#shawn mendes breakup

[shawncrediblemendes]

What do you think of shawn and camilas breakup? 🤔 Do you think Shawn is happier

Welp lemma start…

I think Shawn has loved her probably for a really really long time without it being returned. That usually makes you put someone on a pedestal. And I guess when they started dating and then quarantined together they kinda didn’t have a lot of other things going on other than the relationship. It probably made the experience very intense.

I think he was just consumed with the idea of Camila being the one for very long and now kinda has to re-wire his brain if that makes sense?

I have no idea if he is happier but I personally am really happy that he gave up the extreme hippie look 😅😂

Also I just want him to date someone simple. Idk maybe someone his friends in Toronto introduced him to. Or maybe someone in the industry who has just started out or something. But nothing this high profile…

I just really want the best for him. But idk what that is haha

#shawn mendes #also feels weird to talk about this because I feel like I don’t know enough #also I have never been the biggest camila fan #like I don’t dislike her but I’m just like neutral? #she seems kinda ott always but like idk #I just want something calm for him #shawmila #shawmila breakup #camila cabello

[shawmilo]

Shawmila UpDate:👀🤔🧐Early Valentine('s)🤨🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

😟THAT WOULD Mean😬,😣😖History Reapeatin'😕:😒she🤬Did IT🤬AGAIN🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️

#Shawn Mendes #Shawn Peter Raul Mendes #Mendes Army #Shawmila #Valentine #Valentine's #Valentine's Day #BreakUp #Romance #Rumours

[greynatomy]

cindy lou who

alexia putellas x reader

social media + real life (no part two)

face claim - sabrina carpenter

———

liked by taylorswift, harrystyles and 2,648,826 others

yourinstagram made a little something special for the holidays

‘fruitcake’ is out now 🤍

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user AHHHH a christmas album!!!!

user nonsense (christmas version) 👀

taylorswift so proud!

↳ yourinstagram ty mother!

user guys… cindy lou who

—

Alexia was at training when she received a notification on her phone. Pulling it out, she sees a familiar notification. ‘yourinstagram posted a photo’

Clicking on it, she sees your new post. A new album.

“Hey, baby.”

Alexia quickly clots out of the app, putting her phone in her pocket.

“Hey.”

“What’re you doing?”

“Oh, you know.” Alexia shrugs her shoulders. “Just going through the socials, emails.”

“Oh, okay. Well, you wanna go to this restaurant I’ve always wanted to try?”

“Sure.”

At dinner, Alexia gets another notification. Seeing it, she acts like it was from her manager, excusing herself from the table.

—

liked by taylorswift, shawnmendes and 3,648,738 others

yourinstagram since you guys have blown up ‘fruitcake’ i give to you ‘santa doesn’t know you like i do’ music video! enjoy <3

view all comments

user mother is feeding us

user omfg is that shawn fucking mendes??

↳ greynatomy it’s not, but pretend it is

taylorswift on repeat!

↳ yourinstagram 🤍🤍

shawnmendes who’s that handsome fellow?

↳ yourinstagram lyle

↳ user can’t take her seriously

↳ user why am i shipping?

—

Alexia hasn’t had the chance to listen to the album, but from the looks of it, it’s become a hit in just a few hours.

Returning to the table, she sees that the desserts have been brought out.

“What did your manager want?”

“Oh, you know, just some football talk about the game soon.”

All her girlfriend does is nod, going back on her phone.

It’s been a year since Alexia broke up with you, but she couldn’t seem to stop thinking of you. Everywhere she looked, you were there, whether it was your songs or in posters and magazines.

You were everywhere.

You looked so beautiful in the pictures you posted, but she couldn’t help but wonder about that Shawn guy. Who is he to you? Alexia knew she had no right to be jealous, but she couldn’t help it.

Getting back home, her girlfriend was all over her, hoping to get lucky, but she wasn’t in the mood, pushing her away, giving a sorry of an excuse as to why she didn’t want to.

As her girlfriend slept, she stayed in the living room, putting her headphones on.

The first song, she remembers you writing it. The first time you let Alexia listen to it, it ended with you both back in bed. She grinned at the memory.

Getting to the fourth track, she carefully listens to the lyrics, quickly realizing that it was about her and her new relationship.

“Is this how you really feel?” Alexia asks herself.

She had met her now girlfriend a couple of months after the breakup when she went to Ibiza to let loose. She was aware of how quickly she moved on, so caught up in the new relationship.

She decides to sleep on the couch, not being able to bear sleeping next to her girlfriend.

—

liked by shawnmendes, alexiaputellas and 1,335,284 others

yourinstagram what’s in your wishlist?

view all comments

shawnmendes am i in yours?

↳ yourinstagram in your dreams

↳ user i need to know if they’re dating!

haileesteinfeld you’re in mine

↳ yourinstagram ily bby

user ugh she’s so pretty

—

It’s been two weeks since Alexia had listened to your new album. In those two weeks, she broke up with her girlfriend, much to her now ex-girlfriend’s pleas.

Alexia was the one to break up with you. No real reason given, just something about needing space. Remembering back to that conversation, Alexia realizes how much hurt she caused you.

Walking around the neighborhood, seeing all the Christmas lights, it reminds her of how the both of you would walk this very same path, looking at all the lights. Christmas has always been your favorite holiday.

Feeling guilty, she scrolls through her contacts, thumb hovering over your name. Clicking on it, she hears the call ring for a bit, some good news that you haven’t blocked her number. Eventually it goes to voicemail.

“Hey, uh, it’s Alexia. Um, I’ve, uh, just been thinking about you lately. I’m walking and seeing all the lights and I remember how it was your favorite thing to do. And, uh, it’s been a year and I know I have a lot to apologize for. So, if you do get this, please call me back… I miss you. Bye.”

#woso x reader #woso #greynatomy #woso imagines #woso imagine #alexia putellas #alexia putellas x reader

[spideysbruh]

karma

summary- yn and shawn mendes break up. things get a little messy. timothee comes into the picture.

a/n- i can make shawn mendes a lil mean in this idc idc!!! also, ~~~ means time has passed

@popbase tweeted-

BREAKING NEWS: Actress Y/N L/N and popstar Shawn Mendes have officially broken up after three years together.

@ynsperfectlywrong replied- WHAT NOOOO💔💔💔💔 MY PARENTS

@sabrinasyn replied to @ynsperfectltwrong- guess your @ is real now...

@spideysyn replied- TOO SOON 😭💔💔

@ynscinderella replied- you can tell they've been broken up for a while bc they used to alwayssss post each other and then it just Stopped.

@yngoddess replied- I wonder why... he did seem a little off towards the end

@whenyoureyn replied to @yngoddess- you don't know them.

@rodrigoyn replied- he's been detached from everything recently. she can only help him so much. I hope he gets better.

@lauriesrings replied to @rodrigoyn- fr maybe he'll write an album about it LMAO

liked by melissabarrera, tchalamet, madisonbeer and 2,887,398 others

y/n alexa, play dangerous by madison beer

view all 43,826 comments

ynssocks OOOOF

madisonbeer great song 👍

y/n liked

ynstan MAKE HIM REGRET IT

chalshalamet has timmy always liked her posts ???

spideyyn bro's making a move 💀💀

shawnsyn that song though.... what did he to our girl😭😭😭

@celebritynews tweeted-

Shawn Mendes has recently spoken up about his and y/n l/n's breakup in a recent interview. "we were both just really wrong for eachother. towards the end, i felt like we were just completely different people. It wasn't like my previous relationships, it was almost suffocating."

He continued to say that the relationship was a great "learning experience", but still mentions his ex. "Our relationship was, for the most part, amazing, at the time it was a breath of fresh air. But it just wasn't how I imagined and previously experienced."

There are no comments yet from y/n on this.

@ynsgoldfish replied- oh so he's still in love w his ex.... and was constantly comparing the two girls and the two different relationships?? okay. got it. fuck this guy lol

@chappellyn replied- bro he's still obsessed with his ex im dead. didn't they date for like. one year barely 💀💀

@midnightyn replied- it wasn't like he "previously experienced" ummm maybe that's a good thing??? he's so fucking stupid.

@sunriseyn replied- remember when she had made a silly little tiktok about how she thought taron egerton was rly cute in Kingsman and Shawn then posted a video of him singing some sad song and also another tiktok showing how jealous he was LMAOOO sore loser. he doesn't know how good he had it with her.

@girlyyn replied to @sunriseyn- this^^^ like there were soooo many red flags w him but we were all just so in love w the idea of the relationship nobody saw it coming fr

@y/n tweeted-

my kink is karma

~~~

@popbase tweeted-

Shawn Mendes has just announced a new single! Releasing at the end of the month, titled 'Miss You More Than Anything'

@ynsgf replied- sooo embarrassing 💀💀

@fiveyn replied- bro realized too late LMAOOO sucks for him.

@chalametyns replied- it'd be sooooo funny if it was bad 💀

@bluecurtains replied- oh it will be 💀

liked by tchalamet, florencepugh, dovecameron and 2,236,366 others

y/n feeling like a feather

view all 67,282 comments

sabsyn WITH YOU OUT MY LIFE 🗣🗣🗣

ynsbabe her post breakup journey has been so beautiful to watch tbh. I hope she finds someone who loves her fully

beachyyn 'post-breakup' it's been like almost a year already

tchalamet pretty

y/n 🫶💕

blankieyn UMMMM ??!?!!!

laurieslaurence wait- WAITTTTT

loveryn rue, when was this??

~~~

@popnews tweeted-

'Miss You More Than Anything' by Shawn Mendes has been out for several months, and is still the singers lowest grossing song ever.

@sabrinayn replied- the shadeeee 💀💀

@pinkyn replied- FOR Y/N UNITED WE STAND

@thankfulyn replied- I listened and... it's definitely a song with lyrics and a beat 😁

@warmyn replied- he'll never be loved by the masses again, it's crazy. almost sad... almost

@cineyn replied- "still" is so funny I cant

@timotheeyn replied- that's why she's with timothee now 💀

@sunnyyn replied to @timotheeyn- wait, it's confirmed?!???

@timotheeyn replied- not by them, but it's pretty obvious LMAO

tchalamet just posted a story!

@y/n tweeted-

not a lot going on at the moment, but life is good 🙏🏼🙏🏼

@ynsgirlfriend replied- you're so funny girl I love you

@y/n replied- why am I funny? im just vibing fr

@ynsautumn replied- she's living her best life fr

liked by tchalamet, shawnmendes, sabrinacarpenter and 3,287,272

y/n come with me... and you'll see...

view all 198,937 comments

lauriesrings THE WONKA REFERENCEEEE

rachelzegler literally the prettiest girl ever

y/n liked

y/n I literally love you so much.

ynsdinonuggets shawn liking is crazy 💀 SHE DONT WANT YOUU 🗣🗣🗣

piercetheyn imagine fumbling y/n 💀💀..... @shawnmendes IMAGINE 💀💀💀

tchalamet a worlddd of pure imagination !!!!

y/n omg youre my favorite actor hmu 😍

florencepugh so beautiful I miss you!!!

y/n liked

liked by y/n, francesa.scorsese and 4,847,727 others

tchalamet one year with you is crazy. best year of my life. you're the sunlight on my darkest days and just what I need on the good ones. you are everything I've ever wanted in one person and even more than I ever imagined. I miss you even when I'm right beside you, but especially when I'm not. I Love you, Y/n L/n.

view all 322,727 comments

laurieslaurence BROOOOOO

y/n im crying in this panda express omg

tchalamet liked

y/n you make me feel so special and so so loved. happy one year, timmy 🩷

tchalamet you are loved. happy one year, my love

alessiacara yall are too cute omg

ynscurtains BRO ONE YEARRRRR !?!!

kylesballs ellos son mis padres 😁

y/n just posted a story!

caption- 💕💕

liked by madisonbeer, tchalamet and 3,186,616 others

y/n I love you. you are the best thing to ever happen to me. you came during a confusing, heartbreaking, tumultuous time in my life that I was sure I would never get through. but I did and you were my reward. god, what a reward. I am forever grateful for you and everything you've taught me, and are continuing to teach me. happy one year my beautiful Man.

view all 122,282 comments

ynsmotivation okay I may be delusional but 'Man' being capitalized... maybe cause shawn was, and still is, acting like a boy LMAOOO

tchalamet I love you my pretty, talented, inspiring, strong, beautiful girl.

liked by y/n

harpyn and NOTHING for shawn 🤭🤭 funny how things work out.

rachelzegler we gotta have a double date soon!!

liked by y/n

*

#timothee chalamet fanfiction #timothée chalamet #timothee chalamet x reader #timothee chalamet imagine #timothee chalamet #timothee chalamet x you #timothee imagine #timothee x reader #timothee fanfic #timothee chalamet au #timothee chalamet smau #timothee chalamet social media au #timothee chalamet instagram au

[sweetiepoison]

Famous Baby (social media blurb)

Who’s (Y/f/n) (Y/l/n) Dating Now?

(Y/f/n) (y/l/n) has been in the spotlight since she was 15 so it’s no surprise her relationships have been as well. From first love to whirlwind romance , we’ve seen it all from the singing sensation. She’s mainly been in serious relationships, but the lineup is impressive.

Shawn Mendes

(Y/l/n) and Mendes came into the spotlight around the same time. The pair met, instantly hit it off, and became the new young Hollywood “it” couple. They dated for three years from 2014-2017 and wrote a few of their hit songs about each other. (Y/f/n)’s song ‘Dandelions’ on her debut album is about Mendes. The love wasn’t one sided though, as Mendes reveled many of his love songs were about (y/l/n). After winning an American Music Award, Mendes said, “All of my songs are about her, so this award is as much hers as it is mine, she’s my inspiration.

We loved watching their young love romance evolve, but the two split in early 2017. (Y/f/n) discussed the breakup on the Jimmy Fallon show. “We just realized we were growing apart and going in different directions, but he will always hold a special place in my heart as my first love and no can ever replace that.”

Harry Styles

The British singer is (y/l/n)’s longest and most high profile relationship. The two began dating at the end of 2017 and remained together for four years before breaking things off. Their love caught the attention of the world and had many talking. It’s believed Styles hit song, Adore you is about (y/l/n) before they were official.

The couple raised the bar for relationships. Harry took (y/f/n) on a vacation to Greece for her 21st birthday. Which she followed up by throwing him a massive surprise party with all of his close friends and family. When asked about their relationship in an interview (y/l/n) said, “Harry is the type of boyfriend girls dream of. He loves me so well and he wears his heart on his sleeves which is beautiful.”

The breakup came as a surprise to many as it seemed the couple was going strong. It didn’t last for long though as they got back together at the end of 2022 before finally calling it quits mid 2023. Neither have revealed why they split, but both have remained consistent and committed to supporting each other.

Michael B. Jordan

During her brief break with Harry, (y/f/n) dated Creed actor, Michael B. Jordan. Despite the 11 year age gap the couple had a lot in common and spent plenty of special occasions together. Jordan helped her celebrate her 24th birthday where we got their most infamous pictures together as a couple.

The relationship lasted 10 months before they broke up and (y/l/n) was back with Styles. Despite the sudden end Jordan had only good things to say, “She’s an amazing, hardworking woman who deserves all the success she’s had.”

Auston Matthews

The newest boyfriend on the list may be NHL superstar, Auston Matthews. An insider reveals they saw Matthews and (y/l/n) at a bar together in Toronto. They were with a group of friends including Justin and Hailey Bieber, but the two seemed particularly close. The pair was also spotted leaving together at the end of the night. While nothing is confirmed, we could definitely get behind this match.

#famous reader #hockey #maple leafs #nhl #nhl blurb #toronto maple leafs #hockey imagine #celebrity reader #justin bieber #nhl imagine #auston matthews x reader #auston matthews #shawn mendes #harry styles #micheal b jordan

[mazeinthemiroh]

So I had an idea 💡 so I was thinking what would be ateez ot8 reactions ( separate ) to you being broken up with and all they can think about is how much better they could treat and how much happier you would be with them

best friend! ateez wishing they were dating you

genre: headcanons; hurt / comfort??, slight angst, a sprinkle of crack

word count: 1k

song rec: treat you better by shawn mendes

warnings: cursing, woosan are bold, iconic kings

please like and reblog if you enjoy! thank you for your support <3

hongjoong

hongjoong has to hold his tongue each time you tell him you have a partner

because he has a problem with it. and he doesn't realise at first why he had such a problem with it

until you come to him crying because of the horrible breakup you were currently going through

he let you cry on his chest and cuddled you close for the rest of the night

... yeah, this is the guy who supposedly 'doesn't like skinship'

and yet here he is, wanting nothing more than for you to stay in his arms, where he can keep you close and safe

and thus, his feelings are realised. and suddenly being jealous of all the guys you ever talked about started to make sense to him

seonghwa

seonghwa can't help but feel a little disheartened

seeing the people you end up with and how they always end in disaster, he feels bad for you, of course

but he can't help but feel you are missing out on a guy that has always treated you with love, respect, sincerity, kindness, and nothing less

*cough, cough* HIM *cough*

he will continue to comfort you and provide a listening ear as your... 'confidant'. but all he really wants to do is ask you to be with him instead, so that you'll know what it's really like to be in a good relationship. one that doesn't have an ending...

but he wants to choose an appropriate time to confess his feelings. so for now, he'll be there to dry your tears

yunho

yunho would literally take the complete piss out of your partners like he's so shameless

can and will laugh in your face when you whine about your relationship issues

because he knows they would all be solved if you go out with him

and he'll flirt with you and make jokes about you guys dating:

"you know, none of this would be an issue if you went out with me 👀" or "technically, we're on a date right now... as we speak... should we kiss?"

but you just take that as him being one of THOSE besties who just flirts for the sake of it

and he's giggling and laughing along but really he's dead-ass serious ☠

it's all fun and games ig??

yeosang

would focus more on your feelings than his own

he wants to comfort you and be a supportive friend; he's not going to let his feelings for you get the better of him when you're going through a relationship crisis or a bad breakup

and it doesn't really faze or hurt him at all. he's good at separating his feelings for you and being a comforting, good best friend

whether that's healthy or not is up for discussion!!

but unless you suddenly take a serious interest in him and make advances to him first, he's not going to go for it himself

because if he reads your signals wrong, he is at risk of ruining your friendship

and he would rather have at least one connection with you, rather than none at all

san

san is always there for you

especially when you have just broken up with your asshole partner that he hates so much anyway. he is there to cuddle you tight to his chest and comfort you, asking if you want him to beat your ex up, etc...

he's a great friend in this way. but he can't help but feel like he wants more

and so he hopes and wishes that you see his efforts. you appreciate his comfort and the way he's there for you whenever you need him - enough to not go out with anyone who isn't worth your time, but rather, go out with him

and he might just come out and say this because he can't bare to deal with another one of your heartbreaks

"this is where i want you to be," he'll say. "in my arms. every night. not just the nights you get dumped. you deserve so much better, baby. and i want to be the one to make that happen."

mingi

he literally loves you he loves you HE LOVVVESSS YOU

it's so obvious, come on guys

when mingi has a crush on somebody it's painfully obvious, it's actually hilarious

so you ignoring his adoring eyes and his attempts to make goofy jokes only to see your smile, and the way he buys you gifts and dotes on you and does anything for you ITS SO OBVIOUS

but yeah, stay blind ig?

he will flinch every time you mention your partner or your ex only because that pulls him right back into the reality that he is, in fact, not dating you currently

then he gets pouty but tries his best to hide his disappointment about the situation and fails lmao

wooyoung

will get frustrated. like, superrrr frustrated

because he has a massive phat crush on you BUT he has to hear about all the people you've dated and blah blah blah

ON TOP OF THAT!!!! he gives you advice on how to fix your relationships that pretty much inevitably fail anyway?? nope, he's defo losing it

for the longest time, he's always wanted to just ask you out himself. but there was never a good time. between you going out with people and recovering from break-ups, he never deemed it appropriate

but after what felt like the thousandth time of you crying about some asshole who had broken your heart, wooyoung had finally given in to his desires

"you're not going to waste any more energy on someone who doesn't care about you. instead, you're going to use it on me, your new boyfriend."

jongho

jongho is hilarious in this situation

because he's so subtly trying to make it clear that he likes you in his own... special way

he's not always sure how to go about it

to be fair, he's a very good supportive friend. he provides with the consolation and comfort you need when you come to him with relationship problems or are going through a breakup

but he also tries to use this as an opportunity to give you hints here and there

"you know... the love of your life might be closer than you think 👀"

"maybe your next partner is with us right now 👀 👀 👀"

".... but it's just me and you, jongho."

" 👀 isn't that interesting, y/n"

i literally can't take him seriously atp

ateez taglist: @a-wandering-stay, @xlovehwa, @yeosangsbiceps, @anyamaris, @acciocriativity, @hawaiian-angel, @chammak-challokys

#ateez #atz #kpop #ateez headcanons #ateez reactions #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #hongjoong #kim hongjoong #park seonghwa #seonghwa #jeong yunho #yunho #yeosang #kang yeosang #san #choi san #mingi #song mingi #jung wooyoung #wooyoung #choi jongho #jongho #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop x reader

[hoodharlow]

Is that Ight

AN: idk I just wanted to do an insta fic lol

Requested?

Warnings: rude and entitled fans

Word Count: n/a

@'jackharlowsource: Jack via Instagram Stories (May 27), I'm so sorry to everyone who planned to attend Zouk tonight 💔

@'fan: couldn't his gf let him borrow her jet? what's the point if him having a rich gf if she's not gonna provide for him 🙄🙄🙄

-> @'jhfan: she’s been partying in France with her sister and their model friends, I bet they broke up

@'fan: fuck Miriam and her big tiddies

View all 763 comments

@'mdm: at Cannes with my favorite sister

@'katdominguez: bitch I'm your only sister

@'josephdominguez: wooooow, I see how it is 😒

-> @'mdm: don't start you didn't want to come with us

@'jackharlow: the 2nd pic 😫

@'winnieharlow: it was good seeing my favorite girls 🥰

@'jackfan: why didn't you let Jack borrow the PJ

@'jack_stan: because of you, we couldn't see Jack 🖕🏻

@'miriamstan: omfg these Jack stans need to get a grip. Miriam doesn't own a jet, her parents do. Also she doesn't need to provide anything for him. She didn't organize that performance, his team did. If his team planned accordingly he would have performed. Leave Miriam alone.

View all 29,827 comments

@'jackharlow: That's how I wanna live my life

@'urbanwyatt: is that aight

@'mdm: Daisy and Maggie 🥺

->@'jackandurban: thank god jack broke up with you so he doesn't have to deal with your selfish ass. I hope he keeps your dog, you don't deserve either of them

@'claybornharlow: big bro 🤞🏻

@'dbook: icon

@'jack_stan: Alexa play treat you better by Shawn Mendes

@'jackfan: not him posting a breakup thrist trap 💅🏼

@'mdmxjh: pls tell me you and Miriam are okay 🥺

@'mackshipper: Jack's mom and Daisy are everything to me

View all 34,923 comments

@'jackharlowsource: Jack via Instagram Stories

@'mackshipper: I need all of y'all to read the bottom part SEVERAL times over

@'rudefan: he's just trying to save face 🙄

@'understandingfan: some of you need to understand that this was out of his control. This happened for a reason, we don't know what could have happened. So please take a moment to breathe and stop bullying Miriam.

View all 653 comments

Taglist: @cherry4everrr @heavyhitterheaux ​ @carma-fanficaddict ​ @youngharleezyxo @youngharleezy ​ @babyharleezy ​ @that-90s-girllll ​ @alinaharlow @harlowcomehome @nattinatalia @webinurcloset @gassyandsassy1 @jackharloww @awhore4moree @noescapricho-essentimiento @a-moment-captured @neon-lights-and-glitter @purecinnamonextract

#jack and miriam #jack harlow #jack harlow insta au #jack harlow instagram au #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow one shot

[lesbewriting]

because i had you

[cc!Quackity x Fem!Reader] [chpt. 8]

SUMMARY: In which Quackity is left reminiscing about his past relationship with his ex-girlfriend after their breakup.

WARNINGS: mainly angst, um crying and mentions of moving on? there's like no fluff here sorry guys

A-N: finally a new chapter, because got the motivation to write again lol

[masterlist]

[series masterlist]

Quackity opened the door for his date, a false smile falling onto place on his features. At least, he thought it was a fake one. He knew he probably had to move on, and a certain part of him definitely desired to do so. You so clearly had, when he thinks back to the few times that he'd peeked at your instagram (which he should probably stop doing soon). His want to move on now leads him to where he is right now. His date. Quackity had indeed taken up that movie theatre worker (whose name he later learned was Caroline) on her offer. Well, at least after a ton of pestering from his friends to even text the phone number he'd been given.

Caroline thanked him with only a small smile, as she got into the car when she'd been picked up. Quackity nodded, shut the door carefully when she was safely seated. His feet soon carrying himself back around to the drivers' side of the car. As he seated and buckled his own seatbelt, he tried his best to suppress his nervousness. Glancing briefly to Caroline in the passenger seat (whom had already been looking at him), he directed his focus back to the road.

Truth be told, Quackity didn't really know where he was going to take his date, which he probably should have thought of before even going out with someone. He's pretty sure the last time he's been on a date was like a month or so before his and your fight. As he continued to drive, the dark-haired boy allowed his mind to wander more and to attempt to figure out the perfect place to go. He was trying for a second date, after all.

"QUACKITY COME ON!"

He turned his head at the shout of his name, to where you stood. Giggles, bursting from your slightly-chapped lips. You were kicking your feet against the waves of the ocean. Your eyes were wide in delight and excitement, at the way the water splashed out from underneath you. Quackity felt his own lips carefully pull up into a small, delicate smile at the sight of you. His feet move themselves from where he had been stood on the sandy shore. He allowed himself to be carried across and over to where you were located. It wouldn't be fair if he allowed you to have all the fun.

The sun was bright. The waves crashing against the sandy shore as Quackity pulled his car into park in the designated parking lot. He felt himself pull at his seatbelt quickly, urging for it to unbuckle. When it did, he gently tugged it from his body and reached to pull open his door. His gaze carefully moving from the front windshield towards the girl still seated in the passenger seat, Caroline.

Caroline, who had now furrowed her brows gently in confusion. Why was she being taken to the beach? She hadn't even brought her swimsuit. Were the words that she wanted to let slip from her lips. The lips that she had formerly bit in her confusion.

"I-" Quackity started, unsure on what to say. No idea how he was going to explain the sudden urge he had to drive all the way here. How was he supposed to tell Caroline that it was the place he had loved to take you a lot.

'Hey, uh yeah...sorry. I took you here because I had suddenly gotten caught up in memories of my ex-girlfriend, and remembered this was their favourite place. I hope you enjoy the date though.' Now that wouldn't really go down that well, would it? Quackity shook his head and forced himself to respond properly. With an answer that would actually be appropriate for an explanation.

"I don't know, I guess I felt like going for a walk...with you, of course" Quackity hesitated for a moment, hoping it was a decent enough response to the confusion lingering in the air around the two. "There's an icecream place close by though, we can go get some later if you wish"

Caroline, after a taking a second to think it over, nodded carefully, and Quackity had to stop himself from sighing in relief. He didn't really want to have to drive her back home, and cancelling the date before had even properly started. That would be a waste. But as he carefully watched Caroline, admiring her. He noticed how she did indeed still look excited. It was a good sign, this date was turning out great.

As soon as Quackity made it over to where the ocean's waves were hurriedly hitting against the sand. To where, what he considered to be the love of his life, was standing still wide-eyed and largely smiling. Your feet barely being covered by the water that lay below you. And as Quackity came nearer, his bare feet now feeling the coldness that encompassed from the salt water of the beach.

He felt himself, admire your figure. He was unaware to that of your hand which danced carelessly now, through the water beside you. A mischievous chuckle exiting lowly from your lips, he who was choosing to ignore the extra giddiness that overtook you. Choosing to pass it off, as you being excited to be here. With him, and at your favourite place in the entire world.

Your eyes connected with his, as he finally reached you. A similar smile still etched into his features at the sight of you. You could faintly see how he muttered 'so pretty' from the lips, and felt a darker hue to lightly dust your cheeks. Then you finally struck. Your hand went forward through the water, you having to bend down to reach it. It making rapid movements as it soon splashed onto your target.

Just like that, Quackity felt his eyes widen at the sudden coldness which soon splashed at him. Before they narrowed into a playful glare, watching as you smirked at the 'attack' on him, you had played. A few more giggles exiting your system, as you stood there continuing to smirk at his expression.

Then you gasped.

Your triumphant facade fell rather quickly, as the cold ocean splashed back up into you. Seeping lightly into the clothing that you wore. That little- that little-

It was now Quackity's turn to smirk with triumph. His own giggle letting slip out from his mouth, at your almost-flabbergasted expression. As he had taken you completely off-guard completely. Yet, he couldn't be mad or furious even. When it soon turned into a rather abrupt water fight, the both of you loudly laughing joyfully. Chasing hurriedly after each other through the ocean's waves, in fast attempts to completely drench each other with the water. The splashing loudly sounding out across the beach.

Quackity felt the hot sand underneath his bare feet, as he walked beside his date, Caroline. His hand, which wasn't carrying his shoes, carefully brushing passed that of Caroline's own hand. His nerves were to overwhelming to even think of allowing him to grab at it, and entwine their fingers together. It was only the first date after all. He highly doubted that it wouldn't be weird to hold hands, and he didn't think they were quite there yet.

He took in a deep breath, allowing for the scent of the salt in the murky ocean to overcome his sense, before exhaling again. Quackity turned his head slightly, glancing in the general direction of Caroline who was still beside him. He allowed himself, to take a moment to admire her. Her hair which fell down past her shoulders, the way she smiled- almost crookedly, and the eyes which he thought were almost sparkling in the sunlight. She was beautiful, and he couldn't deny that. He was glad to have finally done it. Finally, allowed himself the push he so needed to move on.

And he smiled.

Take her to all the places I took us to

#Spotify #fanfiction #imagines #angst #x reader #mcyt x reader #quackity x reader #alex quackity x reader #quackity #because i had you

[thewannabe1054]

Songs that I think would fit OL2 characters (part 1?)

Qiu lin: Step 1: Treehouse - Alex G (feat: Emily Yacina)

Step 2: Marlboro Nights - Lonely Gob

Step 3: Golden Hour - JVKE

Tamarack Baumann: Step 1: sofia - clairo

Step 2: rises the moon - Liana Flores

Step 3: We fell in love in October - girl in red

Renee Murray: Step 1: 2 Dumb kids - Levent Geiger

Step 2: There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back - Shawn Mendes

Step 3: pretty girl - clairo

Bonus! :

Baxter ward: Step 1: - This is falling in love feels like - JVKE

Step 2: You Get Me So High - the neighborhood

step 3 & 4 (OL1): Unrequited Love (& other clichés) - Breakup Shoes

#am not sure if these songs fits to them so let me know please #our life #our life: now and forever #qiu lin #tamarack baumann #baxter ward #renee murray

[fallinallincurls]

tell me you want it a thousand miles away from the day that we started

i’m so excited to share this one! this is my fic for @antoineroussel‘s winter fic exchange 2k23 and it’s for @hockeylvr59 !! i hope you love this so much! it’s my first time really writing an oc and it was fun stepping out of my comfort zone to try something new. as always, shoutout to the very best @tonyspep​ who listened to me ramble about ideas and is just amazing.

summary: evelyn and cale were perfect, until their relationship couldn’t stand the distance of him moving to colorado. now, years later, cale runs into the girl who still holds his heart after she goes through a bad breakup and is hoping for a second chance. one that evelyn is more than happy to give him.

playlist- still by niall horan, love of my life by harry styles, always been you by shawn mendes, i’m in love with you by the 1975

hope you enjoy!! feedback is always appreciated! xx

word count: 5.6k

~~~~~

“No way in hell am I going skiing. What if I break my leg or something? Who’s going to explain that to Bedsy?”

“Nathan, there’s this thing called fun. You should try it sometime.” EJ chirps back, clapping a hand on Nate’s shoulder as the Canadian rolls his eyes.

“Just don’t break your leg, Nate. Simple as that. We’re doing this in the spirit of team bonding! It’s a team holiday trip.” Gabe says in response with a genuine smile on his perfect face.

“Yay! Team bonding!” Newy exclaims, a little over the top which makes several of them laugh including Cale.

“Can we get hot chocolate after?” JT chimes in, voice serious but hopeful like that’s the only thing that can convince him to get on the slope. 

“Sure. Hot chocolate after. Now let’s go!” 

Nate shuffles forward, grumbling to himself and the sight makes Cale chuckle. He’s not the biggest fan of skiing either, but he always enjoys any time he can spend with the guys. No matter what activity it includes.

This time, it just happens to be skiing at a resort in Vail. Gabe decided a team retreat would be a fun idea leading up to the holidays and you can’t say no to the captain.

So here Cale is, awkwardly standing in the lobby dressed in his ski gear and surrounded by his teammates who all have mixed reactions to what’s about to happen.

He’s just about to ask Nate if he even knows how to ski, because if not they might actually have to think up a reason to give Bedsy just in case, when a flash of bright red hair catches his eye near the entrance of the lodge. 

At first, Cale thinks it’s the resident ginger of the team. But JT is ahead of him, being jostled around by Newy and Bo, so it can’t be him. Why does he care anyway? 

But then, as he looks back to hopefully get another glimpse, he realizes why he cares. He realizes why the splash of red captured his attention in the first place. Because it was that exact red hair he used to see every day, run his fingers through and adored so much. Cale is frozen in place, gaze locked on the girl he still loves with his entire being. The one who got away.

Before he can think or see the confused look on Nate’s face, he’s leaving the group behind and trudging across the lobby towards the familiar red hair. He’s nervous, really nervous, but he hasn’t seen her in a few years now. And if he misses this opportunity, he wouldn’t ever forgive himself. 

“Evelyn.” Cale doesn’t even recognize his own voice. He gently taps her on the shoulder and all the wind is knocked out of his lungs. Maybe it’s the time apart or Cale’s simply forgotten how gorgeous she is, but when she looks at him, he swears she is the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.

“Cale?” She asks in shock, brows furrowing for a moment before a beaming smile blossoms across her lips. “Cale! Ohmygosh, how are you? It’s been so long.” Evelyn gives him a quick hug and suddenly, Cale is thinking about how he’s going to have to thank Landy for this silly idea.

“It’s nice to see you.” 

“You too! I didn’t know you skied. A new hobby?” Evelyn teases. It’s like nothing ever happened, no time has passed. But Cale knows that’s too good to be true. 

“No, no. A team bonding trip.” Cale explains, nodding towards the door where the team left moments ago. “I’m not very good anyway.” He can feel his cheeks heating up with blush, the familiar pink becoming apparent in mere seconds. 

“Oh, please. I’ve seen you skate and know you’ve got balance and coordination like no one else.” 

“Uh, well, thanks.” He murmurs shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. Cale knows the inevitable end of conversation is coming. Where she tells him how great it’s been to see him and she disappears from his life again. His mind is whirring to find something to say just to keep her talking, to keep her in front of him. 

He isn’t quick enough.

“It’s been nice seeing you, Cale. And I’d love to catch up more, but I have to go. Have fun on the slopes and tell everyone hi for me!” Evelyn says cheerfully, giving him the smile that he still loves before he gives his own goodbye and she’s gone.

“Dude, who’s the redhead?” Nate’s voice snaps Cale back to the present. Of course, Nate stayed behind and saw all of that. “And why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost? You’re not gonna get a girl looking that terrified.”

“Geez, thanks.” Cale mutters, turning to face Nate who’s wearing a look of concern mixed with curiosity.

“Who’s the redhead?” He asks again. Nate is nothing but relentless, Cale should know this by now, and he’s going to have to explain in order for the topic to be dropped.

“Her name is Evelyn. We dated for awhile back when I was at UMass and we tried to keep it going long distance when I came here, but it didn’t work out.”

“But you’re still in love with her.” It’s not a question, but a statement.

Damn it. Why couldn’t EJ have seen the whole interaction? He would’ve just teased Cale about having a thing for gingers. Or even Gabe who would’ve given him some kind of pep talk. But no, Nate had to be the witness and he’s so observant that nothing can be hidden from him.

“Yeah, I’m still in love with her.” Cale admits, voice full of defeat and longing.

“Then why didn’t you just make your move?” The question falls from Nate’s lips with a tone of incredulously and Cale sighs. There’s so much more than them just being exes.

“She just got out of a long term relationship. They were together for a year and half or something like that. Mom told me. I can’t just jump in there like she’s okay and the last thing I want is to be a rebound.” 

But Cale can’t help but wonder what exactly Evelyn is doing here. Last he heard, she had graduated from UMass and returned home to Calgary where she got her first big job and her own apartment. Plus, she had told Cale himself when they were trying to make long distance work that she couldn’t see herself living in Colorado. Yet she’s here.

Does she live here now? Or maybe she’s just visiting. That’s more realistic. But who would she be coming to see? She doesn’t know anyone in the entire state of Colorado besides him. At least that Cale knows of.

“Cale?” Nate’s voice is soft, but snaps the defenseman back to the present. 

“Huh?”  

“I think you should talk to her. You never know what could come of it. And you still love her! Doesn’t matter what happened in the past, I think she needs you more than you realize right now, especially coming out of a relationship like that.” 

“Thanks, Gabe.” Cale says pointedly, giving Nate a look that’s supposed to be mean but he doubts it comes across the way he intends. Nate’s smile gives that away. “When did you become so wise and captain-like?”

“Just-” Nate starts, putting a hand on Cale’s shoulder shaking his head at the chirps before continuing. “Think about it. Okay?”

That’s easy, but Cale doesn’t say that out loud. All he’s going to be doing until he sees her again is thinking. Thinking about her.

Cale gets answers to all but one question when he calls his mom the next day. He barely gets through saying hello before the news bursts out.

“Mom, you’ll never guess who I saw yesterday.” 

“Who?” Laura asks with curiosity.

“Evelyn. Eve, like my Eve.” The nickname rolls off his tongue naturally. Cale’s the only one who ever got to call her Eve and saying it now feels so right. Like there’s still a chance she could be his Eve again. Not Evelyn like she is for everyone else. Eve.

“Oh, honey. Did you really?” 

“Yeah, we’re on this mini team retreat right now, Gabe’s idea, and I saw her in the lobby before we went skiing.” He explains, taking a deep breath. “Did you know she would be in Colorado?”

It’s a loaded question, Cale knows that, but he has to know. He’s known Evelyn pretty much his whole life and even after they broke up, their families still stayed in touch. He just needed to know more about why he saw her in the last place he ever would’ve expected.

“Um, not exactly.” 

“Mom!”

“I didn’t know, Cale! Her mom said that after the breakup, Eve decided she needed a fresh start and left Calgary. That’s the last I heard. But apparently she landed in Colorado if you saw her.” 

Cale is silent for a moment, absorbing everything Laura just said. Nate’s words from the other day become clear again and he knows what he’s going to do next. 

“I know it might be out of nowhere, but I think she could use a friend, Cale. She’s taking this really hard and I can’t imagine how scary it might be also being somewhere completely new too. If you see her again, ask if she wants to get a coffee or something simple. You know how she loves the wintertime and that might be tainted now with everything going on.” Laura says softly and Cale knows she’s right. In fact, that’s almost exactly what he’s thinking. 

“Okay, you’re right. Thanks, Mom.” Cale replies before they exchange the usual love you’s and see you soon’s. He lets out a sigh of relief and leans back against the couch. It might not have been the answers he was looking for, but now he at least knows what he has to do. 

And if there’s any chance of getting back together, even just the tiniest little sliver of hope, Cale has to know. But first and foremost, he has to be the friend that Eve needs more than ever.

Not even a week into the new year, Cale finds himself back at the ski lodge where the team was during the holidays for Gabe’s grand idea. He has no idea if he’ll see Eve here again, like maybe the run-in was some twist of fate and only destined to happen once, but he has to try. As he’s running through all the options of what to say to her, Cale spots the familiar flash of red hair and his heart starts to race.

Now or never.

He walks up to the front desk in the lobby where Eve is talking to someone on the opposite side, her sweet smile on full display. Before Cale can even say anything, she senses someone next to her and turns to offer a kind look but then realizes who it is.

“Cale! How crazy is this?” Eve says, her voice full of happiness. She guides him away from the front desk, thanking the employee she was just talking to and that’s when Cale seemingly loses control of his tongue.

“Eve, hi. It’s really great to see you again.”

“You too. Do you come here often? I didn’t think you’d have a lot of time to take up skiing or anything else with how busy your schedule is with hockey.” She asks, her big brown eyes holding Cale’s gaze.

“I- uh, no, I don’t. I was hoping to see you again actually.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Cale starts, unsure of how to phrase what he wants to say, but Eve is looking at him so fondly and he can’t put a single thought together. “Look, I heard about what happened and I’m really sorry things ended that way. You don’t deserve that and even after all this time, I still care about you. A lot. Plus, you’re new to Colorado so I wanted to let you know I’m here for you and would be happy to show you my favorite places around here or maybe do some of the things we used to do together to cheer you up. It’s up to you.” He trails off, hoping she doesn’t notice how nervous he is. 

Eve doesn’t say anything for a moment and Cale worries he already messed this up. He’s ready to face the rejection and continue on with his life as if this never happened, until Eve’s smooth voice cuts through his thoughts. 

“You’re just as sweet as you were at UMass. Nothing’s changed.” She whispers, her cheeks becoming a deep color of pink. Cale swears he’s never seen anyone so adorable. Her beaming smile is directed at Cale for the first time in years and he doesn’t want that to change. “I would love that. Whether it’s seeing your favorite places or doing what used to be our favorite things. Sounds perfect to me.”

“Yeah?” Cale asks, trying to mask any shock in his voice. 

“Yeah. So when do we start?” 

“What about right now?” He giggles as Eve nods with excitement. It feels a lot like the old days when they would spend any possible moment together, laughing and sharing kisses without a care in the world. That kind of happiness is one Cale wants back and hopes Eve feels the same way too. 

“Okay, then let’s go, Makar. We’ve got quite a lot to catch up on.” 

And just like that a new routine is born. Every waking moment the two of them have is spent together. They start with seeing Cale’s favorite places around Denver, spanning between the variety of tourist attractions and the little hidden gems of the city. 

Slowly, but surely, Evelyn opens up about the breakup and it physically pains Cale to see her hurting over some stupid guy who just lost the best thing that would ever happen to him. He offers nothing but his support and kind words because despite the feelings he might have for her, he still cares about her more than anything.

An unspoken list of things they used to do together, especially during the winter time, is put together. Driving around to see the Christmas lights while drinking hot chocolate, making cinnamon rolls, playing crib, a spontaneous snowball fight and so much more. The more time spent together, the more it feels as if they’re back at UMass and completely in love.

Cale doesn’t push. If all he gets is Eve as a close friend, he’ll take it. She’s back in his life and he couldn’t ask for anything more. 

But with each passing day and activity done together, Eve remembers exactly why she fell in love with Cale in the first place. And it’s more obvious than ever that her feelings for him never fully disappeared. Her heart seems to be healing because of him and although she can’t admit she wants to give them another try just yet, there is something she’s ready for that Cale hasn’t mentioned once since they saw each other again at the lodge.

“Hey Cale?” She asks softly, looking up at him across the table. The cafe isn’t that busy during this time of day and Eve learned quickly this place has the best breakfast so this morning her and Cale decided to grab a bite before he had to go to morning skate. This used to be a regular occurrence for them back in college. Getting up early, sharing breakfast together while giggling over everything and then going their separate ways until Cale was back from practice. Eve starts to feel a weird sense of deja vu, but pushes through. 

“Hm?” Cale hums in response, taking a sip of his coffee before meeting her gaze. He looks so adorable in the early morning light that she can’t stand it. Cheeks rosy as always, wearing a warm knitted sweater and his hair is just the perfect kind of messy, sticking up in all different directions.

“How’s the team doing? Do you like playing here?” The questions tumble off her lips innocently, but shock Cale for a moment. 

“You- sorry, you want to talk about hockey?” Cale shakes his head in disbelief, blue eyes searching Eve’s face for any sign of worrying emotions.

In the last few weeks, there hasn’t been a single mention of the sport Cale plays despite the two of them planning around his practice, game and travel schedule. Eve hasn’t addressed it yet because in the end, hockey is what took him away from her, it’s what broke their relationship when it couldn’t have been better. But now, realizing she’s falling in love with him again, Eve knows talking about hockey isn’t going to ruin anything.

In fact, now, she can’t wait to hear about Cale’s career here in Colorado. 

“Yeah, I do. If this,” Eve gestures between the two of them, “is going to work, I can’t be scared of something that we had no control over in the past even if it’s the thing that separated us. Plus, it’s such a big part of your life so I want to know everything, Mr. Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner.” 

Cale laughs, that beautiful smile overtaking his face and pure joy radiating off of him. “Well someone has been keeping up, huh?” 

“Please, it’s hard not to when everyone back home couldn’t stop talking about you during the playoffs and then your day with the Cup…”

Without any hesitation, Cale jumps right into telling her about everything hockey related since he got to Denver. Joining the team during the playoffs, winning the Calder, all the fun and not so happy moments with the guys over the years, how he’s trained in the offseason and of course, the biggest moment of all, winning the Cup last season.

Cale’s in the middle of telling a funny story about Nate, one of thousands, when he catches a glimpse of the time on Eve’s phone. 9:15.

“Oh shit. Eve, I’ve got to go. Morning skate.” He says quickly, kissing her cheek and making sure the check is paid for. “I’m sorry, I totally lost track of time. You’ll hear the rest of the story later I promise.”

“It’s all good, Cale. Have fun at practice! I’ll see you later, okay?” Eve says, her voice soft and Cale feels his heart swell. “And thank you for telling me about hockey again. I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”

“Anytime, Eve. And thank you.” With that, he offers her the kindest smile before heading out to the rink.

Cale is late. Well, not technically since morning skate doesn’t start until ten, but by his standards he’s late. He already missed the usual routine of getting ready with Nate and catching up with Devon. And the worse part is, he doesn’t have a single clue about how he’s going to explain this to the guys who will definitely be asking him what happened.

But Cale knows he isn’t good at lying and at the same time, there’s no way the team can know what he’s up to. Even if it’s making him way happier than usual.

Which of course, EJ notices right away as he’s hustling into the locker room.

“Look who decided to show up! Nice of you to join us, Caler.”

“Sorry,” Cale mumbles in response, heading right to his stall to get ready for practice. But he feels his cheeks heat up and knows it’s a dead giveaway.

“What took you so long? You’re usually here with this maniac way earlier than need be.” EJ pushes, gesturing to Nate for a moment before all his attention focuses on Cale. A beat of silence lasts too long and somehow EJ knows exactly what’s going on.

“It’s a girl, isn’t it?”

“EJ,” Nate warns, ready to step in since he knows Cale has been talking to Eve again, but everyone knows EJ is mostly all talk. The chances of him overstepping is slim to none. It’s just fun and games. Except Cale’s lack of response and rosier than usual cheeks say everything he doesn’t put into words.

“I just got coffee and breakfast with a friend. We’ve been catching up lately after not seeing each other for a while.” Not a lie. That’s partially true and he hopes it’s enough to convince the team to lose interest.

“With a girl!” EJ says with a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. “They grow up so fast, don’t they?”

And just like that, everyone moves on. Almost everyone. While the rest of the team filters out of the locker room to hit the ice, Nate gently taps Cale with his stick and gives him that same knowing look that he did a few weeks ago.

“How’s it going? With… ya know?”

Cale kind of wishes the floor will swallow him, but he knows Nate is being nice. He’s just not used to talking about his love life with any of the guys because there hasn’t been much of a love life to talk about.

“Really well actually. Nothing’s happened and neither of us are pushing, but it’s been great just spending time together again. I miss that, you know? It’s great to have her back.” Cale explains, cheeks becoming pink with blush as he talks. Nate offers a genuine smile in response and bumps his shoulder.

“That’s good. You deserve her. So I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks, Nate. Means a lot.” He shrugs softly, trying not to let his thoughts wander.

“Just an idea though, maybe see if she wants to come to a game. She might like seeing you play.” Nate says out of nowhere and Cale just nods, unable to think of a proper response. They walk out to the rink together and the moment Cale takes the ice, all his worries fall away.

But beneath it all, Cale can’t help but think about how Eve has just started asking about hockey again. And he’d be lying if the idea of her in his jersey, cheering him on in the stands and waiting to greet him afterwards didn’t make his heart race.

This is crazy and Evelyn knows it. She hasn’t seen Cale play since college when she would sit with her friends and the other girlfriends in a much smaller rink. He might not like her being at a game even if that sounds far fetched. Yet, here she is right against the glass on the Avs side of the ice at Ball Arena.

The sign she’s clutching in her hands is another reminder of how insane this whole idea is. Although it will help her blend in among the other fans who have brought their own homemade signs as well. But it’s too late to back out now, and if there’s one thing Eve is sure of, it’s how she feels about Cale.

So she waits at the glass in anticipation of seeing the team skate out for warmups. The same giddiness that used to run through her veins when she attended the games on campus returns and realizes she’s missed this feeling without even knowing it. Sure, she’s watched the Avs games at home from the comfort of her couch, but this is a whole different experience that she is happy to have back.

The only person that knows she’s here right now is Nate. He's the only one who knows more than he should about her and Cale, which she didn’t think was ideal until she came up with this bright idea. Nate only encouraged her and even helped organize all the details to ensure everything about the surprise goes according to plan.

That also means he’s the only one who won’t have an outrageous reaction to her sign.

Eve snaps out of her thoughts as the lights begin to come up, illuminating the ice in the usual brightness that she has grown accustomed to. Her eyes focus on the tunnel next to the bench while pressing the sign against the glass. She has no idea if Cale will even see it, but everything in her is hoping he does and if not, one of his teammates points it out to him. He’s followed in Nate’s footsteps of being zeroed in during warmups and the fan interaction falls to the wayside in terms of importance. 

Tonight will be different. 

The team skates out onto the ice and cheers erupt from the crowd. An instant smile spreads across Eve’s lips when the familiar number eight steps onto the rink, immediately skating around effortlessly. As the guys settle into their usual warm up routines, Eve keeps an eye on Cale as if she could look anywhere else. Nate skates by and taps his stick against the glass, a beaming grin of his on display.

“He’s going to flip out.” Nate says, shaking his head and tapping a fist bump against the glass. Eve does the same with a giggle before he skates off to continue with drills. 

It’s then when she spots JT and Mikko whispering to each other opposite of where she’s standing. Mikko’s got that mischievous look in his gaze as the ginger next to him can’t stop smiling. They’ve noticed the sign and Eve feels her nerves spike. It’s only a matter of time before they bring it to Cale’s attention.

“Hey, Caler! Why didn’t you tell us you finally invited your girl to a game?” JT calls out, giving Cale a playful bump to the shoulder.

“What?” Cale responds, looking up from his stick handling in confusion. “I didn’t invite anyone.”

“Well, that sure looks like Evelyn to me.” 

“JT, don’t be- ohmygod. It is Evelyn.”

As an unbelievable amount of shock rolls through him, Cale can’t help but beam in her direction. He would recognize her fiery hair color and beautiful smile anywhere. She’s here at one of his games. She’s really here. He’s been waiting to have this back for so long. His eyes never move away from her even if he can hear JT and Mikko chuckling nearby.

Despite the happiness coursing through his veins as he slowly skates over, he tries to take in every detail of this moment. Eve is wearing what she called her “lucky jersey” from Cale’s time at UMass. Seeing her in the familiar maroon and silver jersey with the number 16 on the sleeves and a simple A on the chest makes Cae’s heart soar. His last name is on the back of that jersey and even better, she’s kept it after all this time even if it’s been years since she saw him play in Massachusetts. Cale doesn’t even have enough time to process all this when he realizes what is written on the sign she’s pressing against the glass.

“Even in burgundy and blue, my heart still belongs to you #8!”

All the air in his lungs is stolen away and everything else seems to fall away except for Eve. Not only is she here at a game, but her sign holds the confession that Cale has been wondering about since they ran into each other again.

She still loves him. He doesn’t know if her feelings ever went away or she fell in love again, but Cale can’t believe this is happening. After all this time, her heart still belongs to him just like his belongs to her.

“Hi,” he murmurs, pressing his hand against the glass when he comes face to face with Eve. She waves in response and the smile he gets in return rivals the sun. He pulls a puck over and flips it up onto his stick before tossing it over the glass. The moment she catches it, looking up with the most hopeful expression on her face, Cale takes the leap of faith. “I love you so much.”

Evelyn doesn’t think she can smile any bigger and swears her heart might explode with pure joy. This beautiful, sweet, amazing boy just said the three words she’s been waiting to hear since the day things ended. Cale loves her. Nothing else in the world matters more than that.

“I love you too.”

Cale taps the glass a few more times before ever so slowly skating away. His cheeks are pink with blush and the smile on his lips won’t be going away anytime soon. Eve gives him a wave, holding the puck to her chest where her heart is racing. With his mind on his girl, Cale returns to the usual warmups and knows this game is a must win more than it was before.

Because of Eve.

The Avs win 4-1 and Eve doesn’t think she’s ever had this much fun before. All of Cale’s games at UMass were an experience, but that doesn’t even come close to how happy and excited she is when the buzzer sounds and the boys spill onto the ice for hugs and celebration.

Cale scored two goals and had a three point night which isn’t unusual for him, but he seemed to be playing on a whole other level. She is beyond proud of him for making it to the biggest stage in hockey and it’s no surprise that he’s thriving because he’s just that good.

“Evelyn, do you want to come with us to the tunnel? We wait for the guys down there after the game, if you want to see Cale.” Mel asks softly as the rest of the wives and girlfriends start filtering out of the suite.

“Oh, yeah, I’d love that. You’re sure it’s okay?” Eve responds, trying not to let any sign of nerves seep through her words.

“Of course it is. You’re part of the family now! We all see how that boy looks at you. It’s only a matter of time before he makes it official.” Mel chuckles sweetly, looping her arm through Eve’s to show her the way through the arena. Eve feels a tiny smile creep onto her lips after what her new friend just said, but the giddiness running through her about seeing Cale so soon takes precedence.

In no time, the small group is waiting outside the locker room and Eve can’t seem to stand still. Anxious thoughts run through her mind. How does she greet Cale after their mutual confessions during warmups? What if he didn’t mean it? Where do they go from here?

Before she can get lost in the whirlwind of anxiety and what if’s, the door to the locker room opens and the guys start to filter out. She says hi and congratulates each of them on the win, including Nate who tells her Cale will be out in a few before bumping her shoulder playfully and giving her a knowing look.

And just like Nate said, Cale is the next player to exit the locker room. His bright blue eyes are searching the area like he’s looking for someone specific. Then he sees her.

“Eve!” Cale calls out, hurrying over with open arms to scoop her up in the tightest embrace. She can’t help the giggles that escape when her feet leave the floor for a quick moment as Cale spins her around.

“Hey bubs, you played so well! I missed seeing you out there. And I already knew it, but you’re one hell of a player.” Eve says, cupping his rosy cheeks in her hands as they maintain eye contact. The close proximity is enough to make her dizzy, but the look on Cale’s face steals her breath away.

“Thank you. It was a big surprise seeing you out there, but I’m so happy you came.” 

“Me too.”

Everyone is probably watching the moment as it’s happening, but Cale doesn’t care. His girl is in his arms and there’s a tension in the air that he needs to get rid of which means he has to ask the thing he’s been wondering since he saw her during warmups with the sign that changed everything. 

“Also noticed your creative spark for making signs hasn’t disappeared either.” Cale hints, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

“It wasn’t my best work, but I couldn’t wait to tell you something so important.” Eve giggles, hands sliding up to lock behind Cale’s neck. “And it’s still true.”

“I know,” Cale mumbles under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear. “And I meant what I said. I love you more than anything, Evelyn. I never stopped. Not when I left for Colorado or when we decided to end things. Not even when I found out you had moved on. It’s always been you and I don’t plan on letting what we have slip away again.”

Tears begin to spring up as Eve listens to Cale speak and she can’t even begin to find words to properly express her emotions. Instead, she closes the space between them with a long awaited kiss that’s soft and gentle, but full of love. Cale pulls her impossibly closer and feels her smile against his lips. Time seems to stop and neither of them can believe how lucky they are.

“You’re it for me, Cale. I love you so much. Even if it’s a thousand miles away from where we started, I want this. I want you. There’s never been anything I’ve been more sure of in my life.” Eve says quietly, pressing her forehead against his for a brief moment before the team, who has been watching the whole moment, erupts in cheers. “Ohmygod.” She whispers, hiding her face in Cale’s chest.

“Finally!” EJ yells, shaking some of the guys in excitement.

“You might want to give Gabe a really big thank you for that stupid team bonding trip. None of this would’ve even happened if we weren’t dragged there.” Nate laughs, taking in both Cale and Eve who are glowing with nothing but pure happiness. 

And years down the line, if Gabe gets the first invite to their wedding at that very same ski lodge, no one has to know.

tagging some friends/mutuals who might be interested!

@tonyspep @starshine-hockey-girl @kailyn-writes @happer08 @rosesvioletshardy @sorryjustafangirl @laurenairay @miracleonice87 @hockeyunits @stroopwaffle8 @musiclove-12 @eightmakar @ilyasorokinn @barzysreputation @breezymichelle99 @comphyjost @comphy-and-cozy @jostystyles @ya-pucking-nerd @fallen-froots @beauvibaby @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 @boqvistsbabe @antoineroussel @tpwkstiles @hockeylvr59 @2manytabsopen @senditcolton @equallyshaw @lam-ila @nateslehky​

#cale makar #cale makar fic #cale makar imagine #cale makar blurb #cale makar fics #cale makar imagines #cale makar fluff #winter fic exchange 2k23 #nhl imagine #nhl fic #hockey fic #hockey imagine #fluff #colorado avalanche #cale makar x oc

[south-of-heaven]

ronda rousey x helmsley!fem!reader x shayna baszler where they all get into an argument and break up and reader joins raquel and liv but ronda and shayna want her back and talk to her uncle shawn michaels and ask how to get her back?

Hurting || Shayna Baszler x Reader x Ronda Rousey

Summary: After a fight turns into a breakup, Shayna and Ronda turn to the one person they trust to help them win you back for help.

The argument had been fierce, the emotions raw, and the words exchanged, brutal. What had once been a loving relationship with Shayna and Ronda had disintegrated into a storm of anger and hurt feelings, ultimately leading to a painful breakup.

Feeling utterly shattered, you sought solace in the familiar surroundings of WWE, seeking out your father, Triple H. With a heavy heart and tear-stained eyes, you poured out your anguish and begged him not to force you to work with Shayna and Ronda ever again after what had transpired.

Triple H, ever the concerned father, listened intently and nodded, understanding the gravity of your request. "I'll take care of it, Honey, don't worry," he assured you.

In the days that followed, you were reassigned to a new tag team to work with. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez welcomed you with open arms, understanding that you needed a fresh start. For a while, it seemed like the wounds from your previous relationship would slowly heal.

Meanwhile, Shayna and Ronda, left with the painful aftermath of their actions, realized how much they had hurt you. They knew that mending bridges wouldn't be easy, but they were determined to try. They decided to seek advice from the one person they knew could help: your beloved uncle, Shawn Michaels.

Shawn listened intently as Shayna and Ronda poured their hearts out to him. They confessed their mistakes, the hurtful words they had spoken, and the damage they had done to the relationship that meant the world to you.

Shawn sighed, understanding the depth of your feelings. "You know how much she loved you, right?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the two women before him.

Shayna and Ronda nodded, their expressions filled with remorse.

"She's hurting too," Shawn continued, his voice gentle but firm. "And if you want any chance of making things right, you need to show her that you're genuinely sorry. Actions speak louder than words."

They both nodded again, determined to do whatever it took to earn back your trust and your heart.

In the weeks that followed, Shayna and Ronda worked tirelessly to make amends. They approached you with heartfelt apologies, expressed genuine remorse for their actions, and showed you through their deeds that they were committed to change.

Slowly, the walls you had built around your heart began to crumble. It wasn't easy, and the scars still ran deep, but you could see that they were trying, truly trying, to make things right.

With the support of your uncle, Shawn, who believed in the power of forgiveness, you cautiously started to consider the possibility of a reconciliation. It would take time, effort, and trust to rebuild what was broken, but you knew that, with love and patience, anything was possible.

And so, the journey to healing began, with the hope that someday, the three of you could find your way back to each other, stronger and more united than ever before.

#wwe fanfiction #wwe x reader #pro wrestling #wrestling #wwe #queen of spades shayna baszler #shayna baszler x reader #shayna baszler #shayna baszler x reader x ronda rousey #ronda rousey x reader #ronda rousey #the rowdy one

[twopoppies]

Hello Gina! I’ve been reading comments about H’s hiatus pretty much all day and I would like to bring my personal POV.

I’ve always been more oriented into alternative british scene. When 1D was at their peak during 2011-2014 so were many of my really loved bands - their greatest album has been released during this period of time, they played the best shows and I even had a chance to meet some of my back-in-the-day crushes. So it probably won’t be any secret what happend next - after the their top came their downfall. Some bands didn’t get the recognision they deserved and so they called it quit. Some bands haven’t topped their most famous album and so they called it quit. There was one particular band I loved the most and I can’t describe how disappointed I was when I saw them live after 5 years (back in 2017) and just came to opinion they are no longer what they used to be when I saw them last time in 2012. And guess what - they called it quit too, had few “just for fun” shows last year after another 5 years of unspoken hiatus and nobody expect them to be active (make another album and do some bigger tour) anymore.

So yes, I have witnessed so many heartbreak hiatuses and band breakups. So I’m trying to stay calm about how long it will take H to come back. Yes, I am also sad and got emotional and bit anxious how the future will look like especially when I read that this is basically his first real hiatus and nobody knows what will come next. Yes, he had my 99% interest over the last year and I can’t imagine not seeing him on stage almost every other day wearing cute outfits and doing funny interactions with fans. But I’m trying not to be dramatic because I’m sure H will come back “when the time is right” and it will be great. I don’t know how Shawn Mendes is popular in this fandom but imagine being his fan - he announced huge world tour 2 years ago after covid, played like 4 shows and took a few weeks break because of his mental health problems…and then he cancelled whole tour and nobody knows how long this hiatus will last, there’s no upcoming album and definitely no tour. He’s active from time to time on IG but that’s all. Or Lewis Capaldi who realised new album in May and now he’s on break too because of his health and nobody knows how long it will take. So I think people may stop be overdramatic about H, be happy and grateful what we got for last year and that he hopefully got his mental health sorted and found his balance so he can rest and then work again. I am personally taking it as a time for myself, my own personal growth because to be honest, being 99% focused on H was a bit tiring for me and now I can focus on everything else.

He’ll be alright. And so we will be.

Hi, sugar. Thanks for your perspective. I haven't really come to any conclusions, but I don't think H is in a rush to release music just to release music. He's got to be able to see that topping where he's at right now is next to impossible, and he's not going to want to release something he doesn't love with his whole heart. I find it curious that Sony hasn't posted anything about re-signing him (although I'm sure he would sign with them if he signs anywhere). Yet Rob Stringer was at the last show, so I don't think there's any bad blood. So, that makes me think that possibly they're holding off until they can make a big splash with the announcement. I don't think he's going away forever. But I do think he's going to take his time and come back "when the time is right".

I think we've been incredibly lucky as fans that he was able to put on such an incredible tour over these last 2 years, especially when you look at people like Shawn and Lewis who've been struggling with their mental health and had to pull back. I honestly can't imagine the pressure they're all under. Harry just makes it look easy, but we all know it takes an insane amount of hard work, a massive amount of support, and a huge dose of luck to survive the music industry.

I was speaking with someone this morning, too, about taking time for myself. Outside of my friends, Harry is the main reason I'm here these days, and if he's stepping back for a bit, it may be a good time to do the same. We'll see.

I hope he takes a much needed rest. I hope he does things that inspire and refresh him. I hope he finds balance and has time to do things he hasn't before. And, selfishly, I hope we see him again soon.

#harry's hiatus

[nialls-gorgeous-colors]

Shawn and Niall's public dating history doesn't match the themes and narratives of their songwriting

Mannn… if you actually take the time to look at Shawn’s and Niall’s dating history…. Where are these passionate songs coming from if you buy into the general public narrative 😭 Shawn’s literally supposedly dated 2 people 😭

And it didn’t start until 2017 😭 which albums are typically written A YEAR AT LEAST before they are released. Shawn Mendes Self Titled was released on May 25, 2018. Illuminate was released on April 20, 2017.

And then he’s singing about hoping someone will be by his side and being with someone “who cares if they approve”…. The media and fans were wanting him and C to get together… where are these obstacles of being together 😭

Niall’s dating history is so weird, like, don’t even get me started. It’s so full of PR and short bursts of being with someone?? Women who have even issued statements and denied when asked that they were anything romantic??? Where are all of these passionate songs coming from?? Who is he showing up at their door soaking wet? Where are these obstacles??? Wedding song???

Why is he needing to tell someone there’s “no judgement” (it’s romantic with a “mate and… you know”. No, it’s not about Harry please stop?) when they’re together??? Who is he missing so much he needs a “new angel”?? This Town: Who is he saying “if the whole world was watching I’d still dance with you” about”?? Why wouldn’t anyone he’s been with be accepted???

There’s so much that begs to be said about all of this. Shawn invalidating his whole discography (saying it’s all about Camila???) in his documentary still makes me so incredibly sad. That doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t all line up, nor do the themes match up with his life history with her. Please 😭

Make it make sense. 🤨😭 whomever made him say that had no idea what they were doing. They expected the fans to just blindly accept what came out of his mouth.

I have talked with his fans who believe that he was writing so many songs about her… and to believe it, you have to think that he’s just sitting on the sidelines for years just pining away for her while she’s with other guys??? That doesn’t even match with his songs???

I know I’m going back and forth between the two but there’s so much of Niall’s that don’t make sense either. It starts with Barbara Palvin, who was starting out her modeling career who was connected with Niall in 2013-2014. If you don’t think he stunted, then what’s this?

Amelia Lily (yup another Amelia) 2011-2012. There’s later an article about her DENYING anything went on and that she was actually dating an electrician dude.

He was connected briefly with Ellie Goulding who would greatly benefit from the clout boost in Aug-Sept 2013. Meh. Standard music industry stuff.

Melissa Whitelaw, an Australian student, Feb-June 2015 so says a DM article. There’s papwalks complete with the weird backseat photos. Her looking out the window while Niall is awkwardly trying to cope with what he’s being subjected to, see below.

And there’s Celine Helene Vandycke, yet another student. This time she’s Belgian. They show up at events with his arm around her shoulders. They’re only together about a month or two in 2016. Again, here’s the customary car backseat photo published in DM.

And then there Hailee Steinfeld, in 2017-2018. Niall never confirms it but there’s really awkward (while walking across the street?? Like??? Wtf???) kissing pics that exist. She wears his merch. She shows up to a m&g during his tour. They “breakup” then the narrative is she released a song called “Wrong Direction” but denies it’s about him. (Great PR move, Hailee.)

Then it brings us to Amelia Woolley, pandemic lockdown lady. Met in Apr 2020, UK lockdown started in Mar. Dramatic story how they met in tabloids. Niall tore her away from her electrician boyfriend. They now do papwalks and she shows up at golf and events. Everyone forgets about her.

So….. I repeat…. where’s the kind of longterm love along the ways that’s sparked their work and matches the themes of their songs??? Please let me know if you find it???

And yes I know there’s some typos, the timeline also isn’t exact. But that’s the thing about these “relationships” that are arranged. Dates are messy because no one actually knows them. 😂

#niall horan #niall #niall james horan #shawn mendes #shiall #pr stunt #pr relationships #the dating timelines are bs #solo niall #one direction #showmance #fake relationships #bearding #nh #namelia #amelia woolley #hailee steinfeld #shiall hendes #shiall is real #dating history #namelia is fake #wonder #closeting #lgbt #lgbtpeople #gay things #tabloids #tabloid relationships #no judgement #harry styles

[avocifera]

im getting ready to sleep and i decided to read everything, i have some thoughts on rockstar!reader

- if we are saying that reader is basically hayley williams (not physically) so let’s say they were dating a guy for a really long time, and reader wrote songs after the breakup of how shitty he was (dead horse by hayley says hello!!!) so imagine julien listening to the tracks and being like “i can treat them so much better” and phoebe and lucy just giggling over it

- reader winning an grammy and shouting out julien!!!!!!

- i also believe that they were in the same circle for sooooo long, like maybe reader knows lucy or phoebe the longest but everytime they hang out together, julien couldn’t come and vice versa so when they met it was very important to both of them let’s say that!

- also this!! https://julienrosebaker.tumblr.com/post/615061184871333888/julien-baker-and-hayley-williams-via-becca/amp

the thoughts are just amazing i like love your mind!! so let’s get into them and thanks for the ask 😋

- idk it’s funny to me but imagine like AS SOON as reader drops the single where they completely destroy their ex julien posts a photo on instagram where she’s looking all hot and THEN post a cover of shawn mendes’ treat you better on the stories 😭😭 idk but thinking about that is so funny to me for some reason

- also on that and kinda adding onto reader already being in their circle, i see either phoebe or lucy texting julien after her posts like “jb don’t you think that maybe you’re trying like way too hard? 😁”

- the grammy thing reminded me of the seven husbands of evelyn hugo when she breaks one of her tooth after celia wins an oscar and like 😭😭 imagine julien not being able to attend the ceremony for whatever reason and getting SO happy when reader wins aoty and screams her name that she falls and breaks an arm

- definitely feel like rockstar!reader was very good friends with lucy and got to know phoebe and julien through her but they were never in the same city as julien when lucy decided to do something so they only were close with phoebe and lucy? idk if it’s understandable but also onto that i can see pb&lucy facetiming reader and jb being sooo shy to talk to them

- and that pic made me think that maybe reader and julien got closer when lucy decided to make some sort of tradition to have a hike/nice walk with her friends at least once a week and jb and reader were avid enjoyers of that so they got to know each other more like that

- still on the hike thing, i can see lucy setting up a new hike one day and only inviting reader and julien and when the day comes she’s just like “sorry guys can’t go :/“ when the two are already there ?? mastermind ig

#nia talk show #anons !! #julien baker x rockstar reader

[felicitysmoaksx]

So do you remember that poll I posted a while back asking the question before or after with no context? Well here's the fic!

Hahahaha. Hi all! You are all probably wondering what this is. And if any of you follow me on Tumblr, you're probably wondering why this isn't the baby fic I promised you. Well, I have it 70% done and then this idea grabbed hold and wouldn't leave me alone.

So we have an alt version of the au Voight Family Values. Where Connor defines the relationship with Sarah before the events of HOISWY. This is in no way canon to that universe but I could see it happening both before and after that fic. So again this is not canon to this universe. Just a What If scenario but nevertheless I hope you enjoy it!

If you want to set the mood for this fic, I recommend Mercy by Shawn Mendes, Takes a Breakup by Chris Ruediger, and Dead in the Water by Ellie Goulding

Happy Reading!

Rating: Explicit (Minors DNI 18+)

Summary:   A crisis situation at the hospital spurs Connor into defining his relationship with Sarah sooner than later. 

Word Count: 12.4k

Warnings: Sexual Content, Depictions of parental abandonment, depictions of violence, inaccurate medical procedures

Read On AO3 | Fic Playlist | Want to be tagged when I post a Rheese story?

Yeah, I Just Wanna Take You Home

The day had started out so normal. She woke up to the sound of Connor’s alarm going off. With a groan, she reached over his torso to shut it off. Rookie’s mistake though because that’s when he pounced. He surged up and wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to both her cheeks. She giggled as they turned in the bed. Now he was on top of her, kissing inch of her skin he could reach. 

“You have way too much energy in the mornings without any coffee,” Sarah laughed drowsily while she squirmed at the feel of his beard on her skin. She’d have some beard burn later, but the feel of it, of him, made it so worth it. 

“You love it,” the smug bastard, he was smirked at her. Then he leaned in and captured her lips. In truth, she did love it because going a round or two with him in the morning was almost like drinking a few cups of coffee and was truthfully the best way to wake up. 

“We don’t have time,” she sang when he pulled away from her and his lips started trailing far more south on her body, after checking the time on her phone. 

“You’ll be done quickly,” her lover promised her, biting softly, just at the seam of her boyshorts. 

“That is not something a girl wants to hear from the guy she’s sleeping with.” Sarah laughed before it became a drawn-out moan with his love bite. Connor chuckled darkly as his hands cupped under her thighs. 

“Well, like you’ve said, we don’t have time. Or else,” he kissed her inner thigh while he spread them apart to get to his final destination, nipping at an old love bite. Hooking two fingers into her underwear, he tugged them off. Sarah made a breathless whiny sound, arching up. The back of her head would look like a bird's nest, but she just needed a little bit more friction. Another dark chuckle and her hips were pinned to the mattress. “We both know I could draw this out…” 

He trailed off as his head dipped and then the only sound that could be heard was Sarah’s moaning. All of it was entirely Connor’s doing…She inhaled tightly before she saw the stars of her euphoric pleasure. 

When she came down from visiting those stars, the curly-haired brunette saw her lover looking entirely too pleased with himself. Well, that would never do, would it? She thought as she shimmed closer to him and grabbed his length. 

“We-w-we…oh fu-ck me…w-we don’t have time.” He tried to remind her, but it was undercut by his own moan of pleasure. 

“I think you’ll be done quickly too,” she parroted his words back to him in a silky whisper before she kissed him chastity. Then she headed south too. Her mouth enveloped him as she treated him like he was her own personal lollipop. 

“Ohhh,” he moaned, his hand cupping the back of her head. He fisted her curls the deeper she went. “I’m going to fuck you so hard when we get home tonight. You won’t be able to move without feeling like jelly.”

Sarah moaned at the promise. 

See, a normal morning. If only the two doctors would’ve known what was waiting for them at the hospital. If only they knew it wasn’t going to be a normal day. If only they knew that ghosts among other people lingered in the hospital. In that ED.  Then they would’ve never left the safety of his apartment. If only…

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

The first shot went off and people started running. A second sharp crack echoed louder in her ears as glass shattered. She saw Earl go down before she was shoved to the ground from the sheer force of the sea of shoulders crowding the exits in an effort to get out fast. 

“Sarah,” she heard someone say, but her name sounded far off. The crowd continued to rush through the doors. A few people even stepped on her as she tried to get herself up. But every time she pushed herself up, another wave of people knocked her down. Then hands reached down to grab her shoulders then she was hauled upright and dragged into a treatment room. The curtain was pulled shut. But then her savior stumbled against the wall of the treatment bay. Catching their arm, Sarah caught them before they fell. But then she saw their face, and she really wished she hadn’t caught him. Her blood ran cold. Because Charlie Pugliese was staring back at her. 

“Easy,” he mumbled quietly when she flinched back from him. Ripping her arm out from under his. “I’m not going to hurt you…I couldn’t right now even if I wanted to.” 

He looked different since the last time she saw him. Older, warier but she guessed the sixteen years difference between now and when she last saw him would do that. He also looked weaker, but that could’ve been because he was holding onto an IV pole for dear life. “But you were getting trampled out there.” 

“What the hell are you doing here? You’re not even supposed to be in Illinois.” Forgetting the kind of situation they were in, Sarah narrowed her eyes at the man. 

The man who kept food on the table and the water, heat, and electricity running when her dad and Bunny both stopped showing up. The man who took her worn-out teddy bear to a doll hospital to get it sewn back together after he tore its arm off when he pulled it out from where it was stuck in the couch cushions. The man who rushed her to the hospital when her appendix burst at the age of ten. 

But also the same man who in the same breath got Erin hooked on dope and Annie pregnant when she was underage and he was an adult. Who also taught Sarah how to pickpocket when she turned eleven and spurred her pseudo-sister to call Hank back and finally make a deal with him. 

“Aunt Sarah!” Travis’ voice called out and the reason she was in ED this morning, to begin with. Annie had brought Travis in because he had been helping his mom make lunch for the day and had sliced his hand open cutting up a tomato when Annie’s back had been turned and needed stitches. And Erin’s childhood friend was already wary of hospitals thanks to her teenage years, so she asked Sarah to do it. She had only stepped outside to call her work and let them know she’d be late when everything happened.

“Tell me that isn’t who I think it is. Tell me that’s not Travis. Tell me that’s not my son, Sarah.” Charlie knew about Travis. But just like, Charlie is in Chicago. The information got stowed away in her brain for her to pick apart and analyze later.

“Get back into bed and stay there,” Sarah told Charlie, in a braver voice than she actually felt as the shooter, a seventeen-year-old kid, of all people, told everyone to stop running and ordered Maggie to lock the doors, She pulled the curtain back just enough to see what was happening and surveyed the scene. 

She briefly saw April before the nurse ducked back into the treatment room she was in. Maggie and Will were locking and covering the doorways. Earl was slumped against a wall with blood seeping through his shirt. Ethan was looking at it and Natalie was applying pressure to another man sprawled out on the ground. From where she stood, the brunette knew this man was hurt but was too far away to see how badly.  And then there was Connor. He was standing on the opposite side of the ED and doing exactly what she was doing right now.

‘Stay there,’ he mouthed to her, shaking his head when she caught his eyes. But then ignored his own advice as he slipped out of the room pulling on a pair of gloves. Her heart stuttered as the shooter turned on Connor.

“Hey, this man needs help.” Connor was speaking like he was soothing a freighted animal. Hands raised.

“Aunt Sarah!” Travis called out again while the kid holding the gun explained that it wasn’t his fault. 

“But you don’t want him to die, do you?” The kid shook his head and allowed Connor to help him. Sarah started to creep very quietly out of the room. 

“Stop moving!” She stopped and lifted her eyes slowly; she saw the kid was now pointing the deadly weapon at her. Holding her hands up, Sarah swallowed. 

“I just want to get the kid in that treatment room.” She tried to mirror Connor’s tone as she indicated the treatment at the end of the hallway. The one with a now shattered window. Nausea filled Sarah’s stomach. If Travis had been hit with a stray bullet…

Don’t think like that Sarah, she chastised herself as she shook her head slightly. With a slight tremor in her voice, she continued, “He’s scared. He could be hurt. Just let me go calm him down.”

“No, everyone stays where they are!” Sarah had been a cop’s daughter for sixteen years. Had heard enough stories from Hank and his partners over the years to know this story wasn’t going to have a happy ending. The brunette swallowed. The gun was still pointed at her. But she still had to get to Annie’s son. 

“O-okay. Then what if he comes to me? You can keep that pointed at me the whole time.” 

It was a split second. But the kid nodded. She nodded back. The tremor was still in her voice when she spoke, “O-kay. Okay. I’m going to call him now.”

His hand flexed against the weapon’s handle in response. Sarah exhaled shakily, clenching her trembling hands into fists. “Travis? Buddy?” 

A mop of blond hair became visible. Then a pair of panicked hazel eyes peered out from behind the curtain. “Buddy, run to me.” 

“But he has-”

“I know what he has. But he isn’t going to be pointing it at you. He’s going to keep it trained on me the entire time. Just run to me. He isn’t going to hurt you.”

“I don’t want him to hurt you either,” Travis told her worriedly. He sounded as if he was about to cry and Sarah thought she felt her heart start to crack in two.

“He won’t,” she tried to promise him, but the words felt hollow. Empty because even she didn’t know what was going to happen.

“Hey, Hey. Kid,” Connor interrupted, taking the attention off of Sarah. She was so preoccupied with thoughts of trying to get to Annie’s son that she didn’t realize he had been doing it on purpose.  “I need to get him into a trauma room. Do you understand me?”

“Okay…okay. Yeah,” 

“Maggie, I need a backboard!” Connor called to the charge nurse over his shoulder, who responded. Travis took the opportunity and started running. 

“David,” Choi called and the shooter turned fully to look at him. Sarah was still distracted or she would’ve realized that her friend had spoken up when the kid had been turning back around, “David, they’re going to need help lifting him.”

She didn’t hear David respond because Travis had collided with her and the brunette, with her arms wrapped around him, backed the kid into the treatment room with Charlie. 

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” She scanned his body for any new injuries beyond the hand Annie had brought him in for before she hurriedly pulled the curtain back in place. She dropped to her knees, cupping his face. Her pseudo-nephew shook his head and let her wipe away the tears from his face.

“No,” No, he wasn’t hurt or no he wasn’t okay? Sarah couldn’t tell which question he was answering first. Probably both.

“Listen!” David called out. But the rest of his words might as well have been white noise. Because Sarah was in survive and protect mode.

“Travis, I need you to get on the bed and stay there with Charlie. Do not move, do you understand me?” Annie’s son nodded at her authoritative tone. (Honestly, if the circumstances were different, she would cringe at how much she sounded like Hank right now.) And as he was scrambling to climb onto the bed, Sarah met his father’s eyes. 

“Charlie, if it comes down to a choice and I’m not here-”

“It’ll be him, Sarah.” He reassured her before she could even finish her thought, “But you’re going to be here.” 

Opening her mouth, the brunette was going to respond. But David’s voice was no longer background noise buzzing in her head as she heard him yell at someone to get back to where they were. 

“Sarah,” Charlie warned in a low tone when she started to turn around. If she had been a kid, that tone would’ve made her stop and think. But she wasn’t the same kid he knew anymore.  She pulled the curtain back just slightly to see the scene in front of her. He was talking to Ethan. With the gun now pointed straight at him.  

“Sarah,” he snapped again as she took a step forward, pulling the curtain back in its place. 

“David,” she addressed the kid first then when he whirled to face her; she addressed Dr. Choi as well, “Dr. Choi. What if I came and helped? Th-that way Dr. Choi can go back to where he was but they still have an extra set of hands?”

“Reese, no,” Ethan said, at the same time Connor glanced up. Blue eyes darkened with alarm as he met hers. He was vehemently shaking his head. He couldn’t speak, because his attention was half pulled by trying to insert a chest tube, but he seemed to be silently warning her to stay back.  

But Sarah wasn’t looking at either of them, Instead, her gaze was focused only on David and the gun in his hand. And it was still pointed at her friend. There was a moment of hesitation before the kid dipped his head as he mumbled almost as if he was talking to himself, “Okay. Okay. Yeah,”

Sarah hurried over, keeping her hands above her head. Dr. Choi moved as she approached and she took his spot by Connor’s side while he went back to where he was helping Earl.

“Start a line. With the way this guy is going, I have a feeling we’re going to need it before it’s over with,” Connor directed her in a clipped tone, continuing to try and insert a chest tube. He wasn’t happy with her. But that really wasn’t the brunette’s concern right now. Nodding silently, she pulled on a pair of gloves. Connor stepped around her, and to anyone else, it may have seemed like he was giving her more room to work. But unlike earlier, Sarah was paying attention now. With his warm citrus scent wrapped around her, she didn’t believe it was a coincidence that she was now on the inside of Connor. He had intentionally placed himself in between her and David. 

“Are you sure it was a good idea to leave that kid with the patient in 3? He’s in from Cook County.” Maggie asked after David left to go check on his girlfriend. Cook County…Looks like things finally got up to Charlie. As quick as the thought came, Sarah shook it off. Once again, placing that information in a box in her mind to be opened later. When she afford to analyze and freak out about it later. 

She shook her head at Maggie. She may not have seen the man in the last sixteen years, but that didn’t stop her from saying,  “Charlie is a lot of things. But he won’t hurt Travis.”

Especially not Travis.

Her friend raised an eyebrow at her words, “You make it sound like you know him.”

“I do,” she admitted quietly. It was as close as she got to telling anyone outside of her family about her childhood, “It’s been a while, but trust me, Maggie. I know exactly who Charlie is. And right now, Charlie Pugliese is the lesser of two evils.” 

“Damn it,” Connor said before a river of blood seemed to pour out of their patient. His chest tube was backed up. Sarah moved to help him to try and staunch the bleeding. 

“Breathe,” the brunette heard Maggie soothe when their patient groaned lowly. Quietly, so as not to alarm anyone, Sarah pointed out the obvious to the man who shared his bed with her regularly. 

“He lost a lot of blood. He needs more or he’s going to die,” 

“He needs a trauma team and surgery or he’s going to die,” Connor responded back. His voice was just as quiet and his tone was still clipped. But he wasn’t going to get an apology right now or even after, if they made it through this. The kid had a weapon pointed at her friend. Did he expect her not to react? 

“How’s he doing?” David asked. 

“Not good, David. He’s bleeding from inside his chest.” Connor answered him, turning back to the task at hand. 

The kid scoffed, waving the gun as he spoke. “Well, it was his fault. He grabbed the gun.” 

“I don’t care, alright?” Her lover snapped when the tube was finally in. Blood dripped out of it. Connor was still speaking as he started securing it with medical tape and gauze, “He needs to go upstairs for surgery.”

“No, he stays here.” David was shaking his head now. 

“He might not make it if you don’t let him go upstairs.” Connor tried to counter. But that seemed to make the kid angrier, “You’re a doctor! Do something!” 

“I need blood, plasma, and platelets. Now! Otherwise, he dies.” Connor said. 

“Okay, what do I-what do I do?” The kid seemed to stumble over his words. 

“Pick up any one of those phones and dial 911 and tell them who you are. They’ll find someone for you to ask.” Maggie told him firmly. 

“That’ll take too long,” Sarah interjected, shaking her head as she stripped off her bloody gloves. She had forgotten she had her phone on her. But now it seemed to burn in her back pocket. Then while she reached for it, she said a little louder. Addressing David. She held out the device to him, with Hank’s number already pulled up.

 “My father is a police sergeant at the 21st district. He runs the intelligence unit. Call him. Tell him you have his youngest daughter and oldest grandson, along with several other people at gunpoint. He’ll get you what you need.”

“Okay,” The weapon went slack in David’s grip as he nodded. He moved forward and Connor pressed his back flush against her front, keeping her shielded as the kid took the phone from her. (Neither one noticed how Maggie’s eyes narrowed just slightly as she witnessed the interaction. It wasn’t the time to think about her friends’ love lives but maybe April had actually seen them together even if the other nurse had been unsure at the time.) 

When he had his back turned, once more. Phone pressed to his ear, Maggie soothed the patient once more. Then she met Sarah’s eyes. 

“Voight is your dad? That’s why Windam didn’t want you taking my spot for refusing that blood draw.” She said slowly and the curly-haired brunette watched the realization dawn in her eyes.  “That’s why there was no record of you ever being charged. Because you weren’t. Were you?” 

Sarah slowly shook her head. According to all of her pseudo-siblings, she was the golden child. The baby. The one Hank and Camille never had to worry about once they got her on the right path. So when Officer Windam threatened to charge Maggie with obstruction, Sarah stepped in because she knew, or rather hoped, Hank wouldn’t let her be arrested. 

She was right.  Sarah hadn’t been charged. Instead, she was put in a holding cell by herself and made to wait until it was time to be taken for arraignment. Then she was escorted upstairs by Platt where she was lectured very thoroughly by Hank.

 The man below them groaned and Maggie was no longer her friend but instead, a nurse once more as she soothed, “Breathe. I know, it hurts but you need to breathe. We have help coming.” 

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

Instead of pacing in front of the locked ED, where a scared kid with a gun had eight people of her medical staff (not to mention how many patients) held, Sharon Goodwin was trying to make herself useful and oversee the patients that they had gotten out and help coordinate their transport.

But Dr. Lanik seemed to have that covered as he told the paramedics on how to brief the other doctors at the other hospitals with each patient that was loaded. 

“Is that the last of our emergency patients?”

“The last of the ones that we could get out anyway,” her chief of the ED told her just as some called her name. Turning her head, she saw Hank Voight being stopped by the other officers at the scene. He flashed his badge to the men before they let him through. The whole of the Intelligence unit was also behind him. All except for Detective Lindsay. She broke off and made a beeline for the mothers of the two kids being held. 

“Erin, I just stepped out to call my boss to let them know I was going to be late! I didn’t think-” Sharon heard one mother start. 

“Annie, I know. No one ever thinks this will happen.” She consoled the blonde woman gently. Then she addressed both women together. “I promise you, we will do everything in our power to bring your kids back to each of you.”

“Sharon, the shooter called. With a list of supplies he needs but-” Hank started

“Dispatch said nothing about a call coming over,” the incident commander interrupted her friend,  as he lumbered over. Then seeing the other man’s star, he introduced himself. “Officer Seth Mottola. SWAT.”

“Sergeant Hank Voight. Intelligence. And the call didn’t come over dispatch. My daughter is one of the doctors being held. The call came from her phone.” 

“What kind of supplies, Hank?” Sharon stepped in before a fight could brew between the two men. 

“Blood, plasma, and platelets.” 

“Okay. I’ll get someone to gather the supplies and-”

“Sharon, there was one more request. He has requested that you be the one to bring it.” 

“What?” Even the head of the hospital could hear the shock in her voice.

“Said you tried to help him? Seemed he doesn’t trust anyone else. Can you explain why that is?” Hank asked. Sharon could never tell if he was just asking or if it was something more with the police sergeant. Still, Sharon thought for a moment. Who had she tried to help today?

“Hank, I tried to help a young man today. David. His girlfriend was in the ED. She was pregnant and he was pretty sure he was the father and that the father of the girlfriend was making her say otherwise. I offered to give him a few lawyer names. But he’s under the age of eighteen, do you seriously think it’s him?”

“Sharon, in my line of work…it wouldn’t surprise me.”

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

It was so quiet in the ED that Sarah heard when Ms. Goodwin arrived before she even turned the corner to the trauma bay. 

“Sharon?” Maggie questioned

“Alright, hang one-to-one on the rapid transfuser and keep going. Do not let his blood pressure drop.” Connor directed, pulling his stethoscope back around his neck.

“Got it,” Sarah and Maggie said in unison as the brunette moved to help the nurse. Not that she needed the help, but the longer this went on, the longer Travis was in this ED, the more anxious energy went through Sarah’s body. She needed to do something.

Their boss shifted her gaze to meet all three of their eyes. “Do we know how the other patients are doing?” 

“My father’s in 2. He’s got something going on with his heart. Earl got hit by a bullet. Ethan said he was going to be okay. And I heard Natalie say Lily is ready to deliver at any moment.” Connor started. 

“April’s got a sick kid in 7.” The charge nurse supplied. 

“And I’ve got my nephew in 3. His hand was split open but I’ve since stitched it up, He’s fine now. Just shaken up.” Sarah told their boss.

“He also is in 3 with that prisoner from cook county. The one that got stabbed and needs an organ repair to take care of the laceration on his kidney.” 

Charlie had a laceration on his kidney? Charlie was stabbed? Then Sarah remembered his words from earlier. “I’m not going to hurt you. I couldn’t right now, even if I wanted to.”

“He won’t hurt Travis though. Believe me, Ms. Goodwin.” The older woman considered Sarah’s words before nodding her head. She waved at hand at the patient in front of her. 

“What about him? How is he doing?” She asked. 

“Thanks to the blood, his heart rate will go down. But he’s still hemorrhaging in his chest. If we don’t get him upstairs soon, we are going to lose him.” Her lover said, taking the lead as the trauma specialist. 

“Okay,” Goodwin sighed heavily, rubbing at the formed crease on her forehead. Then she turned and walked off in the direction of David. He was standing by the nurses' station but it was like his head was on a swivel. She didn’t know what Ms. Goodwin said to the kid, but she returned a moment later with him trailing behind her. 

“Dr. Rhodes get your patient ready to move out of the ED.” She told Connor so that’s what they did. Gurney railings were raised and Maggie went with Goodwin to wheel him out of the ED. 

Connor grabbed her wrist when she turned to go back to Travis and Charlie. Looking up, she saw he wanted to say something. But before he could get any sort of words out, they heard panicked shouting. 

Sarah stiffened when she turned her head and saw that SWAT had forced their way into the ED. Shields in front of them with their guns pointed at David and by proxy Maggie and Goodwin. Connor’s grip tightened on her wrist as he pushed her behind him. Then he was shoving her into the nearest treatment room. (Which was his father’s room) Her lover pulled her to him when the privacy curtain was pulled into place and for once, Sarah clung to him. With her head buried in his shoulder and her arms belted around his waist, she hoped she wouldn’t hear a gunshot. Though her whole body was tense as if she were bracing herself for one. His lips were pressed to her forehead.

“LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!” Ms. Goodwin ordered them in a shout, “STEP BACK! WE HAVE A PATIENT WE NEED TO MOVE THROUGH!”

There was more shouting. Then the clang of the door falling closed. Sarah heard the lock of it as it was turned. Then there was uneasy silence once more.

When Maggie appeared, the brunette released a breath she had been holding. (She didn’t notice Maggie’s brown eyes narrowing once more at the sight before her. Now definitely wasn’t the time to focus on her friends’ love lives. But she was seeing what she thought she was seeing right?) Pulling herself out of Connor’s arms (She also didn’t notice Connor’s reluctance to let her go) Sarah started to check over her friend before she was waved off. 

“I’m fine. No scratches. Just shook up,” she told her. Sarah nodded her head and squeezed her friend’s shoulder, “I think everyone is,”

“So, what is your plan here?” Sarah stiffened at the sound of Charlie asking the question. Peeking out of the doorway, she saw Charlie leaning heavily against both the doorway and his IV pole. Now Sarah saw what she didn’t before; that he was handcuffed to that pole. 

“What do you care?” David scoffed. Charlie shrugged, feigning indifference. “Curiosity? I like to root for an underdog, you know?” 

“Underdog? I’m no underdog.” 

“Kid, I’ve got news for you. Yes, you are. Not only do you have thirteen people trapped, but you also have a police sergeant’s daughter. And trust me, I speak from experience with this particular sergeant.  If anything happens to her and you are…” Charlie trailed off letting the weight of the unspoken words speak for themselves. 

“How is he standing? He has a laceration on his kidney.” Maggie asked quietly, coming up to stand by her shoulder. The brunette shrugged. “Adrenaline?  He also picked me up when the crowd started running for the exits and I fell. Kept me from being trampled.” 

“How do you know this guy, Sarah? You never said.” 

Sarah was saved from answering by April coming out of a treatment room saying she needed help.  Her patient wasn’t responding to medication and his fever was up.

“David, I need to go check on him. Please, uncuff me.” Dr. Choi pleaded. But the kid shook his head. 

“No, she can deal with him herself,” he said, turning his back on them. Ms. Goodwin tried to plead with him, but it was Charlie’s unbothered drawl that had him turning back around. 

“Not smart, kid. You heard the woman in charge. Anyone in here dies, it’ll be on you. You really need to think about what you’re doing. And look at it from this angle. You’re about to be a father, wouldn’t you want your kid to get help if they were in this kind of situation?”

“Not him,” David finally said, after he took a second to think, pointing to Dr. Choi, “I can’t trust him.” 

“Okay. That’s fair,” Charlie agreed easily. Then his eyes flicked to hers with a question in them and she nodded in a way that wouldn’t draw too much attention. 

“Then can Sarah go and help him?” David turned to look at her. He must’ve perceived her as not a threat because he nodded a moment later. Sarah started forward. 

“But if she tries anything-”

“I won’t.” She stopped abruptly to reassure him at the same time Charlie said, “She won’t.”

“Okay,” 

Exhaling a sigh of relief, the brunette continued on her way. Only pausing briefly beside Ethan to say, “You might need to walk me through some things. It’s been a minute since I flexed my ED muscles.”

“Copy you,” 

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

It took a little while and inserting a chest tube and inserting a needle to decompress his lung. But the kid was finally stable. 

“Good job,” Dr. Choi and April chorused together as she stripped off her gloves, shaking her head. It was important now, but she had gotten sloppy in her two years of psychiatry. Sloppiness was dangerous, especially in medicine.

 In the time that she worked on her patient, Charlie had transformed into his charming self. The one she remembered. The one her brain seemed to hold onto, even now, and made her feel so at odds with herself. Because even though nothing had happened to her, she knew everything he had done to Erin and Annie. He rambled to the kid and it seemed to put the kid somewhat at ease. Charlie was halfway to charming the gun out of David’s grasp and into Goodwin’s. Like a snake charmer. All while keeping Travis firmly behind him.

Then Charlie collapsed. 

She heard the crash, his IV pole falling before she heard a dull thud of his body hitting the floor. Sarah was already making her way out of the treatment room when Travis’ panicked cry of, “Aunt Sarah!” hit her ears.

Tension was building back up in David’s shoulders when she passed him. In hindsight, Sarah probably should’ve thought twice about racing past him. But at that moment, the brunette found herself worrying very little about herself. 

“Travis, move to the left side of the room.” She ordered her nephew as she tried to pick Charlie up but with him unconscious, he was deadweight so she was struggling. 

“David, she needs help. With moving him. Can I go help?” Will asked. The kid must’ve given an answer because Will spoke again, “I’ll be back to help Dr. Manning when she delivers your child but the other doctor needs help getting that man back into bed. And it isn’t going to come from the kid.”

What the redheaded doctor said must’ve gotten through to him, because Will appeared at her shoulder before moving to Charlie’s other side. 

“On three?” He asked her, grabbing an arm and wrapping it around his neck. She nodded. 

“One, two, three…” Together they lifted Charlie’s prone body into the bed. By that point, the ghost of her past had regained consciousness. His eyes were just barely open. 

“Why are you helping me?” He slurred. Glancing over her shoulder, Sarah made sure Annie’s son couldn’t hear her. Then she turned back to his sperm donor. She spoke quietly, “You know, after everything; everything you did to Erin and Annie. I’m asking myself the same thing.”

Will shot her a bewildered glance and she knew why. She had just revealed something else about her past, but she ignored it and told him to go back to Natalie. 

“You need help figuring out what’s wrong with him.” He protested as she put an oxygen mask over Charlie’s face. He was short of breath because his other organs were already trying to compensate. Sarah shook her head, “I know what’s wrong with him. He has a laceration on his kidney that needs to be repaired. But I don’t know if we can press our luck after what happened last time.” 

She glanced back to see the kid pacing the space once more. 

Her red-headed friend went to stay more, but David told him to get back where he was. With one more glance thrown at her, Will made his way back to Dr. Manning. Then there was an uneasy silence where the only thing that could be heard was a steady stream of beeping and sounds of whimpering and groaning from Lily. And David’s footsteps seemed to echo as loud as his frantic mumbling to himself as he paced the length of the ED back and forth. And again.

Then Cornilues Rhodes had a heart attack and almost coded. They got him back, but just barely. Charlie was also steadily getting worse. He needed that repair surgery soon and possibly dialysis, the longer this went on. Medication was only a stop-gap to a bigger problem.

Sarah had been reassuring Travis that things would be okay when she heard shouting. She tensed. Her body seized up because Connor was one of the people shouting. “I CAN’T FIX HIM HERE! HE NEEDS AN OPERATING ROOM WITH A WORKING BYPASS MACHINE!” 

He must be talking about his father.

Her stomach flipped and dropped when she heard the kid threaten her lover. Her heart started to hammer. Travis hugged her, burying his head in her stomach and she ran a shaking hand through his hair to try and calm him down. Her lover said something, but it was spoken so quietly that she couldn’t make out his words. 

“Fine, but I want the policeman’s daughter to do the transfer.” David spun around to face her. 

“No!” Three voices exclaimed together. Her nephew squeezed her tighter as if he could keep her with him by his sheer force and how tight his grip was on her. 

“That wasn’t part of the deal!” Connor, whose eyes kept darting back and forth between his father and her. His blue eyes were dark with anguish when their eyes met. And Ms. Goodwin followed one step behind the kid and she was trying to plead earnestly with him. 

“David, please. I can’t ask her to take that risk. I’ll transfer the patient myself and you’ll have my guarantee, no one will come in.” 

The brunette swallowed as he ignored the other woman and ate the space between them. Her arms tightened around Travis. 

“No, you said that last time and then they came in! So she’s going to be my insurance policy!” 

“David-”

“I’ll do it.” Sarah interrupted whatever Goodwin was going to say. Her voice was trembling as much as her hands were. She wasn’t as brave as Erin, but there was no use in arguing with the kid. He was a live wire and even she could see they were close to seeing those sparks. It was best just to agree with him. Besides, it was Connor’s dad. Even if she had a choice, how could she say no? 

“I’ll do it, Ms. Goodwin. It’ll be fine,” Her reassurance was undercut by her voice. The brunette moved her gaze to meet David’s, “But please. Consider letting Charlie go too. His kidney needs to be repaired and I don’t think he can last much longer down here.”

And the ghost of her past must’ve really made an impression on the father-to-be because David nodded his okay. “Get-get them ready to go.” 

“O-okay,” she caught Connor’s eye and nodded to him. It was meant to be reassuring. But the double-certified surgeon still looked uncertain and anguished. 

‘It’s okay,’ she mouthed to him. She watched him shake his head before he turned to Maggie, saying something but Sarah was too far away to hear him.  Sarah watched the nurse nod before she ducked her head down to look at her nephew. He still clung to her. 

“Hey, buddy.” She continued to card a gentle hand through his hair. Watery hazel eyes peered up at her. Then they disappeared again as he nuzzled into her trying to get the tears to stop. 

“You’ve been so brave and I’m so proud of you for it. You just gotta be brave for a little bit longer. Do you think you can do that?” She asked the ten-year-old boy. Travis made a small noise that could’ve been a whimper. 

“I want my mom, I want Grampa Hank, and I want Aunt Erin.” He told her, sounding younger than he actually was. 

“I know you do, buddy. It's okay. You will see them soon. I promise.” You will see them soon. Not we will see them soon. Because even if she didn’t make it out of this, she would make sure Annie’s son did.

After pressing a kiss to his forehead, Sarah called Ms. Goodwin over. 

“I’ve called Daniel and he has assured me he will keep the police back. But I still don't suppose I can change your mind about this?” The woman asked grimly. Slowly, Sarah shook her head as she said,  “It’s not safe to fight with him. Especially over this with what happened. Can you do me a favor though?”

Sharon raised her eyebrows slightly but nodded. 

“This is my nephew. Travis. Could you wait with him while I make the transfers? I just don’t want him to be alone right now.”

“Of course,”

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

“Reese, you get one bed, I’ll get the other,” Maggie told her when the transfers were ready to go. The curly-haired brunette whipped around to face her friend with her brown eyes wide because that wasn’t the plan. 

No one was supposed to help her that way if something happened, no one else would get hurt. “Maggie-”

“It's my ED Sarah. My kingdom.” The charge nurse told her firmly before she grabbed Charlie’s bed and started to push it toward the doors. With her hands shaking worse than before, Sarah followed suit with Cornelius’ bed. 

David let them get as far as the doors, then he grabbed her by the neck and cold metal was pressed into the side of her forehead. She willed herself not to shiver at how it felt against her skin. 

“Dr. Charles?” She called.

“We’re here Sarah.” 

“I have two transfers here. But listen if SWAT tries what they did last time-”

“They won’t try anything. No one will. I promise.” Her pseudo-father’s gravelly voice settled over her like a warm blanket. Hank was here. Just hearing his voice, had her feeling a little more settled.

“That’s my Dad,” she told the kid calmly or she tried to. There was still a tremble to her voice. She swallowed tightly, but nothing lessened the lump that seemed to sit in her throat. “H-he wouldn’t put m-me in danger.” 

“Open it up,” David told Maggie as his arm tightened around Sarah’s neck. Maggie nodded and did as he said. 

“Kid?” Hank asked once the doors were open and the beds were transferred. It was just that nickname that he had always called her. But the brunette could hear the unspoken questions he was asking. Are you okay? Are you hurt? She couldn’t speak. David’s arm around her neck made it too difficult to even try, but she nodded to answer him. She was okay. She wasn’t hurt. 

“Shut the door! Go on, shut it!” He told Maggie and it was only when the lock was back in place that he let her go. He pushed her away from him. 

“Easy! She did as you asked and no one came in.” Maggie caught her as she stumbled into the other woman. 

“Maggie! Sarah! We need your help!” Connor called. They both looked at the kid.

“Go,” he waved them away with the gun still dangling in his hand, “Go!” 

They darted forward to the last room on the far side of the ED where the hybrid suite was. Sarah only paused briefly to check on Travis who was now with Dr. Choi and April. 

“Scrub in, the both of you.” Her lover told them. Despite only having the required number of hours of surgical experience Northwestern required, Sarah did as she was told. 

When she was scrubbed in, she was once more placed on the inside of Connor.  She didn’t know what she was doing here though. She was just standing behind him. Natalie was caring for the baby, once they had delivered him. So there was nothing for her to do. She thought maybe this was Connor’s way of trying to protect her; he didn’t really need her help. Until Lily’s uterus ruptured and had an uncontrollable bleed. 

“Sarah, start packing her, and don’t stop for anything,” Connor instructed. She nodded and started putting gauze in her stomach. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him look at Maggie and told her to start suctioning. 

“HEY! WE HAD A DEAL!” David was banging on the glass as she packed Lily with gauze. Every hit of his fist rattled the glass, “ YOUR FATHER FOR LILY! DON’T YOU LET HER DIE! DON’T LET HER DIE!” 

Her lover, now covered in the mother’s blood, barely spared him a glance as he clamped the bleeding. “Okay, Maggie. Give me an 0-8 on a needle with proleane. How many units has she had?”

“Hanging my last two,” Will answered from where he sat, sitting in for the anesthesiologist. 

“Okay, so we have about thirty minutes to stop this bleeding completely and sew her up.” He was so calm. It was one of the things she admired most about him. Even now, he was calm. 

“Reese, think you can help me sew her up after I get her uterus sewed up?” Sarah nodded at Connor’s question as Maggie passed her a thread and surgical thread.  

“Follow behind me and sew up her stomach as I sew up the bleed, okay?” 

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

The kid had a fool’s plan to get out of the situation. Trying to get Lily to move and run away with him and their baby after she just had surgery. Not to mention it seemed like a half-thought-out plan. Then it was over. It ended the same way it started. With a bullet.  

Sarah and Connor surged forward as David went down. Connor to assess the damage and Sarah emptied the gun of its bullets and passed it to the nearest SWAT member that swarmed the ED, as soon as David was down. 

Intelligence was the next unit in the ED. Jay went straight to Will and Erin stopped briefly to check on her before she beelined passed her to go help Dr. Choi and April, and to go check on Travis. 

“Kid,” the smell of burning wood mixed with a lingering scent of gunpowder reminded her of the security that she associated with home filled her nose before Hank’s arms wrapped her small frame in a tight hug. “Are you okay?” 

“Hey, kid.” Her pseudo-father cupped her face and made her look at him when she didn’t answer. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m okay.” Maybe if she said it long enough, she would feel like she was. Then her hands would stop shaking. 

“Is Travis okay?” Hank Voight pressed his lips to the crown of her head as he nodded. 

“He’s okay.” He confirmed. His hand rubbed her back soothingly as he squeezed her tightly once more. Her eyes watered then and she choked back a sob of relief. It felt so childish to cry with everything over now. But before, she was in survival and protection mode. A mode she hadn’t really had to go into since she was a kid. There was no time to cry then. But now…Now it was over and she just fell apart because now she could. Especially with her pseudo-father hugging her and whispering reassurances to her.

“Shhh, it's over now. Everything is going to be okay. I promise.” He soothed in that gentle fatherly tone that all fathers worth their salt seemed to have. 

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“Thought you’d gone by now. That your dad would’ve taken you home.” A quiet voice inquired near her ear. Looking to the side, she saw Connor standing there. There was still some dry blood on his arm. His hand came up to rest on the small of her back. 

“Intelligence caught a case and was called to the scene. He and my sister both wanted to call a squad car to drive me home or take me themselves on the way to the scene, but I convinced Hank and Erin I was okay enough to ride the bus back home. And since I was okay, it wasn’t worth getting into an argument with their commander over.”

“And what about him? How is he?” Sarah sighed and moved her gaze back to the man who conjured so many conflicting feelings within her. When she delivered Travis back to Annie, she asked the other woman if she knew Charlie was back in Chicago or in jail. The other woman hadn’t said anything more than, “You need to talk to Erin or your dad about it.” 

But the way she flinched and the guilty look that crossed her face had said enough. She had known Charlie was back in Chicago. So had Erin and Hank. Yet no one had thought to tell her. Betrayal washed over her as easily as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on her. Saying a tight goodbye to Erin’s friend, Sarah was wandering around the hospital with her whole body feeling stiff from her fall earlier today.  The bus wouldn’t run for another hour. So she wandered around the hospital and when she caught sight of Charlie’s prone form in general surgery recovery, she stopped and stared at him. 

“Dr. Peake was able to repair the damage to his kidney and sew the initial wound back together. She said he will need to be on dialysis for a few weeks to get his kidney back to regular function, but he can get that in prison and she’s confident he’ll make a full recovery.”

“You told Maggie you knew him?” Sarah squeezed her eyes shut. She had, but the only reason she had done that was to reassure the charge nurse’s mind that he wouldn’t hurt Travis when Sarah had put the kid in the treatment room with Charlie. 

“Yeah, since I was a kid. It’s…” she trailed off, explaining who Charlie was to her would mean telling Connor everything. And their arrangement wasn’t meant for heavy stuff like that. The brunette found herself sighing heavily, “It’s a long story. Not one really meant to be told in public. But anyways, how’s your dad? Did everything go okay with his surgery?”

Connor gave her searching a look for a moment, but when the subject of his father came up, his shoulders dropped in relief. His free hand, the one that wasn’t on her back, ran through his hair. 

“He’s doing better. Ava said the surgery was a success and he has a patch on his heart now. If all continues to go well, he should be able to go home within a week or so. My sister is with him now. She said with the day I’ve had, I’m not allowed back in the hospital until tomorrow, at the very least.” 

Sarah’s lips twitched in the ghost of a smile. “There’s been no official word yet, but Maggie thinks Goodwin is going to require everyone who was held, to take three days off.”

Connor opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by her phone starting to ring. She sighed when she saw it was Hank. 

“Sorry, it’s my dad.” she apologized to Connor. Just like with the call she had declined from Erin forty-five minutes ago, she ignored the call and sent him a text saying she was really fine (for the millionth time) but she had no desire to talk right now because of the day. Really she just wasn’t sure how to broach the subject of Charlie with them just yet. 

They both had known Charlie was in Chicago and hadn’t told her.

“So you’re not driving home?” Her brown orbs lifted from the lit-up screen to meet his worried blue ones. She slipped the phone into the back pocket of her jeans and shook her head. 

“No, you drove me this morning. So I was going to catch the bus at seven. Why?” She asked. In response, he moved his hand from her back to grab her hand. He grabbed her other one as well and held them up to her. Her still trembling hands. 

“Today was terrifying,” she mumbled in a quiet voice. The explanation seemed to be enough and he nodded in silent agreement, before pulling her into a kiss. It was a fleeting soft one, but it felt different somehow. His tongue always traced the seam of her lips, but this time it felt more intimate in a way. Even the way he pressed her more into his side, the expanse of his hand felt warmer against her back. Must be the day finally catching up to her

“Come home with me tonight,” the double-certified surgeon whispered against her lips, “Not like that, but like you said, today was terrifying and I just want to hold you tonight.” 

An earnest yearning made his blue eyes seem softer. Like clear blue water in a spring. This wasn’t what their arrangement was. Sure, Sarah slept at his place and he held her when she did, after they slept together…But. It was that soft look that made her agree without hesitation.

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

“Well that’s new,” Dr. Charles commented quietly, making Sharon look up from her hug with Cece. Following her friend’s gaze, she saw Dr. Rhodes and Reese leaving the hospital. Together from the looks of his arm around her waist. But really it was the gentle kiss he pressed to her forehead that made Goodwin think they were leaving together. 

“He was pretty protective of her in the ED. I just figured it was the stress of the situation. But maybe there is something more going on with them?” Sharon commented, her eyes soft as the young couple interacted. 

Young love.

“That’s not new Dad,” Robin shook her head at her father. Goodwin glanced behind her to study the younger woman. She didn’t think… she wasn’t that airy when it came to seeing her ex-husband with another woman. But then maybe her attitude had something to do with that new, bright shiny wedding ring on her finger.

“You can tell from their body language that it isn’t new.” Robin told the group softly as the couple walked out. Sharon watched her two doctors as they waited on the street. They might’ve been waiting for Connor’s car. Goodwin had seen him use the valet service before. Another kiss was pressed to the psych resident’s forehead.

Connor’s blue porsche pulled up to the street and Goodwin watched her surgeon open up the passenger side door while taking Sarah’s bag from her. Then he accepted the key from the valet and placed both bags in the back of the vehicle before they were speeding off and out of her sight.

Young love indeed.

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

“You still have blood on your arm,” the brunette pointed out, tracing the line of it with the tip of her finger after the door was shut behind them. 

“Shower before bed then? You go get the water and stuff ready while I get us some clothes and lock up?” There hadn’t been many words spoken in the car when he drove them back to his apartment. Where his hand hadn’t left her thigh unless it had to because he needed that reassurance that she was there. The mention of food had been brought up, though neither of them had much of an appetite. 

She nodded silently and he gave her another soft look before he smoothed his hands down her shoulders and pulled her into another kiss. He was usually the one to move first in their arrangement. That same feeling from before-warm and tender- came back. When she pulled away, (She was always the first to pull away, just as he was usually the one to pull her in.) she left him to lock up and headed to the bathroom. 

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Sarah was undressing with steam billowing out of the shower stall. From the smell of the air, she had also used a lavender shower steamer.

“Clothes are on the bed,” he murmured, helping her with her shirt. His eyes darkened and he glared at the sight of foot-shaped bruises on her torso. 

“I fell when people started running,” she told him when she caught him staring. Her hands were still shaking when they grabbed his wrists. His dark gaze shifted up as he kissed her forehead. Yet there was no heat in his action as he pushed the fabric off her shoulders. Just care. Shivering, his lover pressed closer to him. Then her bra was gone, as were her pants and underwear. 

“Feels different,” she mumbled, pressing a kiss against his shoulder as she pushed his shirt up. Off it came and joined her piles of clothes. 

“What does?” Connor asked in confusion because they had showered together before. There were bottles of her shampoo, conditioner, and apple vanilla body wash, half used to prove it. 

“This,” she whispered as the dark-haired surgeon stepped out of his pants and underwear, kicking them to this side. Steam hit his face when the door to the shower opened. 

“Feels heavier than what an extended booty call should be,” she whispered, “But it’s probably just the stress of the day we both had. And the fact that we usually have sex, but we’re not tonight.”

“Extended booty call?” He blinked and repeated the term slowly as he guided them under the hot spray of water. Hissing, she tensed and huddled closer to him. Connor wrapped his arms around her easily. 

“I know there’s probably a more polite term but that’s what I’ve been referring to us as in my head.” Her words were muffled by his chest. He didn’t know if that was to keep him from hearing her or just her getting away from the skin-melting water until her body adjusted.

“You think you’re just an extended booty call?” He half asked half growled at her. His dark hair was starting to grow damp from the steam and fall just in his eyesight. 

His lover shrugged, taking his growl as a sign of frustration with his hair and not with her because she pushed his dark locks back. She was seemingly unbothered by her words as he was becoming increasingly more bothered by them. He frowned.

“I know what this arrangement is,” she spoke again. At least she sounded resigned now. She pulled away from him to take a step back to stand under the water directly. Arrangement. Not a relationship. His frown deepened. Well, that’s what he got for not defining his relationship with her.

“And what is this ‘arrangement?’” 

Because I think you and I think it’s very different things. Went unsaid. For one, you’re calling it an arrangement when I think it’s a relationship. Though he hadn’t quite mentioned that to her yet. That this was a relationship to him, but his tone of voice finally made her look at him, from where she was rubbing water on her face. 

“It’s not important,” Sarah waved him off while she turned around to grab his bar of soap. Or she tried to, but now that it was out there, Connor couldn’t let it go. 

“Sarah,” he took a step closer. Water ran down his back and he wrapped an arm around her waist, “Talk to me.”

“It was an off-hand comment. It doesn’t mean-”

“It means something to me. Now tell me what you meant by your ‘off-handed comment.’ Because I’m not letting it go until you do.”

Connor heard her sigh before she spoke quietly. Sheepishly. It was almost inaudible over the water pouring down on them. 

“You had to rebound from Robin with someone. You know, get under someone else to get over someone.” 

The blood in his veins boiled and ran ice cold at the same time. She thought he just wanted her for sex? Oh, you have royally fucked this one up, Rhodes.

“Sarah-” Her name was just the beginning of what he had to say. That he didn’t just want her for sex, it may have started out like that. He was big enough to admit that to her. It’s not how he felt now though. But she wouldn’t let him utter more than her name. He didn’t hear the sigh, but with the arm, he had around her, he felt her stomach as she inhaled and exhaled.

“Connor, can we not talk about it while we’re in the shower? Please?” She pleaded, turning in his arms to face him. Those doe eyes were turned on him now and it was only because he was immune to those chocolatey orbs that he relented with a nod. That and the bruises on her skin made her look fragile. And there was the matter of the dried blood in her hair. (Though Connor didn’t bring the blood up to her, not wanting to cause her more alarm. Her hands still hadn’t stopped trembling.) 

“This conversation isn’t over,” he warned her, as he took a step forward, backing her up more under the spray. Water had started to run down his shoulders and chest now in addition to his back. Snagging her bottle of apple shampoo, he got to work washing her hair. 

They were safe. They were here. His Dad was safe. His Dad was going to be fine. Sarah had hands that wouldn’t stop shaking and Connor had these words that he kept repeating to himself in a mantra since they left the hospital. That and he didn’t let Sarah stray too far from him. 

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] “You are not a rebound.” After their shower, Connor waited until they were settled in bed to broach the subject again. The woman pressed against him, huffed. He didn’t know if it was from distrust or annoyance. Either way, he continued to insist firmly in a quiet tone of voice, “You’re not. The women that came before you-they were rebounds. The porsche in the parking garage downstairs is a rebound. You are-”

A big reason why I’ve smiled in the last five months. The first person I see in the morning and the last before I go to sleep.

“Connor, I know you care about me to some extent, I’m not saying you don’t, but I think sometimes you forget I was Robin’s psychiatrist during her recovery. I’ve seen what you in a relationship, what you as a boyfriend, looks like. And while what we have is great, it isn’t that.” 

He ran a hand through his dark locks and sighed. When it was put like that, when he heard it from her perspective, it made sense.  And as much as he wanted to disagree and argue that it wasn’t true, he couldn’t. He hadn't been treating her like a girlfriend (At least not in public, but instead here in their bubble) and he knew it. The only thing Connor could try to do now was try to explain.

 “After my relationship with Robin crashed and burned, admittedly, I was scared to try again. To go all in with someone else. So I tried to just have casual sex and hold you at arm's length. But somehow you got under my skin, so I’ve been trying to keep you all to myself. But clearly, that isn’t working because you and I are on very different pages about what this is.”

Sarah picked up her head to look at him. Damp curls fell against his face and tickled him slightly before she pushed the hair behind her ears. 

“What is this to you?” The question came out in a hesitant whisper. As if she knew the answer, but was afraid of it. Shifting up slightly, Connor cradled her face in his hands. Then he slanted his mouth against hers delicately. It was true, he could turn on the charm when he wanted and truthfully could have most women and even a few men eating out of the palm of his hand with just the right grin. 

But the surgeon always thought his greatest strength lay in physical affection. So with his mouth moving against hers softly, teasing the seam of her lips. He tried to convey what she was to him without words. 

“I’ve been yours for a while now. I’m not really sure when it happened but a few months ago, before she caught us on the roof last month, Ava asked me a question. Which one of my many girls would get me that night? I don’t think I even answered her. But she commented how I used to be such a one-woman kind of guy. I remember asking her, how did she know I wasn’t still? And I was talking about you because I only wanted you. And had, for I don’t know how long. I’m sorry if that hasn’t been clear.”

“You want a relationship with me?” 

“As far as I’m concerned, we’ve been in one for months now. Now I guess the question is, do you want one with me?” He whispered softly, running his nose down her cheek. Then her neck. Lingering in that spot on her neck. He kissed it. With a slight mewling hum, the brunette beauty in his arms ducked her head down and captured his lips. The kiss was fleeting, her lips though lazy, were barely a whisper against his. 

“You realize that a relationship with me…I have expectations.” She teased as she shifted against him, her knees cradling his hips while she placed her hands on his chest and pushed up. Her torso ached with her bruises but Connor didn’t need to know that.  Despite the day they both had, Connor found himself grinning slightly at her words. He grabbed her hips to steady her. 

“Whatever you want,” he promised her. Another lazy kiss was traded between the two. She smiled against his lips, “I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I’m counting on that,” 

Her hands, he noticed had finally stopped trembling. 

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

“Why didn’t you take the job at Mayo?” Sarah whispered sometime later. Her index finger continued to draw patterns on his chest, Connor losed a breath, and she felt him shrug beneath her. “It never felt right, I guess. I took it because it was a good offer, but I have my family…friends…and you here.” 

He chuckled quietly in her ear. It sent a shiver down her spine. Mistaking that for her being cold, the dark-haired man tucked her more firmly against him. She didn’t mind. Connor was a furnace and because of that, he kept his apartment freezing and she was usually cold.   

Connor continued. Another chuckle on his lips. “You know if you asked me four years ago, I would’ve taken any chance I had to leave Med and now leaving didn’t-doesn’t feel right. So when they offered me to head the hybrid program, it made my decision not to leave that much easier.”

Sarah hummed before she giggled at the sensation that ran down her spine. She squirmed. There was a comfortable kind of silence then. One where they didn’t have to talk. 

Till her…boyfriend? (Is that what she could call him now? Eh, she was going with it.) Till her boyfriend broke it, “So that guy? Will you tell me about how you know him now?”

Sighing, she turned her brown eyes on him. Maybe if she gave him those Bambi eyes everyone claimed she had, he would leave it alone. “He’s part of a bigger story and I’m not sure tonight is the night to tell you all of that. Especially with the day we’ve both had.”

“Baby,” he was pulling his own eyes on her in the form of that damned pet name that just made her melt every time he used it. A hand ran down her back, “As long as that is all it is.”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” She said before he pressed another kiss to her forehead. Then he pinned her with a soft, tender look in his blue eyes. “If you really don’t want to, then we don’t have to talk about it. But do you remember the first time I asked you to stay the night? You tried to brush me off, but I had this nagging feeling that you wanted to but something was holding you back. I have that same feeling again.”

“My childhood is just something I don’t really talk about… at all.” The brunette explained to her lover. She searched for a word to explain how it felt, “It’s painful and rough to think about and I try not to think about it every day.”

“I can understand that. But I want you to feel like you can talk to me if you ever want to. Even if it’s heavy stuff.” he told her. Sarah angled her head up and puckered her lips for a kiss. She was rewarded by Connor’s soft grin and his lips pressed to hers. 

“Charlie just blindsided me today. Give me a little while to process it and then I’ll tell you all the gory details.” She mumbled against his lips. He pressed another kiss to her lips in answer.

[LINE BREAK]  [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

He was blaming it on the emotionally charged day and night before. That was the only explanation he had for not noticing everything about the ringing cell he picked up in the wee hours of the morning wasn’t his. Sarah stirred in the form of an irritated grumble as he stretched out a hand to grab the equally irritating device. 

He glanced bleary-eyed at the screen and registered the familiar name of Maggie Lockwood and was sliding his thumb to answer before his mind was alert enough to register that it wasn’t just her name that flashed on the screen, but a picture of the charge nurse with April and Sarah all holding drinks at Molly’s, taken on Sarah’s last birthday. 

“Is it CT or Trauma, Maggie?” He asked by way of greeting as the curly brunette in his arms shifted. He couldn’t decide if she was awake or still asleep by how her leg tightened around his. There was a pause then Maggie asked, “Connor?”  

She sounded confused.

“Yeah, Maggie? Did you mean to call me?” He asked, half hoping for a chance that she hadn’t and he wouldn’t have to move from where he oh-so comfortably pinned beneath Sarah. 

“Well for one, I didn’t call you at all. I mean, I was going to, but I hadn’t yet. I called Reese,” Feeling wide awake now, Connor's eyes opened and he pulled the phone back slightly to glance at it. Now, he saw the picture of the three women smiling. The cell phone pressed to his ear was Sarah’s. Not his. And he had just answered it at almost six in the morning…

“I guess I know why Sarah’s been dodging mine and April’s attempts to set her up with someone since her break up with Joey now. And that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing between you two yesterday,” she chuckled then she sobered slightly as informed him of why she was calling in the first place. Sarah had been right. Goodwin had mandated everyone that had been held in the ED to take at least three days off and to let her know if they needed more time.

“I think you’ll be able to pass along the message to Reese,” the laughter was back in her voice. 

“Maggie,” Connor started, but he didn’t know where he was going because he wasn’t going to ask her to not say anything. That would be counterproductive to the conversation he and Sarah had last night. Yet, he didn’t want his personal life on complete display for everyone at the hospital once more. 

“It’s not new, is it? You and her?”

“Why are you asking?” He asked as Sarah’s head popped up from his chest. She blinked sleepily at him and saw he was on the phone before she yawned and lazily nuzzled at his neck. She was always the most cuddly in the morning and after their post-coital activities. 

“April thought she saw you two making out last month on the roof but she wasn’t completely sure. She was sure she was just seeing things. And then yesterday, there was a definite vibe I was picking up,” she told him and he sighed. Counting Ava, that made two people now that saw them. It made him wonder if there were more. He kissed her forehead before saying into the phone, “No, it’s not new.” 

“Treat her well, Connor. She deserves the best. And if you don’t, you’ll have me and April to deal with.”

While the two nurses were indeed scary both together and apart; he thought he’d have a lot more to deal with if he ever hurt Sarah the way Maggie was implying. And that line seemed to start behind Sergeant Hank Voight. But he didn’t say any of that. Instead, “Goodnight Maggie,” fell off his lips. 

“‘Night Ma-ag-gie,” the brunette repeated his words with a yawn. The ED charge nurse chuckled softly, “Goodnight you two.” 

When the line was dead, Connor tossed the phone on his nightstand and wrapped his arms around Sarah’s waist, and pressed kisses to every inch of her creamy, soft skin like he did every morning. Only this morning with dark bruises marring her skin, he moved more slowly, and his lips were just a whisper against the dark welts, His lips tracing every bruise he could see. 

“That feels nice,” she sighed, peeling an eye open. Another yawn passed through her lips as she lifted her hand to pat his head. “It’s still dark out. I’m not waking up right now. Even for morning sex.” 

He chuckled, “So you’ll go for morning sex if it’s daylight outside?” 

“Maybe not even then. I might be commandeering your bed and you will not be getting it back.” Another chuckle left his lips. Another kiss pressed to her forehead. 

“Then what do you call this?” 

“My pillow being chatty.” She deadpanned with a yawn, “What did Maggie want?” 

“She called to let us know that you were right. Goodwin is mandating we take three days after everything that happened.” 

“Mmm, and she knows about us?” Sarah sounded as if she was already half asleep already. Now Connor yawned as he settled back down too. 

“I answered your phone thinking it was mine. She put two and two together. Is that okay? That people know?” 

“I’m not trying to keep you a secret-” she yawned, “-Con-nor. I just didn’t know there was an us for people to know about last night remember? Didn’t know you were such a blabbermouth though.”

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The next time Sarah woke up, it was to an empty bed. Connor had gone to visit his Dad according to the sticky note he left on his nightstand. And he hadn’t been gone for long by the warmth still clinging to the sheets. It was still early and she didn’t have to be at work. So Sarah lingered a little longer in bed until her phone started ringing. Justin…and Teddy. She was avoiding Hank and Erin so it seemed like they were sending in reinforcements. 

“Hello,” she answered, getting out of Connor’s bed to head to the kitchen. If she was going to deal with overprotective big brothers, then she needed coffee. 

“What the hell happened yesterday?” Both of her brothers questioned and the brunette groaned, getting her favorite coffee grounds (When had Connor bought these? Had they always been here?) out of the pantry. 

She definitely needed coffee to deal with them. 

#Rheese #Chicago Med #One Chicago #Sarah Reese #Connor Rhodes #Voight Family Values #My writing

[marie-swriting]

The Memories Of Our Relationship - Shawn Mendes

Masterlist

Superache Masterlist

Summary : You finally start moving on from your relationship with Shawn, but he decided to come at your place in the middle of the night.

Warnings : angst, sad ending, Shawn is drunk, maybe some grammatical mistakes as English is not my first language, tell me if you see some or if I missed any warnings.

Word Count : 1.7k

French version on Wattpad

French version on Tumblr

Song inspiration : Memories by Conan Gray

The sound of your doorbell drags you out of bed. You blink your eyes quickly before rubbing them and looking at the time on your phone. You’re wondering who could be at your place at two in the morning. You sigh, annoyed before getting out of your room and walking to the door. You look through the peephole and see Shawn, a sad expression on his face and his hair wet from the rain. You hadn’t seen each other for the past two months, since your breakup. You have no idea why he’s here. You hesitate before opening to him, concerned you’re making a mistake. After debating with yourself mentally, you decide to give him a chance. After all, he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t have a good reason. As soon as you open the door, Shawn stumbles into your apartment. You roll your eyes and close behind him, already reconsidering your decision.

“What are you doing here ?” You ask him while he stays in the middle of your living room.

“I want to talk to you.” He announces before taking his wet coat off and putting it on the coat rack.

“It’s two AM, Shawn.”

“I know but I need to.” Shawn insists and you realise his voice is a bit different.

“Are you drunk ?”

“No, I just drank one glass.” He denies, but you know him.

“Look, just say what you wanna tell me quickly, I have to wake up tomorrow. I mean, in five hours.”

“I… I want us to get back together.”

When you hear his sentence, the fatigue officially leaves your body. You raise your eyebrows and you hope you misheard. You rub your temples, closing your eyes for a second. When you open them again, you can see the seriousness on his face.

“You’re the one who wanted to break up.” You retort before playing with your butterfly pendant hanging down your neck.

“I know, and I regret it.”

“It’s a bit too late now.”

He doesn’t listen to you and starts walking in your living room, looking around. His eyes are full of nostalgia while he reminisces about your relationship. You look at him from afar, not knowing what to do. His inebriated state doesn’t help you to make him aware of the situation. At one point, he stops and takes an object on your living room table. Even if you don’t see it, you know what he took. You trot toward him and remove the book from his hands.

“You still have our photo album ?” He asks with a stupid smile on his face. “I thought you’d have thrown it away by now.”

“Tonight is the first time I looked at it since our breakup, actually.”

“So you admit it, you miss what we had as well.”

“I never said that.” You affirm gripping on the book a bit harder.

“So why did you take it out after all this time ?”

“I don’t really know. I… I suppose I wanted to see if I could look at the pictures without breaking down.”, you explain and before he can smile, you quickly add, “which I can.”

Shawn doesn’t say anything, not convinced by your answer. He starts strolling around again before going to your kitchen. He pours himself a glass of water. He drinks it in one gulp, then he puts it in the dishwasher. You join him again, more and more annoyed by his behaviour. You wish he’d finally leave you alone, especially because you need to rest. You cross your arms over your chest before taking a determined tone.

“Why are you here, Shawn ?”

“I told you, I want us to get back together. I shouldn’t have let you go. I was an idiot.”

“You wanted it because of the distance and your job it was too complicated.”

“But you, you didn’t want it.” He retorts and you look away for a second. “You wanted to find a solution to make things work. And I was so sure I was right I didn’t listen to your arguments, like a moron. I should have. I don’t want to lose you. Without you, I’m nothing. Please, let me fix my stupid mistake.” He begs, trying to take your hand.

“Shawn, stop it.”, your order as you take a step back, “I’m finally moving on, I don’t need to hear you say that.”

“But deep down, you still love me.”

“Of course.”, you state as if it was obvious, “You’ll always have a special place in my heart, but it doesn’t mean we should be together again.”

“Why not ?”

“Love is not always enough. It didn’t work once, a second time wouldn’t be any better. Trust me, I haven’t stopped thinking about it for the last two months. I’ve imagined every scenario and there’s no happy ending for us. If you hadn’t broken up with me, we would have done it later. We were already falling out of love so our relationship was going to have an end, at some point.”

“We could stay friends ? I still want to be a part of your life.” He proposes with an ounce of hope and you’re trying not to give in.

“We can’t. It wouldn’t be a good thing, because we’d prevent each other from moving on with someone else. It’s better if we don’t talk anymore.” You tell him, your hands playing with your necklace.

“Y/N, please.”

“Oh my God, listen to me for once in your life !”, you lose your temper running your hand on your face, “I don’t want to. I was fine with the memories of our relationship. Of course when you left me, I was devastated and mad at you. I even thought I’d always have memories of you where I’d hate you, but then I realised you were right from the beginning. I have good memories of you, of us and you’re currently ruining everything. So stop it. You were perfect when you were just in my memories. I didn’t need to see you tonight, especially if you were gonna say that. I’ll always have affection for you, but it is over.”

Shawn simply nods with teary eyes while you breath heavily. You know you just broke his heart, but you need to protect yours. You had to be straight with him. You don’t like being the cause of his pain, but you don’t have any other choice. He doesn’t answer you, understanding it’s a lost cause. He leaves the room while you’re getting a grip on yourself. You breathe many times before finding back Shawn in your living room, asleep on your couch. Frustrated, you sigh, but decide to not wake him up. His drunkenness won’t allow you to make him get out of your house easily anyway and you don’t want him to drive and be the reason for an accident. 

You leave him a glass of water and some medicine before taking a blanket. As you put it on him, Shawn opens his eyes for a moment. He looks at you as you’re leaning in above him and his eyes find your necklace, making him smile foolishly.

“You’re still wearing it.”

You don’t have the time to open your mouth because he falls back asleep right away. You look at him one last time and go back to your bedroom. You roll over in your bed for a bit as you think back at your discussion with Shawn. You wipe some tears on your cheek before finally being able to fall back asleep.

When your alarm goes off three hours later, you’re mad at Shawn for cutting your sleep short. You struggle to get out of bed, but you force yourself to get dressed for work. When you’re ready, you go to your living room after taking a box that has been lying in your closet around the past two months. You put it next to the couch and shake Shawn. He needs a minute to surface. When he sees you, he can’t help but have a smile on his face. For him, he’s back to the beginning of your relationship, where everything was well, where you were happy together. But your neutral expression brings him back to reality. He sits down before taking the glass of water and the medicine he just saw. When he’s done, he stands up in front of you. You point at the box before speaking.

“These are your stuff. I think there is a coat, books and CDs. I wasn’t able to give them back to you before”, you inform and he stays silent, “you can take them back.” You insist.

“You weren’t joking when you were saying you wanted our relationship to stay only memories.” Shawn says laughing to hide his pain.

“If I want to move on, I don’t have any other choice. Oh, there’s that, too.” You say, removing your necklace.

“No, Y/N, you can keep it. It belongs to you and you only.”

“I know, but I feel like as long as I’ll have it, I won’t be able to grieve our love story and I don’t want to throw it away, so take it.” You clarify, handing the jewel.

“If it’s what you want.” He murmurs, taking it.

Shawn looks at the necklace, admiring the silver butterfly. Your attempt at your first kiss had been interrupted by the appearance of the insect with beautiful blue wings. You had laughed before being able to finally kiss. The butterfly had quickly become your symbol. You love this necklace. You always touch it whenever you’re feeling a negative emotion. But you can’t keep wearing it.

Shawn puts it in the box carefully. He takes the box before walking to the door. You open it for him and he starts leaving, his head down. You’re about to close the door when he turns around one last time.

“I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have come. You’re right.”, he admits before taking a deep breath, “You’ll also always have a special place in my heart. I love you.”

You wish you could say it back, but the words stay stuck in your throat because it’s not the thing to say. Deep down, you know it. So you smile at him sadly before  closing the door symbolising the end of the chapter of the story with Shawn.

Masterlist

Superache Masterlist

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