#jake x amy fanfiction

[lenacosse]

In a world of boys, he’s a gentle man

pairings: Jake Peralta x female reader

warnings: Men being men. Angst with happy ending.

word count: 2.6k

summary: You’re having a hard time at work, things are stressing you out and you’re at a crossroad in your relationship with Jake but he’ll always fix his mistakes.

———————————————————————

The blaring of your obnoxious alarm fills your ears. Ripping you from your sleep for another day of work, another day of men undermining you, another day of unsolved crimes.

You reluctantly drag yourself out of your bed and get ready. To make matters worse you and your boyfriend Jake were fighting- you wanted him to move in but his fear of commitment made him laugh the topic off and diminish your feelings. You understood his issues, but it wasn’t fair. So you told him you needed space, and surprisingly he hasn’t contacted you yet. Not that you’re necessarily upset about that, you had mixed feelings.

You arrive to work at 9:12am. And there stands holt an eyebrow raised at you. You sigh and begin.

“I’m sorry sir. I got stuck in traffic.”

“So you’re the only one of my detectives late because of traffic, even though you live closest to the precinct.” Holt gives you a stern look and you just nod and walk into his office. He follows you in and shuts the door, you take a seat.

“I’m sorry captain. I don’t know what you expect me to say.”

“I appreciate the apology. But I’m worried about you (Y/L/N), you’re one of the finest detectives in the precinct yet you cannot unsolve simplest of cases?”

“I know. I just have a lot going on right now.”

“Well I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to take your cases and put you onto paperwork tasks. I understand it won’t help but it’s protocol.”

You just nod and exit his room, not looking where you’re going you walk right into Hitchcock who spills his coffee all over you. You take a long breath and look right at him. Violent outbursts weren’t your thing, but the stupidity of the situation is making it hard not to punch him in the face.

“Would you watch where you’re going!” You storm off into the women’s bathroom to dry your shirt off. A worried Amy follows you in.

“(Y/N)? Are you okay?” Amy asks, slowly moving towards you where you stand drying your coffee stained blouse.

You look at Amy and can’t help the tears that are filling your eyes. “I’m sorry i’m fine. It’s not big deal.”

Amy puts a hand on your arm, giving you a reassuring smile. “I know you’ve been stressed recently, and I’m sorry that your cases have been reassigned. But think of it as a break. Now you can have time to think.”

You nod and offer her a smile. Amy was undoubtedly your best friend, she had a way of understanding your feelings and you appreciated that more than you could explain.

“Thank you Ames. you’re amazing.” You and Amy share a hug before she leaves the bathroom. You dry your shirt by which time you’ve collected your thoughts. Allowing you to go back out there with a clear head and better intentions.

Walking back to your desk you get a few reluctant glances, you know it’s bad when people look at your like you’re Rosa. Half way through your first paper work task you get a short tap on your shoulder, you turn around to see Jake. He looks worn down, not as enthusiastic as usual. You would be lying if you said you didn’t feel a little bit bad, your aim was not to upset Jake when you said you wanted space, but to give yourself time to think. Which you haven’t even had a chance to do yet.

“I brought you a coffee.” Jake says, it was strange to see him so… calm? The main reason you agreed to go out with Jake was because he made you laugh. Because being with him was easy, you didn’t have to change yourself to be with him and that was all anyone could ask for. But the last few days he has been indifferent, you couldn’t help but blame yourself.

“Thank you.” You smile and take the coffee from his hands. Jake nods and starts to walk away, he glances back at you. Continues to walk, glances back again then walks back to you.

“Can.. we talk later? I know you want space but I hate this. I feel bad and it’s just..”

You cut him off with a sympathetic look. “Jake..” you begin, your tone flat.

“Yeah. sorry.” He walks away, this time not looking back.

You sigh and look to your left where Charles is sitting shaking his head and wiping his eyes. You furrow your brows at him and he takes that as an invite over. He walks over to your desk, his shoulders slumped.

“Can I help you Charles?”

“God. I’m so worried about you and jake. These last few days have been utter hell. I haven’t felt this helpless since Elenor and I divorced. I’m so upset I can’t even eat my stake tartare.”

“Maybe that’s for the best Charles, sounds absolutely disgusting.” You shake your head in disgust, “as for me and Jake we are grown adults and can sort it ourselves. Don’t stress.”

“That’s impossible! I’ll talk to Jake. I know how to solve the issue, a nurturing shower where he tenderly washes your hair with lavender shampoo.”

“Seriously?! Go back to your desk.” You shoo him away with your hand. Accepting defeat, sometimes you feel bad for dismissing Charles, but not today.

By lunch time you made a reasonable dent in your paperwork. You glance over to Jake, he’s doing paperwork too. But nothing is distracting him, not even the fact that captain Holt cracked a smile, at least someone’s in a good mood.

“Come on get your stuff we’re going to get lunch.” Rosa says standing in front of your desk with her arms crossed. Behind her is Gina.

“This doesn’t mean I care about you by the way girl. I need a break from my endless paperwork.”

You look over to Gina’s desk and roll your eyes, she had two files sitting there. “Wow I couldn’t imagine it. Is Amy coming?”

“It was her idea to bring you to lunch, then she got out her colour coordinated file of conflict resolution to help you lighten up. So I told her the wrong place, being around nerds is not what I need right now. Poor Amy sitting alone with nothing but her folder.” Gina shrugs.

You grab your jacket and go out with Gina and Rosa. You go to a cafe near the precinct, the cafe echoed with small talk and coffee pots brewing. It was peaceful compared to the loud precinct, the constant keyboard clicks and nonsense talk could of easily driven you mad.

“Damn I think you ruined Jake’s life, he’s a serious depresso these days.” Gina starts.

“I did not ruin his life. I needed space.”

“Why? Did his immaturity get the better of you?” Rosa questioned, you were slightly surprised at her input. Usually an outing with Rosa entails complete silence.

You sigh taking a sip of your drink. “I wanted us to move in together. He brushed it off saying there’s no need. So I told him I needed space from him and time to think, I feel bad sure but I don’t know what to do. It feels like he doesn’t love me enough to work through these issues.” You swallow back the lump in your throat.

“Mmkay well not to give you a compliment but Jake does love you.” Gina retorts. Rosa nods in agreement.

“You always try to get me to talk about my feelings, so take your own advice and go talk to him.” Rosa added.

“I don’t know what to say, we’ve been together for almost two years and it feels like we’re capped at the newly established relationship part.”

“I think that’s enough relationship talk. Who do you think we are, Amy Santiago? No.” Gina scoffed, as she did the food arrived. You sit with your friends eating lunch and listening to Gina talk about her upcoming dance competition and her love for Beyoncé.

———————————————————————

“Thanks for lunch.” You smile at Gina and Rosa as you sit back at your desk.

“Yeah whatever you’re welcome.” Rosa shrugs. You continue with your work, peacefully getting through your tasks with your mood peaking by the minute.

“(Y/N) can you give these files down to officer Smith?” Your sarge Terry asks, you get the files off his desk and get into the elevator to go downstairs.

It was no secret that the officers downstairs were dicks. They didn’t like you, especially officer Smith as you rejected him years ago. Ever since then he’s been making remarks about you attempting to piss you off, this has been applied to Jake as well because he is your boyfriend. Right after stepping out of the elevator you hear a wolf whistle coming from officer Smith. you roll your eyes and walk to his desk handing him the files.

“A present for me? You shouldn’t have.”

You ignore his words and explain the contents of the files, he doesn’t seem to be even paying attention but you didn’t care. That was until he piped up.

“How come you’re giving me files and not Gina?” You go to speak and he puts his finger to his mouth silencing you. “Don’t tell me the nine nine’s lousiest detective has been placed on desk duty.”

“It’s absolutely none of your business. But even so desk duty is much better than being stuck as a first rate officer for eight wasteful years.”

“Ah typical (Y/L/N) being a bitch when she gets her feelings hurt.”

“You’re pathetic. Don’t you get bored of being a dick?”

“You’re Goddamn insufferable. Just shut the fuck up and clear off.”

“Gladly. When you get off your ass for the first time today make sure to leave these files back.”

With that you walk away, but the cruel words that he shouted after had you clenching your fists and unwillingly crying in the elevator. That man knew how to get under your skin and you hated him with a burning passion. As you walk out of the elevator you wipe your eyes trying to mask the fact you’ve been embarrassingly crying. And once again you collide with someone. Their hands steady you by grabbing your shoulders. You sigh and look up, seeing Jake with a concerned look plastered on his face.

“Are you crying?”

“No.” You scoff as if you’re offended by the accusation.

“What happened?”

“Just Officer Smith being a dick.” You mumble.

His thumb lightly brushes a stray tear from your eye, you unwillingly melt into his touch, it’s warm and makes you feel safe.

“Whatever he said to you is irrelevant. He’s the biggest jerk ever. Don’t stoop down to his level and listen to what he has to say. You’re worth so much more than that.”

“Thank you Jake.” You run your thumb over his knuckles, a soft smile apparent on your face. Jake squeezed your hand three times, and you return the gesture. His face immediately brightens up, your eyes meet and you find yourself getting lost in his.

You hear a clearing of a throat, you look to your side seeing captain Holt stood with him arms crossed. You immediately drop Jake’s hand and he lets go of your shoulder. You both go back to your own desks. Today has made you realise talking to Jake is the best solution, it was only making you both miserable being apart. So you write him a note reading: ‘want to come over later?’ You throw it at him and it hits him in the head.

You watch his reaction to reading it. He scribbles something back on the page and throws it in your direction, but unluckily it hits Holt right in the face as he walks past your desk. You watch Jake’s eyes widen like a deer in headlights as he quickly looks down and pretends to be writing.

“Who on earth threw that?!” Holt rages. Everyone looks up from their desks yet no one takes accountability. Holt picks up the paper and reads it out. “Want to come over later? As long as we can watch die hard. (Ps. that shirt you’re wearing looks hot af)”

Your face turns a deep crimson as you look down at your desk, refusing eye contact. Everyone is quiet, mostly likely mentally scarred by the note. until Charles pipes up.

“WOOHOO!” He yells. “my dream couple are back. Did take my advice Jakey?”

“No Charles. I did not spoon feed her duck soup!”

“Gosh it’s a miracle things worked out.” Charles replied. You look over to Amy who looks just as disgusted as you from Charles’ statement.

“You two my office. Now.” Holt says whilst walking back to his office.

Jake follows behind you into Holt’s office, you both take a seat as does Holt. He does not look happy, or so you assume. He was difficult to read.

“Today started wonderfully. Everyone had work done. I even cracked a smile.” Holt starts. “However you two acting like teenagers is ridiculous! Throwing notes to each other like you’re in middle school?”

“(Y/L/N) started it.” Jake shakes his head in dismay. “She’s such a child.”

“Shut up Peralta.” You smack his arm, making him pull a classic face at you. You roll your eyes and cross you arms looking back at your captain.

“If you two can’t act mature then I’ll have to come up with a plan to keep you apart.”

You both mutter a sorry and he dismisses you. Of course the second you step out of his office you look at Jake and the both of you burst out laughing.

“What did I just say!” Holt shouts out, you both stop laughing and immediately go back to your desks.

———————————————————————

Your door knocked and you went to answer it. standing there is Jake with flowers, a tiny teddy bear and a bag full of snacks. You smile and let him in, letting him know the pizza is on its way.

“For you my lady.” Jake says in a God awful posh accent. You take the flowers and other things from him. You find yourself blushing at the thought of him buying you these things.

“Well aren’t you just a gentleman.” You kiss his cheek, he takes your chin in his hand and moves your face to look at him. Your foreheads touch and he leans in to kiss you, the kiss is tender and loving. You run your free hand through his hair and slowly pull back.

“I’m sorry for not taking things seriously.”

“It’s okay.”

“No I was being an idiot. I love what we have, and of course I want to move in with you. But that freaked me out and I was unfair. I want you to know that I would do anything for you. I want this for us, I want to come home with you every night, I want to wake up next to you every morning. I’m serious about you, I should have just told you that from the start. but I messed things up and to think that I almost ruined us-“

You shut him up by kissing him, you feel his smile against your lips. His hands go to your hips pulling you closer. You slowly pull away and he pulls you into a hug. The scent his cologne fades all the worries and doubts, it was simple. Jake was the only possible person you ever wanted to be with, and things would work out because you both were dedicated to making it work.

“Thank you.” You slowly pull back and stroke his cheek with your thumb.

“Okay I’m glad that worked out because I already sold my apartment.”

You roll your eyes. “Of course you did.” You tease.

The pizza arrives and the two of you lay on your couch together, eating pizza and watching die hard for the thousandth time. At this point you swear you could recite the script. But if it makes Jake happy then it makes you happy.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

#jake peralta #jake peralta x reader #boyfriend! jake peralta #brooklyn 99 #brooklyn nine nine #b99 #brooklyn 99 fic #fanfic #fanfiction #fluff #angst with a happy ending #light angst #fluff and angst #amy santiago #rosa diaz #gina linetti #charles boyle

[hiramaris]

Dusk Fragments #1

Summary: A night of drinking, a group of friends, and two people returning to town. What could go wrong? Pairings: Jessy x Gender Neutral MC

Note: Had this on my mind for quite a while. This one-shot follows Dusk til Dawn. The timeline isn't clear here.

“I don’t think drinking and partying is such a good idea right now.” Cleo mused against her drink, the condensation on her glass forming tiny beads. She eyed the swirling liquid thoughtfully, her expression pensive. Despite her verbal disagreement, she downed her margarita in one go, barely wincing at the tangy taste.

Dan scoffed at that, knowing fully well where this conversation was going. “It’s been months. No one died. What better way to celebrate than being wasted?”

Lilly, seated next to Cleo, leaned forward, her gaze serious. “Hannah and Richy are still under court-ordered psychiatric evaluation and treatment,” Lilly emphasizes as if everyone has forgotten that fact. “Y/n and Jake are nowhere to be seen. So, I don't think these counts for a celebration.”

Jessy froze at the mention of your name, her hand pausing in mid-air as she played with her Mimosa.

For months, she had tried not to let your name linger in her mind for longer than necessary. It still hurts to think about you. Despite the fact that Agent Hartmann– Charlotte, Jessy corrected herself, already explained everything, it did nothing to quell the pain she was feeling.

Because why couldn’t you just tell them all those things yourself? Why couldn’t you just come back?

“But did they die?”

“Dan!” Cleo admonishes him.

“What?” He shrugged as he plucked a chilled martini glass from the shelf. “I’m just saying,” he continued as he went back to face them and to prepare Lilly’s drink. “Out of all the possible worst-case scenarios, we managed to get the best one. I’m not saying y’all need to trash out and get wasted, but I don’t think Y/n did all this for us to just sulk in our homes forever. We deserve this after all the hell each of us went through.”

“That’s true,” Phil popped out beside him, placing another Mimosa in front of Jessy despite the redhead's protest. “I never thought I’d get out of that stinky place they called prison after a certain someone” he eyed Dan accusingly, a smug smirk on his face “testified against me. So, drink up! Celebrations are in order!”

“For the love of— I already said sorry!” Dan yells at Phil’s retreating form, his voice drowning from the music reverberating around the Aurora bar.

“Sorry won’t cut it, Pal! You still have 6 months left of voluntary work before you get your wage!” Phil shouted back in a sing-song voice before disappearing into the stockroom.

“He won’t ever live it down, y’know?” Jessy allows herself to smirk at Dan’s guilty face. The man got an earful from her when she learned about what he did. If she were the same person as before, she would have never forgiven him but she’s a changed person now. At least that’s what she likes to think. Dan means well despite his impulsivity.

“I know,” Dan grumbled as he placed Lilly’s cosmopolitan in front of her.

The blonde eagerly sips her drink, humming in satisfaction, her body slightly swaying to the music. “Fuck it, I guess we do deserve to lose out a little.” Lilly perks up when ‘Streets’ begins blasting from the bar's speakers. The lights turned a deep hue of red as if to accentuate the mood of the song. “Oh my god! I love Doja Cat! Come, Cleo. Let’s dance!”

Cleo had no choice but to finish off her drinks before allowing the youngest Donfort to drag her to the nearest dance floor.

“She’s getting drunk,” Thomas commented quietly as he observed them.

“Oh, Lilly? Let her.” Dan leans a bit on the counter. “What about you, Tommy? What can I get for you? You’ve been awfully quiet since you came here.”

“I don’t think it’s such a great idea. Someone needs to be sober around here.”

Dan chuckles at that. “Still a wimp,” he teased. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan to drink tonight. Not until Y/n comes back to keep their promise and buy me a drink. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Fine.” Thomas sighed. “After what happened I guess I need a hard drink. Give me some Negroni.”

“Right away, sir.”

Jessy waited for Dan to get away from earshot to get some vermouth from the stock room before addressing Thomas. “Have she talked to you, yet?”

Thomas pursed his lips, his gaze shifting to the swirling liquid in Jessy’s glass. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding, his voice tinged with a sense of longing.

“Not since… that day.” He went quiet for a moment before speaking again. “I miss her, a lot.” He admitted. “But I’m trying to understand her. What happened was shitty. I don’t think 6 months of treatment would suffice to get over a trauma.”

“Any news about their development?”

Thomas sighed, his gaze distant as he delved into the subject. “Well… she’s starting to at least connect with her family. Lilly says it’s just about trivial matter and Hannah seems to be avoiding the topic being discussed just yet. About Richy…” he trailed off. “he’s doing okay, I guess. I talked to him a little while ago and he said he was truly sorry about what happened.”

“Do you… forgive him?” Jessy questions tentatively, her gaze fixed on Thomas, searching for his thoughts on the matter.

Thomas swallowed, fists curling into a fist. “I do. He’s my friend.” He met her eyes, his own ones going mist. “It’s just quite difficult to forget what he had done.”

“I know…” Jessy murmured, her tone reflective, finally downing her first mimosa. The contrasting flavors of bitterness, sweetness, and tanginess played against her tongue, much like the conflicting emotions she was feeling. “Richy doesn’t want to talk to us. I tried to… y’know but he pushed me away.”

“He was afraid. He doesn’t trust himself around you girls.”

“Oh,” was all that Jessy could say.

Maybe you and Richy have a lot more in common than she expected.

Like making decisions for everyone instead of asking them directly. She doesn’t get why both of you chose to keep everything to yourselves.

“Y/n,” Thomas suddenly says. “Do you still think of them?”

“Every day,” she found herself whispering. “I don’t think I had ever stopped.”

“Wow, I just went away for a minute or two and everything suddenly got sentimental.” Dan’s voice joined the conversation. He raised an eyebrow at the two as he began to mix Thomas’ drinks.

“It’s nothing!” Jessy tried to laugh, shoving her empty glass towards Dan. “I want another Mimosa. I’ll be back. I just need to go to the bathroom for a sec.”

“Hey! You still have a full glass of Mimosa here!” Dan calls back to her, but Jessy continues to her destination, brushing through sweaty bodies. She really needs to pee.

More importantly…

She also needs to cry.

Damn it. This is what she’s talking about. Just give her a couple of seconds to think of you and then no more than later her eyes turn into a waterwork.

“Jessy?” Well, that’s a voice that sounds familiar.

She whirls on the spot, and she has little time to even out her voice to mask her surprise. “Alica?”

Luckily, she managed to do it.

Because never in those three years, she has expected to see Alica Roth in the arms of her ex-boyfriend, Norman White.

It took all self-control for Jessy not to give any sort of reaction. What she told you was true. She never made an effort to know whom her ex had cheated her with due to fear of actually knowing who that person might be.

And just her luck, it seemed Alica was the person Norman fucked while being in a relationship with her.

“Oh, hi!” She put on a tight-lipped smile at the two. “I didn’t know that you two…” she tried to laugh. “How long?” She just wanted to know if her theory was true.

Norman has the audacity to look so smug about it, pulling the girl closer to him by the hip as if to rub salt in her wounds. Not that there’s any wound to begin with.

“Two years,” he answers with his typical boyish grin that Jessy used to swoon at. Well, not anymore.

And two years? He was still dating Jessy at that time!

This piece of crap really did cheat on her with Alica, and they even have the decency to flaunt it right on her face. Alica is no better; she knew Jessy was in a relationship with him and yet she allowed Norman to pursue her.

“I heard about what happened. I’m really sorry about Hannah and Richy.” Alica mentions, and Jessy doesn’t know if the girl is even genuine about it. “It must have been stressful for you guys.”

“It was.”

Norman straightened out, his arms falling from his side. “Well, you certainly didn’t look stressed at all,” he eyes her up and down unabashedly. “I mean don’t get me wrong. I know you are but what I was trying to say was you look as dashing as ever.” He finished his babbling with a grin.

Alica raised an eyebrow at his comment before turning her attention back to Jessy with the most faux smile she had ever seen in her life.

“He’s such a sweet guy, right? Always thoughtful with girls even if he already has a girlfriend.”

If she wasn’t sure before, Jessy is sure as hell that’s definitely sarcastic now.

“Oh, I know.” Jessy’s smile was just as fake.

“Of course,” as oblivious as ever, Norman beamed. “I even chatted that Y/n when Lilly posted about that video. Because y’know, I don’t like it when women get hurt.”

Jessy furrows her brows at that. What’s that even supposed to mean?

And wait, what?! He had chat Y/n which means he was one of the locals who harassed Y/n!

“Hey, y’all. I heard my name so would you mind if join in?”

****

“Do you think this is a good idea, Y/n?”

You turned to Jake, a smug smirk dancing across your lips. “Well, considering the last mission you need to do in order to grant your defection to the Agency has gone very well, I don’t see the problem in going back here. Plus,” your grin widens. “You have to be here. I don’t want Lilly to kill me so you have to protect me against her wrath.”

Jake chuckles at that. “You just took down twelve men just a couple of hours ago, and you mean to tell me you are afraid of Lilly?”

“It’s different,” you retorted, parking the car in the designated place Phil had made for you. You closed the door shut. Jake follows you after. From here you can already hear the music blasting inside. And judging from the disco lights you’re seeing peeking from the gates; you knew this is going to be one hell of a night.

“How do I look?” you turned to Jake as you tried to brush off imaginary specks of dust from your shirt. Not that it would make any difference. The glaring bruise on your cheek and a cut to the lip wouldn’t go unnoticed anyway.

“Like you just went on a mission.”

“I’m going to tell Aerith to dump your ass.” You narrowed your eyes at him. You couldn’t see his whole face because of his mask but you didn’t miss the way he rolled his eyes at you. “Hey, I saw that!”

Jake just shook his head and pushed you inside– forcefully.

“Just go inside and go restore your love life.”

The stench of alcohol and sweat greeted your nostrils and you didn’t bother to hide the look of pure disgust on your face, The lights were off inside but the illumination coming from the disco lights created a swirling pattern of abstract forms that gracefully blended with– is that ‘streets’?!

And is that Lilly dancing with Cleo?! If you can even call that dancing.

You snorted at the sight. The blonde’s probably drunk but Cleo looks sober enough which made this whole thing funnier. The poor girl was so embarrassed with her friend.

“I didn’t know Lilly was a fan of Doja Cat.” You couldn’t help but laugh at the idea.

You could have sworn you saw Jake’s eye twitch at the sight of his sister dancing in the middle of the dance floor with men trying to dance with her only to be pushed away by Cleo.

Not long after, Jake pushed his way through the crowd and towards his sister. You can only wish the men around Lilly good luck because a pissed Jake is someone you wouldn’t want on your plate– ever.

Shaking your head, you made your way towards the bar without any announcement when your eyes spotted those familiar beards from miles away and Thomas’ signature beanie.

“What’s cooking, good looking?”

“Y/n?!” Thomas almost spat his drink on a very unsuspecting Dan.

You thought that was the funniest thing you have ever seen but looking at Dan, it was your turn to choke on your own spit. The man looked like he saw a ghost with the way his eyes widened.

“Thanks for accepting my invitation, Y/n.” Phil wraps his arm around you. Taking you away from the bar, much to Dan’s dismay.

“Hey! I was talking to Y/n!”

Phil only gave him the finger, laughing. “Sorry, pal but we got customers.”

Dan could only grumble in annoyance as a group of rowdy teenagers came stumbling on the bar, leaving his hands full at the moment.

“You looked like you just came from a fight,” he commented as he guided you towards a corner. The music in this spot had mellowed, allowing both of you to talk in a normal voice. “I assume you won as always.”

“Won’t you know it?” You grinned. “I suppose free drinks are in order tonight?”

“Maybe,” he smirked. “Is that any way to talk to your brother-in-law?”

Your smile falters a bit. It’s been 6 months of radio silence. The last time you talked to her was when you left. You barely said goodbye. You barely gave any reassurance.

How could you though? How can you look at someone you love so much and tell yourself it’s time to go?

Would she still want you after all this time? Would she even want to talk to you?

“Is she mad at me?” You questioned quietly. The million-dollar question.

Phil noticed your apprehension, quirking an eyebrow at you. “Do you think I’ll invite you here if she hates you?”

“I mean if the invitation is out of spite, it is possible.”

He laughed. “You might want to get your head checked out, L/n. Unless you have a major concussion then you’re probably crazy to even be convinced that the kindest person in Duskwood hates your guts. Of course, she loves you shitless.” He took both of your shoulders, shaking you as if to take away those thoughts. “Listen, I didn’t just invited you here just to show gratitude for bailing me out. This is also me paying my sister back for all the shitty things I’ve done to her.”

His gaze suddenly flickered behind you, his grin coming back.

“Make my little sister happy, okay?” Without warning he pushed you forward. But not without whispering. “That’s her ex, Norman. Punch him in the face for me. Tata!”

You felt the world seemed to freeze before you when you finally saw her.

Ever since you came here you pretend to look around. You wanted to convince yourself that you’re just familiarizing yourself with your surroundings but the truth is…

I’m actually looking for you.

You can feel your chest starting to ache again. A frequent occurrence whenever you think of her. But seeing her again after all this time gives you a different kind of pain.

You find yourself walking towards her. Somehow, you’re thankful she has her back on you because it gave you a bit of time to prep yourself to face the redhead.

“He’s such a sweet guy, right? Always thoughtful with girls even if he already has a girlfriend.”

Your eyebrows raised when you finally got an earshot to the conversation Jessy was having with these people.

“Oh, I know.” Even with her back on you, you can notice Jessy was visibly tense. You frowned. Clearly, she’s uncomfortable. Just who the hell are these people?

“Of course,” the guy with a face you didn’t like boasted. So, this is the ex, huh? “I even chatted that Y/n when Lilly posted about that video. Because y’know, I don’t like it when women get hurt.”

“Hey, y’all. I heard my name so would you mind if join in?” That was the time you decided to swoop in.

You casually grab Jessy by the waist, far away from her so-called ex who doesn't seem to know how to read the room.

Telling by the lack of flinch, you know Jessy already knows it was you. If she was surprised at your sudden appearance after months of radio silence, she didn’t show it.

You put yourself between them. All the while, Norman looks a bit startled at your sudden presence. He was taken aback. He slowly backed away when he noticed your piercing gaze focused on him.

“It would be kind of rude to talk behind my back, right?” You went on. Flashing them a charming smile. You turn to Jessy, kissing her cheek. “Anyway, Dan sent me to tell you your Mimosa is good to go, babe.”

She kissed your cheek back, right across your bruise as if to tell you it didn’t go unnoticed by her. “Of course, love. Thank you!”

You fight a flush beginning to emerge on your cheeks at the endearment. But you find yourself not even trying to as the next words uttered by the woman in front of you were enough for you to grimace.

“Oh, my. I wasn’t informed you have such a hot company there, Jessy.” You could have sworn the woman batted her eyelashes at you unabashedly, making the ‘ex’ bristle next to her.

Jessy feigns a smile as she rests her head against your chest, “this is Norman and this is his girlfriend, Alica. Guys, this is my partner, Y/n.”

Norman held out his hand, “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Normy.” You smiled, ignoring the wince on his face as you might have gripped his hand a little too hard.

“It’s a-actually Norman, not Normy.” He corrected with a strained smile.

“You’re the same Normy who harassed me on the phone right?” You raised an eyebrow, your gaze challenging.

“N-no. I…” he stuttered pathetically, making you grin wider.

“Call me Ali, dear.” Alica made a move to kiss your cheek and was about to do another one, but Jessy pulled you back to her, eyes openly glaring now. The blonde didn’t seem to care as she commented, “you smell good, and that bruise looks hot.”

You were quick to wipe off the kiss from your cheeks, not even bothering to hide it from Alica. You’re not entirely sure what was Jessy’s history with her aside from Normy here. But what you’re sure of is your girlfriend has a massive jealous streak.

You have come to know that for the first week you have known her. And if blonde here has known Jessy far more than you have, then she better know that the redhead is ready to bury her alive right now.

“What the fuck is that, Ali?” Norman was the first to react, glaring at you and his girlfriend.

“Chill out, hon. I was just–“

“We’re leaving.” Jessy cuts off curtly, pulling you away from the scene. She stopped in what you assumed to be a hallway to the comfort room. Pulling out a handkerchief and a bottle of alcohol, she began to dab the piece of cloth to your cheeks. “I’m going to kill her.”

You laughed quietly, “I bet you do.”

She furrowed her eyebrow but remained quiet as she finished the job. She even sprayed her perfume on your shirt as if to wipe any trace of the blonde in you. Or she’s probably marking you. Or both. In any case, you didn’t mind.

Your heart pounded as you raised your hands to cup her cheeks. Your thumb begins to stroke her cheek in a delicate manner, and your eyes wander around her face. You are now faced with the woman you have badly missed to the point it physically gives you pain just by thinking about it. You took your time to admire her face, now up close for the first time in how many months of not seeing it.

She looked a bit thinner. Up close, you can see the effects of the situation that fell upon her— the bags under her eyes due to spending sleepless nights and the worry lines starting to form on her forehead. But in your eyes, you have never seen such beauty. She still looked beautiful, nonetheless. She was still your Jessy.

“Sorry,” you murmured. You didn’t emphasize what for. Do you even need to?

Sorry for leaving. Sorry for keeping you in the dark. Sorry for hurting you.

But none of those came close to what left your lips.

“Sorry, I let her kiss me. I shouldn’t have–”

The laugh that escaped her lips was soft and rich. Her breath tingled against your cheeks as she leaned her forehead against yours, her arms secured around your neck. You knew then that she knows what you were apologizing for and it’s sure as hell not about letting Alica kiss you.

“Apparently, that woman just really likes stealing people I love. I suppose you’re not an exemption.”

“Hmm, so she was the girl.” It wasn’t a question, but rather a realization.

“Uhuh.” Jessy is a lot closer now, lips barely an inch that if you leaned a little closer you would be kissing her. Her fingers played with the baby hairs at the back of your neck making your breath hitched. And judging by the little smirk on her lips, you knew damn well she knows her effect on you. “I’m still mad at you.” She whispers and you note the faint smell of alcohol on her breath.

“I know.” You whispered just as quietly. “Let me make it up to you.”

“How so?” A dashing smirk spreads across her features, and for a moment, your eyes drift mindlessly toward her unsuspecting lips, loving the way they curl up in a low grin. At this point, the resistance to kiss her lips would probably be a battle already lost.

So you did.

You pecked her cheeks first, another one on the corner of her mouth, and then the other one for good measure. Peppering her kisses nonstop if you could. She can only laugh softly at your antics, loving the attention you give her.

And because your always motto is "to save the best for last" you took your precious time laying a long, slow kiss full on her lips. Her hands were eager to mess with your hair, deepening the kiss. You can feel the heat rising on your skin, her touches leaving trails of fire.

Not satisfied with the proximity, you pulled her closer. You even made your way to flip your positions, now pinning the redhead against the wall and a solid chest.

Her grip on your shirt tightens in such a way that she wants to pull it off you. At the back of your mind, you were aware that someone could walk in on you two almost eating each other's faces but you're usually clumsy brain was now foggier than you could remember as you were so busy latching your mouth against her neck and feeling Jessy tilting them to the side to give you better access. Her scent, warmth, and kisses consume you ent—

“Y/n?” You and Jessy froze. That was Phil’s voice!

The urgency in his voice was enough to cleanse your hazy mind, and without the overwhelming thoughts about your girlfriend which you may not guarantee wouldn't go past what is deemed to be inexplicit, you can now hear his voice clearer against the blasting music.

You only got a few seconds to detach yourself from a disappointed and irritated Jessy and fix your hair which she seems to love to mess with.

Despite the initial annoyance, the redhead still managed to have the audacity to flash you an amusing grin as she couldn't take her eyes off your already swollen lips, seemingly satisfied with her creation. And it's not like she's any better.

Sure, her hair's fine, but her lips are a bit bruised, too and there are patches of redness forming on the side of her neck courtesy of your mouth.

When Phil finally arrived inside the room, you managed to act like you were fixing your hair whilst Jessy was trying to fix her lipstick. From his point of view, it looks like you two were having the usual conversation and not shoving each other’s tongues down your throats five seconds ago.

"Did I interrupt something?" He questioned smugly, wanting to tease you but you weren't having any of it. You were too flustered to even function properly now.

"No," was Jessy’s quick reply, not trusting you to answer. She barely managed to hide her smile behind her own mirror.

Phil looks like he doesn’t believe that obvious lie and was excited to turn to you. "Man, you should have seen the pussy-ass bitch Normy and his girlfriend arguing at the parking lot. He was like ‘why the fuck did you kissed a random stranger?’ and Alica was like ‘Is it my fault Y/n is hot?’ and then he was like–" He wasn't able to continue his story as Jessy’s glare was so sharp, that it can dissect a living creature.

Her eyebrows were raised to the fullest and her gaze was unwavering, challenging her own brother to continue his story to the extent that she wouldn’t like where it would head.

If your blood earlier had rushed towards your cheeks, it now had drained the color on your face and you're practically choking on your own spit for the second time this night.

"– and I just want to say your drinks are ready. That's all." He finishes lamely.

You knew that's not what he was trying to say, but to save his life and maybe yours from the redhead’s wrath, he knew better than to continue his story.

"Oh, and Y/n?" You perked up from your sudden faux interest to the flickering sign of the comfort room down the hallway. Phil’s smirk returned full blast. "You got a little something here,” he motioned his fingers to his lips. “See you!"

Your hand flew faster than when Phil bolted out to grab Jessy’s mirror.

And to your horror, a thin line of smeared lipstick was visible at your bottom lip. It wasn’t noticeable enough to catch someone’s attention, but it is sure as hell noticeable enough for the likes of Phil. And he wouldn’t need to put two and two together to even know what you were doing earlier with his sister.

Jessy’s laughter came rumbling across your chest as she pulled you closer again.

And boy, you were right.

Tonight’s going to be a long night.

But you wouldn’t have it any other way.

#duskwood #duskwood mc #duskwood jessy #duskwood jessy x mc #jessy x mc #mc x jessy #jessy hawkins #duskwood richy #duskwood dan #duskwood jake #duskwood lilly #duskwood cleo #duskwood hannah #duskwood fanfiction #no beta we die like amy

[xihe1874]

Some of the IceMav ideas that have stuck in my head for a while and begged to be written:

An IceMav “You’ve got mail” AU (I will definitely write this one, just perfectly suitable)

An IceMav Christmas hallmark cliché 

An IceMav “Just Like Heaven” AU

A pre-sequel to my “Hang the Hangman with Love” fic (featuring established and secret IceMav & oblivious and distraught Slider)

An IceMav and Peraltiago crossover

Any of those you wanna see the most?

#icemav #iceman x maverick #tom iceman kazansky #pete maverick mitchell #top gun #top gun 1986 #top gun fanfiction #icemav fanfiction #jake peralta #amy santiago #peraltiago

[letsperaltiago]

we’ll sweet out the ashes in the morning | chapter 11 |

Even in the middle of New York's freezing month of February, a scandalous familiar fire is ignited within Jake and Amy when they run into each other after years apart. Luckily there's nothing wrong with being caught up in a fire that has to die out soon, right?

Read the new chapter here or on AO3

___________

Friend.noun. a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations.

Alas then, at least according to the very reliable-looking dictionary he’d looked up online, Amy Santiago was his person with whom he had a bond of mutual affection, very much one exclusive of sexual or family relations. 

It was clear as day and very much written in stone, to an extent where it almost felt like a pact between the two, and yet Jake had spent most of the late summer struggling with settling down in this new role. Actually, when he thought about it, which he did a lot , the role wasn’t actually new but rather like being demoted to beat cop. He’d done it before and it was cool… but, now that he’d tried it, definitely not as cool as being a detective. 

Friends. They’d been friends before. It was the foundation of their entire relationship and it had been great, one of his most treasured ones, though now that he’d tasted what came after friends… going back didn’t feel like the natural, evident outcome he’d wished for. 

Contrary to him, or at least that’s how he saw it, Amy seemed very happy with everything. Well, it also did happen to be, at least to some extent, “on her terms” (she’d been the one to propose the friendship after all). So maybe he just needed to be more open-minded and come to terms with everything himself. In the end, being her friend shouldn’t be seen as a punishment; perhaps rather the most logical way for them to be in each other’s lives still. 

And so he tried: he remained positive because a friend-Amy was better than no Amy at all, and by the time October’s autumn leaves hit the ground, he’d gotten more or less accustomed to the blooming friendship whose seed they’d planted that day on Charles’ couch. 

He’d respect her boundaries nonetheless but now that she was with Teddy, she was that much more off-limits and he had no reason to overthink the things she said or did. Dual-ended as it seemed, the fact that Amy was dating someone else actually helped. In some weird and twisted way. If a spiraling train of thought snuck up on him, he’d practiced the art of putting it to bed, and ‘what ifs…’  and ‘maybe ifs…’ became rarer and rarer these days. Of course, it hadn’t been all smooth sailing right away, but after grabbing beers at Shaw’s with their mutual friends (the squad pretended to know nothing of their hookup and slipup), it seemed easier to sink back into their preceding friendship: Santiago and Peralta made reappearances and the familiarity of the dynamic helped a lot. It was suddenly easy to see why they were and had to remain friends.

The first ‘friendly hangout’ definitely relied on the presence of their friends sparking and pacing conversations right and left, across the booth table. One beer took the other and it took no more than the first for Jake and Amy to reconcile with their old liaison and way of being. Not wanting to engage in “further and unnecessary inebriation”, Holt left the gathering first, soon followed by Terry who had daddy duties waiting for him at home. This left the remaining quartet, Rosa, Charles, Jake, and Amy, to their own demise. Everything seemed like old times like nothing had ever changed, and here Jake dared to admit to himself that maybe , just maybe, everything could someday feel normal again. When he sat there across from Amy, laughing about cock-and-bull stories from the 99, it was as if he could fight the flashing memories.

Running into Amy during an icy cold New York-winter day and immediately feeling warmed by her presence. Talking, laughing, drinking beer, and taking shots as if they’d never been apart. Kissing Amy on top of the pool table. Showing up at her doorstep in the middle of the night, confessing his feelings as if his life had depended on it. Touching her naked skin and seeing every inch of her unravel before her.  

Now suddenly, once again, he could take a step back and appreciate her presence for what it was. He loved having her around, no matter what label and social rules defined them. 

“Oh my goodness, please let’s not talk about that…” Jake groaned, wincing at Amy’s mentioning of that time they worked their first case together, summer of 2009, and he’d foolishly underestimated the fierceness of his new partner. 

“Yes, yes, I wanna talk about it!” Amy insisted, laughing, knowing he’d been, and still was to this day, very embarrassed about his own behavior. Rosa and Charles both sat in silence, smiling smugly. Rosa because she loved seeing Jake embarrassed; Charles because his dream couple seemed to be powering through their turbulent history. 

“On our first stakeout together, Jake tried to book this really creepy druglord, Antonio Fenado, who’d put in circulation pounds of cocaine and harassed multiple women. Being that I was brand new at the 99, trying to be either gallant or cocky - to this day I still don’t know-”

“Gallant,” Jake chimed in an attempt to save face but from the glint in Amy’s eyes, he could tell she would spare no detail, and, at that moment, he felt a familiar rush prickling through his entire body. The prickling and tingling only attention from Amy could provoke. There was something about her teasing and taunting him, even if innocently, that could make his heart flutter and skin tingle like a school boy with a crush. 

“Hmmm, yeah, no, the 2009-version of you was definitely being cocky and kind of a jerk to the new girl. You told me that it was safer for me to wait in the car and keep an eye out for shady activity while you confronted Fenado.”

“Damn, Jake, you really are a sexist idiot,” Rosa, obviously pleased with Jake’s embarrassment, joined the ongoing public humiliation. 

“I am not!” 

“Sounds like what a guilty person would say,” Rosa had found the right button to push and she loved it. 

“I was trying to be considerate ,” the young man fumbled, desperately, as yes, his younger self definitely had lacked self-knowledge and reflections beyond the borders of his own little bubble of an action movie-universe. The more he thought about it and the older he got, it was easy to see. “... But I guess I was an idiot. I actually was being a sexist jerk and I’m sorry about that.”  He smiled sheepishly. 

“You were,” Amy smiled back, confident and content with his confession, finally her turn to badger her teaser of a friend. “But you’ve gotten better.”

To emphasize her point, without even thinking twice, she reached across the sticky booth table where his lower arm was resting and patted it. With the flinch of an eye, the skip of a heartbeat, Jake remembered what he’d spent the last couple of months repressing and forgetting. He plunged right back into the pool of memories, as if they’d never actually left his consciousness, and remembered just why being friends with Amy Santiago was ruining him even though he was pretending that it wasn’t. 

On the outside, neither Rosa, Charles nor Amy could tell; on the inside, Jake’s heart was sucked into the deep and dark misery of the loveless underworld of his existence. There was so much vulnerability in realizing, feeling, just how easily, with the touch of her hand, she could drag him back in time. Back to a time, though short, when he reached the happiest point of his life in her arms. Now, like a hungry dog for a bone, he was back to yearning and pining. 

In the meantime, Amy had retreated her hand because, of course, it meant nothing to her, and Jake was left feeling the cool and empty area where her cold skin had just rested on his. She’d always been cold - literally. Either he was going crazy or her hands were softer than normal. He had totally faded out of the ongoing conversation and by the time he zoned back in, his friends were laughing about something else. He played it off with a chuckle, only sounding half as awkward as he was feeling. 

Geez, he really had to snap out of it. At least try to. The alternative would be making Amy feel weird and possibly compromising their relationship - again. 

A few hours and a couple of beers later, even though he’d initially wanted to flee when Rosa did, Jake was the last person to stay in Amy’s company. It wasn’t that he wanted to flee from Amy; it was more of a ‘I want to flee from these emotions that Amy is stirring within me’-type of situation. Yet, he couldn’t get himself to vacate the booth, even when Rosa eyed him warningly as she put on her leather jacket and announced her exit. 

“I’m out. You staying?”

Amy looked at her beer, still half full, then back at her raven-haired friend. 

“Oh, uhm, I’m gonna stay and finish my beer.”

“Jake?” In a discreet attempt to, hopefully, prompt her friend to make the right decision and leave with her, Rosa cocked her left eyebrow. Their eyes met but Jake’s gaze was quick to escape, switching to Amy, then again back to Rosa, as if he were watching a tennis game and struggling to pick a player to root for. 

“I- eh.”

He should leave, he thought. He really should. It was far from his business to sip on beers with Amy Santiago on a random work night - especially when Rosa was basically throwing an earnest way out at him. However, would he even be Jake Peralta if he didn’t constantly have his foot in his mouth and head in the clouds? Well, no, so with his eyes flicked back to Amy, whose cheeks were now tinted with pink self-consciousness, he made up his mind. The amount of rational thought that was put into his decision was embarrassingly small but alas his heart spoke faster than his head these days. 

“I’ll stick around with Amy - make sure she doesn’t embarrass herself or something Santiago-like.” He tried to save it with a joke, but only got Rosa’s eye roll in return. 

“Whatever.” Rosa zipped her coat. “Be careful.”

It was supposed to sound like a general comment but Jake couldn’t ignore the warning gaze his friend sent his way as she turned to walk away from them. No doubt he got the memo. And so that was how they ended up alone. Together. Alone together. In a silence that weighed just a bit too heavily. 

The air around them was charged with confusing emotions, and suddenly, Jake wondered if he should make a run for the door. Not because he didn’t want to hang out with her - he really, genuinely enjoyed her company - but because, perhaps, he couldn’t handle a tête-à-tête with her just yet. Shit, he really wasn’t over her, was he? 

Luckily, he wasn’t left alone with that thought for too long. The sound of Amy clearing her throat came off as louder than anything he’d ever heard before, and if his attention hadn’t already been directed at her then now it for sure was purely and utterly undivided.

“Thanks for staying.”

Amy broke the silence first, beating him to it, and taking into consideration Rosa’s departure’s toll on the ambiance, she suddenly seemed very unaffected and content with his stubborn decision to stay and friendly presence. Her eyes were lightly tired-looking, probably from the straining combination of an eight-hour shift and three beers-combo, but still, she looked at him with warmth and sympathetic air that reminded him of exactly why he’d always fight to keep her in his life; whether that be as friends, enemies or lovers. Whatever title worked the best for them, he could deal with. 

“Of course,” fell from his lips with ease, whereas on the inside, he could feel the trembling caused by his heart and brain, head to head, in a fight about the woman sitting next to him. “No need to thank me.” 

“I know…” she smiled weakly, fiddling with the red etiquette on her beer bottle that was half soaked from the condensation on the bottle. 

It wasn’t awkward, per se, however, there was definitely something mismatched. Something seemed off, even though they’d been completely fine and hitting it off all night so far. It was hinting towards the fact that barricades went up as soon the last third party and buffer between them had left the group. Now that he was looking at her again, he started to realize that maybe the reason why he felt a certain distance between them was that he wasn’t being honest with her. 

Could they be friends, the true and genuine kind they used to be back in the days if he didn’t tell her how he truly felt? Or, if he were to unveil his internal battle between his heart and mind, was he then just being selfish? Their relationship had already gone through so much… could it bear another challenge? 

“Jake?”

Guess he never got the time to find an answer to his own question. Snapping out of his storm of thoughts, he was confronted by a confused-looking Amy. 

He smiled, tilting his beer to clink with hers. “That’s what friends are for.”

To his own surprise, he said the f-word without flinching, and, maybe someday, he could fully commit to their title and not just the idea. For now, he could have feelings for her and still be her friend, right? At least her smile had him wishing for success. Whatever would keep that sunshine-like smile in his life. 

“You’re right.” She nodded before prompting them to share a sip in silence, and like the cold, golden liquid slid down their throats, the flux of worries and tension between them slid away and off to a forgotten - or at least repressed - part of their narrative. 

“As long as we don’t have to talk. Just drink,” he joked. 

Amy recognized a very specific teasing glint in his eyes, one she’d only ever seen in his eyes, and it took her back. She could never put an exact number on the tally of times he’d hit her with lame jokes and comments, paired with those same mischievous eyes, to which she always reacted with a shake of the head and roll of the eyes. This time was no exception. 

“Oh, yeah, totally. No way I’m talking to you. We’re drinking in silence.  I’m just letting you stick around, so I don’t have to ride the bus alone.” 

Two could play that game. 

“You’ve been spending way too much time with Rosa. Also, no way I was going to let you ride the bus alone, like ever.” 

She had meant it as a joke, at least she thought so, but the tingling in her toes and fluttering of her heart upon his caring comment seemed to call her bluff. No. It couldn’t be. She was with Teddy and very content with that. There was no way what she was feeling was more than harmless platonic feelings lost in a sea of a complicated history. It was surely normal that her body felt confused at times. Especially after a couple of drinks and a long day at work. 

“I’m a grown woman, Jake. And a cop. I can take the bus by myself.” She grinned, shaking her head in disbelief of his generosity. 

“Brooklyn murderers don’t care about that.”  

She scoffed,  rolling her eyes once more. 

“Don’t scoff at me, Santiago!” He acted offended, poking her in the side with his index finger. Her body immediately curved away from his advance, giggling in amusement and fear of what could potentially come next. If she remembered correctly, he knew just how ticklish she was. “I’m just trying to protect you from murderers!” 

When the opportunity to give Jake Peralta a taste of his own jokester-medicine knocks Amy Santiago always opens the door. 

“Oh, just like you protected me from Antonio Fenado back in 2009?” 

As if she’d stolen his staple of a mischievous grin and applied it to her own face, Jake’s face instantly sinks into a cold deadpan and for just a second she actually panics - had she gone too far? 

“Wow, Ames. Way to tell me that I’m still a sexist jerk,” he pouted, crossing his arms and it was clear as day that she had once again enrolled them in another playful skit. Of course, he couldn’t contain himself and had to get in on the play. 

“I do what I can to keep you humble,” she grinned over the edge of her beer which she was about to take another sip of it, and, she could’ve sworn, Jake did a double take when she batted her eyelashes and placed her lips on the cold glass. Either that or she was being completely irrational, delusional, and, more importantly, inappropriate. 

Ever since they came to the agreement of being friends, Jake had done nothing but respect her boundaries and wishes. Awkwardness, longing glances, and unfortunately honest signs of affection had entailed but day by day the cracks of their past seemed smaller, less meaningful in the bigger picture, and now months later they were finally in a good place. Honestly, she could still tell there was some longing on his part, however, his friendship was so genuine she couldn’t bring herself to blame him. Balance seemed mostly restored between the two. Perhaps, she thought to herself as cold beer glid down her throat, this was them in their truest form and whatever she felt… that was okay. This was how their friendship worked and it was… great .

“Watch your tongue. I’ve got a secret weapon, you know?” 

“Oh yeah?” she scoffed.

“Yeah, really,” he smiled smugly before taking a sip of his beer, white foam coating his cupid's bow when he finally put it back down on the wooden surface. 

Usually, she’d reach out a wipe it away from him but now that small action seemed a bit too loud and loaded for what was now a very platonic and innocent affinity between the two. Maybe she was just overthinking? There wasn’t anything wrong with simply reaching out, wiping it off… She could feel her fingers tingle and her arm fight her thoughts.    

“Jake.”

“I’m not letting you off the hook that easy, Sant-”

“Shut up. You have foam on your lip,” she interrupted him but with an apologetic and warm smile still present on her face. 

“Oh,” he didn’t know what he’d expected her to say or do. The abruptness definitely caught him off guard and something about this blunt, no-bullshit Amy intrigued him. Ever since they’d agreed to be just friends, tonight definitely felt like the first time they were back to their true selves and it filled him with a paradoxical mix of joy and gloom. Joy caused by the fact that they hadn’t lost themselves in the drama of everything; gloom caused by the fact that it hit him that they were indeed nothing more but friends and Amy was truly over him. 

On the inside, he was fighting what felt like the fight of his life, and on the outside, he uttered an “Oh, thanks” as his thumb swept over his lips. 

“No problem, Pineapples.”

“You…” he sighed, smiling and trying to keep the gloomy feeling at bay. He was trying to come up with something funny, Jake-like to say but failed, trailing off with a “..are something else.” 

“Thanks,” she smiled proudly, not noticing his lack of ability to come up with a comeback, and downed the last few slurps of beer. “I’m just gonna head to the bathroom. Be right back.” 

“Want another beer?” he asked as she walked away. 

“Sure! Thanks,” she spun on her heels to look at him, and Jake could only fight the urge to fall all over again at the sight of her long, silky ponytail floating along. “Unless you’re tired and wanna go?”

Tired of hanging with you? Never, he thought to himself. “Me? Tired? Don’t you know me at all?” 

“Idiot. See you at the bar.” She smiled and turned away once more. 

So he took it upon himself to hit the bar and order them another round of cold beers to keep them company. Pushing himself out of their booth, Amy’s phone lying on the table caught his eye. She must’ve forgotten, he thought, a grabbed it to bring with him to the bar. The phone automatically lit up under his touch and across an adorable picture of - what Jake assumed was - three of Amy’s nieces (unless she secretly had kids) was a text from Teddy. 

He hadn’t meant to see it and knew he had no business doing so. However, now that he was face to face with another man asking Amy Santiago when she would be home, followed by a kissy face-emoji, Jake really had to fight to ignore the gloominess inside of him growing stronger all while the lines between platonic and romantic love became increasingly blurred. 

Fuck. He really tried to remember that he had her, right where he wanted her the most, and he fucked it up. It was his fault entirely that she was now with Teddy, someone who probably treated her just right, while he was bitter on the sideline. There was no way he could ever hold anything against her nor ask anything of her. No matter how much it killed him he just had to… get over her. As simple and as complicated as that. 

While his wandering thoughts, a full-on battle between the brain and the heart, had his spirit scuttled and thrown around as by a tornado, he headed to the bar and ordered another round of beers. There was no way he was allowing his partner to see the true colors of his mood and if he was lucky the alcohol would help.

“You know what?” he got the bartender’s attention. “On top of that, I’ll have a shot of Kamikaze.” 

“Just one?” 

Amy’s phone buzzed on the counter next to him and the screen lit up with another notification from Teddy.

“Make that two.”  

By the time Amy made it back to the bar, Jake was waiting with two beers on the bar and two shots in his stomach. Seeing her walk his way, her annoying, still and always perfect ponytail flailing behind her to the rhythm of her steps, Jake realized shots and beers weren’t going to solve his issues. He definitely felt lightly more buzzed… but more reasonable? Not at all. 

“You tired, Peralta?” 

She placed herself on the stool on his right. 

“No way,” he chuckled, sliding her phone over to her. “Here. You forgot it when you went to the bathroom.” 

“Oh, thanks!” she smiled, quickly checking it. Jake already knew what awaited her and was ready to die just a tiny bit more inside when she had to leave for Teddy’s place. “Teddy’s been texting-”

“Hi - excuse me?”

An unrecognizable voice interrupted them to which they reacted by both turning on their stool. Before them stood a woman, tall, big blue eyes and with wavy blonde hair that had her look like a Disney princess. Both Jake and Amy tried to place her but in vain. 

“Hi?” Jake smiled awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood. 

“I’m so sorry for interrupting! I’m Olivia. I’m here with my friends and I just…” the blonde halted and bit her lip, nervous as if she was about to admit to murdering someone. “We’re leaving but I couldn’t just go without telling you that I think you look super cute, and…”

Out of the corner of her eye, Amy could see smiling amicably at the nervous newcomer. A tiny part of her hated it. The rest of her loved that he was always so approachable and spontaneous around new people. 

“I was just wondering if, like,” the blonde threw a glance and a smile in Amy’s direction before refocusing on Jale, “you two were together or if I could maybe… have your number?” 

If they’d had time to look at each other both Jake and Amy would’ve seen that the other looked just as puzzled as they did themselves. Instead, all they could do was look at Olivia. She was beautiful, very much so, Amy thought to herself while picking her nails. No one knew how to react. Luckily, Olivia beat them both to it. 

“Oh my gosh, you guys are together, right? I should’ve known from the way you guys talked and looked at each other! I’m so-”  

“Hey, don’t worry!” Jake interrupted, sensing that the newcomer was panicking. “We’re… not, like, together.” Saying the words out loud seemed to physically hurt. Especially when just being told that the two of them seemed to look so in love and couple-y. 

“No no, you’re totally fine.” Amy chuckled nervously, and as she spoke she could feel Jake turning his head to look at her. She looked back and what happened just then was in more than one way very much inexplicable; they shared a look that was neither sad nor happy. It was as if they were both trying to tell the other something but neither could figure out what. 

“Oh, thank God!” Olivia took a deep breath of air before chuckling herself. “So, if you don’t mind me asking again… could I have your number or you have mine, and maybe we can grab a beer someday?” 

Too frazzled to take notice, Olivia didn’t notice the exchange of glances between the pair before her. 

Amy smiled shyly and Jake returned the favor. It was like an unspoken way of coming to terms with the way things were and had to be. They were not together. They were already together with or had to get together with new, other people. Not each other. Pain flashed through Jake’s entire body and he prayed it didn’t translate to his smile. In case it did, he looked away and back at Olivia.

“Sure.” He took out his phone, failing to notice how Amy followed his every move very closely. “What’s your number, Olivia?” 

#lmao almost half a year after posting the previous chapter 🤡 #anywayssss #peraltiago #jake x amy #jake and amy #fanfic #au #fanfiction #peralta #santiago #b99 #brooklyn nine nine #brooklyn 99

[peabodyandsitcoms]

A fic of Jake just being a lush dad. Story line and later dialogue takes heavy inspo from Ben Platts song 'Run Away' cos its the most stunning thing. Anywayys this is just a lit of angst and love enjoy :))

________________________________________

Jake was woken by sniffled cries from his son and daughter's room. Amy was close to getting home after a late evening shift, and Jake had had plans to wait up for her, but had drifted off to something or other on his phone. He sat up with a start- Mac and Carmen, now four and two, cried now not for diaper changes or feeds, but from ouchies, overwhelming places, scary dreams.

Jake tiptoed towards their room, careful not to wake a barely sleeping baby Raya next to his and Amy's bed. He opened their door slowly and with tentative words of "hey my gorgeous kiddos" to warn them gently of his precence, followed quietly with, "Daddy's here, its okay" as he walked into the bedroom.

He was met with the sight of his son and daughter with arms around eachother, sat on Mac's bed, teeny tears present on both of their cheeks. Heart immediately in pieces, he scooped up both kiddos in his arms and carried them, with their heads on his chest, into the lounge in attempt to keep Raya from a crying fit that Jake- sadly not equiped with boobs- knew would be almost impossible to calm.

He sat the three if them down on their couch, carefully unloading them onto it and then twisting to crouch on the floor to be opposite them.

"Hey, hey I'm here now, you're okay honey" he reassured, wiping newly falling tears off of his daughter's face and then each hand falling to stroke one of each of the children's knees reassuringly.

"What's going on here hmm? Whats up?" he asked softly.

There was a pause as his children timidly looked at eachother, before Mac spoke quietly and with a croaking voice "Carmen had a dream... and she said you and Mommy were gone and you could never come back. I thought it was real, I- I thought you guys might have had to run away or something and we were gonna be all be ourselves with Raya and-"

Jake could tell by his fast talking he was getting more anxious just at the thought of it all: "Buddy, buddy take a breath. Its okay, I'm right here"

"Mamas not" Carmen sniffed, "She's a superhero, she might go away, we don't know. You said that before Daddy"

Jake took a breath- these conversations were always so hard to have, how do you explain to these tiny people that there is always a possibility that their mommy might not come home.

"You're right sweetie, like we've said, Mama's job is scary sometimes, I remember. But the most important thing is-" he began punctuating his words word with little jabs to their bellies, making them giggle "Mommy- loves- every - weeny- little- bit- of each of you more than anything in the entire world. And she is always going to everything she can to come home to us"

The children settled "Okay Daddy", both offering Jake smiles of acceptance, laced with fear that he knew was pretty much perminant.

"And hey look. I may not be as clever as Mommy and I might not be a superhero like Mommy. But, I promise both of you-" he held out both his pinkys for them to cling onto "I'm never going anywhere, okay? Ever. You two and Raya, you're stuck with me. I am always, always, always going to be there for you."

Mac and Carmen nodded and squeezed his pinkies tighter, and Jake, after placing a kiss on each kid's head first, leaned in to press all three of their foreheads together in a little triangle and said just above a whisper," That is until me and Mommy are all gross and old and then you three look after us, deal?"

The toddlers giggled, "Deal."

"Okay then lads and lassies, let's head back to you're quarters then shall we?" he spoke with a strong Irish accent and he scooped both kids back up, them wriggling and giggling as he did so.

Jake made his way back to their room, both kids dramatically bringing their finger up to their lips as they passed Raya's cot.

He lay each of them back in their own beds, kissing each of them on the nose as he did and then leaning at the door "I love you guys so, so much. Don't ever forget that" he tamed the lump in his throat.

"Love you too Daddy" they chanted back quietly, then turning over and beginning to doze off.

He blew them a kiss, despite him being in neither of their sights anymore, and then turned away to get back into bed, a singular tear of overwhelming love for his babies falling down his cheek.

________________________________________

#jake peralta #brooklyn 99 #b99 #brooklyn nine nine #sitcom #peraltiago #love #amy santiago #jake x amy #amy x jake #mac santiago #mac peralta #origional characters #fic #fanfiction #canon #angst #jake's just the best dad ever #this may be me repressing my daddy issues #fluff #carmen santiago peralta #raya santiago peralta #mac santiago peralta #b99 fic

[jake-and-amy-are-married]

Bringing Mac to Amy's office

Pre 5 years -

Jake once has a WILD case of the common cold and has to be quarantined to the couch, so Amy decides to take mac to office and let him get settled in the day care. Cue the entire reform team visiting him and trying to cajole him into playing with them. While there are a lot of cute selfies, the entire team goes down with the cold for the next few days lol.

12 year old Mac -

Mac is a nerd just like his mom and so he spends the entire trip learning more about the history of the NYPD and the 99 and the reform squad and makes a nice binder.

#mac peralta #jake x amy #jake and amy #jake peralta #amy santiago #fanfiction #fanfic

[lieutenantfloyd]

Top Gun + Top Gun: Maverick ~ Book Recommendations

A masterlist of books I recommend to anyone who enjoys Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, and/or TGM fanfiction!

Disclaimer: Please note that most of these contain romance and/or mature themes. They also may contain heavy, dark, and/or possibly triggering plot points, Including but not limited to - death and near-death experiences, PTSD, sexism, racism, sexual assault, and (possibly graphic) depictions of war.

I’ve linked the Goodreads page for each book so you can read more about each one and (hopefully!) add them to your library!

Romance books with a male love interest that reminds me of Top Gun characters

The Unhoneymooners by Christine Lauren -> Jake “Hangman” Seresin 

Summary:

Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion...she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas. Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. 

Suddenly there’s a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo. Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is...Olive doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be. The Unhoneymooners is a romance for anyone who has ever felt unlucky in love.

 *My review*

A fresh take on the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, the main male character is a hot, arrogant, and complicated man you just can’t help but love. Despite their rivalry, the chemistry between the FMC and the MMC is off the charts from the beginning. Not to mention this book is genuinely hilarious.

Link to Goodreads

The Admiral's Bride by Suzanne Brockmann -> Beau “Cyclone” Simpson

Summary:

When six canisters of a lethal nerve agent are stolen from a military testing lab, It's up to Admiral Jake Robinson to infiltrate the compound where religious fanatics have stored the deadly toxin. His partner—posing as his wife—is Dr. Zoe Lange, a biological warfare specialist and an expert in espionage. And though their marriage may be a hoax, Jake's growing feelings for Zoe are anything but make-believe. With each hour he's in Zoe's company the stakes get higher, and the situation within the compound is escalating…

*My review*

This is the book that first inspired this post. Admiral Robinson reminds me so, so much of Cyclone! He’s both a living legend and the man of everyone's dreams (even if he himself doesn’t think so). His character and morals are very strong, so getting to read his unique perspective along with hearing his internal struggles was really special. This honestly feels like a long-form version of some of the fantastic Cyclone x Reader fics I’ve read on here. The pining and use of the “will they/won’t they” trope was great as well. This is military romance at its best. Overall this book is refreshing, fun, and one of my very favorites!

Link to Goodreads

Under The Bayou Moon by Valerie Frazer-Luesse -> Robert “Bob” Floyd

Summary:

Restless with the familiarity of her Alabama home, Ellie Fields accepts a teaching job in a tiny Louisiana town deep in bayou country. Though rightfully suspicious of outsiders, who have threatened both their language and their culture, most of the people in tiny Bernadette, Louisiana, come to appreciate the young and idealistic schoolteacher as a boon to the town. She's soon teaching just about everyone--and coming up against opposition from both the school board and a politician with ulterior motives.

Acclimating to a whole new world, Ellie meets a lonely but intriguing Cajun fisherman named Raphe who introduces her to the legendary white alligator that haunts these waters. Raphe and Ellie have barely found their way to each other when a huge bounty is offered for the elusive gator, bringing about a shocking turn of events that will test their love and their will to right a terrible wrong.

*My review*

This book single handedly made me believe in love. Raphe is a little rough around the edges (in a good way), but my lord if he isn’t just the sweetest southern boy. The way he loves Ellie is everything.

Link to Goodreads

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros -> Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw

Summary:

Beckett,

If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.

My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.

And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan

*My review*

I think this sentence from the top review of this book on Goodreads sums this book up better than I ever could.

“The Last Letter is so much more than a romance. It’s a testament to the strength of bonds forged from trauma and loyalty. It’s an exploration of motherhood and the importance of family. But above all, it’s a story of survival, forgiveness, and the healing power of unconditional love.”

This book tore my heart out and stomped on it. I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

Link to Goodreads

Love her or lose her by Tessa Bailey -> Mickey “fanboy” Garcia

Summary:

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret... and it could demolish everything.  

Link to Goodreads

The Ocean Between Us by Susan Wiggs -> Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

Summary: 

After years of following her navy officer husband on assignment around the world, Grace Bennett realizes that she’s left something behind—herself. Her husband, Steve, can’t understand the unraveling of his wife’s heart and is determined to set things right. Their already-strained relationship is pushed to the edge when old secrets are revealed. Now, with plenty of space to ponder the true distance between them, Grace begins to reinvent herself. But, just as her new self is coming to terms with her family life, the unthinkable happens: a disaster aboard Steve’s ship. A navy wife’s worst nightmare collides with the cold truth that life’s biggest chances can slip away while you’re busy looking for guarantees.

Link to Goodreads

OTHER BOOKS

Armed Forces/FBI romance fiction:

Deadly Descent by Kaylea Cross

Over The Edge by Suzanne Brockmann  (book #3 in a series)

Meant To Be by Jessica James

I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann (book #1 in a series)

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata

Under Fire by Catherine Mann (book #3 in a series)

The Woman Left Behind by Linda Howard (Book #2 in a series)

Life Flight by Lynette Eason (book #1 in a series)

The Thing About Love by Julie James (book #7 in a series)

General military fiction:

Hunt The Wolf by Don Mann (book #1 in a series)

Terminal List by Jack Carr (book #1 in a series)

Historical military fiction:

Wives of War by Soraya M. Lane

Pacific Glory by P.T Deutermann

The Nugget by P.T Deutermann 

Other (related) books you should read:

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Drift by L.T Ryan

Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James D. Bradley

-

tags:

@thevortexclubposse, @marchingicenotes7, @rrocky0ah, @possessedbytheinternet, @xoxoabs88xox, @antbee17, @elenavampire21, @sometimesanalice, @maggieromanov, @galactic-marvelettes​, @daisyflower221​

#top gun #top gun maverick #rooster top gun #rooster #pete maverick mitchell #Maverick #cyclone top gun #beau cyclone simpson #fanboy top gun #mickey fanboy garcia #hangman top gun #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #top gun 1986 #top gun fanfiction #book rec list #book recs #bob floyd #bob floyd x reader #robert bob floyd #natasha phoenix trace #natasha trace #coyote top gun #javy coyote machado

[flowery-letters]

Flowery secret | [Chapitre 2]

Neteyam x Lecteur!Féminin!Na'vi

Notes : Je compte utiliser à certains moments du vocabulaire Na'vi, celui-ci sera en italique et vous trouverez la traduction à côté pour fluidifier votre lecture. Cette fanfiction contient une intrigue construite par mes soins, il y aura donc plusieurs parties. Je produirais bientôt un sommaire pour vous présenter mon projet ~

Nombre de mots : 4 165.

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Évidemment, il fallait que ce soit Neteyam.

Le fils du Toruk Makto se tenait près de la tranche et pendant qu’il se glissait dans les eaux froides jusqu’à la taille, ses mains effleuraient la roche. La situation devenait délicate pour toi. Tu te dis que tu l'as effectivement bien cherché, car la Grande Mère te rend le prix de ta couardise. Tu soupire derrière le bruit de la cascade, descendant du banc de pierres afin d’enfoncer un peu plus ton corps sous les chutes. Tu n’avais pas quitté des yeux la scène qui se déroulait de l’autre côté du rideau de flotte. Les lèvres du garçon s'entrouvrent sur l’air qu’il respire. Le changement de température lui faisait tourner la tête. Il avait changé d’environnement après avoir eu sa baignade avec son petit frère, quitter la chaleur pour revenir dans ces eaux froides devait perturber son corps. C’était l’idée de Lo’ak de venir piquer une tête avant la chasse de l'après-midi. Neteyam trouvait que ce serait un luxe de pouvoir retarder sa prochaine responsabilité, qui serait de tenir la première chasse. A chaque saison, ses festivités.

Celle qu’ils commençaient était particulière. Les anciens l’appellent Hwang. Ce mot représente la générosité d'Eywa qui offre pendant l’été ce qu'elle a pris cet hiver. La tradition de leur clan est d’en faire une œuvre de chasse puis des préparations festives pour la future moisson. Pour une fois, il avait sauté sur l’occasion puisqu’il n’y avait que lui pour surveiller Lo’ak et ainsi éviter qu’il ne s’absente trop longtemps. Ils s’étaient retrouvés au sein de la forêt exotique pour une petite heure seulement.

Enfin, ça lui permettrait aussi d’éviter à son frère des ennuis. Il ne s’en plaint jamais, c’est son rôle de grand frère après tout. Il n’aime pas être puni, mais il apprécie encore moins voir son frère se faire gronder. Malheureusement pour l’un comme pour l’autre, les problèmes suivent les actions de Lo’ak depuis que ce dernier sait marcher et il n’y avait pas eu une seule année où son frère n’avait pas provoqué des événements causant du mouron à leurs parents.

Le dernier en date devait se diriger à environ un mois. Au milieu d’une patrouille, Spider les avait accompagnés sur l’insistance du second fils Sully. En plein vol, une tempête les avait surpris et son petit frère eut la mauvaise idée d’entreprendre un virage serré dans deux rochers. Seul, pourquoi pas. Mais avec Spider qui à peu d’appui à l’arrière.. ce n’était au final qu’une question de temps avant que les craintes de Neteyam et Jake à ce sujet ne se réalisent. Spider perdit l'équilibre, Lo’ak également mais de justesse car il resta sur son Ikran alors que son ami n’eut pas cette chance.

Si Neteyam n’avait pas eu le réflexe de voler près d’eux, ils auraient perdu Spider et Lo’ak n'aurait jamais pu se le pardonne, en plus de s'être fait tuer par leur sœur, Kiri. Enfin, même sauvés, ils n'avaient pas échappé à une crise de leurs parents, en particulier leur mère. Neytiri en a voulu à son compagnon pour avoir laissé cette idée se réaliser. Un humain n’avait pas sa place dans des activités telles que les patrouilles ou les périodes de chasse. Résultat, Spider ne peut normalement plus monter un Ikran. Mais les enfants de Jake, en particulier Lo’ak et Kiri, trouveront toujours un moyen pour y parvenir. Neteyam les connaissait suffisamment pour pouvoir parier là-dessus.

Il secoue la tête. Choisissant de se mettre dos à la cascade pour plonger son visage dans ses mains. Le chant de la forêt était le seul bruit capable de l’apaiser en ce moment. Le soleil frappait sa tête et la chaleur enveloppait tout ce qui se trouvait à la surface et non pas sous l’eau. Il avait la chance de profiter en ce moment de ces instants de paix. Pensant seulement à mettre de côté ses obligations et ses responsabilités de frère aîné le temps d’une dernière baignade. Il se détend, les coudes appuyés sur la roche. Ses oreilles remuent au moindre son se trouvant à sa portée, comme le bruit du torrent d’eau. Leur clapotis à la surface et la mélodie mêlant faune et flore bercent son esprit. Il sent en lui que Eywa se renforce au fur et à mesure de son écoute et du touché qu’il fait parcourir sous ses doigts.

Lorsqu’il n’était pas plus grand que Tuk’tirey, c’est Mo’at, leur grand-mère qui est aussi la tsahik du village qui lui a appris à reconnaître et à sentir son lien avec Eywa. On lui avait appris qu'elle se trouvait en chaque chose et chaque être de Pandora. Elle est l'équilibre et l’espace entre toute chose. Elle est le son d’un battement avant le premier et le souffle du dernier. Eywa vit en chacun des êtres de Pandora, elle donne et reprend. Car elle détient l’absolution de toute existence dans ses racines, témoin de toutes vies et toutes existences passées, présentes et futures.

La voie d’Eywa est un tout de toutes choses mais elle est aussi l'espace qui permet à toutes les autres voies d’être entendues et partagées. La sentir autour de lui n’est pas quelque chose dont il a l’habitude, mais il comprend et ressent son attractivité, elle l'étreint comme une mère le ferait avec son nouveau-né. Il se sent apaisé par elle et la remercie dans son souffle.

Enfin, une autre vague de soulagement le traverse physiquement tandis qu’il se détache du bord. Il se déplace afin de flotter sur l'étendue d’eau. La froideur du fond frappe de plein fouet ses chairs brûlantes marquées et bronzées par la chaude météo. Neteyam se sentait heureux au point qu’un sourire se dessinait lentement sur ses lèvres, il pouvait sentir l’odeur des fleurs de Yovo le survoler et taquiner sa gourmandise pour ce fruit juteux. Le jeune na'vi se retourne sur le ventre, plongeant la tête la première pour apprécier son lien avec Eywa.

Au fond des eaux, il retrouve un cœur de pierres précieuses distillées dans la roche brute. Il se rapproche de plus en plus du fond pour admirer de nombreux poissons s’enfuir à sa vue. C'est là qu'i aperçoit des cristaux d'un blanc transparent aux lignes argentés incrustés dans la roche. En admiration devant leur beauté, il navigue dans leur direction avec l’envie d’en subtiliser un échantillon. Mais il y renonce bien vite, respectant l'équilibre de la nature, ne voulant pas prendre ce que Eywa ne lui offre pas. Bientôt à court d’oxygène, il lève ses yeux vers la façade au-dessus de lui pour observer le déluge des chutes former un rideau face à lui. Il ne peut y voir clair alors il remonte rapidement. Il éclate à la surface au travers du rideau sous lequel ses yeux se ferment aussitôt lors de son impact. Il tend ses deux mains pour former une visière de protection sur son front. Il n’avait pas eu le temps d’apercevoir quoique ce soit ni même de t’apercevoir, toi. Une ombre déformée surplombait le prince omaticaya.

Dès son entrée dans l’eau, il parcourait inconsciemment un chemin pour t'atteindre. Quelque part, tu avais l'impression que tu pouvais veiller sur lui et c’est pour cette raison que tu ne t’étais pas caché de lui. Tu étais captivé par lui. Cette façon que tu as de l’adorer, c’était une chose innocente chez toi. Car chacun des gestes que le guerrier effectuait était doté d’une grâce sans pareille. Tu te perds dans ton admiration, tes yeux se baladant vers son dos brillant sous le soleil brûlant, ses cheveux tressés glissants sur sa peau par des mouvements fluides et gracieux. Sa beauté même était irréelle. Pour toi, Neteyam était le soleil dont tu avais besoin pour te protéger de tes propres ténèbres.

Mais tu savais au plus profond de toi que ce désir était beaucoup trop fou pour être réalisable. Le jeune Sully ne sait de toi que ce que tu laisse les autres voir. Tes airs détachés, ta froideur au combat.. ton nom, ta perte, ta mère. C’est à peine possible d’entrevoir ta solitude, tu es souvent entouré des autres guerriers de ton âge mais aucun n’est davantage proche de toi. Mais c’était dans tes espoirs que cela change. Tu voulais être vu, entendu et accepté. Tu l’avais choisi et tu voulais qu’il en fasse de même. Tu en rêve malgré la cruauté avec laquelle tu assimiles la réalité, celle qui te dit de te réveiller et de sortir ce garçon de tes pensées. Mais perdre ce sentiment, c’était comme perdre de nouveau un être cher et tu étais incapable d’en arriver jusque là.

Te retrouver face à lui avait interrompu le cheminement de tes pensées et rien n’aurait su apaiser cela. La moindre parcelle d’anxiété que tu ressentais t'avait réellement paralysé sur place. Tu peux sentir les effluves de bourgeons en fleur éclore dans tes narines, son odeur te serrait la gorge. Neteyam avait ce pouvoir sur toi, il retenait ton regard. La couleur de tes yeux naturellement orangé s'éclaircit sur des pigmentations plus jaunâtres. Exalté par lui, ta respiration est irrégulière, tu te retrouve à inspirer d'un seul coup. Sans relâcher ton souffle, tu lui jettes un regard écarquillé. Neteyam avait ses paupières mi-close, harassées par la pression de l’eau au-dessus de vos deux têtes. Tout comme toi auparavant, il menait ses mains vers son visage pour protéger ses yeux. Tu ne pouvais plus penser clairement. Il était dangereusement proche de toi et il y avait seulement un faible espace tenait en respect la poitrine de chacun l’une en face de l’autre. Et à son tour, il sentit une odeur différente de la sienne.

Ce parfum mêlait l’odeur pétillante de l’herbe fraîche rejointe par la douceur légère des fleurs de Yovo. Il adorait en cueillir pour sa mère quand il était tout petit. Cette fragrance de nostalgie l’attirait inexorablement. Alors qu’il désirait s'approcher de la source en humectant ses lèvres. Ses mains se sont tendues en avant, de chaque côté de ta silhouette. Tu manquais d’air, ta tête se mettait progressivement à tourner. Tu venais de pencher ton visage dans sa direction, ton regard observant ses lèvres entrouvertes. Oubliant toutes les limites que tu t’étais fixées, tu étais enfin prête à abandonner ta raison dans cette fourberie quand un soupçon d’effroi brisa ton équilibre. Les yeux de Neteyam s’étaient ouverts sur ta peau. Ils s’étaient levés pour se planter dans tes yeux, retenant un son tandis que toi, tu venais de relâcher ton souffle face à lui pour ne pas en mourir.

Neteyam était figé devant toi, ses yeux s'écarquillent lentement de surprise. Il ne s’attendait pas à te revoir ni à te voir tout court face à lui, aussi proche. Sa voix était restée bloquée dans sa gorge. Il n’arrivait pas à réaliser votre proximité ni même la vue de ta silhouette qui était enjolivée par l’eau tombant sur tes épaules. Tes cheveux tressés scintillent d’autant plus par la présence des plumes rouge et orange ornant ta coiffe. Il n'osait pas briser le contact de ses yeux plantés dans les tiens. Il n'arrivait pas non plus à émettre le moindre son, ses doigts effleuraient la surface de l'eau près de ton dos, figés par l'air chaud, par ta présence qui semblait juste inconcevable pour lui.

La lueur dans ton regard avait radicalement changé. Tes pupilles s'étaient recroquevillés en une fente qui déstabilisait le doux na’vi. Il se sentit écrasé par ton regard, lui laissant comme impression d’être la proie et toi, le prédateur. Tes yeux n’avaient pas quitté les siens, il les voyait voyager sur chaque œil que Eywa lui avait offert, sentant sa peau se réchauffer en effleurant ta jambe qui s'était glissée entre les siennes, son cœur frappa subitement contre sa cage thoracique. Il avait déjà oublié comment reprendre son souffle et par réflexe, son visage se recula pour t’observer un peu plus. il relève une salve d'eau pour saisir tes épaules avec ses deux mains.

Même si ce geste était anodin pour lui, ce dernier serra ton cœur au point que tes lèvres se plissent pour former une ligne mince. Cette expression sur ton visage donne l'impression au jeune garçon que son contact te dégoûtait. Il n'irait pas jusqu'à se penser inférieur à tout ce que tu représentes mais plutôt indigne de ta présence.

Après tout, comment pouvait-il penser autrement et dire que vous étiez sur un pied d'égalité. Tu ne lui a jamais accordé le moindre moment en ta compagnie, à chaque fois que tu trouvais un moyen de s'éclipser c'est quand Neteyam se trouvait dans les parages. Il suffisait qu'il se trouve au même endroit que toi et tu disparaissais l'instant d'après. Au début, ça paraissait anodin, puis il a essayé de t'aborder. Mais tu a continué d'avancer et au bout d'un moment, c'était comme si tu ne pouvais pas supporter d'être au même endroit lui parce qu' il s'agissait justement de lui. Tes paupières papillonnent subitement, tu te rends compte de l'absurdité de cette situation, que tu étais certaine d'avoir provoquée. Et comme si son contact te brûlait la peau, tu exécutes un geste pour t’éloigner, enfonçant une main dans sa poitrine pour le repousser. A l'inverse, Neteyam saisit ton poignet et te montre ses crocs dans une tentative d'intimidation mais tu repousse sa prise pour réitérer ton premier geste afin de vous séparer.

Si seulement tu pouvais réfréné ton besoin de le tenir à l'écart et le laisser tenter de comprendre tes agissements. Sur, par exemple, la raison pour laquelle tu n’avais pas révélé ta présence avant. Sur cette proximité, sur le pourquoi tu l’évites. Bientôt les questions se multiplient et se bousculent dans son esprit...

Pourquoi le fuis-tu ?

Pourquoi tu ne veux pas être près de lui ?

Qu’est-ce qu’il peut faire pour que veuilles de lui ?

“ Mawey (calme). Mawey… “ 

Neteyam prononça ces mots sans oser hausser la voix. Il voulait apaiser ton cœur, il voyait les mouvements de ta queue à la surface, fouettant l'eau par une seule et unique claque traduisant ton agitation. Il s’apprêtait à te dire quelque chose, mais une voix familière l’interrompt. Vous vous immobilisez tous les deux. La voix d’un Lo’ak grincheux venait de retentir.

“ Neteyam ! Tes passé où ? Si on rentre pas bientôt, on va rater la chasse ! ”

Qui sait ce que pourrait dire ce skxawng s’il vous trouvait dans une telle posture. Tu ne perds pas de temps à essayer de l'imaginer, tu préfères agir en faisant au mieux pour nager vers le fond. Mais tu avais beau te débattre en même temps pour le repousser, il semblerait que tu aies surestimé ta force face à celle du Sully. Un grognement monte alors subitement dans ta gorge et tu détourne ton regard, coupant votre connexion visuelle comme si elle ne valait rien à tes yeux. Ce qui était évidemment l’inverse. Mais ça sans le savoir, c’était difficile pour ce garçon de le deviner. Il ne t’en voulait en aucune façon et ne désirait qu’un peu de ton temps, des minutes et même seulement des secondes si tu les lui accordait. 

“Attends ! Écoute-moi, je t’en prie...“

Il resserra sa prise sur toi, mais cette fois-ci, tu claqua une gifle sur son front pour le déstabiliser. Avec un “ Aoutch “ consentit de sa part, il venait de te rendre ta liberté. C’était bien la dernière chose qu’il voulait te concernant. Neteyam s’était redressé pour tendre un regard vers toi, une grimace sur ses lèvres. Mais tu t’étais enfuis à la nage pour rejoindre le rebord avant lui et t’enfuir dans la forêt. 

Dans un soupir, il se laisse aller contre la façade humide de la montagne en regardant longuement sa main, pliant et dépliant son pouce et ses trois doigts en un seul geste. Il était perdu et ne savait pas quoi faire de toi. Il doutait de sa propre initiative, peut-être qu'il aurait dû te laisser t'en aller dès que tu en a exprimé l'envie même si elle n'avait été que muette. Tu avais vraiment su exprimer ton rejet et ton abandon l'avait secoué. Son estomac s'était noué, depuis ton départ il mesurait les battements de son cœur encore plein d’énergie. C’est la première fois qu’il se tenait physiquement proche d’une femme na'vi qui ne se trouve pas être une de ses sœurs, sa mère ou sa grand-mère.

Neteyam se remémore les traits de ton visage quand il venait de rencontrer ton regard. Il n’avait jamais vu une telle lumière dans tes yeux. Cela semblait si irréel, il tenta de se rassurer par un mensonge en se disant que ça lui était destiné. Tu étais différente de près. Tu avais beau l'avoir repoussé quelques instants plus tôt, il était certain de t'avoir découvert autrement. Il aurait juré que tu l'attendais. Mais il ne parvenait pas à garder cette théorie viable, de ta part ça le surprendrait assez. Alors que la voix de son frère se rapproche, il sort de sa "cachette" et lui répond d’emblée. 

“ Bouge pas Lo’ak, j’arrive ! “

Ta curiosité s’enflamme misérablement. Tu te redresses sur ta branche, ta tête levé en direction du ciel pendant que les deux banshee s’envolent. Si seulement tu n’étais pas si lâche.. si seulement tu pouvais aller au bout de tes désirs, alors peut-être que Neteyam ne t’aurais pas repoussé. Mais justement, quelque chose cloche et une pensée brise ton équilibre.

N’était-ce pas toi qui venais de le rejeter à l’instant ? 

Un soupir gagne Neteyam lorsqu’il vole aux côtés de son frère. Il essaye tant bien que mal d'oublier votre rencontre pour reprendre ses esprits. D’oublier que s’il ne t’avait pas découvert face à lui, il aurait écouté sa faim pour ton odeur et aurait tenté de te goûter. Il repense à toi quand il mange son repas dans la hutte familiale, assit entre sa mère qui a sa plus jeune sœur sur les genoux et Kiri. Sa main effleura souvent l’endroit de sa poitrine, juste où tu l’avais frappé. Dans une situation plus comique et moins gênante, le fait de te voir dans tous tes états lui aurait donné envie de te taquiner. Tu aurais pu faire plus et lui faire vraiment mal mais tu t’étais abstenu et le constater le fit un peu rire, attirant l’attention des membres de sa famille à ses côtés. Tandis qu’il piquait une larve dans son bol, Kiri jetait un regard vers Lo'ak, qui haussait lui-même les épaules en réponse à sa question muette.

Enfin, Neteyam parvenait à se changer les idées en passant prendre un équipement neuf à l'armurerie, il venait de jeter un regard vers un chemin adjacent. En suivant celui-ci sur quatre hutte et en tournant à gauche sur trois d'entre elles, cela le mènerait normalement à ta hutte. Il espérait te voir participer à la chasse. Si c’était le cas, il trouverait un moyen de t’aborder une nouvelle fois. Peut-être quelques minutes avant la chasse, ou après pour gagner du temps avant la prochaine patrouille en te souhaitant d'être libre pour te reposer. C'est important que tu reste en forme, peut-être qu'il pourra demander à sa grand-mère quelques herbes pour préparer élixir de sommeil. Il pourrait dire que c'est pour lui et le faire parvenir. Son idée lui plaît et c'est ainsi qu'il récupère son matériel, repartant dans le sens inverse pour rejoindre les autres chasseurs.

Sur place, il prépara son Ikran, vérifiant la sangle de conduite et son propre équipement, en particulier ses flèches. Il ne s’était pas rendu compte qu’il guettait ton arrivée jusqu’à ce que tu apparaisse enfin dans son champ de vision.

Était-ce son besoin de t'aborder sous un nouveau jour qui le rendait si nécessiteux de te revoir ?

Il ne sut. Mais ce qu’il su en revanche, c’est qu’il n’aimait définitivement pas te voir traîner avec Ingo. Cette brute a souvent provoqué son petit frère en son absence pour s’être moqué de Spider car il se peint le corps afin de ressembler à na'vi aux yeux des animaux. Son père avait donné de nombreux avertissements à son frère et lui, le concernant. Il ne pouvait pas se battre avec Ingo à cause du statut de son grand-père Ikeyni siégeant parmi les anciens au conseil de guerre du clan. Ingo se pense avantagé et plus fort mais Neteyam sait pertinemment que ce skxawng ne ferait pas long feu face à lui. Il ne comprend pas ce que tu peux lui trouver. Même s’il est difficile de dire si vous êtes proche en tant que camarade ou en tant qu’ami, le fait est que tu es arrivé en même temps que lui. Tu es à ses côtés, tu parles avec lui de choses qu’il ne peut pas entendre pendant que tu nourris ton ikran et Ingo semble intéressé.

Qu’est-ce que ça pouvait bien être ?

" Alors, où es-tu passé après ta patrouille de ce matin ? "

Tu t'abstiens de lui répondre tout de suite, ton attention était entièrement reportée sur ta monture. Tu portais dans sa gueule un morceau de gibier provenant de ton repas que tu n’avais pas pu avaler. Ton visage était stoïque. Ton regard revint se planter sur Ingo qui te dominait d’une tête. Vous aviez grandi ensembles, mais s’il fallait définir si oui ou non vous deux étiez ami, tu ne saurais répondre à cela. Ingo était un na’vi robuste, il avait déjà effectué une des trois des épreuves sur le chemin de son ascension en tant que futur adulte mais avait échoué à la deuxième, la chasse aux rêves. Peu de monde en avait connaissance, seulement un groupe réduit dont tu faisais partie. Tu n’avais pas cherché à en savoir davantage ce jour-là, Ingo était venu à ta hutte, tu l'avais aidé à retirer la peinture sur sa peau et seulement à ce moment-là, il s'était confié. Depuis, il ne se passait pas un jour où il ne t’intégrait pas à son cercle.

Il était habituel qu’il vienne te chercher en journée pour que vous effectuiez vos activités ensemble. Cette fois-ci c'était dans l'idée d'aller chasser dans la même équipe. Être entouré ne t'embête pas, tu appréciais ne pas passer tout ton temps seule. Pour autant, tu n’aimais pas vraiment l’attitude d’Ingo. Il changeait souvent en fonction de la personne en face de lui. 

“ Je suis parti faire un tour. “ 

Alors que tu lui répondait tout en le regardant, tu le vois jeter un coup d'œil sur le côté vers Lo’ak qui accourait, son visage maquillé d’une peinture cérémoniale jaunâtre. Son excitation apparente trace un faible sourire sur tes lèvres, Ingo, qui te regardait le remarque et fait claquer sa langue contre son palais.

“ Oh, tu t'es baladé... Toute seule ? “  

Tu venais de reprendre ton sérieux en levant tes yeux vers lui, ses yeux étaient grands ouverts et un sourire avait germé sur ses lèvres, il semblait extatique. On aurait dit qu’il allait te sauter dessus si tu ne répondais pas vite. Seulement, tu n’avais pas répondu de vive voix, te contentant seulement d’hocher la tête en signe d’affirmation. Il enchaîna alors. 

“ Par hasard, t’aurais pas croisé un des deux fils du Toruk Makto en chemin ? Ils se sont baladés eux aussi. “ 

C’était une question à laquelle tu ne voulais pas répondre. Ingo se montrait parfois envahissant. Il suffisait que tu disparaisse une fois de temps en temps et voilà le résultat. Comme s'il avait besoin de se tenir toujours au courant de ce que tu fais ou de tes fréquentations. Tu ne savais pas si tu le trouvais attachant ou simplement agaçant. Un soupir franchit tes deux croissants de chair, tu essayes de ne pas le montrer mais ton expression traduit clairement qu’il venait de te poser la question de trop. Tu venais de pencher ta tête en avant, les yeux tournés vers l'horizon. La lumière éclairait tes yeux dont la pulpe rose ressortait un peu plus que d'accoutumé tant ils étaient secs.

Tu forme le lien avec ta banshee et tu la chevauche en évitant son regard, attrapant seulement pour conduire ton ikran. Tu ne remarquais pas que Ingo était contrarié par ton absence de réponse. Car si tu l’avais su, tu aurais pu voir qu’il s’était tourné pour fixer un point derrière lui. Quoiqu’il ai vu, ça l’avait conforté pour te donner une claque au niveau de la cuisse avant de s’éloigner sous ton regard penaud. Soit ce garçon se moquait clairement de toi, soit il avait une case en moins.

En observant de loin par de petits coups d'œil, Neteyam détestait la sensation qui naissait dans son estomac. Il détourne son regard avant que son repas ne décide de remonter dans sa gorge au dernier geste d'Ingo. Lo’ak qui avait bien vu que son frère ne l’écoutait pas, avait lancé une œillade à son tour pour te voir tourner la tête vers lui. Seulement, tu ne le regardais pas en particulier et curieusement, il se contenta de lever un pouce devant lui. Tu pouvais le voir et Neteyam aussi. Son frère aîné ne comprenait pas son geste, ses yeux s'ouvrirent davantage et sa tête pencha sur le côté, fixant le pouce levé de son petit frère. Ils sont interrompus par un grand bruit, assourdissant et douloureux pour leurs oreilles. La corne de brume venait de retentir, signalant le départ des chasseurs vers les montagnes. 

#atwow #nature #writers #neteyam avatar #neteyam #neteyam sully #kiri sully #tuk sully #lo'ak avatar #jake sully #neytiri #x reader #neteyam x reader #neteyam x na'vi!reader #na'vi x reader #love story

[fea-the-grinch]

I have/used to have a few straigth ships, and I want to make a list of them:

~~~~ Straigth ships that impacted me the most:

- Tsunade x Jiraya (Jiratsu): my first ship ever. As they say, you never forget your first ;) no, really, I loved them for 5 years, but now, I just cannot read fanfiction about them anymore. However, they still hold a special place in my memory. I used to create so many stories about them, in my head, everywhere I went... I didn't know the term at the time, but I had so many AUs with them. It was truly one of the best thing in my life back then. One of the happiest I would say. I used my imagination to create diverse scenario, just for myself, and it was so fun. They shaped my taste in ships, in trope and everything. I grew up with them.

- Abby Griffin x Marcus Kane (Kabby): I loved them so much. The Angst. The Affection. The Warmth. The Trust. Yeah, I used to really like them. I never finished the series though, so I didn't see the part where everyone and everything turn crazy. In my version, they're just in love and happy. You best believe that I will never watch the rest of the 100. It's one of the only ships that I have where I often prefered the AUs to the fanfictions that happened in the real world of the 100.

- Nymphadora Tonks x Remus Lupin (Remadora): They were like my second big ship after Jiratsuna. I didn't realize at the time that I was so into ships that always ended up with one of the two people dying. I've always loved angst, and I didn't even know the word at the time x) Anyway, coming back to them: what I really like at the time was the angst and the fact that they were canon. The latter is a very rare occurence in my ships, and I knew it even at that time, so I truly enjoyed it.

Skip x Crystal: They're from the anime Carole and Tuesday. I love, love, love, love them so much. In this ship, there are angst, love, nostalgia, affection, caring, history, potential for more, talent, and so much more. They're both incredible people, and I would want nothing more than a 40 minutes episode, or a animated movie, about those two, their story together and then their stories when they fell apart and after. And then, maybe at the end, a little scene between the two of them, after this concert at the sort of opera, once Skip gets out of jail. They would talk about their feelings, their desires and their future. Whether they want to spend it together or not. Whether they want to give another chance to their love or not. Crystal and Skip are both so down to earth, they wouldn't let any drama happens between them now (don't know how it was before, when they were younger). They lived, and they learned. Now, I believe they're ready for each other.

~~~~ Random straigth ships that I like/liked:

Jake Peralta x Amy Santiago (Peraltiago): I've never read a fanfic that was only about them, but they're a couple goal. They're so good and adorable together.

Cisco Ramon x Caitlin Snow (Killervibe): I don't really ship them anymore but damn, I always had something for 'best friends who become so much more' ;^; For this type of ship, I'm always like "But if there had been a click… There would have been something amazing, sweet and beautiful between them". At the time, maybe two years ago, I think I read pretty much every fic there was about them.

Nia Nal x Brainy (Brainia): Yeah, you can probably tell that I watched DC superheroes shows. Nia and Brainy are super cute, at least in season 4 and 5, and I will ignore anyone who disagrees. I didn't catch up with the end of Supergirl, but I hope everything went well for them.

I think that's about it. I had a few others, but I realize that I didn't like them as much as I love /loved the ones here.

Creating this list makes me want to do the same for my sapphic ships...

#tsunade x jiraya #jiratsu #jiratsuna #kane x abby #kabby #remus x nymphadora #remus lupin x nymphadora tonks #remadora #skip x crystal #jake x amy #Jake Peralta x Amy Santiago #peraltiago #cisco x caitlin #killervibe #nia x brainy #brainia

[lenacosse]

hiii !!! could you please write about jake peralta, preferably smut with a dominant reader?:)

Successful

pairing: jake peralta x fem reader

cw: smut, dominant reader

wc: 1,541

a/n: hope you enjoy this, for anyone who’s left requests please bare with me. im writing here and there, ive been preoccupied and struggle to find motivation, ive rosa diaz, amy santiago, another jake fic and a james potter fic to come plus any other requests i have coming soon i hope :)

‘i just got some real good news from work boy

you can’t imagine what i’m bout to say

it’s so hard to hold back, baby

i’m so excited i can hardly wait’

════════════════

You nervously fix your skirt for the fifth time, smoothing it over obsessively trying to perfect your appearance. You knew it wasn’t going to change the outcome of your meeting but nevertheless here you were, panicking over the subtle crease of your skirt.

“(Y/L/N)?” Called out the friendly face of the sectary, “Mr Jones will see you now.”

You nod and stand up, you take a shaky breath and continue down the familiar path to your bosses office. Usually you were so confident, so sure of yourself yet this was no average meeting. This meeting would determine your future. You reach his office and frantically wipe your sweaty palms on your jacket in attempt to dry them, once semi satisfied you knock and open the door.

“(Y/N) please have a seat,” Mr Jones smiles, motioning to the seat. You sit down. “Im going to cut to the chase here, you are an excellent contributor to our team.”

“Thank you.”

“These last four years I’ve seen a real shift in our overall work environment, clientele, partners, work ethic and most importantly inner work relationships.” He smiles and gets out a piece of paper. “I’m not offering you the standard promotion. I’m appointing you head of department, this will be a rather enormous change but I see potential in you. You are the heart of my company and it’s about time you get praised.”

You heart has practically stopped at this point, never did you ever see yourself in such a role. It took all your willpower not to crack into an obnoxious smile that broke all professional expectations, instead you politely thanked him and signed your new contract. Getting to your car was a blur, but here you now sit in the parking lot grinning like an idiot. Of course the only reasonable thing to do was call your boyfriend.

“Hey baby, hope I’m not interrupting.” Your voice sounds.

“Nah, perfect timing just done a huge drug bust now we’re on our way back to the precinct.”

“Well done, who you with?”

“Rosa,”

“Hey,” a third voice said, you instantly recognised it as Rosa.

“Hi Rosa,”

“You had your interview right?” Jake asked, diverting the conversation.

“I did,”

“Well? Tell me.”

“I got some real good new. However it’s a surprise.”

“Oh come on! Tell me I want to know already,”

“You really wanna know? You’ll have to wait.”

“Fine. When are you telling me?”

“Tonight. Come straight from work,”

“Cool cool cool. See you then.”

“Bye.”

You end the call and drive back to home, you felt out of this world. Being so young and successful never felt so good, you were undoubtedly a baller.

════════════════

By the time Jake got off work you cleaned your apartment and got real dressed up. After all tonight was no ordinary night, you finish the last of your glass of wine as your buzzer goes. In an instant you buzz Jake in and wait by the door. The door opens and there he stands, wine and flowers in hand. You couldn’t control the shit eating smile that spread across your face.

“Hey you,” you stepped aside to let him in.

Jake handed you the flowers and placed a kiss to your cheek. “So… tell me. I’m dying to know.”

“Is that so?” You wink and make your way to the kitchen, placing your flowers into a vase.

“Yes.” Jake’s arms wrap around your waist pulling you into him, his warm breath on your neck makes you shudder.

“How badly do you want to know?”

“So badly baby, need to spoil you.”

You smirk and turn around, wrapping your arms around his neck. His hands naturally falling to your hips.

“You’re looking at the head of department.”

“Head of department?! That’s great. I’m so proud of you.” Jake gushed, the act making your cheeks flush.

“I get to boss people around.” You grin, biting your lip.

“Bet you’ll love that.” Jake teases.

“I will, but it’s just that.” You dramatically frown. “I need more practice.”

“Really?” He pulls you closer.

You kiss at his neck, sucking softly on the skin before licking a stripe to his jawline and moving to his ear.

“I think I lead you into my bedroom.” You whisper.

“I think that’s a good idea.” His voice soft and gentle.

You take his hand and lead him into your bedroom. In an instant you push him against the wall and begin to undo his shirt, after removing it you go back to his neck peppering kisses all over.

“Get onto the bed Peralta,” you order, your voice dripping with demand. Of course he obliges and sits on your bed.

You smirk and make your way to him, you straddle him and run your hand through his tousled hair. You slowly rock your hips, grinding up against him. A soft whimper comes from him.

“You’ve been so supportive, and so good to me. I’m going to treat you so well.” You whisper.

Jake looks at you, his expression was one you’ve never seen before. So utterly love stricken and submissive for you, the expression itself was enough to get you going but you had to regulate yourself. You press your lips to his, kissing him passionately as your tongues danced together. Slowly you pulled back and stroked his cheek before getting off his lap, you took a second to look at his lap, you bit your lip at the sight of his hard-on. You undone the zipper on your dress and dropped it to the floor revealing your lacy underwear and matching bralet.

“You’re so perfect,” Jake said as his hand reached out to bring you back.

You straddled him again and pushed him flat against the bed. You moved with him and groaned as he caressed your ass and thighs, the heat building between your thighs. You attached your lips to his collarbone, not holding back from marking him. This solidified your presence, the idea of him being yours was enough to cure your problems. You got off Jake’s lap and kneeled beside him, you undone his belt and he kicked off his trousers. You bit your lip at the sight before you, through his boxers you could see his very hard dick begging to be released. You palmed him through the fabric watching as his face contoured in pleasure.

“Please baby..”

“Please what? Need to talk Peralta.”

“Please use your mouth,”

You smirked in response and pulled off his boxers, his needy cock aggressively swinging out. Slowly you put your lips to his tip, you took half of him in your mouth and very slowly moved your head. You swirled your tongue gently over his tip then pulled back.

“Tell me how much you need me.” You teased as you slowly stroked his base, gentle moans falling from his mouth in response.

“I need you so bad, I’ve been thinking about you all day. Thinking about how much- mmm, I want your mouth on me, or how much I need to feel you around me.”

“Is that right?” You taunt, your voice thick with a tone of seduction. Your hand got faster around Jake, pleasuring him more and more by the second.

“Yes- fuck. That’s right- need you so bad.” His voice was a straight moan, a moan which you couldn’t help but be desperate for.

You lowered your head again and wrapped your lips around him, you hollowed your cheeks and moved your head. Doing exactly what he likes, his hands held your hair- only encouraging you further. His moans got more desperate and breathless indicating he’s close. You pulled back and sat up right. You took your remaining clothes off and straddled him again. Your lips went to his as your hand went into his hand. The other guided his cock to your entrance. You slid down on him and immediately started moving, you gripped his hair letting curses of pleasure escape your lips as you gripped onto the headboard. You looked down to Jake who’s eyes were full of pure pleasure and bliss, his desperate moans filled the room as did the sound of your bed hitting the wall.

“You feel so good,” you moaned, sending a chain of praises to your sex-drunk boyfriend. You rocked your hips faster the pleasure building increasingly as you chased that feeling.

You gripped the headboard with both hands as your whole body shook in pleasure. Your vision was spotting and your mind was foggy, the only thing registering was the ecstasy you were feeling. The coil tightened even further until you came with a deafening moan, Jake was right after you gripping your hips as his breath shuddered. Slowly you climbed off him and lay beside him. You looked at him, taking in his beauty, his eyes were glassy and his lips were swollen.

He turned to you with a bashful smile, “get promoted more often.”

You rolled you eye not fighting off the grin that was cracking through, you moved into him resting your head on his chest as your hands stroked his hair. Nothing but contentment overcame you, Jake was home to you and on days like this where there’s happiness there’s no one you’d rather share it with.

#fanfic #fanfiction #fluff #smut light plot #smut #jake peralta x reader #boyfriend! jake peralta #jake peralta #jake peralta x you #Jake peralta x y/n #brooklyn 99 fic #brooklyn nine nine #brooklyn 99 #b99 #brooklyn #brooklyn nine nine fic #rosa diaz #amy santiago x reader #amy santiago #request #sub!jake #dominate reader

[hiramaris]

Dusk til Dawn

Part 12

Summary: Following Episode 9. And spoilers for Episode 10. 

Author’s note: As Episode 10 is just released I just want to say heads up for those who are not yet finished. Completing the game without spoilers really made a difference, and as much as possible I want everyone to experience that. And for those finished, I’ll gladly welcome you to my domain where MC took a different route.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Duskwood or any of the related characters. Duskwood is created by and owned by Everbyte Studio. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Duskwood story belong to Everbyte Studio.

Warning: Mentions of blood, suicide, violence, pedophiles, drugs, gun, murder, sex offenders, kidnapping

GIF on GIFER - by Tadal

Minutes had turned into an hour. And still, no news from either you or Jake.

Jessy couldn't contain her anxiety any longer. Pacing back and forth, she gnawed at her lower lip, a sense of unease gnawing at her. The last update you have given was when you went down from the shaft. You already told them the reception there is pretty unstable, and the more you go deeper into the cave, the less reliable it will be.

They waited, every second feeling like an eternity, and her worry grew with each passing moment.

A knot of dread tightened in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

"Jessy," Cleo called her from her seat, her voice laced with concern. "Sit down. You're making us all nervous."

Jessy's frustration was evident as she flailed her hands in frustration or anger— she doesn't even know at this point!

"It's been an hour, Cleo! I can't just sit and calm down!"

"I understand, but we can't do anything else right now, can we?"

Normally, Cleo would have used this to clash opinions with her but this time, her voice was soothing, trying to bring reason to the situation, and yet Jessy doesn't have the right mind to notice that right now.

"Y/n/n and Jake are a capable duo," Lilly stood up to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sure the reception is just pretty bad down there."

Jessy can see Lilly's own worry in her eyes but surprisingly, the usual short-tempered youngest Donfort is keeping it together now, and Jessy envies her for it.

Because her emotions are a whirlwind right now, caught between utter fear and uncertainty.

"I—" Her words caught as her phone suddenly rang, its familiar ringtone breaking the tense atmosphere. She glanced at the screen, her eyebrows furrowing at the unknown contact number flashing before her eyes. She had been expecting your call, not this.

"It's an unknown number..." She showed the others, her anxiety growing even more.

Thomas, who had been glued to the stream since your departure, stood up as well, his nerves evident. "Do you think it's the culprit?" His voice was shaky.

"Should I answer it...?" Jessy's bottom lip quivered as she tried to maintain her composure.

"I... hic think you s-should." Dan slurred, now fully drunk. He's been downing his whiskey since you left. Knowing him, he's probably trying to wash his fear down with alcohol but is too stubborn to admit he's scared for your safety as well.

Cleo's disapproval was evident as she shook her head at Dan's state before turning her attention to Jessy. "Yes, that would be ideal."

"Put it on speaker," Lilly suggested.

With trembling hands, Jessy tapped the answer button, her breath catching in her throat. "H-hello..?"

"Is this Miss Jessica Hawkins?" A brisk and unfamiliar female voice echoed through the cabin from the other end of the line.

"Uhm, yes. This is her speaking. Uh... may I ask who you are?"

"I am Agent Hartmann. One of Chief L/n's subordinates. I have news for you."

****

Jake cursed softly, and even his own voice felt unfamiliar to him. He tried to open his eyes, blinking against the harsh light, he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. The world around him became a swirl of disjointed colors and muffled sounds. His head throbbed relentlessly, each beat sending shockwaves of pain through his skull. The taste of copper filled his mouth, a metallic tang that seemed to cling to his senses.

He tried to lift a hand to his head but found that he was unable to move his arms, and he found himself not understanding why. His thoughts were fragments, fractured pieces that refused to come together. It was as if his mind was trapped in a haze, a foggy labyrinth that he couldn't navigate.

Whispers and voices reached his ears, but they were garbled, and distorted. The world seemed to sway and tilt with every attempt to focus. He fought to push through the fog that had settled in his mind, each moment a battle against the overwhelming weight of dizziness.

A hand reached out to him, a blurry figure emerging from the haze. Their words were distant, lost in the echo chamber of his mind. He tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat, a jumble of syllables that refused to form coherent sentences.

Fear gnawed at him, an instinctual realization that something was seriously wrong. He fought against the pull of unconsciousness, desperate to hold onto some semblance of awareness. But the darkness loomed, threatening to engulf him in its embrace once more.

He could only understand one thing coming from the figure. Their voice is cold and menacing as they whispered, "Sweet dreams."

Then, once more, everything dissolved into blackness.

****

Fuck this shit.

You had let your guard down and now you're paying the price.

You've been trying to budge from your restraints for what seemed like forever. Your wrists are starting to grow itchy as you struggle against the restraints that bound your wrists. It probably has rashes by now but you didn't have the presence of mind to worry about that.

You also find it hard to break through your restraints as you have suffered a huge concussion in the head. The bloodied baseball beside you and the now dried blood that streaked down the side of your face and over your left eye serves that reminder.

Beside you, Hannah lay unconscious, a small sense of relief washing over you as you noted the lack of visible injuries.

In front of you is a laptop on a fragile-looking table on the verge of collapsing. You have a perfect visual of what's playing and then realize it was the stream from earlier.

And it seemed to be... looped?

Because how the hell is Hannah still there with Richy when she's beside you all this time?

Fuck. This is indeed a trap. The video was merely a trap for you to get here and you bit it!

You scanned your surrounding once again, searching for anything sharp that could cut through the ropes binding you. But the room is spotted clean from any weapon, and you're sure the culprit— no, Ted had stripped you from your weapons.

"Of all the damn luck," you muttered to yourself. Irritation bubbled up within you. When was the last time you let yourself get caught by a criminal? You couldn't even remember and yet here you are, tied inside an abandoned mine like a scene from a cliché kidnapping movie that would never hit the big screen.

You needed to find a way to get both of you out of this situation – and fast.

Your thoughts raced, a mixture of irritation and anger swirling within you. How had you missed such a significant piece of information? The mere thought of Ted sent your blood boiling, and you cursed under your breath.

Then a bitter realization hit you.

"Maybe because it seemed insignificant at that time," you muttered aloud, a self-directed comment born of frustration. The letter Lilly found had seemed legitimate because Hannah herself had supposedly sent it. However, the memory of the sticky note with "missing signature" written on it suddenly made sense. The Department of Corrections had returned Hannah's letter due to the absence of a signature on her request— a detail you had initially overlooked.

Your mind pieced the puzzle together in real time. The culprit had forged the letter to create an alibi for Ted. With him supposedly in prison, he would be exempted from suspicion. But he hadn't been able to replicate Hannah's signature, leading to the "missing signature" note. In which it should have been a huge red flag if only you had noticed.

Jessy even started to question you about that credibility. Because out of all your findings, Ted Madruga being in prison have the weakest foundation.

Your mind flickered back to the conversation you had with Jessy about her findings.

"Ted must have stolen the file." She assumed. "Because it would have incriminated him!"

You hummed thoughtfully, a hint of skepticism in your voice, "possible, but Ted's in prison."

"He is?" she questioned. "How sure are you about that?"

You paused. You haven't really thought about it that often. Back then, you were satisfied with Jake's findings about him. Plus, Lilly has already traced him all the way to prison.

“Based from what we gathered, we know he’s in prison,” you answered truthfully. “But right now, I’m not so sure.”

But you're sure it got to mean something. If Hannah ran over Jennifer using the AMC Gremlin that Ted owns, will that be the reason he's in prison? And the reason she tried to contact him is to admit the crime she did.

"Maybe he just sent someone else to steal the file for him?" You were snapped from your silent stupor when she spoke again. And then she added, voice cracking for a bit, "Y/n... is this why Richy has to die?"

Fuck, just what the hell were you thinking? How could you have overlooked that one simple fact?

"You shouldn't have come here, Y/n," a voice you recognized all too well shattered your thoughts, sending a surge of panic through your veins.

"Wha—" Your gaze shot up, eyes widening in disbelief. "Richy?! oh, man, I'm so glad."

You tried to rise on your feet, which was proven to be a difficult task. Your wrists were tightly restrained behind your back, held together by a rope, making your attempts to free yourself futile.

What you had failed to notice was Richy's look of indifference when he tried to help you stand on your feet. Because all you can think of is everything's going to be okay from here on out. Richy's finally here. You have Hannah with you. If you played your cards right, all four of you can make it out alive.

"I need to get out of these." You said in haste as turned your back to Richy, showing him your wrists. "Have you seen the culprit anywhere?" You began to question.

A tense silence hung in the air after your request. You're not really sure but you can feel the sudden drop of temperature in room. The air felt a little colder, suffocating even.

You waited, hoping for a response, but all that greeted you was the sound of your own labored breathing, and then...

A sharp intake of breath echoed in the room. Suddenly, you felt a chilling touch against the back of your neck—a cold, metallic object pressed firmly against your skin. Your heart pounded in your chest, each beat echoing in your ears like a drum of impending danger.

And then, a distinct click pierced through the silence, sending another jolt of panic coursing through your veins. You knew that sound, recognized it for what it was.

"What..?" You started to question, your voice shaky, the word barely escaping your lips.

"You shouldn't have come here." He repeated, his tone carrying a weight that sent a shiver down your spine. The words, once familiar, now held an unfamiliar edge, a coldness that you couldn't comprehend.

"Richy..?" The name escaped your lips in a mere whisper. You wanted to turn around. See for it yourself but you couldn't. Maybe if you didn't you would delay the inevitable.

But you know to yourself that delaying the inevitable is a luxury you couldn't afford.

So, you steeled yourself to turn. At that moment, you wished you had remained oblivious to the truth unfolding before you.

Because the Richy standing before you was a stranger, a far cry from the person you once knew. Gone were the familiar easy smiles that used to light up his face, gone was the sparkle in his eyes that had been a constant during your time together.

Instead, his face bore the weight of exhaustion, etched with lines that spoke of countless stress. The bags under his eyes revealed sleepless nights and endless worry, while stubble adorned his jawline. His once neatly groomed hair was now tousled and unkempt.

What happened?

If Ted was the real culprit, why the hell is Richy pointing a gun at you? Never mind that was your Glock to begin with.

His gaze bore into you, intense and unrelenting, as if trying to convey a message you couldn't decipher. His eyes were red, the telltale sign of unshed tears, and you realized you were on the verge of the same emotion.

"Why did you have to be here?" His voice trembled, a lump forming in his throat. "He just told you, he won't spare no one!"

You took in the scene, his arm shaking as he held the gun. It was clear he had no experience handling a firearm, yet the cold barrel remained pressed against your forehead. You remained still, not out of fear that he might pull the trigger, but out of the unsettling realization that he might be behind all this madness.

"And I told you," you struggled to maintain your composure, yet your voice was firm with resolve. "I'm not leaving this mine without you and Hannah. I promised Jessy... I promised everyone." I promised myself that I won't let someone die under my watch again.

A flicker of emotion passed through Richy's eyes at the mention of his friends. If you had blinked at the same time, you might have missed it. His gaze wavered for a moment, revealing a hint of conflict beneath the surface.

"You already know how this will end," he continued, his voice faltering as he spoke. "Don't make it even more complicated than it already is."

A lot of questions came crashing into your mind like a harbor wave. Most of them are whys and hows only Richy could answer. Because you still refused to believe that the Richy you know is capable to hurt someone.

To hurt Jessy!

For fuck's sake he was the same guy who tried to calm down Alfie by fixing his toy car. You refuse to believe he's the same guy.

But as you stared at him, it made you question if you really did know him as well as you thought you did.

"There was a moment," he began, his voice wavering with a mix of emotions. "Where you were so incredibly close to the truth. But you were wrong about one thing."

Your brows furrowed, "what do you mean?"

His gaze met yours, and in his eyes, you saw a torment that mirrored your own.

"There weren't just two people involved in the incident back then." A lone tear escaped his right eye, tracing a path down his cheek. "There were three."

There were three.

Those words echoed within you. What is he implying?

Wait.

No.

It can't be.

He can see the realization in your eyes. And you didn't try to hide it.

You tried to open your mouth but no words came out. He must have seen something shift in you as his stance seemed to deflate, the gun he had pointed at you lowered against his side.

And for a moment, the Richy you once know seemed to resurface.

He approached you slowly, a knife in hand that you carefully noted was yours, too. The blade glinted in the dim light, but you held your ground. It was a strange juxtaposition—wary and trust warring within you. Richy could easily betray you in this vulnerable moment, but the foundation of your friendship held strong, and you believed he wouldn't truly harm anyone.

"Ten years ago, Hannah and Amy showed up on my doorstep," his voice quivered as he began to reveal his story. As he speak, you felt the rope behind you loosen, and with a final tug, you were finally able to break free from the restraints as Richy cut them off. "Pine Glade was almost over. It was dark already. They wanted me to drive them to Grimrock because Amy had lost something there. I can't..." he gave a soft, pained chuckle. He turns to free Hannah, too before facing you again. "I can't even remember what it was. I had..."

A low grunt escaped him, and you noticed he was clutching his shoulder. It was the gunshot wound you had inflicted.

"I had been at the festival the whole day so," a slow, shaky breath followed, his laughter masking his pain. "I was drunk, I had a couple of drinks. I said no, but they insisted. They were in a hurry, and they already had made this huge detour to get to me so..." he shrugged. "And I had been driving around our yard a couple of times so I gave them the keys to an old AMC Gremlin— one that should have been scrapped a couple of days later so I thought there's no harm in that, right?" He glanced up at you for a brief moment, seeking understanding in your gaze. "A couple of minutes later they showed up again and I almost didn't recognize the car. In the dark, I could only make out the blood on the windshield. There was also blood on the bumper, and none of them were able to utter a single word."

A heavy pause followed as he seemed to relive that fateful night. You could only listen in stunned silence as he finally confessed to you the truth.

The truth you were seeking from the start.

"So... I thought they must have hit an animal— some deer that jumped in front of the car so I drove them to the spot and there she was... a girl covered in blood," he recounted, his voice trailing off as if the words themselves were too much to bear. "Lifeless."

"Richy..." You reached out, your hand hovering in the air.

"Worthless!" He hissed, more to himself than to you, and you retreated your hand like you were burned. "We buried her in the forest, and we never spoke a word of that again. I..." His voice broke, and his resolve crumbled as tears streamed down his face. "I'm sorry..."

You can only stare at him. Eyes probably wide in horror. You told yourself you're prepared for whatever truth you'll find. Your work has already desensitized you into swallowing bitter pills with no water.

And this shouldn't be any different.

But what you didn't expect is to find the truth right next to Richy.

"I suspected you're involved in the incident... but I didn't want it to be true," you finally found your voice. You tried clenching your fist to contain your emotions but it felt like it did nothing to soothe you. As you stared at the person you once called your friend, you can only allow him to cry. You wanted to comfort him but you couldn't allow yourself. You're not sure if he deserves it.

You thought you were prepared for the ugly truth. When you found out that Hannah and Amy ran over Jennifer, you thought there couldn't be any worse truth than that.

You thought wrong. This is a bitter pill you didn't realize you have to swallow.

"Why, Richy?" It was supposed to sound accusatory but you're unable to mask the feeling of sadness and confusion you're feeling right now. "How could you hurt our friends? Jessy? She means something to you, is she not?"

"Let me explain, Y/n..." His eyes met yours, and the vulnerability you saw in them almost shattered your resolve.

He looked so broken and lost. At that moment, your emotions got the better of you, something you didn't allow yourself around criminals. But Richy... Richy is your friend. And he is a criminal now. To you, both words seemed to be two foreign concepts akin to water and oil— they never mix.

You couldn't see the man without a face in Richy the same way you can't see Richy in the man without a face.

"I hadn't thought of the accident for a long time." He went on when he noticed your lack of response. "Until Hannah came to the garage one day. Her oil sump was broken because she had driven into a pothole"

"So, at least the thing about the oil sump wasn't a lie," you found yourself retorting, a touch of bitter humor lacing your words.

"No, it wasn't." He managed a weak chuckle, the memories of your previous conversation resurfacing. "I noticed immediately that there was something wrong with her but she didn't want to say what it was. I would have probably just left it at that if I hadn't seen Amy in Hannah's car before she turned into my driveway. That..." He slumped back against the wall, still clutching his side. "That worried me."

"I suppose you weren't in contact with Amy since the accident," you noted, your brow furrowing as the pieces started to fall into place. "Which is why the others thought Hannah didn't know her."

"That's right." He nodded slowly, his gaze distant as he recounted the past. "So, I took a look at Hannah's satnav."

"Just like what Jessy did yesterday."

"Y-yeah... I knew it. I knew she had the skills," he mused, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I bet she can fully handle Roger's garage on her own now." A cough interrupted his words. "Good to know."

"She learned from the best." You tried to smile but you knew you ended up grimacing.

When you imagine meeting them, it wasn't like this. You were supposed to be goofing around with Richy, spreading mischievousness around Duskwood, and causing headaches for Jessy and Cleo.

But none of those happened.

"H-heh, yeah..." he chuckled weakly, his eyes clenching shut from the pain. "The address in the satnav was that of Iris Hanson. And then I knew that my worries were justified. I drove to Amy and she told me everything. Hannah found that bracelet. And then she suddenly saw a figure by the edge of the woods." His voice wavered, the memories still vivid despite the years that had passed.

"So it really was just her imagination?" you asked, lowering yourself to sit at his level.

He shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "It was Ted. He was keeping a close eye on Hannah, Amy, and me... probably for years. Fuck— I don’t even know… he said he saw us burying the body, and... I didn't know it was him at that time, and I thought it was just Hannah's guilt manifesting in ways only she could see it. But I knew to myself that it was probably time. We had run away from it for long enough. I care about Hannah and I don't want to see her get destroyed more than she already has. Maybe he would only go away if we finally faced our past. But I thought wrong."

"He wanted to make sure none of you forgets..." You thought aloud.

Ted planned all this. He was keeping an eye on all of them which is why he knows showing himself to Hannah first is a vital first step for his plan. Because Hannah is already suffering from depression already, her credibility about seeing him wouldn't be much believable to anyone. But it would suffice to trigger a chain of guilt in all three of them. There's a lingering question in your head, however.

"Why did he have to wait for ten years to make a move? And why..." you pursed your lips at your next words. "Why did he have to make you his accomplice?"

"I don't have any idea, but he was probably gathering evidence and resources for his revenge," Richy groaned, his pain evident. "S-sorry... I— argh got a pretty bad gunshot wound. And my bandages just came off."

Your instinct was to reach out to help, but he waved his hand in dismissal.

"I'm fine." You knew that was a lie. "I didn't know you were an Agent, Y/n. If I had known, I probably wouldn't have messed with you." He let out a soft laugh, wincing slightly. "I thought they said laughter was the best medicine. Well, it doesn't apply to gunshot wounds."

A small, sad smile tugged at your lips. "I've missed your jokes."

"And I didn't think I'd ever be able to joke around with you again, not after what I did to Jessy, to you... and to the others." He tried to sit up straight, wincing at the effort. "I told Amy that maybe it's time to finally turn ourselves in but she didn’t want to hear about it. She said Hannah was only imagining the man without a face and that she just wanted to forget everything. I couldn't convince her. And when I left..."

"Ted decided it's time for her to see him, too." You continued for him.

"Yes... but I think it didn't go the way he planned. Amy killed herself shortly right after a few days. I..." Richy's voice faltered, the weight of his memories pressing down on him.

"You thought it was your fault."

"I thought that I pushed her too far. And that I made her get eaten up with guilt." Richy's voice trembled as he admitted, his fists clenching in frustration. "That time, I have no idea Amy was dead or that she was missing. I think Hannah didn't know as well."

You chewed your lips, deep in thought. "Ted must have gotten Amy's phone and texted Hannah to meet at Michael Hanson's house. It was there that Ted kidnapped Hannah."

"When an unknown number— Jake," he corrected himself, "told us that Hannah was in danger. I immediately sprinted towards her house. And there I met Thomas... but Hannah was nowhere to be found." He took a deep breath, his eyes locked onto yours. "I knew to myself that Jennifer, or whoever Hannah was seeing has decided to finally take back what we owed."

As minutes pass by agonizingly, Richy was able to tell you everything, almost.

He told you that it was just a few hours prior to learning about you, while he was closing up his garage, he suddenly blacked out. When he woke up, he was presented with an unconscious Hannah in a place he was unfamiliar with.

Ted planned to kill him at the same time as Hannah's which was Jennifer's death anniversary but decided not to.

Your sudden presence was an unknown territory to him that's why he decided it will be best to have an eye on the group of people against him in exchange for Hannah's life and the safety of the others. That's why almost all your actions against him were known by Ted, even your lead about the man without a face. His brilliancy to use the legend to point all possible clues to the unknowing father of Jennifer Hanson, and with him being 'in prison' serves him a full proof plan, and be crossed out from the suspect list.

But of course, it wasn't smooth sailing for him with Jake being in your group. And you're not one to be underestimated as well. Your skills with people made it easy for you to analyze clues being given to you and manipulate people to spill the beans. Though you're not proud of that since you used them once on your friends. At one point, you knew all of them are suspicious. In order to eliminate possible suspects, you have to manipulate the situation to give you the information you needed.

That made Ted realize that he was doomed if he didn't stop you. And that's where Richy swoop in. Initially, Ted plans to kill them or even harm them one by one to scare you. But that will be against his and Richy's deal, that's why he volunteered to do the job to minimize the damage. That's why Cleo was unharmed and so is Jessy.

You were closer to the truth than Ted ever imagined, and so, his last resort is to fake Richy's death to make it easier for Richy to roam around and watch over Hannah.

Jessy and Thomas invading his hideout the other day was part of his sick plan though Richy has no idea in which part it plays apart from revealing the group's location to Ted, which is irrelevant at that point because Richy already has the location with him. Plus he was the one who visited the cabin and thus, got shot.

Ted was so angry when he returned bloodied and limping. At this point, the man is not only a danger to other people but to himself as well. He looks like he completely lost it. And Richy has to tiptoe around him like he was a ticking timebomb ready to explode. That's how deranged Ted is.

Despite his deranged state, one thing was clear: he's going to kill Hannah and Richy on the night of the Pine Glade festival and nothing will stop him.

"The receipt..." you say as you remember that one significant detail. Throughout your conversation, you were casting occasional glances ahead toward the room's sole exit. The dim light struggled to penetrate the shadows, making it nearly impossible to sense any movement in the pitch-black passageway beyond. "Hannah mentioned a receipt to Alan."

Richy leaned wearily against the cool, damp wall, his labored breaths punctuating the heavy silence. "I guess she wanted to prove to Amy that he was real and that she finally had proof. Hannah had set up a camera in front of Amy's house, directed to the forest. She must have filmed Ted with it."

Your gaze flickered to Hannah's unconscious form. "I know that camera. It was in Hannah's apartment before."

Richy leans a bit away from the wall as he tries to reach his side. Only to wince in pain, a soft hiss escaping his lips, his hand instinctively pressing against the bandage on his shoulder. "T-there must have been a receipt in his pocket. It must have fallen out, which Hannah h-hah... saw on the footage."

With a determined nod as he tried to reach his side once again, Richy retrieved your Glock, knife, and badge, passing them back to you.

As the cold metal settled into your hands, you looked at him quizzically, the unspoken question hanging in the air. Why are you giving these back to me?

But Richy refused to look at you. Only then you realized that he must have realized that he can't do anything now. But you? You can still save Hannah. You nodded in understanding.

"Alan did mention that. She asked him if it were possible to track down the owner of the receipt." Your movements were deliberate as you stood up, securing your weapons back in their respective holsters. "Which would essentially incriminate him right on the spot."

There was a brief moment of silence as another question formed in your mind.

"Why did you mark Jessy...?"

"I did it because of Phil. I wasn’t expecting him to get arrested, so I had to prove it couldn't have been him."

"It was not part of the plan, wasn't it?"

"Yeah... Ted wanted everyone to focus on Phil which will earn him a little more time for his plan." He hesitated, his voice lowering. "He was so angry Y/n... that he attacked me. You know already what happened next."

You crouched down again, your eyes level with Richy's as you sought to understand the turmoil within him.

"Why put yourself through all this, Richy?" You know the answer. But you wanted to hear it from him. "If Ted's going to kill you anyway, what's the point?"

His gaze met yours, a mixture of regret and vulnerability swirling in his eyes. His fingers flexed against the rough texture of the stone floor as if grappling with his own internal conflict. "I had to weigh the risks, Y/n." His voice carried a hint of resignation, of a man who had been pushed to his limits. "Ted is smart, but he's also unstable. I knew that there might come a time when he'll let his guard down, even if it's just for a moment. And in that moment, I hoped we could find a way to end this nightmare. But I couldn't risk Hannah's life by telling the group or going to the police. I had to stay close to Ted to keep Hannah safe and minimize the damage."

You can only listen. Richy's actions, as painful as they were to understand, were driven by a desperate attempt to protect his friends and ensure Hannah's safety. And you couldn't find it in yourself to pin the blame all on him.

"But now," he continued, weariness evident in his voice, "I've run out of options. Ted's plans have spiraled out of control, and I don't see a way out for either of us. I don't know how to save Hannah or myself from what he's planned for Pine Glade."

You ran a frustrated hand over your hair. No amount of experience could have prepared you for this situation.

"I just don't understand." Your gaze fixed on Richy, your eyes searching for answers. "Who the hell is Ted Madruga? How is he connected to all of this?"

"Good question." A third voice, unfamiliar and chilling, sliced through the air, freezing you in place. Panic tightened its grip around your heart as you instinctively moved to shield Hannah's unconscious form.

You tried to squint your eyes into the darkness ahead. The darkness seemed to part, revealing a figure stepping out from the shadows of the tunnel. Sounds of heavy footsteps bounced across the room that grows louder with each passing second. Echoing alongside them was the sound of something being dragged across the dirt.

You drew your weapon, arms unshakeable, and breath even. Ted.... you gritted your teeth.

As the figure drew nearer, the dim light revealed a sight that froze you in place. The source of the dragging sound became apparent—it was a person, unconscious and being dragged by the culprit.

Your eyes widened in shock and horror as recognition set in. It was Jake, his body limp and seemed lifeless, his face marred with bruises and cuts.

Raising your gaze, you finally met the eyes of Ted Madruga.

His features were concealed by the faint lighting, casting his face in an eerie half-shadow that made it difficult to make out his true expression.

He is a big man, a little over six feet. He was a little lean but you can see he is of pure muscle. His tattered clothing clung to his frame. He can easily crush your skull with ease if he pleases.

His hair hung in greasy, unkempt strands around his face, framing eyes that held a wild and frenzied intensity. Filth and blood streaked across his face and hands. Blood you knew wasn't his.

You clenched your jaw. He's a dangerous man. Much, much dangerous as you have expected. No wonder Richy was so scared of him. And Jake... Jake has no chance against him. Compared to Ted, he was just a rag doll to be thrown around.

As Ted came into clearer view, the flickering light revealed a face etched with scars and bruises that didn't seemed to heal properly. His gaze, fixed on you and Richy, held a mixture of malice and derangement. His lips curled into a sickening grin.

When he noticed what you are looking at, his wolfish grin widened. As if to taunt you, he thrust Jake forward. His chuckles were sickening, inhuman even.

"Did you enjoy the little trap I set for you, Y/n?" He stood tall, his shadow looming over you as he cackled almost maniacally.

You let out a cocky smirk, not wanting to back down to the likes of him. "What trap?" You questioned in feigned innocence. "I suggest you put the man down and get on your knees, or I'll shoot."

It was a desperate attempt, but you didn't want to risk shooting him when Jake was in such close proximity.

He seemed to find amusement in your words. "I don't think you're in any position to demand, Agent." He crouched down, revealing a magnum revolver that he pointed menacingly at Jake's temple. Your breath caught at the sight of his finger so close to the trigger. "Or would you rather witness this young man's brains splatter across the floor?" He licked his lips. "Now that's a sight to see."

You gritted your teeth. "You're sick."

"Oh, am I?" Ted's voice dripped with mockery as he leaned closer to Jake's face, his crazed eyes locked onto yours. "I thought you fight for justice, Agent Dolos? How was it so wrong to avenge the death of someone you love?"

You shook your head, your grip on the base of your gun growing tighter, your knuckles turning white under the pressure. "There's a right way for everything, Ted. I think you've done enough damage."

He laughed, the sound echoing off the walls of the dimly lit tunnel, "And what may be the right way? The law?" His tone dripped with scorn as he sneered at you. "Don't make me laugh, Agent." His eyes bore into yours, his stance unwavering. "And if I were you, I would drop the gun."

Your gaze hardened, battling with his own one with ease.

"I said. Drop. The. Gun. Now."

Fuck.

With a reluctant sigh, you let the gun fall to the ground, your fingers loosening their grip. You really need to get Jake away from him first. But how? Hannah is still unconscious beside you, Richy has a bad wound and he's also near Ted. You're not sure how to protect all three of them.

"Very good," he smirked, his gaze locked on you. "I heard you were a stubborn one. It's good to see you have your priorities straight."

Anger bubbled up within you. Criminals were something you despised to your very core, and those who acted like they got you where they wanted are the worst of the bunch.

'You got this, motherfucker.' is the mantra you kept playing over and over in your head. 'Don't ever let your emotions get the better of you.'

You exhaled deeply, trying to keep your composure amidst the tense situation. Lose your cool and you'll be dead.

After a couple of seconds of pep talk to yourself, clarity soon follows. Though your mind is still not as calm as you'd prefer because of all the questions running in your mind, you manage this time to isolate the one that held a constant presence in your brain and could possibly unveil the whole truth.

"Who the hell are you? And how are you connected to all of this?"

"Forgive me for my rudeness," he said with an eerie, sarcastic grin that did not reach his eyes. "I am Ted Madruga, the original owner of the Gremlin. I assume you already know that."

His nonchalance made you stop. He wouldn't go to such lengths just because he's the owner or wants to clear his name. It would have made sense if Iris or Michael went berserk because they're her family, but Ted? You couldn't think of a plausible reason why he's doing this… unless—

Your eyes begin to widen in a slight fraction as realization dawned on you.

If Jennifer's case were to happen to Jessy, you wouldn't guarantee that law will be able to stop you.

So, in Ted's twisted logic, it would mean Jennifer is to Ted the same way Jessy is to you.

"You're Jennifer's boyfriend…" It wasn't a question, but rather a chilling realization.

"I am a simple man, Agent," his voice remained eerily composed. "I have loved Jennifer with all my heart. And for her to be killed by my own car, and be buried like some kind of animal in the middle of the forest…," emotion started to thicken in his voice. You could hear his grief and sadness, but the anger was much louder than the two will ever be. "Do you really think I'll let that pass?"

"You could have stopped it if only you had let the law take care of it!" You know to yourself that's a screwed reasoning. The only reason this case has gotten this far is because the police were not competent enough to find the real culprits.

"Look around you, Y/n," his voice still held the same edge as earlier. He shot Hannah and Richy a dirty look, making Richy flinch in his place. "Look where the law has gotten us! It's been ten years, and Jennifer's death has long been forgotten!"

He walked closer, dragging Jake with him. His large shadow loomed over both you and Hannah.

He spat in great disdain as he stared down Hannah. "And yet our little princess's disappearance managed to get all the locals to gather and look for her. She even got the attention of the highest ranking criminal investigator in the region, as if she was so innocent." He turned to you with an undecipherable expression, his words spoken slowly. "Isn't that just unfair?"

Your words got caught in your throat at the sudden question.

"Have you ever thought that you've been fighting on the wrong side, Agent?" he questioned once more as he crouched down to your eye level.

"What do you mean?" you whispered.

"You vowed to prioritize the welfare and safety of women and children," he told you seriously, his gaze unrelenting. "Look around you," he gestured to the dimly lit tunnel, "look me in the eye and tell me that the ones you're protecting are not murderers."

You couldn't find your voice. You could only stare at him. It was as if you saw him in a different light, even though the said light is the same as the flickering and dim one above you. Suddenly, he doesn't seem as dangerous as you thought he was. He's still dangerous, and he's still likely capable of killing all of you if given the opportunity.

But.

You couldn't help but see yourself in him.

Because you did the exact same thing when Jill was killed. You never let the murderer get away.

"The law doesn't give a damn about Jennifer. The locals doesn't even remember who she was." He leaned in once more, bitterness lacing his words. "And now that I've taken matters into my own hands, I'm the bad guy? Tell me, Y/n. Is this what you called justice? Some kind of agent you are."

The only difference is you're protected by law. You have the means and privilege. And Ted's only got are his grief and thirst for vengeance.

And this is where it lead to.

So, what are you really? Do you really deliver the just in justice or are you nothing but a plain hypocrite?

"That night..." you finally found your voice. "You were with Jennifer, weren't you?"

He leaned back, his eyes growing distant as memories seemed to wash over him. "The festival has always been a traditional date night for us. Michael... Michael doesn't like me for his daughter." He sat down on a boulder near Richy, Jake's unconscious form still gripped tightly in his hand. "And Duskwood being a small town that it is, it is very difficult to sneak around and hide a relationship." His gaze drifted off, as if he was transported back to that night. He's staring at you but it feels likes he's staring through you. "Pine Glade was a perfect day for us to spend time together. In the darkness filled with drunkards celebrating, and fireworks covering the whole sky, it was a perfect date. No Michael Hanson, no prying eyes, no judgement. Just us."

"But it didn't end the way you planned." You murmured cautiously. Normally you would have internally celebrated for getting your culprit at exactly where you want them to be.

Yes you did get Ted talking, and be quite less aggressive but you recognize that look all too well.

The thousand yard stare.

Ted's eyes remained distant, locked onto something only he could see. It was as if he was mentally transported back to that fateful night, lost in a sea of memories.

You recognized it as a sign of dissociation, a defense mechanism triggered by overwhelming emotions or trauma. It was as if he was slipping away from the present, into the depths of his own mind. This calmness, this detachment, it was the eerie calm before the storm. You had to tread carefully.

"It didn't." His voice was almost inaudible if it weren't for the enclosed space you were in. "Jennifer was spotted by her friends before I walk her home."

"You walked her home?" You questioned slowly. This almost reminded you of your counseling sessions with some patients before you decided to be a fulltime agent. "Aren't the roads far too dangerous for people to walk on especially given that Duskwood doesn't have much street lights despite having so much curvatures?"

"Yeah, I was going to walk her home. My car was scheduled for scrapping and I wasn't able to buy a new one just yet," his voice turned monotonous, as if he was detached from his own memories. He spoke like an observer, recounting events from a distance.

He's slipping into depersonalization. This is not good.

"You said Jennifer was spotted by her friends. What happened?"

"She denied me," he responded after a moment of silence, a sharp edge returning to his voice. His hands clenched around the gun and Jake's hoodie, his knuckles turning white. "She told them I was one of her dad's bodyguards." His voice tightened with bitterness. "And they all laughed. Praised Michael for being such a great dad." His eyes seemed to regain focus briefly before drifting away again, lost in the past. But his voice sharpened as anger took over. "They ridiculed me!"

"Despite that, you still walked her home?"

"Yes. But we were arguing along the sidewalk." He went on after a minute of silence. You even thought he wouldn't answer. For a brief moment, his grip on reality seemed firmer. "It was dark, and the only light we have is from the moon." He clutched his head, his fingers tangling in his hair, as if trying to pull out memories he wished to forget. "I was so angry that I couldn't let her touch me. So, I... pushed her away. And then..."

He lets out a scream. The sound that erupted from his throat was primal, an agonizing wail that reverberated through the tunnel like a chilling echo of despair. It was a raw and loud and deafening that it was able to wake up Hannah.

Hannah's eyes fluttered open, the sight of Ted made her hand instinctively clutch your shirt, seeking solace and security in the midst of the chaos. She trembled against you, her grip unyielding as if she was afraid of losing her last anchor.

"Oh," Ted's gaze refocused, his demeanor shifting with unsettling ease as he turned his attention to the newly awakened Hannah. His tone was oddly calm. "The princess is awake. Good. I'll continue the story."

"Please, stop..." Hannah's voice quivered with a mix of fear and desperation.

"Silence!" Ted's voice thundered, making Hannah flinch as he rose to his feet. "As I was saying... I pushed her off me, and I didn't notice I pushed her with all my strength. And before I knew it, I heard a loud honk from a car, and Jennifer's body being thrown at the side of the road because of the impact."

"What...?" your voice caught in your throat.

"Two girls went out of the car. I remember their faces," his expression turned grim, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Especially, I can remember the plate number of the car. Because it was mine."

What the fuck..?

Fortunately, Ted was lost in his own ramble as he jogged up his memory to notice the look of utter shock not only in your eyes but as well as Hannah's and Richy's. It was then you knew you all shared the same thought.

"I didn't know what to do. I couldn't go to her body..." Ted's voice continued, the distance in his tone suggesting he was reliving the scene he described. "So, I hid. I watched the car drove away as if they only hit an animal. However, not long after, a car went back, this time, a car I wasn't familiar with but the man who accompanied the two girls, I knew him. He was the one I talked to about scrapping my car." His eyes flitted towards Richy, and they grew dark at the sight of him. "I just stood there and watched in silence as they go deeper into the woods with Jennifer's body held by the man. And when they come back, Jennifer wasn't with them..." His head bowed, a curtain of greasy, unkempt hair obscuring his face, but you didn't have to look at his face to know the pure rage radiating from him. "I assumed that's where they left the body." He finished.

Ted's story hung in the air, and a heavy silence followed.

Another one.

And then another.

Until you couldn't help the sudden laughter that had escaped from you. It wasn't one of pure genuine laugh when you find something funny.

Neither was a sarcastic one nor a laughter that originated from tickling.

It was one of your rare belly laughs that you knew was obnoxious and loud as hell.

So you weren't surprised when the sound startled Jake, who was beginning to regain consciousness or the look of sheer horror from both Hannah and Richy as if you had laugh in a situation that you shouldn't.

Which is, to be fair, not farther from the truth though because a pair of glaring red eyes met yours as another laugh bubbled within you. You can only throw your head up in the sky.

No. This is not a sarcastic laugh nor a laugh from a joke.

This one is of pure joy and relief.

Why?

"Sorry, sorry. You were saying you pushed Jennifer on the road, which prompted two teens to bump into her in the middle of the night." Ted's furious gaze met yours, his eyes glaring red with anger. Your laughter dwindled, replaced by a steely resolve as you met his gaze head-on. "That's what you're getting at, right?"

Your words seemed to cut through the tension like a knife. Ted's expression wavered between anger and something deeper, a mixture of emotions that you couldn't quite decipher.

Maybe you weren't really a good person as people thought you are.

You feel sorry for Ted. You really are.

But no amount of guilt could have weighed any better than finding that Amy, Hannah and Richy didn't actually committed manslaughter.

~~~~

Previous

Next

A/n: Hi, everyone! Sorry it took a little while doing the next part. As I have said, I find it quite challenging to write this part due to many reasons.

1. As you may have noticed, I have strayed far from the original ending and original culprit so, I really have to make the reasons why Ted was our culprit believable and still aligned with canon events from previous chapters in the game. Let me know what you think if I did justice with him to be our primary suspect.

2. There were instances that I have used psychology jargons, and I would like to add a disclaimer that I am still merely an undergraduate psychology student so I wouldn't recommend to take what I have written in this story to heart. If you may have experience such events that may effect you mentally and emotionally speaking, I would suggest to speak to an actual mental health professional, and please don't rely alone on what the internet may tell you.

3. Lastly, I'm going to be honest to y'all. I haven't really established a concrete ending to this story yet so this will probably go for a couple more chapters, I'm sorry. So it have taken me a while to make a feasible plot for this chapter, and I have to watch several walkthroughs and play the game again just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

I think that's all. Again, I apologize if my writing seemed to be focused too much on the details and that I may have dragged this story more than I should have. But I just want to let you know that putting much focus into details such as the character's emotions, body language, the settings etc are important in this part of the story because this is where we unveil the truth about Jennifer's death, Amy's death and Hannah's disappearance.

Initially, I was planning to put a fair share amount of fighting scenes for the sake of the final meet up of Y/n and the real culprit but I realize that the game itself have put much focus on the psychological aspect of the game rather than an actual fight, and I feel like I should keep it that way. Though I'd probably put some in the next chapter. Who knows?

Hahaha I didn't notice I already rambled. I'll see y'all on the next part. Let me know what you think about this chapter down in the comments. Adios! ;)

#duskwood #duskwood mc #duskwood jessy #duskwood jessy x mc #duskwood jake #duskwood lilly #duskwood dan #duskwood cleo #duskwood richy #duskwood thomas #duskwood hannah #duskwood amy #duskwood jennifer #duskwood everbyte #duskwood fanfiction #jessy x mc

[amyscascadingtabs]

darling, you should know i’m a helicopter

a healthy dose of hurt/comfort with added baby snuggles, because i truly felt for amy in this episode. it's been a long time since i just wrote something quick but i hope you enjoy! 🥰

oh and if you want a picture this is the pajamas mac is wearing, okay cool

read on ao3

 Amy doesn’t mean for it to be a breakdown.

 She’s not surprised when Mac’s familiar piercing cries wake her up again a mere hour and a half after she’s fed him and put him to sleep for the night. As miraculous as Charles’ methods seemed, she still believes some babies are just fussy, and her son is one of them. It’s the only logical conclusion she’s come to after six, eight, ten, and twelve weeks all passed without any notable improvement in Mac’s ability to sleep longer stretches, and now he’s five months old and defying every single baby book and website that informs her he should be well settled into a sleeping schedule by now. He’s just fussy, or a high need baby, or whatever other term with needlessly negative connotations there is to make Amy feel like she's doing a bad job. It’s who he is and it’s what she’s used to, so she just scoots to the edge of the bed and picks him up from his travel cot in her still hurting arms before he can wake up the rest of the house.

On another night, she might have tried to walk around with him first, play some white noise or bounce on the yoga ball with him, but she’s tired and dejected and scared to wake up anyone else, so she goes for the easy option. The buttons of her pink striped pajama shirt are easily accessible for this exact purpose, and resting Mac’s head in the crook of her right arm, she gently guides him to her chest and exhales in relief as the crying comes to a stop. At least this, she can do, and the idiots who write advice pages about how you shouldn’t get your baby used to falling asleep at the breast have probably never even met a real baby.

 She leans back against the pillows when she’s sure Mac’s found a good latch and she can hear his content grunts and swallows. His hand has found a steady grip on her newly washed hair, probably getting drool in it again, but she can’t be bothered to try and unclench his little iron fist when he’s finally happy. Watching his perfect chubby cheeks as they hollow and fill, stroking the soft baby curls that are getting lighter and more like Jake’s every day, Amy’s overcome with another wave of that crazy all-consuming love that keeps surprising her, and then she’s the one who can’t stop her tears from falling.

 The only thing she ever wants is to keep him safe. In a world of pandemics and injustice, where the news gives her anxiety attacks more days than not and everything she thought she knew keeps changing, at least she can make sure Mac has his every need attended to. It’s been her life while staying home for the past five months, and she likes to think she’s handled it well all things considered, but after Charles’ nip tips and three-hour imprisonment of her child, Amy can’t help but feel like she’s done it all wrong.

 Her son is at his happiest when she can’t bother him. Once again, her high-strungness and failure to just be chill have proved her unfit for motherhood. She’s too anxious, too stressed, too overprotective, and the baby in her arms looking up at her with the warmest, roundest brown eyes she’s ever known is seriously unlucky and he doesn’t even know it.

 She doesn’t know where the negative thoughts are coming from, but sometimes breastfeeding has this effect on her – another sign, the self-hating voice in her head whispers – and it’s been an exhausting day, so she lets the tears come and hopes Jake is too deeply asleep to notice her mini-breakdown. Why is this so hard for her, and why can’t she just relax? How come Mac seems to be the only child she’s heard of whose sleeping habits at home have gotten worse and not better after his first few weeks at daycare, and how come even the most gentle of sleep training methods break her heart when Mac cries like he’s been abandoned?

 She’s wiping her tears with her free hand before wiping Mac’s cheeks with the muslin blanket when Jake begins to stir next to her, and even that makes her feel guilty, because he’s had a long day, too. He rubs his hand against her upper arm as if sensing that something’s off, yawning as he pushes himself up into a half-sitting position.

“Hey,” he mumbles in his softest sleepy voice, a worried crease appearing on his forehead. “Are you okay, Ames?”

“Yeah,” she tries, but her voice breaks, so she shakes her head. Mac is starting to pull away, so she unlatches him and sighs when she realizes that the shirt she’d packed clean already has milk stains on it. She rests him upright with his head on her shoulder instead, patting him on the back and trying to stop the tears that won't stop coming.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me. Is it Charles again? Because I really think he felt bad, but I’m happy to tell him off again if you want me to.”

“It's not Charles.” Amy sighs. “Well, it kind of is, but it's more that... I can't believe the best Mac has ever slept was when I wasn't even there. I try everything and nothing works, and Charles straight-up locks him in a room, and that makes him fall asleep? It feels like more proof I wasn't meant to do this,” she says, and she can see him immediately opening his mouth to protest. “Like even Charles is a more natural mom than I am.”

 Mac makes a hiccuping noise, spitting up a little bit of milk on the muslin blanket Amy put on her shoulder. Jake wipes it away before laying an arm around them, half-hugging them both.

“No offense, but that's the worst lie I’ve heard today, and that's including the stuff Terry said about me.” He strokes Mac’s back through the blue pajamas with little moons and clouds with faces as he begins to whimper again. “You're the best mom to him ever, Ames. You do everything for him. You literally kicked down a door to get to him today. Why do you think someone would be better?”

Amy sighs as she adjusts Mac in her arms, swaying him slightly and being surprised when it actually makes him go quiet. He has his eyes closed, fists up in front of his face, and just the thought that she could be doing something wrong by him makes her heart shatter.

“Because I try too hard,” she whispers, just loud enough for Jake to hear. “When he was locked in by Charles, I couldn't check on him, and it was the best nap he's ever had. All because I worry too much about him. Because I don't know what else to do. I want to keep him safe, but instead I’m somehow not doing enough and doing too much at once.”

She tickles that adorable baby chin with her index finger. Mac grips it, bringing it to his mouth with determination, and it makes both parents laugh. Why he likes this but rejects every single kind of pacifier Buy Buy Baby had to offer, she’ll never understand.

“He knows you love him,” Jake says, as if that was an obvious fact. He likes to claim he can read Mac’s mind about these things, a skill which Amy thinks would have been a lot more useful if it had also worked to figure out what it is their son needs during their worst nights of crying. It's what she needed to hear right now, though, and she leans her head on his shoulder as a silent thank you. “And just because he might be a little introverted sometimes doesn't mean he doesn't love you like crazy, too. I mean, that's what you tell me when I interrupt you when you're reading, right?”

She smiles. “I guess.”

“I know you worry,” he continues. “But just because Mac likes his peace and quiet sometimes doesn’t mean you’re doing a bad job. Maybe we could even let him start sleeping in his nursery at night, you know, just see what happens?”

Just the mention of not having her son within arm’s length at night makes Amy freeze and a million nightmare scenarios flash through her head, and Jake laughs a little as he feels her shoulders tense. “Okay, I can tell that was too big of a step and you’re freaking out, so maybe not. But one day?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” she decides, carefully trying to pull her finger out of her son’s mouth. “Thanks, babe. I just really want to go back to sleep.”

 Mac’s eyes are fluttering, a telltale sign that he’s starting to fight his sleep, stretching his legs and letting out the most adorable of baby-sighs. Jake runs his thumb over his son’s forehead and nose in an attempt to make him relax, and shakes his head as Mac only forces his eyes open again.

“He’s lucky he’s so cute, isn’t he?”

“He’s lucky we love him,” Amy mumbles, trying and failing to stifle a yawn.

“Yeah. I mean, who needs a full night’s sleep anyway, right?” Jake says, and Amy just stares at him with a blank expression.

“I know you’re joking, but I would almost leave him in Charles’ hands for a night again if it meant I got a four-hour stretch, and that’s saying something.”

“Yeah.” Jake grimaces. “I shouldn’t have said that. Now I’m kind of thinking about it too.”

 Thinking that maybe Mac will repeat his magical streak of at least managing to fall asleep on his own, Amy tries to put him down in the cot again, but she’s barely moved before he lets out another unhappy cry. She lifts him upright against her chest again, biting her lip and trying not to feel defeated as she starts the hushing and rocking all over again.

“Hey, I can take him,” Jake says, reaching for him. “You need to sleep so you can stop crazy-spiraling, and I’ve barely held him all day. I’ll walk around with him outside for a while, that might do it.”

 It’s not the typical declarations of love they used to share, but as he puts the muslin blanket on his shoulder before taking Mac and getting out of bed with him, Amy’s confident that she’s never loved her husband more. This, right here, watching him with sleep-tousled curls in just his t-shirt and pajama pants as he adjusts his son and bounces him slightly in his arms while the crying turns into a more gentle fussing, is far hotter than any sex dream about Sanjay Gupta could ever be.

#my writing #b99 #peraltiago #b99 fic #b99 fanfiction #jake x amy fanfiction #here it is i hope you enjoy!!!

[cptnsantiago]

safe in my arms when you finally come

summary: Amy’s afternoon between Wuntch’s funeral, a wonderfully timed meltdown, and arriving home. 7x07 spoilers.

read on ao3

.

.

Amy was frustrated to put it lightly — no matter how high she put the AC on in her car, the sweat was not letting up.

It wouldn’t be long before her entire car was flooded of her sweat. And tears, probably. This wouldn’t be a problem if her stupid body would get pregnant as easily as the rest of the Santiago clan, so she wouldn’t have to stick needles in her back every morning. It didn’t help her frustration that one of her brother’s just announced that their wife was pregnant once again, apparently a total surprise to them.

Amy just wouldn’t get that luck. She was stuck in a stuffy car with soaked with sweat hair and an empty uterus. Surely this wasn’t normal.

She had done her research before agreeing to take these fertility drugs. Possible side effects of course included mood swings, hot flushes among a host of other symptoms, but Amy couldn’t believe that it was normal to the extent of sweating through layers of clothes. It made no sense to her; how she had been taking the drug for almost a month but only now were these symptoms making themselves known?

It sends her into enough of a panic to call her doctor.

Dr. Lowe was a fantastic doctor, she had multiple awards for fertility research, so she was the best of the best and had a great instinct on how to deal with anxious women trying to get pregnant. Her voice is calming, making the loud noises of New York sound like a white noise machine as she asks Amy to describe her symptoms to her.

“Well, I’ve been sweating profusely all day, and intense mood swings, like probably an equal amount of sweat and tears all week… And I know these are normal symptoms, because as you know I did my research, Dr. Lowe, but I really can’t exaggerate enough how much sweat there was.” Amy knows she’s ranting, and probably for nothing but being told that it was completely normal.

She’d heard enough of completely normal. It was completely normal that it took so long for her and Jake to make a baby, completely normal to be sweating out of every single pore of her body and completely normal that she wants to kill the bird that just pooped on her car’s windscreen. Why couldn’t the thing that was completely normal thing in her life being the nausea she feels everyday because she’s growing a baby inside her? But no, yet another symptom of this dumb fertility drug.

“That’s definitely not normal, Amy.” Dr. Lowe begins cautiously, causing Amy’s heart rate to spike to an unhealthy level as she waits for her to speak again. “I do have an idea of what might be the problem here… Well, I wouldn’t call it a problem!”

Amy doesn’t know how to process the next words — Dr. Lowe spitting out a theory that she could be pregnant, causing her to experience double the symptoms from the medication. Amy, you might be pregnant.

The words bounce around her head for a while after she hangs up the phone. Dr. Lowe tells her she’s excited to hear back from her, willing to make time for an appointment as soon as she needs but Amy barely hears any of it as she processes those words. You might be pregnant.

For months on end, Amy had been convincing herself of symptoms that always lead her to a negative result on a plastic stick but now… Now her own doctor thinks she might be pregnant. Amy really didn’t want to face that disappointment again, and Jake. She didn’t want to disappoint him yet again. He goes on about how it’s okay, we’ll get pregnant and he’s there, always, to pick her up when she’s down but she knows how he’s feeling.

Amy can see the disappointment on her face every time she came back with a negative result, just to disguise it as fast as he could with his supportive words, but she could see it still hiding it. She sees it in the way he talks about Nikolaj, how badly Jake wants to be a dad, how badly he wanted to add a child into their family. He tries to hide his admiration of the couples with strollers on their nightly stroll together, but she can see it, because it’s exactly how she was feeling.

Every stroller, every toddler and every pregnant woman they passed just a cruel tease of what Amy apparently couldn’t have. She was bad at making babies, as much as Jake reassured Amy that it wasn’t her fault. It was almost constantly in the back of her conscience, nagging at her deteriorating patience.

She probably sits in her car for another minute longer before she resolves to go home and just rip off the band-aid and let the scab bleed all over the place. The duration of the car ride is spent debating whether to tell Jake, so he could be by her side. If she didn’t tell him, then she only had to deal with her own disappointment. An instant after that thought she had made her decision; Jake would stay in the dark for the moment.

Jake doesn’t think much of her weird behaviour when she arrives home. Probably because of the extensive knowledge of the fertility treatment that she made him read about, so he shoots her a simple smile she barely sees as she runs straight for the bathroom. Her hand moves to the medicine cabinet like clockwork, her hands shaking as she takes out the pregnancy test.

Keep your expectations low, Amy. She tells herself, but Dr. Lowe’s words ring in her ears, Take the test, it’s possible you’re pregnant and overwhelmed by hormones.

The three minutes pass slower than… Fuck, she’s too nervous to think of a good analogy. But it’s a slow moving three minutes she’s sure of. Looking down at the test sitting in the sink, Amy thinks she might pass out.

Two lines. Clear as day. Pregnant. Amy was pregnant. Her uterus wasn’t doomed to be empty forever. Jake was going to be a dad. They were going to have a baby.

The overwhelming amount of emotions she had felt all day hit her like a fucking train once. Tears were streaming down her face, her hand shaking again as she held the test in her hand and she simply forgot how to breath. She was going to have a baby with the love of her life, after months of struggle and tears, they were going to have a baby. This was her reality.

Amy doesn’t keep track of how long she spends in the bathroom trying to pull herself together, but once she pinches herself and snaps out of her emotional stupor, she’s quickly formulating a creative way to tell Jake. It takes a little while to think it through and compose herself — she had started crying again when she straightened her shirt over her stomach, remembering there was a baby in there and then again as she wondered if their baby would have Jake’s curls — but as she makes her way into their bedroom, her whole plan is thrown out the window.

Jake is cursing Wario once again, and she almost starts crying on the spot again. That man, her husband, was going to be the best dad on the planet. How she gets through telling him without crying is a mystery to her, but now their hug had moved to the bed, she lets the river flow at last. He listens to her anxieties she had been feeling that day, wiping and kissing away every single tear as they come. She does the same for him, heart swelling as his own tears of joy start to pour down his face. Amy couldn’t feel more love for this man even if she tried, his dedication was unmatched.

They come to a point where it was impossible to find the words to express how they were feeling, so outside of booking appointments and taking out her pregnancy binder with a light layer of dust on it, they mostly just smile at each other. That and kissing, there’s a lot of that. Kissing is interrupted by Charles knocking their door in the middle of the night, who makes sure to mention that he tried his best to hold himself back when he woke up and apparently just knew. But he’s respectful enough of the space they need, so he’s soon gone, and Jake is quickly back to kissing Amy.

Falling asleep that night after he talks to her flat stomach for a half hour is otherworldly. Jake makes sure to make her feel more loved than ever, through words, kisses and all. It’s not at all what she expected at the start of the week when she found out that Madeline Wuntch had died, but she couldn’t be happier with the turn of events.

They were finally getting their half-Jake, half-Amy. And as Charles had screamed, their little Peraltiago baby.

#i said i wasnt gonna do this #i have uni lectures to watch and readings to do #but i honestly dont care #THEYRE GONNA HAVE A BABY #ugh #im c rying again #jake x amy #b99 #peraltiago #peraltiago fic #peraltiago fics #amy santiago #jake x amy fanfiction #my fics

[evertexstatum]

Jake Peralta x Amy Santiago | Waiting (One-shot) Rated M

Inspired by Waiting - Mac Ayres

Author’s note: Was trying to find a fanfic based on this but couldn’t find one. So I’ve decided to write one - with some extra spice. English is not my first language but I tried. Haven’t been writing in so long (haven’t done a fandom graphic in so long) as well so apologies in advanced. 

“Like, what’s another rule we could break?”

“No making out at work.” 

“Okay, that’s very flattering Amy. But there are some rules that I shall never -”

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Amy grabbed Jake by the hand and pulled him to the back of the room. They’re hidden behind piles of dusty boxes and the spot was dimly lit. It was a perfect secret make-out spot. 

It felt like they were high school teenagers, skipping class to make-out in some dark empty classroom. It was exciting and needless to say, sexy as hell. 

Amy was especially excited about this whole sneaking around thing because she doesn’t normally do this - breaking the rules. It felt like she was the lucky girl who got the attention of the most popular guy in school.

She got him to follow her around like a love-sick puppy. ‘I mean just look at him, he’s cute as f*k,’ she thought to herself while running her hands down his biceps. ‘...and hella fit.’

High school Amy would be so jealous of her now. Nerd Amy making out with Peralta, in the dark? Ooh, mama. 

Their kiss started innocent enough with small pecks around each other’s lips and cheek but it didn’t last long. It escalated pretty quickly and she is more than happy to comply.

Jake kissed her as if his life depended on it and she was not complaining one bit. She loved the way he grabbed her by the waist to pull her closer against his hard body. She let out a soft squeal against his mouth when she felt the bump on the front of his jeans.

Amy ran her fingers through his hair and brought her hand down to his face, letting it rest there, feeling his face muscle move while kissing her. 

Jake ran his fingers up into her hair and lightly grabbed it, pulling her head down slightly so he could start kissing down her neck. Amy gasped but it quickly turned into a sigh. Everything about this was driving her crazy. ‘How is he doing this to me,’ she thought to herself, eyes closed, fully enjoying Jake’s hot breath against her skin.

None of the other men she’s dated before could even come close to turning her on like this. To think that she had wasted time with those men without ever feeling this kind of passion was crazy to her.

Both Amy and Jake knew that this was something that could have happened years ago. Both had feelings for each other but neither one of them were ready to admit it. God knows why they waited this long. 

Their frantic movement accidentally popped open the top button of her blouse. Jake pulled away and stared at her. Cheeks flushed, plump lips and breathing hard - he couldn’t look any sexier than this. Then his gaze fell onto her chest; her blouse hanging slightly open. 

She knew what he was thinking but because he wanted to be respectable, he wasn’t going to do anything until she made sure that she was okay with it. 

Amy took his hand and placed it against her chest. Then she pulled him by the neck and started kissing him again. Jake was still hesitant, his hand frozen on her chest. She grabbed his hand and guided it towards her breast, lightly squeezing it. She moaned against his mouth and that drove him crazy. 

He turned her and pushed her back against the metal racks, his hand roaming freely on her chest, fondling her breasts. ‘Fuck, Amy,’ he breathed against her mouth.

Amy slid her hand down his body and towards the growing erection in his pants. She squeezed him lightly and smirked when Jake hissed. She massaged him through his jeans, enjoying the hisses and moans he was making. 

Any sanity left was out the window. Nothing else mattered but this moment right here.

She felt so in power over him. 

And boy, was he a great kisser. She loved how he slid his tongue in and out her mouth. She couldn’t help but wonder how that would feel against her clit. Meanwhile, Jake loved the way she would bite his bottom lip, pulling it and sucking on it. It was driving him crazy.

All Jake wanted to do was bend her over a desk a slam hard into her willing body. These imaginations running through his head were making this hard, making him harder than he already was. If he wasn’t careful, he would - 

“You two have been in this evidence locker for -- hey!”

“What? Nothing!”

What happened next was so fast, she didn’t have time to think about it. Amy pushed Jake with such force that he fell to the floor. 

Jake, flustered and on the floor -  looked up at Amy to process what just happened. When it finally did, he scrambled himself off the floor and grabbed a candy wrapper that was on the floor next to his hand. 

“Nothing? You were just making out with Peralta.”

“Ah, there’s that candy wrapper I was looking for. Oh, Santiago. What are you doing here?”

Amy was too flustered to play along with Jake’s obvious dumb cover-up so she just let out an awkward chuckle. 

“So I guess it is hos before cho’s with you friend. Now I understand why nothing gets done in this precinct. The detectives are too busy frenching with each other!”

Dozerman was clearly unhappy. Amy just wanted to melt into the ground and disappear. High school Amy would never get into trouble like this. 

----

“So, Boyle…”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go look at those surveillance tapes, yeah?”

“Oh, absolutely!”

Amy’s mouth hung open in horror. ‘Fuck.’ She breathed.

“Title of our sex tape. Literally.”

Amy turned to Jake and slapped his arm before storming away, cheeks flushed. 

#b99edit #peraltiago #jake x amy #brooklyn nine nine #brooklyn 99 #fanfic #smut #jake peralta #amy santiago #jake x amy fanfiction

[letsperaltiago]

we'll sweep out the ashes in the morning |chapter 12|

Even in the middle of New York's freezing month of February, a scandalous familiar fire is ignited within Jake and Amy when they run into each other after years apart. Luckily there's nothing wrong with being caught up in a fire that has to die out soon, right?

Read the new chapter here or on AO3

__

That night, Jake ended up keeping two promises. 

Firstly, his promise to Amy. They rode the bus home together, about 20 minutes after Jake had secured himself the beautiful and quirky blonde’s number. It wasn’t that the other woman had killed the mood, per se. There was no such ulterior mood to kil when it came to the two old partners, after all… Still, Amy thought to herself as she lay in bed that night, something undefined shifted the second the stranger walked up to them and declared her intentions Suddenly, their conversation seemed weighed down and cramped. Now all she could think of was… what. What had so suddenly weighed their otherwise fantastic evening together down?  

That night, Jake ended up keeping two promises. 

Secondly, his promise to Olivia. Olivia. Just the name had Amy's stomach churning. Jake had promised Olivia to text her, and, well… he did. They were riding the bus towards her place, only a few stops away, and the conversation between the two had dwindled down to sitting in a… somewhat comfortable silence. They’d talked a bit about what the rest of the week was holding for them, which of course, was mostly work. So then they’d talked about work and on this wise, the conversation slowly and painfully died out…Who was she trying to kid? It wasn’t a somewhat comfortable silence; it was a civic silence at best. If there had been anyone else on the empty night bus, they surely would’ve thought the two were strangers or on a really awful first date. 

Ding! It wasn’t her phone. She had checked. On his side of the site, Jake had grabbed his phone. Even though it in no way had seemed like he was trying to be obstructive about it, Amy experienced a striking sinking feeling when she noticed that he was typing out a message designated to Olivia. Right then and there, Amy had wanted to get off at the next stop, even if it meant she’d have to walk 20 minutes home, just to get away from the situation. Of course, she didn’t. Instead, she remained in her seat next to him, turning her head in the opposing direction to look out at the dark streets of Brooklyn. As if to give him privacy to carry out his illicit affairs. 

Affairs that actually weren’t illicit in any way, shape, or form. It dawned upon her as the clock on her nightstand flashed 2:32 AM. Way too late considering she had work to get up to in less than 4 hours. Nothing Jake did that night was illicit. He had every right in the world to move on… just like she herself had done with Teddy. 

Her mind drifted to the memory of their bus ride. By the time they’d almost finally reached the stop closest to her apartment, Jake had locked and put away his phone. She had no idea what he’d texted Olivia and, honestly,  she didn’t want to know. 

The remaining of the trip was traveled in silence, each of them occupying themselves with glancing around and everywhere else but at the other person. Regardless, even when looking in the opposite direction of her friend and out the window, her reason and senses must’ve carried off with her. In the dark scenery outside the bus window, the flashing light from bypassing lampposts triggered reminiscent snapshots. 

Cold February air. Trotting down an icy Brooklyn sidewalk with nothing but the destination (work, as always) in mind. Collision point. Her phone and to go-coffee flying in each their own direction. 

“Oh my goodness, I am so so sorry, sir! I was reading an email and wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” 

She had kneeled to pick up her dropped items from the sidewalk and then… there he was. Right back in her life as if he’d never left. 

“Wow, Santiago. Who would’ve thought I’d ever experience you on your knees and calling me sir?”

The comment took her by surprise. In more than one way. One: After years of little to no contact, Jake Peralta was right there in front of her. Two: She just trampled him down, basically, and he was just being very nice and funny about it. Three: That comment of his was super sexual, right? There was no time to think clearly or straight. 

“Here,” he’d kneeled down to her level and started to pick up things she hadn’t even realized she’d dropped. “Let me help you out.”

The bus jerked, probably hitting one of the many bumps and holes on the run-down road, both literally and metaphorically jostling Amy out of her nostalgic daydreaming. Why was it that she kept on being dragged back to the past these days? Why couldn’t her head simply live in the moment, here and now, and let go of what had been and could’ve been? How come that when she’s finally moved on, has gotten her head on straight, and Jake apparently has too, memories and feelings, ones she thought were distanced, claw their way back into her reality? Honestly, it made her want to scream in frustration, so much she felt her fingers dig into the God knows how dirty-bus seat as a vision of two entangled, grinding figures appeared before her. 

The female figure was her, sandwiched between the brick wall of a cold, wet alley and a male figure. 

Jake.The male figure. 

She could feel frigid rain drizzling from the sky above them. It had caused his messy curls to fall flat against his forehead and forming a cute mop in the area between his eyebrows and the top of the bridge of his nose. Somehow, it made him look even more attractive than before. 

Their battling had been at it for what seemed like forever. Their tired yet starving lips hitched at the sensation of an icy driblet of winter rain sliding down her cold, red cheek. Desperately, as if her life depended on it, her hands grasped at the collar of his open coat. In the heat of the moment, when rushing out of the bar, they’d just barely had the time to throw their respective coats on. Her coat was wide open, inviting him to bury his hands under her shirt in the hunt for two things: heat and more of her. Needless to say that he found both when he felt her body shudder beneath his cold hands. 

“Sorry,” he had mumbled, drowsy yet still so vigilant and attentive, even after all the drinking, resulting in the slowing pace of his kisses, gently redirecting them to somewhere else but her aching lips. 

She could feel herself grow more eager with every second slipping by under his spell. The heat between her legs reflecting exactly this, and a part of her wanted him to take her whole and fully. Right then and there in an alley on an icy night, because, in the back of her mind, the fear of never having another moment like this with him ever again was lurking and threatening her sanity. 

“It’s o-okay,” she recalled her voice had trembled, feeling as if she was being touched for the very first time. Touched in a way that mattered more than anything else in her perception; touched in a way and with a power that even a thousand storms couldn’t compete with. How come she’d never felt like this before? How come nothing else before the second he kissed her felt important?

“You’re-“ Jake murmured deeply against her cheek and neck whilst his cold fingers picked at the soft, warm skin of her stomach, only removing them to fiddle with the bottom button of her shirt, “-amazing.”

He’d managed to pop open the tiny, tricky button, the pattern repeating itself upwards until he was able to pull the now two fragments of burgundy fabric apart to reveal the ultimate price. She remembered feeling vulnerable but also very much safe… As in there was no one else's presence her vulnerability could possibly feel safe in. Not that she’d had this outcome in mind when she’d put it on earlier, but now, with her shirt open and her torso bare before him… she was glad that she chose to wear that elegant black silk bra instead of one of her many old, worn t-shirt bras that she used for work. He probably wouldn’t have minded either way but still. 

Feeling her almost bare chest heave for air in an almost violent, exasperated constant up-and-down pattern was something she would never forget. The cold air burned and cut through her lungs like a thousand tiny knives. His lips were back on her’s and she felt like she couldn’t breathe but scarily enough… nothing else had ever felt this good. He did that to her; Jacob Peralta could make her body react like this. Feeling sizzling and on fire in 25 degrees’ winter rain.  

“Amy.” 

He called out her name. But not with that breathy, mumbling voice from that night in the alley. Shit. 

“Amy.” 

She’d drifted off again, her imagination and memories of the past getting away with her. Now she was back on the bus; back with Jake on her right side instead of pushed against a brick wall with his body pressed against hers. She snapped her head in his direction and was met by a pair of confused but nonetheless, as always, soft and wondering brown eyes that had her want to dive back into another reminiscing trance-session. Just to feel him, touch him, even if only in her daydreams and deepest imagination. 

“Sorry! Must’ve drifted off…”

“It’s cool,” he smiled, not questioning further why and what she’d drifted off about. “We’ll be arriving at your stop in a minute. My offer still stands?”

Before they’d boarded the bus, he’d offered to walk her all the way home. Both because she didn’t want him to go through the hassle, and because she secretly felt like she needed to get as far away from him as possible, she’d politely declined his gallant offer. 

“Oh-” she thought the awkward ride by her side had been enough to make him realize just why he shouldn’t be walking her home. It warmed her heart that he cared enough to propose it again. That was Jake in a nutshell. “No, you’re fine. Just the fact that you’ve taken a completely different bus, in the opposite direction from your place, just to get me home safe is more than enough. Thank you. I’ll be fine for the last bit.” 

God, she hoped her smile looked warmer than it felt. Genuinely, she did appreciate his offer, and she so badly tried to express the gratefulness and offer him an expression that reflected this but her entire body felt… off. It was as if, all at once, she wanted to stay in his company but also couldn’t be with him for another second. She had to get away as quickly as possible or… She didn’t know exactly what. But she had to go.  

“Sure?” His eyes were saturated with a shade of attentiveness and a depth that all at once resembled a deep, endless, and chaotic ocean but at the very same time also the safety of a home. A home she wanted to revisit; an ocean she needed to save herself from. 

“Y-yeah, don’t worry about me.” She stood up from her seat, supporting herself on the handle hanging from the ceiling. 

“I always worry about you, Ames. Or… maybe not worry but like I… care. Like friends do, you know?” He smiled shyly, sheepishly, which Jake Peralta, king of living wildest and most confident life, rarely did, and for a second Amy considered giving in. He could walk her home and it’d be fine right? Her phone buzzed in her coat pocket as the bus pulled in at her stop. She picked it up.

1:12 AMTeddy Wells: Too bad you can’t come over tonight. I’m headed to bed. See you tomorrow, babe. 

The text felt like a slap across the face. No. No way, she shouldn’t have Jake walk her home. Even if there were a hundred murderers hiding, waiting for her to walk by and ready to kill her, there was no way it was the time and place for Jake to go any further with her. 

The original plan had been that she’d sleep at Teddy’s place tonight. Alas, that was before; before everything had felt like the good old days and she just wanted to stay in Jake’s presence; before Olivia had walked up to them and shattered something inside of her… Something she couldn’t define nor place within herself, resulting in it rumbling and burning with a frustrating restlessness inside of her. 

“Okay then,” he got up from his seat, accidentally standing so close to her that she could feel his warm breath on her face. She hoped he hadn’t noticed how her breath and entire body had hitched at the unexpected closeness; a closeness her body could recognize but wasn’t used to at this point. After all this time, all these months and even the years before that, she’d expected them to feel like two identical magnetic poles rejecting each other - like south and south, or north and north -  instead, they were perfect opposites attracting each other. For a second that felt like an eternity, they stood so close, too close, dwelling into the other’s eyes. Eventually, the bus stopped and the doors screeched open, startling them both out of their trance. 

“Uhm,” he nervously cleared his throat and took a step back. South and south; north and north. “Text me when you get home? So I know that you’re safe.”

She’d be lying if she said her heart didn’t skip a beat. “O-okay. But don’t stay up waiting for me.”

She stepped out of the bus and into the dark street, turning back to look at him as he stood there at the center of the still-open bus doors. Perfectly centered, making the scene look very cinematic.

“You’ll be back home before I’m even on the right bus,” he chuckled and with the beat of an eye, his familiar cockiness was back. “Text me. Okay?”

“Y-yeah, I will. Promise.” She smiled weakly trying to match his sudden nonchalance.

Out of nowhere, the doors closed between them, shutting them off from each other. Without warning. It all happened so fast and before she knew it, the bus was driving off with him as the wind from its newfound speed played with her dark hair. There he went, she thought, and probably for the better. 

That night she got home safe and texted him as promised. It all sounded where simple when she told him she would, but as she stood in the darkness of her kitchen writing…

1:38 AMAmy Santiago:I’m home safe. Jake, you and I have been through more than I can process right now. I can’t put a finger on what I’m feeling but I think I need space and time to think. Don’t worry about me. Goodnight.

… then deleting, her third draft for a message, she suddenly regretted promising him anything. She sighed loudly and looked at the clock. 1:37 AM. This was ridiculous; she was ridiculous. He was ridiculous. 

1:38 AMAmy Santiago:Home safe. You’re so confusing, you know that, right??!! I can’t even look at you right now, like??? Do I punch you? Do I cry?? Do I laugh?? I DON’T KNOW. 

As soon as she finished writing, her fingers started tapping delete. She couldn’t send that. That was ludicrous. What did it even mean? Nothing at all. Plus, she could never be that rude or mean to anyone, especially him. 

“Whatever,” she sighed and hit send. 

1:38 AMAmy Santiago:Home safe. Night :)

It was easier this way, she decided, as she muted his contact.

#posted this a few days ago but forgot to put it on tumblr #here it is #peraltiago #jake x amy #fanfic #au #fanfiction #brooklyn nine-nine #b99 #brooklyn nine nine #jake peralta #amy santiago

[jakenamy]

The Coldest Winter of the Year (B99 Fic)

---------------

Pairing: Jake Peralta x Amy Santiago

Genre: fluff, romance, humor, 

Title: The Coldest Winter of the Year

Summary: Jake secretly studies for the Sergeant exam. This story is referring to B99 S6E12 when Amy acknowledges that Jake put socks on her while sleeping during a cold night, without ever taking credit for it.

Word Count: 600 words

————— It’s 12am in the morning. Winds blowing heavily, and the trees outside are shaking. Jake, with his heavy coat on, sneaks into the kitchen to do some late-night secret studying. He’s not worried about staying up as he knows the next day is the weekend. He’s been prepping for the sergeant’s exam to surprise Amy. He’s avoiding telling Amy because he knows she’s been occupied trying to adjust to her new job as a sergeant. And if she knew he was studying for the exam, Amy would instantly drop everything just to help him. 

In the kitchen, one small lamp on, and sitting next to a window. Jake’s focused and starting to get frustrated as he knows he’s not the best at standardized tests. Suddenly, a gust of wind hits window and startles Jake. He looks at his phone and it’s Friday, 2am. Jake immediately realizes it’s not Saturday and he has work tomorrow. He rushes to bed.

He sees Amy in bed, only her upper body covered in blankets. Jake gets some socks to put on her and covers her legs with a blanket. He gives a peck on Amy’s forehead, says “love you, Ames”, and goes back to bed next to her. Next morning 8am, Amy is hitting Jake with a pillow to wake him. At first, Amy softly says, “Jake, let’s go, we’re going to be late”, but then 8:40am hit, she starts screaming, “Jake! Wake up you, jag!” Amy finally gives up and leaves for the precinct. 

10am, Jake arrives at the precinct and to his desk with coffee. Amy, sitting in front of him, gives him a glare, and says, “We need to talk, meet me in the break room in 5”. Jake gives a sigh and face-plants his head on his keyboard. Jake mutters, “Oh no. Amy’s going to give me another lecture about being punctual again...” 

Charles, from across the room, carefreely replies “Don’t worry Jakey, you’re perfect and you don’t ever have to change”!

Jake sighs, “Thanks Charles...” while still face-planted on his desk. 

Jake gets up from his chair, walks to the break room, and sees Amy holding his sergeant exam guide. Amy asks, “Babe, why didn’t you tell me you were studying?”

Jake sighs, “....because, I knew if you knew you would want to help me study, and you’ve been so busy lately, and I wanted to surprise you”.

Amy replies back, “I mean why are you studying for the sergeant’s exam? I thought you were happy being a detective?”

Jake is silent.

Amy yells, “Jake!”

Jake takes a deep breathe, “Look, ok... I’m studying for the exam, because... I want to feel more a part of your life... We’ve both been busy lately and... ok the truth. I’m afraid, one day, you’re going to wake up and realize you wish you were with someone as smart as you. I wanted to take the exam, because I wanted to connect and be more like you.”

Jake looks away. 

Amy gives a compassionate look, “But, I am with someone as smart as me. You.“

Jake looks away in denial.

Amy continues, ”You’re a brilliant detective, and I love the way you think. That’s why I married you. And just because I’m your boss now, doesn’t mean i don’t see you as my equal. You’re always going to be heard. I promise you, babe”. 

Jake slowly raises his head up. Jake says, “ok... love you, Ames.”

Amy gently relies back, “I love you too, Jake”, and then she gives a peck on Jakes cheek and gives a loving smile. 

Amy quickly interrupts, “oh mama, I do see you using my tabs in your exam binder. Me likey”.

Jake answers back, “Keep it in your pants, Santiago”.

End

#brooklyn99 #b99 #b99 fic #b99 fanfic #amy santiago #jake peralta #charles boyle #love #romantic #jake x amy #domestic fluff #fluff #b99 quotes #mine: b99 #source: b99 #peraltiago #jake x amy fic #brooklyn nine nine #jake x amy fanfiction #brooklyn99 fanfiction #relationship #meepmorperaltiago #b99 s7 #insecurity #im not good enough #b99 headcanons