luke dawson,

[freakinlucasdawson]

how do i do this?

I'm scared of looking stupid Said I, I'm ready now, I gotta prove it

"Luke, it's just coffee."

Mike, his best friend and his business partner, told him through the phone as he stood with two coffees outside of the Black Rock Coffee Company coffee shop in West Nashville.

It had been over a year since his divorce from Aubree Dawson Carter. She had moved on. Why couldn't he?

He hadn't been on a date since he was sixteen years old despite what the headlines said or the rumors that were spread across Nashville by word of mouth. He hadn't even been with anyone since Aubree, but he couldn't say the same for her, nor he could he blame her.

Aubree and her 'new found love' had been titled the new king and queen of country music, appropriately. Lucas had given up the title after the divorce, relinquishing his music career when she had been granted all the rights to all their music they had created over the years in the divorce, and instead he became a business owner to a bar downtown off Broadway.

"Is it ever just coffee?" Lucas asked, more to himself than to Mike.

His 'it's just coffee' date was with a journalist. She had just come back from years of living and working overseas and she had absolutely nothing to do with the music business. She had come into the bar the week prior and Mike had introduced the two of them. After a stint of texting back and forth they made plans to meet up for coffee.

I think it's probably time to keep it movin' I talk a big game, that I'm scared of losin'

"Luke, if you're not ready, you're not ready. But are you not ready because you're really not ready, or are you not ready because you're still in love with her?"

"Does it matter?" Lucas asked. He would always be in love with Aubree Dawson Carter but she could do better than him, and she was.

The bell rang on top of the door to the buzzing coffee shop signaling someone had walked in and he glanced up to see the blonde journalist walking through the door. "Gotta go." Lucas hung up the phone and he plastered a smile on his face.

Everything I knew about love is ruined, it's so confusing So, how do, how do I do this?

[deaconsrayna]

“And, you know, I think maybe everything happened the way it needed to for us. — Yeah. Maybe if we’d gotten together back then, we’d have thrown each other away by now.”

[freakinlucasdawson]

“Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.” - The Polar Express 

[pic-brett]

Color meme • Kelly Severide + red

Requested by @skyjane85

[freakinlucasdawson]

1. Bake Halloween cookies 

2. Have a Disney Halloween movies marathon

3. Carve pumpkins

4. Buy candy to pass out for trick-or-treaters 

5. Pick out costumes for the entire family

6. Visit a pumpkin patch

7. Make a pile of leaves and jump in them

8. Go on a hayride

9. Decorate the inside & outside of the house

10. Eat ALLLLLLL the candy corn.

[freakinlucasdawson]

“On Halloween, witches come true; wild ghosts escape from dreams. Each monster dances in the park." -Nick Gordon

[freakinlucasdawson]

it’s independence day

it’s a great day to be alive

god’s country

i love my country

where i come from

courtsey of the red, white, and blue

song of the south

everyday america

american country love song

have you forgotten?

made in america

[freakinlucasdawson]

July 4, 2003

“I’m going out! I’ll be back later, Mom!” Sixteen year old Lucas called as he jumped off the bottom step of the staircase and headed for the front door. “Is your sister going too?” Rebecca Dawson appeared from the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel presumably from washing dishes. “No…” Lucas answered. “Lucas, why don’t you invite your sister? I’m sure she doesn’t have any plans.” His mother said her motherly ‘tone’. “Do I have to—“ He was cut off with his mother’s eyes darting at him. “Fine…LAUREN! Let’s go! We’re going out!” Moments later, his twin sister came barreling down the stairs already dressed like she had been prepared that he would ask her to go. “Have a good time. Stay out of trouble. Be back at midnight.” His mother warned.

— 

“So, where are we going?” Lauren piped up as they journeyed down the sidewalk on foot. “To Devon’s.” Lucas answered, closing the flip phone in his hand and shoving it back in his pocket. “Devon Caffey’s? He’s bad news, Luke, why are we hanging out with Devon?” Lauren asked. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to invite you, Lo. I knew you’d have an issue with it. He’s my friend. Has been since elementary school. So, he got in some trouble awhile back…that doesn’t make him a bad person.” Lucas always tended to see the better in people, always gave them the benefit of the doubt. “Right…tell that to the next kid who’s head he pushes in the toilet at school.” Lauren mumbled, but decided to continue on with her brother.

They arrived at Devon’s house not more than ten minutes later. Devon and a few of their other mutual friends were sitting on the front steps of their brownstone with a pile of fireworks. “Dawson! You made it…and you brought your sister.” Devon greeted and he shook hands with his friend before taking a seat behind him on the brownstone. “It’s Lauren. The name is Lauren. Not Lucas’ sister.” She bit back and Lucas stifled a laugh that was threatening to escape his lips. 

—

As soon as it got dark, the group of friends began celebrating the Fourth of July properly by shooting off fireworks. The night had also brought consumption of alcohol on Devon’s part and their other friends but Lucas and Lauren narrowly avoided that. Coming from a long line of firefighters, Lucas and Lauren were very aware of the proper way to use them and always firework conscious when it came to shooting them off. Alcohol and shooting off fireworks did not appear to be the brightest idea. “That little punk down the street threw a firecracker at me.” Devon, a natural hothead, even hotter because of the actions of a neighbor down the street. “He better watch himself.” Devon gathered a pile of fireworks and began marching down the street.

“Devon, whoa, no, what are you doing?” Lucas chased after him. His anger fueled by genetics, an argument, and alcohol were certainly dominating his decision to be a good person. “I’m going to get him back. Either you come with me Dawson or you go home.” Devon and the group of friends set up shop behind a couple of cars, masked by darkness. “This is not the way to get him back. You don’t shoot fireworks at people. Be the bigger person Devon.” Lucas pleaded but the pleas went in one ear and out the other. They began shooting fireworks in the direction of the house where the first one had been fired from. Lucas and Lauren stood back and watched.

It wasn’t long before the house became ablaze and Devon and his friends were running for the hill. “Devon! Where are you going?! You can’t just leave.” Lucas yelled after the boys, yelling to their backs, and Lucas shook his head. He handed his phone over to Lauren who looked like a deer caught in head lights. “Call 911 for the fire department.” Lucas ran across the street and he kicked in the front door. “Anyone home?! Hello?!” If he hadn’t been sure before, it was in that moment, he knew he wanted to be a firefighter.

[freakinlucasdawson]

“It’s Fourth of July weekend, or, as I call it, Exploding Christmas.” -Stephen Colbert

[freakinlucasdawson]

Fathers Day

AU: >> FATHER’S DAY 2025

"Do you believe people can change?” Lucas asked his mother who stood in the kitchen slicing watermelon for the cook out that Lucas and Aubree had decided to host for Father’s Day that year. They had invited his mother, Tyler, Gabby, the Larsen children, and even Lucas and Tyler’s father. They had cut all ties with him in 2017 after Lucas’ twin sister Lauren was killed in a tragic line of duty death and they found out he and Tyler were related from an affair their father had with Tyler’s mother. However, as his own children grew, Lucas debated on reaching out but never worked up the courage to do so. “I think so. Case-by-case basis. Your father has done really well for himself. Retirement does wonders.” His mother spoke. “Do you think you guys...?” Before he could finish his sentence, his mother shook her head. “No, no.”

The doorbell rang and Aubree went to get the door. Lucas wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and took a deep breath. “Nervous too, huh?” Tyler questioned his brother, younger only by a month. “That’s an understatement.” Lucas replied. Aubree walked in a moment later, a nervous smile plastered to her face, and his father followed behind. His father did look different, he looked happier and less stressed like the whole New York Fire Department no longer sat on his shoulders. The thing about Lucas was he always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, even if it blew up in his face.

“Hey Champ.” He greeted with open arms and Lucas walked towards his father nervous. “Champ? Haven’t called me that since I was twelve.” He joked and he enveloped his father in a hug and he hugged back. The first hug the pair shared in at least ten years and it felt...different, lighter. “There’s my other champ, both of my sons under one roof.” Nicholas spoke as he broke the embrace with Lucas and made his way over to Tyler to repeat the interaction. Lucas nervously rubbed at his temple. “Daddy!” Lucas turned his attention to the brunette haired pair of sisters that were running towards him. “Hi babies. Hey, look, I have someone I want you to meet.” Lucas brought Aubree by his side as well, always feeling less nervous with her by his side.

“Dad...you remember Aubree? My wife? She met you at the door.” He introduced and his dad nodded his head, reaching out to shake her hand pleasantly. “Of course, thank you for having me in your home.” His father spoke. “And...this is Molly, she’s eight, and this is her sister Kate, she’s five.” Lucas introduced both of his daughters to his father. “Molly, Kate, this is your grandpa, Nicholas. He’s my dad.” Lucas introduced to his daughters and they both gave him a brief hug. Fathers Day 2025 looked much different than he thought it would, and for now...he would embrace it. 

[freakinlucasdawson]

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

[freakinlucasdawson]

mothers day 2020

I hope you look just like your momma And love her like I do You'll see close to perfect patience If you watch her every move

“Daddy, I done!” An excited three-year-old, Molly Dawson, shouted as she handed over a piece of toddler artwork that she had drawn for Aubree for Mother’s Day. He took it from her gently and his smile instantly grew. “This is perfect, baby. Thank you. I think she’s really going to love it.” Lucas nodded his head and folded the card together, leaving it in a standing position on the counter. Aubree had to run in to the station to return some files that she had brought home and then she would return home for a low-key Mother’s Day, Lucas and Molly had collaborated and decided to surprise her with more than just a little low-key weekend and instead planned a picnic underneath the Brooklyn Bridge after drawing at least fifteen pictures for her in crayon. “Go put on your shoes so we can go to the park.” Lucas instructed as he scribbled at a note for her to find whenever she got home of where he and the girls would be.

Just as he was finishing singing his letter, Kate began to giggle and squeal from her bouncer seat that she had been happily bouncing in. “Do you want part of the action too?” Lucas reached to pick up the eight month old infant and sat her in his lap. He placed her tiny palm on a blank piece of paper and he tried to quickly outline her hand before she pulled it away. He scribbled ‘I wuv you’ and signed it with Kate’s name to just add it to the growing collection on their kitchen counter for Aubree to find when she returned home from the station. “I ready!” Molly came into the dining room with her hands on her hips and her head cocked sideways. “Alright, let’s go. Can you grab Kate’s backpack for me?” Lucas asked and she picked up the backpack and slid it over both of her shoulders while he carried Kate to the front door. 

Lucas managed to wrangle the picnic supplies, theiir two girls, and their family golden retriever into his pick up truck and drove them to the park underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. “I don’t know how your momma does it, she’s a freaking superhero, isn’t she?” Lucas told Kate as he carried the infant in his arms, the backpack on one shoulder, the picnic basket in his freehand and two careful eyes on Molly who was being walked by Maverick to the center of the park, instead of the other way around. The infant responded with her gummy toothless grin even though she had no idea what he was saying. They settled in their usual spot on a blanket, Molly playing feet away at the playground, Maverick standing close guard.

They were only at the park an hour before Aubree had driven up and parked next to his truck. Molly was the first to spot her and immediately ran up to her giving her the first of many hugs. “Who’s that Kate? Is that Mommy?” Lucas pointed to the approaching mother and toddler paid and Kate’s smile only got bigger as she recongized Aubree’s presence and began excitedly kicking her feet in response. Lucas stood to his feet to greet her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “What is all this?” She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck in response. “This is your Mother’s Day picnic. Molly and I wanted to do something special for you.” Lucas smiled and he leaned down to kiss her.

“Everyday is special with you and the girls.” She replied, after the kiss broke. “We’ve had our ups, our downs, our good days and our bad days with these two but I would not change anything that we went through to wind up in this place with our two girls. If anyone asked me if I ever saw myself as a girl dad, I probably would have laughed, but now I can’t imagine anything different. I only hope and pray that they learn to be independent, strong, and fiesty warriors like you are.” Lucas told her and gave her one more kiss. 

“Happy Mother’s Day, babe.”

You can always run to daddy You'll always be my baby, but Look at her, baby girl And you'll learn how to be a lady

[freakinlucasdawson]

forever to go,

holdin her

my person

sleeping beauty

last name

i worship the woman you walked on

nobody but you

better together

promise to love her

watch you be a mother

forever to go

[freakinlucasdawson]

What If

“Dad!” The oldest and only Dawson boy yelled in excitement as he ran from the parking lot into the firehouse, his backpack high on his back. “Hey buddy! How was school?” Lucas caught the body just in time before he knocked him over. “We went on our field trip to the Statue of Liberty today. It was so cool. We took the ferry over the Hudson and my hair blew in the wind like you see in the movies.” The boy wonder exclaimed and Lucas watched in admiration as he rambled on his trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island which was the original port of entry for many immigrants coming to America quite some time ago.

After Molly, the middle Dawson child and first daughter to the couple, had been born Lucas took a sabbitcal from the firehouse and joined headquarters in the Office of Fire Investigations, and remained there until their third child came into the world and was almost two years old. It was only when they were old enough to understand his schedule, and behave for Aubree on a basis where he had to be gone for twenty-four hours at a time, did he return to the firehouse. He had even begun the move to start testing for Batallion Chief so eh coudl run his own firehouse. Their son, definitely more mature than most boys his age, helped out with being the man of the house. Lucas zoned back into when he caught the boy gazing in admiration at the Squad truck. 

“You want to go sit in the truck don’t you?” He questioned and the boy nodded his head excitedly. “I’ll take him.” Gabby, his sister-in-law, said in passing as he dragged her off to the Squad truck. “Be careful!” He shouted at the pair. “Oh and I signed you and Mom up for career day next week. Bye!” Lucas’ son shouted back at him as he opened the door to the Squad truck. “Of course you did.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “What’s so funny?” Aubree joined them on the apparatus floor of the firehouse with one hand holding each of the girls’ hands. “There’s my girls.” He kissed each and every one of them, lastly landing one on Aubree’s lips. “Your son signed us for career day next week. He didn’t tell you?” He chuckled. “That boy...” The two of them shook their heads. “Molly! Kate! Come here!” He yelled for his sisters and they took off. “Our boy.” Lucas nudged her with his hip and she did the same to him with their arms crossed over their respective chest.

[freakinlucasdawson]

5 Years Ago

Upon returning from a call, Lucas rounded the corner of the common room of the firehouse towards the bunk area. As he made his journey, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling out the iPhone, he glanced down at it. 1 Missed Call - Aubree Carter flashed across the screen and a smile immediately came to his lips. Caught in a trance, he didn’t even notice his twin sister and paramedic in the same firehouse had joined him in his walk. “Carter...that detective chick?” Lauren questioned as the reason to her brother’s goofy grin. “Yeah.” He chuckled and he stowed his phone back in his pocket as they walked. 

“I like that girl for you. She’s got swagger...and that husky voice.” Lauren nodded her head, stuffing her hands in her pocket. The Dawson Twins were infamous for their nonmonagmous relationship history and low key fear of committment, however, Lucas had broken all his own rules by seeing only Aubree since they had met a month ago in his bar. In fact, he only hoped to keep breaking his own rules by making things official with her, the next time he saw her. "Are you going to call her back?” Lauren asked curiously and nosily like the typical sister in her brother’s business.

“I don’t know, maybe. If she plays her cards right.” He answered with his trademark Dawson grin on his lips knowing full and well that he would call her as soon as he was alone in his office just off to the side of the common bunk area so that he could plan to see her again. There was something different about Aubree Carter and while he couldn’t put a finger on it, he was more than willing to accept that she would be the woman that changed his life. 

[freakinlucasdawson]

“Brooklyn was like Philadelphia made better by its proximity to Manhattan.”

[freakinlucasdawson]

Taurus

Lucas exited the bathroom shutting the light off behind him, as Aubree sat on her side of their king size bed applying lotion to her body and flipping through a magazine. ”Catching up on your celebrity gossip?” Lucas joked as he rounded the bed to his side and he plopped down on the bed, propping his back against the headboard and crossing one leg over the other. ”No, just reading my horoscope.” Aubree admitted and he shook his head, a grin still plastered on his face. ”You believe in all that…astrology stuff?” Lucas turned to her. ”Sometimes, it’s scary accurate. You want to hear yours?” Aubree perked up, turning to her husband. ”Sure, go for it. Taurus remember?” He winked, figuring that he’d give her and her horoscopes the benefit of the doubt for tonight.

”Taurus…Taurus…Taurus…” She thumbed through a few pages until she landed on the one regarding his sign. She set the magazine down in between them so that they could both glance at it, and read it. ”Stable and conservative, this is one of the most reliable signs of the zodiac, ready to endure and stick to their choices until they reach the point of personal satisfaction.” They were already off to a good start because those were two of Lucas’ promising characteristics. He provided stability for himself, for Aubree, for their girls, and when he wanted something, he saw to the end until he got what he wanted. ”Keep going, I’ll make you a believer.” Aubree chuckled, laying her own back against the headboard to listen to him read.

”When they create enough intimacy with a loved one, they become a bit gooey—“ Lucas paused and he looked over at his brunette wife. ”Am I gooey?” He chuckled. ”Like a warm chocolate chip cookie, babe.” She reached over and rested a hand on his cheek, stroking it softly before letting it fall so he could continue. ”For long-term relationships, they often choose people from the same social environment that are able to respond to their intellectual needs.” Lucas read, which seemed to prove true in his relationship with Aubree. They were both from the same social environment, hence they met in his bar that was designated for first responders of the like. Maybe, Lucas would become a believer in horoscopes after all.

”Home and matters of the family are very important to every Taurus. This is a person who loves kids and appreciates time spent with people who love them.” Lucas nodded his head. When he was single, he was interested in everyone else’s kid, and never really thought about settling down and having a family of his own. Aubree came along and they were of like mind that kids weren’t really in the picture for them, until they were, and now they wouldn’t change it for the world. Lucas chuckled and shut the magazine. ”Alright…I’m no longer a skeptic.” He looked over at his wife. ”You can just say I was right.” Lucas tossed the magazine to the side and reached over to tickle her sides, earning a fit of giggles and she began to squirm underneath his grip. ”Yes, yes you’re right. You’re right.” He placed kisses on her face.