!” Harry hissed through his teeth, Uma smirking once more at his reaction. (y/n) laughed and held out her hand.
“I’m (y/n), (y/n) Charming, Chad’s sister” Gil took her hand and shook it, giving her a sympathetic look.
“I’m so sorry” (y/n) laughed again, unknowingly sending a flurry of butterflies through Harry again.
“Harry said the same thing a couple days ago, I accept your condolences” Gil released (y/n)s hand and went back to his grapes as Uma intertwined her hands and looked at (y/n)
“So you and Harry go to the same dance school, right? Do you ever dance together?” Harry felt his cheeks turn red at the question and he pouted at Uma, not really wanting to bring up the topic of the classes he hated so much.
“I guess? Different classes but same building, I’m a ballet dancer, been one since I was a kid. Harry, I think is still in the beginner class but Harry?” He glanced at (y/n) with a raised bro and a hum “You said Bert’s thinking of upgrading your placement?” Harry huffed and leaned on his hand.
“Aye, somethin’ bout me being a higher level than beginner, I dinne kae I din’ listen more than tha’” both Uma and (y/n) hummed at that. “I din’ even wan’ ta do the damn classes in the first place so I don’t see why I should level up or whatever” Harry grumbled, pouting at nothing.
Uma forced the grin off her face. Harry, ever since he had made friends with (y/n), started to be more…enthusiastic when going to the studio, no longer dragging his feet. And after the first time he picked up (y/n) from her class he did it the next day, and the next. Uma knew Harry and she knew he was catching feelings for the princess, even if he himself didn’t realize it yet.
Harry had only known the princess for about a month now, but Uma could tell when Harry liked someone, and he really-really liked (y/n), he wouldn’t admit it until he knew what words to connect his feelings yet but, Uma could wait.
Now, Uma wouldn’t do anything to push Harry and (y/n) together yet, she didn’t know if (y/n) shared any feelings about Harry, but once Uma did find out? Oooh, it was going to be fun.
But for now? Uma watched (y/n) and Harry talk, smiling behind her hand at the sparkle within Harry's eye, she would sit and watch their relationship bloom.
-end of part 2-
part 2~ hope yall enjoyed and like (y/n) so far, and i do want to put a *sprinkle* of angst in this so it'll come with (y/n)s struggle to show feeling in her dance and maybe some Chad shenanigan's anyway~ yeah i think this will be a 10 part series at most, and im liking where its going atm.
anyway im gonna draw a blue ballgown now because i don't like any of the designs i found on google or Pinterest
Permtaglist
@queer-cosette​ @sephiralorange​ @lunanight2012​
@daughter-of-the-stars11​ @musicarose​ @random-thoughts-003​
@remembered-license​ @thecaptainsgingersnap​ @rintheemolion​
@imtryingthisout​ @verboetoperee​ @jatp-rules-my-life​
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ms-indifferwnt · 3 years
Text
“I’m Cold”
“I’m cold"
“And?”
“Can’t you give me your jacket or something?”
“Can’t you accept my proposal and marry me already?”
In which Prince Donghyuck’s parents are forcing him to get married and he decided to propose to the first girl he sees to shut his parents up
Genre: Prince!Lee Donghyuck x Maid!Reader, Angst, Fluff, Arranged Marriage (kinda), Slowburn
Warnings: Curse words, Suggestive, [In this Chapter] Sexual and Physical harassment
Notes: Chapter 8 of Im Cold. This one was written fairly quickly cause of my background music and I never realized I’ve already wrote this much anyway enjoy
WORD COUNT:  3.1k
Prev / Chapter 8 / Next
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Its been a day since the fight and neither of you made a move to speak to one another. You didn't approach him in fear of getting yelled at, Well that's part of the truth, the other part was basically you not wanting to look into the prince's eyes and see how hurt and sad he was.
That day he didn't wake you up, he sat at the dining table, actually this was the first time he sat down and ate in the palace in almost two weeks, you and him would always eat out and come home before lunch return for a couple of duties and stay in your room the rest of the day while The Prince goes to his lessons and remaining schedule
He takes the tea that Yuta offered him as Doyoung reads out his schedule for the day, "You have a schedule later at Ten A.M. a meeting with the neighboring countries' Dukes for an exchange that could possibly benefit the kingdom" He looks at his notes "Or at least that is what they said, so attending this meeting is mandatory Your Highness, then next you also have  a Lunch date with the Earl of WayV later, Do you remember his name from your last meeting?" Making the Prince nod Doyoung hums in approval "Its Lord Kun and Lord Ten, Your Majesty" He reminds just incase the Young Prince was bluffing and he continues rambling on about his schedule
The Prince takes a sip and looks at the other cup of coffee and snickers "You'd might not want to send that to father" making Yuta look at him in slight confusion "Mother is lessening Father's caffeine intake"
"Of course you're right" Yuta spoke and Doyoung stopped, and Yuta bows in respect "This is for Lady Y/n," Donghyuck visibly straitened at the mention of her name and he looks at the older male "She ate breakfast as her Maid went to fetch it this morning but I thought I'd make her a drink as well"
Donghyuck looks at the coffee, the two of you haven't spoken a word, To you that was probably one of the worst punishments someone could ever grant, you have no idea what you did to you silence is fear and the fact the Prince is avoiding enough proof that you did something unforgivable, Donghyuck on the other hand saw this as an opportunity, an opportunity to get away from you, an opportunity to stop the rapid beating of his heart when he sees you, the perfect opportunity to use as the reason why you two would break up, It was perfect, he then looks at his tea before placing it down and grabbing the coffee "I'll drink this" He hums and takes a sip "Get her something new," He looks back at Doyoung "like Hot Chocolate and some cookies" he suggested, knowing very well that is exactly what Yuta will bring you
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Yuta knocks on your door, humming when you answered. When he entered you were there in a sunflower patterned sundress sitting on the window sill as the wind poured into your room going though your hair and skirt, the sun painting you in a light cozy atmosphere and both of you meet eyes "Good Morning" You smiled softly
He bows and nods "I have brought you some cookies and Hot Chocolate" he says and places it on your side and happily serves you the cup
You smile "Weird" you murmur and he looks at you with a questioning glance "Cookies and Hot chocolate are my favorite" you answered and looked at the cookie before taking a bite "No way" you said and took another bite "This- This is from my favorite shop, how did you?" You look at him amazement, placing the half eaten cookie down no longer having the appetite to eat that
He chuckles "The Prince suggested that shop" He answers, and offers you a tissue as you moved to suck on your fingers when the chocolate chip coated your finger "He as quite adamant about that shop and now I see why" His eyes travel to your bedside where an uneaten tray of today's breakfast sat and he looks at you "Was today's breakfast not to your liking today My Lady?" He asks nd takes the tray "I could ask the kitchen to make something more of your liking
You flinched and looked at it before shaking your head "No, The food was delicious" You defended
"And yet, you have not touched it"
"I'm not hungry, I barely eat breakfast on normal days anyway"
"Breakfast is an important meal, you've been eating with the Prince"
"Cause he whines when I don't" She smiles "And you know the best way to get the Prince to stop is by giving him what he wants"
"It's because the Prince wants you to be happy and healthy"
You wiped your hand on the tissue he had offered, thinking about what he said, words of the unsuspecting, nobody besides you and The Prince really did know that this little arrangement was fake "Did," You spoke before you could stop yourself and he hums waiting for you to continue "Did he call for me?"
"No, My Lady" He answers and you nod, bowing. He leaves your room once you start looking out the window once again, he stops at the door way just about when he leaves "If my Lady is bored the library is always open, and reading a book in the patio is definitely a must try" he smiles and leaves making you watch him
You gave his leaving figure a sad smile "When was the last time I sat down and read a good book?"
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Donghyuck had his papers and notes in his arms and went in the direction of the Tea room in order to make a good impression on this meeting, he reads through them murmuring to himself as he reads through it, keeping every thought of you in the back of his mind and made sure you stayed there, he could not afford messing this up.
You on the other hand had three thick books, excited to read them on the patio just like what Yuta has suggested, you were excited, you haven't had a day off where you could read books like this anymore. You don't wanna think about Donghyuck, not right now at least, let him stay out of your head an let you drown into your own world with the books.
You balanced them and carefully (so you won't accidentally bump into anyone) going to the direction of the patio. that was until you felt something by your feet, you tripped making the books fall some papers in between spill out and you yelped, not cause it hurt (it did) but the books were of more value than your life, these are old and kept in the library of the royal palace, you could get an earful from both the Prince and his Parents at this rate and that is something you want to avoid. The sun dress you were wearing was slightly caked in dirt, you hair that Hana has taken the time to fix falling out of the pins she has place. "The books!"
You looked up and was met with an awful looking woman, her hair was pompously styled showing off nothing but arrogance, he make up caked, skin one, two shades lighter than her arms, he lips a horrible shade of red and you can tell from the girl who looks at you in disgust, is her daughter, they look alike, too alike its uncanny "So you're the girl My Donghyuck is going to marry"
Donghyuck flipped over the page he was on, two young maids and a butler of the palace walking ahead of him, unaware of the Prince behind them, He keeps reading, focusing on the topic of his meeting with the Duke, Duke Park Bong, he stops come to think of it the name is familiar in a way he can't put his finger on. He probably heard the name in one of his lessons, no matter he can wing it. He continues on his journey and focusing on the notes at hand
"Did you see the Duchess and her Daughter?" asked one maid to the other and Donghyuck zones them out making a mental note to greet the guests after the meeting
"You mean out by the Garden?" The other replies "ofcourse I have"
"Y/n was with them right?" The butler chuckles "On her knees as the Duchess' daughter spoke to her so ruthlessly" Donghyuck looked up at the sound of your name and looks at the three in confusion "All she could do is look down at the ground"
"Serve her right" Says one maid angrily "Seriously can't stand her, can't believe she seduced the Prince and is now the pearl of the Palace"
Donghyuck stopped walking at their words, in shock and anger bubbling up inside of him. Fake or not, no one is allowed to hurt you an think so little of you, no one, he opens his mouth to speak
"Do you think she gives good blow jobs if the Prince likes her that much?" asked the butler jokingly "If she did it for the Prince I don't think she'll mind going on her knees for me, or even better on all fours" he laughs
He walks, faster and faster catching up to the three and landing a swift and clean punch to the Butlers face making the maids scream and move to yell at the sudden intrusion only to stop at the sight of the Prince giving them a glare "Say all that again"
They bowed down in fear, and the butler back away at the sight of the Prince, his glove red from the blood that the Prince managed to hit "She may be a maid" Donghyuck says his voice dangerously quiet "But she is my Fiancé, The woman I love, The girl that will one day be Queen once I take the Throne and you dare speak of her that way?" They started shaking doing anything to look at everything but the Prince "Where is she?" they kept their mouths shut, he tilts his head to the side before walking towards one maid who back up "I said, where is she? Now!" He yells and the other maid broke out into a sob in fear cowering under the terrifying atmosphere the Prince has set up, his notes were scattered all over the floor and he could careless his only priority was you
"G-garden, your majesty" The butler answer as he stood up and bowed at the sight of the Prince
Donghyuck turns in the other direction, away from the Tea room and towards the Garden "You're all absolutely Disgusting," He says and turns his head just to look at the three of them "Get out of my sight" he answers and runs
You yelped once the girl grabs you by the hair and pulled you up to face her your hand on her wrist and holding it tightly "You're nothing but a palace rat!" she huffs and lets go of you making you fall "Why did My Donghyuck ever choose you?!" She yelps once you found what you were looking for holding it tightly made her yelp and drop you "Mommy! She hurt me!" She calls once you looked up at them, confusion and anger in your eyes, you have no idea who they are but you hate them, you can fight for yourself you were sure of that but why are they mad at you
The mother, moved to grab your hair, anger in her eyes "You have no right to touch my daughter rat! You spend time as the Prince's Fiance and you forget your place! You are a maid of the Palace, a nobody, someone with very little value-" You let out a loud yelp at the tight she had
"You forget your place" You retaliated and glared at the woman "I am at My home and you are a guest, Duchess" You answered and tried to pry her hand off "Neither of you have the right to raise your voice at me and hurt me!" you said venom and anger dripping every word
The Prince appears "Let her go" He says his anger from the encounter a while ago and now he was even more angry at the sight infront of him. He runs to hold and pull you away from them once The Duchess lets go inshock, he places you down and hold you close as you gasped and clinged, hiding your face in his chest in an attempt to calm yourself, you were angry and in pain and Donghyuck became your rock as he glared at them
"Baby!" The girl said happily once seeing her "I missed you"
"Haneul, you're absolutely horrible" He says and covers you from sight when Haneul glares at him and you "Neither of you deserve to be in our presence nor be in my palace"
"But Baby!-" Haneul starts and gets cut off by The Duchess who started explaining herself
He rolls his eyes "Save it, I heard enough. Harming a fellow person is already enough for punishment but harming the light of my life?" He smiles and it made Haneul and her mother freeze at the sight "Do you even know why you're in my palace?" He taunts and moves to nuzzle you as you sobbed into his chest, everything was just becoming too much, the fight with Donghyuck and now this one, You were just so scared and sad and now here you were sobbing into the Prince's chest. Donghyuck hates them more after hearing you try to calm your self, silent sobs and sharp intake sof breath are what can be heard from you "You're in my Palace because the Duke wants to talk matters with me," He continues and looks to the side to see them in his peripheral vision, and it looks like the duchess has the gist of what's going to happen as Haneul continues on glaring at You
He lifts you up, making you gasp and he shushes you, shifting you so you'll be comfortable in his arms, "You're safe" I'm sorry, He thinks, then looks at Haneul and The duchess "I think the the will be greatly disappointed to loose the worth of his family name, title, and watch his wife and Duaghter rot in prison now, don't you think?" He asks and carries you in the palace leaving the scattered books and speechless Duchess
"wa-wait" You said and wrapped your arms around his neck "The- the books" You said inbetween sobs and pulled away from his chest making Donghyuck finally see your face
Tear stained cheeks and red swollen eyes, he hated the Duchess and Haneul for treating you and here you were worried about Books, he turns his head to see the books scattered, "Doyoung can pick those up" He answers and walks to your room
You shake your head, "No Donghyuck" You said panicked "Those books are older than you" He looks at you, trying to understand why that would be worth more "They're irreplacable"
He looks at you everything you just said made his entire being disagree "No" He answers, A book can be bought again, a book can be borrowed, a book can be re-printed, a book can be replaced "You're irreplacable" He answered and finally sprinted to your bedroom, clinging on to him more
He gently places you down on your bed his hand flying to your head, "Are you ok?" He visibly softens, he knows your scared of him when he's angry so now he calms down and rubs your scalp "Stupid question really" he admits, and you leaned into his touch and he had to control the heat that spread on your cheeks "I'm sorry I wasn't there earlier, If I had known-"
"you saved me" You answered and cut him off, you didn't look ok,"Thank you"
He looks at you worried "You should change" He murmurs "Go take a shower and change" He stands, reluctantly pulling away from you and taking a step back "I'll call Hana" He says and you shake your head once he reaches your door
"Stay" You whisper, "Please? Stay here"
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"You're Highness" Doyoung entered your room making Donghyuck let go of the hand he was holding, Doyoung clears his throat "My Prince, may I speak with you outside?"
Donghyuck nods and smiles assuring  you, "I'll be right back" He promises and moves off your bed and into the hallway where Doyoung was waiting
You sat there, being in your thoughts gave you enough time to think about what The prince said The light of his life, The Prince was taking the agreement to seriously. None of his words are true, he's only doing this caused he promised to take care of you in the time you are his Fiance and that time is almost over
"Donghyuck are you alright?" Doyoung asks the moment The Prince closes your door and hugs him "Is Lady Y/n alright? I heard what happened The Duke was about to issue a warning 'till he word got around what his wife and Daughter did" He pulls away
Donghyuck leaned against the wall "We're ok," He assures but he still looked angry and Doyoung knows he has every right to "Strip  the family of their title and issue a warrant to in prison the former Duchess and Haneul for physical abuse, Physical assault" He starts "Against my Fiancé" Doyoung stares at him in surprise "Please like they'll go to jail, they'll can pay a fee" Doyoung stays in place and Yuta walks past them only for Donghyuck to call him
"Yuta Hyung" He calls and the older stops, turning to look at the Prince, who seemed to have a lot on his mind "There should be a a butler with a bloody and hopefully a broken nose somewhere, get him and his friends, out of my palace and charge him with Sexual Assault"
Doyoung became wide eyed and looked at the young Prince "What- Why? What happened"
Donghyuck didn't answer and looks at them with an unamused look "Go" He said and the two left to listen to his orders. "Jaehyun" he calls after dialing the number on his phone "I need you to cook pasta" He starts
Jaehyun scoff on the other side of the phone "You don't like pasta"
"Yeah, But it's not for me"
"Did the Queen crave pasta again?"
"No, It's for Y/n, She likes Pasta"
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I’m Cold Taglist:
@staysstrays @tyongf-sunflower99 @jackyeongljin @rebel-lious-alien @daydreamiies @channiespup @jaeshark @itlittlefangirl @ncttboo @manutuankim
If you wanna be added, leave a comment♡♡
113 notes · View notes
Note
For dayton can you write being childhood best friends with him and you've always been there at his races and one day your running late so you don't get to see him before for his pep talk. And his race goes horribly and eventually when he sees you he gets angry and you get in to a argument. But eventually he makes it up to you.
A/N: Alright, here’s my first go at writing for Dayton White! I watched Logan Lucky and absolutely adored it. Dayton does not get the love he deserves! I decided Im going to make this at least a two parter, potentially spanning into one or two more. I really want to dive into the past with these two! This will focus more on their relationship growing up, while the second (and potentially third) part will contain more of the angst. Once again if I don’t write for a Seb character you like, just ask and I’ll try and gain access to it! I hope you guys enjoy. I also really hate to do this, but I recently quit my job due to a toxic work environment. Here is my ko-fi, if you can donate that would be cool, but if you can’t no pressure!!! Love you all ❤️
https://ko-fi.com/kyleey01
Pairings: Dayton White x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Fluff, no proofreading (I’ll get to it)
Word Count: 2.5k
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You’re Always There Part 1
Your earliest memory of Dayton was meeting him at Memorial Park in your hometown. You were both 5 years old, new to the world outside of your home. It was the day before Kindergarten, and both of your parents wanted you to make new friends before the first day of school. Hopefully meeting someone in your class, they felt you wouldn’t be as scared being truly away from them for the first time. You only had a single mom, and she did everything for you that she could, even taking you to the park after her long day at work. Dayton had both parents, making it easier for him to let go and meet new people. His home was “complete” by societal standards.
“Mommy I don’t wanna go play on the slide. I wanna go home and play dinosaurs with you” you said looking up at your mother.
She kneeled down to look you in the eye, holding her shining gaze with yours looking both serious and concerned, “Honey, you know you go to school tomorrow. This is your chance to go meet someone new, maybe even have a friend when you go into school tomorrow.”
You were extremely hesitant. You loved your momma, and she loved you more than anything. You had friends on your street that you liked to play with, but your mom was never far away, only a quick yell and she would be there. This was different. She had told you she wasn’t going to be there if you needed her, and that you would have to wait until school was over to see her again. You cried for two days straight after you had the “school” talk. What were you going to do without your mom? She was your superhero, your friend, and the best mother in the whole wide world. You didn’t need anyone else. That’s what you thought, at least. Until you met Dayton.
“Go on chickadee, go make some friends. You’re a big girl now who can build pyramids with blocks and cut out dinosaurs with scissors, you can do anything” your mother said with a smile.
This was all you needed to muster up the courage to conquer the slide. You nodded at your mom and ran off towards the wooden playground. They really should’ve made these things plastic, with splinters and bee stings being common afflictions of being on the playground, but it didn’t matter to you. It was fun all the same.
You began to climb the steps of the huge castle, making your way through drawbridges and holes through the wood to get to the slide. There were two other little girls there, a little older than you, maybe seven. You mustered up a quiet “hi” but they didn’t hear you, already screaming and running off in a different direction. Just when your hopes of making a friend had been dashed, you heard another voice from behind you.
“Hi. What’s your name?”
A boy of brunette hair and ocean blue eyes was staring at you expectantly. You weren’t expecting anyone to respond except those girls, so you were timid at first. You opened your mouth to speak several times but nothing came out. You started to become overwhelmed, tears welling up in your eyes.
The boy noticed, looking at you confused. He had only asked you your name. However, his momma always said if someone was crying, you fix it.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me your name. Do you need a hug?”
All you could do was nod, strangely opening up to this welcoming boy. He smiled and brought you in for a tiny hug. He wants gentle, kind of rough actually as he swayed you back and forth with energy. He pulled away, hoping you had felt better. You did.
“I’m Dayton” he said, smiling at you.
You smiled back, with tear stains still on your cheek.
“I’m Y/N”
“Y/N, it looks like you need another hug” Dayton gave you another hug, holding you until he stopped hearing the faint sniffle that escaped your body every so often.
You pulled away, nodding to indicate you were alright now.
“You wanna go down the slide? My mommy is probably wondering where I am” Dayton asked innocently.
You nodded, relief washing over you that someone wanted to be your friend
“That sounds awesome.”
_______________________________________________
From that day forward, you and Dayton were attached at the hip. Elementary school had been a breeze. Thankfully, Dayton was in your class your first year. Although it didn’t stay that way, you would always find time to meet and play during recess. Recess time turned into meeting after school, and meeting after school extended into high school.
Dayton began racing during freshman year. Your school offered a racing club which allowed students to meet after school and go to various tracks in the state to see what it was like to race. You and Dayton had always gone Go-Kart driving on the weekends, but you never thought it would turn into anything serious. Dayton, however, has found his passion. He started building his own race car after school sophomore year, and even asked if you would come over to help. You knew absolutely nothing about building a race car, but Dayton wanted you to be there and that’s all that mattered.
“Y’know I know nothing about building a damn car right? Do YOU even know anything about building a car?” you posed to Dayton in an almost accusatory tone.
“As a matter of fact, Y/N, I have been studying how to build this ‘damn car’ for over a year now, so why don’t you put a little respect on Francine’s name?”
“Well, Dayton, I suggest you begin studying geometry before you fail the quarter. And you named the thing already? Is it your lover or you car?”
“It’s both” he gave you a weird wink, one on the left, and then another on the right in secession.
“You are absolutely gross, White. I can’t believe I ever agreed to go down that slide with you when we were five. It was probably all apart of your evil plan to keep me from being someone else’s best friend just so I could build this car with you” you rolled your eyes as you sat on the hood of his family car.
“God you’re so right. You caught me. Our entire friendship has been a sham, and it all led up to this moment. And now that I finally have you where I want you...” he said with a low growl, planting both of his hands on either side of you as you sat on the hood of his car.
“I’m gonna get ya!” He said tickling your sides
You shrieked, absolutely taken aback that his hands were all over you.
God, his hands were all over you.
Alright, maybe he is cute, but there was no way you two would ever date. You came to that conclusion a long time ago. Your crush developed in the 6th grade, which is absolutely astounding considering middle schoolers are anything but normal. Even in the most awkward stage of life Dayton still managed to be charming and cute as ever. You were determined to tell him, but he would never shut up about Stacey Waterson. You hated her with every fiber of your being. What was wrong with you after all? You had it all, at least that’s what your mom said. You were decently pretty, immensely funny, and his best friend. You shared everything together. What more could he want? Well, the answer to that question would be Stacey Waterson. He wanted her, and not you.
You came back to from the tickling after laughing for what seemed like minutes. Your sides were hurting from contracting your ab muscles for too long. You pushed Dayton off of you playfully, but he pounced back on you, pinning your arms above your head.
“Say the password and I’ll let you go” he stared you down, being absolutely serious.
However, you wanted to double check.
“You can’t be serious” you retorted back, completely flustered due to the situation you were currently in on top of the incessant tickling that occurred just moments before.
“Oh, I’m serious. Say the password and I’ll let you go!” He said with a huge smile on his face.
“Jesus Christ, let me go you dick” you said while struggling to get up.
Dayton made a loud buzzing sound in your face.
“Try again!”
“Dayton come on let me up!”
Dayton made another loud buzzing sound in your face.
“Come on Y/N, just one little word and this can all go away. All you gotta do is say..”
“Goddamnit Dayton, chicken! Chicken for fuck’s sake” you said waiting for his response.
Dayton made another loud buzzing sound in your face.
“I’m sorry, that’s the old password. There’s a new password” he smiled at you, knowing this was ridiculous.
You finally mustered up the strength to push him off of you.
“What do you mean the password has changed!”
The password “chicken” has been used in every single scenario since you first let. For whatever reason, You and Dayton found that word hilarious when you were at a birthday party in the third grade. It was Danny Henry’s 8th birthday, and of course it was chicken themed. Every child gets infatuated with a new thing every year. Danny happened to live on a farm, and all year he wouldn’t stop talking about getting a pet chicken. You all wore chicken hats, there were chicken plates, a chicken cake. There was even a “Pin the Beak on the Chicken” game which, if you do say so yourself, was way more entertaining than “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” You and Dayton lost it by the time your mom picked you up from the party, absolutely hysterical in the backseat. Ever since then, it was your secret password for everything.
“I was thinking we should change stuff up. Make up a new password, it has been seven years since we thought of one.”
“Oh yeah? And what is this new life changing password that is soooo good that our childhood memory is being brushed under the rug?” you question.
Dayton had an almost hurt look on his face, but he proposed the new password to you anyways. 
“I thought the new password could be Francine. Y’know, I just think this is another great milestone in our friendship, working on this car and all. This day is really important to me and I’m glad you’re here” he said with sincerity.
You didn’t know what to say. This day did mean a lot to him, and your friendship overall. 
You nodded in agreement. 
“Alright, the new password is Francine. However, I will still be accepting chicken as a password in the future.”
Dayton smiled one of the biggest smiles you had ever seen.
“Deal. Now, let’s get this car on the road. We have a lot of work to do if I’m gonna be ready for my first ever official race next Saturday.”
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Race day was here. You woke up early next Saturday morning and drove over to Dayton’s house to pick him up to go to the race track. Dayton’s dad was taking his race car down in their trailer, but you and Dayton wanted to head to your special place before the race. It was eight o’clock in the morning and Dayton had until noon to get to the race track. 
Ever since the 6th grade, you and Dayton would walk to this rock in the woods after school to talk about your day. Your mom got home at seven every night, so you only had four hours to do something before she got home and realized you were “missing.” You talked about everything on that rock, and that rock was also where you realized you had the biggest crush on someone since your infatuation with Paul Rudd in “Clueless.”
You pulled up in your beat up Dodge Intrepid, newly sporting your license. You grabbed some granola bars and bottles of orange juice to enjoy while sitting on the rock.
You both sat down on ground, leaning up against the thing. You both sighed and enjoyed the crisp cool morning air. Finally, you broke the silence.
“You nervous for today?”
Dayton looked down between his legs while chewing on his granola bar.
“I am absolutely terrified. I mean, what if I mess up?”
You laughed a little.
He looked at you with confusion.
“What’s so funny?” 
You shook your head.
“it’s your first are Dayton. It’s okay to be nervous and even mess up. At the end of the day, everyone is going to be proud of you. We’ll all tell you how great you did because we know how much you care about this. You’ll do amazing.”
He smiled, almost not expecting such kind words to come from your mouth.
“You’re something else Y/N, ya know that?”
“Oh yeah? Stacey Waterson is something else too I bet” you said half jokingly, half serious.
He rolled his eyes. 
“Who gives a fuck about Stacey Waterson when I have a girl like you to cheer me on and surprisingly gives the best pep talks.”
“Well the way I see it she was the one who got the invitation to prom, not little old me who will be spending that Saturday night in my basement playing my PlayStation.” 
He shook his head again.
“I never asked Stacey to prom.”
You suddenly shifted to look at him square in the face.
“What?”
“I said, I didn't ask Stacey to prom.”
You were dumbfounded. He told you he was absolutely determined to take her. What had changed?
“W-Why? Why didn’t you ask her?”
He kept smiling and shaking his head.
“God Y/N, for being one of the smartest girls I have ever met you really can be dumb sometimes.”
“Excuse you, Dayton White, I happen to be taking AP U.S History, Honors Biology, and-”
That’s when you thought heaven had fell down from the skies and landed right on that rock.
Dayton had leaned in and kissed you. God, why did he have to be so charming?
He slowly took your lip into his mouth and gently sucked on it. You reciprocated by taking his top lip into your mouth and began moving your mouth with his. Time had stopped. It felt like you had molded into one person, enjoying the sensation of each other’s lips. 
He finally pulled away, looking you dead in the eyes.
“Do you understand now?”
You nodded, still stunned by his actions.
“I think we better go. I wanna see this handsome boy I kissed win his first race.”
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